another circuit of sixe mile square with three Gates on the South square and three on the North that which is in the midst being in both the greater and kept shut except when the Can passeth that way the other alway open to others In each corner of this Wall and in the midst is a faire Palace eight in all very large in which are kept the Cans munitions and furnitures of all sorts for Horses in one in another Bowes and shooting Artillerie in a third Costlets Curasses and leather Armours and so in the rest Within this circuit is another wall-circuit very thicke and ten paces high all the battlements white the wall square each square a mile in length with sixe gates as the former and eight Palaces also very great wherein are the Cans prouision Betwixt these two last walls are many faire trees and medowes in which are Deere Muske beasts with other game and store of grasse the paths being heigthned two cubits to spare it no durt nor plashes of water being therein Within this last wall is the Palace of the great Can the greatest that hath beene seene abutting with the wall on the North and South and open spaced where the Barons and Souldiers passe It hath no seeling but a very high roofe the foundation of the pauement ten palms high with a wall of marble round about it two paces wide as it were a walke In the end of the wall without is a faire Turret with Pillars In the walls of the Halls and Chambers are carued Dragons Souldiers Birds Beasts of diuers kinds histories of Warres gilded The roofe is so made that nothing is seene but Gold and Imagery In euery square of the Palace is a great Hall of marble capable of great multitudes The Chambers are disposed the best that may be deuised the roofe is red greene azure and of all coloures Behind the Palace are great Roomes and priuate store-houses for his treasures and Iewels for his women and other secret employments Ouer against the said Palace of the Can is another for Cingis his sonne whose Court was in all things like his Fathers Neere this Palace towards the North is a Mount made by hand a mile in compasse one hundred paces high beset with trees that are alwaies greene Vnto this mountaine the king commandeth all the best trees to be brought from remote parts lading Elephants with them for they are taken vp with the roots and are transplanted in this Mountaine And because this Mountaine is alwaies greene it is called The greene Mountaine And where the earth of that Mount was taken away are two Lakes answering each other with a pretie Riuer filling them stored with fish and so grated that the fish cannot get forth The Citie of Cambalu in the Prouince of Cathai seated on a great Riuer was famous and regall from antiquitie And this name Cambalu signifieth The Citie of the Lord or Prince This Citie the great Can remoued vnto the other side of the Riuer where the Palaces are for he vnderstood by the Astrologers that it should rebell against the Empire This new built Citie is called Taidu and he made all the Catayans to goe out of the old Citie into the new which contayneth in compasse foure and twentie miles euery side of the square contayning sixe miles It hath walls of earth ten paces thicke at the bottome and at the top but three by little and little ascending thinner the batlements are white Euery square of the wall hath three principall Gates which are twelue in all hauing sumptuous Palaces built ouer each of them There are also excellent Palaces in the angles of the walls where the Armes of the Garrison which are one thousand at each Gate are kept The buildings are squared out the streets laid very straight by line throughout this Citie so that from one Gate a free prospect openeth thorow the Citie to the opposite Gate hauing very goodly houses built on both sides like Palaces with Gardens and Courts diuided to the Heads of Families In the middle of the Citie a certaine sumptuous house is built wherein hangeth a very great Bell after the third knolling whereof in the night no man may goe out of his house vntill the beginning of the day following except it be for speciall cause as for a woman in trauell c. And they are compelled to carrie a light with them Without the Citie of Cambalu are twelue great Suburbs three or foure miles long ioyning vpon each of the twelue Gates more inhabiting the Suburbs then the Citie heere Marchants and Strangers keepe each Nation hauing a seuerall Store-house or Burse in which they lodge No dead corps of any man is buryed within this Citie but the bodies of Idolaters are burned without the Suburbs where the dead bodies of other sects are buryed And because an huge multitude of Sorcerers conuerse alwayes there they haue about twentie fiue thousand Harlots in the Suburbs and in the Citie and these haue a Captaine appointed ouer euery hundreth and thousand and one Generall whose office is that when Embassadours come or such as haue businesse with the Can whose charges he findeth this Captaine giueth euery Embassadour and euery man of his family change of women nightly at free cost for this is the Queanes tribute The Guards euery night cast those in prison which they finde walking late and if they be found guiltie they are beaten with Cudgels for the Bachsi tell them that it is not good to shed mans blood But many dye of those beatings The great Can hath in his Court twelue thousand Horse-men which they call Casitan faithfull Souldiers of their Lord who guard his person more for state then feare And foure Captaines haue the charge of these whereof euery one commandeth three thousand When one Captaine with three thousand Souldiers within the Palace hath guarded the King for three dayes and nights another Captaine with his Souldiers againe succeedeth and so throughout the whole yeeare this course of watching by course is obserued When through occasion of any feastiuall day hee keepeth a solemne Court his Table being higher then the rest of the Tables is set at the North part of the Hall and his face is to the South hauing the greatest Queene on his left hand to wit his principall wife and his Sonnes and nephews and they of the blood royall on his right Yet their table is in a lower place so that they scarce touch the Kings feet with their heads the seat of the eldest being higher then the rest The Barons and Princes sit in a lower place then that Their wiues also keepe the like order first the Cans sonnes wiues and his kinsmens sits lower on the left hand and after those of the Lords and of euery Captaine and Noble-man each in her degree and order And the Emperour himselfe while he sitteth at his table may cast his eyes vpon all that
Imperiall Dignitie which Commandement they obserued and from thenceforth vntill this day haue euer continued to call on the Immortall God in all their occasions Secondly Hee willed that all the men that were able to beare Armes should be numbred and that ouer euery ten should be one appointed and ouer euery ten thousand a great Commander and that also ouer euery thousand should bee a Colonell or Conducter of a Regiment and he called an Armie of ten thousand Souldiers a Regiment He commanded also the seuen Rulers ouer the Nations of the Tartarians that they should forthwith dismisse themselues of their former dignities which they relinquished immediatly But another of his Ordinances was very strange and admirable in which he commanded those seuen chiefe Rulers to bring euery of them his eldest sonne and each with his owne hand to cut off his head Which Commandement appearing to bee most cruell and vniust yet was there none that would any way gainsay it because they knew him to be set ouer them by Gods prouidence and therefore they presently fulfilled it When Changius Can had seene that they were readie to obey him euen vnto death he appointed them all a certaine day in which they should be readie to fight And then they rode against them which bordered next vnto them and subdued them Whereby they which had beene Lords ouer them were brought into subiection vnder them After hee inuaded diuers other Nations which hee conquered with great celeritie For hee did all his exploits with a small troupe of men and was successefull in his enterprises Yet one day it fell out that being accompanied with a small number he was encountred with a great troupe of his Enemies in such sort that the fight being begun betweene them whiles he valiantly defended himselfe his Horse was slaine vnder him And the Tartarians seeing their Lord ouerthrowne betooke themselues to flight so that the Enemies being all busied in pursuing of those that fled and hauing no knowledge of the Emperour whom they had vnhorsed and ouerthrowne he runne and hid himselfe among certaine shrubs for safety of his life Whither when the Enemies were returned with purpose to spoile the dead Carkasses and to seeke out such as were hidden it happened that an Owle came and sate vpon those little trees or shrubs which he had chosen for his couert which when they perceiued they sought no further in that place supposing that the said Bird would not haue sate there if any man had beene hidden vnderneath By which meanes in the dead time of the night he found meanes to escape thence and came by diuers vnfrequented wayes vnto his owne people and discoursed vnto them what had befallen him For which the Tartarians rendred thankes vnto the Immortall God And that Bird which vnder God was held to be the meanes of his escaped hath euer since beene held in such reuerence amongst them that happie is he that can get but a Feather of an Owle which they weare in their heads with great reuerence Which I thought fit to set downe in this Booke that the cause might be knowne for which the Tartarians vse commonly to weare Feathers on their heads But their Emperour Changius Can hauing giuen great thankes to God for his deliuerance out of so great a danger gathered his Armie together and fiercely assaulted his former Enemies againe and brought them all vnder subiection and so became Emperor of all the Countries lying on that side of the Mountaine Belgian and possessed them quietly without disturbance vntill it happened him to haue another Vision as shall after be declared Neither is it any maruell that in these Histories I haue not set downe the certaine time because albeit I haue sought of many to know the certaintie thereof yet could I neuer finde any to instruct me fully therein the reason thereof I take to be because the Tartarians at the first were ignorant of all Learning and knew no letters and so passed ouer the times and memorable accidents without any Record or Register thereof kept whereby they came afterwards to be forgotten §. II. Of CHANGIVS Can his second Vision and Conquests Of HOCCOTA and his three Sonnes expeditions of GINO Can of MANGV Can who was visited by the King of Armenia and baptised of the expedition of his Brother HALOON 17. AFter that Changius Can had subdued all the Kingdomes and Countries on that side of the Mountaine Belgian he saw another Vision in the night For the selfe-same Horsman armed in white Armour appeared vnto him againe saying Changius Can it is the pleasure of the Immortall God that thou passe ouer the Mountaine Belgian and direct thy course Westwards where thou shalt possesse Kingdomes and Countries and subdue many Nations And that thou mayest be assured that the words which I speake vnto thee are from the Immortall God Arise and goe with thy people to the Mountaine Belgian to that part thereof which ioyneth to the Sea there thou shalt alight from thy Horse and kneeling downe nine times towards the East thou shalt worship nine times the Immortall God and he which is Almightie will shew thee the way by which thou mayest easily passe ouer the Mountaine At this Vision Changius reioyced exceedingly and arose without farther doubt or delay because the trueth which he had found in the first Vision gaue him assurance of the other in such sort that he forthwith speedily assembled his people and commanded them to follow him with their wiues and children and all that they had And so they went forwards vntill they came to the place where the great and deepe Sea did beate against the Mountaine so that there appeared no way nor passage for them There presently Changius Can as had beene commanded him by God alighted from his Horse and all his followers in like manner worshipping nine times on their bended knees towards the East they beseeched the Almightie and euerliuing God that of his infinite mercy and grace he would vouchsafe to shew them the way and passage thence where they continued in prayer all that night And in the morning arising they saw that the Sea was departed from the Mountaine and had left them a way of nine feet in bredth to passe Whereat they being all astonished exceedingly and rendring thankes to the Immortall God most deuoutly they passed on the way which they saw before them and directed their steps towards the West But as the Histories of the Tartarians doe mention after they had passed ouer those Mountaines they indured some hunger and thirst for certaine dayes because the land was Desart and the waters were bitter and salt which they could not by any meanes drinke vntill at length they came where they had all necessaries aboundantly In which place they abode many dayes And there it happened by the will of God that Changius Can grew dangerously sicke in such sort that the Physicians despaired of his recouerie By reason
diuers colours some weare them of Silk many doe vse them on the Feast dayes of Silke the Rulers weare commonly fine Serge and on their Feasts they vse very fine Silkes chiefly crimson which none in the Countrie may weare but they the poore people weare commonly Coats of white Linnen because it costs but little on their head they weare a high Cap made of very fine twigs and it is round interwouen with blacke Silke and very well made they vse their Stockins whole footed which are very well made and stiched and they weare Boots or Shooes as the curiositie or abilitie of euery one is either of Silke or of Leather in Winter they weare Stockins of Felt either fine or course but the cloth is made of Felt they vse also in Winter their garments lined with Martines chiefly about the necke they vse quilted Iackets and some doe vse them of Felt in Winter vnder their Coats They vse long haire like women which they weare finely combed and they combe it many times a day they weare it tyed on the crowne of the head and through the knot thrust through with a long small Siluer pin those which are not married to wit the yong Bachelors doe weare for a deuise a fillet or ribband dresse very well made their Cap remayning aboue it that it may be seene they haue a superstition in their haire therefore they weare it so long holding that by it they shall be carried to Heauen The common Priests doe keepe their haire but are shauen for they say they neede no helpe to carrie them to Heauen Yet among them are some Priests of the Temple of the Idols which among the Chinas are more reuerenced then the rest these doe weare haire on the top of the head fastned with a stick very curiously wrought like a close hand varnished with a very fine varnish which they call Acharan and these Priests doe weare black coates the other wearing a white coate The Chinaes are very curteous men the common curtesie is the left hand close they inclose it within the right hand and they bring them very oft to their brest shewing they haue one another inclosed in their heart and to this motion of the hands they joyne wordes of curtesie though the wordes of the common sort is to say one to another Chifan mesan which is to say Haue yee eaten or no for all their good in this world is resolued in eating The particular curtesies betweene men of sort which haue not seene one another a long while are the armes bowed and the fingers clasped one within another they stoope and speake with wordes of great curtesie euery one labouring to giue the hand to the other to make him rise and the more honorable they are the longer they stand in these curtesies The honorable and noble People doe vse also many curtesies at the Table the one giuing drinke to the other and euery one laboureth to giue the hand to the other in their drinking for at the table there is no other seruice but that of drinking If there come any Ghest newly to his friends house or his kinsman if the Master of the house be not apparelled in holy day clothes when the Ghest commeth in he maketh no account of him nor any mention till he commandeth to bring his festiuall apparell and after he is so apparelled hee goeth to the Ghest and receiueth him with many complements and curtesies For they hold it not conuenient that a new-come Ghest and of reuerence bee receiued with common apparell but clothed in feast-like apparell for in this he sheweth him that his entring into his house is a feast day to him Whatsoeuer person or persons come to any mans house of qualitie hee hath a custome to offer him in a fine basket one Porcelane or as many as the persons are with a kinde of drinke which they call Cha which is somewhat bitter red and medicinall which they are wont to make of a certayne concoction of herbes somewhat bitter with this they welcome commonly all manner of persons that they doe respect be they strangers or be they not to me they offered it many times The Chinaes are great eaters and they vse many dainties they eate at one table Fish and Flesh and the base people dresse it sometime all together The dainties which are to bee eaten at one table are set all together on the board that euery one may eate where hee liketh best It is a cleanly and neat people The common people hath some grosse things Certayne noble Portugals went to shew me on a day in Cantan a banquet which a rich Merchant made which was worth the sight The house where it was made was with a loft and very faire with many faire windowes and casements and all of it was a mirror the Tables were set in three places of the house for euery Ghest enuited a Table and a Chaire very faire and gilt or with siluer and euery Table had before it a cloth of Damaske downe to the ground On the Tables was neither cloth nor napkins as well because the Tables were very fine as because they eate so cleanly that they need none of these things the fruit was set along the edges of euery Table all set in order which was rosted Chesnuts and peeled and Nuts cracked and shaled and sugar Canes cleane and cut in slices and the fruit we spake of before called Lichias great and small but they were dried All the fruit was set in small heapes like Turrets very well made crossed betweene with certayne small sticks very neat whereby all the Tables round about with these little Turrets were very fairly adorned Presently after the fruit were all the seruices placed in fine Porcelan dishes all very well dressed and neatly carued and euery thing set in good order and although the dishes were set one ouer another all were so finely set in such sort that he which sate at the Table might eate what he would without any need of stirring or remouing any of them and presently there were two small sticks very fine and gilt for to eate with holding them betweene the fingers they vse them in stead of a paire of Pincers so that they touch nothing of that which is on the board with their hand yea though they eate a dish of Rice they doe it with those sticks without any graine of the Rice falling and because they eate so cleanly not touching with the hand their meate they haue no need of cloth or napkins all comes carued and well ordered to the Table They haue also a very small Porcelan cup gilt which holdeth a mouth full of wine and onely for this there is a Waighter at the Table they drinke so little that at euery bit they must haue the cup and therefore it is so small There are some Chinaes that weare very long nailes of halfe a quarter and a quarter long which they keepe very cleane and these
so escapeth that day may be sure that he shall not be put to death all that yeare following and so remayneth at the Kings charges in the greater Prison In that Prison where wee lay were alwayes one hundred and moe of these condemned persons besides them that lay in other Prisons These Prisons wherein the condemned captiues doe remayne are so strong that it hath not beene heard that any Prisoner in all China hath escaped out of Prison for indeed it is a thing impossible The Prisons are thus builded First all the place is mightily walled about the wals be very strong and high the gate of no lesse force within it three other gates before you come where the Prisoners doe lye there many great Lodgings are to be seene of the Louteas Notaries Parthions that is such as doe there keepe watch and ward day and night the Court large and paued on the one side whereof standeth a Prison with two mighty gates wherein are kept such Prisoners as haue committed enormious offences This Prison is so great that in it are streets and Market places wherein all things necessary are sold. Yea some Prisoners liue by that kind of Trade buying and selling and letting out beds to hire some are daily sent to Prison some daily deliuered wherefore this place is neuer voyd of seuen or eight hundred men that goe at libertie Into one other Prison of condemned persons shall you goe at three Iron gates the Court paued and vaulted round about and open aboue as it were a Cloyster In this Cloyster bee eight Roomes with Iâ—on Doores and in each of them a large Gallerie wherein euery night the Prisoners doe lye at length their feet in the stockes their bodies hampered in huge woodden grates that keepe them from sitting so that they lye as it were in a Cage sleepe if they can in the morning they are loosed againe that they may goe into the Court. Notwithstanding the strength of this Prison it is kept with a Garrison of men part whereof watch within the House part of them in the Court some keepe about the Prison with Lanthornes and Watch-bels answering one another fiue times euery night and giuing warning so lowde that the Loutea resting in a Chamber not neere thereunto may heare them In these Prisons of condemned persons remayne some fifteene other twentie yeares imprisoned not executed for the loue of their honourable Friends that seeke to prolong their liues Many of these Prisoners bee Shoomakers and haue from the King a certayne allowance of Rice some of them worke for the Keeper who suffereth them to goe at libertie without fetters and boards the better to worke Howbeit when the Loutea calleth his Checke Roll and with the Keeper vieweth them they all weare their Liueries that is boards at their neckes Ironed hand and foote When any of these Prisoners dyeth he is to bee seene of the Loutea and Notaries brought out at a gate so narrow that there can but one be drawne out there at once The Prisoner beeing brought forth one of the aforesaid Parthians striketh him thrice on the head with an Iron fledge that done hee is deliuered vnto his friends if hee haue any otherwise the King hireth men to carrie him to his buriall in the fields Thus Adulterers and Theeues are vsed Such as be imprisoned for Debt once knowne lye there vntill it be paid The Taissu or Loutea calleth them many times before him by the vertue of his Office who vnderstanding the cause wherefore they doe not pay their Debts appointeth them a certaine time to doe it within the compasse whereof if they discharge not their Debts beeing Debters indeed then they be whipped and condemned to perpetuall Imprisonment if the Creditors be many and one is to be paid before another they doe contrary to our manner pay him first of whom they last borrowed and so ordinarily the rest in such sort that the first Lender be the last Receiuer The same order is kept in paying Legacies the last named receiueth his portion first When I said that such as be committed to Prison for Theft and Murther were judged by the Court I meant not them that were apprehended in the deed doing for they need no tryall but are brought immediately before the Tutan who out of hand giueth sentence Other not taken so openly and doe need tryall are the Malefactors put to execution once a yeare in the chiefe Cities to keepe in awe the people or condemned doe remayne in Prison looking for their day Theeues being taken are carried to Prison from one place to another in a Chest vpon mens shoulders hired therefore by the King the Chest is sixe handfuls high the Prisoner sitteth therein vpon a bench the couer of the Chest is two boards amidst them both a Pillory-like hole for the Prisoner his necke there sitteth he with his head without the Chest and the rest of his bodie within not able to moue or turne his head this way or that way nor to plucke it in the necessities of nature he voideth at a hole in the bottome of the Chest the meate he eateth is put into his mouth by others There abideth he day and night during his whole Iourney if happily his Porters stumble or the Chest doe jogge or be set downe carelesly it turneth to his great paines that sitteth therein all such motions being vnto him hanging as it were Thus were our companions carried from Cinceo seuen dayes journey neuer taking any rest as afterward they told vs and their greatest griefe was to stay by the way as soone as they came beeing taken out of the Chests they were not able to stand on their feet and two of them dyed shortly after When we lay in prison at Fuquico we came many times abroad and were brought to the Palaces of Noble men to be seene of them and their wiues for that they had neuer seene any Portugall before Many things they asked vs of our Countrey and our fashions and did write euery thing for they be curious in nouelties aboue measure The Gentlemen shew great curtesie vnto strangers and so did we finde at their hands and because that many times we were brought abroad into the Citie somwhat will I say of such things as I did see therein being a gallant Citie and chiefe in one of the thirteene shires afore-said The Citie Fuquico is very great and mightly walled with square stone both within and without and as it may seeme by the breadth thereof filled vp in the middle with Earth laid ouer with Bricke and couered with Tyle and after the manner of Porches or Galleries that one might dwell therein The stayres they vse are so easily made that one may goe them vp and downe a Horse-backe as eftsoones they doe the streets are paued as alreadie it hath beene said there bee a great number of Merchants euery one hath written in a great Table at his doore such things as hee hath to
be ashoare and because the ship rid too farre off they weighed and stood as neere to the place where the Fowle bred as they could and because I was lame I was to go in the Boat to carrie such things as I had in the Cabbin of euery thing somewhat and so with more haste then good speed and not without swearing away we went Henry Greene William Wilson Iohn Thomas Michael Perse Andrew Moter and my selfe When we came neere the shoare the people were on the Hils dancing and leaping to the Coue we came where they had drawne vp their Boates wee brought our Boate to the East side of the Coue close to the Rockes Ashoare they went and made fast the Boat to a great stone on the shoare the people came and euery one had somewhat in his hand to barter but Henry Greene swore they should haue nothing till he had Venison for that they had so promised him by signes Now when we came they made signes to their Dogges whereof there were many like Mongrels as bigge as Hounds and pointed to their Mountaine and to the Sunne clapping their hands Then Henry Greene Iohn Thomas and William Wilson stood hard by the Boate head Michael Perse and Andrew Moter were got vp vpon the Rocke a gathering of Sorrell not one of them had any weapon about him not so much as a sticke saue Henry Greene only who had a piece of a Pike in his hand nor saw I any thing that they had wherewith to hurt vs. Henry Greene and William Wilson had Looking-glasses and Iewes Trumps and Bels which they were shewing the people The Sauages standing round about them one of them came into the Boats head to me to shew me a Bottle I made signes to him to get him ashoare but he made as though he had not vnderstood me whereupon I stood vp and pointed him ashoare In the meane-time another stole behind me to the sterne of the Boat and when I saw him ashoare that was in the head of the Boat I sate downe againe but suddenly I saw the legge and foote of a man by mee Wherefore I cast vp my head and saw the Sauage with his Knife in his hand who strooke at my brest ouer my head I cast vp my right arme to saue my brest he wounded my arme and strooke me into the bodie vnder my right Pappe He strooke a second blow which I met with my left hand and then he strooke me into the right thigh and had like to haue cut off my little finger of the left hand Now I had got hold of the string of the Knife and had woond it about my left hand he striuing with both his hands to make an end of that he had begunne I found him but weake in the gripe God enabling me and getting hold of the sleeue of his left arme so bare him from me His left side lay bare to me which when I saw I put his sleeue off his left arme into my left hand holding the string of the Knife fast in the same hand and hauing got my right hand at libertie I sought for somewhat wherewith to strike him not remembring my Dagger at my side but looking downe I saw it and therewith strooke him into the bodie and the throate Whiles I was thus assaulted in the Boat our men were set vpon on the shoare Iohn Thomas and William Wilson had their bowels cut and Michael Perse and Henry Greene being mortally wounded came tumbling into the Boat together When Andrew Moter saw this medley hee came running downe the Rockes and leaped into the Sea and so swamme to the Boat hanging on the sterne thereof till Michael Perse tooke him in who manfully made good the head of the Boat against the Sauages that pressed sore vpon vs. Now Michael Perse had got an Hatchet wherewith I saw him strike one of them that he lay sprawling in the Sea Henry Greene crieth Coragio and layeth about him with his Truncheon I cryed to them to cleere the Boat and Andrew Moter cryed to bee taken in the Sauages betooke them to their Bowes and Arrowes which they sent amongst vs wherewith Henry Greene was slaine out-right and Michael Perse receiued may wounds and so did the rest Michael Perse cleereth the Boate and puts it from the shoare and helpeth Andrew Moter in but in turning of the Boat I receiued a cruell wound in my backe with an Arrow Michael Perse and Andrew Moter rowed the Boate away which when the Sauages saw they ranne to their Boats and I feared they would haue launched them to haue followed vs but they did not and our ship was in the middle of the channell and could not see vs. Now when they had rowed a good way from the shoare Michael Perse fainted and could row no more then was Andrew Moter driuen to stand in the Boat head and waft to the ship which at the first saw vs not and when they did they could not tel what to make of vs but in the end they stood for vs and so tooke vs vp Henry Greene was throwne out of the Boat into the Sea and the rest were had aboard the Sauage being yet aliue yet without sense But they died all there that day William Wilson swearing and cursing in most fearefull manner Michael Perse liued two dayes after and then died Thus you haue heard the Tragicall end of Henry Greene and his Mates whom they called Captaine these foure being the only lustie men in all the ship The poore number that was left were to ply our ship too and fro in the mouth of the streight for there was no place to anchor in neere hand besides they were to goe in the Boate to kill Fowle to bring vs home which they did although with danger to vs all For if the wind blew there was an high Sea and the eddies of the Tydes would carrie the ship so neere the Rockes as it feared our Master for so I will now call him After they had killed some two hundred Fowle with great labour on the South Cape wee stood to the East but when wee were sixe or seuen leagues from the Capes the wind came vp at East Then wee stood backe to the Capes againe and killed an hundred Fowle more After this the wind came to the West so wee were driuen to goe away and then our Master stood for the most along by the North shoare till he fell into broken ground about the Queenes Fore-land and there anchored From thence wee went to Gods Mercies and from thence to those Ilands which lye in the mouth of our Streight not seeing the Lâ—nd till we were readie to runne our Bosprite against the Rockes in a fogge But it cleered a little and then we might see our selues inclosed with Rockie Ilands and could find no ground to anchor in There our Master lay atrie all night and the next day the fogge continuing they sought for ground to anchor
ballast enough in her for there was twelue tunnes of Hides which were the chiefest cause of the losse of the ship and nine tunnes of Oyle and aboue seuen tunnes of ballast a Hogshead and a Barrell of Teeth besides halfe a tunne of stones all which was about nine and twentie tunne weight and to any vnpartiall mans judgement sufficient to shift a Barke of sixtie tunnes But as the last But went out of her the ship began to held and with all a great many men went to leeward there being at that time aboue â—orty aboard Then the hides which lay in hold slid to leeward and brought her altogether downe then euery man made shift to saue his life and I being farre from the hatches could not get vp so soone as others did At which time I saw death before mine eyes two wayes one if I stayed in hold I was sure to be drowned the other if I went vp the hatches I was in election to be slaine for downe at the hatches fell hogsheads of beere and diuers other things the least of them being sufficient to beate a mans bones and in attempting to get vp I was beaten downe twice and hurt But it was not the will of God to take my life from mee then but to reuiue me to plucke me euen from the jawes of death and by swimming and crawling I got into the Sea cleere of the ship where a Boat tooke me vp and blessed bee God no man perished at that so dangerous an accident We being all got into three Boats went to the Hull ship where we found but small comfort for Duke told vs plainly wee should not come aboard his ship and caused Pikes and Launces to bee brought to keepe vs out Then Master Edge and diuers others desired him to let mee come aboard which hee did and with much adoe I got aboard hauing mine head broke to the skull and my brow that one might see the bare bones and by mine eare I had a sore wound likewise the ribs on my right side were all broken and sore bruised and the collar bone of my left shoulder is broken besides my backe was so sore that I could not suffer any man to touch it That which followeth being further accusation of Marmaduke is omitted And I haue here added out of his Brother Randolph Poole their returne omitting the former part of his Relations of the same Voyage In this our great distresse Thomas Marmaduke Master of the shippe of Hull professed great kindnesse towards vs promising vs passage and that he would try if he could recouer our ship but hee deferred the time one whole weeke till shee was full of oze so that when wee came to weigh her both her Cables burst and so we left her to all our sorrowes without hope of recouerie Then we went aboard the ship of Hull which God had prepared for our succour where our Merchant agreeing for the fraight we got the goods aboard namely about twentie or one and twentie tunnes and an halfe of Oyle and a Barrell of Beares Oyle about tenne tunnes of Whales Finnes bound vp in an hundred and sixe bundels in euery one thirtie Finnes and in some more fiue Hogsheads of Morses Teeth and one and twentie odde paire And if our ship had not miscarried the Voyage had beene much better The nineteenth of August we directed our course for England the weather being reasonable faire and the wind for the most part betwixt the North and the West and wee continued our course homeward all that moneth Vpon Tuesday the third of September about two of the clocke in the morning we were imbayed with land and were neere the shoare before we were aware Wee steered backe North and by East and at twelue of the clocke we found our selues to be on the West side of the Iles of Orkney and steered East into a great sound called Pentlow Fryth where wee beeing entred there came a Boat from the shoare which brought vs fresh meat and one of the men directed vs through the Sound This Sound lyeth in the latitude of 58. degrees and 36. minutes and the course through is East North-east and West South-west it floweth there on the change day South South-east and North North-west halfe a tyde nine foote high or thereabout At the entrance in on the North side there is an high red Mountayne and the Sound there is twelue miles ouer but farther in the land is somewhat lower and the Sound narrower You may sayle along the North shoare two miles off the land in fortie or fiftie fathomes and on the said shoare about foure miles East South-east From the red Cliffe there is a Bay into which you may steere North by West giuing the West point of the entrance into the said Bay a good birth for there the water is shoald and fowle ground but in the middle of the entrance 30.20.18.12.10.6 and 5. fathomes but wee anchored in 10. fathomes fine sandie ground The fift of September at an East South-east Sunne wee set sayle keeping our course aboue mentioned leauing fiue small Ilands on our larboord side and one Iland on our starboord side and so keeping an high Cliffe which lyeth into the Sea on Scotland side open of a low Land in the sound on the same shoare we sayled out as before is said Vpon the 〈◊〉 day at a North Sunne we anchored in Humber mouth there it floweth on the change day West South-west Vpon the eight day we arriued at Hull safely and well in body but much distressed and impayred in our states which God at his good pleasure can restore At our first comming to this Country of Greenland the Mountaynes and Valleyes thereof except it were some few places were all couered with snow but ere we went away the tops of the high Hils and the lower Plaines appeared greene with Mosse and some little quantitie of grasse This Countrey and likewise the seas in these parts are subiect to maruellous thicke and mistie weather especially when the sunne with his most forcible heat melteth the Ice and snow whose vapours obscure the light of the sunne making small difference betweene the day there and the irkesome night in other places We found in this Countrey many fat Deere which we killed with our Peeces and Dogges at our pleasure which was a great refreshing to vs in that vnquoth place many white Beares with white grey and dunne Foxes We found also abundance of Fowle namely Culâ—idines sea Pidgeons white land Partridges wild Geese Willockes and many other Fowles Among which I noted the nature of one which we called an Allâ—n who like to the great fishes which eate vp the small or like to some great men which deuoure all the labours of the poore when some smaller Birds haue gotten any thing then he leaueth not beating of them till they haue cast vp what they haue eaten which he laying hold of deuoureth vp and so with little meate in
destructions of their fellowes besides what hee got in Siberia and from the Pole Sweden Prussian extending his Conquests East West North and South yea his memorie is sauourie still to the Russians which either of their seruile disposition needing such a bridle and whip or for his long and prosperous reigne or out of distaste of later tragedies hold him in little lesse reputation as some haue out of their experience instructed me then a Saint His loue to our Nation is magnified by our Countrimen with all thankfulnesse whose gaineâ— there begun by him haue made them also in some sort seeme to turne Russe in I know what loues or feares as if they were still shut vp in Russia to conceale whatsoeuer they know of Russian occurrents that I haue sustayned no small torture with great paines of body vexation of minde and triall of potent interceding friends to get but neglect and silence from some yea almost contempt and scorne They alledge their thankfulnesse for benefits receiued from that Nation and their feare of the Dutch readie to take aduantage thereof and by calumniations from hence to interuert their Trade This for loue to my Nation I haue inserted against any Cauillers of our Russe Merchants though I must needs professe that I distaste and almost detest that call it what you will of Merchants to neglect Gods glorie in his prouidence and the Worlds instruction from their knowledge who while they will conceale the Russians Faults will tell nothing of their Facts and whiles they will be silent in mysteries of State will reueale nothing of the histories of Fact and that in so perplexed diuersified chances and changes as seldome the World hath in so short a space seene on one Scene Whiles therefore they which seeme to know most will in these Russian Relations helpe me little or nothing except to labour and frustrated hopes I haue besides much conference with eye witnesses made bold with others in such books as in diuers languages I haue read and in such Letters and written Tractates as I could procure of my friends or found with Master Hakluyt as in other parts of our storie not seeking any whit to disgrace that Nation or their Princes but onely desiring that truth of things done may bee knowne and such memorable alterations may not passe as a dreame or bee buried with the Doers Sir Ierome Horsey shall leade you from Iuans Graue to Pheodores Coronation The most solemne and magnificent coronation of PHEODOR IVANOVVICH Emperour of Russia c. the tenth of Iune in the yeare 1584. seene and obserued by Master IEROM HORSEY Gentleman and seruant to her Maiestie WHen the old Emperor Iuan Vasilowich died being about the eighteeenth of April 1584. after our computation in the Citie of Mosco hauing raigned fiftie foure yeares there was some tumult vprore among some of the Nobilitie and Comminaltie which notwithstanding was quickly pacified Immediately the same night the Prince Boris Pheodorowich Godonoua Knez Iuon Pheodorowich Mesthis Slafsky Knez Iuan Petrowich Susky Mekita Romanowich and Bodan Iacoulewich Belskoy being all noble men and chiefest in the Emperours Will especially the Lord Boris whom he adopted as his third son and was brother to the Empresse who was a man very well liked of all estates as no lesse worthy for his valour and wisedome all these were appointed to dispose and settle his Sonne Pheodor Iuanowich hauing one sworne another and all the Nobilitie and Officers whosoeuer In the morning the dead Emperour was laid into the Church of Michael the Archangell into a hewen Sepulchre very richly decked with Vestures fit for such a purpose and present Proclamation was made Emperour Pheodor Iuanowich of all Russia c. Throughout all the Citie of Mosco was great watch and ward with Souldiors and Gunners good orders established and Officers placed to subdue the tumulters and maintaine quietnesse to see what speede and policie was in this case vsed was a thing worth the beholding This being done in Mosco great men of birth and accompt were also presently sent to the bordering Townes as Smolensko Vobsko Kasan Nouogorod c. with fresh garrison and the old sent vp As vpon the fourth of May a Parliament was held wherein were assembled the Metropolitane Archbishops Bishops Priors and chiefe Clergie men and all the Nobility whatsoeuer where many matters were determined not pertinent to my purpose yet all tended to a new reformation in the gouernement but especially the terme and time was agreed vpon for the solemnizing of the new Emperours coronation In the meane time the Empresse wife to the old Emperour was with her childe the Emperours son Charlewich Demetrie Iuanowich of one yeares age or there abouts sent with her Father Pheodor Pheodorowich Nagay and that kindred being fiue brothers to a towne called Ouglets which was giuen vnto her and the yong Prince her sonne with all the Lands belonging to it in the shire with officers of all sorts appointed hauing allowance of apparell iewels diet horse c. in ample manner belonging to the estate of a Princesse The time of mourning after their vse being expired called Sorachyn or fortie orderly dayes the day of the solemnizing of this coronation with great preparations was come being vpon the tenth day of Iune 1584. and that day then Sunday he being of the age of twenty fiue years at which time Master Ierom Horsey was orderly sent for and placed in a fit roome to see all the solemnity The Emperour comming out of his Pallace there went before him the Metropolitane Archbishops Bishops and chiefest Monkes and Clergie men with very rich Coapes and Priests garments vpon them carrying pictures of our Lady c. with the Emperors Angell banners censers and many other such ceremonious things singing all the way The Emperour with his nobility in order entred the Church named Blaueshina or Blessednes where prayers and seruice were vsed according to the manner of their Church that done they went thence to the Church called Michael the Archangell and there also vsed the like prayers and seruice and from thence to our Lady Church Prechista being their Cathedrall Church In the middest thereof was a chaire of maiestie placed wherein his Ancestors vsed to sit at such extraordinary times his roabes were then changed and most rich and vnualuable garments put on him being placed in this Princely seate his nobilitie standing round about them in their degrees his imperiall Crowne was set vpon his head by the Metropolitane his Scepter globe in his right hand his sword of Iustice in his left of great riches his six crowns also by which he holdeth his Kingdomes were set before him and the Lord Boris Pheodorowich was placed at his right hand then the Metropolitan read openly a booke of a small volume with exhortations to the Emperour to minister true Iustice to inioy with tranquility the Crowne of his ancestours which God had giuen him and vsed these
steered away North North-west and North-west and by North. This Euening about fiue a clocke I set the Annold it bearing West halfe Northerly three leagues and an halfe All this Euening wee stood away North-west and by North. The thirtieth day the wind at East South-east wee steering as before this morning about sixe a clocke the Lesold bore West and by North of vs sixe leagues off At fiue this Euening the Scaw bearing West South-west fiue leagues I directed my course West North-west with the wind at North-east and by East The one and thirtieth in the morning very hasie weather with a stiffe gale at East North-East we steering West North-west away till about nine a clocke when we had a shrinke of the Land which was the wâ—ster gate of Mardo we steering alongst the Land Wee came to an anchor in Flecorie where we were to make and take in wood and water The second of Iune we weighed and came forth of the Harbour of Flecorie about sixe in the morning hauing a fresh gale at East North-east About eleuen at noone I set the Nase of Norway it bearing North North-west foure leagues off The fourth day in the morning about two a clock we were faire by the high Land of the Yeddoe I causing to cast about stood to the South-wards West and by South and sometimes West This day at noone I found my selfe in the latitude of 57. degrees 45. minutes the Nase of Norway bearing East North-east two and twentie leagues off This day at noone also I cast about and stood to the Northwards lying North with the stemme hauing the winde at North North-west This afternoone dyed one of our Groinlanders called Oxo All this euening and the night following the winde as before we lying also North with little winde The seuenth day the winde at South-west and by South and South South-west we steering West and West and by North. This day at noone we were in the latitude of 58. degrees 40. minutes The tenth day about foure in the morning it began to blow a fresh gale at East and by South at which time we stood alongst the Land to the Southward till I had brought the South Head of Shotland called Swinborne Head North-west and by North about three leagues off and Faire Ile next hand South-west and by South eight leagues off at which time I directed my course away West with a fresh gale at East South-east about halfe an houre to three I set the South head of Shotland it bearing North-east eight leagues off Faire Ile next hand South-east seuen leagues off foule next hand North foure leagues wee still steering away West with a fresh gale at East South-east All this afternoone and the night following it was very thicke and raynie weather the winde continuing as before This night at midnight dyed the Groenlander which we had aboord vs named Omeg The fourteenth day the winde as the night before a faire gale we steering as we did before with haysie weather hauing a shrinke at noone I found vs in the latitude of 58. degrees 40. minutes hauing made a West and by South way Southerly two and thirtie leagues differing to the Westward from the Meridian of the Nase 19. degrees 45. minutes This afternoone we had a faire gale at South-east with thicke weather we steering away West The fifteenth day the winde as before we steering away West being by my imagination in the latitude of 58. degrees 40. minutes The three and twentieth day the winde at the North-east a faire gale we steering betweene the West North-west and the West and by North being at noone in the latitude of 56. degrees 10. minutes hauing by reason of a Northerly current contrarie to my expectation made a West way Southerly two and twentie leagues The Compasse also as I doe suppose being varied more then a Point to the westwards The first of Iuly wee saw Land being eight leagues off with a great banke of Ice lying off South-west wee setting our tacks aboord laid off East and by South and East South-east to double the same about two a clocke hauing doubled the same wee went away West and by South all this euening and night following This Land I did suppose to be Busse Iland it lying more to the Westwards then it is placed in the Marine Charts The second day thicke weather with the winde at North North-west we steering West and by North. This afternoone we were in a great Current setting South South-west The which I did suppose to set betweene Busse Iland and Freseland ouer with America wee steering West North-west with a faire gale at North. This night about nine a clocke the Pinnasse came foule of the Vice-admirall where with her anchor shee tore out about a foot of a planke a little aboue water and broke downe the beakes head The sixth making obseruation I found vs in the latitude of 58. degrees 50. minutes contrarie to my expectation whereby I did see the Southerly Current to bee the principall cause The seuenth day the winde at North and by East we lying West North-west being at noone in the latitude of 59. degrees 40. minutes our way North-west two and twentie leagues This euening I found the North Point of the Compasse to be varied 12. degrees 5. minutes to the Westward of the true North. The eight day the winde came vp more Southerly betweene the South-west and the South-west and by West with an easie gale we steering away North-west and by West being at noone in the latitude of 59. degrees 30. minutes hauing by reason of the Current and Variation made a West way Southerly about ten leagues The ninth day close weather it being calme all the forenoone wee perceiuing by our ships which lay becalmed a violent Current setting South-west This day at noone we were in the latitude of 59. degrees 40. minutes The tenth about foure in the morning the winde came vp to the North North-west I casting about stood to the Westwards lying West with the stemme being in the latitude of 60. degrees 16. minutes We saw the coast of America about nine leagues off at which time I made obseruation of the variation and found the Needle varie 24. degrees to the Westwards of the true North. The Hill tops were couered with snow and the shoare to the Northwards full with Ice but to the Southwards it seemed cleere Here I found a great Current to set West into the shoare which about midnight did bring vs to bee incumbred with very many Ilands of Ice hauing much to doe to get cleere off the same without danger but by Gods helpe it being faire weather with a fresh gale at South-west wee got cleere off the same standing East South-east and South-east and by East The fourteenth in the morning being cleere of the Ice I went away East North-east and North-east and by East till eight a clocke when I directed
a King or Lord of some towne they offered him slaues to be put to death with him to the end they might serue him in the other world They likewise put to death his Priest or Chaplaine for euery Nobleman had a Priest which administred these ceremonies within his house and then they called him that he might execute his office with the dead They likewise killed his Cook his Butler his Dwarfes and deformed men by whom he was most serued neither did they spare the very brothers of the dead who had most serued them for it was a greatnesse amongst the Noblemen to be serued by their brethren and the rest Finally they put to death all of his traine for the entertaining of his house in the other world and lest pouerty should oppresse them they buried with them much wealth as Gold Siluer Stones Curtins of exquisite worke Bracelets of Gold and other rich peeces And if they burned the dead they vsed the like with all his Seruants and ornaments they gaue him for the other world Then tooke they all the ashes they buried with very great solemnity The obsequies continued tenne dayes with songs of plaints and lamentations and the Priests carried away the dead with so many ceremonies and in so great number as they could scarce accompt them To the Captaines and Noblemen they gaue trophees and markes of honour according to their enterprises and valor imployed in the wars and gouernments for this effect they had armes and particular blasons They carried these markes or blazons to the place where he desired to be buried or burnt marching before the body and accompanying it as it were in procession where the Priests and officers of the Temple went with diuers furnitures and ornaments some casting incense others singing and some sounding of mournfull Flutes and Drums which did much increase the sorrow of his kinsfolkes and subiects The Priest who did the office was decked with the markes of the Idoll which the Nobleman had represented for all Noblemen did represent Idols and carried the name of some one and for this occasion they were esteemed and honoured The order of Knighthood did commonly carry these foresaid markes He that should be burnt being brought to the place appointed they inuironed him with wood of Pine trees and all his baggage then set they fire vnto it increasing it still with goomie wood vntill that all were conuerted into ashes then came there forth a Priest attired like a Deuil hauing mouthes vpon euery ioynt of him and many eyes of glasse holding a great staffe with the which he did mingle all the ashes very boldly and with so terrible a gesture as he terrified all the assistants Sometimes this Minister had other different habits according to the quality of the dead There hath beene great curiosity at the Indies in making of Idols and Pictures of diuers formes and matters which they worshipped for Gods and in Peru they called them Guacas being commonly of foule and deformed beasts at the least such as I haue seene were so I beleeue verily that the Deuill in whose honour they made these Idols was pleased to cause himselfe to be worshipped in these deformities and in truth it was found so that the Deuill spake and answered many of these Guacas or Idols and his Priests and Ministers came to these Oracles of the father of lies and such as he is such were his Counsels and Prophesies In the Prouinces of New Spaine Mexico Tescuco Tlascalla Cholula and in the neighbour Countries to this Realme this kinde of Idolatry hath beene more practised than in any other Realme of the world And it is a prodigious thing to heare the superstitions rehearsed that they haue vsed in that point of the which it shall not be vnpleasant to speake something The chiefest Idoll of Mexico was as I haue said Vitâ—iliputzli It was an image of wood like to a man set vpon a stoole of the color of azure in a brankard or litter at euery corner was a piece of wood in forme of a Serpents head The stoole signified that he was set in heauen this Idoll had all the forehead Azure and had a band of Azure vnder the nose from one eare to another vpon his head he had a rich plume of Feathers like to the beake of a small Bird the which was couered on the top with Gold burnished very browne he had in his left hand a white Target with the figures of fiue pine Apples made of white Feathers set in a crosse and from aboue issued forth a crest of gold and at his sides he had foure darts which the Mexicans say had beene sent from heauen to doe those acts and prowesses which shall be spoken of In his right hand he had an Azured staffe cut in fashion of a wauing snake All these ornaments with the rest he had carried this sence as the Mexicans doe shew the name of Vitziliputzli signifies the left hand of a shining Feather I will speake hereafter of the proud Temple the Sacrifices Feasts and Ceremonies of this great Idoll being very notable things But at this present we will onely shew that this Idoll thus richly apparelled and deckt was set vpon an high Altar in a small peece or boxe well couered with linnen cloathes Iewels Feathers and ornaments of Gold with many runâ—les of Feathers the fairest and most exquisite that could be found he had alwaies a curtaine before him for the greater veneration Ioyning to the chamber or chappell of this Idoll there was a peece of lesse worke and not so well beautified where there was another Idoll they called Tlaloc These two Idols were alwaies together for that they held them as companions and of equall power There was another Idoll in Mexico much esteemed which was the god of repentance and of Iubilies and pardons for their sinnes They called this Idoll Tezcallipuca he was made of a blacke shining stone like to Iayel being attired with some Gentile deuises after their manner it had earerings of gold and siluer and through the nether lip a small canon of Christall in length halfe a foote in the which they sometimes put a greene feather and sometimes an azured which made it resemble sometimes an Emerald and sometimes a Turquois it had the haire broided and bound vp with a haire-lace of gold burnished at the end whereof did hang an â—aâ—e of gold with two firebrands of smoake painted therein which did signifie the praiers of the afflicted and sinners that he heard when they recommended themselues vnto him Betwixt the two eares hanged a number of small herons He had a Iewell hanging at his necke so great that it couered all his stomacke vpon his armes bracelets of Gold at his nauill a rich greene stone and in his left hand a â—aâ—ne of precious Feathers of Greene Azure and Yellow which came forth of a Looking-glasse of Gold shining and well burnished and that signified that within this Looking-glasse he saw
whatsoeuer was done in the world They called this Glasse or Chaston of gold Irâ—â—ichâ—aya which signifies his Glasse for to looke in In his right hand be held foure darts which signified the chastisement he gaue to the wicked for their sinnes And therefore they feared this Idoll most least he should discouer their faults and offences At his feast they had pardon of their sinnes which was made euery foure yeares as shall be declared hereafter They held this Idoll Tescatlipuca for the god of drought of famine barrennesse and pestilence And therefore they painted him in another forme being set in great maiesty vpon a stoole compassed in with a red Curtin painted and wrought with the heads and bones of dead men In the left hand it had a Target with fiue Pines like vnto pine Apples of Cotton and in the right a little dare with a threatning countenance and the arme stretcht out as if he would cast it and from the Target came foure darts It had the countenance of an angry man and in choller the body all painted blacke and the head full of Quailes feathers They vsed great superstition to this Idoll for the feare they had of it In Choluâ—a which is a Commonwealth of Mexico they worshipt a famous Idoll which was the god of Merchandise being to this day greatly giuen to trafficke They called it Quetzaalcoalt This Idoll was in a great place in a Temple very high it had about it Gold Siluer Iewels very rich Feathers and habits of diuers colours It had the forme of a man but the visage of a little Bird with a red bill and aboue a combe full of warts hauing rankes of teeth and the tongue hanging out It carried vpon the head a pointed myter of painted paper a sithe in the hand and many toyes of gold on the legges with a thousand other foolish inuentions whereof all had their significations and they worshipt it for that he enriched whom he pleased as Memnon and Plutus In truth this name which the Choâ—uanos gaue to their god was very fit although they vnderstood it not they called it Quetzaalcoalt signifying colour of a rich Feather for such is the deuill of couetousnesse These barbarous people contented not themselues to haue gods onely but they had goddesses also as the Fables of Poets haue brought in and the blinde gentility of the Greekes and Romans worshipt them The chiefe goddesse they worshipt was called Tozi which is to say our Grandmother who as the Histories of Mexico report was daughter to the King of Culhuacan who was the first they stayed by the commandement of Vitzliputzli whom they sacrificed in this sort being his sister and then they began to stay men in their sacrifices and to clothe the liuing with the skins of the sacrificed hauing learned that their gods were pleased therwithas also to pul the hearts out of them they sacrificed which they learned of their god who pulled out the hearts of such as he punished in Tulla as shall be said in his place One of these goddesses they worshipt had a son who was a great hunter whom they of Tlascalla afterwards tooke for a god and those were enemies to the Mexicans by whose aide the Spaniards won Mexico The Prouince of Tlascalla is very fit for hunting and the people are much giuen therunto They therfore made a great feast vnto this Idoll whom they painted of such a forme as it is not now needfull to loose any time in the description thereof The feast they made was pleasant and in this sort They sounded a Trumpet at the breake of day at the sound whereof they all assembled with their Bowes Arrows Nets and other instruments for hunting then they went in procession with their Idoll being followed by a great number of people to a high Mountaine vpon the top whereof they had made a bower of leaues and in the middest thereof an Altar richly deckt where-vpon they placed the Idoll They marched with a great bruit of Trumpets Cornets Flutes Drums and being come vnto the place they inuironed this Mountain on all sides putting fire to it on all parts by meanes whereof many beasts flew forth as Stags Conies Hares Foxes and Woolues which went to the top flying from the fire These hunters followed after with great cries and noise of diuers instruments hunting them to the top before the Idoll whither fled such a number of beasts in so great a presse that they leaped one vpon another vpon the people and vpon the Altar wherein they tooke great delight Then tooke they a great number of these beasts and sacrificed them before the Idoll as Stagges and other great beasts pulling out their hearts as they vse in the sacrifice of men and with the like ceremony which done they tooke all their prey vpon their shoulders and retired with their Idoll in the same manner as they came and entered the City laden with all these things very ioyfull with great store of musick Trumpets and Drums vntill they came to the Temple where they placed their Idoll with great reuerence and solemnity They presently went to prepare their venison wherewith they made a banquet to all the people and after dinner they made their playes representations and dances before the Idoll They had a grâ—at number of other Idols of gods and goddesses but the chiefe were of the Mexican Nation and the neighbour people as is said AS we haue said that the Kings Inguas of Peru caused Images to be made to their likenesse which they called their Guacos or brothers causing them for to be honored like themselues euen so the Mexicans haue done of their gods which was in this sort They tooke a captiue such as they thought good afore they did sacrifice vnto him their Idols they gaue him the name of the Idoll to whom he should be sacrificed and apparelled him with the same ornaments like their Idoll saying that he did represent the same Idoll And during the time that this representation lasted which was for a yeare in some Feasts in others six moneths and in others lesse they reuerenced and worshipped him in the same manner as the proper Idoll and in the meane time he did eate drinke and was merry When he went through the streetes the people came forth to worship him and euery one brought him an almes with children and sicke folkes that he might cure them and blesse them suffering him to doe all things at his pleasure onely he was accompanied with ten or twelue men lest he should flye And he to the end he might be reuerenced as he passed sometimes sounded vpon a small Flute that the people might prepare to worship him The feast being come and he growne fat they killed him opened him and eate him making a solemne sacrifice of him It followes that we treatâ— of their Religion or rather Superstition which they vse in their Sacrifices Temples Ceremonies and the rest That
Idol-temple I found the Priests of the said Idols there For alwaies at the Kalends they set open their Temples and the Priests adorne themselues and offer vp the peoples Oblations of Bread and Fruits First therefore I will describe vnto you those rites and ceremonies which are common vnto all their Idol-temples and then the superstitions of the foresaid Iugures which be as it were a sect distinguished from the rest They doe all of them worship towards the North clapping their hands together and prostrating themselues on their knees vpon the earth holding also their foreheads in their hands Whereupon the Nestorians of those parts will in no case ioyne their hands together in time of prayer but they pray displaying their hands before their breasts They extend their Temples in length East and West and vpon the North side they build a Chamber in manner of a Vestrie for them selues to goe forth into Or sometimes it is otherwise If it be a foure square Temple in the midst of the Temple towards the North side thereof they take in one Chamber in that place where the Quire should stand And within the said Chamber they place a Chest long and broade like vnto a Table and behind the said Chest towards the South stands their principall Idoll which I saw at Caracarum and it was as big as the Idoll of Saint Christopher Also a certaine Nestorian Priest which had beene in Catay said that in that Countrey there is an Idoll of so huge a bignesse that it may be seene two daies iourney before a man come at it And so they place other Idols round about the foresaid principall Idoll being all of them finely gilt ouer with pure gold and vpon the said Chest which is in manner of a Table they set Candles and Oblations The doores of their Temples are alwaies open towards the South contrary to the customes of the Saracens They haue also great Bels like vnto vs. And that is the cause as I thinke why the Christians of the East will in no case vse great Bells Notwithstanding they are common among the Russians and Graecians of Gasaria ALl their Priests had their heads and beards shauen quite ouer and they are clad in Saffron coloured garments and being once shauen they leade an vnmarried life from that time forward and they liue an hundred or two hundred of them together in one Cloister or Couent Vpon those daies when they enter into their Temples they place two long Formes therein and so sitting vpon the said Formes like Singing-men in a Quire namely the one halfe of them directly ouer against the other they haue certaine bookes in their hands which sometimes they lay downe by them vpon the Formes and their heads are bare so long as they remaine in the Temple And there they reade softly vnto themselues not vttering any voice at all Whereupon comming in amongst them at the time of their superstitious deuotions and finding them all sitting mute in manner aforesaid I attempted diuers waies to prouoke them vnto speech and yet could not by any meanes possible They haue with them also whithersoeuer they goe a certaine string with an hundred or two hundred Nut-shels thereupon much like to our bead-roll which wee carrie about with vs. And they doe alwaies vtter these words Ou mam Hactani God thou knowest as one of them expounded it vnto me And so often doe they expect a reward at Gods hands as they pronounce these words in remembrance of God Round about their Temple they doe alwaies make a faire Court like vnto a Church-yard which they enuiron with a good wall and vpon the South part thereof they build a great Portall wherein they sit and conferre together And vpon the top of the said Portall they pitch a long Pole right vp exalting it if they can aboue all the whole Towne besides And by the same Pole all men may know that there stands the Temple of their Idols These rites and ceremonies aforesaid be common vnto all Idolaters in those parts Going vpon a time towards the foresaid Idoll-temple I found certaine Priests sitting in the outward Portall And those which I saw seemed vnto mee by their shauen beards as if they had beene French men They wore certaine ornaments vpon their heads made of Paper The Priests of the foresaid Iugures doe vse such attire whithersoeuer they goe They are alwaies in their Saffron coloured Iackets which bee very straight being laced or buttened from the bosome right downe after the French fashion and they haue a Cloake vpon their left shoulder descending before and behind vnder their right arme like vnto a Deacon carrying the houssel-box in time of Lent Their letters or kind of writing the Tartars did receiue They begin to write at the top of their paper drawing their lines right downe and so they reade and multiply their lines from the left hand to the right They doe vse certaine papers and characters in their Magicall practices Whereupon their Temples are full of such short scrolls hanged round about them Also Mangu-Can hath sent letters vnto your Maiestie written in the language of the Moals or Tartars and in the foresaid hand or letter of the Iugures They burne their dead according to the ancient custome and lay vp the ashes in the top of a Pyramis Now after I had sate a while by the foresaid Priests and entred into their Temple and seene many of their Images both great and small I demanded of them what they beleeued concerning God And they answered Wee beleeue that theâ—e is onely one God And I demanded farther Whether doe you beleeue that he is a Spirit or some bodily substance They said Wee beleeue that hee is a Spirit Then said I Doe you beleeue that God euer tooke mans nature vpon him Then they answered No. And againe I said Sithence yee beleeue that hee is a Spirit to what end doe you make so many bodily Images to represent him Sithence also you beleeue not that hee was made man why doe you resemble him rather vnto the Image of a man then of any other creature Then they answered saying we frame not those Images whereby to represent God But when any rich man amongst vs or his sonne or his wife or any of his friends deceaseth he causeth the Image of the dead partie to be made and to be placed here and we in remembrance of him doe reuerence thereunto Then I replyed You doe these things onely for the friendship and flatterie of men No said they but for their memorie Then they demanded of mee as it were in scoffing wise Where is God To whom I answered Where is your soule they said In our bodies Then said I Is it not in euery part of your bodie ruling and guiding the whole bodie and yet notwithstanding is not seene or perceiued Euen so God is euery where and ruleth all things and yet is he inuisible being vnderstanding and wisedome it selfe Then being desirous to
haue had some more conference with them by reason that mine Interpreter was wearie and not able to expresse my meaning I was constrained to keepe silence The Moals or Tartars are in this regard of their sect namely they beleeue that there is but one God howbeit they make Images of felt in remembrance of their deceased friends couering them with fiue most rich and costly garments and putting them into one or two Carts which Carts no man dare once touch and they are in the custodie of their Sooth-sayers who are their Priests concerning whom I will giue your Highnesse more at large to vnderstand hereafter These Sooth-sayers or Diuiners doe alwaies attend vpon the Court of Mangu and of other great personages As for the poorer or meaner sort they haue them not but such onely as are of the stocke and kindred of Chingis And when they are to remoue or to take any iourney the said Diuiners goe before them euen as the cloudie Pillar went before the Children of Israel And they appoint ground where the Tents must be pitched and first of all they take downe their owne houses and after them the whole Court doth the like Also vpon their festiuall daies or Kalends they take forth the foresaid Images and place them in order round or circle wise within the house Then come the Moals or Tartars and enter into the same house bowing themselues before the said Images and worship them Moreouer it is not lawfull for any stranger to enter into that house For vpon a certaine time I my selfe would haue gone in but I was chidden full well for my labour BVt the foresaid Iugures who liue among the Christians and Saracens by their sundry disputations as I suppose haue beene brought vnto this to beleeue that there is but one onely God And they dwelt in certaine Cities which afterward were brought in subiection vnto Chingis Can whereupon hee gaue his daughter in marriage vnto their King Also the Citie of Caraâ—arum it selfe is in a manner within their Territorie and the whole Country of King or Presbyter Iohn and of his brother Vut lyeth neere vnto their Dominions sauing that they inhabit in certaine Pastures Northward and the said Iugures betweene the Mountaynes towards the South Whereupon it came to passe that the Moals receiued letters from them And they are the Tartars principall Scribes and all the Nestorians almost can skill of their Letters Next vnto them betweene the foresaid Mountaynes Eastward inhabiteth the Nation of Tangut who are a most valiant people and tooke Chingis in battell But after the conclusion of a league he was set at libertie by them and afterward subdued them These people of Tangut haue Oxen of great strength with tailes like vnto Horses and with long shag haire vpon their backs and bellies They haue legs greater then other Oxen haue and they are exceeding fierâ—e These Oxen draw the great houses of the Moals and their hornes are slender long streight and most sharpe pointed insomuch that their owners are faine to cut off the ends of them A Cow will not suffer her selfe to be coupled vnto one of them vnlesse they whistle or sing vnto her They haue also the qualities of a Buffe for if they see a man cloathed in red they runne vpon him immediately to kill him Next vnto them are the people of Tebet men which were wont to eate the carkasses of their deceased parents that for pities sake they might make no other Sepulchre for them then their owne bowels Howbeit of late they haue left off this custome because that thereby they became abominable and odious vnto all other Nations Notwithstanding vnto this day they make fine Cups of the Skulls of their parents to the end that when they drinke out of them they may amidst all their iollities and delights call their dead parents to remembrance This was told mee by one that saw it The said people of Tebet haue great plentie of gold in their Land Whosoeuer therefore wanteth gold diggeth til he hath found some quantitie and then taking so much thereof as will serue his turne hee layeth vp the residue within the earth because if he should put it into his Chest or Store-house he is of opinion that God would withhold from him all other gold within the earth I saw some of those people being very deformed creatures In Tangut I saw lusty tall men but browne and swart in colour The Iugures are of a middle stature like vnto our French men Among the Iugures is the originall and roote of the Turkish and Comanian Languages Next vnto Tebet are the people of Langa and Solanga whose messengers I saw in the Tartars Courâ— And they had brought more then ten great Carts with them euery one of which was drawne with six Oxen. They bee little browne men like vnto Spaniards Also they haue Iackets like vnto the vpper Vestment of a Deacon sauing that the sleeues are somewhat streighter And they haue Miters vpon their heads like Bishops But the fore-part of their Miter is not so hollow within as the hinder part neither is it sharpe pointed or cornered at the top but there hang downe certaine square flaps compacted of a kind of Straw which is made rough and rugged with extreame heate and is so trimmed that it glittereth in the Sunne-beames like vnto a Glasse or an Helmet well burnished And about their Temples they haue long bands of the foresaid matter fastened vnto their Miters which houer in the winde as if two long hornes grew out of their heads And when the wind tossed them vp and downe too much they tie them ouer the middest of their Miter from one Temple to another and so they lie circle wise ouerthwart their heads Moreouer their principall messenger comming vnto the Tartars Court had a table of Elephants tooth about him of a cubit in length and a handfull in breadth being very smoothe And whensoeuer he spake vnto the Emperor himselfe or vnto any other great personage he alwaies beheld that table as if hee had found therein those things which hee spake neither did hee cast his eyes to the right hand nor to the left nor vpon his face with whom he talked Yea going too and fro before his Lord hee looketh no where but onely vpon his table Beyond them as I vnderstand of a certaintie there are other people called Muc hauing Villages but no one particular man of them appropriating any Cattell vnto himselfe Notwithstanding there are many flocks and droues of Cattell in their Countrey and no man appointed to keepe them But when any one of thâ—â— standeth in neede of any beast hee ascendeth vp vnto a hill and there maketh a shoute and all the Cattell which are within hearing of the noyse come flocking about him and suffer themselues to be handled and taken as if they were â—ame And when any messenger or stranger commeth into their Countrey they shut him vp into an
pleasure of God he came into these parts wherefore we would willingly stay with him because wee are Monkes and wee would pray together for the life of Chan. Then he held his peace and departed And we went vnto our house which we found very cold and without any Fuell as yet fasting and it was night Then he to whom we were recommended prouided vs Fuell and a little meate Our Guide was now to returne to Baatu who desired a Carpet of vs which by his Commandement we left in the Court of Baatu which we gaue him and he peaceably departed so kissing our right hand and confessing his fault if he suffered vs to indure hunger and thirst vpon the way We pardoned him crauing pardon of him and his whole Family if we had giuen them any euill example A Certaine Woman of Mentz in Lotharingia called Pascha found vs who made vs great cheere according to her power who belong to the Court of that Lady which was a Christian of whom I spoke before who told vs of her strange pouertie which she indured before she came to the Court but now she was well to liue for she had a young Husband a Rutenian by whom she had three very faire Children who was skilfull in building which amongst them is an excellent Art Moreouer she told vs that at Caracarum there was a certaine Goldsmith called William borne at Paris whose surname was Bouchier and his Fathers name Lawrence Bouchier and she thinketh he hath a Brother yet vpon the Great Bridge called Roger Bouchier And she told me that he had a certaine young man which he brought vp whom hee accounted as his Son who was an excellent Interpreter But Mangu Chan deliuered to the foresaid Gold-smith three hundred Iascots that is three thousand Markes and fiftie Worke-men to make a piece of worke so that she feared he could not send his Sonne vnto me For she heard some say vnto her in the Court The men which came from your Countrey are good men and Mangu Chan would willingly speak vnto them but their Interpreter is nothing worth therefore she was carefull for an Interpreter Then I writ vnto the foresaid Gold-smith certifying him of my comming hither and requesting him that if he could he would send me his sonne And he wrote me answere that he could not that Moone but the next his worke should bee perfected and then he would send him vnto me We stayed therefore with other Messengers And it is otherwise with Messengers in Baatu's Court then in the Court of Mangu Chan. For in the Court of Baatu there is one Iani on the East side who receiueth all such as come from the West and so of other Countries of the world But in the Court of Mangu they are all together vnder one Iani and they may see and visit one another In Baatu's Court they know not one another and know not one of another whether hee be a Messenger or no because they know not one anothers lodging nor see one another but in the Court and when one is called perchance another is not called For they goe not to the Court vnlesse they bee sent for Wee found there a certaine Christian of Damascus who said he came in behalfe of the Soldan of Mons Regatis and of Crac who desired to become friend and tributarie to the Tartars THE yeare also before I came thither there was a certaine Clerke of Acon who called himselfe Raimund but in truth his name was Theodolus and he tooke his iourney from Cyprus with Frier Andrew and went with him into Persia and got him certaine Instruments of Amoricus there in Persia who abode there after Frier Andrew Frier Andrew returning hee went forward with his Instruments and came to Mangu Chan who being demanded wherefore he came said That he was with a certaine holy Bishop to whom the Lord sent Letters from heauen written in golden Characters and commandeâ— him to send them to the Emperour of the Tartars because he should bee Lord of the whole Earth and that he should perswade men to make peace with him Then Mangu said vnto him If thou hadst broughâ— those Letters which came from heauen and the Letters of thy Lord then hadst beene welcome Then he answered That he brought Letters but they were with other things of his vpon a certaine wilde and pampered Gelding which escaping fled from him through the Woods and Mountaines so that he had lost all And it is very true that many such chances often happen wherefore a man must very warily hold his Horse when he alighteth for necessitie Then Mangu demanded the name of the Bishop He said he was called Odo Whereupon he told him of Damascus and Master William who was Clerke of the Lord Legat. Then Chan demanded in whose Kingdome it was To whom he made answer That it was vnder a certaine King of the Frankes called Moles for he had heard of that which happened at Mallora and he would haue said that they were of your Seruants moreouer hee told Chan that the Saracens were betweene the Frankes and him who hindred his way But if the way had beene open he would haue sent Messengers and willingly haue made peace with him Then Mangu Chan asked him If hee would bring his Messengers to that King and that Bishop He told him he would and also to the Pope Then Mangu caused an exceeding strong Bow to bee made which two men could scarse bend and two Arrowes whose heads were of Siluer full of holes which sing when they are shot like a whistle And he inioyned Moal whom hee should send with the said Theodolus Thou shalt goe to that King of the Frankes to whom this man shall bring thee and thou shalt present him with these in my behalfe And if he will haue peace with vs we will winâ—e the Countrey vpon the Saracens euen home to him and will grant him the rest of the Countrey vnto the West If otherwise bring backe the Bow and Arrowes vnto vs and tell him we shoot farre and smite strongly with such Bowes Then he caused Theodolus to goe forth whose Interpreter Master Williams Sonne was and in his heaâ—â—â—ing he said vnto Moal Thou shalt go with this man marke well the Waies the Countries and their Castles Men and Munition Then the young man blamed Theodolus saying He had done ill in conducting the Messengers of the Tartars with him for they went for no other cause but to spy Then hee answered That he would set them on the Sea that they should not know whence they came or which way to returne Mangu gaue also vnto Moal his golden Bâ—ll or Tablet to wit a plate of Gold of an hand-breadth and halfe a cubit long wherein his commandement is ingrauen Who so carrieth that may command what he will and it is done without delay So then Theodolus came to Vastacius determining to passe ouer to the Pope that he might
My Lord I said not so but if it pleased your Highnesse I will tell you the words I spake Then I recited what I had spoken and he answered I thought well you said not so for it was a word which you should not speake but your Interpreter hath ill interpreted it so hee reacheth foorth his staffe towards mee whereon he leaned saying Feare not I smiling said softly If I feared I had not come hither Then he demanded of the Interpreter what I had said So he repeated my words vnto him Afterward he beganne to confesse his Faith vnto me Wee Moallians saith he beleeue that there is but one God through whom we liue and dye and we haue an vpright heart towards him Then said I God grant you this for without this gift it cannot be And he demanded what I said so the Interpreter told him then he added further That as God hath giuen vnto the hand diuers fingers so he hath giuen many waies to men God hath giuen the Scriptures to you and ye Christians keep them not Ye finde it not in the Scriptures that one of you shall dispraise another Doe you finde it said he No said I but I signified vnto you from the beginning that I would not contend with any I speake it not saith he touching you In like manner yee finde it not that for Money a man ought to â—â—cline from Iustice. No Sir said I and truly neither came I into these parts to get Money nay I refused that which was giuen me And there was a Writer present there who gaue testimony that I had refused a Iascot and certaine pieces of Silke I speake it not said he for that God hath giuen you the Scriptures and yee keepe them not But he hath giuen vs Sooth-sayers and we doe that which they bid vs and we liue in peace He dranke foure times as I thinke before hee disclosed these things And while I hearkned attentiuely whether hee would confesse any thing else concerning this Faith he beganne to speake of my returne saying You haue stayed a long time heere my pleasure is therefore that you returne You said you durst not carrie my Embassadours with you Will you carrie my message or my Letters And from that time I could neither haue place nor time to shew him the Catholike Faith For a man cannot speake before him saue what he pleaseth vnlesse he were an Embassadour But an Embassadour may speake what he will And they alwaies demand whether he haue any thing else to say But he suffered me to speake no more but I must heare him and answere Interrogatories Then I answered That if he could make me vnderstand his words and that they were set downe in writing I would willingly carrie them to my power Then he asked me if I would haue Gold or Siluer or costly garments I said we receiue no such things but we haue not expenses and without your helpe we cannot get out of your Countrey Then said he I will prouide you all necessaries throughout my Countrey will you any more I answered it sufficeth me Then he demanded how farre will you be brought I said Let our Passe bring vs into the King of Armeniaes Countrey if I were there it were enough He answered I will cause you to be conueyed thither and after looke to your selfe And hee added there are two eyes in one head and though they bee two yet there is one aspect of both and whither the one directeth the sight the other doth You came from Baatu and therefore you must returne by him when hee had thus said I craued licence to speake Speake on saith hee Then said I Sir wee are not men of warre wee desire that they haue dominion of the world who would more iustly gouerne it according to the will of God Our office is to teach men to liue according to the will of God for this purpose came we into these parts and would willingly haue remained heere if it had pleased you but seeing it is your pleasure that we returne it must bee so I will returne and carrie your Letters according to my power as yee haue commanded I would request your magnificence that when I haue carried your Letters it might bee lawfull for me to returne vnto you with your good liking chiefely because yee haue poore Seruants of yours at Bolac who are of our language and they want a Priest to teach them and their children their Law and I would willingly stay with them Then answered he Know you whether your Lords would send you backe to me Then said I Sir I know not the purpose of my Lords but I haue licence from them to goe whether I will where it were needfull to preach the word of God and it seemeth to mee that it were very necessarie in these parts whereupon whether they send Embassadours backe or no if it pleased you I would returne Then hee held his peace and sate a long space as it were in a Muse. And my Interpreter willed me to speake no more and I carefully expected what he would answere At length he said You haue a long way to goe make your selfe strong with food that you may come lusty into your Countrey And he caused them to giue me drinke Then I departed from his presence and returned not againe If I had had power to doe wonders as Moses did peraduenture hee had humbled himselfe SOoth-sayers therefore as hee confessed are their Priests and whatsoeuer they command to bee done is performed without delay Whose office I describe vnto you as I could learne of Master William and others who reported vnto me things likely to be true They are many and they haue alwaies one Captaine or chiefe Priest who alwaies placeth his house before the great house of Mangu Chan neere within a stones cast Vnder his custodie as I said before are the Chariots which beare their Idols The others are behind the Court in places appointed for them And they who haue any confidence in that Art come vnto them from diuers parts of the World Some of them are skilfull in Astronomie specially the chiefe of them And they fore-tell to them the Eclipse of the Sunne and the Moone and when it shall come to passe All the people prepare them food so that they need not goe forth of the doore of their house And when there is an Eclipse they play vpon their Timbrels and Organs and make a great noise and a loude crye when the Eclipse is past they giue themselues to feasting and drinking and make great ioy They foretell fortunate and vnlucky dayes for all businesse or affaires Whereupon they neuer leuie an Armie nor vndertake Warre without their direction And they had long since returned into Hungarie but their Sooth-sayers doe not suffer them They make all things which are sent to the Court passe betweene fires and they haue a due portion thereof They also purge all the
to the dangerous Passage of twentie there were two which had Habergions And I demanded whence they had them They said they had gotten them of the Alani aforesaid who are good Worke-men for such things and excellent Smiths Whereupon I thinke they haue small store of Armour but Quiuers and Bowes and Leather Iackes I saw them presented with Iron Plates and Iron Sculls capillos out of Persia. And saw two also who presented themselues to Mangu armed with Coats made of Hogs skins bent inward of rough Leather which were very vnfit and vnwildy Before we came to Porta ferrea we found one Castle of the Alani which was Mangu Chans for hee had subdued that Countrey There we first found Vineyards and drunke Wine The day following wee came to Porta ferrea which Alexander the Macedonian King made And it is a Citie whose East end is vpon the Sea shoare and there is a little Plaine betweene the Sea and the Mountaines through which the Citie is stretched forth in length vnto the top of the Mountaine which bordereth vpon it on the West so that there is no way aboue for the roughnesse of the Mountaines nor below for the Sea but forth-right through the middest of the Citie ouerthwart where there is an Iron gate from whence the Citie hath the name And the Citie is more then a mile long and in the top of the Hill a strong Castle and it is as much in bredth as a great stones cast it hath very strong walls without Trenches and Turrets of great polished stones But the Tartars haue destroyed the tops of the Turrets and the Bulwarkes of the Walls laying the Turrets euen with the Wall Beneath that Citie the Countrey was wont to bee like a Paradise Two dayes iourney hence we found another Citie called Samaron wherein there were many Iewes And when we past it we saw walles descending from the Mountaines to the Sea And leauing the way by the Sea by those walles because it bent towards the East wee went vp into the high Countries towards the South On the morrow wee passed through a certaine Valley wherein the foundations of walles appeared from one mountaine to another and there was no way through the tops of the Mountaines These were sometimes the Inclosures or walles of Alexander restraining the fierce Nations to wit the Shepheards of the Wildernes that they could not inuade the inhabited Countries and Cities There are other walles or Inclosures where Iewes are The next day we came vnto a certaine great Citie called Samag And after this we entred into a great Plaine called Moan through which the Riuer Cur floweth of the which the Curgi haue their name whom we call Georgians And it runneth through the middle of Tiflis which is the Metropolis of the Curgines and in comes directly from the West running to the East to the foresaid Caspian Sea and it hath excellent Salmons In that plaine wee â—ound Tartars againe Also by that plaine comes the Riuer Araxes which commeth from the greater Armenia from betwixt the South and West of which it is called the Land Araxat which is Armenia it selfe Whereupon in the booke of the Kings it is said of the Sonnes of Sennacherib that hauing slaine their Father they fled into the Land of the Armenians And in Esay it is said that they fled into the Land of Ararat To the West then of that most beautifull Plaine is Curgia In that Plaine the Crosmini were wont to be And there is a great Citie in the entrance of the Mountaines called Ganges which was their Metropolis stopping the Georgians that they could not come downe into the Plaine Then wee came to the Bridge of Ships which were fastened together with a great Yron chaine stretched forth crosse the Riuer where Cur and Araxes meet together But Cur loseth his name there AFter that wee went alwayes vpward by Araxes whereof it is said Pontem dedignatur Araxis Araxes disdaines a Bridge Leauing Persia and the Caspian mountaines on the left hand towards the South on the right hand Curgia and the great Sea toward the West going Southwest betweene the South and the West We passed through the meadows of Bacchu who is Generall of that Armie which is there within Araxis And hee hath made the Curgi and Turkes and Persians subiect to him There is another Gouernour in Persia at Taurinum ouer the Tribute called Argon Both which Mangu Chan hath called home to giue place to his Brother comming into those Countries That Countrey which I haue described to you is not properly Persia but was sometimes called Hyrcania I was in Bacchues house and hee gaue vs Wine to drinke and he himselfe dranke Cosmos which I would willingly haue drunke if he had giuen it me yet it was the best new Wine but Cosmos is more wholsome for an hunger-staruen man Wee went vp therefore by the Riuer Araxes from the Feast of Saint Clement vnto the second Sunday in Lent till we came to the head of the Riuer And beyond that Mountaine where it riseth there is a goodly Citie called Arserum which belongeth to the Soldan of Turkie And neare thereabout Euphrates ariseth towards the North at the foot of the Mountaines of Curgia to whose Spring I had gone but the Snow was so great that no man could goe out of the trodden path on the other side of the Mountaines of Caucasus towards the South ariseth Tigris When we departed from Bacchu my Guide went to Taurinum to speake with Argon carrying my Interpreter with him But Bacchu caused me to bee brought to a certaine Citie called Naxnan which sometimes was the head of a certaine great Kingdome and the greatest and fairest Citie but the Tartars haue made it a Wildernes And there were sometimes Eight hundred Churches of the Armenians there now there are but two little ones for the Saracens haue destroyed them In one of the which I held the feast of Christmas as I could with our Clerke And the next day following the Priest of that Church dyed to whose buriall came a certaine Bishop with twelue Monkes of the high Countries For all the Bishops of the Armenians are Monkes and of the Greekes likewise for the greater part That Bishop told me that there was a Church neere that where Saint Bartholmew and likewise Saint Iudas Thaddaeus were martyred but there was no way open for Snow He told me also that they haue two Prophets The first or chiefe is Methodius the Martyr who was of their Country and plainely Prophesied of the Ismaelites Which Prophesie is fulfilled in the Saracens The other Prophet is called Acacron who when hee dyed Prophesied of a Nation of Archers that should come from the North saying That they should Conquer all the Countries of the East and should spare the Kingdome of the East that he might giue them the Kingdome of the West But he saith our Friers the Frankes being Catholikes beleeue them not
are sold into India There are also very goodly and excellent Asses sold dearer then the Horses for that they eat little carrie much and farre They haue Camels but not so swift These are necessary in those Countries which sometime in a long way yeeld no grasse The people in those Countries are very wicked contentious Theeues and Murtherers professing the faith of Mahumet Merchants are euery where slaine by those Theeues vnlesse they trauell in troupes Yet are there excellent Artificers in the Cities who make wonderfull things in gold silke and Embroyderie They abound with Silke-wormes Wheat Barley Milium and other kindes of Corne and haue also plenty of Wine and fruits And though their Law forbid wine yet they haue a glosse to correct or corrupt the text that if they boyle it then it changeth the taste and therefore the name also of Wine Iasdi is a great Citie in the confines of Persia where much Trading is exercised It hath also cunning Artificers who labour in Silke Chierman is a Kingdome in the confines of Persia to the East subiect to the Tartars In the veines of the Mountaines the stones are found commonly called Turchisses veines also of Azzaio and Andanico There are also made all Armes and munition for warre and by the Women excellent needle-workes in Silkes with the portraitures of all sorts of Creatures verie admirable There are the best Falcons in the world verie swift of flight red brested and vnder the trayne lesse then those of other Countries Proceeding further you goe through a great Plaine and hauing ended eight dayes iourney you come vnto a certaine descent In the Plaine many Partridges are found and also Castles and Townes But in that steepe descent are many trees and those fruitfull but no habitation is there but of Shepheards This Countrey in the winter time hath intollerable cold After this you come vnto a certaine great Plaine where a certaine Citie is seated named Camandu which in times past was great but is now destroyed by the Tartars and the Countrey is called Reobarle There grow Pomgranats Quinces Adams-apples and diuers others fruits which grow not in our cold Countries It hath also very great Oxen and all white thin hayred with thicke blunt short hornes with a Camels bunch on the backe accustomed to beare great burthens And when the packe-saddles are set vpon the bunch they bow the knee like Camels and hauing receiued the burthen rise againe being so taught by men The Sheepe of that Countrey are no lesser then Asses bearing so long and broad a tayle that they weigh thirty pound weight They are very faire and fat and good meat Moreouer in the plaine of this Countrey are many Cities and Townes with high walls of Mud to defend them from the Caraunas that is Mestizos or mingled people of Indian women and Tartars ten thousand of which bee conducted by one Nugodar the nephew of Zagathai who ruled in the greater Turkie This Nugodâ—r hearing of the Malabars subiect to Soldan Asidin without his Vncles knowledge went and tooke Dely with other Cities and erected a new Seignorie and mixing with the Indian women procreated these Caraunas which goe vp and downe to rob and spoyle in Reobarle and other Countries There they learned magicall and diabolicall Arts by which the ayre is so darkned in the day time for a long space that none may see them or preuent them M. Marco one time thorow such darknesse did almost fall into their hands but made shift to escape to a Castle called Cousalmi but many of his company were taken or slaine That Plaine whereof I now speake is fiue daies iourney extended towards the South But at the end therof the way beginneth by litle and litle to descend for twenty miles together the way it selfe is very bad and not without danger by reason of Theeues At length you come to very goodly Plaines which extend themselues two dayes iourney in length and the place it selfe is called Ormus That Countrey aboundeth with Riuers of water and Palme trees There is also plenty of diuers Fowles especially of Poppin-jayes which are not like to ours From hence you come vnto the Ocean where on an Iland is seated a Citie called Ormus whereto many Merchants resort bringing Spices Pearles precious Stones cloath of Gold and Silkes and Elephants teeth and all other precious things from India That Citie is a great Mart hauing Cities and Castles vnder it and is head of the Kingdome Chermain the King is called Ruchmedin Achomach who yeelds obedience to the King of Chermain He makes himselfe heyre if any Merchant dyes there In Summer they by reason of the heat betake themselues to their Garden houses built on waters And from nine till noone there blowes a winde with such extreame heat from the sands that it swallowes vp a mans breath and stifleth him which makes them lye in the water The King of Chermain sent an Armie of sixteene hundred Horse and fiue thousand Foot against the Lord of Ormus for not paying his tribute which were all surprised and stifled with that winde The Inhabitants of the place eate no Bread made of Corne and flesh but feed vpon Dates salt Fish and Onions They haue not very sound Ships for they fasten them not with yron nayles by reason that the wood is brittle and would cleaue but with woodden pins with certaine threds made of the shels of Indian Nuts These shels are dressed after the manner of Leather out of the which threds are cut and of the thrids exceeding strong cordes are made which are able to indure the force and violence of the water and are not easily corrupted thereby Those Ships haue one Mast one sayle one beame and are couered but with one decke They are not chalked with Pitch but with the Trane of Fishes And when they crosse the Sea to India carrying Horses and other fraight with them they lose many Ships beeause that Sea is very tempestuous and the Ships are not strengthened with yron The Inhabitants of that Countrey are blacke and addicted to the Law of Mahumet It is the custome of this Countrey when any Master of a family dyeth that the wife left behind him should mourne for him foure weekes once a day They haue women which professe the practise of mourning and are thereto hired to mourne daily for their dead Returning from Ormus to Chermain is a fertile Plaine but the bread made there cannot bee eaten of them who are not accustomed thereunto it is so bitter by reason of the bitter water put therein whereof are store of hot Bathes good against diseases Going from Chermain in three dayes riding you come to a Desart which continued till you come to Cobinam seuen dayes Iourney which is extended In the first three dayes you shall haue no water saue a very few and those salt and bitter of a greene colour in shew as if it were the
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
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
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
thirtie Prouinces which haue a faire Palace in Cambalu in which is for euery Prouince a Iudge many Notaries These haue power to choose Gouernours of the said Prouinces and present their names to the Can which confirmes them These also haue the charge of the Treasure to exact and dispense the same Their office is called Singh that is The second Court subiect to none but the Can yet reputed lesse noble then the former that being a martiall State §. VI. The Cans prouisions for Embassadors and for Posts against Dearth for High-wayes for the Poore in Cambalu for Astrologers Tartars Wine Fuell Religion Opinions Behauiour Court-neatnesse POLOS proceeding from Cambalu Westward Of Pulisangan Gouza Tainfu Pianfu Thaigin Cacianfu Quenzanfu Sindinfu Thebeth Caindu Caraian Carachan Cardandan and Vociam WIthout the Citie of Cambalu many publike wayes conduct to the neighbouring Prouinces and in euery one of them alway at the end of fiue and twentie or thirtie miles are Lodgings or Innes built called Lamb that is Post-horses with great and faire Palaces Chambers furnished with Beds and other Prouisions meete to entertaine great Men yea to lodge a King the prouisions laid in from the next adioyning places where about foure hundred Horses are in readinesse for Messengers and Embassadors which there leaue their ridden Horses and take fresh And in mountaynous places where are no Villages he sends People to inhabite ten thousand at a place where these Lamb are built which till the ground for their prouisions and this continueth vnto the furthest limits of the Empire so that in the publique wayes throughout the whole Empire about ten thousand of the Kings Innes are to bee found And the number of the Horses appointed for the seruice of the Messengers in those Innes are more then two hundreth thousand a thing almost incredible to tell so that in a little while with change of Men and Horse intelligence might flie to the Court. And if any wonder how so many men and beasts should be prouided for hee must consider that the Moores and Gentiles haue many women and store of children some hauing thirtie sonnes which follow them armed and for victuall they sow three seeds Rice Panike and Mill which yeeld an hundred fold they make not bread but boile these with Milke or Flesh. Wheat will not so encrease with them nor suffer they any ground which will beare to lye vntilled And their Cattell alway increase that each of them carries with him six eight or more Horses into the field for his owne person These Horses also take turnes that of the foure hundred aforesaid two hundred are in the stables readie the other two hundred at grasse by monethly courses Their Cities adioyning to Riuers or Lakes are appointed also to haue ferry Boats in readinesse for the Posts And Cities adioyning to Desarts are sessed at Horses and prouisions thorow those Desarts but haue contribution from the Can. In cases of great import the Poste rides with a Gerfalcon Table and is trussed so that he will ride two hundred miles in a day or two hundred and fiftie sometimes also they ride the night Foot-posts running by with lights if the Moone shine not They winde a Horne that the fresh Horses may be brought forth for them to mount presently and hauing their bellies and heads girded runne as fast as the horse can and those which are able to endure this excessiue riding are of great reputation There are also betweene the said Innes other habitations three or foure miles distant one from another where there are a few houses wherein Foot-posts dwell hauing all girdels full of shrill sounding bells These are alwayes readie and as often as the Kings Letters are sent vnto them conuey them speedily to the next habitation who hearing the sound of the Foot-post comming afarre off expect him and receiuing his Letters presently carrie them to the next watch and so the Letters passing through diuers hands are conueyed without any delay vnto that place whither they ought to come And it commeth often to passe that the King vnderstandeth newes or receiueth new fruits from a place ten dayes iourney distant in two dayes as fruits growing at Cambalu in the morning the next day at night at Xandu But all the mentioned Postes are free from all exaction of Tribute and receiue a good recompence of their labours from the Kings Rent gatherers besides Some also are appointed to examine these Posts monethly and to punish their faults He sends yeerly vnto diuers Prouinces subiect to his Empire to inquire whether any harme be done to the Corne by Tempests Locusts Wormes or any other plâ—gue And when he hath notice giuen him that any Prouince or Citie hath sustained any damage he remitteth Tributes to that people for that yeere and sendeth Graine for victuâ—ll and for Seede out of his owne Garners For in the time of great plentie the King buyeth abundant store of Corne and keepeth it with great care of Officers three or foure yeeres in Garners that when there shall be scarcitie of Corne in one Countrey that defect may bee supplied out of the Kings Store-houses Hee selleth his graine for the fourth part of other mens price and alway prouideth that his store-houses be stored Likewise when any muâ—ren lighteth among Cattell hee sends them other Cattell which he hath for Tenths in other Prouinces And if a thunder-bolt hath stricken any beast of any Herd or Flock he will haue no Tribute thereof for three yeeres be the Herd neuer so great nor custome of a Thunder-stricken ship thinking God is angrie with them which are so stricken Likewise that Trauellers may find the way in all places capable to beare Trees He hath caused Trees to be planted a little distance one from another neare vnto the principall wayes and in Sandie and desart places he hath caused to set Stones and Pillars for that purpose and Officers are appointed to looke to these things Hee plants Trees the rather because his Astrologers tell him that planting Trees lengthens the life They make excellent drinke in the Prouince of Cathai of Rice and diuers Spices which in the taste thereof excelleth the sweetnesse euen of Wine And they who drinke more greedily therof then reason iudgeth to be fit or the nature of the drinker requireth sooner become drunke then if they had drunke Wine Throughout the whole Prouince of Cathai certaine blacke stones are digged out of the Mountaines which put into the fire burne like wood and being kindled preserue fire a long time as if they be kindled in the Euening they keepe quicke fire all the night And many vse those stones because that though they haue store of wood yet is there such frequent vse of Stoues and Bathes thrise euery weeke that the wood would not serue It is not amisse also hauing spoken of his Prouisions abroad to mention his care for the poore of Cambalu When he heares of any honourable
excellent Spices but the poorer sort shred it and lay it in Garlicke sawce and eate it as wee doe boyled meate Departing from the Citie of Iaci hauing trauailed ten dayes iourney westward yee come to the Prouince named as is the chiefe Citie Carazan which Cogatin sonne of Cublai gouerneth The Riuers there yeeld very much gold di paiola and also that which is more solid and the Mountaines gold of the veine and they giue one stone of gold for six of siluer They spend Porcelanes for money brought thither from India The Inhabitants are Idolaters very great Serpents are bred in this Countrey whereof some contayne ten paces in length and in thicknesse ten spannes They haue two little feet before nigh the head with three talons or clawes like Lions and the eyes bigger then a Groat loafe very shining They haue their mouthes and jawes so wide that they are able to swallow a man great and sharpe teeth nor is there any man or other liuing Creature which may behold those Serpents without terror there are found lesse of eight sixe or fiue paces long which are taken after this manner In the day time they vse to lie hid by reason of the heat in holes out of the which they goe by night to seeke their prey and deuoure whatsoeuer they get Lions Wolues or others and then goe to seeke water leauing such a tract with their weight in the sands as if some piece of timber had beene drawne there Whereupon the Hunters fasten vnder the sands sharpe Iron prickes in their vsuall tracts whereon they are wounded and slayne The Crowes presenâ—ly ring his knell and by their craing cries inuite the Hunters which come and slay him taking forth his gall profitable for diuers Medecines amongst other things for the biting of mad Dogs a penie weight giuen in Wine and far women in trauell for carbuncles and pushes and they sell the flâ—sh deare as being exceeding delicate There are bred great Horses in this Prouince which by Merchants are carried into India They vse to take one bone out of the tayle lest he should bend his tayle hither and thither and esteeme it more comely that it hang downe right They vse long Stirrups as the Frenchmen which the Tartars and other Nations 〈◊〉 their shooting vse short because when they shoot they rise vp They vse Targets and Armour in the Warres made of the hides of Buffals they haue Lances and Crosse-bowes and poyson all their Arrowes Some of them which are ill minded are said to carrie poyson about them contiâ—ually that if they be taken they may suddenly swallow it and death together to preuent tâ—râ—ure For which cause the great Lords haue Dogs dung ready which they force them to swallow and that forceth them to vomit the poyson Before the great Can subiected them they vsed that when any Stranger which seemed of good presence and parts lodged with them they slue him by night supposing that those good parts of that man might abide afterwards in that house and this was the death of many Going from the Prouince Carazan after fiue dayes iourney Westward is the Prouince Cardandan which also is subiect to great Can. The chiefe Citie thereof is called Vociam The Inhabitants thereof vse Porcelanes and weighed pieces of Gold in stead of money for in that Countrey and many other lying round about Siluer mines are not found and they giue one ounce of Gold for fiue ounces of Siluer and great gayne is made by the change The men and women of that Countrey couer their teeth with thinne plates of Gold which they so fit vnto them that the teeth themselues seeme as it were to be set in the plates The men about their armes and legs make lists pricking the places with Needles and putting thereon a blacke indelible tincture And these lists or markes are esteemed with them a great galantrie They giue their minds to nothing but riding hunting hawking and exercises of Armes leauing the houshold cares to the women who are helped therein by slaues which they buy or take in Warre When a woman is brought to bed shee forsakes the bed washeth the child and dresseth it and then the husband lieth downe and keepes the child with him fortie dayes not suffering it to depart is visited meane while of friends and neighbours to cheare and comfort him The woman lookes to the house carrie the husband his brâ—ths to his bed and giues sucke to the child by him Their Wine is made of Rice and Spice their meat Rice and raw flesh dressed as is before mentioned In this Prouince there are no other Idols saue that euery familie adoreth the oldest man in the house of whom they say come themselues and all they haue They dwell for the most part in wilde and mountainous places But Forrainers come not to those Mountaines because the ayre would kill them being in Summer very corrupt They â—aue no letters but make their Contracts and Obligations by tallies of wood the halfe whereof the one keepeth and the other the other which being afterward payd the tallie is rendred There are no Physicians in this Prouince nor in Caindu Vociam and Caraian but when any is sicke they call the Magicians or Idoll Priests together and he sicke partie declareth his disease vnto them then the Magicians dance and sound certaine instruments and bellow forth songs in honour of their Gods while at length the Deuill entreth into one of them skipping and playing in the dance Then leauing the dance they consult with him that is possessed for what cause that disease hapned vnto him and what is to be done for his recouerie The Deuill answereth by him because he hath done this or that or because he hath offended this or that God therefore he fell into this disease Then the Magicians intreat that God to pardon him that offence promising that if the sicke partie recouer he shall offer a Sacrifice of his owne bloud But if the Deuill thinke the weake partie to be sicke of such a disease that he cannot be freed from the same he vseth to answere This man hath so grieuously offended that God that he cannot by any sacrifices bee appeased But if he thinke he shall recouer he commandeth to offer so many Rammes hauing blacke heads and to prepare so many Magicians with their wiues by them to offer Sacrifices and that God may then bee appeased towards him Which being heard his kinsmen quickly cause those things to be done which the Deuill commanded they kill Rammes and sprinckle their bloud in the ayre and the Magicians assembled with their Witches light great Candles and perfume the whole house with incense making fume of Lignum Aloes and sprinckle the broth of the flesh in the ayre together with the potion made of Spices all which being duely performed they skip about againe in a dance in honour of that Idoll which is supposed to haue beene fauourable to
thing is remarkable that the Author and the next who in many Geographicall Notes agrees with him diuide Asia into two parts one called profound or deepe the other the greater and diuided in the midst by the Caspian Sea and Caucasus which our Armenian cals Cocas which Alexander passed not nor was euer well knowne to the Ancients who called all beyond that Hill Scythia as wee now call the most of it by a generall name Tartaria Strabo hath made like diuision of Asia into the inner and vtter Taurus being the Vmpire which Hill with diuers Appellations beginning at Pamphylia runnes Eastwards thorow the midst of Asia to the Indies that part to the North beeing called Asia within Taurus and that to the South Asia without Some ancient Geographers as Dionysius mentions extended Europe to the Caspian Sea which most of the Ancients thought to concurre with the Ocean as the Mediterranean Arabian and Persian doe Dionysius his Verses are worth obseruation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They called it Taurus as there followes of the Bull-forme c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereof we are the more curious to giue to the more curious a reason of our method in this Worke who in our former Tome haue first encompassed the shoares of Asia from the West to the East and then in the In-land parts haue in the eight and ninth Bookes principally as Voyages gaue leaue viewed Asia without Taurus and to the South of the Caspian but this Profound or Inner more vnknowne part we suruay here where we handle the Voyages and Discoueries of those parts of the World which the Ancients knew very little or not at all And indeed how little was Mangi Cataio or Tartaria knowne till the Tartars obtruded vpon the World a terrible knowledge of themselues in manner as Rubruquius and the former Friers with these Gentlemen Polo and Haiton describe Yea how were they by ignorance of following times buried againe till Portugall English and other moderne Voyages haue reuiued them as it were in a resurrection and that often in new names as if they had suffered that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so often here rehearsed and so much credited in many Religions of those Easterne Asians whence it comes that they are hardly knowne to be the same The Reader must pardon me or go to the Author himselfe if I haue here omitted some pieces of Haiton which you haue had in Polo and others before specially not so pertinent to our present Tartarian subiect The figures note the Chapters after the Latine from which Ramusios Diuision is much diuided and we therefore from both CHAP. V. The Historie of AYTON or ANTHONIE the Armenian of Asia and specially touching the Tartars §. I. Of the Kingdome of Cathay and diuers other Prouinces of Asia and of the first habitation of the Tartars and of CANGIVS or CINGIS his beginnings THe Kingdome of Cathay is the greatest that is to be found in the World and is replenished with people and infinite riches beeing situated on the shoare of the Ocean Sea In the which there are so many Ilands that their number can no wayes be knowne For neuer was there any man that could say he had seene all those Ilands But those of them which haue beene frequented are found to abound with innumerable wealth and treasures and that which is there most esteemed and deerest sould is Oyle of Oliues which the Kings and Commanders there cause to be kept with great diligence as a Souereigne Medicinable thing And moreouer in the Kingdome of Cathay are many maruellous and monstrous things which I forbeare to mention The Inhabitants of those parts are exceeding wise and subtill replenished with all kind of skill and cunning insomuch that they disdaine the endeauours of all other Nations in all kind of Arts and Sciences saying that they only see with two Eyes the Latines but with one eye and that all other Nations are blind And albeit they are exceeding sharpe-sighted in the exercise of all bodily workes and labours yet is there not amongst them any knowledge of spirituall things the men of that Countrey are not bold or couragious but more fearefull of death then befitteth such as beare Armes yet are they very ingenious and haue oftner had victorie of their enemies by Sea then by Land the money vsed in those parts is of square peeces of Paper signed with the Kings signe according to which signe or marke the pieces are of greater or smaller value and if they begin by age to be wasted or worne out hee that bringeth them to the Kings Court shall haue new for them of Gold and other Metals they make Vessels and other ornaments Of this Kingdome of Cathay it is said that it is in the beginning of the World because the head thereof is in the East and there is not knowne any other Nation to inhabit more Easterly thereabouts on the West it confineth on the Kingdome of Tarsa on the North with the Desert of Belgian And on the South-side are the Ilands of the Ocean afore mentioned 2. In the Kingdom of Tarsa are three Prouinces whose Rulers are also called Kings the men of that Countrie are called Iogour they haue alwayes worshipped Idols and yet doe except the ten Kindreds of those Kings who by the guiding of a Starre came to worship the Natiuitie in Bethleem Iuda And there are yet found many great and noble among the Tartarians of that Race which hold firmely the Faith of Christ. But the rest which are Idolaters in those parts are of no estimation in matter of Armes yet are they of a piercing wit for the learning of all Arts and Sciences They haue peculiar Letters or Characters of their owne And almost all the Inhabitants of those parts abstayne from eating of flesh and drinking of Wine neither would they by any meanes bee brought to kill ought that hath life Their Cities are very pleasant and they haue great Temples in which they worship their Idols Corne groweth there abundantly and all good kind of Graine But they are without Wine and hold it a sinne to drinke it as doe also the Agarens This Kingdome of Tarsa on the East-side confineth with the Kingdome of Cathay as aforesaid on the West it bordereth on the Kingdome of Turquestan on the North on a certayne Desert and on the South-side it adioyneth to a very rich Prouince called Sym which is situate betweene the Kingdome of India and Cathaia and in that Prouince are found Diamonds 3. The Kingdome of Turquestan on the East side is confined with the Kingdome of Tarsa on the West side with the Kingdome of the Persians on the North side with the Kingdome of the Corasmians and on the South it reacheth out to the Desart of India In this Kingdome are but few good Cities but there are large Plaines and good feeding
euerie where he louingly vsed and be preferred to the gouernment of Castles and Cities and the Saracens held vnder streight subiection Haloon had also a Wife called Doncoscaro discended of those Kings that came from the East being guided by the Starre of the Natiuitie of our Lord which Ladie being a most deuout Christian was a great meanes of destroying the Temples of the Saracens and prohibiting the Solemnities and Ceremonies of Mahomet and finally rased their Temples to the ground and brought the Saracens in such subiection that they durst not shew their heads 28. After that Haoloon had rested a yeare he sent to the King of Armenia to meete him at the Citie Robays in the Kingdome of Mesopotamia because he entended to goe towards the Holy Land that hee might restore it to the Christians whereupon the King Haython of famous memorie tooke his Iourney accompanied with a great Armie both of Horsemen and Footmen for at that time the Kingdome of Armenia was in so good estate that it could raâ—se a power of twelue thousand Horse and threescore thousand Footmen whereof beeing an Eye witnesse my selfe I can will giue testimonie thereof when the King of Armenia was come according to this appointment of Haplan and had conference with him touching the Enterprize of the Holy Land he aduised him that because the Soldan of Halappi ruled ouer all the Kingdome of Syria in which the Citie of Ierusalem was seated the way to get the Holy Land was first to besiege the Citie of Halappi being the chiefe Citie of Syria which when he had wonne it would not be difficult for him to subdue all the rest of that Countrey which aduise Haloon liked well and besieged the Citie of Halappi or Aleppo which he found to be of great strength being well walled and inhabited therefore with Mines vnder ground with Slings and other Engines hee begirt it so straightly and assaulted it so manfully on euery side that albeit it seemed impregnable yet in the space of nine dayes he obtayned it In this Citie they found such incredible store of wealth as would hardly be beleeued yet there was a Castle in the midst of the Citie that held out eleuen dayes after the Citie was taken which at length was wonne by vndermining So the Citie Halappi and afterwards the Kingdome of Syria was taken by Haolono in the yeare of our Lord 1240. 29. But when the Soldan of Halappi named Melechnaser being then in the Citie of Damascus vnderstood that the Citie of Halappi with his Wife and Children in it was taken being vtterly destitute of Counsell hee came and cast himselfe at the feet of Haloon hoping thereby that his Wife and Children with some part of his Dominions would bee restored him But the Soldan found himselfe therein deceiued for Haloon sent him with his Wife and Children into Persia that thereby he might enioy the Kingdome of Syria the more securely These things thus disposed Haloon gaue to the King of Armenia a great part of the spoile of Halappi and of the Lands which he had inuaded whereby the King of Armenia was strengthened with many Castles bordering on his Kingdome which he fortified as he thought good and after that Haoloon had setled the affaires of those Cities and Countries which he had wonne intending to goe to Ierusalem to free the Holy Land from Pagans and to restore it to the Christians There came to him a Messenger the third day who brought newes that the Tartarian Empire was vacant by the death of his Brother Mango Can and that his comming was earnestly expected to bee his Successor therein which report made him very sorrowfull In regard whereof hee could now proceed no further in person but left ten thousand Tartars to keepe the Kingdome of Syria vnder the command of a Captayne called Guiboga to whom he gaue order that hee should conquer the Holy Land and restore it to the Christians And so leauing his Sonne at Tauris hee hastened Eastward himselfe by great Iourneyes §. III. Of COBILA CAN the fift Emperour of the Tartarians Of the Warre with BARCHA and Tartarian quarrell with the Christians HAOLAONS death Acts of the Soldan of Egypt Of ABAYA and other Sonnes and Successors of HALOON BVt before he could come to the Kingdom of Persia he heard that the Nobles Princes had placed his Brother Cobila Can in the Imperial Seat of the Tartars which he heard whilst he was at Tauris where he vnderstood that Barcat or Barcha was marching thither with a great Armie purposing to make himselfe Emperour Haoloon therefore assembled his people and met with his Enemies on a certayne Riuer which was frozen where beganne a very great Battaile But the Ice being broken by the great multitude of Horses and Men there was drowned on the one side and on the other thirtie thousand Tartars Insomuch that the Armies on each side returned But Guiboga whom Haoloon had left in the Kingdome of Syria and the Prouince of Palestina held those Countreyes peaceably and loued the Christians well for he was of the Progenie of the three Kings which went to worship the Natiuitie of our Lord. But when he had laboured earnestly to reduce the Holy Land againe vnder the power of the Christians the Deuill sowed the seed of scandall and discord betwixt him and the Christians of those parts which hapned on this manner In the Land of Belforte which is of the Territory of the Citie of Sidon there were sundry Townes and Villages inhabited by Saracens which paid certayne Tribute to the Tartars on whom some of Sidon and Belforte made diuers rodes and spoyles killing sundry of the Saracens and carrying others away Captiue with a great droue of Cattle A Nephew of Guiboga remayning neere thereabouts followed speedily after those Christians that had committed those out-rages to tell them on the behalfe of his Vncle that they should dismisse their bootie But some of them vnwilling to large their prey they had taken ranne vpon him and slue him with diuers other Tartarians that accompanyed him Guiboga hearing that the Christians had slaine his Nephew rode presently and tooke the Citie of Sidon dismanteled the walls thereof and slue some few Christians the rest sauing themselues in an Iland And neuer after would the Tartars trust the Christians of Syria neither durst they put confidence in the Tartars who were afterwards driuen out of the Kingdome of Syria by the Saracens as shall be declared 31. Whiles Haoloon was busie in the warre with Barcat as hath beene said the Soldan of Egypt assembling his Armie came to the Prouince of Palestina and in a place called Hamalech he ioyned battaile with Guiboga and his Tartars where Guiboga was slaine and his Armie defeated The Tartars which escaped went into Armenia and by this meanes the Kingdome of Syria was wholly subdued by the Saracens sauing certayne Cities of the Christians which were seated neere the Sea
Argon he caused his Brother to be slayne and intending the like to his Nephew he went against him with a mightie Armie Argon being not of strength to withstand his forces betooke himselfe to a strong Hold among the Mountaines which that Sonne of Iniquitie besieged with his deuillish Armie Argon finally yeelded himselfe with condition that he might still enioy his Dignitie and Dominion But Mahomet deliuered him to the Constable and others of the Nobilitie to bee kept in Prison And departing towards the Citie of Tauris where he left his wiues and children he gaue direction that his Armie should come softly after him but appointed the Constable and such as he trusted most to put his Nephew to death secretly and to bring him his head These things thus hastily ordered and directed there was amongst those that had receiued the command of that bloudy execution a man of some Place and Authoritie brought vp vnder Abaga the Father of Argon who hauing compassion of his distresse tooke Armes and in the night time slue the Constable of Mahomet and all his followers and deliuering Argon made him Lord and Ruler of all some for feare and others for loue being obedient to his will and commandement Argon being thus established accompanied with his faithfull followers pursued presently after Mahomet whom he ouertooke and seized on before he came to Tauris and caused him after their manner to be cut asunder in the midst And such was the end of that cursed Caitiffe Mahomet before he had sate two yeeres in his seat §. IIII. Of ARGON the Sonne of ABAGA and REGAITO his Brother of BAIDO and of the exploits of CASAN against the Soldan of Egypt and others IN the yeere of our Lord 1285. after the death of Mahumet Argon the sonne of Abaga Can would not take on him the title of Can vntill he had receiued commandement from the great Can Soueraigne Lord and Emperour to whom he dispatched Messengers which were honourably receiued and entertayned by the great Can who reioyced much of his successe against Mahomet and sent some of his great Officers to confirme Argon in his Dominion who was thenceforth called Can and much respected of all For he was of a goodly aspect and presence couragious and wise in his proceedings much regarding and honouring the Christians The Churches ouer-throwne by Mahomet he repayred The Kings of Armenia and Georgia with the other Christian Princes of the East came vnto him desiring his best counsaile and helpe that the holy Land might be freed from the Pagans Argon very graciously answered That he would gladly doe any thing that might tend to the honour of God and the aduancement of Christian Religion and that he intended to make peace with his Neighbours that hee might the more freely and securely follow that enterprise But Argon before the execution of these good designments dyed in the fourth yeere of his raigne And a Brother of his called Regaito succeeded him who was a man of small valour as shall be after declared 39. In the yeere of our Lord 1289. after the death of Argon Can his brother Regaito was his Successor being a man of no Religion in Armes he was of no valour but was altogether giuen ouer to beastly luxurie and satiating his insatiable appetite with superfluous meates and drinkes and did nothing else by the space of six yeeres which he raigned insomuch that being hated of his subiects and contemned of strangers he was finally strangled by his Peeres After whose death Baydo a Kinsman of his succeeded him who was vpright and constant in Religion and did many fauours to the Christians but he soone ended his dayes as shall be declared 40. In the yeere of our Lord 1295. after the death of Regaito his Kinsman Baydo ruled ouer the Tartars He being a good Christian builded the Christian Churches and commanded that none should Preach or publish the Doctrine of Mahomet amongst the Tartarians But because those of the Sect of Mahomet were many they could hardly be induced to bee obedient to that commandement of Baydo and therefore sent Messengers secretly to Casan the sonne of Argono promising to giue him the Dominion which Baydo held and to make him their Lord and Ruler if he would renounce the Christian Religion Casan caring little for Religion but greatly affecting Dominion promised to doe whatsoeuer they would and so began an open rebellion wherevpon Baydo assembled his people thinking to haue taken Casan not knowing of the Treason which his people had wrought against him But when they came to the Field all the Mahometists leauing Baydo fled vnto Casan so that Baydo being forsaken thought to haue escaped by flight yet was pursued and slaine by his Enemies 41. After the death of Baydo Casan being made Ruler ouer the Tartars at the beginning of his raigne durst not gainsay what hee had promised the Mahometists that had promoted him thereto and therefore shewed himselfe for a while very austere to the Christians But when hee found himselfe well and firmely settled in his Dominion hee began to honour and cherish the Christians doing them many fauours as shall be declared First therefore hee destroyed many great Ones who had beene perswaders with him to become a Saracen and to persecute the Christians Then hee commanded all the Tartars within his Dominion to bee readie with their Armour and all necessarie furniture to attend him for a Conquest of the Kingdome of Egypt and ouer-throw of the Soldan and sent to the King of Armenia and the King of Georgia and other Christian Princes of the East in that behalfe At the beginning of the Spring Casan gathered his forces and first set forward towards Baldach and at length turned towards the Land of Egypt The Soldan called Melechnaser who had long before some intelligence of the comming of the Tartars assembled all his power and came before the Citie of Aman which is seated in the middest of the Kingdome of Syria Casan vnderstanding that the Soldan meant to giue him battaile forbore to besiege any Citie or Castle but hasted speedily to the place where the Soldan was and pitched his Tents but one dayes iourney from him in certaine Meadowes where was plentie of forrage and feeding where he rested his Followers and their Horses which were wearied with their trauell Amongst whom was a Saracen called Calphack or Capchick who had serued the Soldan and was fled from him to Casan for feare of imprisonment and punishments for his misse-demerits This Calphack had receiued sundrie fauours and rewards of Casan who reposed great confidence in him yet like a wicked Traytor he disclosed the counsaile and purpose of Casan to the Soldan and Saracens acquainting them by Letters how Casan meant to abide in those Meadowes vntill they had sufficiently rested their Horses which were wondrously wearied and therefore counsailed the Soldan to set vpon him before his Horses were refreshed
remayned no other way but on the side of the Suburbe the which a Riuer compasseth about running all along the side of a bordering Mountaine vpon the which wee caused many bridges to be built for to haue thereby a way for to succour our Souldiers which kept the passages of the Mountaines on the enemies side In this meane time the King of Chinaes Armie approached which was very great as they brought vs word daily the Prince determining to goe in person and meet with the Enemie accompanied with his principall Hors-men and to leaue the greatest part of his Foot-men at the siege whereunto he had a great desire omitting nothing that might wearie the besieged who defended themselues couragiously So the Prince beganne to batter causing his Engines to approach as Rammes and other munitions insomuch as the Citie was assaulted on two sides very couragiously In the end through the valour of Axalla who gaue an assault with twenty thousand of his best Souldiers he wonne the wall and lodged there the Prince hauing so commanded him to doe to stop the heat of the Souldiers from going any further Now the Princes purpose was to compound for the Citie and not to force it for two reasons The first was for that he feared the Citie being great and rich that when the Souldiers should sacke it the Enemie who was but thirty leagues from thence should come vpon them and by this meanes his Armie should be found in disorder also rich Souldiers neuer serue well The other was for that hee would draw out of that Citie which was rich and wealthy those commodities which were necessary for the sure accomplishing of his enterprise seeing it was necessary to haue such a Citie for to make a Store-house of necessary things for the Armie Thus although the wall was won the Enemies wanted not courage yet to defend themselues valiantly looking for ayde according to the newes they had receiued that the Kings Armie marched forward Whilest these things were in doing one of our Engines shooting a bullet slue the Gouernour whereupon they did resolue for to yeeld themselues vnto the Princes mercy sauing their liues and the Souldiers enioying their horse and weapons The conditions were agreed vpon and there came out of the Citie eighteene thousand Souldiers the Inhabitants remayning in a manner all there were therein thirtie thousand Souldiers at the beginning the siege continued two moneths The honour of taking the Citie and the happy successe therein was attributed vnto Axalla to whom was giuen the gouernment of the Citie with the Countrey already conquered But hee beseeched the Prince that it would please him to bestow it vpon some other and for himselfe hee reserued the hope of his Master wherein hee should haue part This answere did greatly content the Prince for hee greatly desired the seruice of Axalla Vpon his refusall this charge was bestowed vpon the Prince of Thanais with the Title of Vice-roy Now as I haue already told you our Prince after hee had giuen such order as was necessary and aduertised his friends in all parts and aboue all the Emperour he marched forward hauing contented his Souldiers and made a generall muster of his Armie as well of the horse as footmen the which hee found to be diminished of ten thousand men onely Now our Prince after he had solemnely called vpon the Immortall Inuincible and Incomprehensible God and spent one whole day in prayer wee enterprised to goe on forward and to goe directly vnto the Enemie who was at Sintehu with all his owne forces and of all his Allies As soone as he receiued newes that our Armie was passed ouer the Riuer of Chulifu the King of China marched directly vnto vs with great magnificence there was nothing to bee seene but gold and precious stones in his Armie hee himselfe was commonly in a Chariot wherein there was such a quantitie of gold and rich stones that euery part was full of Diamonds Rubies and Pearles The King of China was of the age of three and thirtie yeeres who for the most part had beene brought vp in pleasures and not in militarie exercises nor vnder the bloudie ensigne of Mars loden with Iron boysterous and furious not with gold precious stones and with such kinde of riches so as he was very insolent in threatnings brauadoes and in defying vnto the battaile He often said that we had surprised him and had not warned him to prepare himselfe and that we had strucken him without speaking any word for this is the custome of the people in those parts to doe in this manner Hee had two or three Kings also with him his Neighbours and Allies who marched with the same preparation The rumour of these riches gaue great courage to the Souldiers for they were couetous of iust gayne as is that gotten by a battaile So both our Armies went forward each to approch the other and there was a Citie yeelded vnto the Prince called Tunicheuoy the which helped our Armie greatly The next day to the end wee might giue occasion vnto the Enemie for to approch neerer we sent to summon and at the same time to take possession of the Citie of Pannihu the which in aduancing forward wee left a little behinde vs. The King of China had put many men thereinto and it was a Citie sufficiently well fortified from Tiaucheuoy to Paguinuhu there were ten leagues He aduanced his Armie within a league of the Citie Tiaucheuoy about noone the next day they had more certaine aduertisement of the Enemies comming The Prince commanded his Armie to take the place for the battaile which he had chosen in his iudgement with most aduantage and hauing set downe vnto Odmar the order he would haue to be obserued he desired to see the comming of this Armie so sending before him fiue or six thousand Horse as Scouts hee aduanced forward and Calibes with him After he had seene this great confused Armie which continually came forward hee commanded Calibes to retyre himselfe as soone as they drew neere vnto him and bring vnto him this great cloud the which hee hoped soone to disperse So the Prince returned backe vnto his men for to assure them of the battaile hee caused all his footmen to bee placed all along by a great Mountayne so as they had but one head for to doubt And hee planted great store of Artillerie for the guard of his footmen I am of opinion that the Prince had about six-score thousand footmen whereof many were armed after the Christian manner and all they were commanded by sundrie Captaines but all obeyed Axalla who commanded them as Generall Our Horse-men were in battaile array in a great leuell Playne hauing the Footmen on the left hand and on the right was the comming of the Enemie so as vpon the least disfauour that might happen hee would retyre to bee assisted by his footmen Wee had foure score thousand horse
please the Emperour to cause his Sonne to bee brought vp amongst them there the which he did grant vnto them in fauour of the said Prince Axalla establishing him for to command in the absence of the Prince his Sonne whom hee made Gouernour of Quinzai from Cambalu euen vnto the Sea This Countrey was replenished with some three hundred Cities and was in largenesse more then foure hundred leagues besides an finite number of Villages To make short it was that the Emperour his Vncle gouerned where this Prince Axalla was his Lieutenant generall vnder the authoritie of the young Prince his sonne vnto whom he deliuered him in charge for to be his Gouernour authorising him vnto the gouernement generall of all his Kingdomes for the great wisedome that was in this Knight made him beloued in all the Countreys vnder the Emperours obedience the seruices also and great victories the which he had caused the Emperour to obtayne by his stout courage and good conduct who for these occasions put his principall trust in him and after himselfe hee thought him onely worthie to preserue for his children his Kingdome and Empresse The King of China came to visit him at his Court according vnto the couenants offered vnto him the which he accepted he did sweare once againe obedience vnto the Emperour who caused him to see all his greatest Cities for to make himselfe the more to be feared of this Barbarian who kept no more promise then pleased himselfe Hee was astonished to behold so many Souldiers and the Countrey so well replenished with people and aboue all that they vsed so little curiositie of riches in their apparell and garments wondring that the Emperour was apparelled in meane Cloth of one colour without any other fashion but to counteruaile that he had about him men which seemed to bee Kings At the same time when the King of China was at the Court the Emperour receiued newes of the victorie against the Soldan for the which the Emperour reioyced making feasts and turneys in his Court in token of mirth and this reioycing continued for the space of eight dayes After the Emperour had giuen order for the double paying of his Armie that came into Persia vnder the conduct of the great Chamberlaine and Synopes Colonell generall in the Imperiall Armie the Emperour went vnto Quinsay for to see his sonne and visit the people of this Countrey The Emperour arriuing neere vnto Quinsay Prince Axalla comming to meet him two dayes iourney off with all the chiefe Lords of the Countrey together with the principall Citizens who were preparing for the Emperour the most magnificent receiuing that might bee as well by water as by land As this Citie is one of the richest in the world so is it one of the greatest and of the most wonderfull situation being all wholly diuided and ouerthwarted with channels vpon the which are framed wonderfull and stately buildings accompanied with an infinite number of Bridges vpon the which they passe ouer channels this Citie aboundeth with all kinde of spices and in great quantitie likewise with all manner of merchandises The Emperour as soone as he was arriued receiued presents of the Citizens the which were esteemed to be worth aboue two millions of Gold with a wonderfull variety of all rare and singular things the which they presented vnto him for to testifie the loue and obedience they did owe vnto him The Emperour was desirous to see his sonne whom they brought vp with the accustomed greatnesse of Princes and hauing caused the child to be brought before him being of the age of seuen yeeres he forbad from hence forward they should suffer him to weare any thing vpon his head and himselfe did hang a Bowe about his necke saying aloud that they which from their birth were called vnto soueraignties should bee vsed both vnto cold and heate and should bee exercised in Armes betimes and not brought vp delicately and easily reprehending them which had the bringing of him vp demanding of them if they meant to make a woman of him And they answering that he was tender If he be not borne said he for to be strong in Armes he will not be worthy to succeed mee for he must not be an effeminate Prince that shall preserue the Parthian Empire Now he had sent the Empresse vnto Samarcand to be deliuered where shee was honourably receiued hauing neuer beene there since shee was married Hee receiued newes that shee was there deliuered of another goodly sonne a thing which hee caused to be published ouer all and himselfe in token of ioy made feasts fifteene dayes with all kindes of magnificent turneys this he did for to shew his agilitie vnto this people to the end that as he excelled all his Court in vertues that they should also iudge him worthie to gouerne them aboue all other men After he continued there a moneth and hauing visited all the Sea-townes neere vnto Quinsay hunting all kindes of chases neglecting nothing notwithstanding which belonged to his charge saying often that the recreations hee did take were helpes for to ease him in the paines of his publike affaires whereunto God had called him Hauing vpon his returne called together all the people he published his lawes which were all reuerenced of this people as though they had proceeded from the Diuinitie so much admiration had euery one of the greatnesse of this Prince The which I will truely declare vnto you that so long as the Emperour was there this people did almost nothing being for the most part busied in beholding of him not finding any greater contentation then that Some of his Courtiers and amongst the rest Prince Axalla said one day vnto him that this was a Citie fit for his abode O my friend it is not so if they should see mee daily they would make no more account of mee It is a maxime that the Lord of this great Citie must not goe thither but once in ten yeeres and when he is there it behooueth him to temper his actions as if he were vpon a Scaffold readie for to play some Comedie where grauitie and good grace is necessary for to content the beholders for the people doe easily receiue an euill impression of their Prince as they also doe a good if you performe it well vnto them Now I 〈◊〉 forgotten to tell you how the Emperour sent Prince Axalla in his name from Quinsay 〈◊〉 China and his Imperiall Maiestie did not depart out of the Prouince before he returned he went thither with great diligence for to establish peace there Prince Axalla went forward towards Paguin where he was receiued of the Gouernour with all possible honour Anâ— hauing assembled all the Emperours forces hee set forward towards the borders of China â—â—ue an enteruiew at Pochio where the meeting place was agreed vpon He passed by Quantou went forward vnto Pochio whither the King came also to meet with him and hee entred
Wolues and Sheepe if they be poore the richer with Sables and Marterns of great price They weare black Bonets sharpe like a Sugar-loafe the men rather small then great wearing beards as we doe specially a certayne time of the yeere Their houses are of stone like ours with two or three lofts slope-roofed and diuersly painted and they haue one street onely of painters The great men for magnificence make a great Loft or Pageant and thereon erect two Tents of silke embroydered with gold siluer pearles and jewels and there stand with their friends This they cause to bee carried by fortie or fiftie Slaues and so goe thorow the Citie in solace The Gentlemen are carried on a simple Pageant by foure or six men without other furniture There Temples are made like our Churches so great that they may contayne foure or fiue thousand persons and haue in them two Statues of a Man and a Woman each fortie foot long all of one peece stretched on the ground and all gilded They haue excellent stone cutters They bring quarry stones two or three moneths iourney on shod Carts of fortie wheeles very high drawne by fiue or six hundred Horses and Mules There are also small Images with six or seuen heads and ten hands all holding diuers things one a Serpent another a Bird a third a Flower c. There are some Monasteries in which liue men of holy life immured within their houses that they cannot goe out whiles they liue and haue victuals euery day brought them There are innumerable like our Friars which goe vp and downe the Citie They haue a custome when one of their kindred dyes to clothe themselues in white many dayes made of Cotton their garments are made long to the ground with wide sleeues They vse Printing of their Books which he thought somewhat like those I shewed him at M. Thomas Giuntos printing house Their Citie is fortified with a thick wall within filled with earth able to carry fâ—ure Carts abrest with Towres and Artillery as thick as those of the great Turke The Ditch is wide and drie but they can make it runne with water at their pleasure They haue a kind of very great Oxen with long thin and with hayre The Cataians and Idolaters are forbidden to goe out of their Countries to goe on merchandise thorow the World Beyond the Desart aboue Corassam to Samarcand and till the Idolatrous Cities the 〈◊〉 rule which are Tartars Musulmans wearing greene sharpe Turbants of felt so making a difference betwixt them and the Persians which weare them red and betwixt them two for diuersitie of opinions in Religion are continual warres and disagreement about their Confines Bocara and Samarcand are two Cities of these Green-heads each a Signorie of it selfe They haue three particular sciences Chimia in the same sense as here Limia to make and cause loue and Simia to make men see that which is not The moneys which they haue are not Coyned but euery Gentleman and Merchant makes thin rods of gold and siluer as is before said of Campion and Succuir In the market place of Campion are euery day many Mountebankes which haue that science of Simia which compassed with a great multitude present strange sights as to cause a man to cut off his arme or thrust himselfe thorow with a sword and seeme to bee all bloudy with other like CHAP. X. A Treatise of China and the adioyning Regions written by GASPAR DA CRVZ a Dominican Friar and dedicated to SEBASTIAN King of Portugall here abbreuiated §. I. Of Camboia and the Bramenes there the cause of his going to China Of China and the neighbouring Regions I Being in Malaca building an house of my Order and preaching was informed that in the Kingdome of Camboia which is subiect to the King of Siam and lyeth toward the parts of China and doth confine with Champa whence commeth the most precious Calambach was great oportunitie to preach the Gospell and to reape some fruit Hauing leaue of my Prelate I tooke the iourney in hand And after the passing many troubles and hunger in the iourney with dangers and sicknesses I came a land and after I had reasonably informed my selfe by a third person conuersing with the People and with the Fathers euen before I knew it I found all to the contrary of that which they had told and that all were deceits of the simple Laytie which of light matters were mooued to presume of the people that which was not in them And besides this I found many hinderances for the obtayning of my desires and intent for first the King is a Bramene and the Bramenes are his principall men and his fauourites and most familiar because they are Witches for they are much giuen to bee pleased with witchcrafts and they doe nothing without consulting the Witches and Bramenes that are in the Kingdome for by this meanes they thriue by the Deuill And so the first thing that the King asked me was if I were a Witch The Bramenes doe worship among others one God which they call Probar missur which they said made the Heauens and the Earth and another God which they call Pralocussar this also hauing obtayned power of another which they call Praissur for to giue this licence to Probar missur and I shewed them that not onely he had not made the Heauen and the Earth but that hee had beene a very wicked man and a great sinner wherefore these Priests said that they would worship him no more hauing worshipped him thitherto with their God Praput prasar metri whereupon the hatred of the Bramenes increased towards me and from thence forward I had disfauours of the King which was mooued for the zeale of his God and the God of his Bramenes There met about these matters the Priests of the Idols and all of their troupe which goe for Priests and hold themselues for religious men and in their conuersation and life they are separated from all other people which to my thinking is the third part of the people of the Land the King thereof setting an hundred thousand men in the field This religious people or that holds it selfe for such are exceedingly proud and vaine and aliue they are worshipped for gods in sort that the inferiour among them doe worship the superiour like gods praying vnto them and prostrating themselues before them and so the common people haue a great confidence in them with a great reuerence and worship in sort that there is no person that dare contradict them in any thing and their wordes among them are held for so sacred that in no wise they will endure to be gainsayed Insomuch that it hapned sometimes whiles I was preaching many round about me hearing me very well and satisfying themselues of that which I said vnto them if there came any of these Priests and said this is good
at our being there and his predecessour by the meanes of the said Metropolitan for hee betrayed him and in the night slew him in his chamber who was a Prince that loued all Christians well This Countrey of Boghar was somtime subiect to the Persians and doe now speake the Persian tongue but yet now it is a Kingdome of it selfe and hath most cruell warres continually with the said Persians about their Religion although they bee all Mahometists One occasion of their warres is for that the Persians will not cut the hayre of their vpper lips as the Bogharians and all other Tartars doe which they account great sinne and call them Caphars that is vnbeleeuers as they doe the Christians The King of Boghar hath no great power or riches his reuenues are but small and hee is most maintained by the Citie for he taketh the tenth penie of all things that are there sold as well by the Craftsmen as by the Merchants to the great impouerishment of the people whom hee keepeth in great subiection and when hee lacketh money he sendeth his officers to the Shops of the said Merchants to take their wares to pay his debts and will haue credit of force as the like hee did to pay me certaine money that he owed me for nineteene pieces of Kersey Their money is siluer and copper for gold their is none currant they haue but one piece of siluer and that is worth twelue-pence English and the copper money are called Pooles and one hundred and twentie of them goeth to the value of the said twelue-pence and is more common payment then the siluer which the King causeth to rise and fall to his most aduantage euery other moneth and somtimes twise a moneth not caring to oppresse his people for that he looketh not to raigne aboue two or three yeeres before he bee either slaine or driuen away to the great destruction of the Countrey and Merchants The twentie sixth day of the moneth I was commanded to goe before the said King to whom I presented the Emperour of Russia his letters who entertained vs most gently and caused vs to eate in his presence and dâ—uers times hee sent for me and deuised with me familiarly in his secret chamber as well of the power of the Emperour and the great Turke as also of our Countries Lawes and Religion and caused vs to shoote in hand-guns before him and did himselfe practise the vse thereof But after all this great entertainment before my departure hee shewed himselfe a very Tartar for he went to the warres owing me money and saw me not payed before his departure And although indeed hee gaue order for the same yet waâ— I very ill satisfied and forced to rebate part and to take wares as payment for the rest contrary to my expectation but of a begger better payment I could not haue glad I was so to be payd and dispatched But yet I must needs praise and commend this barbarous King who immediately after my arriuall at Boghar hauing vnderstood our trouble with the Theeues sent one hundred men well armed and gaue them great charge not to returne before they had either slaine or taken the sayd theeues Who according to their commission ranged the wildernesse in such sort that they met with the said companie of Theeues and slew part and part fled and foure they tooke and brought vnto the King and two of them were sore wounded in our skirmish with our Guns And after the King had sent for me to come to see them hee caused them all foure to bee hanged at his Palace gâ—te because they were Gentlemen to the example of others And of such goods as were gotten againe I had part restored me and this good Iustice I found at his hands There is yeerely great resort of Merchants to this Citie of Boghar which trauell in great Caraâ—ans from the Countries thereabout adioyning as India Persia Balgh Russia with diuers others and in times past from Cathay when there was passage but these Merchants are so beggerly and poore and bring so little quantitie of wares lying two or three yeeres to sell the same that there is no hope of any good trade there to be had worthy the following The chiefe commodities that are brought thither out of these foresaid Countries are these following The Indians doe bring fine Whites which the Tartars doe all roll about their heads and all other kindes of Whites which serue for apparell made of Cotton-wooll and Crasca but Gold Siluer precious Stones and Spices they bring none I enquired and perceiued that all such trade passeth to the Ocean sea and the veynes where all such things are gotten are in the subiection of the Portugals The Indians carrie from Boghar againe wrought Silkes red Hides Slaues and Horses with such like but of Kerseis and other cloath they make little account I offered to bartar with Merchants of those Countries which came from the furthest parts of India euen from the Countrey of Bengala and the riuer Ganges to giue them Kerseis for their commodities but they would not barter for such commoditie as Cloath The Persians doe bring thither Craska Woollen-cloath Linnen-cloath diuers kindes of wrought pide Silkes Argomacks with such like and doe carrie from thence red hydes with other Russe wares and Slaues which are of diuers Countries but cloath they will buy none for that they bring thither themselues and is brought vnto them as I haue inquired from Aleppo in Syria and the parts of Turkie The Russes doe carrie vnto Boghar red hydes sâ—eepe skinnes woollen cloath of diuers sorts woodden vessels brydles saddles with such like and doe carrie away from thence diuers kindes of wares made of cotten-wooll diuers kindes of silkes Crasca with other things but there is but small vtterance From the Countries of Cathay are brought thither in time of peace and when the way is open Muske Rubarbe Satten Damaske with diuers others things At my being at Boghar there came Carauans out of all these foresaid Countries except from Cathay and the cause why there came none from thence was the great warres that had dured three yeeres before my comming thither and yet dured betwixt two great Countries and Cities of Tartars that are directly in the way betwixt the said Boghar and the said Cathay and certaine barbarous field people as well Gentiles as Mahometists bordering to the said Cities The Cities are called Taskent and Caskar and the people that warre against Taskent are called Cossacks of the law of Mahomet and they which warre with the said Countrey of Caskar are called Kings Gentiles and Idolaters These two barbarous Nations are of great force liuing in the fields without House or Towne and haue almost subdued the foresaid Cities and so stopped vp the way that it is impossible for any Carauan to passe vnspoyled so that three yeeres before our being there no Carauan had gone or vsed
fortie leagues Eastward called Mutipinan wherein were many Merchants which came in Cafilas from the Land of the Lauhos and PÃ fuaas and Gucos with great store of siluer The current setting strong against vs at the Rock of Tilauinera Wee came to Mutipinan and learned that the Riuer was deepe the best in that Bay the people peaceable that Merchants had come nine dayes before from the Kingdome of Benan in two Cafilas each of fiue hundred Oxen with store of Siluer Iuory Waxe Benioyn Camfire Gold in poulder to buy Pepper Drugs and pearles of Aynam that they had not any Armada of great ships because the Wars which the Prechau King of the Cauchins made wereby land that he abode at Quangepaaru a Citie twelue dayes iourny thence that his Mynes yeelded him fifteene thousand Pikes of Siluer halfe of which by Diuine Law belonged to the people which had remitted it to him on conditon to pay no other tributes wherto the ancient Prechaus had sworne to keepe it as long as the Sun should giue light to the Earth There hee sold a great part of his goods till newes of the Tanauquir Rouer made them afraid to come aboard so that he was forced to set saile Thus after many dayes spent in this Bay of Cauchin-china because Coia Acem and the Pyrates which robbed Christians were in league with the Mandarines and sold that which they had gotten in Ainan he pursued that purpose againe and came to Anchor in Madel a Hauen in that Iland where he encountred with Hinimilau a Chinese Rouer which had becomne lately a Moore and bitter enemy of Christians of which Religion hee had also beene Fiue Portugall Captiue Boyes which were aboard him cryed out for mercy whereby Faria mooued sent to know what they were which answering with stones on their heads that came in the Boat a cruell fight followed in which Faria remayned Victor and seised of the Captaine with fifteene others left aliue He demanded for the Portugall Boyes who told them they were in the Prow vnder Hatches whereupon sending to see they found them lying on a heape with their heads off a woman with her two children being also so serued Faria asked why hee dealt so with the small Innocents He answered it was sufficient that they were children of Portugals Being asked why he had forsaken the Christian Religion he said because the Portugals had respected him being a Gentile with Cap in hand saluting him Quiay Nicoda but after hee was Christian made little account of him whereupon he became a Moore in Bintam and the King of Iantan vsed him with much honour his Officers called him Brother and hee sware on a Booke to become an Enemy to the Portugall and Christian Name as long as he liued the King and Priest applauding and promising all happinesse to his soule Seuen yeares he had beene in execution of that Oath and had taken a Iunke of Luys de Pauia in the Riuer of Liampoo with foure hundred Bares of Pepper slue eighteene Portugals besides slaues and after that had taken at times foure ships in which he had slaine neere three hundred persons seuentie of them Portugals and taken fifteene or sixteen hundred Bares of Pepper and other Commodities of which the King of Pan had halfe to secure him and let him haue sale in the Riuer Choaboque on the Coast of China he had killed Ruy Lobo his old acquaintance with seuenteene Portugals escaping a wracke and taken into his Iunke on condition to pay him two thousand Cruzados to set him on shoare at Patane which notwithstanding hee slue him and the rest by the Moores counsell one night as they were asleepe Faria would heare no further but caused him to bee slaine and cast into the Sea In Silke and other goods he found in the Iunke to the value of fortie thousand Taeis the Iunke he burned hauing none to man her The other Necodas or Captaynes of the Iunkes seeing what Faria had done consulted together and seeing he might also doe as much to them sent two chiefe men to him desiring him as King of the Sea to giue them securitie to passe in dispatch of their businesses before the Monson were ended and that as his Tributaries they would giue him twentie thousand Taeis of Siluer to which he sware and that no Thiefe should rob them and with a Present receiued the Money brought him within an houre after A Boy which writ their Passes gayned in thirteene dayes aboue foure thousand Taeis besides gifts for dispatch each Iunke giuing fiue Taeis and the lesse Barkes two The Vice-Roy also of Ainan sent him a rich Present with a Letter to intreat him to serue the Sonne of the Sunne as Admirall from Laman to Liampoo at ten thousand Taeis annuall wages besides after three yeares end further aduancement whereto he excused his vnworthinesse and departed to Quangiparu a Citie of fifteene thousand Housholds and so coasted all alongst the Iland of Ainan seuen monethes space till the Souldiers were wearie and required their shares as had beene agreed which was quieted with promise to winter at Siam and hauing there made Money of all to giue each man his part With this agreement they came to an Iland called Theaues Iland because standing out of the Bay it is their place to take the first of the Monson Here at the new Moone in October wee were encountred with a cruâ—ll Tempest in the night by which the foure Vessels were broken in pieces fiue hundred eightie sixe persons drowned of which eight and twentie Portugals three and fiftie of vs by Gods mercie saued Faria being one and one and twentie other Portugals the rest Slaues and Mariners They spent two dayes and a halfe in Buriall of their dead and to get some of their prouision which yet hauing taken Salt-water would not last aboue fiue dayes of the fifteene they stayed there Faria comforted them saying that God would not permit so much euill but for a greater good nor would haue taken from them fiue hundred thousand Cruzados but to giue them sixe hundred thousand God doth not punish with both hands his mercie curing the wounds which his Iustice maketh Thus we walked naked and bare-foot on the Strand in the Wildernes suffering hunger and cold many of our companions dying not so much for want of food as the stinke and putrified vnholsomnesse thereof In this disconsolate plight a Sea-kite came flying from behind the South Cape of the Iland and let fall from his Talons a Mullet a span long which he taking vp with great prayse to God and Prayer to Iesus Christ not to consider their merits but his merits for them hee caused it to bee rosted and giuen to the sicke Looking to the place whence the Fowle came they saw more of them flying vp and downe and going thitherwards discouered a Valley with diuers Fruit-trees and before they came at it they found a Deere
being aduertised of his comming came foorth and receiued him at the Palace gate whereas was vsed betwixt them great courtesie The Captayne came with great Maiestie with his guard of Souldiers and Mace-bearers before him with great musicke of Hoy-buckes Trumpets and Drums and two Whiffelers or Typ-staues that made roome putting the people aside also there came with him two executors of Iustice hauing each of them in their hands a Set made of canes which is an instrument wherewith they doth whip and punish offenders When this Captayne came vnto the Palace gate whereas the father Friars and their companions did receiue him he was brought on the shoulders of eight men very richly apparelled in a chayre wrought of Iuorie and Gold who stayed not till they came into the inner Chamber whereas he did alight from the chayre and went straight vnder a Cloath of estate that was there ordinarily for the same purpose and a Table before him there hee sate downe and straight-wayes arose vp and standing he did receiue the strange ghests who did courtesie vnto him according vnto their fashion which is to joyne their hands together and to stoope with them and their heads downe to the ground hee gratified them againe with bowing his head a little and that with great grauitie These speeches being finished there was brought foorth certaine pieces of blacke Silke of twelue vares long a piece And his Officers did put on the Friars shoulders each of them two which was for either shoulder one and was brought about their bodies and girt therewith the like was done in order vnto the Spanish Souldiers and vnto Omoncon and Sinsay and to their Interpreter But vnto Omoncon and Sinsay was giuen vnto either of them a branch or Nosegay made of Siluer which was set vpon their heads which is accustomable honour that is done vnto such as haue done some great enterprise or such like After that this ceremonie was done they played vpon the Instruments aforesayd which came with the Captayne In the meane time of their musicke there was brought foorth great store of Conserues March-panes and things made of Sugar and excellent good Wine and so being on foote standing hee caused them to eate and hee himselfe from the Chayre whereas he sate did giue them to drinke euery one in order without rising vp which is a ceremonie and token of great fauour and of loue This being done hee arose from the chayre vnder the Cloath of state and went and sate downe in that which was brought on mens backes and with declyning of his head a little hee departed out of the Hall and out of the house and went vnto his owne house whereas by the counsell of Omoncon and Sinsay within an houre after they should goe and visite him the which they did hee receiued them maruellously well and with great courtesie who maruelled at his great Maiestie and authoritie for that Omoncon and Sinsay when they did talke with him were vpon their knâ—es and so did all the rest Hee gaue them againe in his owne house a gallant banquet of diuers sorts of Conserues and Fruits and excellent Wine of the Palme-tree and did talke and reason with them in good sort and was more familiar than at his first visitation After that the Fathers with their companions had remained two dayes in the Port of Tansuso the thrid day they departed in the morning towards Chincheo At their going forth of the Town they were accompanied with a great number of Soldiers both Harquebusses Pikes and before them a great noyse of Trumpets Drums and Hoy-bucks till such time as they came vnto the Riuers side whereas was a Brygandine prouided and made readie in all points to carrie them vp the Riuer all the streets alongst whereas they went there followed them so much people that it was innumerable and all to see them All alongst the Riuers whereas they went was seated with Villages very gallant and fresh both on the one side and on the other At the end of the two leagues they came vnto a great Bay where was at an Anchor a fleete of more then one hundred and fiftie Ships men of warre whose Generall was this Captaine whom wee haue spoken of At such time as the fleete did discouer them they began to salute them as well with great pieces of Artillerie as with Harquebusses and other kinde of pastimes which commonly they doe vse at such times Our Spaniards did trauell vp the Riuer more than three leagues hauing continually both on the one side and on the other very many and faire Townes and full of people In the end of the three leagues they went aland halfe a league from the Towne of Tangoa whereas straight-wayes all such things as they carryed with them were taken vpon mens backes and carryed vnto the Towne before them whereas they were tarrying their comming for to giue them great entertaynment At their going ashoare they found prepared for the two Religious men little Chayres to carrie them vpon mens backes and for the Souldiers and the rest of their companions horse The Fathers did refuse to bee carryed and would haue gone a foot but Omoncon and the other Captayne would not consent thereunto The Fathers obeyed their reasons and entred into the Chayres and were carryed with eight men a piece and the other their companions with foure men a piece according vnto the order giuen by the Gouernour Those that carryed the Chayres 〈◊〉 it with so good a will that there was striuing who should first lay hands to them This Towne of Tangoa hath three thousand Souldiers and is called in their language Coan at the entring in it hath many Gardens and Orchards and a street where through they carryed the Spaniards vnto their lodging they affâ—rmed to bee halfe a league long and all the street whereas they went was full of boards and stalles whereon was layd all kinde of Merchandise very curious and things to bee eaten as fresh Fish and salt Fish of diuers sorts and great abundance of Fowle and Flesh of all sorts Fruits and greene Herbes in such quantitie that it was sufficient to serue such a Citie as Siuill is They were brought vnto the Kings house which was very great marueilously well wrought with stone and bricke and many Halls Parlours and Chambers but none aboue but all below So soone as they were a foote there was brought from the Captayne or Iustice of the Towne whom they doe call Ticoan a message bidding them welcome and therewith a present which was great store of Capons Hennes Teales Duckes Geese Flesh of foure or fiue sorts fresh Fish Wine and fruits of diuers sorts and of so great quantitie that it was sufficient for two hundreth men All the which they would haue giuen for a little coole ayre by reason that it was then very hot weather and againe the great number of people that came thither to see them did augment it the more In the Euening the
the Master altered his minde as those Barbarians are vsually inconstant and lingred long amongst the Ilands in the way This troubled vs in two respects principally both for the losse of the season which God offered and which being past wee were compelled to winter on the Coast of China and againe because in the same Ship was carryed an Idoll of the Deuill to which the Mariners in sight and spight of vs sacrificed after the manner of their Countrey They also by lots demanded answers thereof touching their Voyage which as they sayd and beleeued were sometimes good sometimes bad A hundred leagues from Malaca holding our course to China wee stayed at an Iland where after many Ceremonies the Deuill was consulted what fortune wee should haue who answered very prosperous Whereupon with great alacritie wee set sayle they worshipped the Idoll placed in the poope with Candles burning and incense of sweet Wood wee trusted in God the Creator of Heauen and Earth and in his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ desiring to carrie his Religion into those parts When wee were vnder sayle they demanded of the Deuill whether this Ship should returne from Iapon to Malaca the answer was made by the lot-casters that it should goe to Iapon but not returne to Malaca which made them alter their mindes thinking it better to winter in China and to deferre the voyage to Iapon till the next yeere You may well thinke how it grieued vs that the Deuill must bee consulted touching our course After this we came to Cauchinchina where two aduerse things happened Emanuel Sina our companion by the rolling of the Ship in the troubled Sea fell into the sinke almost dead with the bruise and water but in few dayes recouered which before it was ended the Masters Daughter with the like rolling of the Ship fell into the Sea and in all our sight was drowned and much lamentation followed The Barbarians presently sought to pacifie the Deuill and without rest all the day and night tooke paines to kill Birds to the Idoll and to set dishes of meate before it and by lots consulted to know the cause of that misfortune The answer was that if Emanuel which first fell in had dyed the Girle had not fallen into the Sea You see in what danger the Deuill hereby had cast vs if our Lord had not restrayned his rage c. The tempest being asswaged wee came in few dayes to the Port of Canton in China And there they purposed to Winter notwithstanding all our intreaties and expostulations but I know not how on a sudden they would goe to Chincheo on the same Coast. And when wee were almost there the Master was certified by some which sayled by that there was store of Pirats at Chincheo whereupon the winde being faire for Iapon and crosse for Canton they brought vs to Cangoxuma the Countrey of our friend Paul whose friends vsed vs vnkindly There wee spent fortie dayes in learning the Elements of the Iaponian tongue with great labour and began to publish the Decalogue and other heads of Christian learning which Paul had accurately conuerted into his owne Language and wee purposed speedily to Print them whereby the knowledge of Christ is further and more easily founded c. The occasion of his journey thither hee sheweth in another Letter that some Portugals being lodged in a House possessed by Deuils compassed the sayd house with Crosses and that there was great hope of good to bee done in those parts whereupon notwithstanding those Seas are very tempestuous and much infested with Pirats hee resolued to goe thither Ricius and Trigantius adde that the Iaponian Priests alledged in defence of their Idolatries the Chinois wisedome against him whereupon hee returned to India to aduise with the Vice-roy to send an Ambassage into China without which there was no entrance and obtayned that Iames Pereira was named Legate with whom he had before conferred about the businesse at Sancian where the Portugals at that time vsed to trade with the Chinois Amacao not yet established but Aluarus Taidius the Captayne of Malaca opposed Xauier loath herein to bee crossed vsed the Popes Bull which constituted him Apostolicall Nuncio and grieuously Cursed all that should hinder his proceedings in promoting Religion And when Aluarus would not otherwise relent hee interdicted him and his followers Soone after Aluarus was possessed with a Leprosie and further contemning the Vice-roy was taken and cast in Irons and dyed miserably Xauier burning with zeale of his China expedition sought to get some Chinois by fauour or reward to conueigh him by stealth into China and to expose him some-where on the Continent although hee knew that imprisonment attended such strangers as came into China without licence Being admonished to take leaue of the Captayne What sayd hee should I goe to salute an Excommunicate person I shall neuer see him nor hee me in this life nor after but when in the Vale of Iosaphat I shall accuse him before the Iudge Christ. And praying for him after with a countenance full of Maiestie hee put off his shooes and shooke off the dust according to the Euangelicall precept Thus he came to Sancian a Desart Iland where the Portugals vsed to make oothes of boughes or straw for the time of their Trading with the Chinois with whom hee consulted about some way to effect his desires though with losse of libertie or life At last he agreeth with a China Merchant for as much Pepper giuen him of the Portugall Merchants in almes as was worth aboue two hundred Duckets to set him and his Interpreter on shoare secretly Hee vndertooke it but either secretly terrified by other Portugals or with his owne danger his Interpreter forsooke him and after that the Merchant also vanished He stayed yet wayting for him till a Feuer tooke him out of the world in December 1552. His corps was after translated to India The Portugals of those times were very desirous of Trade with the Chinois who on the other side were very suspitious of them both by that which they saw of their Ships and Ordnance and by that which the Moores at Canton reported of these Franks so the Mahumetans call Europaeans that they were warlike and victorious as appeared in Malaca and all India vnder colour of Merchandise subiected to the Portugals The Chinois at Canton call them still Falanks for they want the R and pronounce not two consonants without a vowell interposed By the same name they call also the Portugals Ordnance Yet desire of gaine preuayled that they were admitted to such a trade as ye haue heard so as the Mart ended they must away with their goods to India That course continued diuers yeeres till the Chinois growing lesse fearefull granted them in the greater Iland a little Peninsula to dwell in In that place was an Idoll which still remayneth to bee seene called Ama whence the Peninsula was called Amacao that is Amas
obtayne our desire which we had for the establishment of our Company in this Kingdome and to procure the opening of an entrance thereunto for the preaching of the holy Gospell We began to sayle vp a very great Riuer whereof hereafter I will speake somewhat and when we had sayled certayne leagues wee entred into another small Riuer made by hand aboue two hundred leagues only to carry in Barges the Tribute which the Prouinces of the parts of Nanquin pay vnto the King and other things which these Countries yeeld which are the best and most plentifull of all things which are in China because it seemeth impossible to carry it by Land with Millions of people being in Rice Wheate Siluer and a thousand other things very great And the Vessels which are employed about this businesse are so many that without doubt it is no Hyperbole to say that from Nanquin to Paquin which is three hundred leagues all the Summer time it seemeth to be a path way of the Kings Barges We were all aswell Mandarins as particular men very well intreated all the way whither many Mandarins came out of the Villages and Cities desiring to see the Present which wee carried and our selues bringing vs many Presents for our Iourney Hauing trauelled two hundred and thirty leagues in forty dayes wee came to a very famous place and Mart Towne in China which is in the Prouince of Xantun which is next vnto the Territories of Paquin called Lincin Where because of the great Trafficke of Vessels and Merchants which goe and come from the Court who pay to the King a very great tribute he hath placed one of his chiefest Eunuchs which serueth to gather vp his Customes which liued there in great estate and much attendance Whensoeuer he goeth abroad he is alwaies carried in a Chaire vpon eight mens shoulders which is a very great honour in China with great store of Horsemen before and behind with certaine Basons of Copper which make a great sound when they bee playd vpon to signifie to the people that he commeth that way that all may goe out of the way as the custome is with all the great Mandarines in the Cities of their iurisdiction Which Eunuch vnderstanding of vs and of the things which wee brought for the King and of many other things which they put in his head that wee brought to wit precious stones and others of that kind hee sent vs word that hee knew what we had brought for the King and that he desired much to see it and that the same day or the next he would come praying vs that we would make it ready He came at the appointed time and hauing seene the things which wee brought for the King and making account of them to be precious and that the King would greatly delight in them he sought meanes to cause them to be presented to the King by all meanes as things that he had dealt with vs to bring to please him and thereby to obtayne some sute for himselfe and besides this with desire and hope that wee would giue him some precious stones whereof the Chinois are very greedy he determined wholly to meddle in this businesse Hee sent vs a Present of things to eate and a very courteous message that wee should passe in one of his Barges that shortly he would send vs to Paquin with Souldiers of his house a Petition made with his owne hand to the king that we should consult together and bethinke our selues what we desired to obtayne of the King whether it were to bee Mandarines or to haue lands or houses or all together because there should be no difficulty in any thing The message came with all this courtesie And we made answer with the like returning him a Present for his answer with generall words For though hee came with so great offers yet wee knew that these Eunuchs for the most part are base and couetous people It happened at this time that the chiefest Mandarine of this Citie which was our great friend was come from Nanquin from whence they had fetched him for that Office Wee determined that Father Matthew Riccio should visite him with a small Present according to the vse of the Countrey to relate vnto him this businesse and to aske his counsell what wee were best to doe Hee receiued the Father with much courtesie and loue and kept him two dayes in his house which after he had heard the whole matter answered that he was very sorrie that we had met with this Eunuch because we could looke for no goodnesse of his basenesse couetousnesse and bad meanes of proceeding and that he could performe nothing that he had promised and that his intent was nothing but couetousnesse that hee would aduise vs to take as little as we could of him but for all this that wee should not refuse that which hee offered but rather to make a vertue of necessitie and to thanke him with a very good continuance for that which hee promised because we were in his power and he might and would hinder our passage if wee did not so and take away our Present from vs and giue it himselfe with his owne hand to the King without making any account of vs without controlment of any man because he was not subiect to any Mandarine This seemed vnto vs to be very sound counsell and a forcible enducement to follow it So we followed the same and applied our selues vnto him in euery thing answering the Eunuch according to his desire and passed in a Barke of his He desired much forthwith to carrie the Kings Present to his house saying that he would trimme them to giue them to the King and this we courteously denyed him saying that we durst not depart with them till we had deliuered them to the King neither that it seemed reasonable that when wee did giue them another should trimme them especially that these pieces were not such as had need of more trimming since in themselues they were so precious with which answer hee seemed to remayne satisfied At the first he made vs great banquets sport and cheere but as in very deed his purpose was nothing but to doe himselfe good and to looke for his owne profit and not for ours hee beganne quickly to discouer himselfe for hee stayed certaine dayes looking that wee should giue him some precious stones which some body had told him that we had brought with vs to please him for some things that they looked for at his hands and when he saw the dayes were passed within which he thought we would haue giuen him them he began to be out of hope and to grow cold in our entertaynment yet for all this he came to visite vs with great pompe at our embarking and after fifteene dayes he dispatched vs for our iourney to Paquin with men of his owne house and with a Petition to the King signifying vnto him how hee had met vs
the doores they vse salutations and offers of courtesie according to the qualitie of the Guest and the Master of the house so he bringeth him more or lesse way or vnto the street or if he goe so farre he stayeth till he take his Chaire or his Horse and then lifting vp their armes and sleeues vnto their heads they take their leaues and depart one from the other When they are departed the Visitor and hee that is visited each of them send a Boy to giue one another thankes one for his visitation the other for his good entertaynment and friendly vsage If hee that is visited be not at home they leaue the Paytre at his house which is a token that hee came to visite him Hee that is visited is bound to requite his visitation presently or the next day if he bee a man of Worship or if they bee equals within three or foure dayes which payment is performed after the selfe same manner and if hee finde him not at home it sufficeth to leaue the Paytre there If hee that requiteth the visitation bee a farre greater person then the first which visited him as if he be some great Mandarin hee which first visited him returneth the next day in person with a paper wherein hee giueth him thankes that he came to his house and if they see one another he giueth him thankes by word of mouth When the man which visiteth is of great Worship hee sendeth word a good space before with a Paytre and the Master of the house commeth forth to receiue him and to bring him into the house All their Houses and Lodgings haue alwayes an head and more honourable place which is the highest part where alwayes they place the Guest Likewise in their writing they vse a great difference according to the estates Dignitie and Age and in their Letter the greater the Mandarin is they vse the greater Letter those that are equall or inferiour vse a very small letter likewise they obserue the same order in speaking to euery one according to his qualitie When they meet in the streets the ordinary courtesie is to put their hands into their sleeues closing them together to hold them vp to vse a common speech which they haue for this purpose When a couple enter into new acquaintance they doe yet more and that is they kneele downe and touch the ground with their head so often and with so great ceremonies that I dare not speake of them lest I should neuer make an end When they send Presents they write downe all things which they send in a paper as they doe their speeches with words of Honour whereof I send likewise examples to see of very graue persons which sent vs Presents And whether the partie receiue the Present or not or only a part he alwayes sendeth backe another paper with certaine red lines as herewith is to bee seene with a Letter which sayth I thanke you much And when he receiueth the Present hee alwayes giueth some money to the youths that bring it and hereby he remayneth bound to answer him with another Present as great at the least And herein they be very precise especially persons that are not of the greatest account A thing which I finde very strange and which doth put vs to much trouble to be driuen equally to answer those Presents which the greater Mandarins doe send vs for they alwayes desire some thing of our Countrey and here we are very poore They send vs somtimes from Macao some Clockes of sand or Houre-glasses some Kniues some cases of tooles for Surgeans and other things for they much esteeme all things that come from our parts and with these things which in our Countries are little or nothing worth heere wee procure friends which stand vs in exceeding great stead to conferre with them of our holy Faith and of the saluation of our Soules Besides their Presents and visitations they haue Gossippings and Banquets whereunto very vsually they inuite one another When these be very solemne they set euery Guest two tables for himselfe one of Flesh and Fish c. another of Fruits and sweet Meats When they be not so solemne one table for euery man or two at euery Table they prouide for these Guests great diuersitie of meates well dressed and seasoned which they bring soft and fayre one after another that they may be hot When they inuite one to a Banquet they send sixe or seuen dayes before a paper wherein they inuite him against such a day If hee cannot come he sendeth another paper wherein he saith I excuse my selfe If he excuse not himselfe he is resolued to come This paper is sent with many words of courtesie with much honour On the day appointed in the morning hee sendeth another to inuite him againe for the selfe same day and at the appointed houre hee sendeth another to pray him to come and then hee goeth If any of these messages should fayle hee would not goe When he is gone to the Banquet they vse many other ceremonies But the most adoe is about their places so that it is long before you can place them and allot out the roomes how they shall sit because they euer seeke or at least make shew that they seeke to giue the chiefest roome to others They feed not as men vse to doe in our Countrey neither seemeth it that the Feast is made to feed but onely they taste of some small thing for fashion sake and they drinke very sippingly in small Cups of Porcelane each of which will contayne fiue or sixe Thimbels-full of Wine and heerein and in deuising they spend fiue or sixe houres at a Banquet and goe home an hungred And thus it happeneth vnto vs although wee seeke to excuse our selues from them as much as we can because wee lose much time vnlesse it bee some great Mandarin who we feare would take it euill if wee should deny his request When the Banquet is ended the next day euery one of the Guests sends his Boy with a paper wherein hee thanketh his Hoast for his good cheare Heere your Worship may see wherein the Chinois spend the one halfe of their life For the greatest businesse they haue and that wasteth most of their time is in Visitations Banquets and sending of Presents And the time wherein they most of all vse the same is their New-yeere which lasteth fifteene dayes their Birth day which all of them keepe with great solemnitie or when they goe foorth or come home on a Iourney And to end the whole yeere I send you some Papers of visitation of all these things whereof they haue sent many vnto vs that your Worship may see though you vnderstand not the outward Letter the manner and fashion of this people how farre different Salutations manners and fashions we send you from the plainenesse of our Europe and especially of our Companie But for the present
furniture When they are come to the Church the Priest standeth ready to receiue the child within the Church Porch with his Tub of water by him And then beginneth to declare vnto them that they haue brought a little Infidell to be made a Christian c. This ended he teacheth the Witnesses that are two or three in a certaine set forme out of his Booke what their dutie is in bringing vp the child after he is baptised vz. That he must be taught to know God and Christ the Sauiour And because God is of great maiestie and wee must not presume to come vnto him without Mediators as the manner is when we make any suit to an Emperour or great Prince therefore they must teach him what Saints are the best and chiefe Mediators c. This done he commandeth the Deuill in the name of God after a coniuring manner to come out of the water and so after certaine Prayers he plungeth the child thrise ouer head and eares For this they hold to bee a point necessary that no part of the child be vndipped in the water The words that beare with them the forme of Baptisme vttered by the Priest when he dippeth in the child are the very same that are prescribed in the Gospell and vsed by vs vz. In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost For that they should alter the forme of the words and say by the holy Ghost as I haue heard that they did following certaine Heretikes of the Greeke Church I round to be vntrue as well by report of them that haue beene often at their Baptismes as by their Booke of Lyturgie it selfe wherein the order of Baptisme is precisely set downe When the childe is baptised the Priest layeth Oyle and Salt tempered together vpon the forehead and both sides of his face and then vpon his mouth drawing it along with his finger ouer the childs lips as did the Popish Priests saying withall certaine Prayers to this effect that God will make him a good Christian c. all this is done in the Church Porch Then is the child as being now made a Christian and meet to be receiued within the Church Doore carried into the Church the Priest going before and there he is presented to the chiefe Idoll of the Church being layd on a Cushion before the feet of the Image by it as by the Mediator to be commended vnto God If the child be sicke or weake specially in the Winter they vse to make the water luke warme After Baptisme the manner is to cut off the haire from the childs head and hauing wrapped it within a piece of Waxe to lay it vp as a Relique or Monument in a secret place of the Church This is the manner of their Baptisme which they account to be the best and perfectest forme As they doe all other parts of their Religion receiued as they say by tradition from the best Church meaning the Greeke And therefore they will take great paines to make a Proselyte or Conuert either of an Infidell or of a forreine Christian by rebaptising him after the Russe manner When they take any Tartar prisoner commonly they will offer him life with condition to be baptised And yet they perswade very few of them to redeeme their life so because of the naturall hatred the Tartar beareth to the Russe and the opinion he hath of his fashood and iniustice The yeere after Mosko was fired by the Chrim Tartar there was taken a Diuoymorsey one of the chiefe in that exploit with three hundred Tartars more who had all their liues offered them if they would be baptised after the Russe manner Which they refused all to doe with many reproches against those that perswaded them And so being carried to the Riuer Mosko that runneth through the Citie they were all baptised after a violent manner being thrust downe with a knock on the head into the water through an hole made in the Ice for that purpose Of Lieflanders that are captiues there are many that take on them this second Russe Baptisme to get more libertie and somewhat besides towards their liuing which the Emperour ordinarily vseth to giue them Of Englishmen since they frequented the Countrey there was neuer any found that so much forgot God his Faith and Countrey as that he would be content to be baptised Russe for any respect of feare preferment or other meanes whatsoeuer saue onely Richard Relph that following before an vngodly trade by keeping a Caback against the order of the Countrey and being put off from that trade and spoiled by the Emperours Officers of that which he had entred himselfe this last yeere into the Russe Profession and so was rebaptised liuing now asmuch an Idolater as before he was a Rioter and vnthrifty person Such as thus receiue the Russe Baptisme are first carried into some Monasterie to bee instructed there in the doctrine and ceremonies of the Church Where they vse these ceremonies First they put him into a new and fresh sute of apparell made after the Russe fashion and set a Coronet or in Summer a Garland vpon his head Then they anoint his head with Oyle and put a Waxe candle light into his hand and so pray ouer him foure times a day the space of seuen dayes All this while he is to abstaine from flesh and white meats The seuen dayes being ended he is purified and washed in a Bath-stoue and so the eight day hee is brought into the Church where he is taught by the Friers how to behaue himselfe in presence of their Idols by ducking downe knocking of the head crossing himselfe and such like gestures which are the greatest part of the Russe Religion The Sacrament of the Lords Supper they receiue but once a yeere in their great Lent time a little before Easter Three at the most are admitted at one time and neuer aboue The manner of their communicating is thus First they confesse themselues of all their sinnes to the Priest whom they call their ghostly Father Then they come to the Church and are called vp to the Communion Table that standeth like an Altar a little remoued from the vpper end of the Church after the Dutch manner Heere first they are asked of the Priest whether they bee cleane or no that is whether they haue neuer a sinne behind that they left vnconfessed If they answer No they are taken to the Table Where the Priest beginneth with certayne vsuall Prayers the Communicants standing in the meane while with their armes folded one within another like Penitentiaries or Mourners When these prayers are ended the Priest taketh a Spoone and filleth it full of claret Wine Then hee putteth into it a small piece of Bread and tempereth them both together and so deliuereth them in the spoone to the Communicants that stand in order speaking the vsuall words of the Sacrament Eate this c. Drinke this
c. both at one time without any pause After that hee deliuereth them againe Bread by it selfe and then Wine carded together with a little warme water to represent Bloud more rightly as they thinke and the water withall that flowed out of the side of Christ. Whiles this is in doing the Communicants vnfold their armes And then folding them againe follow the Priest thrice round about the Communion table and so returne to their places againe Where hauing sayd certayne other prayers hee dismisseth the Communicants with charge to bee merrie and to cheere vp themselues for the seuen dayes next following Which being ended hee enioyneth them to fast for it as long time after Which they vse to obserue with very great deuotion eating nothing else but Bread and Salt except a little Cabbage and some other Herbe or Root with water or quasse Mead for their drinke This is their manner of administring the Sacraments Wherein what they differ from the institution of Christ and what Ceremonies they haue added of their owne or rather borrowed of the Greekes may easily bee noted THeir chiefest errours in matter of Faith I finde to bee these First concerning the Word of God it selfe they will not read publikely certayne Bookes of the Canonicall Scripture as the bookes of Moses specially the foure last Exodus Leuiticus Numeri and Deuteronomie which they say are all made disauthentique and put out of vse by the comming of Christ as not able to discerne the difference betwixt the Morall and the Ceremoniall Law The bookes of the Prophets they allow of but reade them not publikely in their Churches for the same reason because they were but directers vnto Christ and proper as they say to the Nation of the Iewes Onely the Booke of Psalmes they haue in great estimation and sing and say them daily in their Churches Of the New Testament they allow and reade all except the Reuelation which therefore they reade not though they allow it because they vnderstand it not neither haue the like occasion to know the fulfilling of the Prophecies contayned within it concerning especially the Apostacie of the Antichristian Church as haue the Westerne Churches Notwithstanding they haue had their Antichrists of the Greeke Church and may finde their owne falling off and the punishments for it by the Turkish inuasion in the Prophecies of the Booke Secondly which is the fountayne of the rest of all their corruptions both in Doctrine and Ceremonies they hold with the Papists that their Church Traditions are of equall authoritie with the written Word of God Wherein they preferre themselues before other Churches affirming that they haue the true and right Traditions deliuered by the Apostles to the Greeke Church and so vnto them Thirdly that the Church meaning the Greeke and specially the Patriarch and his Synod as the head of the rest hauing a soueraigne Authoritie to interpret the Scriptures and that all are bound to hold that Interpretation as sound and authentique Fourthly concerning the Diuine nature and the three Persons in the one substance of God that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely and not from the Sonne Fiftly about the office of Christ they hold many foule errours and the same almost as doth the Popish Church namely that hee is the sole Mediatour of redemption but not of intercession Their chiefe reason if they bee talked withall for defence of this errour is that vnapt and foolish comparison betwixt God and a Monarch or Prince of this world that must bee sued vnto by Mediatours about him wherein they giue speciall preferment to some aboue others as to the blessed Virgin whom they call Procheste or vndefiled and Saint Nicolas whom they call Scora pomosnick or the Speedy helper and say that hee hath three hundred Angels of the chiefest appointed by God to attend vpon him This hath brought them to an horrible excesse of Idolatrie after the grossest and prophanest manner giuing vnto their Images all religious worship of Prayer Thankesgiuing Offerings and Adoration with prostrating and knocking their heads to the ground before them as to God himselfe Which because they doe to the Picture not to the portraiture of the Saint they say they worship not an Idoll but the Saint in his Image and so offend not God forgetting the Commandement of God that forbiddeth to make the Image or likenesse of any thing for any Religious worship or vse whatsoeuer Their Church walls are verie full of them richly hanged and set foorth with Pearle and Stone vpon the smooth Table Though some also they haue embossed that sticke from the board almost an inch outwards They call them Chudouodites or their Miracle workers and when they prouide them to set vp in their Churches in no case they may say that they haue bought the Image but Exchanged money for it Sixtly for the meanes of Iustification they agree with the Papists that it is not by Faith onely apprehending Christ but by their Workes also And that Opus operatum or the worke for the worke sake must needs please God And therefore they are all in their numbers of Prayers Fasts Vowes and Offerings to Saints Almes deeds Crossings and such like and carrie their numbring Beads about with them continually as well the Emperour and his Nobilitie as the common people not onely in the Church but in all other publike places specially at any set or solemne meeting as in their Fasts law Courts common Consultations entertaynment of Ambassadours and such like Seuenthly they say with the Papists that no man can bee assured of his saluation till the sentence be passed at the day of Iudgement Eightly they vse auricular Confession and thinke they are purged by the very action from so many sinnes as they confesse by name and in particular to the Priest Ninthly they hold three Sacraments of Baptisme the Lords Supper and the last Anoiling or Vnction Yet concerning their Sacrament of extreame Vnction they hold it not so necessarie to saluation as they doe Baptisme but thinke it a great curse and punishment of God if any dye without it Tenthly they thinke there is a necessitie of Baptisme and that all are condemned that dye without it Eleuenth they rebaptise as many Christians not being of the Greeke Church as they conuert to their Russe profession because they are diuided from the true Church which is the Greeke as they say Twelfth they make a difference of Meates and Drinkes accounting the vse of one to be more holy then of another And therefore in their set Fasts they forbeare to eate flesh and white meates as wee call them after the manner of the Popish superstition which they obserue so strictly and with such blinde deuotion as that they will rather die then eate one bit of Flesh Egges or such like for the health of their bodies in their extreame sicknesse Thirteenth they hold Marriage to bee
being ended the Bridegroome taketh the Bride by the hand and so they goe on together with their friends after them towards the Church porch Where meet them certaine with pots and cups in their hands with Mead and Russe Wine Whereof the Bridegroome taketh first a Charke or little cup full in his hand and drinketh to the Bride who opening her Hood or Vale below and putting the Cup to her mouth vnderneath it for being seene of the Bridegroome pledgeth him againe Thus returning all together from the Church the Bridegroome goeth not home to his owne but to his Fathers house and shee likewise to hers where either entertayne their friends apart At the entring into the House they vse to fling Corne out of the windowes vpon the Bridegroome and Bride in token of plentie and fruitfulnesse to bee with them euer after When the Euening is come the Bride is brought to the Bridegroomes Fathers house and there lodgeth that night with her Vayle or couer still ouer her head All that night she may not speake one word for that charge shee receiueth by tradition from her Mother and other Matrons her friends that the Bridegroome must neither heare nor see her till the day after the marriage Neither three dayes after may she bee heard to speake saue certaine few words at the Table in a set forme with great manners and reuerence to the Bridegroome If shee behaue herselfe otherwise it is a great prejudice to her credit and life euer after and will highly bee disliked of the Bridegroome himselfe After the third day they depart to their owne and make a Feast to both their friends together The marriage day and the whole time of their festiuall the Bridegroome hath the honour to be called Moloday Knez or young Duke and the Bride Moloday Knezay or young Dutchesse In liuing with their wiues they shew themselues to be but of a barbarous condition vsing them as seruants rather then wiues Except the Noble-women which are or seeme to bee of more estimation with their husbands then the rest of meaner sort They haue this foule abuse contrary to good order and the Word of God it selfe that vpon dislike of his wife or other cause whatsoeuer the man may goe into a Monasterie and shire himselfe a Frier by pretence of deuotion and so leaue his wife to shift for her selfe so well as shee can THe other Ceremonies of their Church are many in number especially the abuse about the signe of the Crosse which they set vp in their high wayes in the tops of their Churches and in euery doore of their houses signing themselues continually with it on their foreheads breasts with great deuotion as they will seeme by their outward gesture Which were lesse offence if they gaue not withall that religious reuerence and worship vnto it which is due to God onely and vsed the dumbe shew and signing of it instead of thanksgiuing and of all other duties which they owe vnto God When they rise in the morning they goe commonly in the sight of some steeple that hath a Crosse on the top and so bowing themselues towards the Crosse signe themselues withall on their foreheads and breasts And this is their thanksgiuing to God for their nights rest without any word speaking except peraduenture they say Aspody Pomeluy or Lord haue mercie vpon vs. When they sit downe to meat and rise againe from it the thanksgiuing to God is the crossing of their foreheads and brests Except it be some few that adde peraduenture a word or two of some ordinary prayer impertinent to that purpose When they are to giue an oath for the deciding of any controuersie at Law they doe it by swearing by the Crosse and kissing the feet of it making it as God whose name onely is to bee vsed in such triall of Iustice. When they enter into any house where euer there is an Idoll hanging on the wall they signe themselues with the Crosse and bow themselues to it When they begin any worke bee it little or much they arme themselues first with the signe of the Crosse. And this commonly is all their prayer to God for good speed of their businesse And thus they serue God with crosses after a crosse and vaine manner notwithstanding what the Crosse of Christ is nor the power of it And yet they thinke all strangers Christians to be no better then Turkes in comparison of themselues and so they will say because they bow not themselues when they meet with the Crosse nor signe themselues with it as the Russe manner is They haue Holy-water in like vse and estimation as the Popish Church hath But heerein they exceed them in that they doe not onely hollow their Holy-water stockes and tubs full of water but all the Riuers of the Countrey once euery yeere At Mosko it is done with great pompe and solemnitie the Emperour himselfe being present at it with all his Nobilitie marching through the streets towards the Riuer of Moskua in manner of Procession in this order as followeth First goe two Deacons with banners in their hands the one of Precheste or our Lady the other of Saint Michael fighting with his Dragon Then follow after the rest of the Deacons and the Priests of Mosko two and two in a ranke with Coaps on their backes and their Idols at their brests carried with girdles or slings made fast about their necks Next the Priests come their Bishops in their Pontificalibus then the Friers Monkes and Abbots and after the Patriarches in very rich attire with a Ball or Sphere on the top of his Myter to signifie his vniuersalitie ouer that Church Last commeth the Emperour with all his Nobilitie The whole traine is of a mile long or more When they are come to the Riuer a great hole is made in the Ice where the Market is kept of a road and a halfe broad with a stage round about it to keepe off the presse Then beginneth the Patriarch to say certaine prayers and coniureth the Deuill to come out of the water and so casting in Salt and censing it with Frankincense maketh the whole Riuer to become Holy-water The morning before all the people of Mosko vse to make crosses of chaulke ouer euery doore and window of their houses least the Deuill being coniured out of the water should flye into their houses When the Ceremonies are ended you shal see the black Guard of the Emperors house then the rest of the Towne with their pailes and buckets to take off the hallowed water for drinke and other vses You shall also see the women dip in their children ouer head and eares and many men and women leape into it some naked some with their clothes on when some man would thinke his finger would freeze off if he should but dip it into the water When the men haue done they bring their horse to the Riuer to drinke of the sanctified water and
should misse our time For the cold was so great that our Clocke was frozen and might not goe although we hung more waight on it then before The fourth it was faire cleere weather the Wind North-east and then we began euery man by turne to digge open our doores that were closed vp with Snow for we saw that it would be often to doe and therefore we agreed to worke by turnes no man excepted but the Master and the Pilot. The fifth it was faire weather with an East-wind and then we made our Springes cleane againe to take Foxes The sixt it was foule weather againe with an Easterly Wind and extreame cold almost not to bee indured whereupon wee lookt pittifully one vpon the other being in great feare that if the extreamitie of the cold grew to bee more and more wee should all dye there with cold for that what fire soeuer we made it would not warme vs yea and our Sacke which is so hot was frozen very hard so that when wee were euery man to haue his part we were forced to melt it in the fire which wee shared euery second day about halfe a pint for a man wherewith we were forced to sustayne our selues and at other times wee dranke water which agreed not well with the cold and we needed not to coole it with Snow or Ice but we were forced to melt it out of the Snow The seuenth it was still foule weather and we had a great storme with a North-east Wind which brought an extreame cold with it at which time wee knew not what to doe and while we sate consulting together what were best for vs to doe one of our companions gaue vs counsell to burne some of the Sea-coales that we had brought out of the ship which would cast a great heate and continue long and so at Eeuening we made a great fire thereof which cast a great heat at which time wee were very carefull to keepe it in for that the heate beeing so great a comfort vnto vs we tooke care how to make it continue long whereupon wee agreed to stop vp all the doores and the Chimney thereby to keepe in the heate and so went into our Cabins to sleepe well comforted with the heate and so lay a great while talking together but at last we were taken with a great swounding and dazeling in our heads yet some more then other some which we first perceiued by a sicke man and therefore the lesse able to beare it and found our selues to be very ill at ease so that some of vs that were strongest start out of their Cabins and first opened the Chimney and then the doores but he that opened the doore fell downe in a swound vpon the Snow which I hearing as lying in my Cabin next to the doore start vp and casting Vinegar in his face recouered him againe and so he rose vp and when the doores were open we all recouered our healths againe by reason of the cold Ayre and so the cold which before had beene so great an Enemy vnto vs was then the onely reliefe that wee had otherwise without doubt we had dyed in a sudden swound after that the Master when we were come to our selues againe gaue euery one of vs a little Wine to comfort our hearts The eight it was foule weather the winde Northerly very sharpe and cold but we durst lay no more coales on as wee did the day before for that our misfortune had taught vs that to shunne one danger we should not runne into another The ninth it was faire cleare weather the skie full of Starres then we set our doore wide open which before was fast closed vp with Snow and made our Springes ready to take Foxes The tenth it was still faire Star-light weather the winde North-east then wee tooke two Foxes which were good meate for vs for as then our victuals began to bee scant and the cold still increased whereunto their Skinnes serued vs for a good defence The eleuenth it was faire weather and a cleere ayre but very cold which hee that felt not would not beleeue for our Shooes froze as hard as hornes vpon our feete and within they were white frozen so that we could not weare our shooes but were forced to make great Pattents the vpper part being Sheepe-skinnes which we put on ouer three or foure payre of Sockes and so went in them to keepe our feet warme The twelfth it was faire cleere weather with a North-west winde but extreame cold so that our House walls and Cabbins were frozen a finger thicke yea and the Cloathes vpon our backes were white ouer with Frost and although some of vs were of opinion that wee should lay more coles vpon the fire to warme vs and that we should let the chimney stand open yet we durst not doe it fearing the like danger we had escaped The thirteenth it was faire cleere weather with an East winde then we tooke another Foxe and tooke great paines about preparing and dressing of our Springes with no small trouble for that if wee stayed too long without the doores there arose blisters vpon our Faces and our Eares The fourteenth it was faire weather the winde North-east and the skie full of starres then we tooke the height of the right shoulder of the Rens when it was South South-west and somewhat more Westerly and then it was at the highest in our Compasse and it was eleuated aboue the Horizon 20. degrees and 28. minutes his Declination being 6. degrees and 18. minutes on the North-side of the line which Declination being taken out of the height aforesayd there rested 14. degrees which being taken out of 90. degrees then the height of the Pole was 76. degrees The fifteenth it was still faire weather the winde East that day wee tooke two Foxes and saw the Moone rise East South-east when it was sixe and twentie dayes old in the signe of Scorpio The sixteenth it was faire cleere weather the winde East at that time wee had no more Wood in the house but had burnt it all but round about our house there lay some couered ouer with Snow which with great paine and labour we were forced to digge out and so shouell away the Snow and so brought it into the house which wee did by turnes two and two together wherein we were forced to vse great speed for wee could not long endure without the House because of the extreame cold although we wore the Foxes skinnes about our heads and double apparell vpon our backes The seuenteenth the winde still held North-east with faire weather and so great Frosts that wee were of opinion that if there stood a Barrell full of water without the doore it would in one night freeze from the top to the bottome The eighteenth the winde still held North-east with faire weather then seuen of vs went out vnto the Ship to see how it lay and being vnder
anchor in the mouth of a Riuer where lieth an Iland in the mouth thereof foure leagues wee anchored from the Iland in two and thirtie fathomes blacke sandy ground There droue much Ice out of it with a streame that set out of the Riuer or Sound and there were many Morses sleeping on the Ice and by it we were put from our Road twice this night and being calme all this day it pleased God at our need to giue vs a fine gale which freed vs out of danger This day was calme cleere and hot weather all the night we rode still The thirtieth calme hot and faire weather we weighed in the morning and towed and rowed and at noone we came to anchor neere the I le aforesaid in the mouth of the Riuer and saw very much Ice driuing in the Sea two leagues without vs lying South-east and North-west and driuing to the North-west so fast that wee could not by twelue a clocke at night see it out of the top At the Iland where wee rode lieth a little Rocke whereon were fortie or fiftie Morses lying asleepe being all that it could hold it being so full and little I sent my companie ashoare to them leauing none aboord but my Boy with mee and by meanes of their neerenesse to the water they all got away saue one which they killed and brought his head aboord and ere they came aboord they went on the Iland which is reasonable high and steepe but flat on the top They killed and brought with them a great Fowle whereof there were many and likewise some Egges and in an houre they came aboord This I le is two flight-shot ouer in length and one in breadth At mid-night our Anchor came home and wee tayld aground by meanes of the strength of the streame but by the helpe of God wee houed her off without hurt In short time wee moued our ship and rode still all night and in the night wee had little wind at East and East South-east VVee had at noone this day an obseruation and were in the latitude of 71. degrees 15. minutes The first of Iuly we saw more Ice to Seaward of vs from the South-east to the North-west driuing to the North-west At noone it was calme and we had the Sunne on the Meridian on the South and by VVest point halfe a point to the VVesterly part of the Compasse in the latitude of 71. degrees 24. minutes This morning I sent my Mate Eueret and foure of our companie to rowe about the Bay to see what Riuers were in the same and to find where the Morses did come on land and to see a Sound or great Riuer in the bottome of the Bay which did alwaies send out a great streame to the Northwards against the tide that came from thence and I found the same in comming in from the North to this place before this VVhen by the meanes of the great plenty of Ice the hope of passage betweene Newland and Noua Zembla was taken away my purpose was by the Vaygats to passe by the mouth of the Riuer Ob and to double that way the North Cape of Tartaria or to giue reason wherefore it will not be but being here and hoping by the plentie of Morses wee saw here to defray the charge of our Voyage and also that this Sound might for some reasons bee a better passage to the East of Noua Zembla then the Vaygats if it held according to my hope conceiued by the likenesse it gaue for whereas we had a floud came from the Northwards yet this Sound or Riuer did runne so strong that Ice with the streame of this Riuer was carried away or any thing else against the floud so that both in floud and ebbe the streame doth hold a strong course and it floweth from the North three houres and ebbeth nine The second the wind being at East South-east it was reasonable cold and so was Friday and the Morses did not play in our sight as in warme weather This morning at three of the clocke my Mate and companie came aboord and brought a great Deeres horne a white locke of Deeres haire foure dozen of Fowle their Boat halfe laden with drift Wood and some Flowers and greene things that they found growing on the shoare They saw a herd of white Deere of ten in a companie on the land much drift wood lying on the shoare many good Bayes and one Riuer faire to see to on the North shoare for the Morses to land on but they saw no Morses there but signes that they had beene in the Bayes And the great Riuer or Sound they certified me was of breadth two or three leagues and had no ground at twentie fathoms and that the water was of the colour of the Sea and very salt and that the streame setteth strongly out of it At sixe a clocke this morning came much Ice from the Southward driuing vpon vs very fearefull to looke on but by the mercy of God and his mightie helpe wee being moored with two Anchors ahead with vering out of one Cable and heauing home the other and fending off with Beames and Sparres escaped the danger which labour continued till sixe a clocke in the Eeuening and then it was past vs and we rode still and tooke our rest this night The third the wind at North a hard gale At three a clocke this morning wee weighed our anchor and set sayle purposing to runne into the Riuer or Sound before spoken of The fourth in the morning it cleered vp with the wind at North-west we weighed and set sayle and stood to the Eastwards and past ouer a Reefe and found on it fiue and a halfe sixe sixe and a halfe and seuen fathoms water then we saw that the Sound was full a very large Riuer from the North-eastward free from Ice and a strong streame comming out of it and wee had sounding then foure and thirtie fathoms water Wee all conceiued hope of this Northerly Riuer or Sound and sayling in it wee found three and twentie fathomes for three leagues and after twentie fathomes for fiue or sixe leagues all tough Ozie ground Then the winde vered more Northerly and the streame came downe so strong that wee could doe no good on it wee came to anchor and went to supper and then presently I sent my Mate Iuet with fiue more of our companie in our Boat with Sayle and Oares to get vp the Riuer being prouided with Victuall and Weapons for defence willing them to sound as they went and if it did continue still deepe to goe vntill it did trende to the Eastward or to the Southwards and wee rode still The fift in the morning we had the wind at West we began to weigh anchor purposing to set sayle and to runne vp the Sound after our companie then the wind vered Northerly vpon vs and we saued our labour At noone our companie came aboord vs hauing had a hard
very good Sound hard by the Vre in sixteene fathoms at the mouth of Cunninghams Foord about fiue of the clocke There came presently foure of the Countrie people vnto vs after their old accustomed manner This euening about sixe of the clocke the Vrin anchored by vs. This night the Admirall my selfe and Captaine Browne went on Land to see the Myne of siluer where it was decreed that we should take in as much thereof as we could On Sunday the third of August the Sauages seeing our curtesie toward them bartered Seales skinnes and Whales finnes with vs which being done wee went to our Boat and rowing away three of them taking their Boats rowed with vs vp the Foord calling to other of the people telling them and making signes to vs of our dealing towards them Then they also came to vs and bartered with vs for old Iron and Kniues for Seales skinnes and coates made of Seales skinnes and Whales finnes and rowed still all with vs. In the end hauing rowed fiue or sixe leagues vp the Foord and seeing it to bee but a Bay wee returned alongst many greene and pleasant Ilands where wee found good anchoring the people still followed vs to the number of fiue and twentie persons till about sixe of the clocke when it fell thicke with some raine and the winde being Southerly wee rowed in among the Sounds at which time they went from vs wee rowing our Boat to one of the Ilands went to supper And hauing supped wee rowed some three leagues vp an other Foord where we found very shallow water in which place we stayed with our Boat all that night The fourth day in the morning about three of the clocke wee returned to our ship againe with a gale of winde Southerly being somewhat thicke and raynie weather sayling by the Land among the Ilands till we came three leagues to the Northwards of Queene Sophias Cape when going without the Ilands wee met with a very high Sea so that wee had much to doe but by the prouidence of Almightie God the Boat was preserued from being swallowed vp of the Sea In the end wee got againe among the Ilands and so about noone wee came to our ships The fift day some of our men went on Land among the Mountaines where they did see reine Deere The sixt day I casting about stood into the shoare South-east till wee had brought Ramels Foord East and by North off vs bearing roome for the same Foord There goeth a very hollow Sea betweene the Ilands of the Kings Foord and Ramels Foord The winde being somewhat still wee towed on head with our Boats till wee came thwart of a Bay in which I was in the Vrins Boat which I named Fos Bay after the name of Philip de Fos Pilot of the Vrin. But the Admirals wilfulnesse was such that I could by no meanes counsaile him therein though night were at hand but hee would goe vp the Foord till wee came on the starboord side of the Foord to sixe and twentie fathomes sandie ground The Vrin let fall anchor by vs but the winde comming off the Land our Captaine and Companie being so obstinate and willfull that I could by no meanes get them to worke after my will the ship draue into the midfoord where wee could haue no ground at an hundred fathoms till the Tyde of flood came when the flood set the ship to the shoare but I laying out a Cage-anchor got the ship off and setting our foresaile stood for another roade vp the Riuer The eight day about foure in the morning wee came to an anchor in twentie fathomes sandie ground hauing very faire shoalding within vs. About noone the Vrin came and anchored by vs. It floweth in this Riuer South-east and North-west and it standeth in the latitude of 66. degrees and 25. minutes The ninth in the morning our Captaine with the Captaine of the Vrin went with their Boates vp the Riuer where they did come to see their winter houses which were builded with Whales bones the balkes being of Whales ribbes and the tops were couered with earth and they had certaine Vaults or Sellers vnder the earth foure square about two yards deepe in the ground These houses were in number about some fortie They found also certaine Graues made vp of stones ouer the dead bodies of their people the carkasses being wrapped in Seales skins and the stones laid in manner of a Coffin ouer them This day in this place we set a man on Land which had serued our Captaine the yeer◠before which for a certaine fault committed by him our Captaine left behinde in the Countrie About noone our men came aboord againe and after Dinner some of the people came vnto vs of whom wee caught 〈◊〉 with their Boates and stowed them in our ship◠to bring them into Denmark◠to enforme our selues better by their meanes of the state of their Countrie of Groineland which in their owne language they call Secanunga and say that vp within the Land they haue a great King which is carried vpon mens shoulders The tenth of August in the morning the winde being at East South-east we weighed and came forth of Rombes Foord but being come forth to Sea amongst the Ilands the winde came vp to the South-west and by South the Sea going maruellous high we lying West and West and by North to Sea doubling certaine Ilands and Rocks Where the Sea going so wonderfull high had set vs vpon the Rocks where we had all dyed if God of his mercy 〈◊〉 that instant when wee saw nothing before our eyes but present death had not sent vs a great gale of winde at South South-west whereby wee lay West North-west away with a flawne sheat wee doubling of the Ilands and Rocks were forced to goe betweene certaine little Ilands which lye off Queene Sophias Cape foure leagues into the Sea The which Ilands I named the yeere before Knights Ilands after the name of Iohn Knight So hauing passed these Ilands not without great danger was found betweene them many blinde Rock◠and being cleere in the Sea The thirteenth at noone we were in the latitude of 66. degrees 50. minutes being off Cape Sophia West and by North halfe westerly about sixteene leagues The eighteenth about foure in the morning we got cleere off the Ice steering South and by West away it being very thicke weather till noone when it cleered vp at which 〈◊〉 wee saw the shoare rising like Ilands being very high and stretching South and by East and North and by West about foure and twentie leagues the shoare being beset all full with Ice so that in that place it is impossible for any ship to come into the shoare Also of the Southermost of these two Capes lay such a great banke of Ice stretching into the Sea that wee were forced to lye West and by North to double the 〈◊〉 All this afternoone wee were almost
the Tree as doe the fingers out of the hand wreathing themselues one within another and so spreading abroad these Trees are high and are found in great plentie in the Coast of the Sea of Sur in the Prouince of Cacique Chiman These Date Trees bring forth a Fruit after this sort being altogether vnite as it groweth on the Tree it is of greater circumference then the head of a man and from the superficiall part to the middest which is the fruit it is inuolued and couered with many Webs much like vnto those Hirds of Towe which they vse in Andalusia Of this Towe or Web the East Indians make a certaine kind of Cloth of three or foure sorts and Cordes for the Sayles of Ships but in these Indies of your Maiestie they passe not for these Coards or this Cloth that may be made of the Fruit of Coco by reason of the great plentie that they haue of the Bombage or Cotton of Gossampine Trees The Fruit which is in the middest of the said Tow is as I haue said as bigge as a mans fist and sometimes twice as bigge and more It in forme like vnto a Walnut oâ— some other round thing somewhat more long then large and very hard the rinde or burke hereof is as thicke as the circle of Letters of a Riall of Plate and within there cleaueth fast to the rinde of the Nut a carnositie or substance of coornell of the thicknesse of halfe a finger or of the least finger of the hand and is very white like vnto a faire Almond and of better taste and more pleasant When this Fruit is chewed there remayne certaine crummes as doe the like of Almonds Yet if it be swallowed downe it is not vnpleasant For although that after the iuyce or moysture be gone downe the throat before the said crummes be swallowed the rest which is eaten seeme somewhat sharpe or sowre yet doth it not so greatly offend the taste as to be cast away While this Cocus is yet fresh and newly taken from the Tree they vse not to eate of the said carnositie and Fruit but first beating it very much and then strayning it they draw a Milke thereof much better and sweeter then is the Milke of Beasts and of much substance the which the Christian men of those Regions put in the Tartes or Cakes which they make of the grain of Maiz whereof they make their Bread or in other Bread as we put Bread in Pottage so that by reason of the said Milke of Cocus the Tartes arm more excellent to be eaten without offence to the stomacke they are so pleasant to the taste and leaue it aswell satisfied as though it had beene delighted with many delicate Dishes But to proceed further your Maiestie shall vnderstand that in the place of the stone or coornell there is in the middest of the said carnositie a void place which neuerthelesse is full of a most cleere and excellent water in such quantitie as may fill a great Egge shell or more or lesse according to the bignesse of the Cocos the which water surely is the most substantiall excellent and precious to bee drunke that may be found in the World insomuch that in the moment when it passeth the palate of the mouth and beginneth to goe downe the throate it seemeth that from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head there is no part of the bodie but that feeleth great comfort thereby as it is doubtlesse one of the most excellent things that may bee tasted vpon the earth and such as I am not able by writing or tongue to expresse And to proceed yet further I say that when the meate of this fruit is taken from the Vessell thereof the vessell remayneth as faire and neate as though it were polished and is without of colour inclining toward black and shineth or glistereth very faire and is within of no lesse delicatenesse Such as haue accustomed to drinke in these Vessels and haue beene troubled with the Disease called the fretting of the guts say that they haue by experience found it a maruellous remedie against that Disease and that it breaketh the stone and prouoketh vrine This fruit was called Coca for this cause that when it is taken from the place where it cleaueth fast to the Tree there are seene two holes and aboue them two other naturall holes which altogether doe represent the gesture and figure of the Cattes called Mammons that is Monkeyes when they cry which cry the Indians call Coca but in very deed this Tree is a kind of Date Tree and hath the same effect to heale fretting of the guts that Plinie describeth all kinde of Date trees to haue There are furthermore in the firme Land Trees of such bignesse that I dare not speake thereof but in place where I haue so many witnesses which haue seene the same as well as I. I say therefore that a league from Dariena or the Gitie of Sancta Maria Antiqua there passeth a Riuer very large and deepe which is called Cuti ouer the which the Indians laid a great Tree so trauersing the same that it was in the stead of a bridge the which I my selfe with diuers other that are at this present in your Maiesties Court haue oftentimes passed ouer And forasmuch as the said Tree had lyen long there and by the great weight thereof was so shrunke downeward and partly couered with water that none could passe ouer it but were wet to the knee I being then in the yeere 1522. the officiall or Iustice in that Citie at your Maiesties appointment caused another great Tree to bee laid in that place which in like manner trauersed the Riuer and reached more then fiftie foote ouer the further side This Tree was exceeding great and rested aboue the water more then two Cubits in the fall it cast downe all such other Trees as were within the reach thereof and discouered certaine bynes which were so laden with blacke Grapes of pleasant taste that they satisfied more then fiftie persons which ate their fill thereof This Tree in the thickest part thereof was more then sixteene spannes thicke and was neuerthelesse but little in respect of many other trees which are found in this Prouince For the Indians of the Coast and Prouince of Cartagenia make Barkes or Boates thereof which they call Canoas of such bignesse beeing all one whole Tree that some containe a hundred men some a hundred and thirtie and some more hauing neuerthelesse such void space within the same that there is left sufficient roome to passe to and fro throughout all the Canoas Some of these are so large beside the length that they conteine more then tenne or twelue spannes in breadth and saile with two sailes as with the Master saile and the trincket which they make of very good Cotton The greatest Trees that I haue seene in these parts or in any other Regions was in the Prouince of
that this fish is one of the best in the world to the taste and the likest vnto flesh especially so like vnto beefe that who so hath not seene it whole can iudge it to be none other when hee seeth it in pieces then very Beefe or Veale and is certainly so like vnto flesh that all the men in the world may herein be deceiued the taste likewise is like vnto the taste of very good Veale and lasteth long if it be powdred so that in fine the Beefe of these parts is by no meanes like vnto this This Manate hath a certaine stone or rather bone in his head within the braine which is of qualitie greatly appropriate against the disease of the stone if it be burnt and ground into small powder and taken fasting in the morning when the paine is felt in such quantitie as may lye vpon a peny with a draught of good whiâ—e wine For being thus taken three or foure mornings it acquieteth the griefe as diuers haue told me which haue proued it true and I my selfe by testimonie of sight doe witnesse that I haue seen this stone sought of diuers for this effect There are also diuers other fishes as bigge as this Manate among the which there is one called Vihnella This fish beareth in the top of his head a sword being on euery side full of many sharp teeth this sword is naturally very hard and strong of foure or fiue spans in length and of proportion according to the same bignesse and for this cause is this fish called Spada that is the Sword fish Of this kinde some are found as little as Sardines and other so great that two yokes of Oxen are scarsly able to draw them on a Cart. But whereas before I haue promised to speake of other fishes which are taken in these Seas while the ships are vnder saile I will not forget to speake of the Tunny which is a great and good fish and is oftentimes taken and kild with Trout speares and hookes cast in the water when they play and swim about the ships In like manner also are taken many Turbuts which are very good fishes as are lightly in all the Sea And here is to be noted that in the great Ocean Sea there is a strange thing to be considered which all that haue beene in the Indies affirme to bee true And this is that like as on the Land there are some Prouinces fertile and fruitfull and some barren euen so doth the like chance in the Sea So that at some windes the ships saile fiftie or a hundred or two hundred leagues and more without taking or seeing of one fish and againe in the selfe same Ocean in some places all the water is seen tremble by the moouing of the fishes where they are taken abundantly It commeth further to my remembrance to speake somewhat of the flying of fishes which is doubtlesse a strange thing to behold and is after this manner When the ships saile by the great Ocean following their viage there riseth sometimes on the one side or on the other many companies of certaine little fishes of the which the biggest is no greater then a Sardine and so diminish lesse and lesse from that quantitie that some of them are very little these are called Volatori that is flying fishes they rise by great companies and flocks in such multitudes that it is an astonishment to behold them Sometimes they rise but little from the water and as it chanceth continue one flight for the space of an hundred paces and sometimes more or lesse before they fall againe into the Sea sometimes also they fall into the ships And I remember that on an euening when all the companie in the ship were on their knees singing Salue Regina in the highest part of the Castle of the poope and sailed with a full winde there passed by vs a flocke of these flying fishes and came so neere vs that many of them fell into the ship among the which two or three fell hard by mee which I tooke aliue in my hand so that I might well perceiueâ— that they were as bigge as Sardines and of the same quantitie hauing two wings or quils growing out of their sinnes like vnto those wherewith all fishes swim in Riuers these wings are as long as the fishes themselues As long as their wings are moist they beare them vp in the aire but assoone as they are drie they can continue their flight no further then as I haue said before but fall immediatly into the Sea and so rise againe and flie as before from place to place In the yeere 1515. when I came first to enforme your Maiestie of the state of the things in India and was the yeere following in Flanders in the time of your most fortunate successe in these your Kingdomes of Arragon and Castile whereas at that voyage I sayled aboue the Iland Bermuda otherwise called Garza being the furthest of all the Ilands that are found at this day in the world and arriuing there at the depth of eight yards of water and distant from the Land as farre as the shot of a piece of Ordinance I determined to send some of the ship to Land aswell to make search of such things as were there as also to leaue in the Iland certaine Hogs for increase But the time not seruing my purpose by reason of contrarie winde I could bring my ship no neerer the Iland being twelue leagues in length and sixe in breadth and about thirtie in circuit lying in the three and thirtieth degree of the North side While I remayned here I saw a strife and combat betweene these flying fishes and the fishes named Gilt heads and the fowles called Sea-mewes and Cormorants which surely seemed vnto me a thing of as great pleasure and solace as could be deuised while the Gilt heads swam on the brim of the water and sometimes lifted their shoulders aboue the same to raise the flying fishes out of the water to driue them to flight and follow them swimming to the place where they fall to take and eate them suddenly Againe on the other side the Sea-mewes and Cormorants take many of these flying fishes so that by this meanes they are neither safe in the Aire nor in the Water In the selfe same perill and danger doe men liue in this mortall life wherein is no certaine securitie neither in high estate nor in lowe Which thing surely ought to put vs in remembrance of that blessed and safe resting place which God hath prepared for such as loue him who shall acquiet and finish the trauailes of this troublesome world wherein are so many dangers and bring them to that eternall life where they shall finde eternall securitie and rest Of the increase and decrease that is rising and falling of our Ocean Sea and South Sea called the Sea of Sur. I Will now speake of certaine things which are seene in the
signifying the drought and barrennesse of the time The young men came wrapped in red Curtaines with Garlands and chaines of roasted Mays The Maydes were clothed in new Garments wearing chaines about theirs neckes of roasted Mays and vpon their heads Mytres made of rods couered with this Mays they had their feet couered with feathers and their armes and cheekes painted They brought much of this roasted Mays and the chiefe men put it vpon their heads and about their neckes taking flowres in their hands The Idoll being placed in his Litter they strewed round about a great quantitie of the boughes of Manguey the leaues whereof are large and pricking This Litter being set vpon the religious mens shoulders they carried it in Procession within the circuit of the Court two Priests marching before with Censors giuing often Incense to the Idoll and euery time they gaue Incense they lifted vp their armes as high as they could to the Idoll and to the Sunne saying that they lifted vp their Prayers to Heauen euen as the smoke ascended on high Then all the people in the Court turned round to the place whither the Idoll went euery one carrying in his hand new coards of the threed of the Manguey a fadome long with a knot at the end and with them they whipped themselues vpon the shoulders euen as they doe here vpon holy Thursday All the wals of the Court and Battlements were full of boughes and flowres so fresh and pleasant as it did giue a great contentment This Procession being ended they brought the Idoll to his vsuall place of abode Then came a great multitude of people with flowres dressed in diuers sorts wherewith they filled the Temple and all the Court so as it seemed the ornament of an Oratory All this was put in order by the Priests the young men administring these things vnto them from without The Chappell or Chamber where the Idoll remayned was all this day open without any Veile This done euery one came and offered Curtines and pendants of Sandally precious Stones Iewels Incence sweet wood Grapes or eares of Mays Quailes and finally all they were accustomed to offer in such solemnities When as they offered Quailes which was the poore mans offering they vsed this ceremonie they deliuered them to the Priests who taking them pulled off their heads and cast them at the foote of the Altar where they lost their bloud and so they did of all other things which were offered Euery one did offer meate and fruite according to their power the which was laid at the foote of the Altar and the Ministers gathered them vp and carried them to their Chambers This solemne offering done the people went to dinner euery one to his village or house leauing the feast suspended vntill after dinner In the meane time the yong Men and Maidens of the Temple with their ornaments were busied to serue the Idoll with all that was appointed for him to eate which meate was prepared by other women who had made a vow that day to serue the Idoll And therefore such as had made this vow came by the point of day offering themselues to the Deputies of the Temple that they might command them what they would haue done the which they did carefully performe They did prepare such variety of meates as it was admirable This meate being ready and the houre of dinner come all these Virgins went out of the Temple in procession euery one carrying a little basket of bread in her hand and in the other a dish of these meates before them marched an old man like to a steward with a pleasant habit he was cloathed in a white Surples downe to the calues of his legges vpon a doublet without sleeues of red leather like to a iacket he carried wings instead of sleeues from the which hung broad ribbands at the which did hang a small Calibasse or pumpion which was couered with flowers by little holes that were made in it and within it were many superstitious things This old man thus attyred marched very humbly and heauily before the preparation with his head declining and comming neere the foote of the staires he made a great obeisance and reuerence Then going on the one side the Virgins drew neere with the meate presenting it in order one after another with great reuerence This seruice presented the old man returned as before leading the Virgins into their conuent This done the yong men and ministers of the Temple came forth and gathered vp this meate the which they carried to the Chambers of the chiefe Priests of the Temple who had fasted fiue dayes eating onely once a day and they had also abstained from their wiues not once going out of the Temple in these fiue dayes During the which they did whip themselues rigorously with cords they did eate of this diuine meate for so they called it what they could was it Lawfull for any other to eate thereof All the people hauing dined they assembled againe in the court to see the end of the feast whither they brought a captiue which by the space of a whole yeare had represented the Idoll being attired decked and honoured as the Idoll it selfe and doing all reuerence vnto him they deliuered him into the hands of the sacrificers who at that instant presented themselues taking him by the feete and hands The Pope did open his stomacke and pull out his heart then did he lift vp his hand as high as he could shewing it to the Sunne and to the Idoll as hath beene said Hauing thus sacrificed him that represented the Idoll they went into a holy place appointed for this purpose whither came the yong Men and Virgins of the Temple with their ornaments the which being put in order they danced and sung with Drummes and other instruments on the which the chiefe Priests did play and sound Then came all the Noblemen with ensignes and ornaments like to the yong men who danced round about them They did not vsually kill any other men that day but him that was sacrificed yet euery fourth yeare they had others with him which was in the yeare of Iubile and full pardons After Sunne set euery one being satisfied with sounding eating and drinking the Virgins went all to their conuent they tooke great dishes of earth full of bread mixt with hony couered with small panniers wrought and fashioned with dead mens heads and bones and they carried the collation to the Idoll mounting vp to the Court which was before the doore of the Oratorie and hauing set them downe they retired in the same order as they came the steward going still before Presently came forth all the yong men in order with canes or reedes in their hands who began to runne as fast as they could to the top of the staires of the Temple who should come first to the dishes of the collation The Elders or chiefe Priests obserued him that came first second third and fourth without regarding the
large compassed round about with doores and is so great that a hundred thousand persons come thither to chop and change as a Citie most principall in all that Region Wherefore the resort is from farre parts vnto that place Euery occupation and kinde of merchandise hath his proper place appointed which no other may by any meanes occupie or disturbe Likewise pesterous wares haue their place accordingly that is to say stone timber lime bricke and all kinde of stuffe vnwrought being necessarie to build withall Also Mats both fine and course of sundrie workmanship also Coales Wood and all sorts of earthen vessell glased and painted very curiously Deere skinnes both raw and tanned in haire and without haire of many colours for Shoomakers Bucklers Targets Ierkins and lining of woodden Corselets also skinnes of other beasts and fowle in feathers readie dressed of all sorts the colours and strangenesse thereof was a thing to behold The richest merchandise was Salt and Mantels of cotton wooll of diuers colours both great and smal some for beds others for garments and clothing other for tapissarie to hang houses other cotten cloth for lining breeches shirts table clothes towels napkins and such like things There were also Mantels made of the leaues of the tree called Metl and of Palme tree and Cony haire which are well esteemed being very warme but the Couerlets made of feathers are the best they sell threed made of Cony haire pieces of linnen cloth made of cotton wooll also skaines of threed of all colours also it is strange to see the great store of fowle some wilde some tame some water fowle and other some of rapine All the brauerie of the Market is the place where gold and feathers ioyntly wrought is sold for any thing that is in request is there liuely wrought in gold and feathers and gallant colours The Indians are so expert and perfect in this science that they will worke or make a Butter-flie any wild Beast Trees Roses Flowers Herbs Rootes or any other thing so liuely that it is a thing maruellous to behold It hapneth many times that one of these workmen in a whole day will eate nothing onely to place one feather in his due perfection turning and tossing the feather to the light of the Sunne into the shade or darke place to see where is his most naturall perfection and till his worke be finished he will neither eate nor drinke There are few Nations of so much patience The Art or Science of Gold-smiths among them is the most curious and very good workmanship engrauen with tooles made of flint or in mold They will cast a platter in mold with eight corners and euery corner of seuerall metall that is to say the one of gold and the other of siluer without any kind of solder they will also found or cast a little caldron with loose handles hanging thereat as wee vse to cast a bell they will also cast in mold a fish of metall with one scale of siluer on his backe and another of gold they will make a Parret or Popinjay of metall that his tongue shall shake and his head mooue and his wings flutter they will cast an Ape in mold that both hands and feet shall stirre and hold a spindle in his hand seeming to spin yea and an Apple in his hand as though he would eate it Our Spaniards were not a little amazed at the sight of these things For our Gold-smiths are not to be compared vnto them They haue skill also of Amell worke and to set any precious stone But now as touching the Market there is to sell Gold Siluer Copper Leade Latton and Tin although there is but little of the three last metals mentioned There are pearles precious stones diuers and sundrie sorts of shells and bones spunges and other Pedlers ware which certainly are many and strange sorts yea and a thing to laugh at their Haberdash toyes and triffles There are also many kinde of Hearbs Roots and Seedes as well to bee eaten as for medicine for both men women and children haue great knowledge in hearbs for through pouertie and necessitie they seeke them for their sustenance and helpe of their infirmities and diseases They spend little among Physicians although there are some of that Art and many Apothecaries who doe bring into the market Ointments Sirrops Waters and other drugs fit for sicke persons they cure all diseases almost with hearbs yea as much as for to kill Lice they haue a proper hearbe for the purpose The seuerall kindes of meates to bee sold are without number as Snakes without head and taile little Dogs gelt Moll 's Rats long Wormes Lice yea and a kinde of earth for at one season in the yeere they haue Nets of maile with the which they rake vp a certaine dust that is bred vpon the water of the Lake of Mexico and that is kneaded together like vnto Oas of the Sea they gather much of this victuall and keepe it in heapes and make thereof Cakes like vnto brick-bats they sell not onely this ware in the Market but also send it abroad to other Faires and Markets afarre off they eate this meate with as good stomacks as wee eate cheese yea and they hold opinion that this skum or fatnesse of the water is the cause that such great number of fowle commeth to the Lake which in the winter season is infinite All the Sellers pay a certaine summe for their shops or standings to the King as a custome and they to bee preserued and defended from theeues and for that cause there goe certaine Sergeants or Officers vp and downe the Market to espie out malefactors In the middest of the Market standeth a house which may bee seene throughout the Faire and there sitteth twelue ancient men for Iudges to dispatch Law matters their buying and selling is to change one ware for another as thus one giueth a Hen for a bundell of Maiz other giue Mantels for Salt or money which is Cacao and this is their order to chop and change they haue measure and strike for all kinde of Corne and other earthen measures for Hony and Wine and if any Measure bee falsified they punish the offenders and breake their measures The Temple is called Teucalli that is to say Gods House Teutl signifieth God and Calli is a House a name very fit if that house had beene of the true God The Spaniards that vnderstand not the language doe pronounce and call those Temples Cues and the God Vitzilopuchtli Vchilobos There are in Mexico many Churches with Towres for their Parishes and Streets wherein are Chappels and Altars where the Images and Idols doe stand and those Chappels doe serue for buriall places of their Founders for others are buried in the ground about them or Church-yards All their Temples are of one fashion therefore it shall bee now sufficient to speake of the principall Church This Temple is square and doth
Riuer Ob from the South to trade at Surgout and Tobolsca The Country of King Alteen An Altine is six pence a Dingo is a penie Hawkes as white as snow Russe Money A course Hamborough Cloth Nouember 1614. His Iourney within 30. leagues of Ob and neere to Bersoma The Riuer Coy falling into Pechorâ— The Riuer Shapkina falling into Pechora The Riuer Nougorotka falling into Shapkina Habeaga Riuer falling into Pechora December The Riuer Haryena falling into Coluoy The Riuer Coluoy falling into Ouse Saint Nicholas Bay A small Riuer falling into Sandauets Terrible Frost The Riuer Hoseda falling into Azua The Riuer Azua falling into Ouse The Mountain Yangoda The Riuer Rogauaya Mensha falling into Ouse The Riuer Rogauaya Bolsha falling into Ouse Altitude and Variation Ianuarie Returne Wilde Deere Aprill Riuer increasing May. Oust-zilma Glouboka is 67. degrees 55. minutes Iuly Apparell of Samoyeds Sleds Deere swiftnesse Women Tent and Chappell Superstition No Townes Marrie Wiues bought and sold. Marriages Rings and Bels. Diuorce Religion Funerals Their yeere but halfe a yeere Iudgement or Oath Their persons Diuination Womens hardinesse * This was Master Bennets second Voyage thither His first Voyage thither A. 1603. I haue added at the end of this Chapter after Pooles Relations this being set before I saw that A Morse Cherie Iland described Store of fowles Morses roring Abundance of Sea-fowles found on shoare Small 〈◊〉 74. 〈…〉 minutes Notâ— The 〈◊〉 Teeth Abundance of Drift Wood. A thousand Morses found 1603. Lead Vre was found Pechingo Cola. Why the Iland was called Cherie Iland Assumption Iuly 2. Cherie Iland Many Morses killed with shot and Iauelings The fight of the Morse Oyle made of the fat of the Morses Eleuen tuns of Oyle A Mâ—ne of Lead Extreame cold the 25. of Iuly Abundance of driuing Ice Mount Misery A monstrous fogge August 24. A Ship and Pinnasse set forth The Assumption Much Ice 55. leagues from the North Cape Ice within 45. leagues of the North Cape A Beare on Ice 27. leagues from any land Iuly 2. Part of Cherie Iland in 74. degrees and â—5 minutes The floud commeth from the South-west The thirteenth of Iuly The nature of the Morses A great white Beare Seuen or eight hundred beasts slayne in sixe houres A great Frost the 24. of Iuly May 21. Ward-house Tipany Iune 13. Cherie Iland A Beare slaine Another Beare slayne Great heâ—te the 20. and 21. of Iune 1000. Morses killed in seuen houres Iuly 3. A Voyage set out by Master Duppa to Cherie Iland 1607. A liuing Morse brought into England Lofoot Zenam May 2. They arriue at Cherie Iland the 8. of May Fowle Three Beares Qualitie of Beares Feare a Traitor A Beare slaine 17. Beares in sight Young Beare-whelps A Beare slayn the skin wherof was 13. foot A third Beare slayne The tenth day Sixe Beares slayne All the Beares flâ—yed Frost the 16. of May. Snow Snow Fiue Seales Snow A ship of Hull Frosty wether Snow frost 26. Seales A Beare killed on the Ice Two young white Beares brought into England Iune 1. Frost The Hull man 20. leagues North-west off the Iland No fog in a moneths space The first thaw Fogges The Beares slaine on the North side Three Beares slaine powdered and eaten Possession taken of Cherie Iland for the Muscouie Company Drift wood on the East side The Coue. They feed on Beares flesh Nine Foxes found Three Mynes of Lead found on Gull-Iland Good Sea-coles found on the Iland Two Beares slaine An huge compasse of Ice Another Beare slaine Another Beare slaine Their Ship got in the second time The Matthew The Marie Margarite Iuly Logan and Edge Fowle their chiefest food in extreamitie A Beare slaine Another Beare slaine Snow and Frost Some Minerall Lead digged Aboue twentie Foxes eaten Dangers by the Ice l A warpe is a Rope commonly a Hawser vsed to warpe a ship that is with an Anchor bent to the Hawser and layd out to hale the ship forward which is done when they want wind to carrie out or into a Harbour m A Bitter is a turne of the Cable about the Bitts for when they come to Anchor they take a turne with it about the Bitts two mayne square pieces of Timber which stand Pillar wise in the loose of the ship to make fast the Cable vnto that they may by little and little vere it out at ease otherwise if a stopper faile the Cable would runne out end for end that is altogether but thus stopped the shippe is said to bee brought to a Bitter The Bitter end is that end of the Cable within boord at the Bites August Note An Iland May. The Iles of Shotland No variation 61. degrees 11. minutes The inclination of the Needle Iune 65. degrees 27. minutes 67. degrees 30. minutes Youngs Cape The Mount of Gods mercie Snow Note Land on their Larboord Many Fowles Much drift Ice * To loofe is to keepe close to the wind roomer coâ—t * To tacke the ship is to bring her head about to lye the other way Land not couered with Snow The Land of Hold with Hope in 73. degrees A mayne high Land 75. Degrees Land not farre off 76. degrees 38. minutes Greenland or Newland discouered 78. Degrees Vogel Hooke Temperatâ— ayre Iuly 78. degrees 4â— minutes The great Inlâ—t 78. Degrees 56. Minutes 78. degrees 33. minutes The shroudes and sayles frozen The mouth of the Inlet 77. degrees 30. minutes 78. degrees The end of the Sacke A Blacke and open Sea Much Drift-wood Many Seales Morses From hence it seemeth iâ— taken out of Hen. Hudsons owne Notes Blue and Greene Seas 79. degrees 17. minutes Sick of Beares flesh vnsalted 80. degrees Newland or Greenland of which the Hollanders hath made a little Discouerie by Barents as before is deliuered but neither so farre nor so exact nor so vsefull nor first as before is obserued of Sir H. Willoughbies English exactet Discoueries finding the Whale and Morse benefit they also enterloped Greene Sea freest of Ice and the Blue Sea Icie Collins Cape Whale danger A Sound is a greater and deeper indraught then a Bay Heat beyond 80. degrees Sunne 10. degrees 40. min. high about mid-night 81. degrees Land stretching into 82. degrees They returned Abundance of Seales 77. degr 26. m. Danger escaped Whales Bay Cherie Iland * I haue Robert Iuets Iournall also for breuitie omitted Aprill May. Lowfoot Sun 5. degrees 35. minutes at mid-night Iune North Cape Variation west 11. degrees Needles inclination 84. degrees and a halfe 74. degrees 30. minutes Darke blue Sea Mermaide seene and described Current Needles inclination 89. degrees and a halfe in 75. degrees 22. min. Beares roaring Store of Seals Sunne at mid-night high 7. degrees 40. minutes in 74. degrees 33. minutes Iuets notes tell of a sudden variation of the Compasse from the North to the East one point which had been two imediately before No passagâ— that way Swart Cliffeâ— They goe aâ— shoare Riuer and Iland Iuly
Shewing the reason why the Sunne without the Tropicks causeth greatest quantitie of waters when it is farthest off and contrariwise within them it breedeth most when it is neerest l. 2. chap. 7. Exceptions to generall rules The Authors experience Various and diuersified tempers of the Torrid Zone Causes of temperatenâ—sse vnder the Line and within the Tropicks Second cause That there bee other reasons besides the former mentioned which shew that the burning Zone is temperate especially alongst the Ocean Chap. 11. Arist. 〈◊〉 Dionys. c. 15. 〈◊〉 câ—â—l â—ierar That the cold windes bee the principal cause to make the burning Zone temperate Chap. 13. It is noted by trauellers that there is a hot winde sometimes neere to Balsara and Ormus which swalloweth mens breath and suddenly kils them Linschoten obserue at Goa the wind to blow twelue houres from the Sea and other twelue constantly from the land Temper of the Indies Of the windes their differences properties and causes in generall lib. 3. cap. 2. * We haue abbreuiated and to preuent tediousnesse cut off a great part of Acostas obseruations in the two former bookes as hauing handled the same in our Pilgrimage l. 8. where we haue shewed whence men and beasts might come thither and that the opinion of the worlds vnhabitablenesse betwixt the Tropicks is false for the daily raines when the Sunne is neerest the long nights therein great dewes the breezes and constant course of the windes the great Lakes Riuers height of Hills c. make those parts not onely habitable but more temperate then others and fitter for mans life there being more heat at and on this side the Tropicks then vnder the Line We here doe but cull ouâ— choise things for better vnderstanding the naturall historie of those parts for other things referring the Reader to the Authour himselfe Occasionally our notes shall elucidate those things also which are in the Text omitted * Vulcans as Aetâ—â— Hecla c. sulphurous earth whence â—â—re issueth Generall windes Monsoâ—â— Windes receiue their qualities from the places by which they passe Psalme 134. Ieremie 10. Herera hath shewed the height of the Hills to bee the cause of the windes constancy and raines raritie Eastern winde raineth betwixt the Tropicks That the burning Zone the Brises or Easterly windes doe continually blow and without the Zone the Westerne and that the Easterly are ordinarie alwayes there Chap. 4. Iuan de Gacos in Decade 1. lib. 4. cap. 6. They goe one way to the Indies and return another why Sayling 2700. leagues without sight of Land in two moneths See Candishes voyage Cause of the Brises Motion of the Primum Mobile carrieth the inferiour aire with it The Comet 1577. seene eight dayes sooner in Peru then in Spaine The Brize or motion of the air with the heauens is a winde Why withouâ— the Zone in a greater altâ—tude we finde alwaies Westerly windes Chap. 7. 〈◊〉 windes Of the exceptions to the foresaid Rules of the winds and calmes both at Land and at Sea Chap. 8. Cause of the variety of windes Simile Note Of some maruellous effects of the windes which are in some parts of the Indies Chap. 9. Silkewormes killed with South-west windes Exo. c. 10. 14. Iob 17. Ioan 4. Osâ—e 13. Dan. 3. The like Linschoten obserueth in the Terceras Sea sicknesse whence Agitation and Sea ayre Strange passion at Pariacaca by the ayre there Height of Pariacaca 〈◊〉 too subtile for mens bodies So we see Horses to beate the water with their feete to make it more grosse and thereby more agreeable to their bodies Vicunos Great Desart Punas ayre kilâ—ing Strange Story The same confirmed by a Iesuites report and a Dominicans Such effects of cold wâ— haue obserued in Russia and other Northern parts and the like Master Kniuet will tell vs at the Maggelan Straits No Mediterranean Sea of great note in America Terra firme Straight of land but eight leag betwixt North South Seas Herodotus Iouius Experience in Drakes and Maires voyage haue found them no straights but broken Ilands to the South contrary to our Author here See of this Sir Francis Drakes Voyage to 1. l. 2 I haue omitted Sarmientoes voiage c. The supposed Straight in Florida Of the ebbing and flowing of the Indian Ocean Chap. 14. The Philosophers in searching the cause of ebbing and flowing haue easily erred following the Greekes and Latines which knew not the Ocean and could not therfore know the cause * Hernando Alonso which with Sarmiento had gone to the Straights to seeke Captaine Drake At the Downes on our coast two tides meet one from the Westerne Sea or slewe the other from the North which there cause much varietie Of sundry Fishers and their manner of fishing at the Indies The Manati a strange fish The Whales also bring forth their yong aliue and nourish them with their brests being in that huge creature scarce twice so big as the breasts of a woman and farre lesse then those of many women Their foode is also Sea weedes Sharking sharkes They haue rough heads whereby they cleaue and sticke fast to the Sharke which thus are forced to caâ—ry them with their swift motion of whose off all also they liue Crocodiles * Yet so as euer and anon hee dips it in the water his tongue being so short that otherwise he could not swallow it Tigre kils a Crocodile Indians exploit on a Crocodile Whale killed by the Sauages Of Lakes and Pooles that be at the Indies Chap. 16. Thicke water Fishes and fishing Originall of Lakes Greatest riuers flow from Lakes Hot Lake and many wonders thereof Lakes of Mexico salt and fresh Râ—ch Lake Of many and diuers Springs and Fountains Chap. 17. Hot Spring turning into Stone Fountaine of Pitch Cold and hot Springs together Salt Spring which yeeldes Salâ— without boiling Pocke-â—pring Smoak Spring Inke c. Of Riuers Chap. 18. Maragnon or Amazons Water-fall Golden thirst Riuer of Plata increasing as Nilus How they passe their Riuers Haire and Straw Bridges L. 3. C. 19 Decay of people in the Indies by the Spaniards Corn groundâ— The Indies mountainous and thereby temperate Of the properties of the land of Peru. Chap. 20 One winde onely The Plaines the hils and the Andes See sup in Herera Raine almost euer and almost neuer Diuers Beasts Their bread The reason why it raines on the Lanos along the Sea coast Chap. 21. Of the propertie of new Spaine of the Ilands and of other Lands Chap. 22. Peru wine Sugar workes and Hides Indians wasted Of the vnknowne Land and the diuersitie of a whole day betwixt them of the East and the West Chap. 23. Of the Volcans or Vents of fire Chap. 24. Terrible earthquake at Guatimala Couetous Priest Causes of this burning Basil. Psal. 28. in exaâ— Of Earthquakes Cap. 26. Great earthquakes Noyse before the earthquake Why the Sea coast is subiect to earthquakes Earthquake at Ferrara terrible Aâ— Angoango Metals grow as