oft published Decades of Epistles TRauell perfiteth wisedome and obseruation giues perfection to trauell without which a man may please his eyes not feede his braine and after much earth measured shall returne with a weary body and an empty minde Home is more safe more pleasant but lesse fruitfull of experience But to a minde not working and discursiue all heauens all earths are alike And as the end of trauell is obseruation so the end of obseruation is the informing of others for what is our knowledge if smothered in our selues so as it is not knowne to more Such secret delight can content none but an enuious nature You haue breathed many and cold aires gone farre seene much heard more obserued all These two yeares you haue spent in imitation of Nabuchadnezzars seuen conuersing with such creatures as Paul fought with at Ephesus Alas what a face yea what a backe of a Church haue you seene what manners what people Amongst whom ignorant Superstition striues with close Atheisme Treachery with Cruelty one Deuill with another while Truth and Vertue doe not so much as giue any challenge of resistance Returning once to our England after this experience I imagine you doubted whether you were on Earth or in Heauen Now then if you will heare mee whom you were wont as you haue obserued what you haue seene and written what you haue obserued so publish what you haue written It shall be a gratefull labour to vs to Posteritie I am deceiued if the ficklenesse of the Russian State haue not yeelded more memorable matter of Historie then any other in our Age or perhaps many Centuries of our Predecessors How shall I thinke but that God sent you thither before these broiles to bee the witnesse the Register of so famous mutations He loues to haue those iust euils which hee doth in one part of the World knowne to the whole and those euils which men doe in the night of their secresie brought forth into the Theater of the World that the euill of mens sinne being compared with the euill of his punishment may iustifie his proceedings and condemne theirs Your worke shall thus honour him besides your second seruice in the benefit of the Church For whiles you discourse of the open Tyraâ—nie of that Russian Nero Iohn Basilius the more secret no lesse bloudy plots of Boris the ill successe of a stolne Crowne though set vpon the head of an harmelesse Sonne the bold attempts and miserable end of a false yet aspiring challenge the perfidiousnesse of a seruile people vnworthy of better Gouernours the misse-carriage of wicked Gouernours vnworthy of better Subiects the vniust vsurpations of men iust though late reuenges of God crueltie rewarded with bloud wrong claimes with ouerthrow treachery with bondage the Reader with some secret horror shall draw-in delight and with delight instruction Neither knâ—w I any Relation whence hee shall take out a more easie Lesson of Iustice of Loyaltie of Thankefulnesse But aboue all let the World see and commiserate the hard estate of that worthy and noble Secretarie Buchinsky Poore Gentleman his distresse recalls euer to my thoughts Aesops Storke taken amongst the Cranes He now nourishes his haire vnder the displeasure of a forreigne Prince At once in durance and banishment Hee serued an ill Master but with an honest heart with cleane hands The Masters iniustice doth no more infect a good Seruant than the truth of the Seruant can iustifie his ill Master A bad Worke man may vse a good Instrument and oft-times a cleane Napkin wipeth a foule mouth It ioyes me yet to thinke that his pietie as it euer held friendship in Heauen so now it winnes him friends in this our other World Lo euen from our Iland vnexpected deliuerance takes a long flight and blesseth him beyond hope yea rather from Heauen by vs. That God whom hee serues will bee knowne to those rude and scarce humane Christians for a protector of innocence a fauourer of truth a rewarder of pietie The mercy of our gracious King the compassion of an honourable Counsellour the loue of a true friend and which wrought all and set all on worke the grace of our good God shall now lose those bonds and giue a glad welcome to his libertie and a willng farell to his distresse He shall I hope liue to acknowledge this in the meane time I doe for him Those Russian Affaires are not more worthy of your Records than your loue to this frend is worthy of mine For neither could this large Seâ drowne or quench it nor time and absence which are wâ—nt to breed a lingring consumption of friendship abate the heate of that affection which his kindnesse bred religion nourished Both rarenesse and worth shall commend this true loue which to say true hath beene now long out of fashion Neuer times yeelded more loue but not more subtle For euery man loues himselfe in another loues the estate in the person Hope of aduantage is the Load-stone that drawes the yron hearts of men not vertue not deseâ—t No Age affoorded more Parasites fewer friends The most are friendly in siâ—ht seruiceable in expectation hollow in loue trustlesse in experience Yet now Buchinsky see and confesse thou hâ—st found one friend which hath made thee many c. §. V. Of the miserable estate of Russia after SWISKEYS deportation their election of the King of Polands Sonne their Interregnum and popular estate and chusing at last of the present Emperour with some remarkabe accidents in his time THus haue we seene the Russian sinnes vtterly rooting vp so many Russian Imperiall Families and persons the whole Family of Iuan extirpate that of Boris succeeding annihilate two pretending Demetrij and Suiskie extinct and yet haue wee greater abhominations to shew you No Tyrant no Serpent no Dragon is so exorbitant and prodigious as that which hath many heads and therefore in diuine Visions Monarchies how euer excessiue and tyrannical haue beene resembled by simpler and more vniforme beasts but the Deuill in a great red Dragon with seuen heads and ten hornes and the Beast likewise to which hee gaue his power and his seat and great authoritie which opened his mouth in blasphemie against God c. On which sate the great Whore the Antichristian Babylon There was no King in Israel is both Alpha and Omega Preface and Conclusion Diuine Writ to some misery in Israel as if all Kings and no King were the Circumference of all the lines proceeding from Mischiefes Centre And now was Russia a Monster of many heads that is a bodie fallen into many pieces One man possessed of the Wife of that double Demetrius got to Astracan there seating himselfe to set vp an vsurped shop of Rule the Southerne parts chose Prince Vladislaus Son of K. Sigismund of Poland â—hose of the North thought of other Princes and at last when neither the Fig-trees sweetnesse nor Oliues fatnesse nor cheering Wine from the Vine could take place in their
for the Hawkes of which are there mewed aboue two hundred Gerfalcons which he goeth once a weeke to see and he often vseth one Leopard or more sitting on Horses which hee setteth vpon the Stagges and Deere hauing taken the beast giueth it to the Gerfalcons and in beholding this spectacle he taketh wonderfull delight In the middest in a faire Wood hee hath built a royall House on pillars gilded and vernished on euery of which is a Dragon all gilt which windeth his tayle about the pillar with his head bearing vp the loft as also with his wings displayed on both sides the couer also is of Reeds gilt and varnished so that the rayne can doe it no iniurie the reeds being three handfuls thicke and ten yards long split from knot to knot The house it selfe also may be sundred and taken downe like a Tent and erected againe For it is sustained when it is set vp with two hundred silken cords Great Chan vseth to dwell there three moneths in the yeare to wit in Iune Iuly and August On the eight and twentieth day of August he departeth to make a solemne sacrifice He hath an herd of white Horses and white Mares about ten thousand of the milke whereof none may drinke except hee be of the progenie of Cingis Can except one family called Boriat priuiledged hereto by Cingis for their valour And these beasts as they goe vp and downe feeding are much reuerenced nor dare any goe before them or hinder their way The Astrologers or Sorcerers tell Chan that on the twentie eight of the Moone of August he should disperse that milke heere and there for the honour of all spirits and his Idols that they might be carefull preseruers of all those things which he possesseth There are two sorts of Idolaters Sorcerers called Thebeth and Chesmir which in the midst of stormes ascend the Palace and suffer no rayne to fall thereon which they make the people beleeue comes to passe by their sanctitie and therefore they goe slouenly and regardlesse of their persons neuer washing nor combing themselues They also haue a horrible custome to dresse and eate such as are comdemned to death but not those which dye naturally They are called also Bachsi which is the name of their Order as Friers Predicants or Minors with vs. They seeme by Magicke to doe what they list when the great Can in his Hall sits at his Table which is eight yards high and in the midst of the hall a good distance from the table is a great Cupboard of plate furnished They cause that the peeces full of Wine or Milke or other viands of themselues fill the goblets without any hand touching them and goe ten paces in the ayre into the great Cans hand and when he hath drunke returne to their place This they doe in the presence of any man when their Lord commands These Bachsi also when they will make feasts to their Idols goe to the Can and say Sir know that if our Idols be not honoured with Sacrifices they will bring plagues to Corne and Beasts And therefore wee pray you to giue the flesh of so many Sheepe with blacke heads and so many pounds of Incense and Lignum aloes that we may make them due sacrifice and honour This they spake not to him themselues but by certaine Lords deputed to that Office who speake to the Can and obtaine it On the feast day they sacrifice the said beasts and sprinkle the broath before the Idols They haue great Monasteries some of the bignesse of a Citie in some of which are about two thousand Monkes which serue Idols sequestred from the Laitie in their shauing and garments For they shaue their heads and beards and were a religious garment These in the solemnities of their Idols sing with solemne songs and lights some of them may marry There are some of great abstinence called Sensim leading an austere life for they eate nothing but Meale mingled with water till all the Flower be gone and eate the branne without any sauour These worship the Fire and the men of other rules say that these which are so austere are Heretikes against their Law because they worship not Idols as they doe and there are great differences betwixt them and these marry not in any case They shaue their Head and Beard they weare blacke hempen garments and bright yellow They sleepe in thicke Mats and liue the seuerest life in the world §. V. Of CVBLAI CAN his Raigne and Acts Magnificent feasts and Huntings Court and Counsell His Citie Cambalu and glorious Palace IN this Booke I purpose to write of all the great and maruellous Acts of the present Can called Cublai Can which is in our Tongue Lord of Lords the greatest Prince in peoples Cities and Treasures that euer was in the world Hee being discended from the Progenie of Chingis the first Prince of the Tartars is the sixth Emperour of that Countrey beginning to raigne in the yeare of our Lord 1256. being twentie seauen yeares old and ruling the people with great wisedome and grauitie He is a valiant man exercised in Armes strong of bodie and of a prompt minde for the performance of matters before he attained to the dignitie of the Empire which by his wisdome he did against the will of his Brethren he often shewed himselfe a valiant Souldier in the warres and carryed himselfe like a wiser and bolder Captaine then euer the Tartars had But since he swayed the Kingdome he went but once into the Field but sends his Sonnes and other Captaines in expeditions In the yeare of our Lord 1286. his Vncle named Naiam being thirtie yeares of age and hauing the command of many people and Countries so that hee was able easily to bring together foure hundred thousand Horse Being puffed vp through youthfull vanitie would now no longer be subiect but would needs take away the Kingdome from his Lord Cubai and sent to another great Lord named Caydu Lord of the parts towards great Turkie who was nephew of the Emperour Cublai yet hated him who yeelding consent to Rebellion promised to come in proper person with an hundred thousand Horse Both of them began to gather Forces which could not bee done so secretly but Cublai heard of it and presently tooke order to set guard to the wayes that no intelligence might passe that way and then assembled all the Forces within ten dayes iourney of Cambalu with great speed so that in twentie dayes were gathered together three hundred sixtie thousand Horse and one hundred thousand Foot a great part of them Falconiers and men of his Houshold With these hee made all haste day and night towards Naiams Countrey where at the end of twentie fiue dâ—yes he arriued altogether vnlooked for and rested his men two dayes Then hee called his Astrologers and caused them before all the Armie to diuine who should haue victorie a thing they alway vse to incourage
you come vnto the champaine Countrey of Bargu which extendeth it selfe Northwards about sixtie dayes iourney in length The Inhabitants of those places are Mecriti and they are subiect to great Chan vsing the manners of the Tartars They are wilde men and eate the flesh of Beasts which they take by hunting especially of Stagges whereof they haue great plentie and they make them so tame that they may ride them They want Corne and Wine In the Summer they exercise great hunting and taking of wilde Beasts and Fowle with the flesh whereof they may liue in the winter For in Winter as well fowle as other liuing creatures flie from thence by reason of the exceeding and vntolerable cold of that Countrey After the end of fortie dayes iourney you come vnto the Ocean neere which is a Mountaine where Astori and strange Falcons breed which are carryed thence vnto the Court of great Chan. Heere we must returne vnto the Citie Campion If therefore you proceed further fiue dayes iourney from the Citie Campion towards the East in the places lying in the middle horrible voyces of Deuils are heard in the night time you come to the Kingdome Erginul in the Prouince of Tangut subiect to the great Cham. In this Kingdome are many other Kingdomes which are Idolators There are some Nestorian Christians and Turkes There are many Cities and Castles of which Erginul is chiefe From hence if you proceed further to the Southeast you may goe to the parts of Cathai going Southeast towards Cathai there is a certaine famous Citie named Cinguy the name also of the Prouince tributarie vnto great Chan contained in Tangut the people are some Christians some Mahumetans others Idolators Their are also found wilde Oxen neere as great as Elephants very faire hauing white and blacke hayre short in other parts and on the shoulders three palmes long fine and white beyond silke of which Marco brought some to Venice as a rare thing Many also of these Oxen are tamed and made to engender with tame Kine and the breed of them are fitter for businesse then any other creatures beare great burthens are yoaked to the plow and doe twise as much as others The best Muske in the world is found in this Prouince and is of a goodly beast of the bignesse of a Goat hauing grosse hayre like a Stagge feet and tayle like a Gazella but without hornes it hath foure teeth two aboue and two beneath of the length of three fingers subtle and white as Iuorie and is a faire beast to see to when the Moone is at full neare the nauill vnder the belly there growes to this beast an impostume or bladder full of blood and at the full then they goe to hunt the said beasts and take away that swelling which is dryed in the Sunne and is the best Muske the flesh also is good to eate Master Marco brought to Venice the head and feet of this beast dryed The men â—â—ue of Merchandise and Arts and haue aboundance of Corne they are Idolaters of a fat body and a little Nose blacke hayred hauing no beard but foure hayres on their chin The women are faire and white And when the men desire to marry wiues they rather seeke the beautifull then the noble or rich Whereby it commeth often to passe that a great and Noble man marryeth a poore wife but beautifull assigning dowrie to her mother there This Prouince extendeth it selfe fiue and twentie dayes iourney in length and is very fertile In it are exceeding great Feasants hauing traynes eight or ten handfuls long Many other kindes of Birds are also found there which haue very goodly feathers distinguished with diuers and excellent colours Proceeding further towards the East after eight dayes iourney you meet with the Prouince Egrigaia in the which are many Cities and Castles all still in Tanguth The principall Citie is called Calacia The Inhabitants thereof are Idolaters there are three Churches of Nestorian Christians and are subiect to the great Chan. In the Citie Calacia Chamlets are made wouen of white wooll and the hayre of Camels then the which there are scarce any fairer found in the world Going to the East from the Prouince Egrigaia the way leadeth vnto the Prouince Tenduch in the which are many Cities and Castles where also Presbyter Iohannes vseth to abide who now payeth tribute to great Chan. This King of that progenie of Priest Iohn is named George and is a Priest and a Christian and most of the people are Christians All the Great Chans after his death who was slaine in battell by Cingis gaue their Daughters to those Kings to wife This King George holds not all that Priest Iohn before held and is the fourth of that progenie There is a Nation there called Argon more goodly men and fitter for Merchandise then the rest descended of Idolaters and Mahumetans There are also two Regions where they raigne which in those parts are called Og and Magog but they which dwell there call them Vng and Mongul in Vng are Gog and in Mongul the Tartars Riding East seauen dayes towards Catay are many Cities peopled with Idolaters Mahumetans and Nestorians There is one Citie called Sindicin where very faire and excellent Armes are made of diuers sorts fit for Armies In the mountaines of this Prouince are great Mines of siluer and manifold game of wilde beasts and the Countrey of the mountaines is called Idifa Three dayes iourney distant from the foresaid Citie standeth another Citie Iangamur that is White Lake wherein is a Palace in which the great Chan most willingly remaineth because there are many Lakes and riuers many Swannes and in the plaines Cranes Feasants and Partridges and store of other fowle There are fiue sorts of Cranes there some haue blacke wings like Crowes others are white and bright hauing their feathers full of eyes like Peacocks but of a golden colour the necke blacke and white very beautifull a third sort of bignesse not vnlike ours a fourth little and very faire intermingled with red and blew colours the fifth of a grizell or gray colour hauing red and blacke heads and these are very great And neere vnto this Citie lyeth a certaine valley where many Cottages are in the which an exceeding number of Partridges is maintained which are kept for the King comming to lodge there for a time This Citie is three dayes iourney Northeastward to the Citie Xandu which the great Chan Cublay now raigning built erecting thereing a maruellous and artificiall Palace of Marble and other stones which abutteth on the wall on one side and the midst of the Citie on the other He included sixteene miles within the circuit of the wall on that side where the Palace abutteth on the Citie wall into which none can enter but by the Palace In this inclosure or Parke are goodly meadowes springs riuers red and fallow Deere Fawnes carryed thither
may be taken by men The great Can hath in his Court two which are brethren one called Bayan the other Mingan called in the Tartar language Ciuici that is Masters of the Game whereof either hath the charge of ten thousand men they which are vnder one of them are clothed in red the other in skie-colour alway when they hunt These keepe diuers sorts of Dogs to the number of fiue thousand Mastiues and other In hunting they goe with their people one on the right and the other on the left hand of the King and they take vp so great a length of the Playne that from one end to the other is a dayes iourney so that no beast can escape them and it is great pleasure when the Can goes in the midst to see the Dogs follow Harts Beares and other kinds And these Brethren are bound by coueâ—ant from the beginning of October to the end of March to bring to the Court one thousand heads of â—easts and birds besides Quailes and fishes the best they can in great proportion The moneth of March comming in great Can departeth from the Citie of Cambalu and proceedeth North-eastward towards the Ocean distant thence two dayes iourneyes bringing with him about ten thousand Falconers who haue Falcons Hawkes Gerfalcons and other kinds of Fowles of prey fit for hawking These Falconers disperse themselues by an hundred or two hundred in a Companie and the birds that are taken for the most part are brought vnto the King who by reason of his Gout sitteth in a woodden house which two Elephants carrie couered with the skins of Lions and within hanged with cloth of Gold hauing with him for his recreation twelue choice Hawkes and twelâ—e fauoured Courtiers many Noblemen and Souldiers ride by who guard the Kings person Who when they see Phesants or Cranes or other birds flying in the aire declare it to the Falconers which are neere vnto the King and they signifying the same vnto the King vncouer the Kings House and let their Falcons and Hawkes flie and the King sitting on his Bed beholdeth the pastime of the birds Other ten thousand men also goe with the King who in that hawking â—unne hither and thither by two and two and marâ—e whither the Falcons and Hawkes flie that are cast from the fist that if need bee they may helpe them And these in the Tartars Language are called Toscaol that is to say Watch-men or Markes-men being skilfull in a certaine kind of whistle wherewith they call in the Hawkes that are flowen Nor is it needfull that the Falconer who let the Hawkes flie should follow her seeing they of whom I now speake are busily imployed in taking vp the Hawkes and are carefull that by no meanes they bee hurt or lost And euery flying Hawke carrieth a little table of siluer on her foot signed with the marke of her Master or Falconer that if shee bee lost shee may bee restored to her owner But if the marke cannot be knowne the Hawke is deliuered to a certaine Baron who for this cause is called Bulangazi to whom are brought all lost things otherwise the Finder would be counted a Thiefe and to him Losers resort to inquire of things lost He hath a most eminent place noted by his Ensigne that in so great an assembly of people he may be knowne Whiles they are thus busied in sporting and hawking they come vnto a certaine great Plaine called Caczarmodin where the Tents of the King and all the Courtiers are prepared about ten thousand in number The first and chiefe is the Cans Pauilion vnder which ten thousand Souldiers stand besides Barons and Noble-men with the doore to the South sustayned with three Pillars wrought with diuers curious and excellent carued workes and couered with the skinnes of Lions and strakes of diuers colours which keepe out rayne But within the walls of the Pauilions are couered with most costly skinnes of Armelines and Sables although in those Countries these skinnes are accounted most precious that sometimes skinnes worth two thousand Sultanines of gold are scarce sufficient for one paire of Vests The Tartars call the Sable the Queene of Furres The Cordes wherewith these Pauilions are supported are of silke There are also other Pauilions erected wherein the Wiues Sonnes and Hand-maides of the King remaine Further also the Falcons Hawkes Owles Garfalcons and other Birds which serue for Hawking haue their Tents wherein they are contayned For there is so great a multitude of Tents that to them that come thither a farre off it seemeth that a famous Citie is built there The King remayneth all March in that Plaine and taketh innumerable Beasts and infinite multitudes of Fowle For no man may else hunt in all the Prouinces of that Kingdome at the least within fiue dayes iourney one way ten another and fifteene a third way of the Cans Court nor keepe an hunting Dogge or an Hawke and specially from the beginning of March vntill the moneth of October no man is permitted to vse any deuice or engine whatsoeuer to take Stagges Deere Roe-bucks Hares lest he should hinder their breede and herevpon it is that there are such store It is incredible what multitudes of People Merchants and merchandises of all sorts are seene in Cambalu The Money of the Great Can is not made of gold or siluer or other metall but they take the middle barke from the Mulberrie Tree and this they make firme and cut it into diuers and round pieces great and little and imprint the Kings marke thereon Of this matter therefore the Emperour causeth an huge masse of money to bee made in the Citie of Cambalu which sufficeth for the whole Empire and no man vnder paine of death may lawfully coine any other or spend any other money or refuse it in all his Kingdomes and Countries Nor any comming from another Kingdome dare spend any other money in the Empire of Great Can. Whereby it commeth to passe that Merchants often comming from farre remote Countries and Regions vnto the Citie of Cambalu bring with them gold siluer pearle and precious stones and receiue the Kings money for them And because this money is not receiued in their Countries they change it againe in the Empire of Great Can for merchandise which they carrie away with them He also payeth stipends to his Officers and Armies of the mentioned money and lastly whatsoeuer thing he needeth in his Court he buyeth with this money Wherefore there is not a King to be found in the World who exceedeth him in Treasure not expended on the Mint as elsewhere The Great Can hath twelue Barons as is said before which are his Counsell of Warre and dispose of martiall affaires and the exalting or disgracing of Captaines and Souldiers Their office is called Thai that is The high Court because they haue none aboue them but the Can. Other twelue Barons are appointed Counsellors for the foure and
the sicke singing and making an horrible noyse with their voyces These things being done they aske the possessed againe whether by these things the Idol be appeased If he answer No they presently prepare themselues to fulfill another command of his But if he answer that he is satisfied they sit downe at the Table and eate the flesh offered to the Idoll with great ioy and drinke the confections And dinner being ended and the Magicians payed euery one returneth to his owne home And when the sicke hath thus escaped the disease through the prouidence of God and hath beene restored to health they attribute it to the Idoll whom they sacrificed But if he die then they say the Idoll was defrauded and that some of the Sacrificers tasted thereof first This is not done to all but to the Richer the Deuill deluding their blindnesse §. VII Of the Prouince of Mien and Bengala how they were conquered to the Can Of Cangigu Amu Tholoman Cintigui and some other parts of Cataio And of the Conquest of Mangi ANno Dom. 1272. the Great Can sent an Armie into the Kingdome of Vociam and Carazan to guard it to the number of twelue thousand expert warriors vnder the conduct of Nestardin a wise Captaine As soone as the King of Mien and the King of Bengala heard of their comming assembling their forces they ioyned Horse and Foot together about threescore thousand and about a thousand Elephants beating Castles and in euery Castle twelue or sixteene armed men were placed With this Armie the King of Mien speedily marched towards the Citie Vociam where the Armie of the Tartars rested Nestardin comming forth with a manly courage to fight against the Enemie encamped against a certaine great Wood knowing that the Elephants with those Towres were not able to enter into the Wood. Then the King of Mien marcheth forth to meete them But the Tartarian Horses perceiuing the Elephants to be present which were placed in the first front of the battaile were terrified with so great feare that they could not by any violence or policy be prouoked against the Elephants The Tartars therefore were compelled to alight from their Horses and tying them to the Trees of the Wood they come to fight on foot against the Elephants In the front of the battaile all the Tartars purposely shot a multitude of Arrowes against the Elephants which not able to indure the strokes of the Arrowes speedily betooke themselues to flight and with swift course went all vnto the next Wood and brake their Castles and ouer-threw the armed men sitting in them which the Tartars seeing runne vnto their Horses and getting vp vpon them furiously fall vpon the Kings Armie with great violence and many of either Armie fell at length the King of Mien being put to flight left the victorie to the Tartars who hasten to the Wood and taking many Captiues vsed their helpe to take two hundred of these Elephants And euer since Great Can hath vsed Elephants in his Armies which before hee had not accustomed Hereupon also he vanquished the Countries of the King of Mien and Bengala and subiected them to his Empire Departing from the Prouince of Cardandan is a great descent which continueth two dayes and a halfe nor is there any habitation there but a very large Playne in the which three dayes in the weeke many men meete together for Trading Many descend from the great Mountaines of that Countrey bringing gold with them to change for siluer to wit giuing one ounce of gold for fiue ounces of siluer whereupon many Merchants from forraine Nations come thither who bringing siluer carrie away gold and bring thither merchandises to sell to those people For to those high Mountaines in which they who gather gold in that Countrey dwell no stranger can come seeing the way is vnpassable and intricate When you are past that Playne going toward the South Mien bordereth vpon India and the way lyeth fifteene dayes iourney in places not inhabited and wooddy in which innumerable Elephants Vnicornes and other wild beasts wander After that fifteene dayes is found Mien a great and noble Citie the head of the Kingdome and subiect to Great Can. The Inhabitants thereof haue a peculiar language and are Idolaters In this Citie there was a King who being readie to die commanded that neere to his Sepulchre there should be made two Towres in Pyramide fashion one at the head the other at the feete both of Marble of the heigth of ten fathom On the top was a round Ball. He caused one to bee couered all ouer with gold a finger thicke and the other with siluer And vpon the top round about the Balls many little golden and siluer Bells were hanged which at the blowing of the winde gaue a certaine sound The Moniment or Sepulchre was also couered with Plates partly of gold partly of siluer He commanded this to be made in honor of his Soule and that his memorie should neuer decay among men And when Great Can minded to subdue this Citie hee sent a valiant Captaine and the greatest part of his Armie were Iesters of which his Court is alway furnished These winning the Citie would not violate that Moniment without the Cans knowledge who hearing that the decessed had made it for the honor of his Soule would not suffer it to be stirred for the manner of the Tartars is not to violate those things which belong to the dead In this Prouince are many Elephants wild Oxen great and faire Stagges and Deere and other wild Beasts of diuers kindes The Prouince Bengala bordereth vpon India toward the South which Great Can subdued when Marco Polo liued in his Court The Countrey hath a proper King and peculiar language The Inhabitants thereof are all Idolaters they haue Masters which keepe Schooles and teach Idolatries and Inchantments a thing common to all the great Men of that Countrey They eate Flesh Rice and Milke they haue Cotton in great plentie and by reason thereof much and great trading is exercised there they abound also with Spike Galangal Ginger Sugar and diuers other Spices Huge Oxen also are there comparable with Elephants in height but not in thicknesse Many Eunuches are made in this Prouince which are afterwards sold vnto Merchants This Prouince continueth thirtie dayes iourney in the end whereof going Eastward is the Prouince of Cangigu Cangigu hath his proper King and peculâ—ar language The Inhabitants thereof worship Idols and are Tributaries to Great Can. Their King hath about three hundreth Wiues Much gold is found in this Prouince and many Spices but they cannot easily be transported seeing that countrey is farre distant from the Sea There are also many Elephants in it and much game of many wild Beasts The Inhabitants thereof liue with Flesh Milke and Rice They want Wine but they make good drinke of Rice and Spices Aswell the Men as the Women vse to embroider their Faces
is found store of Gold and they trade one with the other This Gulfe seemes another World After one thousand and fiue hundred miles sayling ouerthwart this Gulfe is the Countrey Ziamba rich and great hauing a King and Language proper Idolaters and paying tribute to the Grand Can of twentie Elephants and Lignum Aloes in great quantitie yeerely Anno 1268. the Can hearing of the riches of this Iland sent thither Sagatu with an Armie to inuade it Accambale the King thereof was old and made this composition of tribute There are many Woods of blacke Ebonie Sayling thence betwixt the South and South-east one thousand fiue hundred miles is Iaua supposed by Mariners the greatest Iland in the World aboue three thousand miles in circuit vnder a King which payeth tribute to none the Can not offering to subiect it for the length and danger of the voyage The Merchants of Zaitum and Mangi fetch thence store of Gold and Spices South and South-westward sixe hundred miles from Iaua are two Ilands one Sondur which is the greater the other Condur lesse both desolate Fifty miles South-east from them is a Prouince of firme land very rich and great named Lochac the people Idolaters hauing a Language and King peculiar There growes Brasill-wood in great qâ—antitie store of Gold Elephants wilde beasts and fowle a fruit called Berci as great as Limons very good The place is mountainous and sauage and the King permits not many to come thâ—ther lâ—st they should know his secrets There is store of Porcelane shells for money transpâ—râ—ed to other places Fiue hundred miles Southward from Lochac is the I le Pentan a sauage place which produceth in all the Woods sweet Trees sixtie miles of the way the Sea is in many places but foure fathoms after which being sayled to the South-eaâ—t thirtie miles further is the Iland and Kingdome of Malziur which hath a peculiar King and Language to it selfe and here is much Merchandise of Spices From Pentan one hundred miles South-east is Iaua the lesse encompassing about two thousand miles and hath in it eight Kingdomes and as many Languages They are Idolaters haue store of Treasure Spices Ebon Brasill and are so farre to the South that the North Starre cannot there be seene Maâ—â—er Marco was in sixe of those Kingdomes of which shall here be spoken leauing the other two which he saw â—ot One of those eight Kingdomes is Felech here the Idolaters by frequent Trade of Saracens are conuerted to the Law of Mahomet in the Cities the Mountainers being beastly eating mans flesh and all impure food and worship all day whaâ— they first see in the morning Next to that is Basma which hath a Language by it selfe they liue without Law like beasts and sometimes send Hawkes to the Can who challengeth all the Iland for Presents They haue wilde Elephants and Vnicornes much lesse then Elephants like the Buffals in haire Their feet are like Elephants feet They haue one horne in the midst of the fore-head and hurt no bodie therewith but with the tongue and knee For on their tongue are certaine long prickles and sharpe and when they hurt any they trample on him and presse him downe with their knee and then wound him with their tongue The head is like to a wilde Boares which hee carries downwards to the ground and they loue to stand in the mire and are filthie beasts and not such as they Vnicornes are said to be in our parts which suffer themselues to be taken of Maidens but quite contrarie They haue many Apes and of diuers fashions They haue Goshawkes all blacke as Rauens great and good for prey There are certaine small Apes faced like men which they put in Boxes and preserue with Spices and sell them to Merchants who carrie them thorow the World for Pigmeys or little men Samara is the next Kingdome where Master Marco stayed fiue moneths against his will forced by ill weather There none of the Starres of Charles wane are seene Hee descended once on land with two thousand people and there fortified for that fiue moneths for feare of those brutish man-eaters and traded meane while with them for victuals They haue excellent Fish Wine of the Date-â—ree very medicinall for Pâ—tisicke Dropsie diseases of the Spleene some white some red and Indian Nuts as big as a mans head the middle whereof is full of a pleasant liquor better then Wine they eat all flesh wâ—thout any difference Dragoian is another of those Kingdomes claymed by the Can hauing a proper King and Language I was told of an abominable custome that when one is sicke they send to enquire of the Sorcerers whether hee shall scape if the Deuâ—ls answere No the kindred send for some whose office it is to strangle the 〈◊〉 partie after which they cut him in pieces and the kindred eat him with great â—oâ—lity euen to the marrow of the bones For say they if any substance of him should remâ—yne wormes would breed thereof which would want food and so die to the great torture of the soule of the deceased The bones they after take and carrie into some Caue in the hils that no beast may touch them If they take any stranger they also eat him Lambri is a fifth Kingdome of Iaua in which is store of Brasill of the seeds whereof Master Marco brought to Venice and sowed them but in vayne the soyle being too cold Some men the most in this Kingdome haue tayles more then a palme long like Dogs but not hairy and these dwell in the Mountaines out of Cities They haue Vnicornes in great plentie and chase of beasts and fowles Fanfur the sixth Kingdome hath the best Camfire which is sold weight for weight with Gold In that Prouince they take meale out of great and long trees as great as two men can fathome whence taking the thinne barke and wood about three fingers thicke the pith within is meale which they put in water and stirre well the lightest drosse swimming and the purest setling to the bottome and then the water being cast away they make thereof paste of which Master Marco brought to Venice tasting like Barley bread The wood of this tree throwne into the water sinkes like Iron whereof they make Lances but short for the long would be too heauie to beare these they sharpen and burne at the tops which so prepared will pierce an Armour sooner then if they were made of Iron About one hundred and fiftie miles from Lambri sayling Northwards are two Ilands one called Nocueran in which they liue like beasts goe all naked men and women and worship Idols haue excellent Trees Cloues Sanders white and red Indian Nuts Brasill and other Spices the other Angaman sauage as the former and I was told they had Dogs heads and teeth Sayling hence one thousand miles to the West and a little to the North-west is Zeilan two thousand and foure hundred miles
their head fastened with a siluer bodkin their grounds are plentifull of many and good waters it is a people that sayle very seldome being in the middest of the Sea They weare good shore Swords they were in times past subject to the Chinas with whom they had great conuersation therefore are very like the Chinas Now this Iland remayning to the Sea from China as we haue said the Coast of China runneth winding from the Prouince of Cantano and from her Coast vnto the Coast of the Prouince of Nanquin whether to the Portugals haue sayled the Coast making neuer a point as the Maps doe make the which may be seene well pointed in the Sea-cards and in the Maps made among the Portugals The Tartars are reckoned among the Scythians and runne so far along China with the which it hath continuall Warre that commonly they affirme to haue betweene the Chinas and the Tartarians a Wall of an hundred leagues in length And some will affirme to bee more then a hundred leagues the first Kingdome that doth confine with it on the Sea-side of India is one that is called Cauchin-china which hath about an hundred leagues little more or lesse a long the Sea-coast the Sea maketh a great entrance betweene it and the I le Daman which is of fiftie leagues in length and is already of the Chinas and in the end of this entrance this Kingdome abutteth with the Kingdome of China and is subiect to the King of China The people of this Kingdome in their Habit Policie and Gouernment doe vse themselues like the people of China The Countrey is much inhabited and of much people it is also a very plentifull Countrey They haue the same Writing that the Chinas haue although their speech be diuers Beyond this Kingdome of the Cauchin-chinas lyeth another very great Kingdome which runneth within the Land along China which some doe call Laos and others Siones Maons this by the otherside towards India doth confine with the Kingdome of Camboia and with the great Kingdome of Syam and with the rich Kingdome of Pegu with all the which Kingdomes it hath Traffique in sort that there remayâ—eth to this Kingdome towards the Sea of India all the Coast of Pegu vnto the ends of the Kingdome of Champaa which doth confine with Cauchin-china And so there remayne to these Laos toward the â—ide of the Indian Sea the great Kingdome of Pegu the Kingdome of Tanaçarin and that of Quedaa and that of Malaca and the Kingdomes of Paâ— of Patane of Syam of Camboia and of Champaa which abutteth vpon the Cauchin-chinas This Kingdome of the Laos or Sions Maons was subdued by the Bramas of the which we will speake presently in the yeere of fiftie sixe and among some which they brought captiue to Pegu they brought some Chinas which the Laos held Captiues as one George Mello affirmed vnto mee which went for Captayne of the Voyage to Pegu. And though commonly there be no Warres betweene these Laos and the Chinas because of the great Mountaynes that are betweene them on the which the Chinas haue good forces on that side in the Prouince of Camsi which doth confine with these and with the Bramas and in the forces they haue continually men in Garrison for the defence of those parts there bee notwithstanding continually assaults on the one side and of the other whereby the Laos might haue some Chinas captiue Before that these Laos were subdued by the Bramas they carryed to Sion to Camboia and to Pegu some very good Muske and Gold whereof is affâ—rmed to be great store in that Countrey and these people hauing Muske makes a conjecture the great store of Muske which the Chinas haue they get it from the many beasts thaâ— are in the Confines of this Kingdome in the Prouince of Camsi from whence they bring it The Muske is the flesh and bloud of certayne beasts which they say to be as bigge as Foxes the which beaten with strokes and killed they tye the skinne with the flesh together in lumps the which they cut after the flesh is rotten and so they sell it which the Portugals do call Muske Cods And when it commeth fresh presently it appeareth to be rotten flesh and bloud the rest they sell loose holding these Cods for the finer Muske Returning to the Laos whereof we were speaking these be the Wares which they brought to the aboue-said Kingdomes carrying in returne Cotton-clothes and other things they had need of This people is not very browne they weare their haire all cut round vnderneath and all the rest aboue ruffled raysing it many times vpward with their hands that it remayneth to them like a Cap and serueth in stead of one for they weare nothing on their heads they goe naked from the middle vpward and from the hips downward they weare certayne Cotton-clothes girt about them all white the women goe couered from the brests to the halfe legge they haue their faces some-what like the Chinas they haue the same Heathenish Ceremonies that the Pegus and Siones and the Camboias The Priests of their Idols doe weare yellow clothes girt about as the rest of the people and a certayne manner of yellow Copes with certayne folds and seames in which they hold their Superstitions Of this people I saw many in Camboia which remayned there the yeere before by the way of Traffique and that yeare that I was there they came not because of the Warres wherein as I said they said they were subdued by the Bramas These Laos came to Camboia downe a Riuer many daies Iournie which they say to haue his beginning in China as many others which runne into the Sea of India it hath eight fifteene and twentie fathome water as my selfe saw by experience in a great part of it it passeth through many vnknowne and desart Countries of great Woods and Forrests where there are innumerable Elephants and many Buffes of which I saw many wild in that Countrie and Merus which is like a good Mule and certayne beasts which in that Countrie they call Badas of the which the Male haue a pointlesse and blunt Horne in their fore-head and some of the Hornes are spotted with singular colours and others all blacke others of a waxe colour but they haue no vertue but only for the Hemorroides or Piles and after the Elephant there is no other greater beast the haire of it is browne and footed like an Elephant the head like a Cow and it hath a great lumpe of flesh that falleth vpon his head whereof I did eate trauelling in those parts There are also many other wilde Beastes There bee some Thorny Trees like Limons and Oranges and many wilde Grapes through the Woodes When these Laos doe returne to their Countrie going against the streame they goe in three moneths This Riuer causeth a wonder in the Land of Camboia worthy of reciting Comming neere to a place which they call Chudurmuch which is twelue
such time as he may get power and aide to inuade some of his brethren againe From the Caspian Sea vnto the Castle of Sâ—llizure aforesaid and all the Countries about the said Sea the people liue without Towne or habitation in the wilde fields remoouing from one place to another in great companies with their Cattell whereof they haue great store as Camels Horses and Sheepe both tame and wilde Their sheepe are of great stature with great buttockes weighing sixtie or eightie pound in weight There are many wilde Horses which the Tartars doe many times kill with their Hawkes and that in this order The Hawkes are lured to seize vpon the beasts neckes or heads which with chafing of themselues and sore beating of the Hawkes are tyred then the Hunterr following his game doth slay the Horse with his Arrow or Sword In all this Land there groweth no grasse but a certaine brush or heath whereon the Cattell feeding become very fat The Tartars neuer ride without their Bowe Arrowes and Sword although it bee on hawking or at any other pleasure and they are good Archers both on horse-backe and on foot also These people haue not vse of Gold Siluer or any other coyne but when they lacke apparell or other necessaries they barter their Cattell for the same Bread they haue none for they neither till nor sowe they be great deuourers of flesh which they cut in small pieces and eate it by handfuls most greedily and especially the Horse flesh Their chiefest drinke is Mares milke sowred as I haue said before of the Nagayans and they will bee drunke with the same They haue no Riuers nor places of water in this Countrey vntill you come to the foresaid Gulfe distant from the place of our landing twentie dayes iourney except it bee in Wells the water whereof is saltish and yet distant the one from the other two dayes iourney and more They eate their meate vpon the ground sitting with their legs double vnder them and so also when they pray Arte or Science they haue none but liue most idlely sitting round in great companies in the fields deuising and talking most vainely They sixe and twentieth day of Nouember wee departed from the Towne of Vrgence and hauing trauelled by the Riuer Oxus one hundred miles wee passed ouer another great Riuer called Ardocke where wee payed a certaine petie custome This Riuer Ardocke is great and very swift falling out of the foresaid Oxus and passing about one thousand mile to the North-ward it then consumeth it selfe in the ground and passing vnder the same about fiue hundred miles issueth out againe and falleth into the Lake of Kitay as I haue before declared The seuenth of December following we arriued at a Castle called Kait subiect to a Sultan called Saramet Sultan who meant to haue robbed all the Christians in the Carauan had it not beene for feare of his brother the King of Vrgence as we were informed by one of his chiefest Counsellours who willed vs to make him a present which he tooke and deliuered besides wee payed at the said Castle for Custome of euery Camell one red hide of Russia besides petie gifts to his Officers Thus proceeding in our iourney the tenth day at night being at rest and our watch set there came vnto vs foure Horsemen which we tooke as Spies from whom we tooke their weapons and bound them and hauing well examined them they confessed that they had seene the tract of many Horsemen and no footing of Camels and gaue vs to vnderstand that there were Rouers and theeues abroad for there trauell few people that are true and peaceable in that Countrey but in companie of Carauan where there be many Camels and Horse-feeting new without Camels were to be doubted Whereupon we consulted and determined amongst our selues and sent a Poste to the said Sultan of Kaite who immediatly came himselfe with three hundred men and met these foure suspected men which wee sent vnto him and examined them so straightly and threatned them in such sort that they confessed there was a banished Prince with fortie men three dayes iourney forward who lay in wait to destroy vs if hee could and that they themselues were of his companie The Sultan therefore vnderstanding that the Theeues were not many appointed vs eightie men well armed with a Captaine to goe with vs and conduct vs in our way And the Sultan himselfe returned backe again taking the foure theeues with him These souldiers trauelled with vs two dayes consuming much of our victuals And the third day in the morning very early they set out before our Carauan and hauing ranged the wildernesse for the space of foure houres they met vs comming towards vs as fast as their horse could runne and declared that they had found the tract of horses not farre from vs perceiuing well that wee should meete with enemies and therefore willed vs to appoint our selues for them and asked vs what wee would giue them to conduct vs further or else they would returne To whom wee offered as we thought good but they refused our offer and would haue more and so wee not agreeing they departed from vs and went backe to their Sultan who as wee coniectured was priuie to the conspiracie But they being gone certaine Tartars of our companie called holy men because they had beene at Mecca caused the whole Carauan to stay and would make their prayers and diuine how we should prosper in our iourney and whether wee should meet with any ill companie or no To which our whole Carauan did agree And they tooke certaine sheâ—pe and killed them and tooke the blade bones of the same and first sod them and then burnt them and tooke of the bloud of the said sheepe and mingled it with the powder of the said bones and wrote certaine Characters with the said bloâ—d vsing many other ceremoniâ—s and words and by the same diuined and found that wee should meeâ—e with enemies and theeues to our great trouble but should ouercome them to which sorcerie I and my companie gaue no credit but wee found it true for within three houres after that the souldiers departed from vs which was the fifteenth day of December in the morning wee escryed farre off diuers horsemen which made towards vs and we perceiuing them to bee rouers gathered our selues together being fortie of vs well appointed and able to fight and wee made our prayers together euery one after his Law professing to liue and dye one with another and so prepared our selues When the theeues were nigh vnto vs wee perceiued them to be in number thirtie seuen men well armed and appointed with bowes arrowes and swords and the Captaine a Prince banished from his Countrey They willed vs to yeeld our selues or else to bee slaine but wee defied them wherewith they shot at vs all at once and we at them very hotly and so continued our fight from morning vntill two houres within night diuers
hung innumerable bells making a continuall strange noyse with the motion of the ayre At the great Gate of this second wall in terrible shapes stood the two Porters of Hell as they call them Bacharom and Qugifau with Iron Maces in their hands terrible to looke on Passing vnder an Iron chayne fastened to the brests of these Diuels wee came into a faire street long and wide compassed with painted arches on the top whereof were two rankes of Idols all that length in which were aboue fiue thousand Images wee knew not of what matter being all gilded with Myters on their heads of diuers inuentions At the end of this street was a great square Hill set with blacke and white shining stones the whole square compassed with foure rewes of Giants of mettall each of fifteene spannes with Halberds in their hands and gilded beards At the end of all stood Quiay Huiaon God of the Raine set vp against a bastion or border seuentie spannes long and his head so high that it reached to the battlements of the tower which were aboue twelue fathoms by his mouth eyes nostrils and brests casting out water which the people below gathered as a great relique This water came from the top of the tower by secret pipes Wee passed vnder his legges which stood as a great portall and came to a large house like a Church with three Iles on marble pillars and on the walls on both sides many Idols great and small of diuers figures all gilded set on their bases in good order At the end of this house on a round of fifteene steps stood an Altar made in fashion of a Throne and thereon the Image of Nacapirau like a goodly woman with her hayre loose and her hands lifted to heauen all of gold so burnished that it dazeled the eyes About that tribunall in the foure first steps stood twelue Kings of China crowned in siluer And beneath were three rewes of gilded Idols on their knees with their hands lifted vp many siluer Candle-sticks hanging about them Going thence wee came to another street of arches like the former and from thence by two others of rich buildings to a great hill in which were eightie two Bells of mettall very great hanging by chaynes from Iron beames sustained with Iron Columnes Thence wee went to a strong Gate 'twixt foure towers in which stood a Chifu with thirtie Halberdiers and two Notaries which tooke the names of all passengers to whom wee gaue thirtie Reis for entrance The fourth remarkable and famous building was in the Riuer of Batampina in an Iland about a league in compasse walled round with stone eight and thirtie spannes aboue water within filled with earth round encompassed with two rewes of Latten grates the vttermost sixe spannes high for people to leane on the inner of nine holding siluer Lions with balls the Armes of the China Kings Within these grates in good order were placed one hundred and thirteene Chappels in manner of round Bulwarkes in each of them was an alabaster Sepulcher seated on the heads of two siluer Serpents with faces of women and three hornes on their heads In euery of them were thirteen Candlesticks of siluer with seuen lights in each burning In the midst of a spacious place compassed with three rewes of grates with two rankes of Idols stood a high Tower with fiue steeples of diuers paintings and on their tops Lions of siluer in which tower the Chinois sayd were the bones of the one hundred and thirteene Kings worshipped by them for great reliques These bones say they euery New Moone feast one with another whereupon the vulgar at those times offer to them infinite store of Fowles of all sorts Rice Kine Hogges Sugar Honey and other prouision which the Priests receiue and deceiue them in recompence with as it were Iubilees of plenarie Indulgences and remission of sinnes as they beleeue In this Tower wee saw a rich house all lined with siluer plates from the top to the bottome in which stood those one hundred and thirteene Kings statues and the bones of each King in his owne statue and they say that by night these Kings communicate and passe the time together which none may see but the Cabizondos a higher degree of Bonzos as that of Cardinals with vs which fables they beleeue for very certaintie In this great circuit wee told three hundred and fortie Bells of mettall and cast Iron in seuenteene places by twentie in a place which all sound on those New-moone feasts abouesayd Neere to that tower in a rich Chappell built on seuen and thirtie columnes of stone stood the Image of Amida made of siluer with the hayres of gold on a Throne of foureteene steps all wrought with gold the hands eleuated to Heauen beneath her shoulders hung like lines of beades many little Idols as big as the middle finger and the secret parts were couered with two great Oyster-pearles garnished with gold They being demanded the meaning of this mysterie sayd that after the generall Floud in which all mankinde was drowned God sent Amida from the Heauen of the Moone being great Chamberlaine to Nacapirau his wife to restore the destroyed world who setting heere feete in Calempluy before mentioned being lately freed of the waters shee turned it into gold and there standing on her feet with her face in heauen a great quantitie of Creatures issued from downe her arme downe her right hand Males and Females downe the left hauing no other place in her bodie whence to bring them foorth as other women of the world whom for sinne God hath subiected to filthinesse of corruption to shew how filthy sinne is After shee had finished this trauell or child-birth of 33333. Creatures as they number one third part Males and two parts Females shee remayned so weake hauing no bodie to prouide her any thing that with dizzinesse shee fell to the ground dead without recouerie Whereat the Moone in condoling her death couered her selfe with sorrow which are those shadowes wee see from the earth which say they shall remaine so many yeers as she produced Creatures 33333 then the Moone shall put off her maske of sorrow and the night shall bee after as cleere as the day Such and other like mad stuffe did they tell which might make one wonder and more to weepe that the Deuill should gull them with such manifest lyes being otherwise so vnderstanding a people From this Hill we went to another Temple of Nuns sumptuous and rich in which they told vs was the Mother of this King Nhay Camisama but would not let vs enter being strangers Thence by a street of Arches wee went to a hauen called Hicharioo Topileu where was store of strange shipping of diuers Kingdomes which come continually to that Temple for a plenarie Iubilee which the King with many priuiledges hath granted them and dyet on free cost To speake of other Temples and
with two hundred men white and blacke in which Magistrates spend much time and the cunning skill whereof gets much credit to a man although hee can doe nothing else and some chuse such their Masters with wonted rites Theft is not punished with Death the second fault therein is branded with an hot Iron and Inke in the Arme with two Characters the third time in the Face after with their terrible Whipping or condemning to the Gallies for a time limitted so that there are abundance of Theeues Euery night in Cities many Watchmen at certayne times beate Basons as they walke the streets the streets also enclosed and shut yet many thefts are committed the Foxe being the Gooseherd and the Watch partners with the Theefe The Cities in greatest Peace in the midst of the Kingdome are shut euery Night and the Keyes carryed to the Gouernour §. V. Of their Superstitions Cruelties feares of Magistrates of the Kings kindred of Strangers and Souldiers Their Deities and three Sects Priests Nunnes Monasteries Legends Lyes NO superstition is so generall in the Kingdome as the obseruation of luckie and vnluckie Dayes and Houres for which purpose yeerely is Printed a two-fold Table of dayes by the Kings Astrologers in such plentie that euery house is full of them In them is written on euery day what may bee done or not or to what houre yee must forbeare businesse which may in that yeere happen There are others more dangerous Masters which make a liuing by this Wizardly profession of selling lyes or prescribing fit houres wherby many differre the beginning of Building or Iourneying till their appointed day or houre come then how vnfitting soeuer that prooueth with crosse weather they set on neuerthelesse though it be but a little little onset that the worke might thence appeare to take beginning The like superstitious obseruation they haue of the moment of the Natiuitie which they precisely set downe diuers professing by Astrologie or by superstitious numbers or by Physiognomie or Palmestrie or Dreames or words in Speech or posture of the body by innumerable other wayes to foretell future Fortunes many Gipsie-juglings vsed to such impostures as by a stalking Knaue which shall professe his Fortunes exactly told him by the professor or by learning out of printed Bookes which describe euery Citie Street and Familie what hath hapned as an argument of the truth of that which they say shall happen Yea their credulitie breeds such strong imagination that some being foretold of a Sicknesse such a day will then fall sicke of conceit Many also consult with Deuils and familiar Spirits and receiue Oracles from the mouth of Infants or of Beasts not without fraud They are superstitious in chusing a plot of ground to erect a dwelling House or Sepulcher conferring it with the head tayle and feete of diuers Dragons which liue forsooth vnder our earth whence depends all good or bad Fortune Diuers Learned men busie their wits in this abstruse Science and are consulted when any publike Buildings are raysed And as Astrologers by the Starres so these Geologers by inspection of Riuers Fields Mountaines and scite of Regions foretell Destinies dreaming by setting a Doore or Window this or that way conueying the rayne to the right or left hand by a higher or lower roofe honour and wealth shall accrue to the House Of these Impostors the Streets Cities Courts Shops Markets are full which sell that which themselues want good Fortune to all Foole-fortunate buyers yea Women and blinde folkes professe it and some find such Chapmen of the Learned Noble King and all that they grow to great riches by others little wits All disasters publike or priuate are attributed to Fate and ill scite of some Citie House or Palace The noise of Birds the first meeting in the Morning Shadowes caused by the Sunne in the house are their Fortune-guides For other vices some will make themselues Seruants to rich men to haue one of the hand-maydes become his Wife so multiplying issue to bondage Others buy a Wife but finding their family becomne too numerous sell their Sonnes and Daughters as Beasts for two or three pieces of Gold although no dearth prouoke him to euerlasting separation and bondage some to the Portugals Hence is the Kingdome full of Slaues not captiued in warre but of their owne free-borne Yet is seruice there more tollerable then else-where for euery man may redeeme himselfe at the price payd for him when hee is able and there are many poore which with hard labour sustayne themselues A worse euill in some Prouinces is theirs which finding themselues poore smother their new-borne Babes specially Females by an impious pietie and pittilesse pitie preuenting that sale to Slauerie by taking away that life which euen now they had giuen They pretend hereunto also their Metempsychosis dreaming that the Soule of that Infant shall the sooner passe into some more fortunate body and are not therefore ashamed to doe this in others presence yea not the meanest of the communaltie Many more inhumanely kill themselues either wearie of a miserable life or willing after death to bee reuenged of some enemy whiles to the Enemy of mankind many thousands yeerely Sacrifice themselues by Halter Drowning and Poyson Another immanitie in the Northerne Prouinces is vsed vpon Male Infants whom for hope of Palace preferments their Parents make Eunuches of which in the Kings house are ten thousand a dull and blockish kinde of vnkind vnmanly men Their Whippings also take away more liues then the executions of sentences to Death their Reedes slit two ells long a finger thicke and foure broad at the first blow breaking the skinne and flesh on the hinder part of the thighes to preuent which many bribe the Magistrates of whose domineering fulnesse of power they liue in perpetuall feare where calumnies and lyes are so rife which China perfidiousnesse made the Kings come so guarded abroad and vnknowne and now not to come foorth at all The Kings kindred are now growne to sixtie thousand and daily increasing become a burthen to the publike and daily increase in idlenesse impotence numbers the King being very jealous of them and setting Guards besides their perpetuall exile from Pequin and Nanquin No maruell if Strangers be no better trusted in China where the Natiues and Bloud are suspected out of whose Bookes they scorne to learne and repute them little better then Beasts and the Characters whereby they expresse them are taken from Beasts How Legats are held as prisoners in publike houses is else-where deliuered Commanders of Souldiers which guard places are guarded and watched and not trusted with the pay of their Companies neither is there any more base then the Souldiery most Slaues or condemned persons for their owne or their Ancestors euils and when they are free from exercises of warre they become Muletters Porters and of
haue made any Voyage that yeere whereby to haue earned their bread Yet it pleased God afterwards in some Harbours Whales hitting in a Voyage was performed and 1100. tunnes of Oyle brought home to the great encouragement of the said Aduenturers otherwise that Trade had beene vtterly ouerthrowne The yeere following 1622. the said Aduenturers at their owne charge set forth nine ships vnder the command aforesaid and therein employed diuers Land-men many of which afterwards proue good Sea-men and are fit for any Sea seruice Eight of which ships were appointed to make their Voyage vpon the Whale and one to goe on discouerie to the South-eastwards But ill successe happening one of their greatest ships of burthen whereof Iohn Masson was Master hauing in her two hundred tuns of Caske Coppers and diuers prouisions was vnfortunatly cast away against a piece of Ice vpon the coast of King Iames Newland foure leagues from the shoare in which ship perished nine and twentie men and the remainder being three and twenty were by the prouidence of the Almightie miraculously saued in a Shallop coasting thirtie leagues afterwards to meet with some other ships to find some succour hauing neither bread nor drinke nor any meanes whereby to get any food and so remayned three dayes in extreme cold weather being in a small Boat ready to bee swallowed vp of euery waue but that God prouided better for them Many of which people their hands and feet rotted off being frozen and they died in the Countrey The rest of the ships returned home laden bringing in them 1300. tuns of Oyle yet the foresaid chiefe Harbour could not performe their full lading there by reason of the Flemmings and Danes being to the Northwards as aforesaid which doth yeerely hinder the Companies ships from making a Voyage §. III. The Description of the seuerall sorts of Whales with the manner of killing them Whereto is added the Description of Greenland THe Whale is a Fish or sea-Sea-beast of a huge bignesse about sixtie fiue foot long and thirtie fiue foot thicke his head is a third part of all his bodies quantitie his spacious mouth contayning a very great tongue and all his finnes which we call Whale finnes These finnes are fastned or rooted in his vpper chap and spread ouer his tongue on both sides his mouth being in number about two hundred and fiftie on one side and as many on the other side The longest finnes are placed in the midst of his mouth and the rest doe shorten by their proportionable degrees backward and forwards from ten or eleuen foot long to foure inches in length his eyes are not much bigger then an Oxes eyes his body is in fashion almost round forwards growing on still narrower towards his tayle from his bellie his tayl◠is about twentie foot broad and of a tough solid substance which we vse for blockes to chop the Blubber on which yeelds Oyle and of like nature are his two swimming finnes and they grow forward on him This creature commeth oftentimes aboue water spouting eight or nine times before he goeth downe againe whereby he may be descried two or three leagues off Then our Whale-killers presently rowe forth from the place where they stand to watch for him making what haste they can to meet him but commonly before they come neere him he will be gone downe againe and continue a good while before he riseth so that sometimes they rowe past him Yet are they very circumspect euer looking round where they may espie him risen or discerne his way vnder water which they call his Walke When he is vp and the Shallops neere him they rowe towards him very resolutely as if they would force the Shallop vpon him if hee went downe vnder water but the Harponyre who standeth vp in the head of the Boat darteth his Harping-iron at the Whale with both his hands so soone as he commeth within his reach wherwith the Whale being strucken presently descendeth to the bottome and therefore doe they reare out a rope of two hundred fathome which is fastned to the Harping-iron and lieth coyled in the Boat And they let him haue as much of the rope as reacheth to the bottome and when they perceiue him rising they hale in the rope to get neere him and when the Whale commeth vp aboue water then do the men lance him with their lances either out of one Shallop or the other for most commonly there bee two Shallops about the killing of one Whale In lancing him they strike neere to the finnes he swimmeth withall and as lowe vnder water neere his bellie as conueniently they can but when he is lanced he friskes and strikes with his tayle so forcibly that many times when hee hitteth a Shallop hee splitteth her in pieces so that the men are relieued and taken in by another Shallop and sometimes he striketh so fully vpon them that some of the men are either maymed or killed with his stroke Therefore they who vndertake this businesse which is the principall thing in the Voyage must not onely bee bold and resolute but also discreet and wary otherwise their rash forwardnesse may preuent them of their expected conquest considering they haue no shield to withstand the offended beast their enemy but onely by a heedfull warinesse to auoide the receiuing of his dangerous stroke Swimming is also requisite for a Whale-killer to be expert in for it may be a meanes to saue his life when he hath lost his Boat and another is not neere presently to helpe him The Whale hauing receiued his deadly wound then he spouteth bloud whereas formerly he cast forth water and his strength beginneth to fayle him but before he dieth hee will sometimes draw the Shallop three or foure miles from the place where he was first stricken and as he is a dying he turneth his bellie vpwards which lieth vppermost being dead Then they fasten a rope to his tayle and with the Shallops one made fast to another they towe him towards the ship with his tayle foremost Then doe they lay him crosse the sterne of the ship where he is cut vp in this manner two or three men in a Boat or Shallop come close to the side of the Whale and hold the Boat fast there with a Boat-hooke and another standing either in the Boat or most commonly vpon the Whale cutteth the fat which we call Blubber in square pieces with a cutting Knife three or foure foot long Then to race it from the flesh there is a Crane or Capsten placed purposely vpon the poope of the ship from whence there descendeth a rope with a hooke in it this hooke is made to take hold on a piece of Blubber and as the men winde the Capsten so the cutter with his long knife looseth the fat from the flesh euen as if the lard of a Swine were to be cut off from the leane When a piece is in order cut off then let they lower the Crane
abundance of Sea Fowles as Willocks Gulles Noddies Sea-mewes a small Fowle like a Willocke and diuers others as wilde Geese Sea-pidgeons Oxbirds and such like whereof Master Thomas Welden killed so many with his Peece that we almost laded our Boate with them The same night we shot three heaps of fishing-lines but when we haled them wee found neither fish nor bayte for the Seales had eaten them all off The ninth day Master Welden and our Master went on shoare to see what they could finde They went in the fore-noone about eight of the clocke and came againe about foure in the after-noone very weary seeing nothing but small Foxes almost like Dogges in euery respect saue their smell and their tayles In the meane time the Masters Mate and my selfe obserued the Sunne and found that part of the Iland to be in 74. degrees and 45. minutes The tenth day we weighed hauing the wind Southerly and found the Land to trend away East South-east The length of this side is about ten miles good ground We had not sailed past sixe miles but we saw a sandie Bay against which we came to an Anchor in nine fathomes We had not furled our Sayles but we saw many Morses swimming by our ship and heard withall so huge a noyse of roaring as if there had beene an hundred Lions Immediately wee manned our Boate wherein was Master Welden and sixe men more we landed and sâ—w abundance of Morsses on the shoare close by the Sea-side and drawing neere vnto them wee perceiued that they were all of the same company which wee had seene before It seemed very strange to vs to see such a multitude of Monsters of the Sea lye like Hogges vpon heapes In the end wee shot at them not knowing whither they could runne swiftly or seize vpon vs or no. To be briefe wee had but three Peeces Master Welden a Fowling Peece my selfe a Musket and another a Musket Their Peeces were spoyled instantly For Master Weldens was cloyed the other man when hee had shot one by himselfe thought to knocke him on the head with the stock but split his Peece I shot still and some when they were wounded in the flesh would but looke vp and lye downe againe Some were killed with the first shot and some would goe into the Sea with fiue or sixe shot they are of such an incredible strength When all our Powder and shot was spent wee would blow their eyes out with a little Pease shot and then come on the blind side of them and with our Carpenters Axe cleaue their heads But for all that we could doâ— of aboue a thousand we killed but fifteene We tooke off their heads and when we had done we went stragling vp and downe to see what we could find I found the first Tooth that was cast vpon the Iland and going a little farther alone I found as many Teeth more as I and three men more could carrie which filled an Hogshead all which we did deliuer to Master Welden The next day following being the eleuenth day we went on shoare againe and killed about sixe more And afterward wee went vp into the Land and saw nothing but Fowle and Foâ—es I perceiued in deed a great print of a Beares foote and after that many other footings but yet saw no Beare or other wild beast The twelfth wee weighed from thence and stood to the Eastward wee had not gone past foure miles but we found the Land to fall away South-east and by South The length of this side is about twelue miles All this side we went close by the shoare with our Boate and the ship sayled along about three miles off We went oftentimes on shoare but could see nothing on all that side but Fowle and abundance of Drift Wood the most part whereof was Firres which haue beene beaten vp and downe the Sea This day being Sunday about eight of the clocke at night we anchored within two miles of the place where we arriued at the first The same night wee went on shoare and in a Bay vnder an huge Cliffe of a Rocke vpon the Beach wee found neere a thousand Morses wee killed thirtie or thereabouts and when wee had taken off their heads we went aboord The thirteenth wee went on shoare againe and with our Pieces fell a killing of the beasts One of our company named Richard Lang-castle split his Piece and with all his hand but Master Welden with Salues of his owne healed it so skilfully that he hath the vse of it againe We killed that day sixtie Morses all the heads whereof were very principall When we had done wee went about a mile to the Eastward to see what wee could finde And landing at a Bay where Master Bennit had beene the yeere before and found a piece of Lead Vre wee looked for the same but found none The same day returning aboord wee set sayle for Pechingo in Lapland where wee arriued the fiue and twentieth of Iuly and stayed there foure dayes at which time we set sayle for Cola and arriued there the eight of August where wee continued till the sixteenth day at which time we departed thence for England and arriued in the Thames the fifteenth of October of the yeere aforesaid 1604. When wee came to London because Sir Francis Cherie Knight and Merchant was at the charges of this Discouerie this Iland was called Cherie Iland The third Voyage to Cherie Iland performed by Master WELDEN Merchant and STEPHEN BENNET Master in the yeere 1605. IN the yeere aboue said wee set sayle from London the first of May with one ship of sixtie tunnes and two and twentie men and boyes The three and twentieth of the said moneth we were taken by a ship of Dunkirke They tooke from vs two Hogsheads of strong Beere our Muskets a Fowling Peece of Master Weldens which cost three pounds sterling After the Captayne had misused vs at his pleasure though we were in peace with his Countrey he let vs goe The eight and twentieth of Iune we put off from Assumption Point which is a place not farre from the North Cape and about 70. degrees in latitude but by contrarie winds wee were put backe againe Yet the second of Iuly we came to Cherie Iland and anchored on the South-east side and hauing a Shallop in pieces to set vp we carried it on shoare and went to worke vpon it and the third day after we had it on flote The sixth day we entred into a Coue hauing all our men on shoare with shot and jauelings and slue abundance of Morses The yeere before we slue all with shot noâ— thinking that a jaueling could pierce their skinnes which we found now contrarie if they be well handled for otherwise a man may thrust with all his force and not enter or if he doe enter he shall spoyle his Lance vpon their bones for they will strike with their fore-feet
house out of the earth by reason of the strong winds which sometimes ouerthrow Horses and their Riders They haue great plentie of Butter for the fatnes of the grasse for the Island grasâ—e is so fat that Oxen after a certaine time are to be driuen from the Pastures lest they burst And it is of so pleasing a sent that our men lay it vp in their Chests with singular care for their garments The most part for scarcitie of Vessels lay their Butter aside in the corners of their Houses as we doe Lime or other matter and that without Salt They haue domesticall cattle as kine but many of them are without hornes Al their Horses are amblers very fit for carrying of burdens They haue very great sheepe they keepe not a Hogge nor a Hen for want of graine if fodder or hay faile them in the Winter they feed their cattle with fish They haue rough Dogs bred without tayle and eares for their pleasure which they sell deere and greatly esteeme when notwithstanding they offer their children to any that will aske them and that freely Besides this Iland hath white Foxes and huge Beares of the same colour They haue no Birds but water-fowle whereof there are diuers kinds and sorts found there vnknowne vnto vs. Crowes sometimes are changed white and excellent Falcons and some among them white which being taken and gotten with the great cost of the Spaniards and Portugals are also carried away in great number which thing was done while I was in Island to my great profit Island also hath white Partridges There are also euery where through the whole Iland most pleasant Riuers which yeeld the Inhabitants fish in great plentie Salmon Trowts and Sturgeons There is one only bridge in all the Iland made of the bones of a Whale They that goe from one part of the Iland to another by the Continent haue no way which they may follow for the solitarinesse thereof but as Saylers in the Sea so they by the helpe of the Load-stone performe their journeyes The depth of the Sea neere Island is very exceeding In these gulfs there are Whales of wonderful bignes and many Sea-monsters which cannot bee killed or taken of men the Ice only through the force of the winds dasheth them against the Rockes and killeth them I saw such a Monster cast vpon the shoare dead whose length was thirty ells his heigth more then a very long Warlike Pike A Whale being dead or killed the Inhabitants make Buildings and Dwellings of the bones thereof with great dexteritie and skill they make also seates benches tables and other vtensils smoothing them so that they seeme like Iuory They that sleepe in these houses are said alwayes to dreame of shipwrack And although it bee a huge and fearfull creature and haue great strength yet notwithstanding oftentimes he is not onely withstood but ouercome of his capitall enemie not so great which is called Orca this fish hath the shape of a ship turned vpside-downe and vpon his backe very sharpe and long finnes wherewith hee woundeth the soft of the belly of the Whale and killeth him and the Whale so feareth this fish that in shunning him he often dasheth himselfe against the shoare The Iseland Sea hath a Monster also whose name is vnknowne They iudge it a kinde of Whale at the first sight when hee shewes his head out of the Sea hee so scarreth men that they fall downe almost dead His square head hath flaming eyes on both sides fenced with long hornes his body is blacke and beset with blacke quills if he be seene by night his eyes are fiery which lighten his whole head which he putteth out of the Sea nothing can either bee painted or imagined more fearfull Olaus Magnus maketh mention of this Monster in his twentieth Booke and saith that it is twelue cubits long Such a Monster at that time tore in pieces with his teeth a Fisher-boate wherein there were three Fisher-men so that they were drowned one of them who held in his hand a little cord wherewith hee vsed to draw the hooke and the fishes laid hold of the boord which floted in the Sea so he was saued getting out of the bottom vpon the planke and swam foorth and declared this to the Kings Gouernour in my presence adding moreouer that he was saued from heauen that he might get maintenance for his children who otherwise were readie to perish with hunger when the other two though married yet were without children Another Monster also is often there seene and taken of ten or twelue elles long it is called Hacfal it is all fat it is taken after a wonderfull manner they haue a very long pike wherunto they fasten an Iron with a forked point that it cannot goe backe vnto the staffe a cord of a maruailous length is fastned they sticke this speare in the Monster which swimmeth vnto it for prey perceiuing a man in the little boates as soone as the Monster feeles himselfe strooken and wounded forthwith he hides himselfe in the Deepe and there his bloud being powred out dyes afterward the Fishers draw him to the land by the long cords fastned to the speare Besides it hath diuers Sea Monsters a Dogge fish which putting his head out of the Sea barketh and receiueth his whelps sporting in the Sea againe into his belly while they come to more growth It hath Horses and Kine and what not and it is a maruell how skilfull Nature sports in expressing the shape of all earthly Creatures and Fowles in the Sea Neither should any man perswade me that these things are true although ten Aristotles should affirme them vnto me vnlesse I had seene most of them with mine eyes Let no man therefore presently cry out that what he knowes not is fabulous The men of Lubeck Hamburg and Breme were often wont to goe to this Iland and leaue their seruants in the winter lodgings but now it is prouided by the Kings authoritie that no Germaine either by reason of trading or learning of the language leaue his seruants there in the winter but vpon what occasion this came to passe the matter standeth thus In the yeere of Christ 1561. there was a Citizen of Hamburg one Conradus Bloem left by an other in Iseland in the winter lodgings with the Bishop in Scalholden for trading and learning of the tongue the Bishops fishers find a whole Vnicornes horne in the Ice brought out of Groneland as it is thought where yet at this day Vnicorns are said to be thinking it to be a Whales tooth nor did the Bishop beleeue otherwise they bring it to their Master who gaue it to Conradus begging it he being somewhat craftie sold it after at Antwerp for some thousands of Florins When this thing came to the King of Denmarks eares he forbad that no Germaine should winter in Iseland in any cause Of the iudgement of the
words following Through the will of the almightie and without beginning God which was before this world whom we glorifie in the Trinitie one onely God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost maker of all things worker of all in all euery where fulfiller of all things by which will and working he both liueth and giueth life to man that our onely God which enspireth euerie one of vs his onely children with his word to discerne God through our Lord Iesus Christ and the holy quickning spirit of life now in these perillous times established vs to keepe the right Scepter and suffer vs to raigne of our selues to the good profit of the land to the subduing of the people together with the enemies and the maintenance of vertue And so the Metropolitan blessed and laid his crosse vpon him After this he was taken out of his chaire of Maiesty hauing vpon him an vpper roabe adorned with precious stones of all sorts orient pearles of great quantity but alwayes augmented in riches it was in weight two hundred pounds the traine and parts thereof borne vp by six Dukes his chiefe imperiall Crowne vpon his head very precious his staffe imperiall in his right hand of an Vnicornes horne of three foote and a halfe in length beset with rich stones bought of Merchants of Ausburge by the old Emperour in Anno 1581. and cost him 7000. Markes sterling This Iewel Master Horsey kept sometimes before the Emperour had it His Scepter globe was carried before him by the Prince Boris Pheodorowich his rich cap beset with rich stones and pearles was carried before him by a Duke his sixe Crownes also were carried by Demetrius Iuanowich Godonoua the Emperours vnckle Mekita Romanowich thâ— Emperors vnckle Stephen Vasiliwich Gregorie Vasiliwich Iuan Vasiliwich brothers of the bloud royall Thus at last the Emperour came to the great Churchdoore and the people cried God saue our Emperour Pheodor Iuanowich of all Russia His Horse was there ready most richly adorned with a couering of imbrodered pearle and precious stones saddle and all furniture agreeable to it reported to be worth 300000. markes sterling There was a bridge made of a hundred fiftie fadomes in length three manner of waies three foot aboue ground and two fadome broad for him to goe from one Church to the other with his Princes and nobles from the presse of the people which were in number infinite and some at that time pressed to death with the throng As the Emperor returned out of the Churches they were spred vnder foot with cloth of Gold the porches of the Churches with red Veluet the Bridges with Scarlet stammelled cloth from one Church to another and as soone as the Emperor was passed by the cloth of gold veluet and scarlet was cut taken of those that could come by it euery man desirous to haue a piece to reserue it for a monument siluer and gold coine then minted of purpose was cast among the people in great quantitie The Lord Boris Pheodorowich was sumptuously and richly attired with his garments decked with great orient pearle beset with all sorts of precious stones In like rich manner were apparelled all the family of the Godonouaes in their degrees with the rest of the Princes and nobilitie whereof one named Knez Iuan Michalowich Glynsky whose roabe horse and furniture was in register found worth one hundred thousand markes sterling being of great antiquitie The Embresse being in her Pallace was placed in her chaire of Maiesty also before a great open window most precious and rich were her robes and shining to behold with rich stones and orient Pearles beset her crowne was placed vpon her head accompanied with her Princesses and Ladies of estate then cried out the people God preserue our noble Empresse Irenia After all this the Emperour came into the Parliament house which was richly decked there he was placed in his royall seat adorned as before his sixe crownes were set before him vpon a Table the Bason and Ewre royall of gold held by his knight of gard with his men standing two on each side in white apparell of cloth of siluer called Kindry with scepters and battle-axes of gold in their hands the Princes and nobility were all placed according to their degrees all in their rich roabes The Emperour after a short Oration permitted euery man in order to kisse his hand which being done he remoued to a princely seate prepared for him at the table where he was serued by his Nobles in very princely order The three out roomes being very great and large were beset with plate of gold and siluer round from the ground vp to the vauts one vpon the other among which plate were many barrels of siluer and gold this solemnitie and triumph lasted a whole weeke wherein many royall pastimes were shewed and vsed after which the chiefest men of the Nobilitie were elected to their places of office and dignitie as the Prince Boris Pheodorowich was made chiefe Counsellour to the Emperour Master of the Horse had the charge of his person Lieutenant of the Empire and warlike engins Gouernor or Lieutenant of the Empire of Cazan and Astracan and others to this dignitie were by Parliament and gift of the Emperour giuen him many reuenewes and rich lands as there was giuen him and his for euer to inherite a Prouince called Vaga of three hundred English miles in length and two hundred and fiftie in bredth with many Townes and great Villages populous and wealthy his yearely Reuenew out of that Prouince is fiue and thirtie thousand Markes sterling being not the fifth part of his yeare Reuenue Further he and his house be of such authoritie and power that in forty dayes warning they are able to bring into the field a hundred thousand Souldiours well furnished The conclusion of the Emperours Coronation was a peale of Ordnance called a Peale royall two miles without the Citie being a hundred and seuenty great pieces of brasse of all sorts as faire as any can be made these pieces were all discharged with shot against bulwarkes made of purpose twentie thousand hargubusers standing in eight ranks two miles in length apparelled all in veluet coloured silke and stammels discharged their shot also twise ouer in good order and so the Emperour accompanied with all his Princes and Nobles at the least fiftie thousand horse departed through the Citie to his palace This royall coronation would aske much time and many leaues of paper to be described particularly as it was performed it shall suffice to vnderstand that the like magnificence was neuer seene in Russia The Coronation and other triumphs ended all the Nobilitie officers and Merchants according to an accustomed order euery one in his place and degree brought rich presents vnto the Emperour wishing him long life and ioy in his kingdome The same time also Master Ierom Horsey aforesaid remaining as seruant in Russia for the Queens most excellent Maiestie was called for to the Emperour
to an Vlusses called Beskuta fiue dayes the Duke is called Cherkar from him to an Vlusses called Girut foure daies without water the Duke is called Chicheâ—â—â—â— From him to an Vlusses called Isut fiue dayes the Duke of it is called Chechen From him to an Vlusses called Tulent Vnient foure dayes the Duke is called Tayku Katin From him to the Vlusses Yogorsin three dayes there is a King called Bakshuta From thence to an Vlusses of the yellow Mugalls called Mugolehin wherein is a Dutchesse called Manchika with her Sonne Ouchai Taichie it is within two dayes journey of the Land of Mugalla a very dangerous passage through the cliffes of the Rockes which being past they came into the Land of Mugalla wherein are two Castles or Cities built of stone they are called with them Bashum in one of them is a Duke called Talaij Taishen and in the other the Duke is called Egidon Taishen there is also a third Citie in it called Lobin wherein doth gouerne a woman called Dutchesse Manchika with her Sonne the said Dutchesse doth command all the Cities of Mugalla and her command extendeth into Catay If any man be to trauell ouer the borders and into Catay he must haue a Passe vnder her Seale which if they haue not they may not passe through Catay The Land of Mugalla is great and large from Bughar to the Sea all the Castles are built with stone foure square at the corners Towers the ground or foundation is layd of rough grey stone and are couered with 〈◊〉 the gates with counterwards as our Russe gates are and vpon the gates aâ—â—rum Bels or Wâ—tch-bels of twentie poode weight of metall the Towers are couered with glazed Tiles the houses are built with stone foure cornerd high within their Courts they haue low Vâ—â—lts also of stone the feelings whereof and of their houses are cunningly painted with all sorts of colours and very well set forth with flowres for shew In the said Countrey of Mugalla are two Churches of Friers or Lobaes built of square stone and stand betweene the East and the South vpon the tops of them are made beasts of stone and within the Church iust against the doore are set three great Idols or Images in the forme of women of two and an halfe fathome long gilt all ouer from the heads to the feet and sit a fathome high from the ground vpon beasts made of stone which beasts are painted with all manner of braue colours Those Idols haue each in their hand a Vessell and there burne before them three tallow Candles on the right side of them are erected eight Idols more in the forme of men and on the left side eight Idols more in the forme of Maydens gilt all ouer from the head to the foote their armes stretched out after the manner as the Mugall people or Religious men vse to pray And a little way from these Idols stand two Idols more made naked as a man is in all parts not to be discerned euen as though he were aliue hauing before them Candles burning as small as a straw and burne without a flame only in an Ember or Corall Their seruice or singing in these Churches is thus They haue two Trumpets of a great length about two fathomes and an halfe long and when they sound on these Trumpets anâ— beate vpon Drummes the people fall downe vpon their knees and clap their hands againe â—aâ—â—ing their armes asunder they fall to the ground and lye so halfe an houre Their Churches are couered with glazed Tiles As for bread in the Land of Mugalla there groweâ—h all manner of 〈◊〉 as Prossâ— or Russe Rice Wheate Oates Barley and all sorts of other Graine 〈…〉 their Wheate bread is as white as Snow As for Fruit in Mugalla they haue of all 〈…〉 Apples Melons Arbuses Pompeons Cheries Lemons Cucumbers Onions Garlicâ—◠〈…〉 are not faire but the women exceeding faire and weare for their Apparell Veluets and 〈…〉 the Capes of their Garments both of the men and women hang downe to their 〈◊〉 They distill Aquaâ—itâ— out of all sorts of Graine without Hops As for Preâ—ious Stones and Gold they haue none but for Siluer they haue great store out of Catay Their Boots they weare of their owne fashion They haue no Horses only Mules Asses in abundance they till and plough their ground with great and small Ploughes as we doe in Siberia at Tâ—bolskâ— Their Cuttuffs are in our Language Patriarkes and both in Mugalla and Catay are but two Cuttuffs the one was about twentie and the other thirtie yeeres of age Within the Churches are made for them high places with seats whereupon they sit the King doth honour them with bowing downe before them Their Lobaes are in our Language Friers which are shorne about twentie yeeres of age and know no women from their Mothers wombe they eate flesh continually euery day and shaue both Beards and Mustachoes their Garments are of Damaske of all sorts and colours and their Hoods yellow they say that their Religion and ours are all one only the Russe Monkes are blacke and theirs white Beyond the Land of Mugalla are three other Countreyes or Dominions stretching towards Bughar the one called Ortus the Kings name there is Euakan the Citie is of stone and the Kingdome rich The other is called Dominions of Talguth the Kings name is Sauelanche his Cities are also of stone and his Kingdome rich The third Countrey where the chiefe Citie is is called Shar and the King thereof is called Zellezney or Iron King his Kingdome is rich and not farre from Bughar From this Iron King come Diamonds and all these three Kingdomes are vnder the South and on the other side of the blacke Mugalls are the yellow Mugalls stretching all alongst the Sea aswel Townes as walking people with their Families and Herds From the Countrey of Mugalla where the Dutchesse Manchika dwelleth to the Citie of Shrokalga in Catay is two dayes trauell on horsebacke and the bordering or frontier wals stand vnder the South towards Bughar two moneths trauell all made of Bricke of fifteene fathome high whereupon they told about a hundred Towres in sight on both sides of them but towards Bughar and towards the Sea the Towres are not to bee numbred and euery Towre standeth from another about a flight shot distant The said wall 〈◊〉 downe towards the Sea foure moneths trauell The people of Catay say that this wall stretcheth alongst from Bughar to the Sea and the Towres vpon it stand very thicke it was made as they say to be a border betweene Mugalla and Catay The Towres vpon it are to the end that when any enemy appeareth to kindle fires vpon them to giue the people warning to come to their places where they are appointed vpon the wall At the entring without the wall dwell the blacke Mugalls and within is the Countrey and Cities
in their Meteors as for the certaint experience wee may make For to satisfie my selfe vpon this point and question I demanded particularly of the said Pilot how he found the tides in the straight and if the tides of the South Sea did fall when as those of the North did rise And contrariwise this question being true why the increase of the Sea in one place is the decrease thereof in another as the first opinion holdeth He answered that it was not so but they might see plainely that the tides of the North and South Seas rise at one instant so as the waues of one Sea incountred with the other and at one instant likewise they began to retire euery one into his Sea saying that the rising and falling was daily seene and that the incounter of the tides as I haue said was at threescore and tenne leagues to the North Sea and thirtie to the South Whereby we may plainely gather that the ebbing and flowing of the Ocean is no pure locall motion but rather an alteration whereby all waters really rise and increase at one instant and in others they diminish as the boyling of a Pot whereof I haue spoken It were impossible to comprehend this point by experience if it were not in the Straight where all the Ocean both on th' one side and on th' other ioynes together for none but Angels can see it and iudge of the opposite parts for that man hath not so long a sight nor so nimble and swift footing as were needefull to transport his eyes from one part to another in so short a time as a tide will giue him respite which are onely six houres There are in the Indian Ocean an infinite number of fishes the kindes and properties whereof the Creator onely can declare There are many such as we haue in the Sea of Europe as Shads and Aloses which come from the Sea into the Riuers Dorads Pilchards and many other There are others the like I doe not thinke to haue seene in these parts 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 Riuers I haue not seene any Besugues there nor Trowts although some say there are in Chille There are Tonins in some parts vpon the coast of Peru but they are rare and some are of opinion that at a certaine time they doe 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 haue seene there are not like to them in Spaine At the Ilands which they call Barlouente which are Cuba Saint Dominicke Portrique and Iamaique they finde a fish which they call Manati a strange kinde of fish if we may call it fish a creature which ingenders her yong ones aliue and hath teates and doth nourish them with milke feeding of grasse in the fields but in effect it liues 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 had some scruple not for that which is spoken but for that in colour and taste it was like vnto morsels of Veale so is it greene and like vnto a Cowe on the hinder parts I did wonder at the incredible rauening of the Tiburons or sharkes when as I did see drawne from one that was taken in the Port out of his gullet a Butchers great Knife a great Iron hooke and a piece of a Cowes head with one whole horne neither doe I know 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 smell thereof and for the more pleasure this Horse-flesh was hung in the ayre I know 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 legge 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 cleaue to these Tiburons neither can they driue 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 haue wings as it were of linnen cloath or of parchment which doe support them some space in the ayre There did one flye or leape into the Ship wherein I went the which I did see and obserue 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 Auncients call Crocodiles they finde them on the Sea side and in hot Riuers for in cold Riuers there are none to be found And therefore they finde none vpon all the coasts of Peru vnto Payra but forward they are commonly seene in the Riuers It is a most fierce and cruell beast although it be slow and heauie Hee goes hunting and seekes his prey on the Land and what he takes aliue he drownes it in the water yet doth he 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 wonderfull 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 told me that he had seene these beasts fight most cruelly one against the other vpon the Sea shoare the Caymant with his taile gaue great blowes vnto the Tygre striuing with his great force to carry him into the water and the Tigre 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 euery other part he 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 Caymant had carried away his yong childe and sodainely plunged into the Sea the Indian moued with choller cast himselfe after him with a knife in his hand and as they are excellent swimmers and diuers 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 leauing the little infant dead But the combat which the Indians haue with Whales
them I caused two graues to be opened wherein was nothing found but a vessell full of the graine of Maiz and a bundle of Iucca as I haue said And demanding the cause hereof of the King and the other Indians they answered that they that were 〈◊〉 there were the labourers of the ground and men skilfull in sowing of seedes and makiâ—â— of bread and seruants to the Kings father and to the end that their soules should not dye â—ith their bodies they slue themselues at the death of the King their Master to liue with 〈◊〉 heauen and to the intent that they might serue him there in the same office they reserue that Maiz and Iucca to sowe it in heauen Whereunto I answered them in this manner 〈◊〉 how your Tuyra deceiueth you and how all that he teacheth you is false You see how 〈◊〉 so long a time since they are dead they haue not yet taken away this Maiz and Iucca which is now purified and worth nothing and not like to be sowen in heauen To this the King replied saying In that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen the cause is that they chanced â— finde enough there by reason whereof they had no neede of this To this errour many thing were said which seemed of little force to remoue him from his false opinion and especially any â—uch as at that age are occupied of the Diuell whom they paint of the selfe same forme and 〈◊〉 as he appeared vnto them in diuers shapes and formes They make also Images of Gold Coâ—per and Wood to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the Painters are aâ—â—â—stomed to paint them at the feete of Saint Michael the Archangell or in any other place 〈◊〉 they paint them of most torrible portrature Likewise when the diuell greatly intendeth 〈…〉 them he threatneth to send them great tempests which they call Furacanas or 〈◊〉 and are so vehement that they ouerthrow many houses and great trees And I haue seenâ— Mountaines full of many and great trees that for the space of three quarters of a league the â—â—â—ntaine hath beene subuerted and the tree ouerthrowne and plucked out of the earth with 〈…〉 The gulfe of Vraba is distant from the Equinoctiall line from an hundrâ—â— and twentie to a hundred and thirty leagues and three quarters of a league after that accompt of seuenteen leagues and a halfe for euerie degree from Pole to Pole thus for a little more or lesse goeth all the coast By reason wherof in the Citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena and in all that course of the foresaid gulfe of Vraba at all times of the yeere the daies and nights are in manner of equall length and if there be any difference betweene them by reason of this small distance from the Equinoctiall it is so little that in foure and twentie houres making a naturall day it cannot be perceiued but by the iudgement of speculatiue men and such as vnderstand the sphere From hence the North Starre is seene verie low Of diuers particular things as Wormes Serpents Beasts Foules Trees c. I Will first speake of certaine little and troublesome Beasts which may seeme to be engendred of nature to molest and vexe men to shew them and giue them to vnderstand how small and vile a thing may offend disquiet them to the end that they may remember the principall end for the which they were created that is to know their maker In manie parts of the firme Land by the which as wel the Christians as the Indians do trauaile there are such marishes waters in the way that they are faine to go without breeches among the hearbes weeds by reason wher of certain small beasts or wormes which they call Garapates much like vnto Ticks cleaue fast to their legs These worms are as little as the pouder of beaten Salt cleaue so fast that they can by no meanes be taken away except the place be nointed with oyle after that the legs be nointed a while with oyle or the other parts where these little Tickes are fastened they scrape the place with a Knife so take them away But the Indians which haue no oyle smoake them and burne them with fire and abide great paines in taking them away by this means Of other little Beasts which trouble men and are engendred in their heads or other parts of their bodies I say that the Christian men which trauaile into these parts haue them but seldome times and that not past one or two and this also very seldome For passing by the line of the Diameter where the compasse maketh difference of sailing by the winde called Greco that is North-east and Magistral that is South-west which is in the course of the Ilands of Azori they saile but a little way following our voiage by the West but that all the Lice which the Christians carrie with them or are engendred in their heads or other places of their bodies die and vtterly consume by little and little and are not engendred in India except in the heads of little children in those parts as well among the children of the Christians which are borne there as also among the naturall Indians who haue them commonly in their heads and sometimes in other parts of their bodies and especially they of the Prouince of Cuena which is a region containing more then a hundred leagues in length and embraseth the one and the other coast of the North Sea and of the East When these Indians are infected with this filthinesse they dresse and cleanse one another And they that exercise this are for the most part women who eate all that they take and haue herein such dexterity by reason of their exercise that our men cannot lightly attaine thereunto There is also another thing greatly to be considered and this is how the Christian men being there cleane from this filthinesse of India as well in their heads as the rest of their bodies yet when they returne to come againe into Europe and begin to arriue in that place of the Ocean Sea where we said before that these Lice died and forsooke them sodainely in their repassing by the same clime as though these Lice had tarried for them in that place they can by no meanes auoide them for the space of certaine daies although they change their shirts two or three times in a day These Lice are at the first as little as Nits and grow by little and little vntill they be of the bignesse that they are in Spaine This haue I oftentimes proued hauing now foure times passed the Ocean Sea by this voiage Beside these wormes and vermin wherof we haue spoken there is another little mischieuous worm which we may number among the kindes of Fleas this Pestilence the Indians call Nigua and is much lesse then a Flea it pearceth the flesh of a man and so
quantities and when they come out of the Sea and bring forth their egges and goe together by companies from the Sea to feede on the Land the Christians or Indians follow their steps which they finde in the Sand and soone ouertake them because they are very heauie and slow in going although they make all the haste they can to returne to the Sea assoone as they espy any body When they that pursue them haue ouertaken them they put a stake or staffe vnder their legs and ouerturne them on their backs as they are yet running so that they can goe no further nor yet rise againe or turne and thus they suffer them to lye still while they follow after the rest which they ouerturne in like manner and by this meanes take very many at such times as they come forth of the Sea as I haue said This fish is very excellent and wholesome to be eaten and of good taste The second of the three fishes whereof I haue spoken is the Tiburon this is a very great fish and very quick and swift in the water and a cruell Deuourer these are oftentimes taken aswell when the ships are vnder saile in the Ocean as also when they lye at anker or at any other time and especially the least kinde of these fishes When the ships are vnder saile the biggest sort are taken after this manner When the Tiburon seeth the ship sayling hee followeth it swimming behind the which things the Mariners seeing cast forth all the filth of the ship into the Sea for the fish to eate who neuerthelesse followeth them with equall pase although they make neuer such haste with full winde and sailes and walloweth on euery side and about the ship and thus followeth it sometime for the space of a hundred and fiftie leagues and more and when the Mariners are disposed to take them they cast downe by the sterne of the ship a hooke of Iron as bigge as the biggest finger of a mans hand of three spans in length and crooked like a fish-hooke with beards according to the bignesse thereof and fastned to an Iron chaine of fiue or sixe linkes neere vnto the end and from thence tyed with a great rope fastning also on the hooke for a bait a piece of some fish or hogs flesh or some other flesh or the bowels and intrals of another Tiburon which they haue taken before which may easily be done for I haue seene nine taken in one day and if they would haue taken more they might also Thus when the Tiburon hath pleasantly followed the ship a long voyage at the length he swalloweth the bait with the hooke and aswell by his striuing to flee or escape as also by the swift passage of the ship the hooke ouerthwarteth and catcheth hold of his chaps the which fish when it is taken it is of such huge bignesse that twelue or fifteene men are scarsly able to draw it out of the water and lift it into the ship where one of the Mariners giueth it many knocks on the head with a club or beetle vntill he haue slaine it they are sometimes found of ten or twelue foote long and of fiue sixe or seuen spans in breadth where they are broadest they haue very great and wide mouthes to the proportion of the rest of their bodies and haue two rowes of teeth the one somewhat separate from the other of cruell shape and standing very thicke When they haue slaine this fish they cut the body thereof in small pieces and put it to drie hanging it three or foure dayes at the Cordes of the saile clothes to drie in the winde and then eate it It is doubtlesse a good fish and of great commoditie to serue the ships for victualls for many dayes the least of these fishes are most wholesome and tender it hath a skin much like to the skin of a Sole whereunto the said Tiburon is like in shape Which I say because Plinie hath made mention of none of these three fishes among the number of them whereof he writeth in his Naturall historie These Tiburons come forth of the Sea and enter into the Riuers where they are no lesse perillous then great Lizards or Crocodiles whereof I haue spoken largely before For they deuoure Men Kine and Horses euen as doe the Crocodiles they are very dangerous in certaine washing places or Pooles by the Riuers sides and where they haue deuoured at other times Diuers other fishes both great and small of sundrie sorts and kindes are accustomed to follow the ships going vnder saile of the which I will speake somewhat when I haue written of Manate which is the third of the three whereof I haue promised to entreat Manate therefore is a fish of the Sea of the biggest sort and much greater then the Tiburon in length and breadth and is very brutish and vile so that it appeareth in forme like vnto one of those great vessels made of Goats skins wherein they vse to carry new wine in Medina de Campo or in Areualo the head of this beast is like the head of an Oxe with also like eyes and hath in the place of armes two great stumps wherwith he swimmeth It is a very gentle and tame beast and commeth oftentimes out of the water to the next shoare where if he finde any herbes or grasse he feedeth thereof Our men are accustomed to kill many of these and diuers other good fishes with their Crosse-bowes pursuing them in Barkes or Canoas because they swim in manner aboue the water the which thing when they see they draw them with a hooke tyed at a small corde but somewhat strong As the fish fleeth away the Archer letteth goe and prolongeth the corde by little and little vntill he haue let it goe many fathoms at the end of the corde there is tyed a corke or a piece of light wood and when the fish is gone a little way and hath coloured the water with his bloud and feeleth himselfe to faint and draw toward the end of his life he resorteth to the shoare and the Archer followeth gathering vp his corde whereof while â—here yet remaine sixe or eight fathoms or somewhat more or lesse he draweth it toward the Land and draweth the fish therewith by little and little as the waues of the Sea helpe him to doe it the more easily then with the helpe of the rest of his companie he lifteth this great beast out of the Water to the Land being of such bignesse that to conuey it from thence to the Citie it shall be requisite to haue a Cart with a good yoke of Oxen and sometimes more according as these fishes are of bignesse some being much greater then other some in the same kinde as is seene of other beasts Sometimes they lift these fishes into the Canoa or Barke without drawing them to the Land as before for as soone as they are slaine they flote aboue the water And I beleeue verily
answered to our Nouember they prepared what was necessary for the Children that should bee made Nouices the moneth following the Children with the old men made a certayne 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 very many the most famous was that which they called Ytu This Feast Ytu hath no prefixed time nor season but in time of necessitie To prepare themselues thereunto all the people fasted two dayes during the which they did neither company with their wiues nor eate any meate with Salt or Garlicke nor drinke any Chica All did assemble together in one place where no stranger was admitted nor any beast they had Garments and Ornaments which serued onely for this Feast They marched very quietly in Procession their heads couered with their Veâ—les sounding of Drummes without speaking one to another This continued a day and a night then the day following they danced and made good cheere for two 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 ancient Ceremony yet commonly they make another which is very like which they call Ayma with Garments that serue onely to that end and they make this kinde of Procession with their Drummes hauing 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 Spaniards yet doe they still vse many Ceremonies that haue their beginnings from these Feasts and ancient Superstitions for at this day they doe couertly make this Feast of Ytu at the dances of the Feast of the Sacrament in making the dances of Lyamallama and of Guacon and of others according to their ancient Ceremonies THe Mexicans haue beene no lesse curious in their Feasts and Solemnities which were of small charge but of great effusion of mans bloud We haue before spoken of the principall Feast of Vitziliputzli after the which the Feast of Tezcalipuca was most solemnized This Feast fell in May and in their Kalender they called it Tozcolt it fell euery foure yeere with the feast of Penance where there was giuen full indulgence and remission of sinnes In this day they did sacrifice a Captiue which resembled the Idoll Tezcalipuca it was the nineteenth day of May vpon the Euen 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 hauing first taken off his other Garments which they kept with as much or more reuerence then wee doe our Ornaments There were in the Coffers of the Idoll many Ornaments Iewels Earerings and other Riches as Bracelets and precious Feathers which serued to no other vse 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 certayne ensignes of Feathers with fannes shadowes and other things being thus attired and furnished they drew the Curtayn or Veile from before the doore to the end he might be seene of all men then came forth one of the chiefe of the Temple attyred like to the Idoll carrying flowres in his hand and a Flute of earth hauing a very sharpe sound and turning towards the East he sounded 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 he put his finger into the Aiâ—e and then gathered vp earth which hee 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 inuocating the darknesse of the night and the winds intreating them not to leaue them nor to forget them or else to take away their liues and free them from the labours they endured therein Theeues Adulterers and Murtherers and all other offenders had great feare and heauinesse whilest this Flute sounded so as some could not dissemble nor hide their offences By this meanes they all demanded no other thing of their God but to haue their offences concealed powring forth many teares with great repentance and sorrow offering great store of Incense to appease their Gods The couragious and valiant men and all the old Souldiers that followed the art of Warre hearing this Flute demanded with great deuotion of God the Creator of the Lord for whom we liue of the Sun and of other their Gods that they would giue them victory against their enemies strength to take many Captiues there with to honour their Sacrifices This Ceremony was done ten dayes before the Feast During which ten dayes the Priest did sound this Flute to the end that all might doe this worship in eating of earth and demand of their Idoll what they pleased they euery day made their Prayers with their eyes lift vp to Heauen and with sighs and groanings as men that were grieued for their sinnes and offences Although this contrition was onely for feare of the corporall punishment that was giuen them and not for any feare of the eternall for they certainly beleeued there was no such seuere punishment in the other life And therefore they offered themselues voluntarily to death holding opinion that it is to all men an assured rest The first day of the Feast of this Idoll Tezcalipuca beeing come all they of the Citie assembled together in a Court to celebrate likewise the Feast of the Kalender whereof we haue already spoken which was called Toxcoalth which signifies A dry thing which Feast was not made to any other end but to demand raine in the same manner that wee solemnize the Rogations and this Feast was alwayes in May which is the time that they haue most need of raine in those Countreyes They beganne to celebrate it the ninth of May ending the nineteenth The last day of the Feast the Priests drew forth a Litter well furnished with Curtaynes and Pendants of diuers fashions This Litter had so many armes to hold by as there were Ministers to carrie it All which came forth besmeered with blacke and long haire halfe in tresses with white strings and attyred in the liuery of the Idoll Vpon this Litter they set the personage of the Idoll appointed for this Feast which they called the resemblance of their God Tezcalipuca and taking it vpon their shoulders they brought it openly to the foot of the staires then came forth the young men and Maydens of the Temple carrying a great coard wreathed of chaines of roasted Mays with the which they enuironed the Litter and putting a chaine of the same about the Idols necke and a Garland vpon his head They called the coard Toxcalt
Affinitie in a different Sirname hinders not Matrimonie in China 394 10 Age so the Saracens stile the Mecca Pilgrims 311 Age much honoured in China 393.1 369.20 Olde Age begins at fiftie 394.1 Age of three hundred yeres attained to in the West Indies 875.20 Ages of the world the Mexicans represent by so many Sunnes 1136.40 Their odde opinions thereabout ibid. Agilitie of the Mexicans excellent 1065.10 Ague a Soueraignâ— Ayre for the Cure of it 73.60 Aijax or Giazzo the Hauen whereabouts 51.40 Aingharan the Region 312.10 Aini the Citie in Armenia 50.50 Aâ—tan what in Chinese 319.50 320.40 Alani a people of Tartari called Acias or Akas they are Christians of the Greeke Church They vse Greeke Bookes They pray for the Dead A simple people 10.10.20 Albania the Countrey where 16.20 Albcase or Albcas one of the Kingdomes of Georgia Albis a Riuer of Island 656.1 Alboris or Albsor the Mountaine 110.30 Alcatraz an Indian Cormorant described 979 Alchimâ—e much studyed in China 369.30 And doted vpon 396.50 Ale of Rie 616.50 Alehouses in Russia pay tribute 429.30 The wicked abuses thereupon 431.40 Aleppo wonne by the Tartars 117.1 Alhacen his Storie of Tamerlane 140.40 Allaying of Siluer the curiositie 951.40 Allen the Fowle in Greenland the nature of it 713.40 Almanaches in China 346.10 Almes for the Dead in China 274.1.20.30 Almes the Chinois will giue none 175.20 Almonds of Coco Nuts March-paâ—e made of them 958.50 Allome in Turkie forestalled by the Italians 51.30 Allome seperates Gold from Drasse 943 Alphabet of Gotish Letters 658 Alphabet the Chinois haue none 384.40 nor Syllables ibid. Altai the Mountaine where all the Tartar Princes are buryed 78.20 Altars in the Russian Church 450.20 452 Altars and Altar Cloathes in China 296.30 Altars in China reuerenced 263.1 Altar in a Fort the Nestorians had 37.40 Altar of Leather ibid. Alteenâ— Russian Coyne woorth fiue pence 416.1 See also page 552.20 Altine Kingdome 797.50 Called the golden King ibid. His Letters to the Russe and his demands ibid. His Countrey 〈◊〉 by China ibid. 799 Amacao in China what 319.30 The Portugals build a Citie there it is made a Bishops Sea ibid. How situated ibid. Aman a Citie in Syria taken for the Christians 123.60 Amathists a Mine of them where 901.50 Amazones where antiently 55.1 Amber store of it in Brasill how gotten 903.40 Amber great store and great peeces where 625.60 A Frogge inclosed in a peece of it 626 1 Amber eaten by the King of China to sustaine life 186.50 Amber liquid where 878.40 Ambergreece taken in the Whale place where it lyes and the colour 710.30 471.50 Ambassadours how entertained by the Crim Tartars 639.40.50 Ambassadours diuers resident in the Tartarian Court 45.40 Ambassadours counterfeit punisht with Death by the Tartars 8.10 Their libertie of speech in Tartarie 43.20 Ambassadours how honoured and priuiledged in China 189.10 Ambassadours how entertained in Russia 747 Ambassadour when first sent hither from Russia 222 Ambassages counterfeit to China 315.30 America Discouered in 61 62 63. Degrees the Coast and Seasons there described 811. In 64. Degrees 823.20 Frost there in Iuly 811.60 An Iland there in 55. Degrees 30. Minutes 812.60 America first discouered by the English before Columbus 808.20 America described by Herrara how much of it vnder the Spaniards 856. How farre discouered by the Spaniards and by the English 857.1 and in margent The Seas of 〈◊〉 the Spanish Nauigations Course and Customes in them 858. Named by a wrong Father 866.1 America vndiscouered within land 938.60 Amidâ— the Iaponians God 326.40 Amu the Prouince much Gold there 94.20 Anchors of Wood for a shift 241.50 Lost in the Sea found againe ibid. Anchorites in China 337.40 Ancon an Iland dispeopled 308.10 Andabaylas the Prouince in Peru the Temple of the Sunne in it 893.60 Andanico and Azzaio Mineralls where 71.1 Andes the Mountaines of India the diuersitie of their temperature length Beasts Soyle c. 881.50.887.20.30 Couered with Snow where their March 898 Angaman where Men haue Dogges heads 104.10 Angle lines of Whale finnes Angle hookes of Fish bones in Groenland 836.1 Anian Streights some fabulous reports of them 848.60 853.20 A note of them by Master Loâ—ke 849.50 Discouered by a Greeke Pilot for the Spaniards hopes of the North-west Passage that way the â—escription and widenesse of them 850 Anian Iland by China the many Forts and Pearle-fishings there 905.20 Anill or Indico how it growes 957.40 Annoynting the King of Norway annoyted at his Coronation 623.30 Annointing of the Mexican Kings 1009.30 Answere a strange one of a Mahumetan 253 Antarticke Starre the Indians sayle by and not by the Compasse 139.30 Antereda the Ile 123.30 Anthonie March his diligence for the Discouering to the Riuer Ob 804.805 S. Anthonies the West of Cuba 858. The best way thence to the Port of Saint Iohn de Vlua 858.60 Antigur Ilands 260.40 Antients or Ensignes of Silke in China 296 Antioch wâ—nne from the Christians the occasion 118. â—0 Antiquities the Chinois studious of 395.1 Antiquities of the Indians foolishly burnt by the Spaniards 1052.20 Antiquities some of Norway 656.40 Of Gothland Finland and Kuenland 659.660 Ants of India their admirable fortifying themselues against the Beares 978 Ants of West India their sorts some are poyson 996.10 The hurt they doe ibid. 997 The Spaniards choose a Saint-Patron against them 998 Apes in Peru on the Mountaines 936.60 Apes perfâ—â—â—ed in Boxes and sâ—â—ld for Pigmeyes 103.40 Where as bigge as men 106.10 Apostles Pictures imitated in China 303.1 Apparell of the Chinois like long Gownes 366 Apparell of Tartars 6.20 Apparell of the Russians Men and Women 12.10 Apparell the vniformitie of it in Peru 1058.10 Apparell of Fish skinnes 652.30 Appeales onely to the Emperour in Russia 422 Apples of India poysonous Arrowes poysoned with them infects those that sleepe vnder the Tree 985 Apram or a drinke of Churnâ—milke in Tartarie 9.10 Aqua-vitae is Russe Wine 459.1 Arabacha the Tartarian his Confession of Christ 39.60 Arabian Letters vsed in Chaldea 110.50 Arabicke Letters in Turquestan 109.20 Aracci the Plaine 48.40 Ararat is not all Armenia 55.10 Ararat Mountaines alwayes couered with Snow 110.2 Araxis the Riuer 49.10 Meetes with Cuâ— 49.20 The head of it 49.30 Arbor Secco where 68.30 70.50 72.20 Archbishop of Nidrosia in Norway 651 Archbishops of Russia 4. Inferiour to the two Metropolitans as they to the Patriarch 446.30 Their reuenewes ibid. Arch-Deacons in the Russian Church 147.10 Arches in building the manner in China 199.40 Arches triumphall common in China Streets 200. 370.300.1 In one Street 409.20 Archmandrites of Russia 766.40 Architect rewarded with losse of Eyes 439.10 Ardoc a Riuer 236.20 237.40 Arequa or Arequiera shee Tree in China 381.30 Arequipa Citie in Peru the Lantade distance from other places Inhabitants natiue Commodities subiect to Earthquakes c. 895.10 Arethmeticke in China an odde way for it 335.1 Europaean Arethmeticke first â—aught them ibid. Arethmeticke of the