Indies have discovered and peopled after the same sort as wee do at this day that is by the Arte of Navigation and aide of Pilots the which guide themselves by the heigth and knowledge of the heavens and by their industrie in handling and changing of their sailes according to the season Why might not this well be Must we beleeve that we alone and in this our age have onely the Arte and knowledge to saile through the Ocean Wee see even now that they cut through the Ocean to discover new lands as not long since Alvaro Mendana and his companions did who parting from the Port of Lima came alongâ—t the West to discover the land which lieth Eastward from Perâ— and at the end of three moneths they discovered the Ilands which they call the Ilands of Salomon which are many and very great and by all likelehood they lie adioyning to new Guinnie or else are very neere to some other firme land And even now by commandement from the King and his Counsell they are resolved to prepare a new fleete for these Ilands Seeing it is thus why may we not suppose that the Ancients had the courage and resolution to travell by sea with the same intent to discover the land which they call Anticthoâ— opposite to theirs and that according to the discourse of their Philosophie it should be with an intent not to rest vntill they came in view of the landes they sought Surely there is no repugnancie or contrarietie in that which wee see happen at this day and that of former ages seeing that the holy scripture doth witâ—es that Solomon tooke Masters and Pilots from Tyre and Sidon men very expert in Navigation who by their industry performed this voiage in three yeeres To what end thinke you doth it note the Arte of Mariners and their knowledge with their long voiage of three yeeres but to give vs to vnderstand that Solomons sleete sailed through the great Ocean Many are of this opinion which thinke that S. Augustine had small reason to wonder at the greatnes of the Ocean who might well coniecture that it was not so difficult to saile through considering what hath been spoken of Solomons Navigation But to say the truth I am of a contrary opinion neither can I perswade my selfe that the first Indians came to this new world of purpose by a determined voiage neither will I yeeld that the Ancients had knowledgein the Art of Navigation whereby men at this day passe the Ocean from one part to another where they please the which they performe with an incredible swiftnes and resolution neither do I finde in all Antiquities any markes or testimonies of so notable a thing and of so great importance Besides I finde not that in ancient bookes there is any mention made of the vse of the Adamant or Loadstone nor of the Compasse to saile by yea I beleeve they had no knowledge thereof And if we take away the knowledge of the compasse to saile by we shall easily iudge how impossible it was for them to passe the great Ocean Such as haue any knowledge of the sea vnderstand me well for that it is as easie to beleeve that a Mariner in full sea can direct his course where hee please without a compasse as for a blinde man to shew with his finger any thing be it neere or farre off And it is strange that the Ancients have bene so long ignorant of this excellent propertie of the Adamant stone for Plinie who was so curious in naturall causes writing of this Adamant stone speakes nothing of that vertue and propertie it hath alwaies to turne the iron which it toucheth towards the North the which is the most admirable vertue it hath Aristotle Theophrastes Dioscorides Lucretius nor any other Writers or naturall Philosophers that I have seene make any mention thereof although they treate of the Adamant stone Saint Augustine writing many and sundry properties and excellencies of the Adamant stone in his bookes of the Citie of God speakes nothing thereof And without doubt all the excellencies spoken of this stone are nothing in respect of this strange propertie looking alwaies towards the North which is a great wonder of nature There is yet another argument for Plinic treating of the first inventers of Navigation and naming all the instruments yet he speakes nothing of the compasse to saâ—e by nor of the Adamant stone I say onely that the art to know the starres was invented by the Phaeniciens And there is no doubt but whatsoever the Ancients knew of the Art of Navigation was onely in regard of the starres and observing the Shoares Capes and differences of landes And if they had once lost the sight of land they knew not which way to direct their course but by the Stars Sunne and Moone and that sailing as it doth often in a darke and cloudie season they did governe themselves by the qualitie of the winds and by coniecture of the waies which they had passed Finally they went as they were guided by their owne motions As at the Indies the Indians saile a long way by sea guided only by their owne industrie naturall instinct And it serues greatly to purpose that which Plinie writes of the Ilanders of Taprobana which at this day we call Sumatra speaking in this sort when as he treates of the art and industrie they vse in sailing Those of Taprobana see not the North to saile by which defect they supply with certaine small birdes they carrie with them the which they often let flie and as those birdes by a naturall instinct flie alwaies towards the land so the Mariners direct their course after them Who doubtes then if they had had any knowledge of the compasse they would not have vsed these little birdes for their guides to discover the Land To conclude this sufficeth to shew that the Ancients had no knowledge of the secrets of the Loadstone seeing that for so notable a thing there is no proper word in Latine Greeke or Hebrew for a thing of such importance could not have wanted a name in these tongues if they had knowne it Wherevpon the Pilots at this day to direct him his course that holds the helme sit aloft in the poope of the Shippe the better to obserue the compasse where as in olde time they sat in the prow of the Shippe to marke the differences of lands and seas from which place they commaunded the Helme as they vse at this day at the entrie or going out of any Port or haven and therefore the Greekes called Pilots Proritaes for that they remained still in the prow Of the properties and admirable vertue of the Adamant stone for Navigation whereof the Ancients had no knowledge CHAP. 17. BY that which hath been formerly spoken it appeares that the Navigation to the Indies is as certaine and as short as wee are assured of the Adamant stone And at this day we see many that
hath been said in the first booke neither is it knowne if there be any habitations in the other two Zones of the Poles and whether the land continues and stretcheth to that which is towards the Antartike or South Pole Neither do we know the land that lies beyond the straight of Magellan for that the greatest height yet discovered is in fiftie â—ix degrees as hath beene formerly saide and toward the Artike or Northerne Pole it is not knowne how farre the land extendes which runnes beyond the Cape of Mendocin and the Caliphornes nor the bounds and end of Florida neither yet how farre it extendes to the West Of late they have discovered a new land which they call New Mexico where they say is much people that speake the Mexicaine tongue The Philippines and the following Ilands as some report that know it by experience ranne above nine hundred leagues But to intreate of China Cochinchina Syam and other regions which are of the East Indies were contrary to my purpose which is onely to discourse of the West nay they are ignorant of the greatest part of America which lies betwixt Peru and Bresill although the bounds be knowne of all sides wherein there is diversitie of opinions some say it is a drowned land full of Lakes and waterie places Others affirme there are great and florishing kingdomes imagining there be the Paytiti the Dorado and the Caesars where they say are wonderfull things I have heard one of our company say a man worthy of credite that hee had seene great dwellings there and the waies as much beaten as those betwixt Salamanca and Villadillit the which he did see whenas Peter d'Orsua and after those that succeeded him made their entrie and discoverie by the great river of Amazons who beleeving that the Dorado which they sought was farther off cared not to inhabitâ— there and after went both without the Dorado which they could not finde and this great Province which they left To speake the truth the habitations of America are to this day vnknowne except the extreamities which are Peru Bresill and that part where the land beginnes to straighten which is the river of Silver then Tucuman which makes the round to Chille and Charcâ— Of late we have vnderstood by letters from some of ours which go to S. Croix in the Sierre that they go discovering of great Provinces and dwellings betwixt Bresill and Peru. Time will reveile them for as at this day the care and courage of men is great to compasse the world from one part to another so wee may beleeve that as they have discovered that which is now knowne they may likewise lay open that which reâ—â—nes to the end the Gospell may be preached to the whole world seeing the two Crownes of Portugall and Caâ—â—ille have met by the East and West ioyning their discoveries together which in truth is a matter to be observed that the one is come to China and Iappan by the East and the other to the Philippines which are neighbours and almost ioyning vnto China by the West for from the Ilands of Lusson which is the chiefe of the Philippines in the which is the Citie of Mamillâ— vnto Macan which is in the I le of Cauton are but foure score or a hundred leagues and yet we finde it strange that notwithstanding thâ—â— small distance from the one to the other yet according to their accoumpt there is a daies difference betwixt them so as it is Sunday at Macan whenas it is but Saterday at Mamille and so of the rest Those of Macan and of China have one day advanced before the Philippines It happened to father Aloâ—â—â— Sanches of whom mention is made before that parting from the Philippines he arrived at Macan the second day of Maie according to their computation and going to say the Masse of S. Athanasius he found they did celebrate the feast of the invention of the holy Crosse for that they did then reckon the third of Maie The like happened vnto him in another voyage beyond it Some have found this alteration and diversitie strange supposing that the fault proceedes from the one or the other the which is not so but it is a true and well observed computation for according to the difference of waies where they have beene we must necessarily say that when they meete there must bee difference of a day the reason is for that sailing from West to East they alwaies gaine of the day finding the sunne rising sooner and contrariwise those that saile from East to West do alwaies loose of the day for that the Sunne riseth later vnto them and as they approach neerer the East or the West they have the day longer or shorter In Peru which is westward in respect of Spaine they are above sixe houres behinde so as when it is noone in Spaine it is morning at Peru and when it is morning heere it is mid-night there I have made certaine proofe thereof by the computation of Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone Now that the Portugalls have made their navigations from West to East and the Castillans from East to West when they came to ioyne and meete at the Philippines and Macan the one have gained twelve houres and the other hath lost as much so as at one instant and in one time they finde the difference of twentie houres which is a whole day so as necessarily the one are at the third of Maie whenas the others accoumpt but the second and whenas the one doth fast for Easter eve the others eate flesh for the day of the resurrection And if we will imagine that they passe farther turning once againe about the world vsing the same computation when they should returne to ioyne together they should finde by the same accoumpt two daies difference for as I have saide those that go to the Sunne rising accoumpt the day sooner for that the Sunne riseth to them sooner and those that go to the setting accoumpt the day later for that it goes from them later finally the diversitie of the noone tide causeth the divers reckoning of the day And now for as much as those that doe saile from East to West change their noone tide without perceiving it and yet still follow the same computation they did when they parted of necessitie having made the compasse of the worlde they must finde the want of a whole day in their computation Of the Volcans or Vents of fire CHAP. 24. ALthough we finde vents of fire in other places as mount Aetna and Wesuvio which now they call mount Sâ—ma yet is that notable which is found at the Indies Ordinarily these Volcans be rockes or pikes of most high mountaines which raise themselves above the toppes of all other mountaines vpon their toppes they have a plaine and in the midst thereof a pitte or great mouth which discends even vnto the foote thereof a thing verie terrible to beholde Out of these mouthes there issues smoake and sometimes
the Indian sea the other that of China And I have observed as well by my owne navigation as by the relation of others that the Sea is never divided from the Lande above a thousand Leagues And although the great Ocean stretcheth farre yet doth it never passe this measure I will not for all this affirme that wee sayle not above a thousand leagues in the Ocean which were repugnant to trueth being well knowne that the shippes of Portugal have sailed foure times as much and more and that the whole world may bee compassed about by sea as wee have seene in these dayes without any further doubt But I say and affirme that of that which is at this day discovered there is no land distant from an other firme land by direct line or from some Islands neere vnto it above a thousand leagues and so betwixt two firme lands there is no greater distance of sea accompting from the neerest parts of both the lands for from the end of Europe or Affricke and their coastes to the Canaries the Isles of Acores Cape Verd and others in the like degree are not above three hundred leagues or five hundred from the Mayne land From the saide Ilands running along to the West Indies there are scant nine hundred leagues to the Ilands of saint Dominick the Virgins the Happy Ilandes and the rest and the same Ilands runne along in order to the Ilandes of Barlovent which are Cuba Hispanâ—ola and Boriquen from the same Ilands vnto the Mayne land are scarce two or three hundred leagues in the neerest part farre lesse The firme land runnes an infinite space from Terraâ—Florida to the land of Patagons and on the other side of the South from the Straight of Maggellan to the Cape of Mendoce there runnes a long Continent but not very large for the largest is the Travers of Peru which is distant from Brasil about a thousand leagues In this South Sea although they have not yet discovered the ende towards the West yet of late they have found out the Ilands which they call Salomon the which are many and great distant from Peru about eyght hundred leagues And for that wee finde by observation that whereas there bee many and great Ilandes so there is some firme Land not farre off I my selfe with many others doe beleeve that there is some firme land neere vnto the Ilands of Salomon the which doth answere vnto our America on the West part and possibly might runne by the heigth of the South to the Straightes of Maggellan Some hold that Nova Guinea is firme Land and some learned men describe it neere to the Ilands of Salomon so as it is likely a good parte of the world is not yet discovered seeing at this day our men sayle in the South Sea vnto China and the Philippines and wee say that to go from Peru to those parts they passe a greater Sea then in going from Spaine to Peru. Moreover wee know that by that famous Straight of Maggellan these two Seas doe ioyne and continue one with an other I say the South sea with that of the North by that part of the Antarticke Pole which is in fiftie one degrees of altitude But it is a great question wherein many have busied themselvesâ— whether these two Seas ioyne together in the North part but I have not heard that any vnto this day could attayne vnto this point but by certaine likelihoods and coniectures some affirme there is an other Straight vnder the North opposite to that of Maggellan But it sufficeth for our subiect to knowe that there is a firme Land on this Southerne part as bigge as all Europe Asiae and Affricke that vnder both the Poles we finde both land and sea one imbracing an other Whereof the Ancients might stand in doubt and contradict it for want of experience To confute the opinion of Lactantius who holdes there be no Antipodes CHAP. 7. SEeing it is manifest that there is firme land vpon the South part or Pole Antartike wee must now see if it be inhabited the which hath bene a matter very disputable in former times Lactantius Firmian and S. Augustine mocke at such as hold there be any Antipodes which is as much to say as men marching with their feete opposite to ours But although these two authors agree in theis ieasts yet doe they differ much in their reasons and opinions as they were of very divers spirits and iudgements Lactantius followes the vulgar seeming ridiculous vnto him that the heaven should be round and that the earth should bee compassed in the midst thereof like vnto a ball whereof he writes in these tearmes What reason is there for some to affirme that there are Antipodes whose steppes are opposite to ours Is it possible that any should bee so grosse and simple as to beleeve there were a people or nation marching with their feâ—te vpwardes and their heades downwardes and that thinges which are placed heere of one sort are in that other part hanging topsie turvie that trees and corne growe downwardes and that raine snow haile fall from the earth vpward Then after some other discourse the same Lactantius vseth these words The imagination and conceit which some haue had supposing the heaven to be round hath bene the cause to invent these Antipodes hanging in the aire So as I knowe not what to say of such Philosophers whoe having once erred continue still obstinately in their opinions defending one another But whatsoever he saieth wee that live now at Peru and inhabite that part of the world which is oposite to Asia and their Antipodes as the Cosmographers do teach vs finde not our selves to bee hanging in the aire our heades downward and our feete on high Truly it is strange to consider that the spirit and vnderstanding of man cannot attaine vnto the trueth without the vse of imagination and on the other part it were impossible but he should erre and be deceived if hee should wholy forbeare it We cannot comprehend the heaven to be round as it is and the earth to bee in the middest of it without imagination But if this imagination were not controuled and reformed by reason in the end we should bee deceiued whereby we may certainely conclude that in our soules there is a certaine light of heaven whereby wee see and iudge of the interior formes which present themselves vnto vs and by the same we alow of or reiect that which imagination doth offer vnto vs. Hereby we see that the rationall soule is above all corporall powers and as the force and etenall vigour of truth doth rule in the most eminent part of man yea we plainely see that this pure light is participant and proceedes from that first great light that whoso knoweth not this or doubteth thereof we may well say that he is igmorant or doubtes whether he be a man or no. So if we shall demaund of our imagination what it thinkes of the roundnes of
vttermost bounds of the earth And in another place they say that the Gospell did flourish and increase through the vniversall world For the holy Scripture by an vsuall phrase calleth all the worlde that which is the greatest part thereof and was at that time discovered and knowne And the Ancients were ignorant that the East Indian Sea and that of the West were navigable wherin they have generally agreed By reason whereof Plinie writes as a certaine trueth that the seas which are betwixt two lands takes from vs a iust moitie of the habitable earth For saith he we cannot passe thither neyther they come hither Finally Tullie Macrobius Pomponius Mela and the ancient Writers hold the same opinion Of Aristotles opinion touching the new Worlde and what abused him to make him deny it CHAP. 9. BEsides all the former reasons there was yet an other which mooved the Ancients to beleeve it to be impossible for men to passe to this new world the which they held for that besides the vastnesse of the great Ocean the heate of that Region which they call the burning Zone was so excessive as it would not suffer any man how venturous or laborious so-ever to passe by sea or land from one Pole to an other For although these Philosophers have themselves affirmed that the earth was round as in effect it is and that vnder the 2. Poles there was habitable land yet could they not conceyve that the Region containing all that lyeth betwixt the two Tropickes which is the greatest of the five Zones or Regions by the which the Cosmographers and Astrologers divide the Worlde might be inhabited by man The reason they give to maintaine this Zone to be inhabitable was for the heat of the Sunne which makes his course directly over this Region and approcheth so neere as it is set on fire and so by consequence causeth a want of waters and pastures Aristotle was of this opinion who although he were a great Philosopher yet was hee deceyved in this poynt for the cleering whereof it shall be good to observe his reasons and to note wherein he hath discoursed well and wherein he hath erred This Philosopher makes a question of the Meridionall or Southerne winde whether wee should beleeve it takes his beginning from the South or from the other Pole contrary to the North and writes in these termes Reason teacheth vs that the latitude and largenesse of the habitable earth hath her boundes and limits and yet all this habitable earth cannot bee vnited and ioyned one to the other by reason the middle Region is so intemperate For it is certaine that in her longitude which is from East to West there is no immoderate cold nor heate but in her latitude and heigth which is from the Pole to the Equinoctiall Line So as we may well passe the whole earth in her longitude if the greatnesse of the Sea which ioynes lands together were no hinderance Hitherto there is no contradicting of Aristotle who hath great reason to affirme that the earth in her longitude which is from East to West runnes more equally is more proper for the life and habitation of man then in her latitude from North to South The which is true not onely for this foresaid reason of Aristotle that there is alwayes one temperature of the Heavens from East to West being equally distant both from the Northerne colde and the Southerne heate But also for an other reason for that travelling alwayes in longitude we see the dayes and nights succed one another by course the which falleth not out going in her latitude for of necessitie wee must come to that Region vnder the Pole whereas there is continuall night for sixe Moneths a very inconvenient thing for the life of man The Philosopher passeth on further râ—prooving the Geographers which described the earth in his time and saith thus Wee may discerne the trueth of that which I have sayd by the passages which may be made by land and the navigations by sea for there is a great difference betwixt the longitude and the latitude for the distance from the pillars of Hercules at the Straight of Gibraltar vnto the East Indies exceeds the proportion of above five to three the passage which is from Ethiopia to the lake of Meotis in the farthest confines of Scythia the which is confirmed by the account of iourneyes by land by sayling as we do now know by experience we have also knowledge of the habitable earth even vnto those partes which are inhabitable And truely in this point wee must pardon Aristotle seeing that in his time they had not discovered beyond the first Ethiopia called the exterior ioyning to Arabia and Affricke the other Ethiopia being wholy vnknowne in his age Yea all that great Land which we now call the Land of Prete Ian neyther had they any knowledge of the rest that lyes vnder the Equinoctiall and runnes beyond the Tropicke of Capricorne vnto the Cape of good Hope so famous and well knowne by the navigation of Portugals so as if wee measure the Land from this Cape vnto Scythia and Tartaria there is no doubt but this distance and latitude will proove as great as the longitude which is from Gibraltar vnto the East Indies It is certaine the Ancients had no knowledge of the springs of Nilus nor of the ende of Ethiopia and therefore Lucan reprooves the curiositie of Iulius Caesar searching out the springs of Nilus in these verses O Romaine what availes thee so much travell In search of Niles first source thy selfe to gravell And the same Poet speaking to Nile sayth Since thy first source is yet so vnrevealed Nile what thou art is from the world concealed But by the holy scripture we may conceive that this land is habitable for if it were not the Prophet Sophonias would not say speaking of these nations called to the Gospell The children of my dispersed so he calleth the Apostles shall bring me presents from beyond the bancks of Ethiopia Yet as I have said there is reason to pardon the Philosopher who beleeved the writers and Cosmographers of his time Let vs continue and examine what followes of the same Aristotle One part of the world saith he which lieth towards the North beyond the temperate zone is inhabitable for the exceeding cold the other part vpon the South is likewise inhabitable beyond the Tropicke for the extreame heate But the partes of the world lying beyond India on the one side and the pillers of Hercules on the other without doubt cannot bee ioyned and continued one with the other so as all the habitable earth is not conteined in one continent by reason of the sea which divides it In this last point he speakes truth then hee continues touching the other partes of the world saying It is necessarie the earth should have the same proportion with the Pole Antarticke as this our part which is habitable hath with the North and there
Tropicks as Aristotle and Plinie have maintained and before them the Philosopher Parmenides the contrarie whereof is before sufficiently prooved both for the one and the other But many through curiositie may demaund if the Ancients had no knowledge of this trueth which to vs is now so apparent seeing that in trueth it seemeth very strange that this newe worlde which is so spacious as we doe visibly see it should be hidden from the Ancients by so many ages But some at this day seeking to obscure the felicitie of this age and the glory of our Nation strive to proove that the new found world was knowne to the Ancients And in trueth wee cannot deny but there was some apparency S. Ierome writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians sayth We seeke with reason what the Apostle meaneth in these wordes where he saith you have walked for a season according to the course of this world whether he would have vs to vnderstand that there is an other world which neither is nor depends of this world but other worldes whereof Clement writes in his Epistle the Ocean and the worldes which are beyond the Ocean These are the wordes of S. Ierome but in trueth I cannot finde this Epistle of S. Clement cited by S. Ierome yet I beleeve vndoubtedly that S. Clement hath written it seeing S. Ierome maketh mention thereof And with reason saint Clement saith that beyond the Ocean there is an other worlde yea many worldes as in trueth there is seeing there is so great distance from one newe worlde to an other new world I meane from Peru and the West Indies to China and the East Indies Moreover Plinie who hath beene so curious a searcher out of strange things reportes in his naturall Historie that Hannon a Captaine of the Carthaginians sayled through the Ocean from the Straight of Gibraltar coasting alongst the land even vnto the confines of Arabia and that hee left this his Navigation in writing If it bee as Plinie writes it followes that Hannon sayled as farre as the Portugals do at this day passing twice vnder the Equinoctiall which is a fearefull thing And the same Plinie reports of Cornelius Nepos a very grave Authour who saith that the same course hath beene sayled by an other man called Eudaxius but by contrary wayes for this Eudaxius following the King of Latyres passed by the redde sea into the Ocean and turning backe came to the Straight of Gibraltar the which Cornelius Nepos affirmes to have happened in his time And also other grave Authors do write that a ship of Carthage driven by force of winde into the Ocean came to a Land which vntill then was vnknowne and returning to Carthage kindled a great desire in the Citizens to discover and people this land the which the Senate perceyving did forbid this navigation by a rigorous decree fearing that with the desire of new lands they should leave to love their owne Countrie By all this wee may gather that the Ancients had some knowledge of the new world yet shall you hardly finde in the bookes of ancient Writers any thing written of our America and all the West Indies but of the East Indies I say there is sufficient testimonie not only of that on the other side but also of that on this side which then was farthest off going thither by a contrary way to that at this day Is it not easie to find Molaco in ancient bookes which they called the golden Chersonese the Cape of Comori which was called the Promontorie of Coci that great famous Iland of Sumatra so well knowne by the ancient name of Taprobana What shall wee say of the two Ethiopiaes the Brachmanes and that great Land of the Chinaes Who doubtes but there was often mention made thereof in ancient bookes But of the West Indies we find not in Plinie that in this navigation they passed the Ilands of the Canaries which he calleth Fortunate the principall whereof is sayd to be called Canarie for the multitude of dogs which are in it But there is scarce any mention in ancient books of the voyages which are made at this day beyond the Canaries by the Gulph which with reason they call great Yet many hold opinion that Seneca the Tragedian did prophecie of the West Indies in his Tragedie of Medea which translated saith thus An age shall come ere ages ende Blessedly strange and strangely blest When our Sea farre and neere or'prest His shoare shall farther yet extend Descryed then shall a large Land be By this profound Seas navigation An other World an other Nation All men shall then discovered see Thule accounted heretofore The worldes extreme the Northerne bound Shall be when Southwest parts be found A neerer Isle a neighbour shoare This Seneca reports in these verses we cannot wel deny but vnderstanding it litterally it is very true for if we reckon the many yeeres he speakes of beginning from the time of the Tragedian it is above a thousand and foure hundred yeeres past and if it were from the time of Medea it is above two thousand yeeres the which we see plainely now accomplished seeing the passage of the Ocean so long time hidden hath beene found out and that they have discovered a great land and a new world inhabited more spatious then all the Continent of Europe and Asia But therein may a question with reason be made whether Seneca spake this by divination or poetically and by chance And to speake my opinion I beleeve hee did divine after the manner of wise men and well advised for that in his time they vndertooke newe voyages and navigations by sea hee knew well like a Philosopher that there was an other land contrary and opposite vnto vs which they call Antichthon And by this ground he might conceyve that the industrie and courage of man might in the ende passe the Ocean and discover new lands and another world for that in Senecaes time they had knowledge of the Voyage which Plinie speaketh of whereby they passed the great Ocean The which seemes to bee the motive of Senecaes prophecie as he giveth vs to vnderstand by these former verses after the which having described the carefull life of the Ancients free from malice he followeth thus Now is it not as earst it was For whether the Ocean will or nill He traverst is by hardy will Which pastime makes time so to passe And a little after he saith thus Now every boat dares swimme and sport On surging Seas fearing no wracke Passengers seeking what they lacke So long a voyage thinke but short Nothing is nowe more to discover No place is now left to surprise Townes now that for defence devise With new fortifications cover All in the world turn'd round about No thing in place as t' was enured Nothing vnseene nothing assured This Circle vniverse throughout The Indian whom at home heate fries Drinkes of Araxis waters cold The Persian rich in
say this word of Obrise is thesame with Ophrise for finding there seven sortes or kindes of gold as S. Ierome reportes that of Ophir was held for the most fine as heere we esteeme the gold of Valdivia and Caramaya The chiefest reason which moves me to thinke that Ophir is at the East Indies and not in the West is for that Solomons fleete could not come hither without passing the East Indies all China and a great part of the sea being vnlikely they would passe over all the world to come thither for gold that continent especially lying in that sort as they could not come to the knowledge thereof by any voiage by land And hereafter we wil shew that the Ancients had never knowledge in thearte of Navigation without the which they could not runne so farre into the sea Finally in these matters when as there appeares no certaine proofes but onely light coniectures wee are not bound to beleeve but what we shall thinke good What Tharsis and Ophir signifie in the holy Scripture CHAP. 14. IF every mans coniecture and opinion may be allowed for my part I hold that in the holy scripture these words of Tharsis and Ophir most commonly do not signifie any certaine place but it is a word and signification generall to the Hebrewes as in our vulgar tongue this word of Indies is generall vnto vs in our vsuall maner ofspeech for wee meane by the Indies those rich countries which are farre off and strange vnto vs. So we Spaniards do indifferently call Indies the countries of Peru Mexico China Malaca and Bresil and from what parts soever of these any letters come wee say they bee from the Indies which countries be farre distant and different one from another Yet we cannot denie but that name of Indies is properly to be vnderstood of the East Indies And for that in olde time they did speake of these Indies as of a countrie farre off so likewise in the discoverie of other remote lands they have given them the names of Indies being distant from the rest and held as the end of the world Even so in my iudgement Tharsis in the holy scripture doth not signifie any certaine and determined place but onely regions a farre off and according to the vulgar opinion very rich and strange for that which Iosephus and some others would affirme that Tharsis is Tarso according to the meaning of the scripture in my opinion hath bene well refuted by S. Ierome not onely for that these wordes are written with divers letters the one with an aspiration the other without but also that many things are written of Tharsis which cannot agree with Tarso a Citie in Cilicia It is true that in some places of the scripture Tharsis is said to be in Cilicia the which you shall find in the booke of Iudith speaking of Holophernes who having passed the limits of Assyria he came to the great mountaines of Ange which perchance is Taurus which hilles be on the left hand of Cilicia and that he entred into all the Castells where he assembled all his forces having destroyed that famous Citie of Melothi he ruined all the children of Tharsis and of Israell which were ioyning vnto the desart and those which were in the South towards the land of Cellon and from thence passed Euphrates but as I have saide that which is so written of Tharsis cannot be applied to the Citie of Tharso Theodoret and some others following the interpretation of the 70. in some places they set Tharsis in Affrike saying it was the same Citie which was aunciently called Carthage and is now the kingdome of Thunis and they say that Ionas ment to go thether when as the scripture reports that hefled from the Lord into Tharsis Others pretend that Tharsis is a certaine countrie of the Indies wherevnto it seemes that S. Ierome is inclined I will not now decide these opinions but I holde that in this case the scripture doth not alwaies signifie one region or certaine part of the world It is true that the wise men or Kings that came to worshippe Christ were of the East and the scripture saith they were of Saba Epha and Madiem And some learned men holde that they were of Ethiopia Arabia and Persia and yet the Psalmist and the Church sings of them The Kings of Tharsis shall bring presents Wee agree then with S. Ierome that Tharsis is a word that hath many and divers significations in the scripture Sometimes it signifies the Crisolite or Iacinth stone sometimes a certaine region of the Indies sometimes the sea which is of the colour of a Iacinth by the reverberation of the sunne But the same Doctor doth with reason deny that Tharsis is any region of the Indies whether Ionas would fly seeing that parting from Ioppa it had beene impossible to saile vnto the Indies by that sea for that Ioppa which at this day wee call Iaffe is no port of the red Sea ioyning to the East Indian Sea but of the Mediterranean Sea which hath no issue into the Indian Whereby it doeth plainely appeare that the voyage which Solomons Fleet made parting from Asiongaber whereas the shippes of king Iosaphat were lost went by the redde Sea to Tharsis and Ophir the which is directly testified in the Scripture The which voyage was very different from that which Ionas pretended to Tharsis seeing that Asiongaber is the port of a Cittie of Idumea seated vpon the Straight whereas the red sea ioynes with the great Ocean From this Ophir they brought to Salomon gold silver Elephants teeth Monkies Indian Cocks and their voyage was of three yeeres all which without doubt ought to bee vnderstood of the East Indies which is fruitfull and aboundant of all these thinges as Plinie testifieth and our owne experience doth witnes From our Peru doubtlesse they could not bring any Elephants teeth those beastes beeing vnknowne there but they might well bring gold silver and pleasant monkies Finally the holy Scripture in my opinion doth commonly vnderstand by this word of Tharsis eyther the great Sea or farre and strange Regions So as he supposeth that the prophecies which speake of Tharsis seeing the spirit of prophecie may comprehend all things may often be applied to things of our new world Of the Prophecie of Abdias which some doe interpret to be the Indies CHAP. 15. MAny say and affirme that in the holy Scripture it was foretold long before that this new worlde should be converted to Iesus Christ by the Spanish nation and to this purpose they expound the text of the Prophecie of Abdias which sayth thus At the transmigration of this Oâ—t the children of Israel shall possesse all the the dwellings of the Cananites vnto Sarepte and the transmigration of Ierusalem which is at Bosphorus shall possesse the Citties of the South and they that shall save shall come vp to the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau and the
sayled in three yeeres is no sufficient proofe seeing the holy Scripture doth not directly affirme that this voyage continued three yeeres but that it was made once in three yeeres And although wee graunt that the voyage lasted three yeeres it might bee as it is likely that this Fleet sayling towards the East Indies was stayed in their course by the diversitie of Ports and Regions which they discovered as at this day in all the South Sea they sayle from Chile to newe Spaine the which voyage although it bee more certaine yet is it longer by reason of the turnings they are forced to make vpon the Coast and they stay in divers Portes And in trueth I doe not finde in ancient bookes that they have lanched farre into the Ocean neyther can I beleeve that this their sayling was otherwise then they vse at this day in the Mediterranean Sea which makes learned men to coniecture that in old time they did not sayle without Owers for that they went alwayes coasting along the shoare and it seemes the holy Scripture doth testifie as much speaking of that famous voyage of the Prophet Ionas where it sayes that the Marriners being forced by the weather rowed to land That we may coniecture how the first Inhabitants of the Indies came thither by force of weather and not willingly CHAP. 19. HAving shewed that there is no reason to beleeve that the first Inhabitants of the Indies came thither purposely it followeth then that if they came by Sea it was by chance or by force of weather the which is not incredible notwithstanding the vastnesse of the Ocean seeing the like hath happened in our time when as that Marriner whose name we are yet ignorant of to the end so great a worke and of such importance should not be attributed to any other Author then to God having through tempest discovered this new world left for payment of his lodging where he had received it to Christopher Columbus the knowledge of so great a secret Even so it might chance that some of Europe or Affricke in times past have bin driven by soule weather and cast vpon vnknowne lands beyond the Ocean Who knoweth not that most or the greatest part of the Regions in this newe world were discovered by this meanes the which we must rather attribute to the violence of the weather then to the spirit and industrie of those which have discovered And to the end we may know that it is not in our time onely that they have vndertaken such voiages through the greatnesse of our shippes and the valour and courage of our men we may reade in Plinie that many of the Ancients have made the like voyages he writes in this manner It is reported that Caius Caesar sonne to Augustus Caesar having charge vpon the Arabian Sea did there see and finde certaine pieces and remainders of Spanish shippes that had perished And after he saith Nepos reportes of the Northerne circuite that they brought to Quintus Metellus Caeler companion in the Consulship to Caius Affranius the same Metellus being then Proconsull in Gaule certaine Indians which had beene presented by the King of Sueden thâ— which Indians sailing from India for their trafficke were cast vpon Germanie by force of tempest Doubtles if Plinie speaketh truth the Portugales in these daies saile no further then they did in those two shipwrackes the one from Spaine to the red Sea the other from the East Indies to Germanie The same Author writes in another place that a servant of Annius Plocanius who farmed the customes of the red Sea sailing the course of Arabia there came so furious a Northerne wind that in fifteene daies he passed Caramania and discovered Hippares a port in Taprobane which at this day we call Sumatra And they report of a shippe of Carthage which was driven out of the Mediterranean Sea by a Northerne wind to the view of this new world The which is no strange thing to such as have any knowledge of the sea to know that sometimes a storme continues long furious without any intermission I my selfe going to the Indies parting from the Canaries have in fifteene daies discovered the first land peopled by the Spaniards And without doubt this voiage had been shorter if the Mariners had set vp all their sailes to the Northerne winds that blew It seemes therefore likely to me that in times past men came to the Indies against their wills driven by the furie of the winds In Peru they make great mention of certaine Giants which have been in those parts whose bones are yet seene at Manta and Port Viâ—il of a huge greatnes and by their proportion they should be thrice as big as the Indians At this day they report that the Giants came by sea to make warre with those of the Countrie and that they made goodly buildings whereof at this day they shew a well built with stones of great price They say moreover that these men committing abhominable sinnes especially against nature were consumed by fire from heaven In like fort the Indians report of Yâ—a and Arica that in old time they were wont to saile farre to the Ilands of the West and made their voiages in Seales skinnes blowne vp So as there wants no witnesses to prove that they sailed in the South sea before the Spaniards came thither Thus we may well coniecture that the new world began to be inhabited by men that have been cast vpon that coast by the violence of the Northerne winds as wee have seene in our age So it is being a matter verie considerable that the workes of nature of greatest importance for the most part have been found out accidentally and not by the industrie and diligence of man The greatest part of phisicall hearbes of Stones Plants Mettalls Perle gold Adamant Amber Diamont and the most part of such like things with their properties and vertues have rather come to the knowledge of man by chance then by art or industrie to the end wee may know that the glorie praise of such wonders should be attributed to the providence of the Creator and not to mans vnderstanding for that which we thinke to happen accidently proceedes alwaies from the ordinance and disposition of God who does all things with reason Notwithstanding all that hath bene said it is more likely that the first inhabitants of the Indies came by land CHAP. 20. I Conclude then that it is likely the first that came to the Indies was by shipwracke and tempest of wether but heerevpon groweth a difficultie which troubleth me much For suppose wee grant that the first men came from farre Countries and that the nations which we now see are issued from them and multiplied yet can I not coniecture by what meanes brute beastes whereof there is great aboundance could come there not being likely they should have bin imbarked and carried by sea The reason that inforceth vs to yeeld that the first men of the
lands and habitations Some peopling the lands they found and others seeking for newe in time they came to inhabite and people the Indies with so many nations people and tongues as we see By what meanes tame Beasts passed to the Indies CHAP. 21. THe signes and arguments which offer themselves to such as are curious to examine the Indians maners and fashions helpe much to maintayne the foresayd opinion for that you shall not finde any inhabiting the Ilands that are farre from the maine Land or from other Ilands as the Bermudes the reason whereof is for that the Ancients did never sayle but alongst the coast and in view of land whereupon it is reported that they have found no great Ships in any part of the Indies capable to passe such Gulphs but onely Balsae Barkes and Canoes which are all lesse then our long boates the which the Indians doe onely vse with the which they could not runne through so great a Passage without apparant danger of ship-wracke and although their shippes had beene sufficient yet had they no knowledge of the Astrolabe or Compasse If then they had beene but eight or tenne dayes at Sea withoutsight of land they must of necessitie loose themselves having no knowledge where they were wee know many Ilandes well peopled with Indians and their vsuall navigations the which was such as they may well performe in Canoes and boats without any Compasse to sayle by Whenas the Indians of Peru which remayne at Tombes did see our first Spanish shippes sayling to Peru and viewed the greatnesse of their sailes being spread and of the bodies of the ships they stoode greatly amazed not beeing able to perswade themselves that they were shippes having never seene any of the like forme and greatnesse they supposed they had beene rockes But seeing them advance and not to sincke they stood transported with amazement vntill that beholding them neerer they discovered men with beards that walked in them whom then they held for some gods or heavenly creatures Whereby it appeares how strange it was to the Indians to have great Ships There is yet an other reason which confirmes vs in the foresayd opinion which is that these beastes which we say are not likely to have been transported by Sea to the Indies remayne onely on the maine Land and not in any Ilands foure dayes iorney from the maine Land I have made this search for proofe thereof for that it seemes to me a point of great importance to confirme me in mine opinion that the confines of the Indies Europe Asia and Affricke have some communication one with another or at the least approch very neere together There are in America and Peru many wilde beastes as Lyons although they be not like in greatnesse fiercenesse nor of the same colour redde to the renowmed Lyons of Affrica There are also many Tygers very cruell and more to the Indians then to the Spaniardes there are likewise Beares but in no great aboundance of Boares and Foxes an infinite number And yet if wee shall seeke for all these kindes of beastes in the Ilands of Cuba Hispaniola Iamaica Marguerita or Dominica you shall not finde any So as in the sayde Ilands although they were very fertile and of a great circuit yet was there not any kind of beastes for service when the Spaniards arrived but at this day there are so great troopes of Horses Oxen Kyne Dogs and Hogges which have multiplied in such abundance as now the Kine have no certaine master but belong to him that shal first kil them be it on the mountaines or on the plaines which the Indians do onely to save their hides whereof they make great traffick without any regard of the flesh to eate it Dogges have so increased as they march by troopes and endammage the cattell no lesse then wolves which is a great inconvenience in these Ilands There wants not onely beastes in these Ilands but also birdes both great and small As for Parrets there are many that flie by flockes but as I have said there are few of any other kinde I have not seene nor heard of any Partriges there as in Peru. Likewise there are few of those beastes which at Peru they call Guancos and Vicunas like to wilde Goates very swifte in whose stomacke they find the Beezars stone which many do greatly value sometimes you shall finde them as bigge as a hens egge yea halfe as bigge againe They have no other kinde of beastes but such as we call Indian sheepe the which besides their wooll and flesh wherewith they clothe and feede themselves do serve them as Asses to beare their burthens They carrie halfe as much as a Moyle and are of small charge to their masters having neede neither of shooes saddle nor oates to live by nor of any furniture for that Nature hath provided them of all these wherein she seemes to have favoured these poore Indians Of all these creatures and of many other sortes whereof I will make mention the maine land at the Indies aboundes But in the Ilands there are not any found but such as the Spaniards have brought It is true that once one of our Friars did see a Tigre in an Iland as hee reported vnto vs vpon the discourse of his peregrination and shipwracke but being demanded how farre it was from the maine land he answered sixe or eight leagues at the most which passage Tigres might easily swimme over We may easily inferre by these arguments and others like that the first Indians went to inhabite the Indies more by land then by sea or if there were any navigation it was neither great nor difficult being an indibitable thing that the one world is continued and ioyned with the other or at the least they approach one neere vnto another in some parts That the linage of the Indies hath not passed by the Atlantike Iland as some do imagine CHAP. 22. SOme following Platoes opinion mentioned before affirme that these men parted from Europe or Affricke to go to that famous and renowmed Atlantike Iland and so passed from one Iland vnto another vntill they came to the maine land of the Indies for that Critias of Plato in his time discourseth in this maner if the Atlantike Iland wereas great as all Asia and Affrike together or greater as Plato saies it should of necessitie containe all the Atlantike Ocean and stretch even vnto the Ilands of the new world And Plato saieth moreover that by a great and strange deluge the Atlantike Iland was drowned and by that meanes the sea was made vnnavigable through the aboundance of banckes rockes and roughnesse of the waves which were yet in his time But in the end the ruines of this drowned Iland weresetled which made this sea navigable This hath been curiously handled and discoursed of by some learned men of good iudgement and yet to speake the truth being well considered they are ridiculous things resembling rather to Ovids tales then a Historie or
lies all to the north and by that land thereafter discovered a sea on the other side the which they called the South sea for that they decline vntill they have passed the Line and having lost the North or Pole articke they called it South For this cause they have called all that Ocean the South sea which lieth on the other side of the East Indies althogh a great part of it be seated to the north as al the coast of new Spaine Nuaragna Guatimala and Panama They say that hee that first discovered this sea was called Blasconunes of Bilbo the which he did by that part which we now call maine land where it growes narrow and the two seas approach so neere the one to the other that there is but seaven leagues of distance for although they make the way eighteene from Nombre de Dios to Panama yet is it with turning to seeke the commoditie of the way but drawing a direct line the one sea shall not be found more distant from the other Some have discoursed and propounded to cut through this passage of seaven leagues and to ioyne one sea to the other to make the passage from Peru more commodious and easie for that these eighteene leagues of land betwixt Nombre de Dios and Panama is more painefull and chargeable then 2300. by sea wherevpon some would say it were a meanes to drowne the land one sea being lower then another As in times past we finde it written that for the same consideration they gave over the enterprize to win the red sea into Nile in the time of King Sesostris and since in the Empire of the Othomans But for my part I hold such discourses and propositions for vaine although this inconvenient should not happen the which I will not hold for assured I beleeve there is no humaine power able to beat and breake downe those strong and impenetrable mountaines which God hath placed betwixt the two seas and hath made them most hard rockes to withstand the furie of two seas And although it were possible to men yet in my opinion they should feare punishment from heaven in seeking to correct the workes which the Creator by his great providence hath ordained and disposed in the framing of this vniversall world Leaving this discourse of opening the land and ioyning both seas together there is yet another lesse rash but very difficult and dangerous to search out Whether these two great gulphes do ioyne in any other part of the world which was the enterprize of Fernando Magellan a Portugall gentleman whose great courage and constancie in the research of this subject and happy successe in the finding thereof gave the name of eteâ—nall memory to this straight which iustly they call by the name of the discoverer Magellan of which straight we will intreate a little as of one of the greatest wonders of the world Some have beleeved that this Straight which Magellan had discovered in the South sea was none or that it was straightned as Don Alonso d' Arsille writes in his Auracane and at this day there are some that say there is no such straight but that they are Ilands betwixt the sea and land for that the maine land endes there at the end whereof are all Ilands beyond the which the one sea ioynes fully with the other or to speake better it is all one Sea But in turth it is most certaine there is a straight and a long and stretched out land on eyther side although it hath not yet beene knowne how farre it stretcheth of the one side of the straight towards the South After Magellan a shippe of the Bishoppe of Plaisance passed the straight Don Guiâ—ieres Carvaial whose maste they say is yet at Lima at the entrie of the palace they went afterwards coasting along the South to discover the Straight by the commandement of Don Garcia of Mendoce then governer of Chille according to that which Captaine Ladrillero found it and passed it I have read the discourse and report he made where he saieth that he did not hazard himselfe to land in the Straight but having discovered the North sea he returned back for the roughnes of the time winter being now come which caused the waves comming from the North to grow great and swelling and the sea continually foming with rage In our time Francis Drake an Englishman passed this straight After him Captaine Sarmiento passed it on the South side And lastly in the yeere 1587. other Englishmen passed it by the instruction of Drake which at this time runne along all the coast of Peru. And for that the report which the master Pilot that passed it made seemeth notable vnto me I will heere set it downe Of the Straight of Magellan and how it was passed on the South side CHAP. 11. IN the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred seaventy nine Francis Drake having passed the Straights that runne alongest the coast of Chille and all Peru and taken the shippe of Saint Iean d' Anthona where there was a great number of barres of silver the Viceroy Don Francis of Toledo armed and sent foorth two good shippes to discover the Straight appoynting Peter Sarmiento for Captaine a man learned in Astrologie They parted from Callao of Lima in the beginning of October and forasmuch as vpon that coast there blowes a contrary winde from the South they tooke the sea and having sailed litle above thirty days with a favourable winde they came to the same altitude of the Straight but for that it was very hard to discover they approched neere vnto the land where they entred into a great Bay in the which there is an Archipelague of Ilands Sarimento grew obstinate that this was the Straight and staied a whole moneth to finde it out by diverse wayes creeping vppe to the high mountaines But seeing they could not discover it at the instance of such as were in the army they returned to sea The same day the weather grew rough with the which they ranne their course in the beginning of the night the Admiralls light failed so as the other shippe never see them after The day following the force of the winde continuing still being a â—ide wind the Admiralles shippe discovered an opening which made land thinking good to enter there for shelter vntill the tempest were past The which succeeded in such sort as having discovered this vent they found that it ranne more and more into the land and coniecturing that it should be the Straight which they sought they tooke the height of the Sunne where they found themselves in fiftie degrees and a halfe which is the very height of the Straight and to be the better assured they thrust out their Brigandine which having run many leagues into this arme of the sea without seeing any end they found it to be the very Straight And for that they had order to passe it they planted a hie Crosse there with letters thereon
to the end that if the other ship should chance to arrive there they should have newes of their Generall and follow They passed the Straight in a favourable time without difficultie and passing into the north sea they came to certaine vnknowne Ilandes where they tooke in fresh water and other refreshings From thence they tooke their course towardes Cape de Vert from whence the Pilote maior returned to Peru by the way of Carthagene and Panama carrying a discourse of the Straight to the Viceroy and of all their successe of whom he was well rewarded for his good service But Captaine Peter Sarmiento sailed from Cape Vert to Seville in the same ship wherewith he had passed the Straight and went to Court where his Maiestie rewarded him and at his instance gave commaundement to prepare a great army which he sent vnder the commaund of Diego Flores de Valdes to people and fortifie this Straight But this army after variable successe spent much and profited little Returning now to the Viceadmiralles shippe which went in company of the Generall having lost him in the storme they tooke the sea but the wind being contrary and stormy they looked all to perish so as they confessed themselves and prepared for death This tempest continued three dayes without intermission and hourely they feared to runne on ground but it fel out contrary for they went still from land vntill the ende of the third day that the storme ceased and then taking the height they found themselves in fiftie sixe degrees but seeing they had not crossed and yet were farre from land they were amazed whereby they surmized as Hernando Lamero tolde me that the land which is on the other side of the Straight as wee goe by the south sea runnes not the same o romer that it doth to the Straight but that it turneth to the East for else it were impossible but they shoulde have touched land having runne so long time with this crosse winde but they passed on no further neyther coulde they discover the lands end which some holde to be there whether it were an Iland on the other side of the Straight where the two seas of North and South doe ioyne together or that it did runne vppe towardes the East and ioyne with the land of Vesta as they call it which answers to the Cape of Good Hope as it is the opinion of some The trueth hereof is not to this day well knowne neither is there any one found that hath discovered that land The Viceroy Don Martin Henrique saâ—de vnto me that he held this report for an â—nvention of the English that the Straight should prâ—senâ—lie make an Iland and that the two seas did ioyne together for that beeing Viceroy of New Spaine hee had diligently examined the Portugall Pilote who had bin left there by Francis Drake and yet had no knowledge of any such matter by him But that was a very Straight and a maine land on either side Returning then to the saide Viceadmirall they discovered this Straight as the saide Hernando Lamero reported vnto mee but by another mouth or entrie and in a greater height by reason of a certaine great Iland which is at the entrie of the Straight which they call the Bell for the forme it carries And as he saide hee woulde have passed it but the Captaine and souldiers woulde not yeelde therevnto supposing that the time was too farre spent and that they were in great daunger And so they returned to Chille and Peru without passing it Of the Straight which some holde to be in Florida CHAP. 12. EVen as Magellan found out this Straight vppon the South so some have pretended to discover another Straight which they say is in the north and suppose it to be in Florida whose coast runs in such sort as they knowe no end thereof Peter Melendez the Adelantade a man very expert at sea affirmeth for certaine that there is a Straight and that the King had commanded him to discover it wherein he shewed a great desire he propounded his reasons to proove his opinion saying that they have seene some remainders of shippes in the North sea like vnto those the which the Chinois vse which had beene impossible if there were no passage from one sea vnto another Moreover he reported that in a certaine great Bay in Florida the which runnes 300. leagues within the land they see Whales in some season of the yeere which come from the other sea Shewing moreover other likelihood he concludes that it was a thing agreeing with the wisedome of the Creator and the goodly order of nature that as there was communication and a passage betwixt the two seas at the Pole Antartike so there should in like sort be one at the Pole Artike which is the principall Pole Some will say that Drake had knowledge of this Straight and that he gave occasion so to iudge whenas he passed along the coast of new Spaine by the South sea Yea they hold opinion that other Englishmen which this yeere 1587. tooke a shippe comming from the Philippines with great quantitie of gold and other riches did passe this straight which prize they made neere to the Calliphornes which course the ships returning from the Philippines and China to new Spaine do vsually observe They confidently beleeve that as the courage of man is great and his desire infinite to finde new meanes to inrich himselfe so within few yeeres this secret will be discovered And truly it is a thing worthie admiration that as the Ants do alwaies follow the trace of other so men in the knowledge and search of new things never stay vntill they have attained the desired end for the content and glorie of men And the high and eternall wisedome of the Creator vseth this curiositie of men to communicate the light of his holy Gospell to people that alwaies live in the obscure darkenesse of their errors But to conclude the straight of the Artike Pole if there be any hath not been yet discovered It shall not therefore be from the purpose to speake what we know of the particularities of the Antartike straight already discovered and knowne by the report of such as have seene and observed it Of the properties of the Straight of Magellan CHAP. 13. THis Straight as I have said is iust fiftie degrees to the South and from one sea to another fourscore and ten or a hundred leagues in the narrowest place it is a league and little lesse wherâ— it was intended the King should build a Fort to defend the passage It is so deepe in some places that it cannot be sounded and in some places they finde grovnd at 18. yea at 15. fadomes Of these hundred leagues which it containes in length from one sea vnto the other it is plainely seene that the waves of the South sea runne 30. leagues and the other 70. are possessed with the billowes and waves of the North sea But there is this difference
that man hath not so long a sight nor so nimble and swift footing as were needefull to transporte his eyes from one parte to another in so short a time as a tide will give him respite which are only six houres Of sundry Fishers and their maner of fishing at the Indies CHAP. 15. THere are in the Indian Ocean an infinite number of fishes the kindes properties whereof the Creator only can declare There are many such as we have in the sea of Europe as shaddes and aloses which come from the sea into the rivers dorads pilchards and many other There are others the like I doe not thinke to have seene in these partes as those which they doe call Cabrillas which doe somewhat resemble the trowt and in new Spaine they call them Bobos they mount from the sea into the rivers I have not seene any Besugues there nor trowts although some say there are in Chille There are Tonins in some partes vpon the coast of Peru but they are rare and some are of opinion that at a certaine time they do cast their spawne in the Straight of Magellan as they doe in Spaine at the Straight of Gibraltar and for this reason they finde more vpon the coast of Chille although those I have seene there are not like to them in Spaine At the Ilandes which they call Barlovente which are Cuba Saint Dominique Port rique and Iamaique they find a fish which they call Manati a strange kinde of fish if we may call it fish a creature which ingenders her yoong ones alive and hath teates and doth nourish them with milke feeding of grasse in the fieldes but in effect it lives continually in the water and therefore they eate it as fish yet when I did eate of it at Saint Dominique on a friday I hadde some scruple not for that which is spoken but for that in colour and taste it was like vnto morselles of veale so is it greene and like vnto a cowe on the hinder partes I didde woonder at the incredible ravening of the Tibâ—rons or sharkes whenas I did see drawne from one that was taken in the Port out of his gullet a buchers great knife a great yron hooke and a peece of a cowes head with one whole horne neyther doe I knowe if both were there or no. I did see in a creeke made with that sea a quarter of a horse for pleasure hanging vpon a stake whither presently came a company of these Tiburons at the smel thereof and for the more pleasure this horse flesh was hung in the aire I knowe not how many hand breadth from the water this company of fish flocke about it leaping vp and with a strange nimblenesse cut off both flesh and bone off the horse leg as if it had beene the stalke of a lettuce their teeth being as sharpe as a rasour There are certaine small fishes they call Rambos which cleave to these Tiburons neyther can they drive them away and they are fed with that which falles from the Tiburons There are other small fishes which they call flying fishes the which are found within the tropickes and in no other place as I thinke they are pursued by the Ducades and to escape them they leape out of the sea and goe a good way in the ayre and for this reason they are called flying Fishes they have wings as it were of linnen cloth or of parchment which do supporte them some space in the ayre There did one flie or leape into the shippe wherin I went the which I did see and observe the fashion of his wings In the Indian histories there is often mention made of Lezards or Caymans as they call them and they are the very same which Plinie and the Antients call Crocodiles they finde them on the sea side and in hote rivers for in colde rivers there are none to be found And therefore they finde none vpon all the coast of Peru vnto Payra but forward they are commonly seene in the rivers It is a most fierce and cruell beast although it be slow and heavie Hee goes hunting and seekes his prey on the land and what hee takes alive he drownes it in the water yet dooth hee not eate it but out of the water for that his throate is of such a fashion as if there entred any water he should easily be drowned It is a woonderfull thing to see a combat betwixt a Caymant and a Tigre whereof there are most cruell at the Indies A religious man of our company tolde me that he had seene these beasts fight most cruelly one against the other vpon the sea shoare the Caymant with his taile gave great blowes vnto the Tygre striving with his great force to carry him into the water and the Tygre with his pawes resisted the Caymant drawing him to land In the end the Tigre vanquished and opened the Lezard it seemes by the belly the which is most tender and penetrable for in every other parte hee is so hard that no lance and scarce a harquebuze can pierce it The victory which an Indian had of a Caymant was yet more rare the Caimant had carried away his yong childe and sodainely plunged into the sea the Indian mooved with choller cast himselfe after him with a knife in his hand and as they are excellent swimmers and dievers and the Caymant swimmeth alwayes on the toppe of the water hee hurt him in the belly and in such sort that the Caymant feeling himselfe wounded went to the shoare leaving the little infant dead But the combate which the Indians have with Whales is yet more admirable wherein appeares the power and greatnesse of the Creator to give so base a Nation as be the Indians the industry and courage to incounter the most fierce and deformed beast in the worlde and only to fight with him but also to vanquish him not to triumph over him Considering this I have often remembred that place of the Psalme speaking of the Whale Draco iste quem formasti ad illudendum eum What greater mockerie can there be then to see an Indian leade a whale as bigge as a mountaine vanquished with a corde The maner the Indians of Florida vse as some expert men have tolde me to take these whales whereof there is great store is they put themselves into a Canoe which is like a barke of a tree and in swimming approach neere the whales side then with great dexteritie they leape to his necke and there they ride as on horse backe expecting his time then hee thrustes a sharpe and strong stake which hee carries with him into the whales nosthrill for so they call the hole or vent by which they breathe presently hee beates it in with an other stake as forcibly as hee can in the meane space the whale dooth fuâ—iously beate the sea and raiseth mountaines of water running into the deepe with great violence and presently riseth againe not knowing what to doe for paine the Indian still
sittes firme and to give him full payment for this trouble he beates another stake into the other vent or nosthrill so as he stoppeth him quite and takes away his breathing then hee betakes him to his Canoe which he holdes tied with a corde to the whales side and goes to land having first tied his corde to the whale the which hee lettes runne with the whale who leapes from place to place whilest he finds water enough being troubled with paine in the end hee comes neere the land and remaines on ground by the hugenesse of his body vnable any more to moove then a great number of Indians come vnto the Conqueror to gather his spoiles they kill him and cut his flesh in peeces the which is bad enough this do they drie and beate into powlder vsing it for meate it dooth last them long wherein is fulfilled that which is spoken in another Psalme of the whale Dedisti eum escam populis Aethiopum Peter Mendez the Adelantade did often speake of this kinde of fishing Whereof Mâ—nardes makes mention in his booke There is an other fishing which the Indians do commonly vse in the sea the which although it be lesse yet is it worthy the report They make as it were faggots of bul-rushes or drie sedges well bound together which they call Baâ—sas having carried them vppon their shoulders to the sea they cast them in and presently leape vppon them being so set they lanch out into the deepe rowing vp and downe with small reedes of eyther side they goe a league or two into the sea to fish carrying with them their cordes and nettes vppon these faggots and beare themselves thereon They cast out their nettes and do there remaine fishing the greatest parte of the day and night vntill they have filled vp their measure with the which they returne wel satisfied Truely it was delightfull to see them fish at Callao of Lima for that they were many in number and every one set on horsebacke cutting the waves of the sea which in their place of fishing are great and furious resembling the Tritons or Neptunes which they paint vppon the water and beeing come to land they drawe their barke out of the water vpon their backes the which they presently vndoe and lay abroade on the shoare to drie There were other Indians of the vallies of Yca which were accustomed to goe to fish in leather or skinnes of sea-wolves blowne vp with winde and from time to time they did blowe them like balles of winde lest they should sinke In the vale of Canete which in olde time they called Guaroo there were a great number of Indian fishers but bicause they resisted the Ingua when he came to conquer that land he made shew of peace with them and therefore to feast him they appoynted a solemne fishing of manie thousand Indians which went to sea in their vessels of reeds at whose returne the Ingua who had layde many souldiers in ambush made a cruell butcherie of them so as afterward this land remained vnpeopled although it be aboundant and fertile I did see an other manner of fishing wherevnto Don Francis of Toledo the Viceroy didde leade mee yet was it not in the sea but in a river which they call great in the Province of Charcas where the Indians Chiraquanas plunged into the water and swimming wyth an admirable swiftnesse followed the fish where with dartes and hookes which they vse to carry in their right hand only swimming with the left they wound the fish and so hurt they brought them foorth seeming in this more like vnto fishes then men of the land But now that we have left the sea let vs come to other kinde of waters that remaine to be spoken of Of Lakes and Pooles that be at the Indies CHAP. 16. IN place of the Mediterranean Sea which is in the old world the Creator hath furnished this new with many Lakes whereof there are some so great as they may be properly called seas seeing the Scripture calleth that of Palestina so which is not so great as some of these The most famous is that of Titicaca which is at Peru in the Province of Callao the which as I have said in the former booke containes neere fourscore leagues in compasse into the which there runnes ten or twelve great rivers A while since they began to saile in it with barkes and shippes wherein they proceeded so ill that the first shippe was split with a tempest that did rise in the Lake The water is not altogether sower nor salt as that of the sea but it is so thicke as it cannot be drunke There are two kindes of fishes breed in this Lake in great aboundance the one they call Suches which is great and savorous but phlegmatike and vnwholesome and the other Bogos which is more healthfull although it be lesse and fuller of bones there are great numbers of wilde-duckes and wigens Whenas the Indians will feast it or shew delight to any one that passeth along the two banckes which they call Chucuyto and Omasugo they assemble a great number of Canoes making a circle and invironing the fowle vntill they take with their hands what they please and they call this maner of fishing Chaco On the one and the other banke of this Lake are the best habitations of Peru. From the issue thereof there growes a lesser Lake although it be great which they call Paria vpon the bankes whereof there are great numbers of cattell especially swine which grow exceeding fatte with the grasse vpon those banks There are many other Lakes in the high mountains whence proceede brooks rivers which after become great flouds Vpon the way from Arequippa to Callao there are two Lakes vpon the mountains of th' one other side the way from th' one flowes a brooke which growes to a â—loud and falles into the South sea from the other they say the famous river of Aporima takes her beginning from the which some hold that the renowned river of Amazos otherwise called Maragnon proceedes with so great an assembly and aboundance of waters which ioyne in these mountaines It is a question may be often asked why there are so many Lakes in the toppes of these mountaines into the which no river enters but contrariwise many great streames issue forth and yet do we scarce see these Lakes to diminish any thing at any season of the yeere To imagine that these Lakes grow by the snow that melts or raine from heaven that doth not wholy satisfie me for there are many that have not this aboundance of snow nor raine and yet we see no decrease in them which makes me to beleeve they are springs which rise there naturally although it be not against reason to thinke that the snow and raine helpe somewhat in some seasons These Lakes are so common in the highest toppes of the mountaines that you shall hardly finde any famous river that takes not his beginning from one of
not so healthfull and at this day we see it lesse pâ—opled although in former times it hath beene greatly inhabited with Indians as it appeareth by the histories of New Spaine and Peru and where they kept and lived for that the soile was naturall vnto them being bred there They lived of fishing at sea of seeds drawing brooks from the rivers which they used for want of raine for that it raines little there and in some places not at all This lowe countrie hath many places inhabitable as wel by reason of the sands which are dangerous for there are whole mountaines of these sandes as also for the marishes which grow by reason of the waters that fall from the mountaines which finding no issue in these flatte and lowe landes drowne them and make them vnprofitable And in trueth the greatest parte of all the Indian sea coast is of this sort chiefly vppon the South sea The habitation of which coasts is at this present so wasted contemned that of thirtie partes of the people that inhabited it there wants twenty nine and it is likely the rest of the Indians will in short time decay Many according to the varietie of their opinions attribute this to diverse causes some to the great labour which hath beene imposed vppon these Indians others vnto the change and varietie of meates and drinks they vse since their commerce with the Spaniards others to their great excesse drinking and to other vices they have for my part I hold this disorder to be the greatest cause of their decay whereof it is not now time to discourse any more In this lowe countrey which I say generally is vnhealthfull and vnfit for mans habitation there is exception in some places which are temperate and fertile as the greatest part of the Plaines of Peru where there are coole vallies and very fertile The greatest part of the habitation of the coast entertaines all the traffike of Spaine by sea whereon all the estate of the Indies dependeth Vpon this coast there are some Townes wel peopled as Lima and Truxillo in Peru Panama and Carthagena vppon the maine land and in the Ilands S. Dominique Port Ricco and Havana with many other Townes which are lesse than these as the true Crosse in new Spaine Yca Arigua and others in Peru the ports are commonly inhabited although but slenderly The second sort of land is contrary very high and by consequent colde and drie as all the mountaines are commonly This land is neither fertile nor pleasant but very healthfull which makes it to be peopled and inhabited There are pastures and great store of cattell the which for the most parte entertaines life and by their cattell they supply the want they have of corne and graine by trucking and exchange But that which makes these landes more inhabited and peopled is the riches of the mines that are found there for that all obeys to golde and silver By reason of the mines there are some dwellings of Spaniards and Indians which are increased and multiplied as Potozi and Gancavelicqua in Peru and Cacatecas in new Spaine There are also through all these mountaines great dwellings of the Indians which to this day are maintained yea some will say they increase but that the labour of the mines dooth consume many and some generall diseases have destroyed a great part as the Cocoliste in new Spaine yet they finde no great diminution In this extreamitie of of high ground they finde two commodities as I have saide of pastures and mines which doe well countervaile the two other that are in the lower grounds alongest the sea coast that is the commerce of the sea the aboundance of wine which groweth not but in the hot landes Betwixt these two extreames there is ground of a meane height the which although it bee in some partes higher or lower one than other yet doth it not approach neyther to the heate of the sea coast nor the intemperature of the mountaines In this sorte of soile there groweth many kindes of graine as wheate barley and mays which grows not at all in the high countries but well in the lower there is likewise store of pasture cattel fruits and greene forrests This part is the best habitation of the three for health and recreation and therefore it is best peopled of any parte of the Indies the which I have curiously observed in manie voyages that I have vndertaken and have alwayes found it true that the Province best peopled at the Indies be in this scituation Let vs looke neerely into new Spaine the which without doubt is the best Province the Sunne dooth circle by what parte soever you doe enter you mount vp and when you have mounted a good height you beginne to descend yet very little and that land is alwayes much higher then that along the sea coast All the land about Mexico is of this nature and scituation and that which is about the Vulcan which is the best soile of the Indies as also in Peru Arequipa Guamangua and Cusco although more in one then in the other But in the end all is high ground although they descend into deepe valleies and climbe vppe to high mountaines the like is spoken of Quitto Saint Foy and of the best of the new kingdome To conclude I doe beleeve that the wisedome and providence of the Creator would have it so that the greatest parte of this countrey of the Indies should be hillie that it might be of a better temperature for being lowe it had beene very hotte vnder the burning Zone especially being farre from the sea Also all the land I have seene at the Indies is neere to the mountaines on the one side or the other and sometimes of all partes So as I have oftentimes saide there that I woulde gladly see any place from whence the horizon did fashion it selfe and end by the heaven and a countrey stretched out and even as we see in Spaine in a thousand champaine fields yet doe I not remember that I have ever seene such sightes at the Indies were it in the Ilands or vpon the maine land although I have travelled above seaven hundred leagues in length But as I have saide the neerenesse of the mountaines is very commodious in this region to temper the heate of the Sunne To conclude the best inhabited partes of the Indies are as I have saide and generally all that countrie aboundes in grasse pastures and forrests contrary vnto that which Aristotle and the Auntients did holde So as when wee goe out of Europe to the Indies wee woonder to see the land so pleasant greene and fresh Yet this rule hath some exceptions chiefly in the land of Peru which is of a strange nature amongst all others whereof wee will now proceede to speake Of the properties of the land of Peru. CHAP. 20. WEe meane by Peru not that great parte of the worlde which they call America seeing that therein is contained Bresil
land makes restitution casting his capes points and tongues farre into the sea piercing into the bowelles thereof In some partes one element ends and another beginnes yeelding by degrees one vnto another In some places where they ioyne it is exceeding deepe as in the Ilands of the South Sea and in those of the North whereas the shippes ride close to the land and although they sound three score and tenne yea foure score fadomes yet do they finde no bottome which makes men coniecture that these are pikes or poynts of land which rise vp from the bottome a matter woorthy of great admiration Heerevpon a very expert Pilote said vnto me that the Ilands which they call of Woolves and others that lie at the entry of the coast of New Spaine beeing called Cocos were of this manner Moreover there is a place in the midst of the great Ocean without the view of land and many leagues from it where are seene as it were two towers or pikes of a very high elevated rocke rising out of the middest of the sea and yet ioyning vnto it they finde no bottome No man can yet perfectly comprehend nor conceive the full and perfect forme of the land at the Indies the boundes being not wholy discovered to this day yet wee may ghesse that it is proportioned like a heart with the lungs The broadest of this heart is from Bresill to Peru the poynt at the straight of Magellan and the top where it ends is the firme land and there the continent begins by little and litle to extend itselfe vntill wee come to the height of Florida and the vpper landes which are not yet well discovered We may vnderstand other particularities of this land at the Indies by the Commentaries which the Spaniards have written of their successe and discoveries and amongest the rest of the Peregrination which I have written which in trueth is strange and may give a great light This in my opinion may suffice at this time to give som knowledge of things at the Indies touching the common elements of the which all parts of the worlde are famed THE FOVRTH BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies Of three kindes of mixtures or compounds of the which I must intreate in this Historie CHAP. 1. HAving intreated in the former booke of that which concernes the Elements and the simples of the Indies in this present booke we will discourse of mixtures and compounds seeming fit for the subiect we shall treate of And although there be many other sundrie kindes yet we will reduce this matter into three which are Mettalls Plants and Beasts Mettalls are as plants hidden and buried in the bowels of the earth which have some conformitie in themselves in the forme and maner of their production for that wee see and discover even in them branches and as it were a bodie from whence they grow and proceede which are the greater veines and the lesse so as they have a knitting in themselves and it seemes properly that these minerales grow like vnto plants not that they have any inward vegitative life being onely proper to plants but they are engendered in the bowels of the earth by the vertue and force of the Sunne and other planets and in long continuance of time they increase and multiply after the maner of plants And even as mettalls be plants hidden in the earth so we may say that plants be living creatures fixed in one place whose life is maintained by the nourishment which Nature furnisheth from their first begnning But living creatures surpasse plants in that they have a more perfect being and therefore have neede of a more perfect foode and nourishment for the search whereof Nature hath given them a moving and feeling to discover and discerne it So as the rough and barren earth is as a substance and nutriment for mettalls and that which is fertile and better seasoned a nourishment for plants The same plants serve as a nourishment for living creatures and the plants and living creatures together as a nourishment for men the inferiour nature alwaies serving for the maintenance and sustentation of the superiour and the lesse perfect yeelding vnto the more perfect whereby we may see how much it wants that gold and silver and other things which men so much esteeme by their covetousnesse should be the happines of man wherevnto he should tend seeing they be so many degrees in qualitie inferior to man who hath been created and made onely to be a subiect to serve the vniversall Creator of all things as his proper end and perfect rest and to which man all other things in this world were not propounded or left but to gaine this last end Who so would consider of things created and discourse according to this Philosophie might draw some fruite from the knowledge and consideration thereof making vse of them to know and glorifie their Author But he that would passe on farther to the knowledge of their properties and profits and would curiously search them out hee shall finde in these creatures that which the Wiseman saies that they are snares and pitfalles to the feete of fooles ignorant into the which they fall and loose themselves daily To this intent therefore and that the Creator may be glorified in his creatures I pretend to speake of some things in this Booke whereof there are many at the Indies worth the report touching mettalls plants and beasts which are proper and peculiar in those parts But for that it were a great worke to treate thereof exactly and requires greater learning and knowledge yea much more leisure then I have my intent is only to treate of some things succinctly the which I have observed as well by experience as the report of men of credite touching these three things which I have propounded leaving to men more curious and diligent to treate more amply of these matters Of the aboundance and great quantitie of Mettall at the West Indies CHAP. 2. THe wisedome of God hath made mettalls for phisicke and for defence for ornament and for instruments for the worke of men of which foure things we may easily yeelde examples but the principall end of mettalls and the last thereof is for that the life of man hath not onely neede of nourishment as the beasts but also he must worke and labour according vnto the reason and capacitie which the Creator hath given him And as mans vnderstanding doth apply it selfe to divers artes and faculties so the same Author hath given order that hee should finde matter and subiect to diverse artes for the conservation reparation suretie ornament and exaltation of his workes The diversitie therefore of mettalls which the Creator hath shut vp in the closets and concavities of the earth is such and so great that man drawes profit and commoditie from everie one of them Some serve for curing of diseases others for armes and for defence against the enemies some are for ornament
and beautifying of our persons and houses and others are fit to make vessels and yron-workes with divers fashions of instruments which the industry of man hath found out and put in practise But above all the vses of mettalls which bee simple and natural the communication and commerce of men hath found out one which is the vse of money the which as the Philosopher saieth is the measure of all things And although naturally and of it selfe it be but one onely thing yet in value and estimation wee may say that it is all things Mony is vnto vs as it were meate clothing house horse and generally whatsoever man hath neede of By this meanes all obeyes to mony and as the Wise man saith to finde an invention that one thing should be all Men guided or thrust forward by a naturall instinct choose the thing most durable and most maniable which is mettall and amongst mettals gave them the preheminence in this invention of mony which of their nature were most durable and incorruptible which is silver and golde The which have bin in esteeme not onlie amongst the Hebrewes Assirians Greekes Romans and other nations of Europe and Asia but also amongst the most retyred and barbarous nations of the world as by the Indians both East and West where gold and silver is held in great esteeme imploying it for the workes of their Temples and Pallaces for the attyring and ornament of kings and great personages And although we have found some Barbarians which know neither gold nor silver as it is reported of those of Florida which tooke the bagges and sackes wherein the silver was the which they cast vpon the ground and left as a thing vnprofitable And Plinie likewise writes of the Babitacques which abhorred gold and therefore they buried it to the end that no man should vse it But at this day they finde few of these Floridiens or Babitacques but great numbers of such as esteeme seeke and make accoumpt of gold and silver having no neede to learne it of those that go from Europe It is true their covetousnesse is not yet come to the height of ours neither have they so much worshipped gold and silver although they were Idolaters as some blinde Christians who have committed many great out-rages for gold and silver Yet is it a thing very worthy consideration that the wisedome of the Eternall Lord would inrich those partes of the world which are most remote and which are peopled with men of lesse civilitie and governement planting there great store of mines and in the greatest aboundance that ever were thereby to invite men to search out those lands and to possesse them to the end that by this occasion they might plant religion and the worship of the true God amongst those that knew it not fulfilling therein the prophecie of Isaie saying that the Church should stretch forth her boundes not onely to the right but also to the left which is vnderstood as S. Augustine saieth that the Gospell should be spread abroad not onely by those that sincerely and with a true perfect charity preach and declare it but also by those that publish it tending to temporall ends whereby wee see that the Indian land being more aboundant in mines and riches hath beene in our age best instructed in the Christian religion the Lord vsing our desires and inclinations to serve his soveraigne intentions Herevpon a Wise man said that what a father doth to marie his daughter wel is to give her a great portion in mariage the like hath God done for this land so rough and laboursome giving it great riches in mines that by this meanes it might be the more sought after At the West Indies then there are great store of mines of all sortes of mettalls as copper yron lead tinne quicke-silver silver and gold and amongst all the regions and partes of the Indies the realmes of Peru abound most in these mettalls especially with gold silver quicke silver or mercurie whereof they have found great store and daily discover new mines And without doubt according to the qualitie of the earth those which are to discover are without comparison farre more in number then those which are yet discovered yea it seemes that all the land is sowed with these mettalls more then any other in the world that is yet knowne vnto vs or that ancient writers have made mention of Of the qualitie and nature of the earth where the mettalls are found and that all these mettalls are not imployed at the Indies and how the Indians vsed them CHAP. 3. THe reason why there is so great aboundance of mettalls at the Indies especially at the west of Peru as I have saide is the will of the Creator who hath imparted his giftes as it pleased him But comming to a naturall and philosophicall reason it is very true which Philon a wise man writes saying that gold silver and mettalls grow naturally in land that is most barren and vnfruitefull And we see that in lands of good temperature the which are fertile with grasse and fruites there are seldome found any mines for that Nature is contented to give them vigour to bring forth fruites more necessarie for the preservation and maintenance of the life of beasts and men And contrariwise to lands that are very rough drie and barren as in the highest mountains and inaccessible rockes of a rough temper they finde mines of silver of quicke-silver and of gold and all those riches which are come into Spaine since the West Indies were discovered have been drawne out of such places which are rough and full bare and fruitlesse yet the taste of this mony makes these places pleasing and agreeable yea well inhabited with numbers of people And although there be as I have said many mines of all kinds of mettalls as at the Indies yet they vse none but those of gold and silver and as much quicke-silver as is necessarie to refine their gold and silver They carrie yron thither from Spaine and China As for copper the Indians have drawne of it and vsed it for their armes the which were not vsually of yron but of copper Since the Spaniards possessed the Indies they have drawne very little neither do they take the paine to seeke out these mines although there be many busying themselves in the search of richer and more precious mettalls wherein they spend their time labour They vse no other mettalls as copper and yron but only that which is sent them from Spaine or that which remaines of the refining of gold and silver We finde not that the Indians in former times vsed gold silver or any other mettall for mony and for the price of things but only for ornament as hath beene said whereof there was great quantitie in their Temples Palaces and Toombes with a thousand kindes of vessels of gold and silver which they had They vsed no gold nor silver to trafficke or
month doth answer to our Iuly The ninth moneth was called Yapaguis in the which they burnt an hundred sheepe more of a chesnut colour and they do likewise kill and burne a thousand Cuyes to the end the frost the ayre the water nor the sunne should not hurt their farmes and this moneth doth answer vnto August The tenth moneth was called Coyarami in the which they burnt a hundred white sheepe that had fleeces In this month which answereth to September they made the feast called Situa in this manner They assembled together the first day of the moone before the rising thereof and in seeing it they cryed aloude carrying torches in their handes and saying Let all harme goe away striking one an other with their torches They that did this were called Panconcos which being doone they went to the common bath to the rivers and fountaines and every one to his own bath setting themselves to drink foure dayes together In this moneth the Mamacomas of the sunne made a great number of small loaves with the blood of the sacrifices and gave a peece to every stranger yea they sent to every Guaca throughout the realme and to many Curacas in signe of confederation and loyaltie to the Sunne and the Ingua as hath bin said The bathes drunkennesse and some relickes of this feast Situa remaine even vnto this day in some places with the ceremonies a little different but yet very secretly for that these chiefe and principall feasts have ceased The eleventh moneth Homaraymi Punchaiquis wherein they sacrificed a hundred sheepe more And if they wanted water to procure raine they set a black sheepe tied in the middest of a plaine powring much Chica about it and giving it nothing to eate vntill it rained which is practised at this day in many places in the time of our October The twelfth and last month was called Aymara wherein they did likewise sacrifice a hundred sheepe and made the feast called Raymicantara Rayquis In this moneth which aunswered to our November they prepared what was necessary for the children that should be made novices the moneth following the children with the old men made a certaine shew with rounds and turnings and this feast was called Ituraymi which commonly they make when it raines too much or too little or when there is a plague Among the extraordinary feasts which were verymany the most famous was that which they called 〈◊〉 This feast Ytu hath no prefixed time nor season but in time of necessitie To prepare themselves thereunto all the people fasted two dayes during the which they did neyther company with their wives nor eate anie meate with salt or garlicke nor drinke any Chica All did assemble together in one place where no straunger was admitted nor any beast they had garments and ornaments which served onely for this feast They marched very quietly in procession their heades covered with their vailes sounding of drummes without speaking one to another This continued a day and a night then the day following they daunced and made good cheere for twoo dayes and two nights together saying that their prayer was accepted And although that this feast is not vsed at this day with all this antient ceremony yet commonly they make another which is verie like which they call Ayma with garmentes that serve onely to that end and they make this kind of procession with their Drummes having fasted before then after they make good cheere which they vsually doe in their vrgent necessities And although the Indians forbeare to sacrifice beasts or other things publikely which cannot be hidden from the Spaniardes yet doe they still vse many ceremonies that have their beginnings from these feasts and auntient superstitions for at this day they do covertly make this feast of Ytu at the dances of the feast of the Sacrament in making the daunces of Lyamallama and of Guacon and of others according to their auntient ceremonies wherevntowe ought to take good regarde They have made more large Discourses of that which concerneth this matte◠for the necessary observation of the abuses and superstitions the Indians had in the time of their gentility to the end the Priestes and Curates may the better take heede Let this suffice now to have treated of the exercise wherewith the divell held those superstitious nations occupied to the end that against his will wee may see the difference there is betwixt light and darknes betwixt the trueth of Christ and the lies of the Gentiles although the ennemy of God and man hath laboured with all his devises to counterfet those things which are of God Of the feast of Iubilee which the Mexicaines celebrated CHAP. 29. THe Mexicaines have beene no lesse curious in their feasts and solemnities which were of small charge but of great effusion of mans blood Wee have before spoken of the principall feast of VitZiliputZli after the which the feast of Tezcalipuca was most solempnized This feast fell in Maie and in their Kalender they called it Tozcolt it fell every foure yeeres with the feast of Penaunce where there was given full indulgence and remission of sinnes In this day they did sacrifice a captive which resembled the idoll Tezcalipuca it was the nineteenth day of Maie vpon the even of this feast the Noblemen came to the Temple bringing a new garment like vnto that of the idoll the which the Priest put vpon him having first taken off his other garments which they kept with as much or more reverence than we doe our ornaments There were in the coffers of the idoll many ornaments iewelles earerings and other riches as bracelets and pretious feathers which served to no othervse but to be there and was worshipped as their god it selfe Besides the garment wherewith they worshipped the idoll that day they put vpon him certaine ensignes of feathers with fannes shadowes and other things being thus attired and furnished they drew the curtaine or vaile from before the doore to the end he might be seene of all men then came forth one of the chiefe of the temple attired like to the idoll carrying flowers in his hand and a flute of earth having a very sharpe sound and turning towards the east he founded it and then looking to the west north and south he did the like And after he had thus sounded towards the foure parts of the world shewing that both they that were present and absent did heare him hee put his finger into the aire and then gathered vp earth which he put in his mouth and did eate it in signe of adoration The like did all they that were present and weeping they fell flat to the ground invocating the darkenesse of the night and the windes intreating them not to leave them nor to forget them or else to take away their lives and free them from the labors they indured therein Theeves adulterers and murtherers and all others offendors had great feare and heavinesse whilest this flute sounded so as some could
the linages These six linages did alwayes entertaine amitie together marrying their children one with another and dividing their limites quietly then they studied with an emulation to encrease and beautifie their common-weale The barbarous Chichimecans seeing what passed beganne to vse some governement and to apparrell themselves being ashâ—med of what had passed for till then they had no shame And having abandoned feare by their communication with these other people they beganne to learne many things of them building small cottages having some pollicie and governement They did also choose Lordes whom they did acknowledge for their superiours by meanes whereof they did in a manner quite abandon this brutish life yet did they alwayes continue in the Mountaines divided from the rest Notwithstanding I hold it for certaine that this feare hath growne from other Nations and Provinces of the Indies who at the first were savage men who living onely by hunting piercing the rockie and rough countries discovering a new world the inhabitants whereof were almost like savage beasts without coverings or houses without tilled landes without cattell without King Law God or Reason Since others seeking better and new lands inhabited this fertile Countrey planting pollitike order and a kinde of common-weale although it were very barbarous After the same men or other Nations that had more vnderstanding then the rest laboured to subdue and oppresse the lesse mighty establishing Realmes and great Empires So it happened in Mexico at Peru and in some partes where they finde Citties and Common-weales planted among these Barbarians That which confirmes me in my opinion whereof I have amply discoursed in the first booke that the first inhabitants of the West Indies came by land and so by consequence that the first continent of the Indies ioynes with that of Asia Europe and Afsrike and the new world with the old although they have not yet discovered any countrey that toucheth and ioynes with the other world or if there be any sea betwixt the two it is so narrow that wilde beasts may easily swim over and men in small boates But leaving this Philosophie let vs returne to our history Of the Mexicaines departure of their iourney and peopling the Province of Mechovacan CHAâ— 4. THree hundred and two yeares after the former two linages had left their Country to inhabite new Spaine the Country being now well peopled and reduced to some forme of government Those of the seaventh cave or line arrived which is the Mexicaine Nation the which like vnto the rest left the Province of AZtlan and Teuculhuacan a pollitike courtlike and warlike Nation They did worship the idoll VitZliputZli whereof ample mention hath beene made and the divell that was in this idoll spake and governed this Nation easily This idoll commanded them to leave their Country promising to make them Princes and Lords over all the Provinces which the other six Nations did possesse that hee would give them a land abounding with gold silver pretious stones feathers and rich mantells wherevpon they went forth carrying their idoll with them in a coffer of reedes supported by foure of their principall priests with whom he did talke and reveale vnto them in secret the successe of their way and voyage advising them of what should happen He likewise gave them lawes and taught them the customes ceremonies and sacrifices they should observe They did not advance nor moove without commandement from this idoll He gave them notice when to march and when to stay in any place wherein they wholy obeyed him The first thing they did wheresoever they came was to build a house or tabernacle for their false god which they set alwaies in the middest of their Campe and there placed the Arke vppon an altare in the same manner as they have vsed in the holy Christian Church This done they sowed their land for bread and pulses which they vsed and they were so addicted to the obedience of their god that if he commanded them to gather they gathered but if he commanded them to raise their campe all was left there for the nourishment of the aged sicke and wearie which they lest purposely from place to place that they might people it pretending by this meanes that all the land should remaine inhabited by their Nation This going forth and peregrination of the Mexicaines will happily seeme like to that of Egypt and to the way which the children of Israell made seeing that they as well as those were warned to go forth and to seeke the land of promise and both the one and the other carried their god for their guide consulted with the arke and made him a tabernacle and he advised them giving them lawes and ceremonies and both the one and the other spake many yeares in their voyage to their promised land where we observe the resemblance of many other things as thehistories of the Mexicaines do report and the holy scripture testifie of the Israelites And without doubt it is a true thing that the Divell the prince of pride hath laboured by the superstitions of this Nation to counterfaite imitate that which the most high God did with this Nation for as is said before Satan hath a strange desire to compare and make himselfe equal with God so as this mortall enemy hath pretended falsely to vsurpe what communication and familiaritie he hath pleased with men Was there ever divell found so familiarly conversant with men as this divell VitzliputZli We may wel iudge what he was for that there was never seene nor heard speake of customes more superstitious nor sacrifices more cruel and inhumane then those which he taught them To conclude they were invented by the enemy of mankinde The chiefe and Captaine whome they followed was called Mexi whence came the name of Mexico of the Mexicaine Nation This people marching thus at leisure as the other six Nations had done peopling and tilling the land in divers partes whereof there is yet some shewes ruines after they had endured many travells and dangers in the end they came to the Province of Mechovacan which is as much to say as a land of fish for there is great abundance in goodly great lakes where contenting themselves with the scituation and temperature of the ground they resolved to stay there Yet having consulted with their idoll vpon this point and finding him vnwilling they demanded license to leave some of their men to people so good a land the which he granted teaching them the meanes how to do it which was that when the men and women should be entred into a goodly lake called Pascuaro to bathe themselves those which remained on land should steale away all their clothes and then secretly raise their campe and depart without any bruite the which was effected and the rest which dreamt not of this deceit for the pleasure they tooke in bathing comming forth and finding themselves spoiled of their garments and thus mocked and left by their companions they
some occasions many complaints griefs and iealosies grew on either side The which Cortes finding that the Indians mindes began to be distracted from them he thought it necessary to assure himself in laying hand vpon king Moteçuma who was seazed on and his legs fettered Truly this act was strange vnto all men like vnto that other of his to have burnt his ships and shut himselfe in the midst of his enemies there to vanquish or to die The mischiefe was that by reason of the vnexpected arrival of Pamphilo Narvaes at the true crosse drawing the country into mutiny Cortes was forced to absent himselfe from Mexico to leave poore Motecuma in the handes of his companions who wanted discretion nor had not moderation like vnto him so as they grew to that discention as there was no meanes to pacifie it Of the death of Moteçuma and the Spaniards departure out of Mexico CHAP. 26. WHenas Cortes was absent from Mexico he that remained his lievetenant resolved to punish the Mexicans severely causing a great number of the nobilitie to be slaine at a maske which they made in the pallace the which did so far exceede as all the people mutined in a furious rage tooke armes to be revenged and to kil the Spaniards They therefore besieged them in the pallace pressing them so neere that all the hurt the Spaniards could do them with their artillery and crosse-bowes might not terrifie them nor force them to retyre from their enterprise where they continued many daies stopping their victualls nor suffering any one to enter or issue forth They did fight with stones and cast dartes after their maner with a kinde of lances like vnto arrowes in the which there are foure or six very sharpe rasors the which are such as the histories report that in these warres an Indian with one blow of these rasors almost cut off the necke of a horse as they did one day fight with this resolution furie the Spaniards to make them cease shewed forth Motâ—cuma with another of the chiefe Lords of Mexico vpon the top of a platform of the house covered with the targets of two souldiers that were with them The Mexicanes seeing their Lord Moteçuma staied with great silence Then Moteçuma caused the Lord to advise them to pacifie themselves and not to warre against the Spaniards seeing that hee being a prisoner it could little profite him The which being vnderstood by a yong man called Quicuxtemoc whom they now resolved to make their king spake with a loude voice to Moteçuma willing him to retyre like a villaine that seeing he had bin such a coward as to suffer himselfe to be taken they were no more bound to obey him but rather should punish him as he deserued calling him woman for the more reproach and then hee beganne to draw his bowe and to shoote at him and the people beganne to cast stones at him to continue their combate Many say that Motecuma was then hurt with a stone wherof he died The Indians of Mexico affirme the contrarie that he died as I will shew hereafter Alvaro the rest of the Spaniards seeing themselves thus pressed gave intelligence to Captaine Cortes of the great danger they were in who having with an admirable dexteritie valour given order to Narvaes affaires and assembled the greatest part of his men he returned with all speede to succour them of Mexico where observing the time the Indians rest for it was their custom in war to rest every fourth day He one day advanced with great policy courage so as both he and his men entred the pallace whereas the Spaniards had fortefied themselves they then shewed great signes of ioy in discharging their artillery But as the Mexicans furie increased being out of hope to defend themselves Cortes resolved to passe away secretly in the night without bruite Having therefore made bridges to passe two great and dangerous passages about mid-night they issued forth as secretly as they could the greatest part of his people having passed the first bridge they were discovered by an Indian woman before they could passe The second who cried out their enemies fled at the which voice all the people ran together with a horrible furie so as in passing the second bridge they were so charged and pursued as there remained above three hundred men slaine hurt in one place where at this day there is a smal hermitage which they vnproperly cal of Martyrs Many Spaniards to preserve the gold iewells which they had gotten perished others staying to carry it away were taken by the Mexicans cruelly sacrificed to their idols The Mexicans found king Moteçuma dead wounded as they say with poiniards and they hold opinion that that night the Spaniards shew him with other Noblemen The Marquise in his relation sent to the Emperour writes the contrary that the Mexicans killed him that night with a son of Moteçuma which he led with him amongst other noblemen saying that all the treasure of gold stones and silver fell into the lake was never more seene But howsoever Moteçuma died miserably paied his deserts to the iust iudgement of our Lord of heaven for his pride tyranny his body falling into the Indians power they would make him no obsequies of a king no not of an ordinarie person but cast it away in great disdaine rage A servant of his having pittie of this Kings miserie who before had bene feared and worshipped as a God made a fier thereof and put the ashes in a contemptible place Returning to the Spaniards that escaped they were greatly tyred and turmoiled the Indians following them two or three daies very resolutely giving them no time of rest being so distressed for victualls as a few graines of Mays were divided amongst them for their meate The relations both of the Spaniards Indians agree that God delivered them here miraculously the Virgin Mary defending them on a little hill whereat this day three leagues from Mexico there is a Church built in remembrance thereof called our Lady of succour They retyred to their antient friends of Tlascalla whence by their aide the valour pollicie of Cortes they returned afterwards to make war against Mexico by water and land with an invention of brigantines which they put into the lake where after many combates and above threescore dangerous battailes they conquered Mexco on S. Hippolitus day the 13. of August 1521. The last king of the Mexicans having obstinately maintained the wars was in the end taken in a great canoe whereinto he fled who being brought with some other of the chiefest noblemen before Fernando Cortes this pettie king with a strange resolution and courage drawing his dagger came neere to Cortes and said vnto him Vntill this day I have done my best indevour for the defence of my people now am I no farther bound but to give thee this dagger to kill me therewith Cortes answered
would favour their cause and partie even for the good of the Infidells who should bee converted vnto the holy Gospel by this meanes for the waies of God are high and their paths admirable Of the maner how the Divine providence disposed of the Indies to give an entrie to Christian Religion CHAP. 28. I Will make an end of this historie of the Indies shewing the admirable meanes whereby God made a passage for the Gospel in those partes the which we ought well to consider of and acknowledge the providence and bountie of the Creator Every one may vnderstand by the relation and discourse I have written in these bookes as well at Peru as in New Spaine whenas the Christians first set footing that these Kingdomes and Monarchies were come to the height and period of their power The Inguas of Peru possessing from the Realme of Chille beyond Quitto which are a thousand leagues being most aboundant in gold silver sumptuous services and other things as also in Mexico Moteçuma commaunded from the North Ocean sea vnto the South being feared and worshiped not as a man but rather as a god Then was it that the most high Lord had determined that that stone of Daniel which dissolved the Realmes and Kingdoms of the world should also dissolve those of this new world And as the lawe of Christ came whenas the Romane Monarchie was at her greatnes so did it happen at the West Indies wherein we see the iust providence of our Lord For being then in the world I meane in Europe but one head and temporall Lord as the holy Doctors do note whereby the Gospel might more easily beimparted to so many people and nations Even so hath it happened at the Indies where having given the knowledge of Christ to the Monarkes of so many Kingdomes it was a meanes that afterwards the knowledge of the gospell was imparted to all the people yea there is herein a speciall thinge to bee observed that as the Lordes of Cusco and Mexico conquered new landes so they brought in their owne language for although there were as at this day great diuersitie of tongues yet the Courtlie speeche of Cusco did and doth at this day runne above a thousand leagues and that of Mexico did not extend farre lesse which hath not beene of small importance but hath much profited in making the preaching easie at such a time when as the preachers had not the gift of many tongues as in olde tymes He that woulde knowe what a helpe it hath beene for the conversion of this people in these two greate Empyres and the greate difficultie they haue founde to reduce those Indians to Christ which acknowledge no Soueraigne Lorde let him goe to Florida Bresill the Andes and many other places where they have not prevailed so much by their preaching in fiftie yeares as they have done in Peru and newe Spaine in lesse then five If they will impute the cause to the riches of the countrie I will not altogether denie it Yet were it impossible to have so great wealth and to bee able to preserve it if there had not beene a Monarchie This is also a worke of God in this age when as the Preachers of the gospell are so colde and without zeale and Merchants with the heat of covetousnes and desire of commaund search and discouer newe people whether wee passe with our commodities for as Saint Austin saith the Prophesie of Esaie is fulfilled in that the Church of Christ is extended not onely to the right hand but also to the left which is as he declareth by humaine and earthly meanes which they seeke more commonly then Iesus Christ. It was also a great providence of our Lord that whenas the first Spaniardes arrived there they founde ayde from the Indians them selves by reason of their partialities and greate diuisions This is well knowne in Peru that the division betwixt the two brothers Atahulpa and Guasca the great King Guanacapa their father being newly dead gave entry to the Marquise Don Francis Pizarre and to the Spaniards for that either of them desired his alliance being busied in warre one against the other The like experience hath beene in New Spaine that the aide of those of the province of Tlascalla by reason of their continuall hatred against the Mexicaines gave the victory and siegniory of Mexico to the Marquise Fernando Cortes and his men and without them it had beene impossible to have wonne it yea to have maintained themselves within the country They are much deceived that so little esteeme the Indians and iudge that by the advantage the Spaniards have over them in their persons horses and armes both offencive and deffencive they might easily conquer any land or nation of the Indies Chille standes yet or to say better Aranco and Tuâ—â—â—pel which are two citties where our Spaniards could not yet winne one foote of ground although they have made warre there above five and twenty yeares without sparing of any cost For this barbarous nation having once lost the apprehention of horse and shotte and knowing that the Spaniards fall as well as other men with the blow of a stone or of a dart they hazard themselves desperately entring the pikes vppon any enterprise How many yeares have they levied men in New Spaine to send against the Chychymequos which are a small number of naked Indians armed onely with bowes and arrowes yet to this day they could not bee vanquished but contrariwise from day to day they grow more desperate and resolute But what shall wee say of the Chucos of the Chiraguanas of the Piscocones and all the other people of the Andes Hath not all the flower of Peru beene there bringing with them so great provision of armes and men as we have seene What did they With what victories returned they Surely they returned very happy in saving of their lives having lost their baggage and almost all their horses Let no man thinke speaking of the Indians that they are men of nothing but if they thinke so let them go and make triall Wee must then attribute the glory to whom it appertaines that is principally to God and to his admirable disposition for if Moteçuma in Mexiço and the Ingua in Peru had bin resolute to resist the Spaniards and to stoppe their entrie Cortes and Pizarre had prevailed little in their landing although they were excellent Captaines It hath also beene a great helpe to induce the Indians to receive the law of Christ the subiection they were in to their Kings and Lords and also the servitude and slaverie they were helde in by the divells tyrannies and insupportable yoake This was an excellent disposition of the Divine Wisedome the which drawes profite from ill to a good end and receives his good from an others ill which it hath not sowen It is most certaine that no people of the West Indies have beene more apt to receive the Gospel then those which were most subiect to
what is in the other life but if hell as Divines holde be in the centre of the earth the which containes in diameter above two thousand leagues we can not iudge that this fire is from the centre for that hell fire as saint Basil and others teach is very different from this which wee see for that it is without light and burneth without comparison much more then ours And therefore I conclude that what I have saide seemes to me more reasonable Of Earthquakes CHAP. 26. SOme have held that from these Volcans which are at the Indies the earthquakes proceed being very common there but for that they ordinarily chance in places farre from those Volcans it can not be the totall cause It is true they have a certaine simpathy one with another for that the hote exhalations which engender in the inner concavities of the earth seeme to be the materiall substance of fire in the Volcans whereby there kindleth an other more grosse matter and makes these shewes of flame and smoke that come forth And these exhalations finding no easie issue in the earth move it to issue forth with great violence wherby we heare that horrible noise vnder the earth and likewise the shaking of the earth being stirred with this burning exhalation Even as gunpowlder in mines having fire put to it breakes rockes and walles and as the chesnut laid into the fire leapes and breakes with a noyse whenas it casts forth the aire which is contained within the huske by the force of the fire Even so these Earthquakes do most commonly happen in places neere the water or sea As we see in Europe and at the Indies that townes and citties farthest from the sea and waters are least afflicted therewith and contrariwise those that are seated vpon portes of the sea vpon rivers the sea coast and places neere vnto them feele most this calamitie There hath happened in Peru the which is wonderfull and worthy to be noted Earthquakes which have runne from Chille vnto Quitto and that is above hundred leagues I say the greatest that ever I heard speake of for lesser be more common there Vpon the coast of Chille I remember not well in what yeare there was so terrible an Earthquake as it overturned whole mountains and thereby stopped the course of rivers which it converted into lakes it beat downe townes and flew a great number of people causing the sea to leave her place some leagues so as the shippes remained on drie ground farre from the ordinary roade with many other heavie and horrible things And as I well remember they say this trouble and motion caused by the Earthquake ranne three hundred leagues alongest the coast Soone after which was in the yeere eighty two happened that Earthquake of Arequipa which in a maner overthrew the whole citie Since in the yeere eightie sixe the ninth of Iulie fell an other Earthquake in the cittie of Kings the which as the Viceroy did write hadde runne a hundred three score and tenne leagues alongest the coast and overthwart in the Sierre fiftie leagues The mercy of the Lord was great in this earth quake to forewarne the people by a great noyse which they heard alittle before the Earthquake who taught by former experiences presently put themselves in safetie leaving their houses streets and gardins to go into the fieldes so as although it ruined a great parte of the Cittie and of the chiefest buildings yet there died not above fifteene or twenty persons of all the Inhabitants It caused the like trouble and motion at sea as it had done at Chille which happened presently after the Earthquake so as they might see the sea furiously to flie out of her boundes and to runne neere two leagues into the land rising above foureteene fadome it covered all that plaine so as the ditches and peeces of wood that were there swamme in the water There was yet an other earthquake in the Realme and Cittie of Quitto and it seemes all these notable Earthquakes vppon that coast have succeeded one an other by order as in trueth it is subiect to these inconveniences And therefore although vpon the coast of Peru there be no torments from heaven as thunder and lightning yet are they not without feare vppon the land and so everie one hath before his eies the Heraults of divine Iustice to moove him to feare God For as the Scripture saith Fecit haec vt timeatur Returning then to our purpose I say the sea coast is most subiect to these earthquakes the reason is in my iudgement for that the water dooth stop the conduites and passages of the earth by which the hote exhalations should passe which are engendered there And also the humiditie thickning the superficies of the earth dooth cause the fumes and hot exhalations to goe close together and incounter violently in the bowells of the earth which doe afterwards breake forth Some have observed that such Earthquakes have vsually hapned whenas a rainie season falles after some drie yeâ—res Wherevpon they say that the Earthquakes are most rare where are most welles the which is approoved by experience Those of the Cittie of Mexico holde opinion that the Lake whereon it is seated is the cause of the Earthquakes that happen there although they be not very violent and it is most certaine that the Townes and Provinces farre within the land and farthest from the sea receive sometimes great losses by these Earthquakes as the Cittie of Chachapoyas at the Indies and in Italie that of Ferrara although vpon this subiect It seemes this latter being neere to a river and not farre from the Adriatic sea should rather be numbred among the sea-Townes In the yeere of our Lord one thousand five hundred eightie and one in Cugiano a Cittie of Peru otherwise called the Peace there hapned a strange accident touching this subiect A village called Angoango where many Indians dwelt that were sorcerers and idolatrers fell sodainely to ruine so as a great parte thereof was raised vp and carried away and many of the Indians smothered and that which seems incredible yet testified by men of credit the earth that was ruined and so beaten downe did runne and slide vpon the land for the space of a league and a halfe as it had beene water or wax molten so as it stopt and filled vppe a Lake and remayned so spread over the whole countrey How the land and sea imbrace one an other CHAP. 27. I Wil end with this Element of earth vniting it to the precedent of water whose order and embracing is truely of it selfe admirable These two elements have one spheare divided betweene them and entertaine and embrace one another in a thousand sortes and maners In some places the water encounters the land furiously as an enemy and in other places it invirons it after a sweete and amiable manner There are partes whereas the sea enters far within the land as comming to visite it and in other partes the