poore and eate snakes lisards spiders ants and al kinde of vermine and herewith they liue so well contented that commonly they sing and dance They buie the women of their enimies and kill their daughters because they would not haue them marrie with them whereby they might increase They trauailed through certaine places where the women gaue sucke vnto their children til they were ten or twelue yéeres of age and where certaine men being Hermaphrodites doe marrie one another These Spaniards trauailed aboue 800. leagues and there escaped aliue in this iourney not aboue seuen or eight of them They came vpon the coast of the South sea vnto a citie called Saint Michael of Culuacan standing in 23. degrées and vpward toward the north This yéere 1527. when Cortes vnderstood by the pinnesse aforesaide that Don Garcia de Loaisa was passed by the Streight of Magelan toward the Islands of cloues he prouided thrée ships to goe séeke him and to discouer by that way of New Spaine as farre as the Isles of Maluco There went as gouernour in those ships one Aluaro de Saavedra Ceron cosen vnto Cortes a man fit for that purpose He made saile from Ciuatlanejo now named S. Christopher standing in 20. degrées toward the north on All Saints day They arriued at the Islands which Magelan named The Pleasures and from thence sailed to the Islands which Gomes de Sequeira had discouered not knowing thereof they named thē Islas de los Reyes that is to say The Isles of the kings because they came vnto them on Twelfe day In the way Saavedra lost two ships of his company of which they neuer after heard newes But from Island to Island he still sailed and came to the Island of Candiga where he bought two Spanyards for 70. ducats which had béene of the companie of Frier Loaisa who was lost thereabout In the yéere 1528. in March Saavedra arriued at the Islands of Maluco and came to an anker before the Isle of Gilolo he found the sea calme and winde at will without any tempests and he tooke the distance from thence to Noua Spagna to be 2050. leagues At this time Martin Yn̄iguez de Carquiçano died and Fernando de la Torre was chosen their Generall who then was in the citie of Tidore who had there erected a gallows and had fierce warre with Don George de Meneses captaine of the Portugals and in a fight which they had the fourth day of May Saavedra tooke from him a galiotte and slew the captaine thereof called Fernando de Baldaya and in Iune he returned towards New Spaine hauing with him one Simon de Brito Patalin and other Portugals and hauing béene certaine monethes at sea he was forced backe vnto Tidore where Patalin was beheaded and quartered and his companions hanged In this yéere 1528. Cortes sent two hundred footemen and 60. horsemen and many Mexicans to discouer and plant the countrey of the Chichimecas for that it was reported to be rich of gold This being done he shipped himselfe and came into Castile with great pompe brought with him 250000. marks of gold and siluer and being come to Toledo where the Emperour then lay he was entertained according to his deserts and the Emperour made him Marques Del Valle and married him to the Lady Iane de Zuniga daughter vnto the Earle de Aguilar and then the Emperour sent him backe againe to be Generall of New Spaine In the yéere 1529. in May Saavedra returned back againe towards New Spaine and he had sight of a land toward the South in two degrées and he ran East along by it aboue fiue hundred leagues till the end of August The coast was cleane and of good ankerage but the people blacke and of curled haire from the girdle downward they did weare a certaine thing plaited to couer their lower parts The people of Maluco call them Papuas because they be blacke and friseled in their haire and so also doe the Portugals call them Saavedra hauing sailed 4. or 5. degrées to the South of the line returned vnto it and passed the Equinoctiall towards the north and discouered an Island which he called Isla de los Pintados that is to say The Isle of painted people for the people thereof be white and all of them marked with an iron and by the signes which they gaue he conceaued that they were of China There came vnto them from the shore a kinde of boate full of these men making tokens of threatnings to the Spanyards who séeing that the Spanyards would not obey them they began to skirmish with slinging of stones but Saavedra would suffer no shot to be shot at them because their stones were of no strength and did no harme A little beyond this Island in 10. or 12. degrées they found many small low Islands full of palme trées and grasse which they called Los Iardines and they came to an anker in the middest of them where they taried certaine daies The people séemed to descend from them of China but by reason of their long continuance there they are become so brutish that they haue neither law nor yet giue themselues to any honest labour They were white clothing which they make of grasse They stand in maruailous feare of fire because they neuer saw any They eate Cocos in stéede of bread breaking them before they be ripe and putting them vnder the sand and then after certaine daies they take them out and lay them in the sunne and then they will open They eate fish which they take in a kinde of boate called a Parao which they make of pine wood which is driuen thither at certaine times of the yéere they know not how nor from whence and the tooles wherewith they make their boates are of shels Saavedra perceiuing that the time and weather was then somewhat better for his purpose made saile towards the firme land and citie of Panama where he might vnlade the cloues and marchandise which he had that so in cartes it might be carried fower leagues to the riuer of Chagre which they say is nauigable running out into the North sea not far from Nombre de Dios where the ships ride which come out of Spaine by which way all kinde of goods might be brought vnto them in shorter time and with lesse danger then to saile about the Cape of Bona Sperança For from Maluco vnto Panama they saile continually betwéene the Tropickes and the line but they neuer found winde to serue that course and therefore they came backe againe to Maluco very sad because Saavedra died by the way who if he had liued meant to haue opened the land of Gastillia del Oro and New Spaine from sea to sea Which might haue béene done in fower places namely from the Gulfe of S. Michael to Vraba which is 25. leagues or from Panama to Nombre de Dios being 17. leagues distance or through Xaquator a riuer
lowe countreies but kept the hils And we reade of Nimrode who 130. yéeres after the flood built the Tower of Babell intending thereby to saue himselfe if there should come any more such floods Therefore it seemeth that they which first came to be sailers were those which dwell in the east in the prouince of China although others contrariwise hold them which dwell in the west as in Syria to haue vsed the trade of the sea soonest after the flood But this contention about the antiquitie of nauigation I leaue to the Scythians and Egyptians who were at great variance and difference in this matter for each of them chalenged vnto themselues the honour of the first sea trauaile But omitting all iars and differences thereabouts I will apply my selfe to my purposed discourse and speake of that which histories haue left in record THere be some wel séene in Antiquities which say that in the 143. yéere after the flood Tubal came by sea into Spaine whereby it séemeth that in those times nauigations were vsed into our parts out of Ethiopia And they also say farther that not long after this the Quéene Semyramis went against the Indians in that riuer wherof they tooke their name and therein gaue battaile vnto the king Stabrobates wherin he lost a thousand ships Which being credible by the ancient historie prooueth manifestly that in those parts in those times were many ships and the seas frequented in good numbers In the 650. yéere after the flood there was a king in Spaine named Hesperus who in his time as it is reported went and discouered as far as Cape Verde the Island of S. Thomas whereof he was prince And Gonsaluo Fernandes of Ouiedo the Chronicler of Antiquities affirmeth that in his time the Islands of the West Indies were discouered and called somewhat after his name Heâ—perides and he alleageth many reasons to prooue it reporting particularly that in 40. daies they sailed from Cape Verde vnto those Islands There are others that say that the like was done from this Cape vnto the Islands of S. Thomas and the Isle De Principe and that they be the Hesperides and not the Anâ—iles And they doe not differ far from reason seeing in those times and many yeeres after they did vse to saile onely along the coast not passing through the maine Ocean sea for they had neither altitude nor compasse then in vse nor any mariners so expert It cannot be denied but that there were many countries Islands Capes Isâ—hmos and points which now are grown out of knowledge because the names of them are found in histories But the age of the world and force of waters haue wâ—sted and consumed them and separated one countrey from another both in Europe Asia Afâ—ica New Spaine Peru and other places Plato saith in his dialogue of Timaeus that there were in ancient times in the Ocean sea Atlanticke certaine great Islands and countries named Atlantides greater then Afrike and Europe and that the kings of those parts were Lords of a great part of this our countrey but with certaine great tempests the sea did ouerflow it and it remained as mud and shingle so that in a long time after no ships could passe that way It is also recorded in histories that fast by the Island of Cadiz towards the Straights of Gibraltar there was a certaine Island which was called Aphrodisias well inhabited and planted with many gardens and orchards and yet at this day we haue no knowledge of this Aphrodisias but only a bare mention of it in ancient authors The said Island of Cadiz is further said to haue béen so large and big that it did ioine with the firme land of Spaine The Islands of the Açores were sometimes a point of the mountaines of Estrella which ioine vnto the sea ouer the towne of Syntra And also from Sierra Verde or the gréene mountaine which adioineth vnto the water hard by the citie of Sasin in the land of Cucu which is the selfe same Island of Mouchin where Algarbe is come the Islands of Porto Santo and Madera For it is held as a true and vndoubted veritie that all Islands haue their roots running from the firme land though they be neuer so farre from the continent for otherwise they could not stand firme There are other histories which say that from Spaine vnto Ceuta in Barbarie men sometimes trauailed on foote vpon drie land and that the Islands of Sardinia and Corsica did ioine the one with the other as also did Sicilia with Italie and Negroponto with Graecia We reade also that there were found hulles of ships ankers of iron and other memorials of shipping vpon the mountaines of Sussa farre within the land where as it seemeth now no salt water or sea euer came In India also and in the land of Malabar although now there be great store of people yet many writers affirme that it was once a maine sea vnto the foote of the mountaines and that the Cape of Comarim and the Island of Zeilan were all one thing As also that the Island of Samatra did ioine with the land of Malacca by the flats of Caypasia and not farre froÌ„ thence there stands now a little Island which few yéeres past was part of the firme land that is ouer against it Furthermore it is to be séene how Ptolemey in his tables dotâ— set the land of Malacca to the south of the line in thrée or fower degrées of latitude whereas now it is at the point thereof being called â—entana in one degrée on the north side as appéereth in the Straight of Cincapura where daily they doe passe through vnto the coast of Sian and China where the Island of Aynan standeth which also they say did ioine hard to the land of China and Ptolemey placeth it on the north side far from the line standing now aboue 20. degrées from it towards the north as Asia and Europe now stand Well it may be that in time past the land of Malacca and China did end beyond the line on the south side as Ptolemey doth set them foorth because it might ioine with the point of the land called â—entana with the Islands of Biâ—tan Banca Salitres being many that waies the land might be all slime oaze And so the point of China might ioine with the Islands of the Luçones Borneos Lequeos Mindanaos others which stand in this parallele they also as yet hauing in opinion that the Island of Samatra did ioine with Iaua by the chanell of Sunda and the Islands of Bali Aujaue çambaua Solor Hogaleao Maulua Vintara Rosalaguin and others that be in this parallele and altitude did all ioine with Iaua and so they séeme outwardly to those that descrie them For at this day the Islands stand so néere the one to the other that they séeme all but one firme land and whosoeuer passeth betwéene some of them
latitude they found a Straight and passing through it towards the west they arriued in the Empire of India and fought with the king of Cathay and so came backe againe vnto the citie of Rome Which thing howsoeuer it may séeme either possible or not possible true or not true yet so I finde it left to vs recorded in the * histories of that time In the 100. yéere after the incarnation of Christ the Emperour Traiane prepared an armie by sea vpon the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and departed from them and sailed to the Islands of Zyzara and passing the straight of Persia entred into the Ocean sea and sailed towards India all along the coast till he came to that place where Alexander had béen and there he tooke certaine ships which came from Bengala of whom he learned the state of that countrey But because he was then in yéeres and wearie with his trauaile but especially because he found there small reliefe for his armie he returned backe After that the Romanes had gotten the most part of the world there were in that age made many and notable discoueries But then came the Gothes Moores and other barbarous nations and destroied all For in the yéere 412. after the incarnation of Christ they tooke the citie of Rome And the Vandales came out of Spaine and conquered Africa And in the yeere 450. the king called Atila destroied many cities in Italie at which time the citie of Venice began And in this age the Frankes and Vandals entred into France In the yéere 474. the Empire of Rome was lost and fell from the Romanes to the Gothes And after this came the Lombards into Italie namely in the yéere 560. Also about this time the sect of the Arrians preuailed greatly and at this time one Merline of England was famous for his prophecies To be short in the yéere 611. sproong vp the Mahumetane sect and Morisco regiment which by force inuaded both Africa and Spaine By all this it may appéere that in that age all the world was in an hurly burly and all places very tumultuous In so much that trafficke and marchandise ceased for no nation durst trade one with another neither by sea nor land nothing as then remained stedfast neither in monarchies nor kingdomes signiories religions lawes artes sciences nor nauigations Nor so much as the records and writings of such things did remaine but were all burnt and consumed by the barbarous crueltie and vnbrideled power of the Gothes who became so couetous and ambitious that they purposed of themselues to begin a new world and to roote out the memorie and blot out the knowledge of all other nations besides But they that succéeded after these times in the gouernment of things perceiuing the great and huge losse that the Christian world had by the want of trafficke and ceasing of nauigation whereby those commodities and marchandises could not be spent which before went ordinarily from one nation to another by the vse of trade to the end that this decay and losse might be repaired and the treasures of the East might be imparted with the West as it was woont in the times of quietnes and peaceable liuing they began to deuise a way to passe to India which was not as the former way was by the Red sea and the riuer Nilus but a way of farther sailing farther length and cost also For they brought their ware vp the riuer Indus and there vnladed it carrying it by land through the countrey of Paropanisus by Carauans vnto the prouince of Bactria and then shipped it in barks on the riuer Oxus which falleth into the Caspian sea and so sailed ouer that sea vnto an hauen of the riuer Rha named Citracan or Astracan and so vpwards in the said riuer which now is called Volga and as it appéereth they carried it to the citie of Nouogrode in the prouince of Resan which now belongeth to the great Duke of Moscouia standing toward the north in 54. degrées of latitude therehence they trauailed ouer land vnto the prouince of Sarmatia vnto the riuer Tanais which is the diuision of Europe from Asia where they againe laded it in barks and caried it downe the riuer into the lake Maeotis and to the citie of Caffa which in ancient time was called Theodosia which then belonged to the Genowais who came thither for those wares in their galliasses or great ships It is also left written that the trade this way endured vntill the raigne of Commodita Emperour of Armenia who prouided for a better course and commanded this trafficke of the spices to be conueied by the Caspian sea and so through the kingdome of Hiberia which now is called Georgiana and from thence they entred by the riuer Phasis now Phasso into Pontus Euxinus and so vnto the city of Trapezunda standing in 40. and odde degrées of northerly latitude And to that place came shipping for the marchandises out of Europe and Africa It is further left recorded concerning this way of trafficke that Nicanor determined or had already begun to open aboue 120. miles of land which lieth betwéene the Caspian sea and Pontus Euxinus that they might come and goe by water with their spices drugs and other commodities there vsed But in the meane time this mischiefe happened that Ptolemey Ceraunos killed him and by his death this woorthy and famous enterprise ceased without effect But the other way being also at last lost by reason of the wars of the Turks it pleased God to open another way to these marchandises from the Isle of Samatra the citie of Malacca and the Island of Iaua vnto Bengala and so carrying them vp the riuer Ganges vnto the citie of Agra from whence they trauailed ouer land vnto another citie standing néere the riuer Indus named Boghar where they discharged bicause the citie of Cabor standeth too farre within the land being the principall citie of the Mogores From thence they went forward to the great citie of Samarcand standing in the countrey of Bactria and there the marchants of India Persia and Turkie met bringing thither their seuerall commodities as cloth of gold veluets chamolets scarlet and woollen clothes which were carried to Cathay and the great kingdome of China wherehence they brought againe gold siluer precious stones pearles silke muske and many other things of great value and much rubarbe After this these marchandise drugs and spiceries were carried in ships vpon the Indian sea vnto the streight of Ormus and to the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and were vnladen in the citie of Balsara standing in 31. degrées towards the north and from thence they were caried ouer land vnto the cities of Aleppo Damascus and Barutti standing on the same side in 35. degrées And there the Venetian gallies or galliasses which transported pilgrims into the holy land came and receiued of those goods In the yéere 1153.
left 38 men and a captaine called Roderigo de Arana to learne the language and customes of the countrey They brought from thence musters and shewes of gold pearles and other things which that countrey yéelded and ten Indians also whereof sixe died the rest were brought home and baptized Hereupon there grewe such a common desire of trauaile among the Spanyards that they were ready to leape into the sea to swim if it had béen possible into those new found parts The aforesaid company of Columbus at their comming home tooke in their way the Isles of the Açores and the 4. day of March in the yéere 1493. they entred into the bar of Lisbon which discouerie pleased not the king of Portugall Whereupon rose a contention betwéene those two kings Christopher Columbus being arriued went presently into Castile with the newes of all things and acquainted the king Fernando with the discontentednes of the king of Portugall whereupon he and the Quéene Isabella his wife sent streight word thereof vnto Pope Alexander the 6. whereat he and the Italians were in great admiration maruailing that there was any more land besides that which was vnder the Romanes But the end of this matter was this Alexander the Pope gaue these countreies by his iudgement vnto the kingdomes of Leon and Castile with this condition That they should labour to extirpate idolatrie and plant the Holy faith in those countreyes Fernando the king hauing receiued this answere was glad of it and sent Christopher Columbus againe on the former voiage hauing made him Admirall and giuen him other honors with particular armes and a posie written about his armes to this effect For Castile and for Leon A new world found out Colon. In the yéere 1493. the 25. of the moneth of October Christopher Columbus went backe vnto the Antiles and froÌ„ Cadiz he tooke his course hauing in his companie 17. ships and 1500. men in them with his brethren Bartholomew Columbus and Diego Columbus with other knights gentlemen men of law and religious men with chalices crosses rich ornaments and with great power and dignitie from Pope Alexander the 10. day after their setting foorth they arriued at the Canaries from thence in 25. or 30. daies they sailed vnto the Antiles the first Island that they saw standeth in 14. degrées towards the north due west from Cape Verde on the coast of Africa They say that the distance from thence to the Canaries is 800. leagues The name they gaue it was Deseada that is the Desired or wished Island for the great desire which the companie had to come to sight of land After that they discouered many more which they named the Virgines which the naturals of the countrey call the Caribas for that the men of that countrey are good warriers and shoote well in bowes They poison their arrowes with an herbe whereof he that is hurt dieth biting himselfe like as a mad dog doth From these Islands and others they went vnto the principall Island there which they of the countrey doe call Boriquen and the Spanyards call it S. Iohn and thence to Hispaniola or Isabella where they found all the men dead which there they had left Here the Admirall left the most part of the people to plant it and appointed his brethren to be gouernours there and so tooke two ships and went to discouer the other side of the Island of Cuba and from thence to Iamaica All these Islands stand from 16. vnto 20. degrées of northerly latitude In the meane time that the Admiralâ— sailed about his brethren and they that were left with them were much troubled because the Sauages did rise against them So that Christopher Colon went backe againe into Spaine to tell the king and Quéene of his aduentures In the yéere 1494. and in the moneth of Ianuarie there was an agréement made of the differences which were betwéene the two kings of Spaine and Portugall For the which agréement there were sent out of Portugall Ruy de Soâ—a and Don Iohn his sonne and the Doctor Ayres de Almada and for the king of Spaine there were Don Henry Henriques Don Iohn de Cardenas and the Doctor Maldonado All these met in the towne of Tordesillas and they deuided the world froÌ„ the north to the south by a meridian which standeth west from the Islands of Cape Verde 300. leagues so that the one halfe which lay vnto the east should belong vnto Portugall and that which lay to the west to the king of Spaine whereby notwithstanding libertie to trauell was left equall vnto both In the yéere following 1495. Iohn king of Portugall died and Emmanuel his cosen began to reigne In the yéere 1496. there was a Venetian in England called Iohn Cabota who hauing knowledge of such a new discouerie as this was and perceiuing by the globe that the Islands before spoken of stood almost in the same latitude with his countrey and much néerer to England then to Portugall or to Castile he acquainted king Henrie the seuenth then king of England with the same wherewith the saide king was greatly pleased and furnished him out with two ships and thrée hundred men which departed and set saile in the spring of the yéere and they sailed westward til they came in sight of land in 45. degrées of latitude towards the north and then went straight northwards till they came into 60. degrées of latitude where the day is 18. howers long and the night is very cléere and bright There they found the aire cold and great Islands of ice but no ground in an hundred fathoms sounding and so from thence finding the land to turne eastwards they trended along by it discouering all the Bay and riuer named Deseado to see if it passed on the other side Then they sailed backe againe till they came to 38. degrées towards the Equinoctiall line and from thence returned into England There he others which say that he went as far as the Cape of Florida which standeth in 25. degrées In the yéere 1497. The king of Spaine Don Fernando sent out Christopher Columbus with sixe ships and he himselfe prouided two ships at his owne cost and sending his brother before he made saile from the Bay of Cadiz carrying with him his sonne Don Diego Colon It was then reported that he went to take the Island of Madera because he mistrusted the French men and therefore sent thither thrée ships others say it was to the Canaries But howsoeuer it was this is true that he and thrée more went vnto the Islands of Cape Verde and ran along by the line finding great calmes and raine and the first land which they came vnto of the Antiles was an Island standing in 9. degrées of latitude towards the north ioining fast vnto the maine land which they called La Trinidada and so he entred into the Gulfe of Paria and came out of
came on land in Iucatan standing in 20. degrées of latitude at a point which they called Punta de las Duennas that is to say The point of Ladies which was the first place wherein they had séen Temples and buildings of lime and stone The people here goe better apparelled then in any other place They haue crosses which they worship setting them vpon their tombes when they be buried Wherby it séemeth that in times past they had in that place the faith of Christ among them And some say that thereabouts were The seuen Cities They went round about it towards the north which is on the right hand from whence they turned backe vnto the Island of Cuba with some examples of gold and men which they had taken And this was the first beginning of the discouerie of New Spaine In the yéere 1518. Lopez Suares commanded Don Iohn de Silueira to goe to the Islands of Maldiua and he made peace with them and from thence he went to the citie of Chatigam situated on the mouth of the riuer Ganges vnder the Tropicke of Cancer For this riuer and the riuer Indus which standeth an hundred leagues beyond the citie of Diu and that of Canton in China doe all fall in t the sea vnder one parallele or latitude And although before that time Fernan Perez had béen commanded to goe to Bengala yet notwithstanding Iohn de Silueira ought to beare away the commendation of this discouerie because he went as captaine generall and remained there longest learning the commodities of the countrey and maners of the people In the said yéere 1518. the first day of May Diego Velasques gouernour of the Island of Cuba sent his nephew Iohn de Grisalua with fower ships two hundred soldiers to discouer the land of Iucatan And they founde in their way the Island of Cosumel standing towards the north in 19. degrées and named it Santa Cruz because they came to it the third of May. They coasted the land lying vpon the left hand of the Gulfe and came to an Island called Ascension because they came vnto it vpon Ascension day They went vnto the end of it standing in 16. degrées of latitude from whence they came backe because they could finde no place to goe out at and from hence they went round about it to another riuer which they called The riuer of Grisalua standing in 17. degrées of latitude the people thereabout troubled them sore yet notwithstanding they brought from thence some gold siluer and feathers being there in great estimation and so they turned backe againe to the Island of Cuba In the same yéere 1518. one Francis Garay armed thrée ships in the Isle of Iamaica at his owne charges and went towards the point of Florida standing in 25. degrées towards the north séeming to them to be an Island most pleasant thinking it better to people Islands then the firme land because they could best conquere them and kéepe them They went there on land but the people of Florida killed many of them so that they durst not inhabite it So they sailed along the coast and came vnto the riuer of Panuco standing 500. leagues from the point of Florida in sailing along the coast but the people resisted them in euery place Many of them also were killed in Chila whom the Sauages flaied and eate hanging vp their skinnes in their Temples in memoriall of their valiantnes Notwithstanding all thiâ— Francis de Garay went thither the next yéere and begged the gouernment of that countrey of the Emperour because he sawe in it some shew of gold and siluer In the yeere 1519. in the moneth of Februarie Fernando Cortes went from the Island of Cuba to the land which is called Noua Spania with 11. ships and 550. Spanyards in them The first place where he went on land was the Island of Cosumel where they immediately destroied all the Idols and set crosses on the altars and the images of the virgine Marie From this Island they went and arriued on the firme land of Iucatan at the point De las Duenâ—as or the point of Ladies and went thence to the riuer of Tauasco and set vpon a citie fast by called Potoncian inuironed with wood and the houses were built with lime and stone and couered with tile they fought there egarly and there appeered vnto them S. Iames on horsebacke which increased their courage They called that citie Victoria and they were the first people which were subdued to the Spanyards obedience in all Newe Spaine From hence they went discouering the coast till they came vnto a place named S. Iohn de Vllhua distant as they said from Mexico where the king Muteçuma was 60. or 70. leagues and there was a seruant of his that gouerned that prouince named Tendilli which gaue them good entertainment although they vnderstood not one another But Cortes had 20. women whereof one was called Marine borne in thaâ— countrey They were the first that were baptized in New Spaine And from that time forward Marine and Aguilar serued as interpreters Tendilli presently gaue knowledge of this vnto Muteçuma that a kinde of bearded people were arriued in his countrey for so they called the Castillians But he was troubled vpon that newes for his Gods which are to be thought to be diuels had told him that such people as the Spanyards were should destroy his law and countrey and be Lords thereof And therefore he sent gifts vnto Cortes in value 20. thousand ducats but would not come to him Because S. Iohn de Vllhua was then no place for a nauie to ride in Cortes sent Francis de Montâ—io and the pilot Antonie Alaminos in two brigandines to discouer that coast who came to a place where they might ride without danger They came to Panuco standing in 23. degrées northward from whence they came backe vpon an agreement to goe vnto Culuacan being an hauen of more safetie They set saile but Cortes went by land westward with the most part of his men on horsebacke and they came vnto a citie called Zempoallan where they were well receiued And from thence he went to another towne called Chiauitztlan with the Lord of which towne as with all the countrey besides he made league to be against Muteçuma And when he knew that his ships were come he went vnto them and there builded a towne and called it Villa rica de la vera cruz From whence he sent vnto Charles the Emperour a present and made report of all that he had done and how he determined to goe to Mexico and to visite Muteçuma and besought the Emperour to giue him the gouernment of that countrey And because his people should not rise in mutinie as they began he destroied all his ships Cortes presently went from Villa rica de la vera Cruz leauing there 150. Spanish horsemen and many Indians to serue
at Acapulco messengers came vnto him from Don Antonio de Mendoça the Viceroy to certifie him of his arriuall and also he sent him the coppie of a letter wherein Francis Pisarro wrote that Mango Ynga was risen against him and was come to the citie of Cusco with an hundred thousand fighting men and that they had killed his brother Iohn Pisarro and aboue 400. Spaniards and 200. horses and he himselfe was in danger so that he demanded succour and aide Cortes being informed of the state of Pisarro and of the arriuall of Don Antonio de Mendoça because he would not as yet be at obedieÌ„ce First he determined to sende to Maluco to discouer that way a long vnder the Equinoctial line because The Islands of Cloues stand vnder that paralele And for that purpose he prepared 2. ships with prouision victuals men besides all other things necessarie He gaue the charge of one of these ships to Ferdinando de Grijalua and of the other vnto one Aluarado a Gentleman They went first to Saint Michael de Tangarara in Peru to succour Francis Pisarro and from thence to Maluco all along néere the line as they were commanded And it is declared that they sailed aboue a thousand leagues without fight of land on she one side nor yet on the other of the Equinoctiall And in two degrées toward the north they discouered one Island named Asea which séemeth to be one of the Islands of Cloues 500. leagues little more or lesse as they sailed they came to the sight of another which they named Isla de los Pescadores Going still in this course they sawe another Island called Hayme towards the south and another named Apia and then they came to the fight of Seri turning towards the north one degrée they came to anker at another Island named Coroa and from thence they came to another vnder the liue 〈…〉 and from thence vnto Bufu standing in the same course The people of all these Islands are blacke and haue their haire frisled whom the people of Maluco do call Papuas The most of them eate mans flesh and are witches so giuen to diuilishnes that the diuels walk among them as coÌ„panions If these wicked spirits do finde one alone they kill him with cruell blowes or smoother him Therefore they vse not to goe but when two or thrée may be in a companie There is héere a bird as bigge as a Crane he flieth not nor hath any wings wherewith to flée he runneth on the ground like a Déere of their small feathers they do make haire for their idols There is also an herbe which being washed in warme water if the leafe thereof be laide on any member and licked with the toong it will draw out all the blood of a mans body and with this leafe they vse to let themselues blood From these Islands they came vnto others named the Guelles standing one degree towards the north east and west from the Isle Terenate wherein the Portugals haue a fortresse these men are haired like the people of the Malucoes These Islands stande 124. leagues from the Island named Moro and from Terenate betwéene 40. and 50. From whence they went to the Isle of Moro the IslaÌ„ds of Cloues going from the one vnto the other But the people of the countrey would not suffer them to come on lande saying vnto them Go vnto the fortresse where the captain Antonie Galuano is and we will receiue you with a good will for they would not suffer them to come on land without his licence for he was factor of the countrey as they named him A thing woorthie to be noted that those of the countrey were so affectioned to the Portugals that they would venter for them their liues wiues children and goods In the yéere 1537. the licenciate Iohn de Vadillo gouernour of Cartagena went out with a good armie from a porte of Vraba called Saint Sebastian de buena Vista being in the gulfe of Vraba and from thence to Rio verde from thence by land without knowing any way nor yet hauing any carriages they went to the end of the countrey of Peru and to the towne La plata by the space of 1200. leagues a thing woorthie of memorie For from this riuer to the mountaines of Abibe the countrey is full of hils thicke forests of trées and many riuers and for lacke of a beaten way they had pierced sides The mountaines of Abibe as it is recorded haue 20. leagues in bredth They must be passed ouer in Ianuarie Februarie March and Aprill And from that time forward it raineth much and the riuers will be so greatly encreased that you cannot passe for them There are in those mountaines many heards of swine many dantes lyons tygers beares ounses and great cats and monkeis and mightie snakes and other such vermine Also there be in these mountaines abundance of partridges quailes turtle doues pigeons and other birdes and foules of sundrie sorts Likewise in the riuers is such plentie of fish that they did kill of them with their staues and carrying canes and nets they affirme that a great army might be sustained that way without being distressed for want of victuals Moreouer they declared the diuersities of the people toongs and apparell that they obserued in the countries kingdomes and prouinces which they went through and the great trauels and dangers that they were in till they came to the towne called Villa de la Plata and vnto the sea there unto adioyning This was the greatest discouerie that hath béene heard of by land and in so short a time And if it had not béene done in our daies the credite thereof would haue béene doubtfull In the yéere 1538. there went out of Mexico certaine friers of the order of Saint Francis towards the north to preach to the Indians the Catholicke faith He that went farthest was one frier Marke de Nizza who passed through Culâ—acan and came to the prouince of Sibola where he found seuen cities and the farther he went the richer he found the countrie of gold siluer precious stones and shéepe bearing very fine wool Vpon the fame of this welth the viceroy don Antonio de Mendoça and Cortes determined to send a power thither But when they could not agrée thereupon Cortes went ouer into Spaine in the yéere 1540. where afterward he died In this yéere 1538. began the ciuil warre betweene Pisarro and Alonagro wherein at the last Alinagro was taken and beheaded In the same yéere 1538. Antonie Galuano being chiefe captaine in the isles of Maluco sent a ship towards the north whereof one Francis de Castro was captaine hauing commandement to conuert as many as he could to the faith He himselfe christened many as the lords of the Celebes Macasares Amboynos Moros Moratax and diuers other places When Francis de
sisters And beyond them also they saw 4. islands more which they called los Volcanes The second of October they had sight of Farsana beyond which there standeth an high pointed rock which casteth out fire at 5. places So sayling in 16. degrées of northerly latitude from whence they had come as it seemeth wanting winde they arriued againe at the Islands of the Philippinas They had sight of 6. or 7. Islands more but they ankered not at them They found also an Archipelagus of Islands well inhabited with people lying in 15. or 16. degrées the people be white and the weomen well proportioned and more beautifull and better arraied then in any other place of those parts hauing many iewels of gold which was a token that there was some of that metal in the same countrie Here were also barkes of 43. cubits in length and 2. fathomes and a halfe in bredth and the plankes 5. inches thicke which barkes were rowed with â—ares They told the Spaniards that they vsed to saile in them to China and that if they would go thither they should haue pilots to conduct them the countrie not being aboue 5. or 6. daies sayling from thence There came vnto them also certaine barkes or boates handsomely decked wherein the Master and principall men sate on high and vnderneath were very blacke moores with frizled haire and being demanded where they had these black moores they answered that they had them from certaine Islands standing fast by Sebut where there were many of them a thing that the Spaniards much maruailed at because from thence it was aboue 300. leagues to the places where the black people were Therefore it seemed that they were not naturally borne in that climate but that they be in certaine places scattered ouer the whole circuite of the world For euen so they be in the Islands of Nicobar and Andeman which stand in the gulfe of Bengala and from thence by the space of 500. leagues we doe not know of any blacke people Also Vasco Nunez de Valboa declareth that as he went to discouer The South sea in a certaine land named Quareca he found black people with frizled haire whereas there were neuer any other found either in Noua Spagna or in Castilia del Oro or in Peru. In the yéere 1544. Don Gutierre de Vargas bishop of Placenza sent a fléet from the city of Siuil vnto the streits of Magellan which is reported to haue béene done by the counsel of the vizeroy Don Antonie de Mendoça his cousin Some suspeâ—ed that they went to Maluco others to China others that they went onely to discouer the land betwixt the streite and the land of Peru on the other side of Chili because it was reported to be very rich in gold and siluer But this fléete by reason of contrary windes could not passethâ— streit yet one small barke passed the same and sailed along the coast and discouered all the land till he came vnto Chirimai and Arequipa which was aboue 500. leagues for the rest was alreadie discouered by Diego de Almagro and Francis Pizarro and their captaines and people at diuers times By this it appéereth that from The streit to the Equinoctial line on both sides is wholy discouered In the yéere 1545. in the moneth of Ianuarie Rui Lopez de villa Lobos and Giraldo with the Castilians came to the Island of Moro and the citie of Camafo where they were well receiued of the kings of Gilolo and Tidore and of the people of the countrey because Antony Galuano was gone and put the captaine Don George de Castro to great trouble as appéered by those things which passed betwéene him and the Portugals and the great expences whereunto he put the fortresse In the same yéere 1545. Rui Lopez de villa Lobos sent from the Island of Tidore another ship towards New Spaine by the south side of the line wherein was captaine one Inigo Ortez de Rotha and for pilot one Iaspar Rico. They sailed to the coast of Os Papuas and ranged all along the same and because they knew not that Saauedra had béene there before they chalenged the honor and same of that discouerie And because the people there were blacke and had frisled haire they named it Nueua Guinea For the memorie of Saauedra as then was almost lost as all things else do fall into obliuion which are not recorded and illustrated by writing In this yéere 1545. and in the moneth of Iune there went a Iunk from the citie of Borneo wherein went a Portugall called Peter Fidalgo and by contrary windes he was driuen towards the north where he founde an Island standing in 9. or 10. degrées that stretched it selfe to 22. degrées of latitude which is called The Isle of the Luçones because the inhabitants thereof were so named It may haue some other name and harborowes which as yet we know not it runneth from the north vnto the southwest and standeth betwéene Mindanao and China They say they sailed along by it 250. leagues where the land was fruitfull and well couered and they affirme that there they will giue two Pezos of gold for one of siluer and yet it standeth not farre from the countrey of China In the yéere 1553. there went out of England certaine shipping and as it appéered they sailed northward along the coast of Norway and Finmark and from thence east till they came betwéene 70. and 80. degrées vnto Moscouie for so far one of the ships went but I know not what became of the rest this was the last discouery made vntil this time From this lande of Moscouie eastward you faile vnto Tartary and at the farther end of it standeth the countrey and prouince of China It is said that betwéene China and Tartary there is a wall aboue 200. leagues in length standing néere vnto 50. degrées of latitude Now I gather by all the precedent discoueries that the whole earth is in circuite 360. degrées according to the Geometrie thereof and to euery degrée the ancient writers allow 17. leagues a halfe which amount vnto 6300. leagues yet I take it that euerie degrée is iust 17. leagues Howsoeuer it be all is discouered and sailed from the east vnto the west almost euen as the sunne compasseth it but from the south to the north there is great difference for towardes the north pole there is found discouered no more then 77. or 78. degrées which come to 1326. leagues and towards the south pole there is discouered from the Equinoctiall to 52. or 53. degrées that is to the streit which Magellan passed through which amounteth to about 900. leagues and putting both these saide maine sums togither they amount to 2226. leagues Now take so many out of 6300. leagues there remaineth as yet vndiscouered north and south aboue the space of 4000. leagues FINIS Antonie Galuano Captaine of Maluco Variance vsually amonâ— the kings