say they haue conference with him and fashion themselues as neere to his shape as they can imagine In their Temples they haue his image euilfauouredly carued and then painted and adorned with Chaines Copper and Beads and couered with a skin in such manner as the deformitie may well suite with such a God By him is commonly the sepulcher of their Kings Their bodies are first bowelled then dried vpon hurdles till they be very dry and so about the most of their ioints and necke they hang Bracelets or Chaines of Copper Pearle and such like as they vse to weare their inwards they stuffe with Copper Beads and couered with a Skin Hatchets and such trash Then lap they them very carefully in white Skins and so rowle them in mats for their winding-sheetes And in the Tombe which is an arch made of Mats they lay them orderly What remaineth of this kinde of wealth their Kings haue they set at their feete in baskets These Temples and bodies are kept by their Priests For their ordinary burials they dig a deepe hole in the earth with sharpe stakes and the corpes being lapped in Skins and Mats with their Iewels they lay them vpon sticks in the ground and so couer them with earth The buriall ended the women being painted all their faces with black cole and oyle doe sit foure and twenty houres in the houses mourning and lamenting by turnes with such yelling and howling as may expresse their great passions In euery Territory of a Werowance is a Temple and a Priest two or three or more Their principall Temple or place of superstition is at Vitamussack at Pamavuke neere vnto which is a house temple or place of Powhatans Vpon the top of certain red sandy hils in the woods there are three great houses filled with images of their Kings and Diuels Tombes of their Predecessors Those houses are neere sixty foot in length built arbot-wise after their building This place they count so holy as that none but the Priests and Kings dare come into them nor the Sauages dare not goe vp the Riuer in Boates by it but that they solemnly cast some peece of Popper white Beads or Pocones into the Riuer for feare their Oke should be offended and reuenged of them In this place commonly are resident seuen Priests The chiefe differed from the rest in his ornaments but inferior Priests could hardly be knowne from the common people but that they had not so many holes in their eares to hang their Iewels at The ornament of the chiefe Priest were certaine attires for his head made thus They tooke a dosen or sixteene or more Snake skins and stuffed them with mosse of Weesels and other vermine skins a good many All these they tye by their tailes so as all their tailes meete in the top of their head like a great Tassell Round about this Tassell is as it were a cown of feathers the skins hang round about his head necke and shoulders and in a manner couer his face The faces of all their Priests are painted as vgly as they can deuise in their hands they had euery one his Rattell some base some smaller Their deuotion was most in Songs which the chiefe Priest beginneth and the rest followed him sometimes he maketh inuocations with broken sentences by starts and strange passions and at euery pause the rest giue a short groane It could not be perceiued that they keepe any day as more holy then other but onely in some great distresse of want feare of enemies times of triumph and gathering together their fruits the whole Country of men women and children come together to solemnities The manner of their deuotion is sometimes to make a great fire in the house or fields and all to sing and dance about it with Rattles and shouts together foure or fiue houres Sometime they set a man in the midst and about him they dance and sing he all the while clapping his hands if he would keepe time and after their songs and dancings ended they goe to their Feasts They haue also diuers coniurations one they made when Captaine Smith was their prisoner as they reported to know if any more of his Country-men would arriue there and what hee there intended The manner of it followeth in his story They haue also certaine Altar stones they call Pawcorances but these stand from their Temples some by there houses others in the Woods and Wildernesses Where they haue had any extraordinary accident or incounter As you trauell by them they will tell you the cause of their erection wherein they instruct their children so that they are in stead of Records and memorialls of their Antiquities Vpon this they offer bloud Deare suet and Tobacco These they doe when they returne from the warres from hunting and vpon many other occasions They haue also another superstition that they vse in stormes when the waters are rough in the Riuers and Sea Coasts Their Coniurers runne to the water sides or passing in their Boats after many hellish outcries and inuocations they cast Tobacco Copper Pocones or such trash into the water to pacifie that God whom they thinke to be very angry in those stormes Before their dinners and suppers the better sort will take the first bit and cast it in the fire which is all the grace they are knowne to vse Euery Nation in seuen or ten yeeres vseth a kind of solemnity Such a one was at Quiyoughcohanock some ten miles from Iames Towne and thus performed Fifteene of the properest young Boyes betweene ten and fifteene yeeres of age they painted white Hauing brought them forth the people spent the forenoone in dancing and singing about them with Rattles In the afternoone they put those children to the root of the tree By them all the men stood in a gard euery one hauing a Bastinado in his hand made of Reeds bound together This made a lane betweene them all along through which there were appointed fiue young men to fetch these children so euerie one of the fiue went through the guard to fetch a child each after other by turnes the guard fearlesly beating them with the Bastinadoes and they patiently enduring and receiuing all defending the children with their naked bodies from the vnmercifull blowes that pay them soundly though the children escape All this while the women weepe and cry out verie passionately prouiding Mats Skins Mosse and drie Wood as things fitting their childrens Funeralls After the children were thus passed the guard tore downe the trees branches and boughs with such violence that they rent the bodie and made wreathes for their heads or bedecked their haire with leaues What else was done with the children was not seene but they were all cast on a heape in a Valley as dead where they made a great feast for all the company The Werowance being demanded the meaning of this sacrifice answered That the children were not
entertained him with strange coniurations Earely in a morning a great fire was made in a long house a Mat spred on each side on one of which he was set the guard went out and in came a great grim fellow skipping all painted with cole mingled with Oyle many Snakes and Weesels skins stuffed with Mosse their tailes tied together and meeting on the crowne of his head round about the tassell was a coronet of Fethers the skins hung round about his head shoulders backe and face With a hellish voyce strange gestures and passions with a Rattle in his hand hee began his inuocation and enuironed the fire with a circle of Meale After this three such other diuels rushed in with like trickes painted halfe blacke halfe red all their eyes painted white with some red stroakes along their cheekes These hauing danced a prettie while three more came in as vgly as the rest with red eyes and white stroakes ouer their blacke faces At last they all sat downe right against him the chiefe Priest in the midst and three on each hand All then with their Rattles began a song which ended the chiefe Priest laid downe fiue Wheate cornes and straining his armes and hand with such violence that he swet and his veines swelled hee began a short Oration at the conclusion whereof they gaue a short groane and then laid downe three graiues more Now they began their Song againe and then another Oration euer laying downe so many cornes as before till they had twice encircled the fire That done they take a bunch of little stickes prepared for that purpose and at the end of euery Song and Oration laid downe a sticke betwixt the diuisions of the Corne. Till night neither he nor they did eate or drinke and then they feasted merrily with their best prouisions Three dayes they vsed this Ceremonie thereby to know as they said whether hee intended them well or no. The circle of meale signified their Countrey the two circles of Corne the Sea-bounds and the stickes his Countrey They imagined the World to be flat and round like a trencher and themselues in the midst After this they brought him a bigge of Powder which they carefully preserued till the next spring to plant as they did their Corne because they would be acquainted with the nature of that sâ—ede Opitchapam the Kings brother inuited him to his house where hee welcommed him with as many Platters of Bread Fowle and wilde Beasts as did encompasse him but not any would eate with him reseruing the remainders in Baskets At his returne to Opechankanoughs all the Kings women and their children flocked about him as for their customary due to be merry with such fragments At last they brought him to Werowocomoco to Pohatan where aboue two hundred of his Courtiers stood wondring on him till Pohatan and his traine had put themselues in their greatest brauery Before a fire hee sat on a seate like a bedsted couered with a great robe made of Rarowcun Skinnes all the tailes hanging by on each hand did sit a yong wench of sixteene or eighteene yeeres of age along on each side the house two rowes of men and behinde them as many women with all their heads and shoulders painted red many of their heads bedecked with the white downe of Birds euery one adorned with some thing a great chaine also of white Beades about their neckes At his entrance before the King all the people gaue a great shout The Queene of Appanatucke was appointed to bring water to wash his hands another brought him a bunch of Feathers instead of a Towell to drie them Hauing feasted him in their best manner the held a consultation in conclusion whereof two great stones were brought before Pohatan and as many as could lay hold on him dragged him to them and thereon laid his head being ready with their clubbes to beate out his braines Pocahuntas the Kings dearest Daughter when no intreatie would preuaile got his head into her armes and laid her owne vpon his to saue him from death whereupon the Emperour was contented hee should liue to make him Hatchets and Beads Bels and Copper for her For they thought him like themselues of all occupations the King himselfe making his owne Robes Shooes Bowes Arrowes Pots Planting also Hunting and doing Offices no lesse then the rest Two dayes after Pohatan hauing disguised himselfe in the dreadfullest manner caused Captaine Smith to be brought forth to a great house in the woods and there vpon a Mat by the fire to bee left alone Not long after from behinde a Mat which diuided the house was made the dolefullest noise that euer hee had heard After this Pohatan with twenty more as blacke as himselfe came vnto him and told him that they were now friends and presently hee should goe to Iames Towne to send him two great Gunnes and a Grindstone for which hee would giue him the Countrey of Capahowolick and for euer esteeme hiâ— as his Sonne Nantaquaus Hee sent him thither with twelue guides When they came to the Fort Smith vsed the Sauages kindely and shewed Rawhunt Pohatans trusty seruant two Demiculuerius and a Milstone to carry to Pohatan somewhat too heauie for their carriage But when they saw him discharge them loden with stones on the boughes of a great tree hanging full of isickles the Ice and boughes comming downe with such furie the Sauages were halfe dead with feare and at last returning contented with toies and presents for Pohatan his women and childred This his returning safe to the Port once more staied the Pinnace her flight for England which till his returne could not set saile so extreame was the weather and so great the Frost His relation of the plenty he had seene especially at Werowocomoco where inhabited Powhatan that till that time was vnknowne so reuiued againe their dead spirits as all mens feare was abandoned Powhatan hauing sent with this Captaine diuers of his men loaded with prouision hee had conditioned and so appointed his trustie Messengers to bring but two or three of our great Ordnances but the Messengers being satisfied with the sight of one of them discharged ran away amazed with feare till meanes were vsed with gifts to assure them our loues ALL this time our cares were not so much to abandon the Countrie but the Treasurer and Counsell in England were as diligent and carefull to supply vs. Two tall Shippes they sent vs with neere one hundred men well furnished with all things could be imagined necessary both for them and vs. The one commanded by Captaine Newport the other by Captaine Nelson an honest man and an expert Marriner but such was the leewardnesse of his Ship that though he were within sight of Cape Henry by stormy contrary windes was forced so farre to Sea as the West Indies was the next land for the repaire of his Masts and reliefe of wood and water But Captaine
Caxamalca to Xauxa where Snow lyeth all the yeere The people are more ciuill and better Souldiers On the other side the Mountayne Eastward they are Sauage people feeding on fruites hauing small store of Maiz. All their Tribute was Feathers From Xauxa to Cusco the Countrey enlargeth it selfe from the Sea Collao is a plaine Countrey and cold and hath many Riuers where gold is taken The Mountaynes continue from Tumbez to Xauxa and thence to Cusco if the way bee not made by hands footmen could not passe much lesse horsemen and they haue many houses full of Brasse to worke vp the same All the rough Mountaynes are wrought like staires of stone There are some places where foure or fiue mens heights the way is wrought and made vp with stone worke in others it is cut out of the stone There are places of entertainment in euery Countrey and by the way one within two or three leagues of another made for the Lords which visit the Countrey and euery twenty leagues principall Prouinciall Cities where the tributes of smaller places are kept All those great Townes haue store-houses full of the Countrey Commodities There are store of cattle and pastures with their Pastors The Citie of Cusco might be worthy the sight if it were in Spaine full of great mens houses all Lords and Caciques hauing houses there The most of those houses are of stone and some are halfe of stone the streets are straight in right crosses and narrow in the midst runneth a Conduit of water inclosed with stone on each side of which a horseman may passe and no more The Citie is situate on the top of a Hill and many houses are built on the side of it and others below on the Plaine The Market place is square paued with small stones About it are foure houses of Lords of stone painted and wrought the best of which was Guainacabas the gate is of white and red Marble and of other colours and hath faire Terrasses On the sides of the City ranne two Riuers which rise a league higher ouer which are Bridges Vpon a Hill hard and rough is a very faire Fortresse of earth and stone with great windowes towards the City Within it are many Roomes and one principall Towre in the midst of foure or fiue circuits one higher then another the Lodgings within are small the stone very fairely wrought and so close ioyned that there is no shew of morter and as smooth as planed boords It hath so many Roomes and Towres that a man is not able to view them all in a day Many Spaniards which haue beene in Lumbardie and other strange Kingdomes say that they haue neuer seene such a building as this Fortresse nor Castle more strong There may abide within fiue thousand Spaniards It cannot be vndermined being seated on a Rocke On the City side which is a ragged Hill is but one wall on the other side three one higher then another the inmost being highest The goodliest spectacle are these encompassing circuits being of stones so great that no man would imagine them layd there by the hands of men as great as pieces of stonie Mountaynes and Rockes some being of the height of thirty spannes and and as much in length and none is so little but it is more then three Cart-â—odes The Spaniards preferre them before the buildings of Hercules or of the Romanes They are reuersed that they cannot be battered in plano but in the slipping turnagaines which goe outwards made of the selfe-same stone Betwixt wall and wall is earth laid so broad that three Carts may goe abreast They are made like three steps the second beginning on the height of the first and the third on that of the second All this Fortresse was a Store-house of Armes Clubs Launces Bowes Arrowes Axes Shields Cotton Mandilions quilted and other armes and garments for Souldiers gathered from all parts of the Empire colours of diuers sorts and Metals From this Fortresse may bee seene many houses In the Valwhich is compassed about with Hils are aboue 100000. houses many of them houses of pleasure of the Souereignes Lords and Caciques others are Store-houses full of Wooll Armes Mettals Clothes and such things as the Countrey yeeldeth there are Horses where the Tributes are kept and there is one where are aboue 100000. dried Birds of whose Feathers they make garments And there are many houses for that purpose There are Shields Targets Plates of Brasse to couer houses and incredible store of prouisions for Warre Euery Souereigne Lord deceassed hath his owne house of these goods and Tributes which they had in their life for by their Law the Successor may not inherit it their Gold Siluer and Clothes apart They worship the Sunne and haue made him many Temples and of all things they offer somewhat to the Sunne Two Spaniards were sent to Colao and were forty dayes in the iourney They say it is well peopled mountaynous and out of measure cold so subiect that hauing many cattle no man dares kill any without license though neuer so great There is a great Lake Titicaca in the midst of the Prouince in which are two Ilands in one of which is a Temple of the Sun in great veneration where they offer Gold and Siluer and other things There are aboue sixe hundred Indians which serue there and a thousand women The Mynes of Gold are beyond this place some of ten some twenty and that of Guarnacabo is forty fathome deepe darke and narrow in which one alone at once entreth none following till he be comme forth Other Mynes they pursue no further then a mans height that he may reach the earth to another which made some say that all the fields were Gold Mynes Guainacapa is honoured as if hee were aliue and his bodie is brought forth into the street with Musicke and Dances and there are some day and night attending him to chase away the flyes The Lords that come to the Citie goe first and salute him and then the King To these Feasts 100000. soules assembled Had it not beene for the quarrels betwixt those of Quito and those of Cusco the Spaniards could not haue entred into Cusco nor haue it And the Mountaynes are such that ten men may defend ten thousand Many Horses fell downe and brake their neckes The Spaniards themselues maruell at what they haue done and how they are still aliue It hath falâ—e out well that this Sonne of Guainacaba was made their Lord for whose loue other Lords haue giuen their obedience to the Emperour He is very friendly to the Christians Iuly 15. 1534. in Xauxa Subscribed Francisco Piçarro c. The end of the seuenth Booke VOYAGES TO AND LAND-TRAVELS IN FLORIDA VIRGINIA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE NORTHERNE AMERICA FRENCH Plantings Spanish Supplantings English VIRGINIAN Colonies and to the Ilands Azores THE EIGHTH BOOKE CHAP. I. A Relation of ALVARO NVNEZ called Capo di Vaua
Newport got in and arriued at Iames Towne not long after the redemption of Captaine Smith to whom the Sauages euery other day brought such plenty of Bread Fish Turkies Squirrels Deere and other wilde Beasts part they gaue him as presents from the King the rest he as their market Clarke set the price how they should fell So he had inchanted those poore soules being their Prisoner in demonstrating vnto them the roundnesse of the World the course of the Moone and Starres the cause of the day and night the largenesse of the Seas the qualities of our ships shot and powder The diuision of the World with the diuersitie of people their complexions customes and conditions All which he fained to be vnder the command of Captaine Newport whom he termed to them his Father of whose arriuall it chanced he so directly prophecied as they esteemed him an Oracle by these fictions he not only saued his owne life and obtained his liberty but had them at that command he might command them what he listed That God that created all these things they knew he adored for his God whom they would also tearme in their Discourses the God of Captaine Smith The President and Councell so much enuied his estimation amongst the Sauages though wee all in generall equally participated with him of the good thereof that they wrought it into their vnderstandings by their great bountie in giuing foure times more for their Commodities then he appointed that their greatnesse and authoritie as much exceeded his as their bountie and liberalitie Now the arriuall of his first supply so ouer-ioyed vs that wee could not deuise too much to please the Mariners Wee gaue them libertie to trucke or trade at their pleasures But in a short time it followed that that could not be had for a pound of Copper which before was sold for an ounce Thus Ambition and Sufferance cut the throat of our Trade but confirmed their opinion of Newports greatnesse where with Smith had possessed Powhatan especially by the great Presents Newport often sent him before he could prepare the Pinnace to goe and visit him so that this Sauage also desired to see him A great brute there was to set him forward when hee went he was accompanied with Captaine Smith and Master Scriuener a very wise vnderstanding Gentleman newly arriued and admitted of the Councell and thirtie or fortie chosen men for that guard Arriuing at Werowocomo Newports conceit of this great Sauage bred many doubts and suspicions of Treacheries which Smith to make appeare was needlesse with twentie men well appointed vndertooke to encounter with that number the worst that could happen These being kindly receiued ashore with two or three hundred Sauages were conducted to their Towne Powhatan strained himselfe to the vttermost of his greatnesse to entertaine vs with great shouts of Ioy Orations of protestations and the most plentie of victuall hee could prouide to feast vs. Sitting vpon his Bed of Mats his Pillow of Leather imbroydered after their rude manner with Pearle and white Beads his Attire afaire Robe of skinnes as large as an Irish Mantle at his head and feet a handsome young woman on each side his house sate twentie of his Concubines their heads and shoulders painted red with a great chaine of white Beads about their neckes before those sate his chiefest men in like order in his Arbor-like house With many pretie Discourses to renue their old acquaintance the great King and our Captaine spent the time till the ebbe left our Barge aground then renuing their Feasts and mirth we quartred that night with Powhatan the next day Newport came ashore and receiued as much content as those people could giue him a Boy named Tho. Sauage was then giuen vnto Powhatan whom Newport called his Sonne for whom Powhatan gaue him Namontacke his trustie Seruant and one of a shrewd subtill capacitie Three or foure dayes were spent in feasting dancing and trading wherein Powhatan carried himselfe so proudly yet discreetly in his Sauage manner as made vs all admire his naturall gifts considering his education as scorning to trade as his subiects did hee bespake Newport in this manner Captaine Newport it is not agreeable with my greatnesse in this pedling manner to trade for trifles and I esteeme you a great Weroans Therefore lay mee downe all your Commodities together what I like I will take and in recompence giue you that I thinke fitting their value Captaine Smith being our Interpreter regarding Newport as his Father knowing best the disposition of Powhatan told vs his intent was but to cheat vs yet Captaine Newport thinking to out-braue this Sauage in ostentation of greatnesse and so to bewitch him with his bountie as to haue what he listed but so it chanced Powhatan hauing his desire valued his Corne at such a rate as I thinke it better cheape in Spaine for we had not foure bushels for that we expected twentie Hogsheads This bred some vnkindnesse betweene our two Captaines Newport seeking to please the humour of the vnsatiable Sauage Smith to cause the Sauage to please him but smothering his distaste to auoid the Sauages suspition glanced in the eyes of Powhatan many Trifles who fixed his humour vpon a few blue Beads A long time he importunately desired them but Smith seemed so much the more to affect them so that ere we departed for a pound or two of blue Beads he brought ouer my King for two or three hundred bushels of Corne yet parted good friends The like entertainment we found of Opechantynough King of Pamaunke whom also he in like manner fitted at the like rates with blue Beads and so wee returned to the Fort. Where this new supply being lodged with the rest accidentally fired the quarters and so the Towne which being but thatched with Reeds the fire was so fierce as it burnt their Pallizadoes though ten or twelue yards distant with their Armes Bedding Apparell and much priuate prouision Good Master Hunt our Preacher lost all his Librarie and all that hee had but the clothes on his backe yet none euer saw him repine at his losse Upon any alarme he would be as readie for defence as any and till he could speake he neuer ceassed to his vtmost to animate vs constanily to persist whose soule questionlesse is with God This happened in the Winter in that extreme Frost 1607. Now though we had victuall sufficient I meane only of Oate-meale Meale and Corne yet the ship staying there fourteene weekes when she might as well haue beene gone in fourteene dayes spent the Beefe Porke Oyle Aquauitae Fish Butter and Cheese Beere and such like as was prouided to be landed vs. When they departed what their discretion could spare vs to make a Feast or two with Bisket Porke Beefe Fish and Oyle to rellish our mouthes of each somewhat they left vs yet I must confesse those that had either Money spare Clothes credit
master-peece of workes their conuersion And by this meanes that fatall Friday morning there fell vnder the bloudy and barbarous hands of that perfidious and inhumane people contrary to all lawes of God and Men of Nature and Nations three hundred and forty seuen men women and children most by their owne weapons and not being content with taking away life alone they fell after againe vpon the dead making as well as they could a fresh murder defacing dragging and mangling the dead carkasses into many peeces and carrying some parts away in derision with base and bruitish triumph Neither yet did these Beasts spare those amongst the rest well knowne vnto them from whom they had daily receiued many benefits and fauours but spitefully also massacred them One instance of it amongst too many shall serue for all That worthy religious Gentleman Master George Thorpe Esquire Deputie of the Colledge lands sometimes one of his Maiesties Pensioners and in one of the principall places of command in Uirginia did so truely and earnestly affect their conuersion and was so tender ouer them that whosoeuer vnder his authority had giuen them but the least displeasure or discontent hee punished them seuerely He thought nothing too deare for them and as being desirous to binde them vnto him by his many courtesies he neuer denied them any thing that they asked him insomuch that when these Sauages complained vnto him of the fiercenesse of our Mastiues most implacable and terrible vnto them knowing them by instinct it seemes to be but treacherous and false-hearted friends to vs better then our selues he to gratifie them in all things for the winning of them by degrees caused some of them to be killed in their presence to the great displeasure of the owners and would haue all the rest guelt had he not beene hindered to make them the gentler and the milder to them Hee was not onely too kinde and beneficiall to the common sort but also to their King to whom he oft resorted and gaue many presents which he knew to be highly pleasing to him And whereas this King before dwelt onely in a Cottage or rather a denne or Hog-stye made with a few poles and stickes and couered with Mats after their wilde manner to ciuilize him he first built him a faire House according to the English fashion in which as before is said he tooke such ioy especially in his Locke and Key which hee so admired as locking and vnlocking his doore an hundred times a day he thought no deuice in all the world was comparable to it Thus insinuating himselfe to this King for his Religious purposes he conferred after with him oft and intimated to him matters of our Religion and thus farre the Pagan confessed moued by naturall Principles that our God was a good God and better much then theirs in that hee had with so many good things aboue them endowed vs. He told him if he would serue our God he should be partaker of all those good things we had and of farre greater then sence or reason euer could imagine He won vpon him as he thought in many things so as hee gaue him faire hearing and good answer and seemed to be much pleased with his discourse and in his companie And both he and his people for the daily courtesies this good Gentleman did to one or other of them did professe such outward loue and respect vnto him as nothing could seeme more but all was little regarded after by this Viperous brood as the sequell shewed for they not onely wilfully murdered him but cruelly and felly out of a diuellish malice did so many barbarous despights and foule scornes after to his dead corps as are vnbefitting to be heard by any ciuill eare One thing I cannot omit that when this good Gentleman vpon his fatall houre was warned by his man who perceiued some treachery intended to them by these hell-hounds to looke to himselfe and withall ran away for feare of the mischiefe he strongly apprehended and so saued his owne life yet his Master out of the conscience of his owne good meaning and faire deserts euer towards them was so voide of all suspition and so full of confidence that they had sooner killed him then he could or would beleeue they meant any ill against him At the time of this Massacre there were three or foure of our Ships in Iames Riuer and one in the next Riuer and daily more to come in as three did within foureteene daies after one of which they endeuoured to haue surprised but in vaine as had also beene their whole attempt had any the least fore-knowledge beene in those places where the Massacre was committed yet were the hearts of the English euer stupid and auerted from beleeuing any thing that might weaken their hopes of speedy winning the Sauages to Ciuilitie and Religion by kinde vsage and faire conuersing amongst them Hee and the whole Counsell writ further That Almighty God they doubt not hath his great worke to doe in this Tragedy and will thereout draw honour and glory to his great Name safety and a more flourishing estate to themselues and the whole Plantation there and the more speedy conuersion of the Children of those Sauages to himselfe since he so miraculously preserued so many of the English whose desire to draw those people to Religion by the carelesse neglect of their owne safeties seemes to haue beene the greatest cause of their owne ensuing destruction Yet it pleased God to vse some of them as instruments to saue many of their liues whose soules they had formerly saued as at Iames Citie and other places and the Pinnace trading in Pamounkey Riuer all whose liues were saued by a conuerted Indian disclosing the plot in the instant These wilde naked Natiues liue not in great numbers together but dispersed and in small companies and where most together not aboue two hundred and that very rare in other places fifty or forty or thereabouts and many miles distant from one another in such places among the Woods where they either found or might easeliest make some cleared plots of ground which they imploy wholly in setting of Corne whereby to sustaine their liues These small and scattered Companies as I haue said had warning giuen from one another in all their habitations to meete at the day and houre appointed for our destruction at all our seuerall Townes and places seated vpon the Riuer some were directed to goe to one place some to another all to be done at the same day and time which they did accordingly some entring their Houses vnder colour of trucking and so taking aduantage others drawing our men abroad vpon faire pretences and the rest suddenly falling vpon those that were at their labours By Letters and those that returned it is certified that besides Master George Thorpe before mentioned Master Iohn Berkeley Captaine Nathaniel Powel and his wife daughter of Master William Tracy and great with childe and
General was very vnwilling told them of diuers inconueniences but all would not suffice them they were so importunate that the Generall chose out one hundred and twentie men of the best that were in both the ships and sent Captaine Morgan a singular good Land-souldier and Lieutenant Royden for choise Commanders in this action They landed before a small Fort with one of the Boats and draue the Portugals out of it the other Boate went higher when they had a very hot skirmish and their liues were quickly shortned for they landed on a Rocke that stood before the Fort as they leaped out of the Boate they slid all armed into the Sea and so most of them were drowned To be short wee lost eightie men at this place and of the fortie that returned there came not one without an Arrow or two in his body and some had fiue or sixe When we saw we could doe no good at this place wee determined to come againe for the Iland of San Sebastian and there we meant to burne one of our ships and from thence we determined to goe for the Straits againe the company that was in the Roe-bucke hearing of it in the night runne away from vs and we were left alone againe well we came to San Sebastian Iland all this while I lay vnder Hatches lame sicke and almost starued I was not able to stirre I was so weake After we came to this Iland the first thing that was done the sicke men were set on shoare to shift for themselues twentie of vs were set on shoare all were able to go vp and downe although very weakly but I alas my toes were raw my body was blacke I could not speake nor stirre In this case I was layed by the shoare side and thus I remayned from fiue of the clock in the morning till it was betweene eleuen and twelue of the clocke that the Sunne came to his highest and the extreme heate of the Sunne pierced through my bodie whereby I came to my selfe as a man awaked from sleepe and I saw them that were set on shore with me lye dead and a dying round about me these men had eaten a kind of Pease that did grow by the Sea side which did poyson them When I saw all these men dead I praysed God that had rid them out of their miserable estate and cursed my hard fortune that Death it selfe did refuse to end my tormented and most miserable life I looked towardes the shoare and saw nothing but these Pease and if I did eate them I was sure of death if I did not eate them I saw no remedie but to starue Seeing in this manner I looked towards the ship to see if the Boate came ashoare but alas all my hopes were with speed to end my life but that it was the will of God I saw things stirre by the Sea side and it was a great ebbe then I went creeping on my hands and my feete like a childe and when I had gotten to the Sea side I saw many Crabs lye in the holes of the mudde I pulled off one of my stockins and filled it with Crabs and as well as I could I carried them to a hollow figge tree where I found a great fire made so casting them on the coles I did eat them and so I lay downe to sleepe till the next day and then I watched for the ebbe to get some more meate Thus I liued eight or nine dayes without sight of any man the stinke of some of the dead men that the Sea came not to was so noysome that I was faine to remooue from that place and as I went along the shoare to seeke some place to abide in I passed by a faire Riuer that went into the Sea where I thought it good to make my abode because of the fresh water I had not beene there scarce the space of halfe a quarter of an houre but I saw a great thing come out of the water with great scales on the backe with great vgly clawes and a long tayl this beast came towards me and I had not the power to shun it but as it came towards me I went and â—et it when I came neere it I stood still amazed to see so monstrous a thing before me Hereupon this beast stood still and opened his mouth and thrust out a long tongue like a Harping-Iron I commended my selfe to God and thought there to haue bin torne in pieces but this beast turned againe and went into the Riuer and I followed to the Riuers â—ide The next day I went farther into the Iland fearing to tarrie in this place and I found a great Whale lying on the shoare like a ship with the keele vpwards all couered with a kinde of short mosse with the long lying there At this place I made a little house and fed on the Whale for the space of a fortnight In this time the Generall set forty men more ashoare at the place where I was set first on land likewise the Generall trimmed his Boate at this place and had a Net continually a fiâ—hing of which Iohn Chambers his Cooke had charge who is this day liuing in London After that these men came ashoare I left the place where I was with the Whale and came to our men and liued with them beeing at this time reasonable well and able to goe very well for the vse of going into the Sea did heale my toes After these men had beene on shoare seuen or eight dayes we had taken wood and water for the ship the Portugals of the Riuer of Ianuary landed on the North point of the Iland hard by the Whale they took two of our men and one escaped who came to vs in the night and told vs that the Portugals and the Sauages were landed That day wee had taken a great Tortois ashaore and wee did bid the Sayler to bee of good cheere for if it were true it was the better for vs for wee were sure that the Generall would not take vs againe into the ship with that we all commended our selues to God and dranke to our friends in faire water and so we determined to march along the shoare with a white shirt instead of a flagge of truce but the Sea was so high that we could not then we determined to watch quarterly till such time as we could espie them I had the first watch and watched till I was wearie so called one of my fellowes to watch and lie answered angerly Tut t is a lye with that I lay downe by the fire as well as the rest Before I was asleepe the Portugals were at our doore then I started vp and one of them tooke me by the legge presently wee were all led to the shoare side there all that were taken with me were knocked on the heads with fire-brands the Indian that had hold of me strooke twice or thrice at me with a
saw and conuerst with in nine moneths that I trauelled through the Wildernesse with the Portugals and a yeere and eleuen moneths that I passed with the Canibals themselues THe Canibals called Pories inhabite at the least one hundred miles within the land they are most like vnto the Wayanasses men of low stature they liue onely on Pine nuts and small Cocos that are as bigge as Apples but they haue shâ—lls like Wall-nuts somewhat harder the Indians call them Eyrires They are of good complexion and esteeme very much of clothes if they can get them the women are all painted with diuers colours as red blue and yellow they are in peace with the Portugals and warre with no Nation neither will they eate mans flesh if they haue any other meate they lie in little Nets made of barkes of trees they haue no houses but two or three boughs tyed together couered with Palme leaues if it happeâ— to raine In this part of the Countrie I saw great store of Leopards and Lions the Indians call the Leopard Iawaryle and the Lions Iawarosou and many great Cats of mountaine which the Indians call Marcayahite here you may haue of the Indians for a Knife or a Combe fiue or sixe Gallons of Balsome oile After you haue passed the famous Riuer of Paraeyua you shall come into a Countrie of Canibals called Molopaques they are much like vnto Dutchmen in bignesse very faire of complexion they haue all beards like other men so hath not any other kinde of Canibals except it bee here and there one Most of them doe couer their priuie parts they are very ciuill in their behauiour their Townes are very strong all circled with walls made of earth and great logs they haue houses seuerall euery man with his familie They haue one amongst them whom they call Morouishaua which is their King but we saw no difference betweene him and the rest but only the name and he had as I remember thirteene wiues and no other had so many Amongst these Canibals we found good store of gold the which they doe not esteeme neither doe they vse it for any thing but to tie on their fishing lines when they goe a fishing in the Riuer of Para where they take great store of good fish Para is beyond Paraeyua eightie leagues these Indians doe not worke in the mynes for gold as the Spaniards doe but onely take such peeces as they finde when the raine hath washt away the earth for where the mynes of gold are there are no trees but are drie Mountaines of black earth which the Indians call Taiuquara and the Mountaine where the Molopaques doe finde this great store of gold is called Eâ—epararange if these Canibals had the knowleâ—ge of God I might bolâ—ly say that there are not any in the world like them The women are goodly of person faire of complexion as our English women are they are very modest and ciuill in their behauiour you shall neuer see them laugh they are people very capable to conceiue any thing they haue their haire so long that they tie it about their middles with the barke of a tree wherewithall they couer their nakednesse they esteeme very much of it Their haire is of colours like our English women some yellow some white some browne the women that haue not long haire to couer their nakednesse doe weare a kinde of Furre which they call Sawyathwasoâ— These Canibals doe eate mans flesh I was not past nine or ten dayes among them therefore I cannot resolue you further of their customes In that time I was with them I saw no manner of Religion among them they doe keepe very good order obseruing times to eate their meate at noone and at night and that doth not any other Nation amongst them they are very cleanly in whatsoeuer they doe Then wee came to a faire champaine Countrie where wee found a kinde of Canibals called Motayas Assoone as these Canibals heard of our being in their Countrie they all left their houses and came to meet vs dancing and singing telling vs that they were very glad of our comming into their Countrie they brought Ginny Wheat Pepper and diuers kinde of rootes to present vs and craued our friendship desiring vs that we would aide them against the Tamoyes We desiring nothing more told them that to that purpose we were come Assoone as wee came to the houses of these Canâ—bals all the women would sit about vs and laying their hands on our bodies they would weepe most bitterly After that euery one of them would bring such victuals as they had some brought boyled Frogs others brought Serpents and Snakes which wee found very good other some brought Munkeis and a kind of wilde Dogge that they kill in the Mountaines The men brought vs mans flesh rosted drie as black as a coale and told vs that it was of a Tamoya that they had killed and desired vs that we would eate of it thinking they had presented vs a great and daintie dish When they saw that wee refused to eate mans flesh they fell a laughing and some of them said that we knew not what was good meat These Canibals are men of small stature browne of complexion they goe all naked they weare their haire as now we doe in England below their eares and so doe the women As their haire gâ—oweth long they burne it with fire making it equall so artificially that you cannot perceiue but that it was cut with Sizors They will not haue any haire grow on their eye-browes nor on their chin but still as it groweth they pull it away with a shell their food is Ginny wheat and Roots Frogs Snakes Serpents Crocodiles Monkeâ—s Dogs that they kill in the Wildernesse Leopards and Cats of Mountaine all this â—s good meat amongst them and we found them very good and were very glad when we could get them to eate Then we came to a kinde of Caniball called Lopos the Portugals call them Bilreros these Canibals are alwayes in the Mountaines of Pine trees and haue not any other thing to liue on I neuer saw any houses that they dwell in but bougâ—s tyed together with rines of trees these Canibals would come to vs and tell vs of many things and would goe with vs two or three dayes and then would run away from vs and many times when they did meet with any of our Indians or our Portugals they would take away such things as they had about them and send them away without any hurt to their persons As wee went through this Countrie we found many mynes of gold and amongst these Indians our Captaine got good store of it and many good stones In all America there is not a richer part then this but it is so farre within the Land and that Countrie is so populous that as yet neither Portugall nor Spaniard can inhabite there They are men of small stature
a shell of a fish that they finde by the shâ—are side and from Brasil the Portugals doe carrie great store of them to Angola These Moores doe esteeme verie much of red blew and yellow cloathes they will giue a slaue for a span of cloath in breadth I meane and the length of it of the breadth of the peece those peeces of cloth they weare about their middles and vnder it they hang the skin of a great Weasell before them and another behinde them and this is all the garments that they weare A Weazell in their language is called Pâ—ccâ— You can doe a Blackamoore no greater disgrace then to take away his Skinne from before him for he will dye with griefe if he cannot be reuengéd the Portugals doe marke them as we doe Sheepe with a hot Iron which the Moores call Crimbo the poore slaues stand all in a row one by another and sing Mundele que sumbela â—e Carey â—a belelelle and thus the poore rogues are beguiled for the Portugals make them beleeue that they that haue not the marke is not accounted a man of any account in Brasil or in Portugall and thus they bring the poore Moores to be in a most damâ—able bondage vnder the colour of loue The Countrey of Angola yeeldeth no stone and very little wood the Moores doe make their houses all couered with earth these houses are no bigger then a reasonable Chamber and within are many partitions like the Cabbins of a ship in such sort that a man cannot stand vpright in them There beds are made of great Bulrushes sowed together with the rindes of a Tree They doe make cloth like Sparke of Veluet but it is thinner of the barke of a Tree and that cloth they doe call Mollelleo The Elephants doe feed in the Euening and in the Morning in low marishes as there bee many The Moores doe watch which way they come and assoone as the Elephants are at meat they digge great holes in the ground and couer them with sticks and then they couer the pits with earth and when they haue made all readie they goe to the Elephants and shoote at them with their Arrowes and assoone as the Elephants feele themselues hurt they râ—nne at what soeuer they see before them following after the Blackamores that chase them then they fall into the deepe pits where after they are once in they cannot get out The Moores of Angola are as blacke as â—et they are men of good stature they neuer take but one Wife whom they call Mocasha These Moores doe cut long streakes in their faces that reach from the top of their eares to their chinnes The women doe weare shels of fishes on their armes and on the small of their legges The Law amongst them is that if any More doe lie with an others wife hee shall lose his eares for his offence These Moores doe circumcize their children and giue them their names as wee doe when we baptize Angola may very easily be taken for the Portugals haue no Forts to defend it of any strength The King of Congo is the greatest King in all Aethiopia and doth keepe in the field continually sixtie thousand Souldiers that doe warre against the King of Vangala and the King of Angola this King is a Christian and is brother in Law of Armes with the King of Spaine his seruants of his house are most of them all Portugals and hee doth fauour them very much The King is of a verie liberall condition and verie fauourable to all Trauellers and doth delight verie much to heare of forreigne Countries He was in a manner amazed to heare how it was possible her Maiestie had liued a Maiden Queene so long and alwaies reigned in peace with her subiect When I was brought before the King and told him of my Countrie what plentie of things we had if the Portugals had not liked of it they would interrupt my speech and the King would shew himselfe verie angrie and tell them that euerie man was best able to speake of his Countrie and that I had no reason but to tell him that which was true The King of Congo when hee goeth to the Campe to see his Armie rideth vpon an Elephant in great pompe and maiestie on either side of the Elephant he hath six slaues two of them were Kings that he himselfe had taken in the field all the rest were of noble birth some of them were brothers to the King of Ancica and some of them were of the chiefest bloud of the great King of Bengala These noble slaues at euerie command of the King of Congo doe fall flat on the ground on their brests When the King doth ride as you haue heard they carrie a Canopâ—e as it were a cloth of State ouer his head His two Secretaries the one a Nobleman of Spaine the other a More doe ride next after him Before him goeth at the least fiue hundred Archers which are his Guard then there followeth a More which doth nothing but talke aloud in praise of the King telling what a great Warriour he hath beene and praising his wisdome for all things that hee hath accomplished verie honourably to his great fame of such as knew him When this King of Congo commeth to his Host all the Souldiers as he passeth fall flat on their faces to the ground He neuer commeth into his Host after any battell but hee dubbeth at the least twentie Knights Portugals and as many Moores giuing them verie great liuing according to their callings and the seruice that they haue done The brother of this King was in Spaine at my comming from thence for Ambassadour from his brother Here the Portugall Captaine would haue taken mee perforce to haue beene a common Souldier but the King commanded that they should let mee goe whether I would and my determination at that time was to haue gone for the Countrie of Prester Iohn for I had a great desire to see the Riuer of Nilo and Ierusalem for I accounted my selfe as a lost man not caring into what Countrie or Kingdome I came but it was not the will of God that I should at that time obtaine my desire For trauellinâ— through the Kingdome of Congo to haue gone to the Kingdome of Angila It was my fortune to meete a companie of Portugall Souldiers that went to a Conquest that the King of Spain had newly taken called Masangana which place is on the borders of Anguca Here they made me serue like a Drudge for both day and night I carried some stone and â—ime to make a Fort. It lieth right vnder the Line and standeth in a bottome in the middle of foure hils and about are many fogges but not one Riuer It is the vnfirmest Countrie vnder the Sunne Here the Portugals die like Chickens you shall see men in the morning verie â—ustie and within two houres dead Others that if they but weat their legges presently they swell
the Point of Macanao we had sight of the Rangeria which is as it were a little towne contayning in it some fortie or fiftie houses Here wee did not land because wee saw no people but stood it away South South-east and South and by East amongst for the Burdones About mid-night wee came close aboard the shoare by an Iland called Fâ—bacco and then wee sounded and had ground at fortie fathome The third day being Monday morning wee were becalmed some three leagues off from the mayne About twelue at noone the same day wee had sight of Point de Ray. The winde and breeses blew so strongly of the shoare that we could not come to anchor that night to the Burdones These Burdones are no Towne nor hath any houses but belongeth to the Towne of Comana The fourth day being Wednesday at foure in the afternoone wee came to an anchor at the Burdones so that wee were three dayes in getting to the shoare being in sight of it all the while About twelue at mid-night the same day wee put out our sayne-Net into the Sea for to catch some fish And about foure in the morning wee found a great Sword-fish shut into the Net which was fourteene foot long and he had a sword some three foot long The sword is square and blunt at the end hauing great prickles vpon each side of the bignesse of a wilde Bores tuske We sent our Canoa ashoare here to parley with them hauing a flagge of truce The Gouernour of Comana perceiuing our Canoa comming ashoare sent a Molato to parley with our men who saluted them very kindly inquiring of vs what newes in England and whether the Constable of Spaine were gone home into Spaine or no we told him he was gone into Spaine before we set out of England we asked of him what newes in Comana of any English men and when any had beene here hee told them about a moneth agoe and that one of them had like to haue beene taken by a French Pirat if a Flemming had not tooke his part This night there came foure Spaniards aboard our ship from a Caruell which was at an anchor halfe a league from vs. These Spaniards burged with vs some Tabacco and told vs that Captaine Lee had a Towne built for himselfe and that the Pinnasse had beene here a moneth agoe The seuenth of September in the afternoone there came the Aide of Master Eâ—dreds to an anchor in the road where we rode and then we welcommed them with a shot and they gaue vs three for one after these our salutations the Captaine of the Aide called Squire came aboard vs and told vs that Sir Oliph Lee his Pinnasse was come home before they set out of England and that Captaine Lee dyed in the Pinnasse comming into England others of his companie said that they heard he was betrayed and killed in his Hamaca in Wiapoco He also told vs that he had left some thirtie men behind him which were in great miserie and extremitie both for lacke of health and scarcitie of victuals The nineteenth of September Captaine Squire weighed and left vs going for Comonagota The Spaniards dare not trucke with vs for any thing but when that they steale aboard in the night for if that they should be espyed they should be hanged Cloth of Tissue and Gold cloth of Siluer Veluet Sattins Silkes fine woollen cloth and linnen as Cambrick Lawne Holland new Trunkes Pistols Fowling peeces and Muskets are very good commodities to truck with the Spaniards and all other places in the Indies I noted one thing amongst many things concerning the nature of that climate of Comana It is monstrous hot all the day long till it be noone and then there blowes a coole breese and at noone you shall alwayes haue thundering and lightning without any raine for the most part The towne of Comana stands two miles from the Sea-side and cannot be seene by reason of the trees which couer the sight of it but you may see the Gouernours house for it stands vpon the top of a Hill looking ouer the trees which eouer the towne The eight and twentieth of September being Saturday wee espyed seuen faile of Flemmings bound for Ponitra The thirtieth day being Monday we weighed for Loyntra and wee steered away North and North and by West for Ponitra from Camana and about sixe of the clocke in the morning we arriued there safely The fourteenth of October Captaine Catlin and two other Gentlemen went out of our ship vpon some discontentments misliking of the Master of our ships vsagâ— towards them and had their passage in two Hollanders that were riding at Ponitra The fiue and twentieth about eight a clocke at night wee weighed at Ponitra hauing two Flemmish ships our consorts with vs. On the thirtieth we had sight of the Westermost end of Porto Rico called Cape Roxo and of a little Iland some foure leagues off called Echro Here we stayed till Friday and Saturday hoping for to haue gotten the shoare for fresh water and Oranges but we had no winde at all to serue our turnes About Saturday at noone there came vnto vs a Flemmish boat with a dozen men in it these men told vs that vpon Sunday the seuen and twentieth day of this moneth there came nineteene saile of Spaniards and that they had taken all the ships which we left behinde vs in number ten sauing two ships of Captaine Mogerownes which scaped by their swift sayling and that they themselues being ashoare with their Boat made an escape from Ponetra and so came to vs at Porto Rico which is one hundred and threescore leagues where wee refreshed our selues with fresh water and Oranges The ninth of Nouember being Saturday wee disembogued from Porto Rico. The two and twentieth of December we saw Flores one of the Ilands of the Asores CHAP. XVI A Relation of a voyage to Guiana performed by ROBERT HARCOVRT of Stanton Harcourt in the Countie of Oxford Esquire To Prince CHARLES IN the yeere of our Lord 1608. and the 23. of March when I had furnished my selfe with one ship of fourscore tunnes called the Rose a Pinnasse of sixe and thirtie tunnes called the Patience and a Shallop of nine tunnes called the Lilly which I built at Dartmouth and had finished my other business there and prepared all things in readinesse to begin my voyage the winde reasonably seruing I then imbarked my companie as followeth In the Rose I was accompanied with Captaine Edward Fisher Captaine Edward Haruey Master Edward Gifford and my Cousin Thomas Harcourt and besides them I had of Gentlemen and others one and thirtie Land-men two Indians and three and twentie Mariners and Saylers In the Patience my brother Captaine Michael Harcourt had with him of Gentlemen and others twentie Land-men and eleuen Mariners and Saylers In the Lilly Iasper Lilly the Master had one Land-man and two Saylers so that my iust number
Rats and such like wormes they eate also all manner of Fruites sauing some that are poisonous This sustenance is ordinarily of that which the Countrie yeeldeth without husbandrie as wilde fowle flesh and fruites but they haue a certaine kinde of foode of a good substance and healthfull and many other pulses whereof hereafter shall mention be made Ordinarily they drinke not while they eate but after meate they drinke water or wine which they make of many kindes of fruites and rootes as hereafter shall be said of the which they drinke without measure or order euen till they fall downe They haue some particular daies wherein they make great feasts and all ends in drinking and they last two or three daies in the which they eate not but onely drinke and there be men that emptie a whole great vessell of wine That these drinkings may be more festiuall some goe about singing from house to house calling and inuiting all they finde for to drinke and be merrie These dancings last with musicke all the time of the drinking in the which they sleepe not but passe it all in drinking and when they are drunke they play many disorders and they breake one anothers head and take other mens wiues c. They giue no thankes before nor after meate to God nor wash their hands before meate and after meate they wipe them at their haire on their body or a poste They haue no towels nor tables they eate fitting or lying in their nets or cowring on the ground they eate their meate throwing it with their hand into the mouth and I omit many other particularities that they haue in their eating and drinking because these are the principall All this people haue for their beds certaine nets made of Cotten wooll and they sleepe in them hanging in the ayre These they make some wrought others of sundry colours and as they remaine in the ayre and haue no other couering or cloathes al waies in summer and winter they haue fire vnder them they rise not very early and goe to bed by times and in the mornings there is one chiefe man in their houses that lying in his net doth preach vnto them for the space of an houre how they are to goe to labour as their forefathers did and he appointeth them the time telling them what they are to doe and after he is vp continueth his preaching running through the Towne They tooke this custome from a bird which is like a Hawke which singeth in the morning and they call it the King and Lord of the other Birds and they say that euen as that Bird doth sing in the mornings to be heard of the rest so the principall should make those preachings and speeches to be heard of theirs All of them goe naked as well men as women and haue no kinde of apparnll and are nothing ashamed rather it seemeth that they are in the state of innocencie touching this behalfe by the great honestie and modestie they doe keepe among themselues and when any man speaketh with a woman he turneth his backe to her But to make themselues gallant they vse diuers inuentions painting their bodies with the iuice of a certaine fruite wherewith they remaine black making in their bodies many white stroakes after the fashion of round hose and other kinde of garments They enplume themselues also making Diadems and Bracelets and other very fine inuentions they esteeme very much all manner of fine Feathers they let no haire grow in the parts of their body but they pull them out onely the head excepted which they cut in many fashions for some weare them long with a halfe Moone shauen before and they say they tooke this vse from Saint Thomas and it seemeth that they had some notice of him though confusedly others make certaine kinde of crownes and circles that they seeme Friers the women all doe weare long haire and ordinarily blacke and the haire of the one and of the other is smooth when they are angrie they let their haire grow long and the women when they mourne doe cut their haire and also when their husbands goe a farre iourney in this they show their loue and loyaltie to them the vanitie they haue in their poling is so much that by the head the Nations are knowne Now alreadie some doe weare apparell as well men as women but they esteeme it so little that they weare it rather for fashion then for honesties sake and because they are commanded to weare it as it is well seene by some that sometimes come abroad with certaine garments no further then the nauell without any other thing and others onely with a cap on their heads and leaue the other garments at home the women make great accompt of Laces and Combes These Indians doe vse certaine Cottages or houses of timber couered with Palme tree leaues and are in length some of two hundred and three hundred spans and they haue two or three doores verie little and low They shew their valour in seeking timber and verie great posts and of great continnance and there be houses that haue fiftie sixtie or seuentie roomes of twentie or fiue and twentie quarters long and as manie quarters long and as many in breadth In this house dwelleth one principall man or more whom all the rest doe obey and ordinarily they are kinfmen In euery roome of these dwelleth a houshold with their children and family without any repartition betweene the one and the other and to enter in one of these houses is to enter into a laberinth for euery roome hath his fire and their nets hanging and their â—stuffe so that comming in all that they haue is in sight and some house hath two hundred persons and more The women when they are brought to bed they are deliuered on the ground doe not take vp the childe but the Father taketh it vp or some other person whom they take for their Gossip and in friendship they are as the Gossips among the Christians The Father doth cut the Nauell string with his teeth or with two stones knocking the one with the other and then they set themselues to fasting vntill the Nauell string falleth off which is ordinarily to the eight day and till it doth fall they leaue not their fasting when it falleth if it bee a man childe he maketh it a Bow with Arrowes and tieth it at the end of the Net and at the other end manie handfuls of hearbes which are the enemies which his sonne shall kill and eate These ceremonies being ended they make drinkings where with they all are merrie The women when they are deliuered doe presently goe and wash themselues in the Riuers and they giue the childe sucke ordinarily a yeere and an halfe not giuing it any other thing to eate They loue their children extraordinarily and beare them in certaine pieces of Nets which they call Tupiya
a continuall stamping with the feet standing still or going round about or stirring their bodie or their head and they doe it all by such compasse and pleasantnesse as can be desired at the sound of a Timbrell made after the fashion of those which the children vse in Spaine with manie smal stones within or certaine seeds whereof they make also verie good beads and so they sing dancing altogether for they doe not one thing without the other in such compasse and order that sometime an 100. men dancing and singing together in a row one behind the other doe end all at one stroke as if they were altogether in one place The singers aswell men as women are much esteemed among them in so much that if they take an enemie a good singer and an Inuenter of Verses they therefore spare his life and doe not eate him nor his children The women doe dance together with the men and make many gambolls and gestures with their armes and bodies especially when they dance alone They keepe among themselues differencies of voices in their Consort and ordinarily the women doe sing the Treble Counter and Tenours They are verie wicked especially in weeping for the dead for when any one dieth the Kindred doe cast themselues vpon him in the Net and so suddenly that sometimes they choake him before he dieth seeming to them he is dead And those that cannot cast themselues with the Coarse in the Net doe cast themselues on the ground with such falls and knockes that it seemeth a Miracle they doe not end their liues with the dead and of these falls and mournings they remaine so feeble that sometime they die When they mourne they speak manie pittiful and dolorous words if he die at euening all night long they weep with a high voice that it is a wonder they are not wearie For these mournings they cal the Neighbours kinsmen and if he be one of the principall all the Towne doth meete to mourne and in this they haue also their points of honour and they curse with plagues those which weepe not saying that they shall not bee mourned for After he is dead they wash him and paint him verie brauely as they paint their enemies and after this they couer him with Cotton Yarne that nothing is seene of him and put a couering ouer his face and sitting they put him in a great tinnage or vessell that they haue vnder the Earth for that purpose and doe couer it in such manner that no Earth may come to him and the vessel they couer with earth making him a house where euerie day they carrie him meat For they say that when he is wearie with dancing he commeth thether to eate and so they goe for a certaine time to bewaile him euerie day all his Kindred with him they burie all his Iewels or Brooches that none may see them and grieue thereat But if the dead had any Peece as a Sword c. that had beene giuen him it returneth to him that gaue it and hee taketh it againe wheresoeuer he findeth it therefore they say that when one dieth he loseth all the right of that which was giuen him After the Coarse is buried the Kinsmen are in continuall weeping night and day the one beginning as the other endeth they eate not but by night they hang their Nets neere to the roofes and the women after twentie daies doe cut their haire and this lamenting lasteth a whole Moone the which being ended they make great Wines or Drinkings to put away their mourning The men doe cut their haire and the women doe paint themselues with blacke and these Ceremonies and others being ended they beginne to communicate the one with the other aswell the men as the women After their companions are dead some neuer doe marrie againe nor enter into the Feast of Wines neither paint themselues with blacke but is verie seldome among them because they are much giuen to women and cannot liue without them Before they had any knowledge of the Portugals they vsed tooles and instruments of stone bone wood Canes and teeth of Beasts c. and with these they hewed downe great Woods with wedges of stones helping themselues with fire and they digged also the ground with certaine sharpe stakes and they made their Brooches Beades of Wilkes Bowes and Arrowes as well as now hauing Instruments of Iron but they spent a long time in making of whatsoeuer thing wherefore they esteeme the Iron verie much for the facilitie or ease which they finde in making their things with it And this is the reason wherefore they are glad of Commerce with the Portugals or white men The weapons of this people ordinarily are Bowes and Arrowes and they boast themselues of them and they make them of verie good wood and verie faire interlaid with Palme-tree of sundrie colours they die their strings greene or red and they make their Arrowes verie faire seeking for them the fairest feathers they can find They make these Arrowes of sundrie Canes and fasten in their points the teeth of beasts or certaine verie hard Rushes or sharpe stickes with many snagges and many times they empoison them with herbes These Arrowes to ones sight seeme a thing of mockerie but are verie cruell Weapons and pierce quilted breast-plates or curates and striking in a sticke they cleaue it asunder and sometimes happen to goe through a man and sticke on the ground They doe exercise themselues in these Weapons verie young and are great Archers and so certaine that no Bird can escape them be it neuer so little or any vermine of the Woods and there is no more but if they will shoot an Arrow through the eie of a bird or a man or hit any other thing be it neuer so small they doe it with great facilitie and with their owne safetie and for this they are greatly feared They are stout also and fierce and dreadfull to others They are as vermine of the Woods for they goe a hunting into the Countrie naked and barefoot without any feare They haue a maruellous sight for at a league off they see any thing and in the same manner they heare They guesse verie right ruling themselues by the Sunne they go to all parts they list 200. or 300. leagues through thicke Woods and misse not one â—ot they trauell much and alwaies runnig a gallop especially with some charges no Horse is able to hold out with them They are great fishers and swimmers they feare no Sea nor waues continue a day and a night swimming and the same they doe rowing and sometimes without meate They vse also for Weapons Swords of wood and interlay the ends of them with Palme-tree of sundrie colours and set Plumes on them of diuers colours chiefly in their feasts and slaughters And these Swords are verie cruell for they make no wound but bruise and breake a mans head
cannot escape them especially if they be bigge When they are flesht there is none that dare abide them especially by night they kill many beasts at once they spoile a whole Hen-house or a heard of Swine and to open a man or whatsoeuer beast it sufficeth to hit him with one of his clawes But the Indians are so hardie that some of them dare close with one of them and holdeth it fast and kills it in a field as they doe their enemies getting a name and vsing all the ceremonies they doe to their enemies They vse the heads for Trumpets and the Portugall women vse the skinnes for Rugs or Couerlets especially of the painted ones and in the Captainship of Saint Uincent The Carigue are like the Foxes of Spaine but they are smaller as bigge as a Cat they smell worse then the Foxes of Spaine themselues and they are grey as they They haue a bag from the fore to the hinder feet with sixe or seuen dugs and there they carrie their young ones hidden till they can get their owne food and hath ordinarily sixe or seuen in a litter This vermine destroyeth the Hens for it goeth not by day but by night and climes the trees and the houses and no Bird or Hen can escape them The Tamandua is of notable admiration it is of the bignesse of a great Dog more round then long and the tayle is twice or thrice as long as the bodie and so full of haire that from the heate raine cold and winde hee harboureth himselfe all vnder it that yee can see nothing of him The head is small and hath a thinne snout no greater mouth then an oyle Cruze round and not open the tongue is of three quarters long and with it he licketh vp the Ants whereof he onely feeds hee is diligent in seeking of the Ant-heapes and with the clawes hee breaketh them and casting out his tongue the Ants sticke on it and so he drawes them in hauing no more mouth then to hold his tongue full of them it is of a great fiercenesse and doth assault many people and beasts Th Oâ—nces doe feare them and the Dogs exceedingly and whatsoeuer they catch they teare with their clawes they are not eaten neither are they good for any thing but to destroy the Ant-heapes and they are so many that they will neuer bee destroyed altogether The Tatu is of the bignesse of a Pigge and of a whitish colour it hath a very long snout and the body full of thing like plates wherewith he remayneth armed and it hath certaine pieces hanging downe as the Badas haue These plates are so hard that no Arrow can pierce them except it hits him in the flankes they digge so fast that it hath chanced seuen and twentie men with Mattockes not to bee able to digge so much as one of these with their snout But if they cast water in their holes they are presently taken it is a creature worth the seeing and they call it an armed Horse the flesh is like Hennes flesh or Pigge very pleasant of the skinne they make Purses and they are very faire and lasting they are made tame and are bred in the house Of these there be many kindes and there are great abundance of them The Canduacu is the Porcupine of Africa and hath bristles white and blacke so great that they are af a spanne and a halfe and more and they cast them like as those of Africa There be other of these called Candumiri because they are smaller and they haue bristles as the other There be other smaller of the bignesse of a Cat with yellow bristles and blacke at the points All these bristles haue this qualitie that entring into the flesh bee it neuer so little of it selfe it pierceth through the flesh And for this cause these bristles doe serue the Indians for an instrument to bore the eares for putting neuer so little in them in one night it pierceth them through There be other smaller like Vrchins or Hedge-hogs they haue also bristles but they cast them not all these beasts are of a good flesh and taste The Hirara is like the Ciuet Cat though some say it is not they are of many colours viz. grey blacke and white they eate nothing but hunnie and in this they are so terrible that bee the hole of the Bee-hiue neuer so little they make it so bigge that they may goe in and when they finde the Hunnie they neuer eate it till they haue called the rest of the young ones and and then the old one going in he doth nothing but bring out the Hunnie and giue it to the yong ones a thing of great admiration and an example of great charitie for men and that this is so the men of the Countrie doe affirme The Aquiqui are very great Apes as bigge as a good Dog blacke and very ougly as well the male as the female they haue a great beard onely in the lower chap of these come sometimes a male one so yellow that it draweth toward red which they say is their King This hath a white face and the beard from eare to eare as cut with the Scissers and it hath one thing much to be noted namely that he goeth into a tree and maketh so great a noise that it is heard very farre off in the which he continueth a great while without ceasing and for this this kind hath a particular instrument and the instrument is a certaine hollow thing as it were made of Parchment very strong and so smooth that it serueth to burnish withall as big as a Duckes Egge and beginneth from the beginning of the gullet rill very neere the palate of the mouth between both the cheekes and it is so light that assoone as it is toucht it moueth as the key of a Virginals And when this Ape is thus crying he fometh much and one of the little ones that is to remaine in his place doth cleanse many times the fome from his beard There are others of many kindes and in great abundance they are blacke grey and yellow the Country-men say that some of these when they shoot at them with an Arrow catch it in their hand and turne againe and throwe it at the man and when they are hurt they seeke a certaine leafe and chaw it and thrust it into the wound for to heale them and because they are alwaies on the trees and are very swift when the leape is great and the little ones cannot passe one of them lieth acrosse like a bridge and the rest passe ouer him the tayle serueth him for a hand and if any be strucken with his tayle he holdeth fast the bough whereon he is and so dieth hanging and falleth not They haue many other qualities that are seene euery day as to take a sticke and beate some body that doth them harme another found a basket of Egges hung it by the cord about
beene taken with thirteene in her bellie There are others called Iararcoaypitiuga that is that hath the point of the tayle more white then grey these are as venomous as Vipers of Spaine and haue the same colour and fashion There are others called Iararacpeba most venomous it hath a red chaine along the backe and the breasts and the rest of the bodie is all grey There are other smaller Iararacas that the greatest is about halfe a yard long they are of an earthie colour they haue certaine veines in their head like the Vipers and they make such a noise as they doe The Curucucu is a Snake very hideous and fearefull and some are of fifteene spannes long when the Indians doe kill them they burie presently the head because it hath great store of poison for to catch the prey and the people it lieth close to a tree and when it seeth the prey it casts it selfe vpon it and so killeth it The Boycininga is a Snake called of the Bell it is of a great poison but it maketh such a noise with a Bell it hath in his taile that it catcheth very few though it be so swift that they call it the flying Snake his length is twelue or thirteene spannes long There is another called Bociningpeba this also hath a Bell but smaller it is blacke and very venomous The poison of the Ibiracua Snake is so vehement that if it biteth any person presently it makes him to voide bloud through all the passages of his bodie to wit the eies nostrils mouth eares and all open places else of his bodie it runneth a great while and if he be not holpen he empties his bloud and dieth The Snake Ibiboboca is very faire it hath the head red white and blacke and so all the bodie is spotted of these three colours this is the most venomous of all it goeth slowly and liueth in the crannies of the earth and by another name it is called the Snake of the colours The great vehemencie that these venomous Snakes aboue said haue the great paines they cause and the many persons that euery day doe die of their stinging cannot be exprest and they are so many in number that not onely the fields and the woods but euen the houses are full of them and they are found in the beds and within the bootes when they put them on The Brethren going to their rest doe finde them there wound about the benches feet and if they be not holpen when they sting cutting the wound letting him bloud drinking Vnicornes horne or Carima or the water of the Snakes-wood or some other effectuall remedie in foure and twentie houres and lesse he dieth with great crying and paines and they are so excessiue that when any person is bitten presently he demandeth confession and maketh account to die and so disposeth of his goods There are other Snakes chiefely these Iararacas that haue a great smell of Muske and wheresoeuer they bee they are descried by the good and fragrant smell they haue There are many Scorpions that euery day are found in their beds among the bookes and about the chambers ordinarily they kill not but in foure and twentie houres they caufe intolerable paines It seemeth that this climate doth flowe in poison as well for the many Snakes there are as for the multitude of Scorpions Spiders and other vncleane creatures and the Lizards are so many that they couer the walls of the house and the holes are full of them Of the Fowles that are in the Land and are thereon sustained EVen as this climate doth flowe in poison so it seemeth to create beautifulnesse in the birds and as all the Countrie is full of Groues and Woods so it is full of most beautifull birds of all colours The Parots in this Countrie are infinite more then Dawes or Starlings or Thrushes or Sparrowes of Spaine and so they make a cackling as the birds aboue-said they destroy them by thousands they flie in flockes alwaies and they are so many that there be Ilands where there is nothing but Parots they are eaten and are very good meate they are ordinarily very faire and of many and sundrie colours and kindes and they almost all speake if they be taught The Arara Parots are those that by another name are called Macaos it is a great bird and are very rare and by the sea-coast they are not found it is a faire bird in colours their breasts are red as scarlet from the middle of the bodie to the taile some are yellow others greene others blue and through all the bodie they haue scattering some greene some yellow and blue feathers and ordinarily euery feather hath three or foure colours and the taile is very long These lay but two egges they breed in the trunkes of trees and in the rockes of stone The Indians esteeme them very much and of their feathers they make their fine things and their hangings for their swords it is a very pleasant bird they become very tame and domesticall and speake very well if they be taught The Anapuru Parot is most faire in it all colours are found with great perfection to wit red greene yellow blacke blue grey the colour of the Bulfinch and of all these colours it hath the bodie bespeckled and spotted These also doe speake and they haue another aduantage that is they breed in the house and hatch their young ones wherefore they are of great esteeme The Araruna or Machao is very faire it is all blacke and this blacke sprinkled with greene which giueth it a great beautie and when the Sunne shineth on him he is so shining that it is very pleasant to behold it hath the feet yellow and the beake and the eies red they are of great esteeme for their beautie for they are very rare and breed not but very farre within the Land and of their feathers the Indians make their Diademes and Pictures The Parots Aiurucuro are most beautifull they are all greene they haue a cap and a collar of yellow very faire and ouer the beake a few feathers of a very cleare blue which doe beautifie him very much it hath p 〈…〉 ions of the wings red and the taile feathers red and yellow sprinkled with greene The Tuins are a kinde of Parot very small of the bignesse of a Sparrow they are greene sprinkled with other diuers colours they are much esteemed as well for their beautie as because they prattle much and well and are very tame They are so small that they skip euery where on a man on his hands his breast his shoulders and his head and with his bill hee will cleanse ones teeth and will take the meate out of the mouth of him that brings them vp and make many gambols they are alwaies speaking or singing after their owne fashion The Parots Guiraiubae or Yellow birds neither speake not play but are
sullen and sad they are much esteemed because they are brought from two hundred and three hundred leagues and are not found but in great mens houses and they hold them in such esteeme that they giue the ransome and value of two persons for one of them and they esteeme them as much as the Iapanas doe the Treuets and the Pots or any other great man esteemeth any thing of great price as a Faulcon Gerfaulcon c. The Yapu is of the bignesse of a Pie-annet the bodie of a fine blacke and the taile of a very fine yellow it hath three tufts on the head that are like little hornes when hee raiseth them the eies are blue the neb very yellow Iâ— is a very faire bird and hath a very strong smell when it is angrie They are very carefull in seeking their food there escapeth not a Spider Beetle or Cricket c. they are very cleanly in a house and goe about like Pie-annets they leaue nothing vnsought It is dangerous holding them in the hand for they runne presently to the eies and pull them out Of the small birds called Guaimimbique there are sundrie kindes as Guaracig oba that is Fruit of the Sunne by another name Guaracig oba that is Couering of the Sunne or Guaracig aba that is The haire of the Sunnâ— in the Antillas they call it the risen or awaken bird and they say it sleepeth sixe moneths and liueth other sixe moneths It is the finest bird that can bee imagined it hath a cap on his head to which no proper colour can be giuen for on whatsoeuer side yee looke on it it sheweth red greene blacke and more colours all very fine and shining and the breast is so faire that on whatsoeuer side yee take it it shewth all the colours especially a yellow more finer then gold The bodie is grey it hath a very long bill and the tongue twice the length of the bill they are very swift in flight and in their flight they make a noise like the Bee and they rather seeme Bees in their swiftnesse then birds for they alwaies feed flying without sitting on a tree euen as the Bees doe flie sucking the Hunnie from the flowers They haue two beginnings of their generation some are hatched of egges like other birds others of little bubbles and it is a thing to bee noted a little bubble to beginne to conuert it selfe into this little bird for at one instant it is a bubble and a bird and so it conuerts it selfe into this most faire bird a wonderfull thing and vnknowne to the Philosophers seeing one liuing creature without corruption is conuerted into another The bird Guiranhe eng eta is of the bignesse of a Gold-finch it hath the backe and wings blue and the breast and bellie of a most fine yellow It hath a yellow Diademe on his head that beautifies him very much It is a very excellent bird for the Cage it speaketh many waies resembling many birds making many changes and changing his speech a thousand waies They continue long in their song and are of esteeme and of these for the Cage there bee many and faire and of diuers and sundrie colours The Tangara is of the bignesse of a Sparrow all blacke the head is of a verie fine Orange-tawnie it singeth not but it hath a wonderfull thing for it hath fits like the Falling sicknesse and for this cause the Indians doe not eate them for the auoiding of that disease they haue a kinde of very pleasant dancing and it is that one of them makes himselfe as dead and the other compasse him about skipping with a song of a strange crying that is heard verie farre and when they end this feast crying and dancing he that was as dead riseth and maketh a great noise and crying and then all goe away and end their feast They are so earnest when they doe it that although they be seene and shot at they flie not away Of these there bee many kindes and all of them haue accidents The bird Quereina is of the most esteemed of the Land not for the song but for the beautie of the feathers they are a cleare azure in part and a darke all the breast is most fine red the wings almost blacke they are so esteemed that the Indians doe flea them and giue two or three persons for the skinnes of them and with the feathers they make their Pictures Diademes and other fine things The Tucana is of the bignesse of a Pie it is all blacke except the breast which is all yellow with a round red circle the bill is a large spanne long verie great yellow and within is red so smooth and shining that it seemeth to bee varnished they are made tame and breede in the houses are good to eate and the feathers are esteemed because they are faire The Guirapanga is white and not being very big it crieth so loude that it sounds like a Bell and it is heard halfe a league and their singing is like the ringing of Bells The Macucagua is greater then any Henne of Portugall it resembleth the Feasant and so the Portugals doe call it it hath thâ—ee skinnes one ouer another and much flesh and and verie sauorie they lay twice a yeere and at euerie time thirteene or fifteene egges they goe alwaies on the ground but when they see any people they flie to the trees and at night when they goe to roust as Hennes doe When they sit on the trees they put not their feet on the boughs but the shankes of their legs and most on the fore part There bee mamy kindes of these and they are easily shot at Among them there is one of the smallest that hath many properties when it singeth it foresheweth raine it crieth so loude that it is incredible of so small a bird and the reason is because the gullet is verie great It beginneth at the mouth and commeth out at the breast betweene the skinne and the flesh and reacheth to the fundament and returneth againe and entreth into the crop and then it proceedeth as other birds and doubleth like a Trumpet with his turnings They runne after any bodie pecking him and playing like a little whelpe if they set it vpon Hennes egges it siâ—teth ouer them and bringeth vp the young chickens and if it see a Hen with chickens it so persecutes her till it takes them from her and broodes them and brings them vp The Hen Mutu is very domesticall it hath a combe like the Cockes spotted with white and blacke the egges are great and very white like a Goose egge so hard that knocking the one with the other they ring like Iron and of them they make their Maracas that is their Bells any Dog that eateth the bones of it dieth and vnto men it doeth no hurt at all In this Countrie there are many kindes of Partridges which though
they are so light as any Corkes There be two sorts of Pequea one of them beares a fruit as big as a good Orange and so they haue the rinde thicke like an Orange within this rinde there is nothing but Hunnie so cleare and sweet as any Sugar in quantitie of an egge and mingled with it it hath the pippens or kernels The other Pequea is timber of the heauiest of this Countrie in Portugall it is called Setim it hath very fine wanes it lasteth long and doth not rotte On the tree Iabaticaba groweth a fruit of the bignesse of a Lymond of Sytill the rinde and taste is like a sowrish Grape from the roote of the tree through all the body vnto the vtmost bough or sprig is a rare fruit it is onely found within the Land in the Captainship of S. Vincent The Indians doe make of this fruit a kinde of Wine and they boyle it like the wine of Grapes In this Brasill are many Coco-nuts excellent like those of India these are ordinarily set and growe not in the Woods but in Gardens and in their Farmes And there are more then twentie kindes of Palme trees and almost all doe beare fruit but not so good as the Cocos with some of these Palme trees they couer their houses Besides these Fruit-trees there are many other that yeeld sundry fruits whereof they make profit and many Nations of the Indians sustaine themselues together with the Hunnie whereof there is great abundance and with their hunting for they haue no other sustenance In the maine of the Captainship of Saint Vincent vnto Paraguay are many and great Woods of Pine trees euen like vnto them of Portugall which beare Apples and kernels the Apples are not so long but rounder and greater the kernels are greater and are not so hot but of a good temperature and wholsome Cabueriba is very great and esteemed for the Balme that it hath to get this Balme they prick the barke of the tree and lay a little Corton wooll to the cuts and from certaine to certaine dayes they goe to gather the Oyle that it hath distilled The Portugals call it Balme because it is very lâ—ke to the true Balme of the Vineyards of Engedi it serueth for greene wounds and taketh away all the scarre it smelleth very well and of it and of the barke of the tree they make Beades and other smelling things The Woods where they growe doe smell well and the beasts doe goe and rubbe on this tree it seâ—meth to bee to heale them of some diseases The Timber is of the best of this Countrie because it is very strong and heauy and some are of such bignesse that of them they make the Beames Axel-trees and Skrues or Vices for their Sugar-Mills these are very rare and are found chiefly in the Captainship of the Holy Ghost Cupayba is a Fig-tree commonly very high straite and big it hath much oile within for to get it they cut the tree in the middest where it hath the vent and there it hath this oile in so great abundance that some of them doe yeeld a quarterne of oile and more it is very cleare of the colour of oile it is much set by for wounds and taketh away all the skarre It serueth also for lights and burne well the beasts knowing the vertue thereof doe come and rubbe themselues thereat There are great store the wood is good for nothing The Ambayba Fig-trees are not very great and are not found in the true Woods but in Coppices where some sowing hath beene the barke of this tree scraping it on the inside and crushing those scrapings in the wound laying them on it and binding it with the barke it selfe healeth in a short time There is great abundance of them and are much esteemed for their great vertue the leaues are rough and serue to smooth any wood the timber serueth for nothing The Fig-tree which they call of Hell Ambaigtinga is found in Taperas it yeelds a certaine Oyle that serueth for lights it hath great vertue as Monardes writeth and the leaues are much esteemed for them that doe vomit and cannot retayne that which they eate anointing the stomacke with the Oyle it taketh away the Oppilations and the Collicke To get this Oyle they lay it in the Sunne some dayes and stampe it and seethe it and presently that Oyle commeth on the top which is gathered for the effect aboue-said Of the trees Igbacamuci there are many in Saint Uincent they beare a certaine fruit as good as Quinces faâ—hioned like a Panne or a Pot they haue within certaine small seeds they are the onely remedie for the bloudy Fluxe The Igcigca yeeldeth the Masticke smelleth very much for a good while they notch the tree in some places and in an instant it stilleth a white liquor that doth congeale it serueth for Plaisters in cold diseases and to perfume it serueth also in stead of incense There is another tree of this kinde called Igtaigcica that is Masticke as hard as stone and so it seemeth rather Gumme-anime then Masticke and it is so hard and shining that it seemeth Glasse it serueth to glase the earthen vessell and for this it is much esteemed among the Indians and it serueth also for cold diseases There is a Riuer betweene Port Secure and the Illâ—ts that commeth from more then three hundred leagues within the Mayne it bringeth great store of Rozen which is the Gumme-anime it selfe which the Indians doe call Igtaigcica and the Portugals White incense it hath the same effects that the Incense Curupicaiba is like to the Peach-trees of Portugall in the leafe the leaues doe distill a kinde of liquor like the Fig-trees of Spaine which is the onely remedie for wounds both greene and old and for the Poxe and it taketh away all the scarre from the wounds if they pricke the barke of it it yeeldeth great store of Bird-lime wherewith they catch the small birds There is great abundance of the trees Caaroba the leaues of these chewed and layd to the Pock-sore drye and heale it in such manner that it neuer commeth againe and it seemeth that the wood hath the same effect that the China wood and that of the Antilles haue for the same disease Of the flower they make a Conserue for those that are sicke of the Poxe The wood Caarobmocorandiba is like that of China it is taken in the same manner that the other and it healeth the loosenesse the Poxe and other diseases of cold it is grey and hath the pith very hard as the wood of China It is long since Iaburandiba was found and it is as some Indians doe say called of the Indians Betele The Riuers and their borders are full of these trees the leaues are the onely remedie for the sicknesses of the Liuer and many in this Brasill haue already beene cured of most grieuous diseases of the Liuer
the Kinsmen of the dead Lastly they recompence eie for eie tooth for tooth and life for life But these things as I said very seldome happen among them The things of the ground with them are Cottages and fields farre larger then might be required for maintenance of the Inhabitants As touching the Cottages you are first to vnderstand that euery Village containeth sixe hundred men wherefore very many are of necessitie to dwell in one and the same Cottage Notwithstanding euerie Family possessing their place without any distance betweene for there is nothing that may hinder but that from one end vnto the other those houses lie open which for the most part are extended sixtie paces in length euerie Master of a Family hath his wife and children placed apart Moreouer you are to obserue which surely is to be wondred at that the Americans inhabit not one place aboue fiue or sixe moneths But carrying away the matter and herbe Pindo whereof their houses consist they often transport their Villages which yet alwaies reteine the same names Wee our selues saw some Villages remooued a mile from the accustomed place No man buildeth a Cottage which he is not compelled to finish nay to build and plucke downe aboue twentie times before his death if hee haue attained to the full age of a man Now if it be demanded of them why they change their habitation so often The answere is easily made That the changing of the Aire is verie profitable for the health besides that if they should alter the custome of their ancestors they should presently perish As touching the fields euerie Moussacat hath certaine particular plats of ground which he chooseth at his pleasure wheresoeuer he thinketh good for the making of Gardens But that excessiue care of diuiding the grounds setting limits and bounding the fields they leaue to our Countrie couetous persons and to the Lawyers Concerning their houshold stuffe I haue often spoken in the former Chapters Yet that wee may not omit any of those things which appertaine to the houshold gouernment of the Barbarians I will heere recite the cunning of the American women in spinning of Cotton whereof there is manifold vse as well for Ropes as for the weauing of their hanging beds Being drawne out of the flockes in stead of all picking and carding they plucke it out somewhat in length with the fingers and then lay it vpon the ground in a heape for they know not how to vse Distaffes in stead of a Spindle they take a little wand of the thicknesse of a finger and a foot in length which they thrust through a little wooden round ball and fasten the Bombasin Cotton to the top of the small wand then turning that Instrument about vpon their thigh as our Countriewomen doe their Spindles they let it slip out of their hands That little round ball is turned about through the houses and streets like a Wherue And after that manner they spinne Threed not only course and great for the weauing of their Cotton Beds but also that which is most fine Of this sort I brought some into France wherewith I caused a faire stomacher to be made of the white Web which was of so fine and small a Threed that some tooke it for the best and choicest Silke They call their Cotton beds Inis The women to whom this workmanship appertaineth haue their work-houses for their Loomes somewhat vnlike to those of our Countrie for they are neither made flat and plaine nor consist of so many subtile inuentions but being framed to the height of their stature they worke after their manner and also beginne their weauing from the bottome They make certaine of those beds in the forme of Nets and others thicker like the finest Cloth They are fiue or sixe foot long and an elle broad vnto either end Cotton loopes are added vnto the which they fasten cords and hang them vp in their houses vpon beames made fit for this vse But liuing in the Campe or in the woods for hunting or on the shoares for fishing they hang them vpon trees These beds that wee omit nothing when they haue gathered filth either through humane sweat or by the smoake by reason of the continuall fire are washed cleane after this manner The women gather a certaine fruit in the woods not much vnlike in shape vnto a plaine Gourd but farre larger so that euery Apple may scarce bee borne with one hand these fruits they cut into small pieces and hauing cast them into some very great earthen vessell they moisten them with water Then they vehemently stirre them about with a sticke and cause a fome to arise from them through the helpe whereof in stead of Sope they make their Beds so cleane that in whitenesse they may be comparable with the Snowe or Fullers Clothes The vse of such Beds is farre more commodious in watches then that the Souldiers after the accustomed manner should tumble in Beds of grasse for they both foule their garments and get Lice and that which is more if they be to arise vnto the fight the bodie is bruisâ—d in some sort with the Armes which Souldiers continually weare which in the siege of the Citie Sancerra we proued in good earnest For the Enemie lay a whole yeere at our Ports That we may gather the rest of the Americane houshold-stuffe into a short summe the women who haue the charge of domesticall matters prepare huge Cannes and make very great Earthen vessels wherein to put their Cao-uin They also make Pots of diuers fashions little and indifferent Basons Platters and other things of that sort vessels which on the outside surely are nothing smooth but are so polished within and beautified with I know not what kinde oâ— tincture which presently waxeth hard so that those women may easily match the industrie of all our Countrie people Besides I know not what kinde of ash-colour painting they steepe in water and afterwards make diuers formes of things in their vessels within and specially in those wherein they lay vp their Meale and other kindes of meates to bee preserued The vse therefore of them is most acceptable nay those vessels farre excell them of wood which very many vse here with vs. Yet these Women-painters haue this fault that when they haue pourtrayed with the Pencill whatsoeuer they please if they be intreated to paint the same againe they are not possibly able to doe it because they haue no example proposed beside the industrie of their owne fantasie Hence it commeth to passe that two of these kinde of pictures may scarce be found alike Moreouer as I haue elsewhere said the Barbarians haue Gourds and other kindes of fruits which they diuide and make hollow and they vse them instead of Cups which they call Coui and other vessels of diuers vses They haue also Panniers large and meane and likewise Baskets very finely made of bul-rushes or yellowish grasse
labour among the people were separated from them that were fit for warre that euery one might be put to seruice agreeable vnto him The Citie therefore began to be built there and a wall of earth to be raised about it to to the heigth of a Speare or Iauelin and in the Citie a firme and strong house for our Generall The wall of the Citie was three foot broad But that which was built to day the next day fell downe againe For the people wanting food liued in great scarcitie so that many died of famine nor could the Horses satisfie them There was not plentie enough of Dormice or other-Mice or Serpents or other wild beasts to asswage this lamentable famine and vnspeakable pouertie Not so much as shooes and other Leather could auoid this rage of deuouring It fell out also at that time that three Spaniards hauing stolne a Horse did priuily eate him Which as soone as it was discouered they were grieuously tormented and questioned touching the fact and when they confessed it they were condemned to the Gallowes When they were hanged three other Spaniards consorted themselues together who the same night going to the Gallowes cut off the legges of them that were hanged and cut out pieces of flesh from their bodies that in their Cottages they might asswage vntollerable hunger by eating thereof A certaine Spaniard through exceeding hunger eate his owne brother who died in the Citie of Buenas Aeres 10. When therefore our Generall Don Petro Mendoza saw that the people could no longer be sustained and preserued in this place he presently commandeth foure small Barkes which they call Brigantines or small men of warre and are carried with Oares to bee made readie whereof euerie one will hold fortie men there were also three other lesse called Potten These seuen little Vessels therefore being made readie and dispatched our Generall commanded the company to be mustered and George Luchsam with 350. readie and able men to saile vp the Riuer and seek out the Indians that we might get prouision of victuals and food But the Indians vnderstanding before of our presence burnt their prouision of victuall and whatsoeuer was good to eat together with their Villages and runne away But wee in the meane season got no food and for euerie daies allowance vnto euerie man one ounce and an halfe of bread was distributed whereby it came to passe that in this journie the halfe part of our Souldiers perished through famine Wee therefore of necessitie returned to the said Towne where our Generall was who greatly wondred that so small a number of people should returne seeing we were no more then fiue moneths absent and he demanded of our Captaine George Luchsam to declare vnto him what hee had done in this journie who signified that they who were wanting died of famine because the Indians had consumed all the food with fire and after run away themselues 11. All these things falling out thus as I haue said yet we continued together in the Towne of Buenas Aeres a whole moneth in great want expecting while the furniture of our shippes should be finished In the meane whâ—le in the yeere 1535. the Indians inuade vs and our Citie of Buenas Aeres with the strength of twentie three thousand men and in their Armie there were foure distinct Nations to wit Cariendes Bartennis Lechuruas and Tiembus The purpose and principall intension of all these was to kill vs all But praise and glorie bee to God who saued the greatest part of vs safe from destruction For together with the Captaines and Ancients and other Souldiers there were not aboue thirtie men of ours slaine When therefore they first came to our Citie of Buenas Aeres some of them ranne furiously to assault it others cast fierie Darts vpon our houses all which except our Generals house which only was couered with Tile were only thatched and by that meanes all our Citie together with all the houses was consumed with the flames euen from the foundation The Weapons or Darts of these Indians are made of Reed which when they are cast or shot out take fire in the point They haue a kind of wood also whereof they make their Darts which if they bee fired before they be cast are not quenched but set houses couered with Thatch on fire and so those that touch or joyne together burne together In this fight these Indians burnt vs also foure great shippes which were halfe a league distant from vs on the water But the Souldiers who were in these ships when they saw that mightie tumult of the Indians betooke themselues to flight from these foure shippes into three others which rode not farre from these and were furnished with Ordnance They therefore when they saw the foure ships burne began to defend themselues and eagerly to assault the Indians and let flee the bullets which caused them to leaue the assault and depart giuing rest vnto the Christians All this was done on the Feast of Saint Iohn the Euangelist In the yeere 1535. 12. All these things being past and done all the people went into the ships and our Generall Don Petro Mendoza made Iohn Eyollus his Deputie creating him Lieutenant Generall deliuering ouer vnto him the whole gouernment of all as also of the people He taking a view of the company of two thousand fiue hundred men which came from Spaine together in ships hee found only fiue hundred and sixtie aliue all the rest were dead whom for the most part the intollerable famine had consumed After this our Lieutenant Iohn Eyollus commandeth eight little Barkes which they call Brigantines and Pott speedily to be built And of fiue hundred and sixtie which remained aliue hee tooke vnto him foure hundred men leauing the other one hundred and sixtie to take charge of the foure great ships ouer whom hee set Iohn Romero the chiefe commander leauing prouision for a whole yeere so that foure ounces of bread were distributed to euery man for his daily allowance 13. After this our Lieutenant Iohn Eyollus with his foure hundred Souldiers which hee had with him among whom also Petro Mendoza our Generall was saileth vp the Riuer of Parana in the Brigantines and Potts furnished for this purpose vntill wee came vnto the Indians which was peâ—formed in the space of two moneths from our comming forth of the Citie of Buenas Aeres so that wee were now eightie foure leagues distant from our said burnt Citie When therefore we were not aboue foure leagues from these people which they call Tiembus but wee called them Bona speransa and they vnderstood of our comming before about foure hundred men of them came peaceably vnto vs in their Boats which they call Canoas in euery one of the which Canoas sixteene person sate When therefore we met together in the Riuer our Generall gaue the Captaine of these Indians of Tiembus whom they call Zchara Wassu a shirt a red
powder with which if the ship be pitched it is said the worme that toucheth it dieth but I haue not heard that it hath been vsefull But the most approued of all is the manner of sheathing vsed now adayes in England with thinne boords halfe inch thicke the thinner the better and Elme better then Oake for it riueth not it indureth better vnder water and yeeldeth better to the ships side The inuention of the materials incorporated betwixt the planke and the sheathing is that indeed which anayleth for without it many plankes were not sufficient to hinder the entrance of this worme this manner is thus Before the sheathing boord is nayled on vpon the innner side of it they smere it ouer with Tarre halfe a finger thicke and vpon the Tarre another halfe thicke of haire such as the whitelymers vse and so nayle it on the nayles not aboue a spanne distance one from another the thicker they are driuen the better some hold opinion that the Tarre killeth the worme others that the worme passing the sheathing and seeking a way through the haire and the Tarre so innolue that bee is choaked therewith which mee thinkes is most probable this manner of sheathing was innented by my Father and experience hath taught it to be the best and of least cost Such was the diligence we vsed for our dispatch to shoot the Straits that at foure dayes end we had our water and wood stowed in our ship all our Copper-worke finished and our ship calked from Post to Stemme the first day in the morning the winde being faire we brought our selues into the channell and sayled towards the mouth of the Straites praising God and beginning our course with little winde wee described a fire vpon the shoare made by the Indians for a signe to call vs which seene I caused a Boat to bee man'd and wee rowed ashoare to see what their meaning was and approaching neere the shoare we saw a Canoa made fast vnder a Rocke with a Wyth most artificially made with the rindes of trees and sewed together with the finnes of Whales at both ends sharpe and turning vp with a greene bough in either end and ribbes for strengthening it After a little while we might discerne on the fall of the Mountaine which was full of trees and shrubs two or three Indians naked which came out of certaine Caues or Cotes They spake vnto vs and made diuers signes now pointing to the Harbour out of which we were come and then to the mouth of the Straites but we vnderstood nothing of their meaning Yet left they vs with many imaginations suspecting it might bee to aduise vs of our Pinnace or some other thing of moment but for that they were vnder couert and might worke vs some treacherie for all the people of the Straits and the Land neere them vse all the villanie they can towards white people taking them for Spaniards in reuenge of the deceit that Nation hath vsed towards them vpon sundry occasions as also for that by our stay wee could reape nothing but hinderance of our Nauigation wee hasted to our ship and sayled on our course From Blanches Bay to long Reach which is some foure leagues the course lieth West South-west entring into the long Reach which is the last of the Straits and longest For it is some thirtie two leagues and the course lieth next of any thing North-west Before the setting of the Sunne wee had the mouth of the Straites open and were in great hope the next day to be in the South Sea but about seuen of the clocke that night we saw a great cloude arise out of the North-east which began to cast forth great flashes of lightnings and suddenly sayling with a fresh gale of winde at North-east another more forcible tooke vs astayes which put vs in danger for all our sayles being a taut it had like to haue ouerset our ship before we could take in our sayles And therefore in all such semblances it is great wisedome to carrie a short sayle or to take in all sayles Here we found what the Indians fore-warned vs of for they haue great insight in the change of weather and besides haue secret dealing with the Prince of Darknesse who many times declareth vnto them things to come By this meanes and other witch-crafts which he teacheth them he possesseth them and causeth them to doe what pleaseth him Within halfe an houre it began to thunder and raine with so much winde as wee were forced to lie a hull and so darke that we saw nothing but when the lightning came This being one of the narrowest Reaches of all the Straites we were forced euery glasse to open a little of our fore-sayle to cast about our ships head any man may conceiue if the night seemed long vnto vs what desire we had to see the day In fine Phabus with his beautifull face lightned our Hemisphere and reioyced our hearts hauing driuen aboue twentie foure leagues in twelue houres lying a hull whereby is to be imagined the force of the winde and current Wee set our fore-sayle and returned to our former Harbour from whence within three or foure dayes we set sayle againe with a faire winde which continued with vs till we came within a league of the mouth of the Strait here the winde tooke vs againe contrarie and forced vs to returne againe to our former Port where being ready to anchor the winde scanted with vs in such manner as we were forced to make aboord In which time the winde and tide put vs so farre to lee-wards that we could by no meanes seize it So wee determined to goe to Elizabeth Bay but before we came at it the night ouertooke vs and this Reach being dangerous and narrow we durst neither hull nor trie or turne to and againe with a short sayle and therefore bare alongst in the middest of the channell till we were come into the broad Reach then lay a hull till the morning When we set sayle and ran alongst the coast seeking with our Boate some place to anchor in some foure leagues to the West wards of Cape Forward we found a goodly Bay which we named English Bay where anchored wee presently went ashoare and found a goodly Riuer of fresh water and an old Canoa broken to pieces and some two or three of the houses of the Indians with pieces of Seale stinking ripe These houses are made in fashion of an Ouen seuen or eight foot broad with boughs of trees and couered with other boughes as our Summer houses and doubtlesse doe serue them but for the Summer time when they come to fish and profite themselues of the Sea For they retire themselues in the Winter into the Countrie where it is more temperate and yeeldeth better sustenance for on the Mayne of tht Straites we neither saw beast nor fowle Sea-fowle excepted and a kinde of Black-bird and two Hogs towards the
whence infinite benefits are likely to issue forth which will liue as long as the fabrick of the World shall subsist and after the dissolution thereof will remaine to all Eternitie 1. Touching the extent of these Regions newly discouered grounding my iudgement on that which I haue seene with mine owne eyes and vpon that which Captaine Lewes Paez de Torres Admirall of my Fleet hath represented vnto your Maiestie the length thereof is as great as all Europe and Asia the lesse vnto the Sea of Bachu Persia and all the Iles aswell of the Ocean as of the Mediterranean Sea taking England and Island into this account This vnknowne Countrey is the fourth part of the Terrestriall Globe and extendeth it selfe to such length that in probabilitie it is twice greater in Kingdomes and Seignories then all that which at this day doth acknowledge subiection and obedience vnto your Maiestie and that without neighbourhood either of Turkes or Moores or of any other Nation which attempteth warre vpon confining Countreyes The Land which we haue discouered is all seated within the Torrid Zone and a great tract thereof reacheth vnto the Equinoctiall Circle the breath may be of 90. degrees and in some places a little lesse And if the successe proue answerable vnto the hopes they will be found Antipodes vnto the better part of Africke vnto all Europe and to the greater portion of Asia But you must obserue that as the Contreyes which we haue discouered in 15. degrees of latitude are better then Spaine so the other which are opposed to their eleuation must by proportion and analogie prooue some terrestriall Paradise 2. All those quarters swarme with an incredible multitude of Inhabitants whereof some are white others blacke and in colour like Mulatos or halfe Moores and others of a mingled complexion Some weare their haire long blacke and scattered others haue their haire cripsed and thicke and others very yellow and bright Which diuersitie is an apparant argmument that there is an apparant argument that there is commerce and communication amongst them And this consideration together with the bountie which Nature hath bestowed on the soile their inexperience of Artillery and Guns and their vnskilfulnesse in labouring in Mynes with other semblable circumstances doth induce mee to inferre that all the Countrey is well peopled They know little what belongeth to artificiall Trades for they haue neither fortifications nor walles and liue without the awe of Kings or Lawes They are a simple people cantoned into partialities and exercise much disagreement amongst themselues The Armes which they vse are Bowes and Arrowes which are not poisoned or steeped in the iuice of venemous herbes as the custome is of many other Countreyes They doe also carrie Clubs Truncheons Pikes Dartes to hurle with the arme all which are framed only of wood They doe couer themselues from the waste or girdling place down to the halfe of their thighs they are very studious of cleanlinesse tractable cheerefull and wonderously addicted to bee gratefull vnto those that doe them a courtesie as I haue experienced many times The which doth build in me a beliefe that with the assistance of God if they may be gently and amiably intreated they will bee found very docible and easie of mannage and that we shall without much worke accommodate our selues vnto them And it is most necessary to obserue this way of sweetnesse especially in the beginning that the Inhabitants may be drawne along to this so holy and sauing an end whereof we ought to take a particular care and zeale aswell in small things as in matters of more importance Their houses are built of wood couered with Palme-tree leaues they haue Pitchers and Vessels made of earth they are not without the mysterie of weauing and other curiosities of that kind They worke on Marble they haue Flutes Drummes and wooden Spoones they set apart certaine places for Oratories and Prayers and for buriall places Their Gardens are artificially seuered into beds bordered and paled Mother of Pearle and the shels which containe Pearle they haue in much vse and estimation of which they make Wedges Rasors Sawes Culters and such like Instruments They also doe make thereof Pearles and great Beads to weare about their neckes They that doe dwell in the Ilands haue Boats very artificially made and exceedingly commodious for sayling which is a certaine argument that they confine vpon other Nations that are of a more polished and elegant behauiour And this also they haue of our husbandry that they cut Cocks and geld Boares 3. Their bread is vsually made of three sorts of Roots which grow there in great abundance Neither doe they imploy much labour in making this bread for they do onely rost the Roots vntill they are soft and tender They are very pleasant to the taste wholsome and nourishing they are of a good lengâ—h there being of them of an Ell long and the halfe of that in bignesse There is great store of excellent fruits in these Countreyes There are sixe kinds of Plane Trees Almond Trees of foure sorts and other Trees called Obi resembling almost in fruit and greatnesse the Melacatones store of Nuts Orenges and Limonds They haue moreouer Sugar-canes large in size and in great plentie they haue knowledge of our ordinarie Apples they haue Palme-trees without number out of which there may easily bee drawne a iuyce which will make a liquor alluding much to Wine as also Whey Vineger and Honey the kernels thereof are exceeding sweet And they haue fruits which the Indians call Cocos which being greene doe make a kinde of twine and the pith is almost like in taste vnto the Creame of Milke When they are ripe they serue for meate and drinke both by Land and Sea And when they wither and fall from the Tree there sweateth out an Oyle from them which is very good to burne in Lampes and is medicinable for wounds and not vnpleasant to be eaten Of their rindes or barks there are made Bottles and other like Vessels and the inner skin doth serue for calking of ships Men doe make Cables and other Cordage of them which are of sufficient strength to draw a Canon and are fit for other domesticke vses But that which is more speciall they do there vse the leaues of Palme-trees which they a masse together to make sayles of them for Vessels of small bulke and burthen They make likewise fine thinne Mats of them and they do serue to couer the house without and for hangings within And of them they doe likewise make Pikes and other sorts of weapons as also Oares to row with and Vtensils for the house You are to note that these Palme-trees are their Vines from whence they gather their Wine all the yeere long which they make without much cost or labour Amongst their herbage and Garden fruites Wee haue seene Melons Peares great and little and sundry sorts of pot-herbes And they haue also Beanes For flesh they are stored
with a great number of Hogs which are as tame as ours they haue Hennes Capons Partriges Duckes Turtles Pigeons Stock-doues and Goats as one of my Captaines did see And the Indians themselues haue giuen vs notice of Cowes and Oxen. There are also sundry sorts of fish Harghi Persereyes Lize Soles Trowts Shads Macabises Casanes Pampani Pilchard Thorn-backes or Skate-fish Cuculi Congers Porposes Rochets Muscles Lobsters and many other the names whereof I cannot now remember But it is probable that there are diuers other kindes since those which I haue recounted were taken hard by our ships And vpon ripe and serious consideration of that which I haue represented vnto you a man may easily collect that such plentifull and different varieties of all things may yeeld great and singular delights There is stuffe for Marchpaneâ— and sweet Confections of all sorts without borrowing any Spice for the composition of them else where And for my Mates the Mariners besides those particulars which I haue before set downe there will bee no want of Gammons Sawsages and other salt meates which Hogges doe yeeld neither of Vineger Spiceries and other Sawces that serue for delicacie and to awake the appetite And you must oberue that many of these things are the same with those which we haue in our parts and possibly they are there in greater abundance by all which it is easily to be coniectured that this Countrey is fit for the production of all that which groweth in Europe 4. The Riches which I haue seene in those parts are Siluer and Pearle another Captaine in his Relation doth report that he hath seene Gold which are the three most precious Darlings that he and are cherished in the bosome of Nature wee haue also both seene much Nutmegs Mace Ginger and Pepper There is also notice of Cinamon and it is likely that Cloues may be found in those parts since so many other sorts of Spiceries and Aromaticall drugges doe prosper there and that the rather because these Countryes lye very neere the parallell of the Iles of Terrenatte Bachian and the Moluccos There are likewise materials for all sorts of Silke and wee haue seene Aâ—ise-seed and excellent good Ebonie as also other kindes of wood proper for the building of as many ships as one will desire and stuffe to make sayles for the same Three sorts of materials there are wherewithall to make Cordage and one of them is very like vnto our Hemp. Moreouer out of the Oyle of Cocos whereof I haue already made mention there is a kind of bituminous stuffe extracted called Galagala which may be well vsed for Pitch They make also a kind of Rosen with which the Indians pitch their Boats which they call Piraguas And since there are Goats and Kowes in those parts without question we shall haue Goat-skins Leather Tallow and flesh in full abundance The Bees which we haue seene there doe make proofe that there will be no scarcitie of Honey and Waxe And there is good appearance to discouer many other things which are not yet knowne to say nothing touching the forme and scite of the Countrey Vnto all which if that bee adioyned which the industry of man may contribute to those parts since there is such abundance of commodities which the Countrey it selfe doth yeeld and such hope to transport thither those things which grow with vs the best and choisest which Peru and New Spaine bring forth I haue resolued to transferre thither it is to bee hoped that this will so enrich that Countrey that it will be able to nourish and furnish not only the Inhabitants of the same and those of America but giue an accession vnto Spaine it selfe both of Riches and extent of command and this may bee accomplished after the manner which I haue proiected and will vnfold vnto those which shall lend an assisting hand for the guiding and consummation of this worke Now by that Land which we haue alreadie discouered outwardly and along the shoares without entrance into the inward parts we doe conceiue a certaine Argument that as much Riches Commodities and greatnesse may bee hoped from thence as wee haue already in these Countreyes And you may bee pleased to vnderstand that my principall ayme was to take a view only of these ample Regions which we haue discouered for by reason of many sicknesses which haue weakened me and some other chances whereof I will at this time make no mention I was not able to suruay all which I desired neither could I in a full moneth haue seene all that which I was of my selfe inclinable to view You are not to make your iudgement of the Indians that inhabit these Countreyes according to the honour of the people here or conceiue them to bee affected with the same desires pleasures necesities or estimation of things that we are But you are to make account that they are a people whose care is studiously placed vpon this that they may liue easily in this World and passe their dayes with the least paine and perturbation they can And this is indeed their practise for they do not bestow themselues on those things which with such vexation and torment we here labour to obtaine 5. There are found in this Countrey as many commodities both for the support and delectation of the life of man as may bee expected from a soyle that is Manurable pleasant and verie temperate It is a fat and fertile Land wherein many places clay is found which will prooue of excellent vse to build houses and to make Tiles and Brickes and will serue for whatsoeuer is vsually made of earth There is Marble and other good stones wherewith if there bee occasion there may bee built structures of greater State and Magnificence The Countrey aboundeth in wood fit for all workes and vses whereunto the same is commonly put There are spacious and goodly plaines and fields that are diuided and interlated with Brookes Trenches and Riuers There are great and high Rockes sundry Torrents Riuers great and little on which water-mils for Corne may with much commodiousnesse be built and placed as also Engins to make Sugar Tucking-mils Forges and all other Instruments which in their vse doe require water We haue found Salt-pits there and which is a note of the fertilitie of the soile there are in many places Canes whereof some are fiue or sixe handfuls thick with fruit answerable to that proportion The top of that Fruit is verie small and hard and the skinne thereof is exceeding sweet There are also flints for fire equall in goodnesse with those of Madrid The Bay of Saint Iames and Saint Philip hath twentie leagues of banke and is without mudde into which there is a sure and safe entrance both by day and night It is sheltered and couered with many houses whiâ—h in the day time we haue seene afarre off to send forth smoke and in the night store of fire The Hauen called The true Crosse is of that spacious
thee placed And authorised Now for Handicrafts the Goldsmiths of which they had so many knew not to make an anâ—â—le of Iron nor of other mettall nor to cast Iron although they had Mines thereof They vsed for anuiles certaine hard stones of a pale greene colour which they plained and smoothed with rubbing one against another They were rare and precious They knew not how to make hammers with handles of wood but wrought with instruments made of Copper and Laton mingled in forme of a Dye of seuerall sizes which they held in their hands to strike with as men doe with stones They had no Files nor Chissels nor Bellowes for casting of mettals but vsed Pipes of Brasse halfe a yard long or lesse and ioyned eight or tenne together as there was neede Neither had they skill to make tongues And yet did they make marueilous workes Their Carpenters were as much to seeke or more hauing no Iron tooles but an Axe and a Hatchet and those of Brasse no Saw nor Augre nor Plainer nor Nailes but fastned all things with lines or ropes of a kinde of heath Neither were their Masons in better case they vsed a certaine blacke stone not to cut but to beate their stoneworks with force of their armes and yet haue left incredible Monuments of their art The Iesuites and other Religions haue instructed the youth since in other arts in Dialogues and Comedies of Scripture One Iesuite in praise of our Lady the Virgin Mary composed a Comedie in the Aymara tongue the argument was Gen. 3. I will put emnitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and her seede She so the Romists reade and make of it this remarkeable vse shall breake thy head c. A dialogue of the faith was recited at Potocsi before 12000. Indians and another of the Sacrament at the Citie of Kings before innumerable the Indian youth acting and pronouncing with such seemely gestures as much affected the Spaniards The Licentiate Iuan Cuellas read the Latin Grammer to the Mestizos of Cozco with good fruite MAyta Capac followed his predecessors examples and went forth with 12000. men the former expeditions had beene with lesse company as of 7000 and so vpwards as the state encreased and couering his couetousnesse and ambition with pretence of conuerting people to his religion came to the disemboking of the great lake Titicaca and made Boates for transporting his army He brought vnder by faire meanes the Tiahuanacu which people had admirable buildings One was a hand-made Mount admirable high founded on stones ioyned with morter none could tell for what cause In one roome thereof stood two figures of Giants cut in stone with long garments downe to the ground with couerings on their heads well worne with age There was also a huge wall of stones so great that it may breede wonder what force of men might be able to bring or raise them where they are seeing that in a great distance there are no quarries There are other braue buildings great porches or frontals in diuers places each made of one stone in all the foure parts yea to greater admiration some of these are set on stone of which some are thirtie foote long and fifteene broad and sixe in front and these stones so great and the porches are of one peece nor can it be imagined with what instruments they were wrought The Naturals say they are ancienter then the Incas times and that they imitated these in building the fortresse of Cozco and knew not who made them but haue a tradition that they were all made in a night It seemeth that they were neuer finished but were onely beginnings of what the founders intended Diego de Alcobaça a Priest my Schoolefellow borne in the same house that I was being also my foster brother and a Preacher to the Indians which hath beene there wrote to me that in that Region Tiahuanacu fast by a lake called Chuqâ—iâ—itu there stands a marueilous house with a faire Court fifteene yards square compassed with a high wall on one side whereof is a great hall 45. foote long and 22. wide couered like the house of the Sunne in Cusco This Court with the wals and floore hall roofe porches and thresholds of two doores the one of the hall the other into the court is all made of one peece wrought in one rocke the wals of the hall and of the wall are three quarters of a yard thicke The roofe though it seeme of thaâ—ch is of stone They say it was dedicated to the Maker of the World There are also many stones cut in shapes of men and women so naturall as if they were aliue drinking with cups in their hands some sitting some on their feete others as it were passing others with children in their armes and 1000. other postures The Indians say that for their sinnes and for stoning a man which passed thorow that Prouince they were conuerted into statues But to returne to our Inca he subdued many Nations or pettie habitations such as would not be wonne by perswasions hee mastered with seege and hunger Battels were very rare Hee died hauing raigned about thirtie yeares and was bewailed a yeare after the custome His Sonne Capac Yupanqui succeeded the fifth Inca. His first care after his Diadem assured was to visite his Kingdome in which visitation hee spent two yeares enquiring into the courses of his Ministers and Gouernours After this hee went vp from Cozco with 20000. men and went Westward Hee caused a Bridge to be made in the Riuer Apurimac at Huacachaca lower then that of Accha Hee passed ouer it to the faire Prouince Yanahura which gladly receiued him thence to Aymara there being betwixt those two Prouinces a Region dishabited of thirtie leagues which passed he found at the hill Mucansa much people of that Prouince which is thirtie leagues long fifteene wide rich of Mines of Gold Siluer Lead and Cattell to encounter him But he sought rather to beseege them on the hill hauing purposely sent men about and by hunger forced them to composition after a moneths siege Hauing pacified the Aymaras hee proceeded to Cotapampa and Cotanera of the Nation Quechua and after to the Vallie of Hacari great and fertile Hee made another expedition leauing his Brother his Lieutenant of his Kingdome and the foure Masters of his Campe his Councellours chusing others to serue him and went to the Lake of Paria where two Curacas at contention made him arbitrator and themselues his subiects in the diuision Collasuyu Thence thorow a spacious Countrie vnpeopled but full of Cattell and hot Springs hee came to the Prouinces Tapacri and Cochapampa Hee made another Bridge in the water-passage of Titicara The former of Huacachaâ—a was made of Osyers this of Bull-rushes there growing of which they made foure cables as big as a mans legge reaching from one side to the other on which they laid great bundles
Frontiers and attended the administration of Iustice and building Houses for the Sunne and the King Diego de Almagro was the first Spaniard which discouered Chili but hauing purchased nothing but the sight and innumerable troubles in the way he returned to Peru which was the cause of the generall Rebellion of the Indians of Peru and of the discords and Ciuill warres of the Spaniards Pedro de Valdiuia made the next Discouerie and happily conquered them but as vnhappily was put to death by the Araucans his vassals after hee had raised his profits to a hundred thousand Pezos yeerely which yet did but enlarge his appetite The Araucans had assembled twelue or thirteene thousand notwithstanding which numbers Valdiuia still had the better by reason of the Horsemen ten of which would breake thorow a thousand Indians which therefore would not deale with the Spaniards in the Plaines but kept the Hils A certaine old Captaine hearing hereof would needs goe thither to see what that Military mysterie might be that one hundred and fiftie men should hold vnder so many thousands He called a Councell and asked if the Spaniards were mortall and made of flesh subiect to humane infirmities of wearinesse and sleepe and likewise of their Horses which being affirmed hee taught them another course of battle diuiding all their thousands into so many bands single each of which should fight and doe what they could and when they were wearie should conuay themselues away and giue place to another Regiment meanewhile to recollect themselues into their ranke againe and to refresh themselues so likewise should the second and third and all of them doe in their order Thus they fought and fled and still seemed to the Spaniards both broken and whole they hauing often broken the bands which yet kept still neere the number which they had at first This troubled them their bodies and horses yeelding to wearinesse by long continuance from morning till afternoone and then Valdiuia commanded his men that they should recoyle by degrees making a defensiue warre till they might recouer certayne Straits where they might easily by the strength of the place bee defended This was heard by one Philip a Chili Seruant of the Gouernours by his Indian name Lautram who fled to his Countrimen and told them this his Masters intent Whereupon they sent some Regiments to make good that place so that about Sunne-set the Spaniards thinking to secure themselues there came to the Sunne-set and irrecouerable night of their Fates The Gouernour and a Frier were taken the rest slaine three Indians fled and carried newes of this disaster Valdiuias death is diuersly told some say that that Philip killed him some that another Captayne did it with a Clubbe whiles others by his promises were wonne to giue him libertie Francis de Rieros which then was a Captayne in Chili from the reports of Indians tels that the Chilois made dances all night at the end of each dance cutting off a piece of the flesh of both their Prisoners and eating it before their faces Notwithstanding they doe not ordinarily eate mans flesh This was Anno 1553. and euer since the Rebellion hath continued at which time Don Sebastian rebelled in Potosi and Francis Hernandes Giron in Cozco Rebellions later then those of the Pizarrists and Almagrists I might adde to these affaires of Chili the great Earth-quakes A. 1600. in Peru at Arequepa the rayning of sand as also of ashes about twenty dayes from a Vulcan breaking forth the ashes falling in places aboue a yard thicke in some places more then two and where lest aboue a quarter of a yard which buried the Corne-grounds of Maiz and Wheat and the boughes of Trees were broken and fruitlesse and the Cattle great and small dyed for want of pasture For the sand which rained couered the fields thirty leagues one way and aboue forty another way round about Arequepa They found their Kine dead by fiue hundred together in seuerall Heards and whole Flockes of Sheepe and Heards of Goates and Swine buried Houses fell with the weight of the sand others cost much industry to saue them Mighty Thunders and Lightnings were heard and seene thirty leagues about Arequepa It was so darke whiles those showres lasted that at m dday they burned Candles to see to doe their businesse This from Peru from Chili they write that the Rebellion of Arauco groweth euery day stronger On Wednesday the foure and twentieth of Nouember 1599. there came in the morning vpon the citie of Valdiuia about fiue thousand Indians of the bordering places and of the places adioyning to Imperiall Pica and Putem three thousand horsmen and the rest foot seuenty of them Harcabuse men and two hundred in coates of Maile Cotas They came vnperceiued hauing set double Espials on the citie They came in Squadrons ranked in order for they knew that the Spaniards were asleepe and had but foure men in their Corps de gard and to walke the round They were blinded with their fortune some twentie dayes before hauing beaten the Indians from their Fort in Vega and the Marishes of Paparlen slaying many that for eight leagues about no Indian durst be seene Thus entred they the streets of that vnhappy citie and fired the houses then tooke the gates and in two houres space with fire and Sword destroyed the Towne and wanne the Fort and Artillery killing foure hundred Spaniards of both Sexes sacked three hundred thousand Pezos of spoile consuming all the rest The shippes of Vallano Villaroell and another of Diego de Roias were at anchor in the Riuer and if some had not escaped in Canoas to carry them newes they had runne the like fortune The Spaniards seuerity a little before made them thus cruell hauing sold so many of their wiues and children for slaues to Merchants which carried them out of their Countries being baptized and hauing kept Priests fiftie yeeres Now first they destroyed the Churches and braâ—e the Images in pieces Ten dayes after Coronel Francisco del Campo came with three hundred men sent from his Excellency from Peru to succour those Cities Hauing seene this lamentable destruction he went to succour Osorno and Villarrica and sad Ymperiall of which hee knew nothing but that it had beene besieged a yeere by the enemies hauing nothing to eat but dead Horses Cats Dogges and Hides But first he succoured Osorno to which the victorious enemies had gone from Valdiuia Newes came at the same time whiles I was writing that those of Ymperiall were dead with famine all saue twentie whom hunger forced to a worse destinie to goe to the Indians Lord haue mercy on vs. Amen March 1600. from Saint Iago Father Diego de Alcobaza whom I haue before mentioned writ to me Anno 1601. that the Indians were growne of such dexteritie in warres that euery Indian on horsebacke with his Lance durst sally out on any Spanish Souldier were he neuer so valiant and
Anno 1533. the Gouernour gaue his brother Hernando leaue to goe with a Companie of Spaniards to Guamachucâ— and there he found an hundred thousand Castiglians of Gold which they brought for Atabalipas ransome Diego Almagro came with an hundred and fiftie men to our succour Because the Gold came so slowly Atabalipa willed the Gouernour to send three men to Cusco laying the blame on his imprisonment which made the Indians not to obey him These Christians were carried by Indians in Hamacas a kinde of Litters and were serued They arriued at Xauxa where was Chilicuchima a great Captaine of Atabalipa the same which had taken Cusco which had all the Gold at his command He gaue the Christians thirty burthens of Gold of which each weighed an hundred pounds They said it was little and he gaue them fiue burthens more which they sent to the Gouernour by a Negro whom they had brought with them They went on to Cusco where they found Quizquiz a Captaine of Atabalipas which made little account of the Christians He said that if they would not restore his Master for that Gold he would giue he would take him out of their hands and sent them presently to a Temple of the Sunne couered with plates of Gold The Christians without the helpe of any Indian for they refused saying they should die it being the Temple of the Sunne with Pickaxes of Brasse disfurnished the same as they told vs afterwards and spoyled the Temple Many Pots and vessels of Gold were also brought which there they vsed for their cookery for ransome of their Lord Atabalipa In all the house there was such store of Gold that it amased them They were amazed to see one seat in their house of Sacrifices which weighed nineteene thousand Pezos of Gold in another where old Cusco lay buried the pauement and the walls were couered with plates of Gold and Siluer which they did not breake for feare of the Indians displeasure nor many great earthen Pots there couered with Gold likewise In that House were two dead and embalmed neere to whom stood a woman with a Maske of Gold on her face which fanned away the winde and Flies Shee would not let them enter with their shooes on they went in and tooke much Gold but not all for Atabalipa had intreated them because there lay his Father They found there a great house full of Pots and Tubs and vessels of Siluer They would haue brought much more then they did but that they were alone and aboue two hundred and fiftie leagues from other Christians but they shut it vp and sealed it for his Maiestie and the Gouernour Francis Pizarro and set a guard on it Ouer the Riuers as they passed they found two Bridges together one open for the vulgar the other shut for the passage of great men Hernando Pizarro trauelling ouer the Mountaines with his Horse where the way was made with hands in many places as a Scale or Staires which ware off his Horse shooes commanded the Indians to shooe his Horses with Gold and Siluer and so came to the Citie bigger then Rome called Pachalchami where in one filthie chamber was an Idoll of wood which they said was their God which giues life to all things at whose feete were many Emeralds fastned in Gold They haue him in such veneration that none may serue nor touch him nor the walls of the house but such as they say are called by him It is certanie that the Deuill there speakes to them and tells them what they should doe They come 300. leagues off to him and offer him gold siluer and iewels giuing it to the Porter which goeth in and returnes them an answer They which serue him must be pure and chaste abstaining from eating and women All the Countrie of Catamez payeth him tribute The Indians feared that the Idoll would haue destroyed the Spaniards which neuerthelesse entred without scruple and brought very little Gold thence for the Indians had hidden it all they found the places whence they had carried great store so that they got not aboue 30000. Pezos of a Cacike 10000. more Chilicuchima sent them word that he had store of Gold for them at Xauxa but deceiued them They brought him and other great men to Atabalipa which put coarse Cloth on them before their entrance and did him great reuerence lifting vp their hands to the Sunne with thankes that they had seene their Lord and came by little and little neerer him and kissed his hands and feet who shewed great signes of Maiestie and would not looke any of them in the face They tied Chilicuchima to a stake and set fire to him to extort a confession of old Cuscos Gold from him which much burned first said that Quizquiz had it in keeping and that old Cusco though dead was still obserued and had victuals set before him and told of another Pauilion where were great vessels from whence the Gouernour sent and fetched much Gold The Christians came from Cusco with aboue an hundred and ninety Indians laden with Gold Some vessels were so great that twelue Indians had much adoe to bring them The Gouernour melted all the small pieces which I can well tell for I was keeper of the house of Gold and saw it melted and there were aboue nintie Plates of Gold there were in that roome two hundred great tankards of Siluer and many small with pots and other peeces very faire I thinke I saw weighed of the Siluer 50000. Markes There were also in the same roome eighty tankards of Gold and other great peeces there was also a heape higher then a man of those plates of very fine Gold and to say truth in all the roomes of the house were great hils or heapes of Gold and Siluer The Gouernour put them together and weighed them before the Offiâ—â—rs and then those some to make the shares for the company The Gouernour sent the Emperour a present of 100000. pesoes in fifteene tankards and foure pots and other rich peeces Euery footman had 4800. Pesoes of gold which made 7208. Duckets and the Horsemen twice as much besides other aduantages Before the sharing he gaue Almagros company 25000. pesoes and 2000. pesoes of Gold to those which had staid at Saint Michaels and much gold to all that came with the Captaine two or three great Cups of gold a peece to the Merchants and to many which had gotten it lesse then they deserued I say it for so it fared with me Many presently amongst which I was demanded leaue to returne to Spaine and fiue and twenty obtained it When Atabalipa heard they would carry the gold out of the Country he sent for men to come and assault the Gouernour A few dayes before two Sonnes of old Cusco came thither and lodged with the Gouernour one of them was naturall Lord of the Countrey Vpon newes of forces comming they brought Atabalipa by night to a stake
signes how that we went to Apalachen and by those signes which he made vs it seemed he ment to signifie that hee was an enemy to them of Apalachen and would aide vs against them We gaue him Crownes Bels and such other things and he gaue the Gouernour the skin which he wore vpon him and so turned backe againe and we followed presently after him That euening we came vnto a Riuer which was very deepe and very broad and ran very furiously and not presuming to passe ouer it vpon rafts we made a Canoa and staied one whole day to passe ouer it so that if the Indians would haue iniured vs they might easily haue disturbed our passage and yet although they holped vs the best they could wee had much trouble One of our Horsemen called Iohn Velasquez a natiue of Cuellar because he would not stay tooke the Riuer with his Horse and the current of the Riuer being very strong cast him from his Horse who catching hold on the raines of the bridle drowned himselfe together with the Horse And those Indians of that Lord called Dulcancellin found the Horse and told vs where we should finde him in the Riuer below and so they went to search for him whose death much discontented vs because vntill that time there was not one man of our company wanting The Horse gaue many their suppers that night And so hauing passed that Riuer the day following we came vnto the people of that Lord who sent vs some of their Maiz. The next day we departed the Indians being fled The Gouernour left by the way an ambuscado of certaine Horsemen which as those Indians passed by issued out vpon them and tooke three or foure who before serued vs for guides and they brought vs through a very troublesome Countrey to trauaile and maruelous to behold where were huge Mountaines and very high Trees whereof so many were fallen to the ground that they intangled and stopped the way in such sort that we could not passe without going farre about to our great trouble and of those trees that were fallen the greater part were cleft from one end to the other through the thunderbolts that fall there great tempests being alwayes in that place with this trouble wee marched vntill the six and twentieth day of Iune at which day we came within the sight of Apalachen before they of the Towne perceiued vs. We rendered great thankes vnto God seeing our selues so neere vnto that place and supposing that to be true which had been spoken and hoping we should there end our great trauailes which wee had passed as well for the long and euill iourney as for the great famine which we had sustained Because although we sometimes found Maiz yet for the most part we went six or eight leagues without finding any And there were many amongst vs that through hunger and wearinesse had wounded their shoulders with continuall wearing of their armes besides the other calamities they daily incountered The Gouernour commanded me to take with me nine horse and fiftie foote and enter the towne which the Controler and I did and found none but little children and women because at that time the men were not there but going a little way from those places the Indians came and began to fight and shoot at vs and slew the Controulers horse but in the end they fled and left vs There we found great quantity of Maiz which stood ready to be gathered and had sufficient of which was dry romeining We found there many skinnes of wilde beasts taken by hunting and some garments of thred little and nought worth wherewith the women couer some parts of their person They had many Mils to grinde Maiz. Among these people there were forty little houses low built and in close places for feare of the great tempests to which that Countrey continually is accustomed The houses are made of straw of stubble and compassed about with Mountaynes standing thicke together and great Trees and many Seas of water where so many and so great Trees are falne that they trouble euery thing and cause that no man is able to trauell there without great incumberance The land from the place where we di barked vnto this people of Apalachen for the most part is plaine and the soyle consisteth of hard and solid sand and throughout all the same many great Trees and famous Mountaines are found where Nut trees are and Labrani and other which they call Laquidambares there are also Cedars Sauine-trees Holme-trees Pines Okes and low Palme-trees like those of Castile Throughout all that Countrey there are many great and little Lakes and some are very troublesome to passe as well for the great depth thereof as also by reason of the many trees which are fallen there The ground or bottome of them is sand and those Lakes which we found in the Prouince of Apalachen are much greater then all the other which we had found vntill then There are many fields of their Maiz in this Prouince and the houses are scattered through the Plaine like those of Gerbe The beasts which we saw there are Deere of three sorts Conies Hares Beares and Lions and other among which we saw one that carrieth her young in a bagge which shee hath in her belly where shee carrieth them all the time that they are little vntill they be able to goe and seeke their meate themselues And if by chance the young stand seeking food without the damme and people come vpon them shee flyeth not before she haue gathered them into her bagge The Countrey is very cold there and there are many good pastures for flockes There are also many sorts of Fowle Goâ—â—ings in great abundance Geese Duckes Herons Black-birds and others of diuers sorts and there we saw many Falcons Ger-falcons Sparrow-hawkes and many other sorts of Birds Two dayes after we came to Apalachen the Indians that were fled returned vnto vs in peace demanding their children and we gaue them all except one Cazique of theirs whom the Gouernour retayned which was the occasion to cause them to depart offended who the day following returned as enemies and assailed vs with such fury and suddennesse that they came to set fire to the house where we were but so soone as wee came forth they fled and retired themselues vnto the Lakes which were very neere thereunto Whereupon by reason of them and the Corne which was very thicke there we could not doe them any hurt saue that we killed one man only The day following other Indians of another people which was on the other side came to vs and assailed vs after the same manner that the other had done before and fled likewise and one of them also was slaine We abode there fiue and twentie dayes in the which we caused three to enter within the Land and found it very poorely peopled and hard trauelling in respect of the troublesome passages
he went for Gouernour to the Riuer of Plate His kinsmen Christopher de Spindola and Baltasar de Gallegos went with Soto Those passed and were counted and enroled which Soto liked and accepted of and did accompany him into Florida which were in all six hundred men He had already bought seuen Ships and had all necessary prouision aboord them In the yeare of our Lord 1538. in the moneth of Aprill the Adelantado deliuered his Shippes to the Captaines which were to goe in them They arriued at Saint Iago in Cuba on Whitsunday The Citie of Iago hath eightie houses which are great and well contriued The most part haue the wals made of boords and are couered with thatch it hath some houses builded with lime and stone and couered with tiles It hath great Orchards and many trees in them differing from those of Spaine there be Figge-trees which beare Figges as big as ones fist yellow within and of small taste and other trees which beare fruite which they call Ananes in making and bignesse like to a small Pineapple it is a fruit very sweete in taste the shel being taken away the kernell is like a peece of fresh cheese In the granges abroad in the Countrie there are other great Pineapples which grow on low trees and are like the Aloetree they are of a very good smell and exceeding good taste Other trees doe beare a fruite which they call Mameis of the bignesse of Peaches This the Islanders doe hold for the best fruit of the countrey There is another fruit which they call Guayabas like Filberds as bigge as figges There are other trees as high as a iaueline hauing one onely stocke without any bough and the leaues as long as a casting dart and the fruit is of the bignesse and fashion of a Cucumber one bunch beareth twenty or thirty and as they ripen the tree bendeth downwards with them they are called in this Countrie Plantanos and are of a good taste and ripen after they be gatherod but those are the better which ripen vpon the tree it selfe they beare fruit but once and the tree being cut downe there spring vp others out of the but which beare fruit the next yeare There is another fruit whereby many people are sustained and chiefly the slaues which are called Batatas These grow now in the Isle of Terzera belonging to the Kingdome of Portugall and they grow within the earth and are like a fruit called lname they haue almost the taste of a Chestnut The Bread of this countrie is also made of rootes which are like the Batatas And the stocke whereon those rootes doe grow is like an Elder tree they make their ground in little hillocks and in each of them they thrust foure or fiue stakes and they gather the rootes a yeare and an halfe after they set them If any one thinking it is a Batata or Potato root chance to eate of it neuer so little he is in great danger of death which was seene by experience in a Soldier which as soone as he had eaten a very little of one of those roots be died quickly They peare these roots and stampe them and squese them in a thing like a presse the iuyce that commeth from them is of an euill smell The Bread is of little taste and lesse substance Of the fruits of Spaine there are Figs and Oranges they beare fruit all the yeare because the soile is very ranke and fruitfull In this Countrie are many good Horses and there is greene grasse all the yeare There be many wilde Oxen and Hogs whereby the people of the Island is well furnished with flesh Without the townes abroad in the Countrie are many fruits And it happeneth sometimes that a Christian goeth on t of the way and is lost fifteene or twenty daies because of the many paths in the thicke groues that crosse to fro made by the Oxen and being thus lost they sustaine themselues with fruits and palmitos for there be many great groues of Palme trees through all the Island they yeelde no other fruite that is of any profit The Isle of Cuba is 300. leagues long from the East to the West and is in some places 30. in others 40. leagues from North to South It hath six towns of Christians to wit S. Iago Baracôa Bayamo Puerto de Principes S. Espirito and Hauana Euery one hath betweene thirty and forty housholds except S. Iago and Hauana which haue about sixtie or eightie houses They haue Churches in each of them and a Chaplen which confesseth them and saith Masse In S. Iago is a Monasterie of Franciscan Friers it hath but few Friers and is well prouided of almes because the Countrie is rich The Church of S. Iago hath honest reuenew and there is a Curat and Prebends and many Priests as the Church of that Citie which is the chiefe of all the Island There is in this Countrie much Gold and few slaues to get it For many haue made away themselues because of the Christians euill vsage of them in the Mines A Steward of Vasques Porcallo which was an inhabitour in that Island vnderstanding that his slaues would make away themselues staied for them with a cudgell in his hand at the place where they were to meete and told them that they could neither doe nor thinke any thing that hee did not know before and that hee came thither to kill himselfe with them to the end that if he had vsed them badly in this World hee might vse them worse in the World to come And this was a meane that they changed their purpose and turned home againe to doe that which he commanded them CHAP. II. FERDINANDO de SOTO his Voyage to Florida and Discouerie of the Regions in that Continent with the Trauels of the Spaniards foure yeeres together therein and the accidents which befell them written by a Portugall of the Company and here contracted §. I. SOTOS entrance into Florida taking of IOHN ORTIZ one of Naruaz his company comming to Paracossy and diuers other Caciques with accidents in the way ON Sunday the eighteenth of May in the yeere of our Lord 1539. the Adelantado or President departed from Hauana in Cuba with his fleet which were nine vessels fiue great shippes two Carauels and two Brigantines They sayled seuen dayes with a prosperous wind The fiue and twentieth day of May the day de Pasca de Spirito Santo which we call Whitson Sunday they saw the Land of Florida and because of the shoalds they came to an anchor a league from the shoare On Friday the thirtieth of May they landed in Florida two leagues from a Towne of an Indian Lord called Vcita They set on Land two hundred and thirteene Horses which they brought with them to vnburden the ships that they might draw the lesse water He landed all his men and only the Seamen remained in the ships which in eight
side wherewith was made a Piragna or Barke wherein were embarked thirty men well armed which went out of the Bay to the Sea looking for the Brigandines Sometimes they fought with the Indians which passed along the harbour in their Canoes Vpon Saturday the twenty nine of Nouember there came an Indian through the Watch vndiscouered and set the Towne on fire and with the great winde that blew two parts of it were consumed in a short time On Sunday the twenty eight of December came Iohn Danusco with the Brigandines The Gouernor sent Francisco Maldonado a Captain of footmen with fiftie men to discouer the coast Westward to seeke some Port because he had determined to goe by land discouer that part That day there went out eight horsemen by commandement of the Gouernour into the field two leagues about the Towne to seeke Indians for they were now so emboldened that within two crossebow shot of the campe they came slew men They found two men and a woman gathering French Beanes the men though they might haue fled yet because they would not leaue the woman which was one of their wiues they resolued to die fighting and before they were slaine they wounded three horses whereof one died within a few daies after Calderan going with his men by the Sea-coast from a wood that was neere the place the Indians set vpon him and made him forsake his way and many of them that went with him for sooke some necessary victuals which they carried with them Three or foure dayes after the limited time giuen by the Gouernor to Maldonado for his going and comming being already determined and resolued if within eight dayes he did not come to tarry no longer for him hee came and brought an Indian from a Prouince which was called Ochus sixty leagues Westward from Apalache where he had found a good Port of good depth and defense against weather And because the Gouernor hoped to finde a good Countrie forward he was very well contented And he sent Maldonado for victuals to Hauana with order that hee would tarrie for him at the Port of Ochus which he had discouered for he would goe seeke it by land and if he should chance to stay and not come thither that summer that then he should returne to Hauana should come againe the next summer after and tarry for him at that Port for he said he would doe none other thing but goe to seeke Ochus Francisco Maldonado departed and in his place for Captaine of the footemen remained Iohn de Guzman Of those Indians which were taken in Napetuca the treasurer Iohn Gaytan had a yong man which said that he was not of that Countrie but of another far off toward the Sunrising and that it was long since he had trauelled to see Countries and that his Countrie was called Yupaha and that a woman did gouerne it and that the Towne where shee was resident was of a wonderfull bignesse and that many Lords round about were tributaries to her and some gaue her clothes and others Gold in abundance and he told how it was taken out of the Mines and was moulten refined as if he had seene it done or the Diuell had taught it him So that all those which knew any thing concerning the same said that it was impossible to giue so good a relation without hauing seene it And all of them as if they had seene it by the signes that he gaue beleeued all that he said to be true On Wednesday the third of March of the yeere 1540. the Gouernour departed from Anaica Apalache to seeke Yupaha He commanded his men to goe prouided with Maiz for sixtie leagues of desert The horsemen carried their Maiz on their horses and the footemen at their sides because the Indians that were for seruice with their miserable life that they lead that winter being naked and in chaines died for the most part Within foure dayes iourney they came to a great Riuer and they made a piragua or ferrie boate and because of the great current they made a cable with chaines which they fastened on both sides of the Riuer and the ferrie boate went along by it and the horses swam ouer being drawne with capstans Hauing passed the Riuer in a day and a halfe they came to a Towne called Capachiqui Vpon Friday the eleuenth of March they found Indians in armes The next day fiue Christians went to seeke morters which the Indians haue to beate their Maiz and they went to certaine houses on the backe-side of the Campe enuironed with a wood and within the wood were many Indians which came to spâ—e vs of the which came other fiue and set vpon vs. One of the Christians came running away giuing an alarme vnto the Campe. Those which were most ready answered the alarme They found one Christian dead and three sore wounded The Indians fled vnto a lake adioyning neere a very thicke wood where the horses could not enter The Gouernour departed from Capachiqui and passed through a desert On Wednesday the twenty one of the moneth he came to a Towne called Toalli And from thence forward there was a difference in the houses For those which were behinde vs were thatched with straw and those of Toalli were couered with reedes in manner of tiles These houses are very clenly Some of them had wals daubed with clay which shewed like a mudwall In all the cold Countries the Indians haue euery one a house for the winter daubed with clay within without and the doores is very little they shut it by night and make fire within so that they are in it as warme as in a stoue and so it continueth all night that they neede not cloathes and besides these they haue others for Summer and their kitchins neere them where they make fire and bake their bread and they haue barbacoas wherein they keepe their Maiz which is an house set vp in the aire vpon foure stakes boorded about like a chamber and the floore of it is of cane hurdles The difference which Lords or principall mens houses haue from the rest besides they be greater is that they haue great galleries in their fronts vnder them seates made of canes in manner of benches and round about them they haue many lotts wherein they lay vp that which the Indians doe giue them for tribute which is Maiz Deeres skins and mantles of the Countrie which are like blankets they make them of the inner rinde of the barkes of trees some of a kinde of grasse like vnto nettles which being beaten is like vnto flaxe The women couer themselues with these Mantles they put one about them from the waste downeward and another ouer their shoulder with their right arme out like vnto the Egyptians The men weare but one Mantle vpon their shoulders after the same manner and haue their secrets hid with a Deeres skin made like a linnen breech
inuented the weauing of certaine Mats of drie Iuie and did weare one beneath and another aboue many laughed at this deuice whom afterward necessitie inforced to doe the like The Christians were so spoyled and in such want of Saddles and weapons which were burned that if the Indians had come the second night they had ouercome them with little labour They remoued thence to the Towne where the Cacique was wont to lie because it was in the champaine Countrie Within eight dayes after there were many Lances and Saddles made There were Ash-trees in those parts whereof they made as good Lances as in Biscay Vpon Wednesday the 15. of March 1541. after the Gouernour had lodged eight dayes in a Plaine halfe a league from the place which he had wintered in after he had set vp a forge and tempered the Swords which in Chicaça were burned and made many Targets Saddles and Lances on Tuesday night at the morning watch many Indians came to assault the Campe in three squadrons euery one by themselues Those which watched gaue the alarme The Gouernour with great speed set his men in order three squadrons and leauing some to defend the Campe went out to encounter them The Indians were ouercome and put to flight The ground was champaine and fit for the Christians to take the aduantage of them and it was now breake of day But there happened a disorder whereby there were not past thirtie or fortie Indians shine and this it was that a Frier cried out in the Campe without any iust occasion To the Campe To the Campe Whereupon the Gouernour and all the rest repaired thither and the Indians had time to saue themselues There were some taken by whom the Gouernour informed himselfe of the Countrie through which he was to passe The fiue and twentieth of Aprill hee departed from Chicaça and lodged at a small Towne called Alimamu They had very little Maiz and they were to passe a Desart of seuen dayes iourney The next day the Gouernour sent three Captaines euery one his way with Horsemen and Footmen to seeke prouision to passe the Desart And Iohn Danusco the Auditor went with fifteene Horsemen and fortie Footmen that way that the Gouernour was to goe and found a strong Fort made where the Indians stayed for him and many of them walked on the top of it with their weapons hauing their bodies thighes and armes okered and died with blacke white yellow and red striped like vnto panes so that they shewed as though they went in hose and doublets and some of them had Plumes and others had hornes on their heads and their faces blacke and their eyes done round about with streakes of red to seeme more fierce Iohn Danusco sent three horsemen to aduertise the Gouernour hereof He came presently for his intent was to driue them from thence saying that if he did it not they would be emboldned to charge him another time when they might doe him more harme Hee made the horsemen to alight and set his men in foure Squadrons The signe being giuen they set vp the Indians which made resistance till the Christians came neere the Fort and assoone as they saw they could not defend themselues by a place where a Brooke passed neere the Fort they ran away and from the otherside they shot some Arrowes and because at that instant wee knew no ford for the horses to passe they had time enough to get out of our danger Three Indians were slaine there and many Christians were hurt whereof within few dayes there died fifteene by the way The Gouernour was inforced to depart presently toward Quizquiz He trauelled seuen dayes through a Desert of many Marishes and thicke Woods but it might all bee trauelled on horsebacke except some Lakes which they swamme ouer Hee came to a Towne of the Prouince of Quizquiz without being descried and tooke all the people in it before they came out of their houses There came to the Campe sixe principall Indians and said they came to see what people they were and that long agoe they had beene informed by their fore-fathers That a white people should subdue them and that therefore they would returne to their Cacique and bid him come presently to obey and serue the Gouernour and after they had presented him with sixe or seuen skins and Mantles which they brought they tooke their leaue of him and returned with the other which waited for them by the Brookes side The Cacique neuer came againe nor sent other message And because in the Towne where the Gouernour lodged there was small store of Maiz he remoued to another halfe a league from Rio Grande where they found plentie of Maiz And he went to see the Riuer and found that neere vnto it was great store of Timber to make Barges and good situation of ground to incampe in Presently he remooued himselfe thither They made houses and pitched their Campe in a plaine field a Crosse-bow shot from the Riuer And thither was gathered all the Maiz of the Townes which they had lately passed They began presently to cut and hew downe Timber and to saw plankes for Barges The Indians came presently downe the Riuer they leaped on shoare and declared to the Gouernour That they were subiects of a great Lord whose name was Aquixo who was Lord of many Townes and gouerned many people on the other side of the Riuer and came to tell him on his behalfe that the next day he with all his men would come to see what it would please him to command him The next day with speed the Cacique came with two hundred Canoes full of Indians with their Bowes and Arrowes painted and with great plumes of white feathers and many other colours with shields in their hands wherewith they defended the Rowers on both sides and the men of Warre stood from the head to the sterne with their Bowes and Arrowes in their hands The Canoe wherein the Cacique was had a Tilt ouer the sterne and hee sate vnder the Tilt and so wâ—re other Canoes of the principall Indians And from vnder the Tilt where the chiefe man sat he gouerned and commanded the other people All ioyned together and came within a stones cast of the shoare From thence the Cacique said to the Gouernour which walked along the Riuers side with others that wayted on him that he was come thither to visit to honor and to obey him because he knew he was the greatest and mightiest Lord on the Earth therefore hee would see what he would command him to doe The Gouernour yeelded him thankes and requested him to come on shoare that they might the better communicate together And without any answere to that point hee sent him three Canoes wherein was great store of fish and loaues made of the substance of Prunes like vnto Brickes After hee had receiued all hee thanked him and prayed him againe to come on shoare And because the Caciques
people And that toward the North-west there was a Prouince neere to certaine Mountaines that was called Coligoa The Gouernour and all the rest thought good to goe first to Coligoa saying that peraduenture the Mountaines would make some difference of soile and that beyond them there might be some Gold or Siluer As for Quigaute Casqui and Pacaha they were plaine Countries fat grounds and full of good Medowes on the Riuers where the Indians sowed large fields of Maiz. From Tascaluca to Rio grande or the great Riuer is about three hundred leagues it is a very low Countrie and hath many Lakes From Pacaâ—a to Quigaute may bee an hundred leagues The Gouernour left the Cacique of Quigaâ—te in his owne Towne And an Indian which was his Guide led him through great Woods without any way seuen dayes iournie through a Desert where at euery lodging they lodged in Lakes and Pooles in very shoald water there was such store of fish that they killed them with cudgels and the Indians which they carried in chains with the mud troubled the waters and the fish being therewith as it were astonied came to the top of the water and they tooke as much as they listed The Indians of Coligoa had no knowledge of the Christians and when they came so neere the Towne that the Indians saw them they fled vp a Riuer which passed neere the Towne and some leaped into it but the Christians went on both sides of the Riuer and tooke them There were many men and women taken and the Cacique with them And by his commandement within three dayes came many Indians with a Present of Mantles and Deeres skinnes and two Oxe hides And they reported that fiue or sixe leagues from thence toward the North there were many of these Oxen and that because the Countrie was cold it was euill inhabited That the best Countrie which they knew the most plentifull and most inhabited was a Prouince called Cayas lying toward the South From Quiguate to Coligoa may be fortie leagues It was a fat soile and so plentifull of Maiz that they cast out the old to bring in the new There was also great plentie of French Beanes and Pompions The French Beanes were greater and better then those of Spaine and likewise the Pompions and being roasted they haue almost the taste of Chestnuts The Cacique of Coligoa gaue a Guide to Cayas and stayed behind in his owne Towne We trauelled fiue dayes and came to the Prouince of Palisema The house of the Cacique was found couered with Deeres skins of diuers colours and workes drawne in them and with the same in manner of Carpets was the ground of the house couered The Cacique left it so that the Gouernour might lodge in it in token that hee sought peace and his friendship But hee durst not tarrie his comming The Gouernour seeing he had absented himselfe sent a Captaine with Horsemen and Footmen to seeke him He found much people but by reason of the roughnesse of the Country he tooke none saue a few women and children The Towne was little and scattering and had very little Maiz. For which cause the Gouernour speedily departed from thence He came to another Towne called Tatalicoyâ— he carried with him the Cacique thereof which guided him to Cayas From Tatalicoya are foure dayes iournie to Cayas When he came to Cayas and saw the Towne scattered he thought they had told him a lye and that it was not the Prouince of Cayas because they had informed him that it was well inhabited He threatned the Cacique charging him to tell him where he was and he and other Indians which were taken neere about that place affirmed that this was the Towne of Cayas and the best that was in that Country and that though the houses were distant the one from the other yet the ground that was inhabited was great and that there was great store of people and many fields of Maiz. This Towne was called Tanico he pitched his Campe in the best part of it neere vnto a Riuer The same day that the Gouernour came thither he went a league farther with certaine Horsemen and without finding any he found many skinnes in a pathway which the Cacique had left there that they might bee found in token of peace For so is the custome in that Countrey The Gouernour rested a moneth in the Prouince of Cayas In which time the horses fattened and thrined more then in other places in a longer time with the great plentie of Maiz and the leaues thereof which I thinke was the best that hath beene seene and they dranke of a Lake of very hot water and somewhat brackish and they dranke so much that it swelled in their bellies when they brought them from the watering Vntill that time the Christians wanted Salt and there they made good store which they carried along with them The Indians doe carrie it to other places to exchange it for Skins and Mantles They make it along the Riuer which when it ebbeth leaueth it vpon the vpper part of the sand And because they cannot make it without much sand mingled with it they throw it into certaine baskets which they haue for that purpose broad at the mouth and narrow at the bottome and set it in the Aire vpon a barre and throw water into it and set a small Vessell vnder it wherein it falleth Beeing strained and set to boyle vpon the fire when the water is sodden away the Salt remayneth in the bottome of the Pan. On both sides of the Riuer the Countrie was full of sowne fields and there was store of Maiz. Immediately the Gouernour with certaine Horsemen and fifty Footmen departed toward Tulla hee found the Towne abandoned for the Indians durst not tarrie his comming The Caâ—â—que came and eightie Indians with him He brought a Present of many Oxe hides which because the Countrie was cold were very profitable and serued for Couerlets because they were very soft and woolled like sheepe Not farre from thencee toward the North were many Oxen. The Christians saw them not nor came into the Countrie where they were because those parts were euill inhabited and had small store of Maâ—z where they were bred The Cacique of Tulla made an Oration to the Gouernour wherein he excused himselfe and offered him his Country subiects and person Aswell this Cacique as the others and all those which came to the Gouernour on their behalfe deliuered their message or speech in so good order that no Oratour could vtter the same more eloquently §. III. His departure to Autiamque ORTIZ his death and disasters following SOTO takes thought and dieth MOSCOSCO succeedeth They leaue Florida and arriue at Panuco THe Gouernour informed himselfe of all the Countrie round about and vnderstood that toward the West was a scattered dwelling and that toward the South-east were great Townes especially in a Prouince called Autiamque ten daies iouâ—â—ie from
wilde beast which when he hath killed he is aduanced to some honour and dignitie whereby he excelleth others which are not Knights Among the things belonging to policie this is one which they doe obserue that they adopt other mens children for their owne but this adoption into another familie hath very seuere and dangerous ceremonies for they thrust a sticke into their mouthes into the bottome of their throates wherewith they are almost choaked if it fall out well they vomit vp all the meate in their stomacke and so they passe ouer into the right of another man Whatsoeuer time remaineth from labour and trauaile they spend in a play which is like to Dice but consisteth of diuers signes They play with exceeding great moderation and patience of minde being most cunning in this kinde of sport no oath is heard among them nor any contentions or brabling word though they loose their apparell and all that they haue and goe home naked as sometime it falleth out When they be sicke if the disease be sore and dangerous they digge a place for their buriall and sometimes it standeth fiue or sixe dayes open which custome was very profitable to a certaine woman for when I came into a certaine Village and saw the ground digged very deeply knowing what the matter was I came vnto her lying on her Couch and sicke and hauing instructed her in the Catechisme which I had written in the vulgar Tongue in the principles of Christian Religion I baptised her but she recouered Now the cause why they open the places of their burials is this That presently they may couer the bodie or ashes of him that is dead for somtimes they burne the bodies with all the house and household stuffe They sprinkle the Sepulchre with a certaine dust whereof they make a drinke and bring meate with them and after they haue wept ouer the Graue they make themselues drunke the Kinsfolke of the dead making a Feast for them that doe assist them And these be their Funerals The Vicar of the Church of Culiacan which is fortie two leagues from Cinoloa where the foresaid Fathers liue in his Letters sent to a certaine friend writeth after this manner In Cinaloa the Fathers labour painfully in the Lord in conuerting the Indians vnto the Faith so fruitfully and happily that we all hold it for a Miracle Neither can it be beleeued both with what celeritie they haue learned and speak the tongue of that Countrie and with what facilitie and contentment The Inhabitants come to bee baptized and desire to bee instructed in the Articles of our faith Doubtlesse it is the worke of God wherefore the Diuine Maiestie doth fauour and promote the same A Letter written from Valladolid by LVDOVICVS TRIBALDVS TOLETVS to Master RICHARD HAKLVYT translated out of Latine touching IVAN de ONATE his Discoueries in new Mexico fiue hundred leagues to the North from the old Mexico WHen you shall see the English returned home out of our Spaine and can finde no Letters sent vnto you from vs perhaps and that worthily you will accuse vs of breach of our friendship and also as little mindfull of our promise Yet we as free from this fault salute you most willingly For it is not long since we arriued here that is to say in this Court a little after the departure of your Countrimen into England Yet we made our iournie by Sea and by Land indifferent pleasantly and according to our desire After we had rested our selues a small while we desired nothing more then to visit Andrew Garsia Cespedes a man for many respects linked vnto vs in most straight bands of friendship He greatly reioyced of your good will toward him And shewed me a certaine briefe yet very perspicuous Relation of things atchieued by Don Iuan de Onate among the Indians of New Mexico For therein is written that he departed from old Mexico in the yeere 1599. with an Armie and carriages of fiue thousand men in which number boyes women youngmen and Souldiers are included He carried also great store of victuals with him flockes of Sheepe and Goates Herds of Oxen and all things necessarie for life also Horses and Armour and other things which in these kind of Expeditions ought to be prouided Therefore hauing trauelled through diuers Countries fiue hundred leagues hee found diuers Nations by the way noble for their builded Townes and reasonable ciuill manners All which he receiued into the friendship of the King of Spaine and they openly testified the same by publike instruments and giuing of their faith And when with his company he came vnto a Towne very strong by situation of the place built vpon a most high and mightie Rocke and was freely receiued by the Inhabitants giuing their right hands to each other they courteously supplied them with all things necessarie for their reliefe and promised within a while after that they would furnish them with more sufficient to make a very long iournie When Onate had waited for this thing at the day appointed hee sent his Nephew by his sister with a few Souldiers who entring the Towne came into the Market place where almost all the multitude of the Townesmen were assembled together Now while hee with his company was busie in buying of things suddenly the Traitours from all parts rushed vpon him and his fellowes vnawares and by most wicked treason cut off the Captaines head and sixe others the rest being wounded hardly escaped by flight from so great a multitude that assaulted them yet some of the enemies were slaine and thrust through When speedily the fame hereof came to Onate taking with him a choice number of Souldiers in a great furie he came vnto the Towne besiged it and after a long fight by maine force he tooke the same slue most part tooke the rest burnt the Towne and razed it to the ground that no tokens might remaine of so great a wickednesse committed against him The Townes name was Acoma and none of our men was slaine in the siege thereof After this he easily proceeded forward on his iournie as he did before till he came to a mightie great Citie he inforced this City with the villages adioyning to sweare obedience to the King of Spaine not altogether vnwilling yet feared by the example and ruine of the towne that was destroyed From hence he came to a greater Citie which likewise after hee had obtained it by great friendship he sent certain men from thence to search out the oxen of Cibola long since known by the report of one to wit of Vasquez de Coronado whether they were such indeed or no. Who when they had found a great multitude of these oxen and would compasse them about and force them into certaine inclosures or toiles their enterprize preuailed but a little they are so wild and so swift Yet after they had killed many of them bringing store of them with them as though they
considering that all the Ilands as also the Maine where wee were is all Rockie Grounds and broken Lands Now the next day wee determined to fortifie our selues in a little plot of ground in the middest of the Lake aboue mentioned where wee built an house and couered it with sedge which grew about this Lake in great abundance in building whereof wee spent three weekes and more but the second day after our comming from the Maine wee espied eleuen Canoas or Boats with fifty Indians in them comming toward vs from this part of the Maine where wee two dayes before landed and being loath they should discouer our fortification wee went out into the Sea side to meete them and comming somewhat neere them they all sate downe vpon the stones calling aloud to vs as wee rightly ghessed to doe the like a little distance from them hauing sate a while in this order Captaine Gosnold willed mee to goe vnto them to see what countenance they would make but as soone as I came vp vnto them one of them to whom I had giuen a Knife two dayes before in the Maine knew mee whom I also very well remembred and smiling vpon me spake somewhat vnto their Lord or Captaine which sate in the midst of them who presently rose vp and tooke a large Beuer skinne from one that stood about him and gaue it vnto me which I requited for that time the best I could but I pointing towards captaine Gosnold made signes vnto him that hee was our Captaine and desirous to bee his friend and enter league with him which as I perceiued he vnderstood and made signes of ioy whereupon Captaine Gosnold with the rest of his companie being twenty in all came vp vnto them and after many signes of gratulations Captaine Gosnold presenting their Lord with certaine trifles which they wondred at and highly esteemed wee became very great friends and sent for meat aboord our Shalop and gaue them such meates as wee had then ready dressed whereof they misliked nothing but our Mustard whereat they made many a sowre face While wee were thus merrie one of them had conueighed a Target of ours into one of their Canoas which wee suffered onely to trie whether they were in subiection to this Lord to whom we made signes by shewing him another of the same likenesse and pointing to the Canoa what one of his companie had done who suddenly expressed some feare and speaking angerly to one about him as wee perceiued by his countenance caused it presently to be brought backe againe So the rest of the day wee spent in trading with them for Furres which are Beauers Luzernes Marterns Otters Wilde-cat skinnes very large and deepe Furre blacke Foxes Conie skinnes of the colour of our Hares but somewhat lesse Deere skinnes very large Seale skinnes and other beasts skinnes to vs vnknowne They haue also great store of Copper some very red and some of a paler colour none of them but haue Chaines Eare-rings or Collars of this metall they head some of their Arrowes herewith much like our broad Arrow heads very workmanly made Their Chaines are many hollow pieces semented together each piece of the bignesse of one of our reeds a finger in length ten or twelue of them together on a string which they weare about their neckes their Collars they weare about their bodies like Bandelieres a handfull broad all hollow pieces like the other but somewhat shorter foure hundred pieces in a Collar very fine and euenly set together Besides these they haue large drinking Cups made like Sculls and other thinne plates of Copper made much like our Boare-speare blades all which they so little esteeme as they offered their fairest Collars and Chaines for a Knife or such like triste but wee seemed little to regard it yet I was desirous to vnderstand where they had such store of this mettall and made signes to one of them with whom I was very familiar who taking a piece of copper in his hand made a hole with his finger in the ground and withall pointed to the Maine from whence they came They strike fire in this manner euery one carrieth about him in a Purse oftewd Leather a Minerall stone which I take to be their Copper and with a flat Emerie stone wherewith Glasiers cut glasse and Cutlers glase blades tied fast to the end of alittle sticke gently hee striketh vpon the Minerall stone and within a stroke or two a sparke falleth vpon a piece of Touch-wood much like our Spunge in England and with the least sparke he maketh a fire presently Wee had also of their Flaxe wherewith they make many strings and cords but it is not so bright of colour as ours in England I am perswaded they haue store growing vpon the Maine as also Mines and many other rich commodities which we wanting both time and meanes could not possibly discouer Thus they continued with vs three dayes euery night retiring themselues to the furthermost part of our Iland two or three miles from our Fort but the fourth day they returned to the Maine pointing fiue or sixe times to the Sunne and once to the Maine which we vnderstood that within fiue or sixe dayes they would come from the Maine to vs againe but being in their Canoas a little from the shoare they made huge cries and shouts of ioy vnto vs and wee with our Trumpet and Cornet and casting vp our caps into the aire made them the best farewell wee could yet sixe or seuen of them remayned with vs behinde bearing vs companie euery day in the Woods and helped vs to cut and carrie our Sassafras and some of them lay aboord our ship These people as they are exceeding curteous gentle of disposition and well conditioned excelling all others that we haue seene so for shape of body and louely fauour I thinke they excell all the people of America of stature much higher than wee of complexion or colour much like a darke Oliue their eye-browes and haire blacke which they weare long tyed vp behinde in knots whereon they pricke feathers of fowles in fashion of a Crownet some of them are blacke thinne bearded they make beards of the haire of beasts and one of them offered a beard of their making to one of our Saylers for his that grew on his face which because it was of a red colour they iudged to be none of his owne They are quicke eyed and stedfast in their lookes fearelesse of others harmes as intending none themselues some of the meaner sort giuen to filching which the very name of Sauages not weighing their ignorance in good or euill may easily excuse their garments are of Deere skinnes and some of them weare Furres round and close about their neckes They pronounce our Language with great facilitie for one of them one day sitting by mee vpon occasion I spake smiling to him these words How now sirrha are you
and straight of a comely proportion and of a colour browne when they are of any age but they are borne white Their haire is generally blacke but few haue any beards The men weare halfe their heads shauen the other halfe long for Barbers they vse their women who with two shels will grate away the haire of any fashion they please The women are cut in many fashions agreeable to their yeares but euer some part remaineth long They are very strong of an able body and full of agilitie able to endure to lye in the woods vnder a tree by the fire in the worst of winter or in the weedes and grasse in Ambuscado in the Summer They are inconstant in euery thing but what feare constraineth them to keepe Craftie timerous quicke of apprehension and very ingenious Some are of disposition fearefull some bold most cauteloâ—s all Sauage Generally couetous of Copper Beads and such like trash They are soone moued to anger and so malicious that they seldome forget an iniury they seldome steale one from another least their Coniurers should reueale it and so they be pursued and punished That they are thus feared iâ— certaine but that any can reueale their offences by coniuration I am doubtfull Their women are carefull not to be suspected of dishonesty without the leaue of their husbands Each houshold knoweth their owne lands and gardens and most liue of their owne labours For their apparell they are sometime couered with the skins of wilde Beasts which in winter are dressed with the haire but in summer without The better sort vse large mantels of Deare skins not much differing in fashion from the Irish Mantels some imbrodered with white Beades some with Copper other painted after their manner But the common sort haue scarce to couer their nakednesse but with grasse the leaues of trees or such like Wee haue seene some vse mantels made of Turkie-feathers so prettily wrought and wouen with threds that nothing could be discerned but the feathers That was exceeding warme and very handsome But the women are alwayes couered about their middles with a skin and very shamefac't to be seene bare They adorne themselues most with Copper Beads and paintings Their women some haue their legs hands brests and face cunningly imbrodered with diuers works as Beasts Serpents artificially wrought into their flesh with blacke spots In each eare commonly they haue three great holes whereat the hang Chaines Bracelets or Copper Some of their men weare in those holes a small greene and yellow coloured Snake neere halfe a yard in length which crawling and lapping her selfe about his necke oftentimes familiarly would kisse his lips Others weare a dead Rat tied by the taile Some on their heads weare the wing of a bird or some large feather with a Rattell Those Rattels are somewhat like the chape of a Rapier but lesse which they take from the taile of a Snake Many haue the whole skin of a Hawke or some strange fowle stuffed with the wings abroad Others a broad peece of Copper and some the hand of their enemy dried Their head and shoulders are painted red with the roote Pocone braied to powder mixed with Oyle this they hold in summer to preserue them from the heate and in winter from the cold Many other formes of paintings they vse but he is the most gallant that is the most monstrous to behold Their Buildings and habitations are for the most part by the Riuers or not farre distant from some fresh Spring Their Houses are built like our Arbors of small yong sprigs bowed and tied and so close couered with mats or the barks of trees very hand somely that notwithstanding either winde raine or weather they are so warme as stoues but very smoakie yet at the top of the house there is a hole made for the smoake to goe into right ouer the fire Against the fire they lye on little hurdles of Reedes couered with a mat borne from the ground a foote and more by a Hurdle of wood On these round about the house they lye heads and points one by thother against the fire some couered with Mats some with Skins and some starke naked lye on the ground from six to twenty in a house Their Houses are in the midst of their Fields or Gardens which are small plots of grounds some twenty some forty some a hundred some two hundred some more some lesse sometimes from two to a hundred of those houses together or but a little seperated by groues of trees Neare their habitations is little small wood or old trees on the ground by reason of their burning of them for fire So that a man may gallop a horse amongst these woods any way but where the creekes or Riuers shall hinder Men Women and Children haue their seuerall names according to the seuerall humour of their Parents Their women they say are easily deliuered of child yet doe they loue children very dearely To make them hardy in the coldest mornings they wash them in the Riuers and by painting and ointments so tan their skins that after a yeare or two no weather will hurt them The men bestow their times in fishing hunting warres and such manlike exercises scorning to be seene in any womanlike exercise which is the cause that the women be very painfull and the men often idle The women and children doe the rest of the worke They make Mats Baskets Pots Morters pound their corne make their bread prepare their victuals plant their corne gather their corne beare all kinde of burdens and such like Their fire they kindle presently by chasing a dry pointed sticke in a hole of a little square peece of wood that firing it selfe will so fire mosse leaues or any such like dry thing that will quickly burne In March and Aprill they liue much vpon their fishing wares and feede on fish Turkies and Squirrels In May and Iune they plant their fields and liue most of Acornes Walnuts and fish But to mend their diet some disperse themselues in small companies and liue vpon fish Beasts Crabs Oysters land Tortoyses Strawberries Mulberries and such like In Iune Iuly and August they feede vpon the rootes of Tocknough Berries Fish and greene Wheate It is strange to see how their bodies alter with their diet euen as the Deere and wilde Beasts they seeme fat and leane strong and weake Powhatan their great King and some others that are prouident rost their fish and flesh vpon hurdles as before is expressed and keepe it till scarce times For fishing and hunting and warres they vse much their Bowe and Arrowes They bring their Bowes to the forme of ours by the scraping of a shell Their Arrowes are made some of straight yong sprigs which they head with bone some two or three inches long These they vse to shoote at Squirrels on trees Another sort of Arrowes they vse made of reedes these are peeced
waited on to his house in the same manner And thus inclosed as I said round with a Pallizado of Planckes and strong Posts foure foote deepe in the ground of yong Oakes Walnuts c. The Fort is called in honour of his Maiesties name Iames Towne the principall Gate from the Towne through the Pallizado opens to the Riuer as at each Bulwarke there is a Gate likewise to goe forth and at euery Gate a Demi-Culuerin and so in the Market Place The houses first raised were all burnt by a casualty of fire the beginning of the second yeare of their seate and in the second Voyage of Captain Newport which since haue bin better rebuilded though as yet in no great vniformity either for the fashion or beauty of the streete A delicate wrought fine kinde of Mat the Indians make with which as they can be trucked for or snatched vp our people do dresse their chambers and inward roomes which make their houses so much the more handsome The houses haue wide and large Country Chimnies in the which is to be supposed in such plenty of wood what fires are maintained and they haue found the way to couer their houses now as the Indians with barkes of Trees as durable and as good proofe against stormes and winter weather as the best Tyle defending likewise the piercing Sunbeames of Summer and keeping the inner lodgings coole enough which before in sultry weather would be like Stoues whilest they were as at first pargetted and plaistered with Bitumen or tough Clay and thus armed for the iniury of changing times and seasons of the yeare we hold our selues well apaid though wanting Arras Hangings Tapistry and guilded Venetian Cordouan or more spruse houshold garniture and wanton City ornaments remembring the old Epigraph We dwell not here to build vs Bowers And Hals for pleasure and good cheere But Hals we build for vs and ours To dwell in them whilst we liue here True it is I may not excuse this our Fort or Iames Towne as yet seated in somewhat an vnwholesome and sickly ayre by reason it is in a marish ground low flat to the Riuer and hath no fresh water Springs seruing the Towne but what wee drew from a Well sixe or seuen fathom deepe fed by the brackish Riuer owzing into it from whence I verily beleeue the chiefe causes haue proceeded of many diseases and sicknesses which haue happened to our people who are indeede strangely afflicted with Fluxes and Agues and euery particular season by the relation of the old inhabitants hath his particular infirmity too all which if it had bin our fortunes to haue seated vpon some hill accommodated with fresh Springs and cleere ayre as doe the Natiues of the Country we might haue I beleeue well escaped and some experience we haue to perswade our selues that it may be so for of foure hundred and odde men which were seated at the Fals the last yeere when the Fleete came in with fresh and yong able spirits vnder the gouernment of Captain Francis West and of one hundred to the Seawards on the South side of our Riuer in the Country of the Nansamundes vnder the charge of Captaine Iohn Martin there did not so much as one man miscarry and but very few or none fall sicke whereas at Iames Towne the same time and the same moneths one hundred sickned halfe the number died howbeit as we condemne not Kent in England for a small Towne called Plumsted continually assaulting the dwellers there especially new commers with Agues and Feuers no more let vs lay scandall and imputation vpon the Country of Virginia because the little Quarter wherein we are set dowee vnaduisedly so chosed appeares to be vnwholesome and subiect to many ill ayres which accompany the like marish places §. IIII. The Lord La WARRES beginnings and proceedings in Iames Towne Sir THOMAS GATES sent into England his and the Companies testimony of Virginia and cause of the late miseries VPon his Lordships landing at the South gate of the Pallizado which lookes into the Riuer our Gouernour caused his Company in armes to stand in order and make a Guard It pleased him that I should beare his Colours for that time his Lordship landing fell vpon his knees and before vs all made a long and silent Prayer to himselfe and after marched vp into the Towne where at the Gate I bowed with the Colours and let them fall at his Lordships feete who passed on into the Chappell where he heard a Sermon by Master Bucke our Gouernours Preacher and after that caused a Gentleman one of his owne followers Master Anthony Scot his Ancient to reade his Commission which intituled him Lord Gouernour and Captaine Generall during his life of the Colony and Plantation in Uirginia Sir Thomas Gates our Gouernour hitherto being now stiled therein Lieutenant Generall After the reading of his Lordships Commission Sir Thomas Gates rendred vp vnto his Lordship his owne Commission both Patents and the Counsell Seale after which the Lord Gouernour and Captaine Generall deliuered some few words vnto the Company laying many blames vpon them for many vanities and their Idlenesse earnestly wishing that he might no more finde it so least he should be compelled to draw the sword of Iustice to cut off such delinquents which he had much rather he protested draw in their defence to protect them from iniuries hartening them with the knowledge of what store of prouisions he had brought for them viz. sufficient to serue foure hundred men for one whole yeare The twelfth of Iune being Tuesday the Lord Gouernour and Captaine Generall did constitute and giue places of Office and charge to diuers Captaines and Gentlemen and elected vnto him a Counsell vnto whom he did administer an Oath mixed with the oath of Allegiance and Supremacy to his Maiestie which oath likewise he caused to be administred the next day after to euery particular member of the Colony of Faith Assistance and Secrecy The Counsaile which he elected were Sir Thomas Gates Kinght Lieutenant Generall Sir George Summers Knight Admirall Captaine George Percy Eâ—quire and in the Fort Captaine of fifty Sir Ferdinando Weinman Knight Master of the Ordnance Captaine Christopher Newport Vice-admirall William Strachei Esquire Secretary and Recorder As likewise the Lord Gouernour and Captaine Generall nominated Captaine Iohn Martin Master of the Battery workes for Steele and Iron and Captaine George Webb Sergeant Maior of the Fort and especiall Captaines ouer Companies were these appointed Captaine Edward Bruster who hath the command of his Honours owne Company Captaine Thomas Lawson Captain Thomas Holecroft Captaine Samuell Argoll Captaine George Yardley who commandeth the Lieutenant Generals Company Diuers other Officers were likewise made as Master Ralph Hamor and Master Browne Clarkes of the Counsell and Master Daniell Tucker and Master Robert Wilde Clarkes of the Store c. The first businesse which the Lord Gouernour and Captaine Generall after the
of that place to make them large satisfaction When our Shallop was fit indeede before she was fully fitted for there was two daies worke after bestowed on her there was appointed some foure and twenty men of our owne and armed then to goe and make a more full discouery of the Riuers before mentioned Master Iones was desirous to goe with vs and tooke such of his Saylers as he thought vsefull for vs so as we were in all about foure and thirty men we made Master Iones our Leader for we thought it best herein to geatifie his kindnesse and forwardnesse When we were set forth it proued rough weather and crosse windes so as we were constrained some in the Shallop and others in the long Boate to row to the neerest shoare the winde would suffer them to goe vnto and then to wade out aboue the knees the winde was so strong as the Shallop could not keepe the water but was forced to harbour there that night but we marched six or seuen miles further and appointed the Shallop to come to vs as soone as they could It blowed and did snow all that day and night and frose withall some of our people that are dead tooke the originall of their death here The next day about eleuen a clocke our Shallop came to vs and we shipped our selues and the winde being good we sailed to the Riuer we formerly discouered which we named Cold Harbour to which when we came we found it not Nauigable for Ships yet we thought it might be a good harbour for Boates for it flowes there twelue foot at high water We landed our men betweene the two creekes and marched some foure or fiue miles by the greater of them and the Shallop followed vs at length night grew on and our men were tired with marching vp and downe the steepe Hils and deepe Vallies which lay halfe a foote thicke with Snow Master Iones wearied with marching was desirous we should take vp our lodging though some of vs would haue marched further so we made there our Randeuous for that night vnder a few Pine trees and as it fell out we got three Geese and six Duckes to our Supper which we eate with Soldiers stomacks for we had eaten little all that day We marched to the place where we had the Corne formerly which place we called Corne-hill digged found the rest of which we were very glad we also digged in a place a little farther off found a bottle of Oyle we went to another place which we had seen before digged and found more Corn viz. two or three Baskets full of Indian wheat and a bag of Beans with a good many of faire wheat-eares whilst some of vs were digging vp this some others found another heape of Corn which they digged vp also so as we had in all about ten Bushels which will serue vs sufficiently for Seede And sure it was Gods good prouidence that we found this corn for else we knew not how we should haue done for we knew not how we should finde or meete with any of the Indians except it be to doe vs a mischiefe Also we had neuer in all likelihood seene a graine of it if we had not made our first Iourney for the ground was now eouered with Snow and so hard frosen that we were faine with our Curtlaxes and short Swords to hew and carue the ground a foote deepe and then wrest it vp with leauers for we had forgot to bring other Tooles whilst we were in this imploiment foule weather being towards M. Iones was earnest to goe aboord but sundry of vs desired to make further discouery and to finde out the Indians habitations so we sent home with him our weakest people and some that were sicke and all the Corne and eighteene of vs staied still and lodged there that night desired that the Shallop might returne to vs next day and bring vs some Mattockes and Spades with them When wee had marched fiue or six miles into the Woods and could find no fignes of any people wee returned againe another way and as we came into the plaine ground wee found a place like a graue but it was much bigger and longer then any wee had yet seene It was also couered with boords so as wee mused what it should be and resolued to dig it vp where we found first a Mat and vnder that a faire Bow and there another Mat and vnder that a Boord about th 〈…〉 quarters long finely carued and painted with three Tyâ—es or broches on the top like a Crowne also betweene the Mats we found Bowles Trayes Dishes and such like Trinkets at length wear came to a faire new Mit and vnder that two Bundles the one bigger the other lesse we opene 〈…〉 the greater and found in it a great quantitie of fine and perfect Red Powder and in it the bone 〈…〉 and skull of a man The skull had fine yellow haire still on it and some of the flesh vnconsumed there was bound vp with a Knife a Packneedle and two or three old Iron things It was boun 〈…〉 vp in a Saylers Canuas Casacke and a payre of Cloth Breeches the Red Powder was a kind ofâ— Embaâ—lment and yeelded a strong but no offensiue smell It was as fine as any Flower We opened the lesse bundle likewise and found of the same Powder in it and the bones and head of a little childe about the legges and other parts of it was Bound strings and Bracelets of fine white Beads there was also by it a little Bow about three quâ—rters long and some other odde knackes we brought sundry of the pretiest things away with vs and couered the Corps vp againe After this we digged in sundry like places but found no more Corne nor any things else but graues Whilest we were thus ranging and searching two of the Saylers which were newly come on the shoare by chance espied two houses which had beene lately dwelt in but the people were gone They hauing their Peeces and hearing no body entred the houses and tooke out some thing and durst not stay but came again told vs so some seuen or eight of vs went with them and found how wee had gone within a flight shot of them before The houses were made with long young Sapling Trees bended and both ends stucke into the ground they were made round like vnto an Arbour and couered downe to the ground with thicke and well wrought Mats and the doore was not ouer a yard high made of a Mat to open the Chimney was a wide open hole in the top for which they had a Mat to couer it close when they pleased one might stand and goe vpright in them in the miâ—st of them were foure little Truâ—ches knockt into the ground and small-stickes laiâ— ouer on which they hung their Pots and what they had to seeth round about the fire they lay on Mats which are their
two seuerall Companies to the number of about one hundred and eightie persons to each Company being discontented stole away from him in a Shallop and tooke two Ships that were fishing in Trinitie Bay one belonging to Barnstable and one other to Plimmouth and so intend to begin to be new beads of that damnable course of life As I sailed from hence towards Renoose in a small Barke I fell into one of their hands and one of my company was hurt with a Musket there was one of their crew that wintered with me here the first yeare by whose meanes and because I was in the Barke they made shew that they were sorry that they had medled with vs And so they departed from vs without comming aboord That which they sought after was men to increase their number Before the said Captaine Eastons departure he sent three Ships into Trinitie Bay to store himselfe with victuals munition and men who are said to be worse vsed then the Ships here he taketh much ordnance from them The said Easton was lately at Saint Iones and is now as farre as I can learne at Feriland where he taketh his pleasure and thereabouts the rest are to meete him It is giuen out that we will send one Captaine Haruy in a Ship to Ireland to vnderstand newes about his pardon which if he can obtaine in i◠〈…〉 rge and ample manner as he expecteth then he giueth out that he will come in otherwise it is thought that he will get Protection of the Duke of Florence and that in his course herehence he will houer about the Westwards of the Ilands of the Azores to see whether he can light vpon any of the Plate fleete or any good rich bootie before his comming in Albeit he hath so preuailed here to the strengthening of himselfe and incouraging of others to attempt the like hereafter yet were there that course taken as I hope shall be it is a most easie matter to represse them I haue also a Diarie of the winter weather and obseruations of occurrents from August 1612. till Aprill 1613. December was very full of Snow for I dare not present the whole and the fresh-water Lake was frozen ouer and the Frost and Snow by the tenth of that moneth as in any part of the two former places Ianuary was much milder till the foureteenth from thence it was very frosty Their Beere was frozen and they dranke halfe water an ill remedy to cold The Cattell did not well thriue as comming out of a Countrie not so cold And therefore Iresh Cattell where the winter is warmer are not so fit to be transported hither George Dauis died of the Scuruie and after him Edward Garten Edward Hartland Iohn Tucker and one and twenty were sicke most of the Scuruie the whole Colonie was sixtie two February was much warmer and more temperate Toby and Grigge died in March the rest recouered Turneps being found as good to recouer from the Scuruie as the Aneda tree to Iacques Cartiers Company Nicholas Guies wife was deliuered of a lusty boy March 27. The Easterly windes and some Currents brought Ilands of Ice from the North Seas which made the weather colder that Spring then in the depth of winter when the same windes blowed namely East and Northeast those Ilands being blowne into the Baies and the windes from them euen in Aprill very sharpe and the Snow on the tenth of Aprill as thicke as any time that yeare In October Iohn Guy with thirteene others in the Indeauour and fiue in the Shallop went vpon Discouery A◠Mount Eagle Bay they found store of Scuruy-grasse on an Iland In the South bottome of Trinitie Bay which they called Sauage Harbour they found Sauages houses no people in them in one they found a Copper Kettle very bright you shall haue it as one of them writ it in his owne tearmes a furre Goune of Elke skin some Seale skins an old saile and a fishing reele Order was taken that nothing should be diminished and because the Sauages should know that some had bin there euery thing was remoued out of his place and brought into one of the Cabins and laid orderly one vpon the other and the Kettle hanged ouer them wherein there was put some Bisket and three or foure Amber Beades This was done to begin to win them by faire meanes This time of the yeare they liue by hunting for wee found twelue Elkes hoofes that were lately killed A little peece of flesh was brought away which was found to be a Beuer Cod which is forthcomming to be seene Their Houses there were nothing but Poles set in round forme meeting all together aloft which they couer with Deere skins they are about ten foote broad and in the middle they make their fire one of them was couered with a saile which they had gotten from some Christian. All things in this manner left euery one returned by the Moone-light going by the brinke of the Lake vnto the enterance of the made way and a little before they came thither they passed by a new Sauage house almost finished which was made in a square forme with a small roofe and so came to the Barke They haue two kinde of Oares one is about foure foot long of one peece of Firre the other is about ten foot long made of two peeces one being as long big and round as a halfe Pike made of Beech wood which by likelihood they made of a Biskin Oare the other is the blade of the Oare which is let into the end of the long one slit and whipped very strongly The short one they vse as a Paddle and the other as an Oare The thirtieth without any further businesse with the Sauages we departed thence to the Northerne side of Trinity Bay and anchored all that night vnder an Iland The one and thirtieth we rowed vnto an harbour which now is called Alhallowes which hath adioyning vnto it very high land Nouember the sixt two Canoas appeared and one man alone comming towards vs with a Flag in his hand of a Wolfes skin shaking it and making a loud noise which we tooke to be for a parley whereupon a white Flag was put out and the Barke and Shallop rowed towards them which the Sauages did not like of and so tooke them to their Canoas againe and were going away whereupon the Barke wheazed vnto them and flourished the Flag of truce and came to anker which pleased them and then they staied presently after the Shallop landed Master Whittington with the Flagge of truce who went towards them Then they rowed into the shoare with one Canoa the other standing aloofe off and landed two men one of them hauing the white skin in his hand and comming towards Master Whittington the Sauage made a loud speech and shaked the skin which was answered by Master Whittington in like manner and as the Sauage drew neere he threw downe the white skin on the ground the like was
our Lord of Vigonia 750. tuns 190. men of Warre and 130. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Vessell of the Triniteâ— of 780. tuns 200. Souldiers 12â— Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Ship of S. Katherine of 86â— tuns 200. men of Warr 160. Mariners 30. great Peeces and Powder Bullets Match Lead and all the rest The Ship of S. Iohn Baptist of 652. tuns 200. Souldiers 30. Mariners 30. Canons Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Pinnace of our Lord Rosary 30. Souldiers 25. Mariners 24. great Peeces Powder Bullets Lead Match and the rest of their prouision There are in this Squadron fourteene Galeons and Ships and two Pinnaces which beare 8714. tuns In these Vessells there are imbarked 2458. Souldiers 1719. Mariners which are in all 4177. and 348. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all that which they need THe Captaine Ship of 1550. tuns carrieth 304. men of War 118. Mariners 50. Canons Powder Bullets and the rest of their prouision The Ship S. Francis the Admirall of 915. tuns 230. Souldiers 60. Mariners 30. Canons Powder Bullets and the rest of their prouision The Galeon S. Iohn Baptist of 810. tuns 250. Souldiers and 40. Mariners 40. great Peeces Powder Bullets Match Lead and the rest The Ship S. Iohn Gargaran of 569. tuns 170. men of War 60. Mariners 20. great Peeces Powder Bullets Match Lead and the rest The Conception of 862. tuns 200. men of War 65. Mariners 25. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Hulke Duquesa S. Anne of 900. tuns 250. men of War and 80. Mariners 30. great Peeces Powder Bullets Match Lead and all the rest The Trinitie 650. tuns 200. men of Warre 80. Mariners 20. Canons Bullets Powder Lead Match and the rest The Ship S. Mary de Iuncar of 730. tuns 240. men of War 80. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all the rest The Pinnace of the Holy Ghost 40. men of War 33. Mariners 10. Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and Cord and all that which they need There are in this Squadron 11. Ships 10. great and a Pinâ—ace of the burden of 8762. tuns in which are imbarked 2400. Souldiers 800. Mariners and 260. great Peeces THe Ship of S. Anne the Captaine of â—200 tuns of burden hath 300. men of Warre 60. Mariners 50. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead and all the rest The Ship of our Lord of the Rose Admirall of 945. tuns 230. Souldiers 64. Mariners and 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all the rest The Ship S. Sauior of 958. tuns 330. Souldiers 50. Mariners 30. Canons Bullets Powder Lead Match and the rest The Ship of S. Steuen of 936. tuns 200. men of Warre 70. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all the rest The Ship of S. Marthe of 548. tuns 180. men of Warre 70. Mariners 25. great Peeces bullets powder and the rest The ship S. Barbe of 525. tuns 160. Souldiers 50. Mariners 15. Canons bullets powder lead match and all the rest The ship of S. Bonauenture of 369. tuns 170. Souldiers 60. Mariners 15. great Peeces bullets powder lead and the rest The Mary of 291. tuns 120. Souldiers 40. Mariners 15. great Peeces bullets powder lead and the rest The S. Croix 680. tuns 150. Souldiers 40. Mariners 20. great Peeces bullets powder match lead and the rest The Hulke Doucella 500. tuns 160. men of War 40. Mariners 18. great Peeces powder bullets match lead and all the rest The Patax of the Annunciation of 60. tuns 30. men of War 16. Mariners 12. great Peeces bullets powder match lead and all the rest The Patax S. Bernabe is the same burden as the aforenamed The Patax of our Lady of Guadaloupe is of the same burden also The Pinnace of Magdelene is also the same burden There are in this Squadron 14. Ships ten great Ships two Pataches and two Pinnaces of 6991. tuns of burden In which Uessels there are imbarked 2092. men of Warre and 670. Mariners all commeth 2708. THe Regasona the Captaine which is of 1294. tuns hath 350. Souldiers 90. Mariners 35. great Peeces powder bullets lead match and all the rest The Lama the Admirall of 728. tuns 210. Souldiers 80. Mariners 30. great Peeces powder bullets lead match and all the rest The 〈◊〉 S. Mary crowned of 820. tuns 340. men of Warre 90. Mariners 40. great Peeces powder bullets match lead and the rest The S. Iohn of Cicile of 880. tuns 290. men of Warre 70. Mariners 30. Canons and all the rest The Trinitie Valencera of a 1000. tuns 240. Souldiers 90. Mariners 41. great Peeces and all the rest of their furnitures The Annuntiation of 730. tuns 200. Souldiers 90. Mariners 30. great Peeces and all the rest The S. Nicholas Prodaâ—eli of 834. tunnes 280. Souâ—â—ers 84. Mariners 30. great Peeces and all the rest The Iuliâ—â—e of 780. â—uns 330. Souldiers 80. Mariners 36. great Peeces and the rest The Mary Pison of 666. tuns 250. Souldiers 80. Mariners 22. great Peeces and the rest of their need The Trinitie Escala of 900. tunnes 302. Souldiers 25. great Peeces and all the rest of their furniture In which Squadron there â—â—e ten Ships which are of 7705. tuns of burthen and there are imbarked in them 2880. Souldiers 807. Mariners 310. great Peeces with the rest of that they haue THe great Grison the Captaine of 650. tuns 250. Souldiers 60. Mariners 40. great Peeces and the rest The S. Sauior the Admirall of 650. tuns 230. Souldiers 60. Mariners 30. great Peeces and the rest of their prouision The Sea Dog of 200. tuns 80. Souldiers 30. Mariners 10. great Peeces and the rest The White Faulcon the great of 500. tuns 160. men of Warre 40. Mariners 18. great Peeces and all the rest The Blacke Castle of 750. tuns 250. Souldiers 50. Mariners 25. great Peeces and all the rest The Barke of Ambâ—â—g of 600. tuns 250. men of War 50. Mariners 25. Canons and the rest The House of peace the great of the same burthen The S. Peter the great of the same burthen also The Sampson and Peter the small doe beare the same The Barke of Auzâ—que of 450. tuns 210. Souldiers 50. Mariners 26. great Peeces and the rest of their prouision The Falcon the meane White of 300. tuns 80. men of War 30. Mariners 18. great Peeces and all the rest The S. Andrew of 400. tuns 160. Souldiers 40. Mariners 15. great Peeces and the rest of their prouision The Little house of peace of 350. tuns 160. Souldiers 40. Mariners 15. great Peeces and the rest of their prouision The Flying Rauen of 400. tuns 210. Souldiers 40. Mariners 18. great Peeces and the rest of their furniture THe White Doue of 250. tuns 60. Souldiers 30. Mariners 12. great Peeces and the rest The Aduenture S. Barbe fraughted of the same The S. Iames 600. tuns 60.