gladly embrased and tooke suche pleasure in hearynge the articles of owre beliefe that the teares fell from theyr eyes for ioye They were baptised The kynge of zibut is baptised and shortely after all the people of the Ilande They esteeme nothyng more precious then drynking glasses of Uenice woorke When they came to the citie they founde the kyng in his pallaice sittynge vppon a floure or stuorie made of the leaues of date trees wrought after a curious diuise lyke a certeyne kynde of mattes He had vppon his body none other apparell but only a cloth of bombasine cotton hangyng before his priuie partes The kynge of zubut his apparell On his heade he had a vayle of needle worke and abowte his necke a chaine of greate price At his eares hunge two rynges of golde wherein were inclosed many precious stones He was but of smaule stature but sumewhat grosse and had the residue of his body paynted with dyuers coloures wherof sum were lyke vnto flamynge fyre Before hym he had two vesselles made of the fine earth cauled Porcellana with sodden egges Also four vessels of Porcellana full of wyne made of date trees and couered with many odoriferous herbes The prince brought them to his house where he had foure doughters verye well fauoured and whyte lyke owres well fauored women He caused them to daunce all naked and therwith to synge and play on certeyne tymbrelles made of metall At this tyme it so chaunced that one of the Spanyardes dyed in one of the shyppes And when certeyne of theyr coompanye desyred the kynge to gyue them leaue to burie hym on the land he answered that forasmuch as he and all his were at the commaundement of theyr kynge and master how much more ought the grounde so to bee They greatly marueyled at the cerimonies perteynyng to the maner of owre funeralles and honoured the crosses whiche were set at bothe thendes the graue They lyue with iustice and vse waightes and measures Theyr houses are made of Timber and sawne boordes and are so buylded aboue the grownde vppon proppes and pyles that they ascende to the same by certeyne stayers Under theyr houses they keepe theyr hogges and hennes When they came to barterynge Barterynge they gaue golde rysse hogges hennes and dyuers other thynges for sume of owre tryfels of smaule value They gaue tenne Pesos of golde for xvi poundes weyght of men Pesus what One pesus is in value a ducate and a halfe The sunday folowynge the kynge was baptysed with great solemnitie At which tyme the Capitayne admonysshed him before not to bee afrayde at the shootyng of of the ordinaunce bycause it was theyr custome so to doo at such solemne feastes After this the Capitayne caused theym to breake all theyr Idoles They breake theyr Idoles and erecte the crosse and to set vppe the crosse in dyuers places prayinge to the same bothe mornynge and euenynge kneelynge on theyr knees and holdynge vp theyr handes ioyned togyther The kinge in his baptisme was named Charles after the Emperours name and the Prince Ferdinando after the name of his maiesties brother The kynge of Messana was named Iohn and the Moore Christopher To all other they gaue such names as are commonly vsed in Christendome And thus beefore masse was begunne were fiue hundreth men baptised Fyue hundreth men baptised When masse was fynysshed the Capitayne inuited the kynge to dyne with him in his shyppe and at his commynge caused the ordinaunce to bee discharged The queene of zubut The queene was also baptised with fortie of her gentlewomen and her doughter the Princes wife The queene was very younge and fayre hauynge her body couered with a white cloth Her lyppes were redde and she had on her head a hat on the toppe wherof was a triple crowne much lyke the papes This crowne the hat were made of the leues of dates trees Within the space of .viii. dayes thinhabitauntes of the Ilande were baptised excepte one vyllage of Idolaters who wolde not herein obey the kynges commaundement Wheruppon the Capitayne sent certeyne of his menne thyther who burnt the towne and erected a crosse in that place bycause the people of the vyllage were gentyles that is Idolaters But if they had byn Moores that is Machumetistes they wold haue erected a pyller of stone bycause the Moores are more stooberne and harder to bee conuerted then are the gentyles When the queene came to the place where shee shuld heare masse shee came surth with great pompe and solemnitie hauynge goinge before her three younge damoselles and three men with theyr cappes in theyr handes The queenes apparell whom shee folowed apparelled in whyte and blacke with a great vayle of sylke vppon her heade fringed abowte with golde whiche couered her hatte and hunge downe to her shoulders Shee had also a great trayne of women folowynge her beinge all barefooted and naked excepte that vppon theyr heades and priuie partes they wore certeyne vayles of silke and hadde theyr heare spredde Before the kynge of Zubut was baptised he was named Raia Humabuon When the Capitayne demaunded of hym why all the Idoles in the Ilande were not burnt accordynge to his promesse he answered that they esteemed thē no more as goddes but only made sacrifice to theym for the Princes brother who was very sycke and as noble and wyttie a man as was in the Ilande The Capitayne answered that if he wolde burne a◠his Idoles and beleue faythfully in Christ and bee baptised he shulde be immediatly restored to health and that he wolde els gyue them leaue to stryke of his heade By these woordes and persuasions of the Capitayne he conceaued such hope of health that after he was baptised he felt no more greefe of his disease And this was a manifest myracle wrought in owre tyme wherby dyuers infidels were conuerted to owre fayth A miracle and theyr Idoles destroyed and also theyr altares ouerthrowen on the whiche they were accustomed to eate the sacrifyced flesshe The people of the Ilande pay the kynge a portion of vittayles for theyr tribute by all theyr cities and vyllages Not farre from this Ilande of Zubut is the Iland of Mathan The Iland of Mathan whose inhabitauntes vse maruelous cerimonies in theyr sacrifices to the soonne and burying the deade They weare rynges of golde abowt theyr priuie members The Ilande is gouerned by two Princes wherof the one is named Zula and the other Cilapulapu And wheras this Cilapulapu refused to pay tribute to the kynge of Spayne the Capitayne went ageynst hym in his owne person with .lx. of his menne armed with coates of mayle and helmettes Cilapulapu diuided his army into three battayles hauynge in euery battaile two thousand and fiftie men armed with bowes arrowes dartes and iauelins hardened at the poyntes with fyer This continued longe and sharpe But the Capitayne beinge a valient man and presynge hym selfe in the brunte of the battayle was sore wounded and
lye lurkynge in caues and dennes to auoyde the sharpenesse of coulde as the Affricanes doo the lyke to defend them selues from the heate On the toppe of a certeyne mountayne cauled Weyszarch lyinge betwene Islande and Gruntland or Gronlande is erected a shypmans quadrant of marueilous byggenesse A shipmans quadranâ— made by two pirates named Pinnigt Pothorst in fauour of such as sayle by those coastes that they may therby auoyde the daungerous places lyinge towarde Gronland The myddest of the Ilande 7 0 65 30. The citie Harsol c. 7 40 60 42. Laponia THe region of Laponia was so named of the people that inhabâ—te it For the Germayns caule all suche Lapones as are simple or vnapte to thynges This people is of smaule stature and of such agilitie of bodie that hauynge theyr quyuers of arrowes gerte to them theyr bowes in theyr handes People of great agilitie they can with a leape caste thâ—ym selues throwgh a circle or hope of the diameter of a cubite They seyght on foote armed with bowes and arrowes and after the maner of the Tartars They are exercised in hurlynge the darte and shootynge from theyr youth in so muche that they giue theyr chyldren no meate vntyll they hit the marke they shoote at as dyd in owlde tyme thinhabitauntes of the Ilandes cauled Balâ—ares They vse to make theyr apparell streight and close to theyr boddies that it hynder not theyr woorke A straunge apparell Theyr winter vestures are made of the hole skinnes of seales or beares artificially wrought made supple These they tye with a knotte aboue theyr heades leauynge onely two holes open to looke through and haue all the residue of theyr bodies couered as thoughe they were sowed in sackes but that this beinge adapted to all partes of theyr bodies is so made for commoditie and not for a punisshement as the Romans were accustomed to sowe paricides in sackes of lether with a cocke The cauâ—e of an owlde erroure an ape and a serpent and so to hurle them alyue all togither into the ryuer of Tyber And hereby I thinke it came to passe that in owlde tyme it was rasshely beleued that in these regioÌ„s there were men with rowgh hery bodies wilde beastes as parte made relation throwghe ignoraunce parte also takynge pleasure in rehearsall of suche thynges as are straunge to the hearers The Lapones defended by this arte and industry go abrode and withstande the sharpenes of wynter and the north wyndes with all the iniuries of heauen They haue no houses but certeyne tabernacles like tentes or hales wherwith they paâ—se from place to place change theyr mansions So doo the Tartars Sum of them liuâ— after the maner of the people of Sarmaria cauled in owlde tyme Amaxobii which vsed waynes in the steade of houses They are much gyuen to huntynge and haue such plentie of wylde beastes that they kyll them in maner in euery place Plentie of wyld beastes It is not lawfull for a woman to go furth of the tente at that doore by the whiche her husbande wente owte on huntynge the same daye nor yet to touche with her hande any part of the beaste that is taken vntyll her husbande reache her on the spitte suche a portion of flesshe as he thinketh good They tyll not the grounde The region nuryssheth no kynde of serpentes No serpents yet are there greate and noysoome gnattes Great gnats They take fysshe in greate plentieâ— by the commoditie wherof they lyue after the maner of the Ethiopians cauled Ichthiophagi For as these drie theyr fisshe with feruent heate so doo they drye them with coulde and grynde or stampe them to pouder as smaule as meale or floure They haue such abundaunce of these fysshes Abunâ—aunce of fysshe that they hâ—ued great plentie therof in certeyne store houses to cary them vnto other landes nere abowt them as Northbothnia whyte Russia Theyr shyppes are not made with nayles but are tide togyther and made fast with cordes and wyththes Ships withowt nayles With these they sayle by the swyft ryuers betwene the mountaines of Laponia beinge naked in sommer that they may the better swymme in the tyme of perell and gather together such wares as are in daunger to bee lost by shipwracke Part of them crereise handiecraftes as imbrotherynge and weauynge of cloth interlaced with golde and syluer Science honoured Suche as haue diuised any necessary arte or doo increase and amende thinuentions of other are openlye honoured and rewarded with a vesture in the which is imbrothered an argument or token of the thynge they deuised And this remayneth to the posteritie of theyr famelie in token of theyr desertes They frame shippes buylde houses and make diuers sortes of housholde stuffe artificially and transporte them to other places neare abowte They bye and sell bothe for exchaunge of wares and for monâ—y Bargeinynge withowt woordes And this only by consent of both parties withowt communicacion yet not for lacke of wytte or for rudenesse of maners but bycause they haue a peculiar language vnknowen to theyr bortherers It is a valiant nation and lyued longe free and susteyned the warres of Norwaye and Suecia vntyll at the length they submitted them selues and payde ryche furres for theyr tribute They chose them selues a gouernour whom they caule a kynge But the kyng of Suetia gyueth hym autoritie and administration Neuerthelesse the people in theyr sutes and doubtfull causes resorte to Suecia to haue theyr matters decised In theyr iorneys they go not to any Inne nor yet enter into any house but lye all nyght vnder the firmament They haue no horses No horses but in the sâ—eade of them they tame certeyne wyld beastes which they caule Keen beinge of the iuste byggenesse of a mule A beast of marueylous strength and swyftnesse wiâ—lyrowgh heare lyke an Asse clouen feete and braâ—nthed horâ—es lyke a harte but lower and with fewer antlettes They wyll not abyde to bee rydden But when theyr pestrels or drawynge collers are put on them and they so ioyned to the chariotre or sleade they runne in the space of .xxiiii. hâ—â—res a hundreth and fiftie myles or .xxx. schâ—nos shat Schoenus is loke 〈◊〉 Gronland The whiche spare they affirme to chaunge the horizon thryse The change of the horizoÌ„ that is theyse to coome to the furthest signe or marke that they see a farre of Which doubtlesse is a token both of the marueylous swiftnesse and great strength of these beastes beinge able to continewe runnynge for so great a space in the meane whyle also spendynge sumtyme in feedynge I suppose that this thynge was sumewhat knowen to the owlde wryters although receaued in maner by an obscure and doubtful fame For they also wryte that certeyne Scythians doo ryde on hartes The owld autours cauled all the north people Scythyans They neyther folowe the Christian religion nor yet refuse it or are offended
knees and theyr handes beefore theyr faces not lookynge vppe vntyll the kynge commaunde them And when they are commynge towarde the kynge as farre as they do see him do they shewe such reuerence sytting on the grounde with theyr faces couered as before Lykewise when they depart from hym they turne not theyr backes towarde hym but go creepynge backewarde with lyke reuerence And nowe to speake sumwhat of the communication that was betwene the kynge and owre men The communication betwene the kynge of Benin and owr men yowe shall fyrst vnderstande that he hym selfe coulde speake the Portugale tounge which he had lerned of a chylde Therfore after that he had commaunded owre men to stande vp and demaunded of them the cause of theyr commynge into that countrey they answered by Pinteado that they were marchauntes trauaylynge into those parties for the commodities of his countrey for exchaunge of wares which they had browght from theyr countreys beinge such as shulde bee no lesse commodious for him and his people The kynge then hauynge of owlde lyinge in a certeyne store house thirtie or fortie kyntals of pepper euery kyntall beinge an hundreth weyght wyllynge them to looke vppon the same Pepper and ageyne to brynge hym a syght of suche marchaundies as they had browght with them And theruppon sent with the capitayne and the marchauntes certeyne of his men to conducte them to the warers syde with other to brynge the ware from the pinnesse to the courte Who when they were returned and the wares seene the kynge grewe to this ende with the marchauntes The kynges gentlenesse towarde owr men to prouyde in thirtie dayes the ladynge of all theyr shyppes with pepper And in case theyr marchaundies wolde not extende to the value of so muche pepper he promysed to credite them to theyr nexte returne and thereuppon sente the countrey rounde abowt to gather pepper causynge the same to be browght to the courte So that within the space of .xxx. days they had gathered foure score toonne of pepper In the meane season owre men partly hauynge no rule of them selues The disorder and death of owre men but eatyng withowt measure of the frutes of the countrey and drynkyng the wyne of the palme trees that droppeth in the nyght from the cutte branches of the same and in such extreeme heate runnynge continually into the water not vsed before to such suddeyne and vehement alterations then the which nothynge is more daungerous were therby browght into swellynges and agues In so much that the later tyme of the yeare coÌ„myng on caused theÌ„ to dye suÌ„â—ymes iii. suÌ„times .iiii. or .v. in a day Then Wyndam perceauyng the tyme of the .xxx. dayes to be expyred his men dying so fast sent to the court in poste to capitayne Pinteado and the rest to come away and to tary no longer But Pinteado with the rest wrote backe to hym ageyne certifyinge hym of the great quantitie of pepper they had alredy gathered and loked dayly for much more Desyrynge hym furthermore to remember the great prayse and name they shulde wynne if they came home prosperously and what shame of the contrary With which answere Wyndam not satisfied and many of theyr men dyinge dayly wylled and commaunded them ageine eyther to coomme away furthwith or els thretened to leaue them behynde When Pinteado harde this answere thynkynge to persuade hym with reason tooke his way from the court towarde the shyppes beinge conducted thyther with men by the kynges commaundement In the meane season Windam all rageinge The furie of Wyndam brake vppe Pinteados Caben broke open his chestes spoyled suche prouisyon of coulde stilled waters and suckettes as he hade prouided for his health and lefte hym nothynge neyther of his instrumentes to sayle by nor yet of his apparell And in the meane tyme faulinge sycke hym selfe dyed also The death of Wyndam Whose death Pinteado comminge aborde lamented as muche as if he had byn the derest frend he had in the worlde But certeyne of the maryners and other officers dyd spette in his face Pinteado euil vsed of the maryners sum caulynge hym Iewe saying that he had browght them thether to kylle them And sum drawynge theyr swordes at hym makynge A shewe to sley hym Then he perceauinge that they wolde nedes away desyred them to tary that he might fetch the reste of the marchauntes that were fefte at the court But they wolde not graunte his request Then desyred he them to gyue hym the shippe boate with as muche of an owlde sayle as myght serue for the same promisynge them therewith to bringe Nicolas Lamberte and the rest into England But all was in vayne Then wrotte he a letter to the courte to the marchauntes informynge them of all the matter and promysynge theÌ„ if god wolde lende hym life to returne with al hast to fetche them And thus was Pinteado kepte a bordeshippe ageynste his wyll thrust amonge the boyes of the shippe not vsed like a man nor yet like an honest boy But glad to find fauoure at the cokes hande Then departed they leauing one of theyr shippes behynde them whiche they soonke for lake of men to cary her After this within sixe or seuen days saylinge dyed also Pinteado for very pensiuenesse and thowght that strooke hym to the harte The death of Pinteado A man worthy to serue any prince and most vilely vsed And of seuen score men came home to Plymmuowth scarsely fortye and of them many dyed And that no man shulde suspecte these wordes which I haue sayd in commendation of Pinteado to be spoken vpon fauour otherwyse then truth I haue thought good to adde herevnto the coppie of the letters which the kyng of Portugale and the infant his brother wrote vnto hym to reconcyle hym at suche tyme as vppon the kynge his masters displeasure and not for any other cryme or offence as may appere by the sayde letters he was onely for pouertie inforced to coomme into Englande where he fyrst persuaded owre marchauntes to attempte the sayde vyages to Guinea But as the kynge of Portugale to late repented hym that he had so punysshed Pinteado vppon malicious informations of such as enuied the mans good fortune euen so may it hereby appere that in sum cases euen Lyons them selues may eyther bee hyndered by the contempt or ayded by the helpe of the pore myse accordynge vnto the fable of Isope ¶ The coppie of Antomanes Pinteado his letters parentes wherby the kynge of Portugale made hym knyght of his house after all his troubles and imprisonment which by wronge information made to the kynge he had susteyned of longe tyme beinge at the laste deliuered his cause knowen and manifested to the kynge by a grey fryer the kynges confessoure I The kynge do gyue yow to vnderstande lorde Frances Desseosa one of my counsayle and ouerseer of my house that in consideration of the good seruice which Antonie Anes Pinteado the sonne
of Iohn Anes dwellynge in the towne cauled the porte hath doone vnto me my wyll and pleasure is to make hym knyght of my house alowynge to hym in pension seuen hundreth reys monethly Seuen hundreth reys are .x. s. Alcayr is halfe a busshel and euery daye one alcayr of barly as longe as he kepeth a horse and to bee payde accordynge to the ordinaunce of my house Prouydynge alwayes that he shal receaue but one mariage gyfte And this also in such condition that the tyme whiche is excepted in owre ordinaunce forbyddynge such men to mary for gettynge such chyldren as myght succeade them in this alowance which is syxe yeares after the makynge of this patente shal be fyrste expired before he do mary I therfore commaunde yowe to cause this to bee entered in the booke cauled the Matricola of owre housholde vnder the tytle of knyghtes And when it is so entered let the clerke of the Matricola for the certentie therof wryte on the backe syde of this Aluala or patente the number of the leafe wherin this owre graunt is entered Which doone let hym returne this wrytynge vnto the sayd Antonie Anes Pinteado for his warrant I Diego Henriques haue wrytten this in Almarin the xxii day of September in the yeare of owre lorde .1551 And this beneuolence the kynge gaue vnto Antonie Anes Pinteado the .xxv. day of Iuly this present yeare Rey. ¶ The secretaries declaration wrytten vnder the kynges graunt YOwre maiestie hath vouchsafed in respect and consyderation of the good seruice of Antonie Anes Pinteado dwellynge in the porte and soonne of Iohn Anes to make hym knyght of yowre house with ordinarie alowance of seuen hundreth reys pension by the moneth and one Alcayr of barley by the day as longe as he keepeth a horse And to bee payde accordyng to the ordinaunce of yowr house with condition that he shall haue but one mariage gyfte And that not within the space of .vi. yeares after the makynge of these letters patentes The secretaries note Entered in the booke of the Matricola Fol. 683. Francisco de Siquera ¶ The coppie of the letter of Don Lewes thinfant and brother to the kynge of Portugale sent into Englande to Antonianes Pinteado ANtonie Anes Pinteado I the infant brother to the kynge haue me hartely commended vnto yow Peter Gonsalues is gone to seeke yow desyrynge to brynge yowe home ageyne into yowr countrey And for that purpose hath with hym a safe conduct for yow graunted by the kynge that thereby yowe may freely and withowt all feare come home And although the wether be foule and stormy yet fayle not to come For in the tyme that his maiestie hath gyuen yow yow maye doo many thynges to yowre contentacion and gratifying the kynge wherof I wolde bee ryght gladde and to brynge the same to passe wyll doo all that lyeth in me for yowre profyte But forasmuch as Peter Gonsalues wyll make further declaration hereof vnto yow I say no more at this present Wrytten in Luxburne the .viii. day of December Anno M.D.LII. ¶ The Infant don Lews AL these forsayd wrytynges I sawe vnder selâ— in the house of my frende Nicolas Lyese with whom Pinteado left them at his vnfortunatâ— departynge to Guinea But notwithstanding all these frendly letters and fayre promyses Pinteado durste not attempte to go home neyther to keepâ— company with the Portugales his countrey men withowt thâ— presence of other forasmuch as he had secreate admonition that they intended to sley hym if tyme and place myght hauâ— serued theyr wycked intent ☞ The seconde vyage to Guinea AS in the fyrst vyage I haue declared ratheâ— the order of the hystory theÌ„ the course of the nauigation whereof at that tyme I coulde haue no perfecte information so in the discription of this seconde vyage my chiefe intent hath byn to shew the course of the same accordynge to the obseruation and ordinarie custome of them aryners and as I receaued it at the handes of an experte pylot beinge one of the chiefe in this viage who also with his owne handes wrote a briefe declaration of the same as he founde and tryed all thynges not by coniecture but by the arte of saylynge and instrumentes perteynynge to the mariners facultie Not therfore assuminge to my selfe the commendations dewe to other neyther so boulde as in anye parte to chaunge or otherwise dispose the order of this vyagâ— so wel obserued by art and experience I haue thowght good to set furth the same in such sorte and phrase of speache as is commonly vsed amonge them and as I receaued it of the said pylot as I haue sayde Take it therfore as foloweth In the yeare of owre lorde M.D.LIIII the .xi. day of October wee dâ—parted the ryuer of Temmes with three goodly shyppes th one cauled the Trinitie a shyppe of the burden of seuen score toonne Thother cauled the Barthelmewe a shyppe of the burden of lxxxx The thyrde was the Iohn Euangelist a shyppe of seuen score toonne With the sayde shyppes and two pyunesses wherof the one was drowned in the coast of Englande we went forwarde on owr vyage and steyde at Douer .xiiii. dayes We steyde also at Rye three or foure dayes More ouer last of all we touched at Darthmouth The fyrst day of Nouember at .ix. of the clocke at nyght departynge from the coaste of Englande we sâ—rte of the stert bearynge southwest all that nyght in the sea and the nexte day all day and the next nyght after vntyll the thyrde dayâ— of the sayde mooneth abowt noone makynge owr way good dyd runne .60 leaques Item from .xii. of the clocke the thyrde daye tyll .xii. of the clocke the .iiii day of the sayde mooneth makynge owr way good southeast dyd runne euery three houres twoo leaques which amounteth to .xvi. leaques the hole Item from .xii. of the clocke the .iiii. day to .xii. of the clocke the .v. day runnynge southwest in the sea dydde runne .xii. leaques Item runnynge from .xii. of the clocke the .v. day vntyll .xii. of the clocke the .vi. day runnyng southeast dyd runne .xviii leaques And so from .xii. of the clocke the .vi. daye vntyll .xii. of the clocke the .vii. day runnynge southsouthwest dyd runne euery houre .ii. leaques which amouÌ„t to .xlviii. leaques the hole Item from .xii. of the clocke the .vii. day tyl .iii. of the clocke the .viii. day southsouthwest runnyng in the sea dyd runne xxx leaques Item from three of the clocke the .viii. day vntyll .iii. of the clocke the .ix. day runnyng southsouthwest dyd runne .xxx. leaques Item from .iii. of the clocke the .ix. day tyll .iii. of the clocke the .x. day dyd southsouthaest in runnynge in the sea the sum of .xxiiii. leaques Also from .iii. of the clocke thy .x. day vntyl .xli. of the clocke the .xi. day dyd run southsouthwest the sum of .xii. leaques and from .xii. of the. clocke tyll .vi. of the sayde day dyd run vi leaques Runnynge south and by west in the
of great Basilius Prince of Moscouia to pope Clement the seuenth 278. Other notable thynges as concernynge Moscouia gathered owt of the bookes of Sigismundus Liberus 289. The description of the regions and people lyinge North and Easte from Moscouia to the ryuer Petzora and the prouince of Iugaria and the ryuer Obi. c. 294. Of the famous ryuer of Tanais 297. More directly from Moscouia to â—athay 298. Of the Tartars 299. The nauigation by the frosen seâ— â–ª 303. The letters missiue which kynge Edwarde the .vi. sent to the kynges princes and other potentates inhabitynge the north east partes of the worlde towarde the Empire of Cathay 306. and. 308. The letters of the prince of Moscouia sente to kynge Edwarde 319. Other notable thynges as touchynge the Indies and of the foreknowleage that the poet Seneca had of the fyndynge of the newe worlde other regions not then knowen 310 Of the greate Ilande whiche Plato cauled Atlantica or Atlantide 310. Of the coloure of the Indians 311. Why they were cauled Indians 311. The fyrst discouerynge of the West Indies 312. What maner of man Christopher Colon was and howe he came fyrst to the knowleage of the Indies 313. What laboure and trauaile he tooke in attemptynge his firste vyage to the Indies 313. Of newe Spayne cauled Noua Hispania or Mexico 315. Of Peru. 316. Of the great ryuer cauled Rio de la Plata 316. Of the hygher or superior India cauled India Tercera or Terciera 317. Ageyne of the landes of Laborador and Baccalaos 318. The discouerynge of the lande of Florida 319. An opinion that Europe Africa and Asia are Ilandes and of certeyne Nauigations abowt the same 320. That the Spanyardes haue sayled to the Antipodes whiche inhabite the vndermost halfe of the baule of the earth contrary to thopinions of the owlde wryters 321. Who fyrst founde the nedle of the compasse and the vse therof 322. The situation and byggenesse of the earth 323. What degrees are 324. A demonstration of the roundenesse of the earth 324. What credit owght to be gyuen to wryters as touchynge the woorkes of nature 325. The preface to the booke of metals 326. Of the generation of metalles and theyr mines with the maner of fyndynge the same 327. Of the mine of golde and the qualitie therof 334. Of the myne of syluer 340. The maner of woorkynge in the golde mines of Egypte in oulde tyme. 342. The discription of the two vyages made owt of Englande to Guinea in Afrike 343. A briefe description of Afrike 344. The fyrste vyage to Guinea 345. The seconde vyage to guynea 350. The maner of fyndynge the Longitude of regions by dyuers wayes 360. A newe maner of fyndynge the Longitudes of regions 361 â–ª A briefe rehearsall of the contentes of the bookes of the Decades c. FINIS ¶ The interpretacion of certeyne Woordes ¶ Continente that is the firme lande not inclosed with water or no Ilande A Carauel or Caruel a kynde of shyppes Hemispherium the halfe globe of the earth and water Pesus a ducate and a halfe Equinoctial the line that diuideth the heauen and the earthe in the myddest betwene the two poles in the which when the sonne commeth the days nyghtes are of equal length Clime is a portion of the worlde betwene north and south Paralleles are lines whereby the sonne passynge causeth variation of tyme. Gatti Mammoni Monkeys Schoenus is a space of .xl. furlonges Werst is an Italian mile Colonie an habitacion The Indian language ¶ Canoa a boate or barke Caciqui kynges or gouernours Zemes an Idole Tuyra the deuyll Machana a sworde Areitos songes or balades Tona the moone Tonatico the soonne Quines prestes Chiuy a man Ira a woman Boa a house Cauni golde Mayani nothynge c. ¶ Note that the Ilande of Hispaniola is nowe cauled San Domingo by reason of the chiefe citie so named Also saynte Iohns Ilande cauled sancti Iohannis or Burichena is otherwyse cauled Boriquen Rycharde Eden to the reader THe moste famous oratoure and learned Phylosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero wryteth that in all consultations as touchynge owre behauoure and order of lyuynge amonge men it behoueth vs euer to beare in mynde howe farre the dignitie of mans nature excelleth the condition of brute beastes For they beinge ruled altogether by sence delyte in nothynge but beastely appetites whereunto they runne headlonge as to theyr onely felicitie But the mynde of man beinge of more noble nature is nurysshed with knowleage and taketh pleasure in diuisynge or excogitatynge sume honest thynge whereby it not onely leaueth amonge men a memorie of his immortall nature but also engendereth the lyke affection in other that delyte to see and heare such thinges as are commendable in theyr predicessours And this surely thynke I to bee the cause that eyther the famous factes of woorthy men Commendation of noble factes or ingenious inuentions of experte artificers haue not onely nobilitate the autours and diuisers of the same or such to whom they haue byn dedicate but also that parte of theyr commendations haue redounded to all suche as haue spente theyr tyme and taken peynes in illustratynge and settynge furthe theyr doynges For who shulde at this daye haue knowen Mausolus the kynge of Caria Mausolus with his wyfe Artemisia or these famous artificers Cunnynge artificers Scopa Bryaces Timotheus Leochares or Pythis if the wonderfull and sumptuous woorke of the sepulcher whiche Artemisia made for kynge Mausolus her husband beinge of such woorkemanshyppe that it was accompted for one of the marueyls of the worlde had not geuen vnto all these immortall fame whereas neuerthelesse it coulde not defende it selfe ageynst thiniurie of tyme consumynge all thynges There remayneth at this daye no token of the laborious Tabernacle whiche Moises buylded The Tabernacle of Moises or of the renoumed and maruâ—â—lous Temple that was buylded in Hierusalem by Salomon and renewed by Esdras The Temple of Salomon Yet shall the name of the excellente artificers Ooliab and Beselchel and Hyram the kynge of Tyrus Hyram lyue for euer in the memory of men Furthermore also Salomon hym selfe although he were many other wayes famous yet gaue he a greate parte of his glory to that princely buyldynge But certeynely the most trewe and permanent glory Trewe glory procedeth of such monumentes as brynge sume great and notable coÌ„moditie profite to the lyfe of men rather then of the hugious heapes of stones of the Pyramides of Egypt wherin is nought els to see but the fonde barbarous ostentation of superfluous riches Great and suÌ„ptuous works Or of the Mazes cauled Labyrinthi or of horryble great Images cauled Colossi of knottes inexplicable of brasen caudrons of monstrous byggenesse of hauens with echo seuen tymes reboundynge and dyuers suche other portentous inuentions the which as they do delite vs in considerynge the maruelous arte and witte of suche artificers as diuised and made the same so are they otherwyse
vnprofitable And brynge rather a fame to theyr inuentoures then trewe glorye Fame differeth from true glory Perillus was famous by diuisynge his brasen bulle yet so that it had byn better for hym to haue byn obscure and vnknowen They haue therefore deserued more trewe commendation whiche in buyldynge of cities townes fortresses bridges cundites hauens shyppes and suche other haue so ioyned magnificence with profecte that bothe may remaine for an eternal testimonie of absolute glory Absolute glory whose perfection extendeth to the gratifyinge of vniuersal mankind as farre as mans mortalitie wyll permit The whiche thinge whyle I consider and caule to memorie howe Cicero defineth trewe glory to bee a fame of many and greate desertes eyther towarde owre citizens What is true glory owre countrey or towarde all man kynde and the same to bee of such excellencie that the owlde poetes for sume effecte fayned it to bee the sweete Ambrosia and Nectar wherwith the goddes are fedde and that of such force that who so may drynke therof shal also become a god that is to say immortall and happy mee thynke verely that yf man maye be a god to men as holy scripture speaketh of Moises and other the kynges of Spayne of late dayes if I may speake it without offence of other may so much the more for theyr iust desertes and good fortune be compared to those goddes made of men whom the antiquitie cauled Heroes and for theyr manyfolde benefites to man kynde honoured theym with The kynges of Spayne Heroes diuine honoure as theyr famous factes so farre excell al other as I dare not speake to such as haue not yet harde or redde of the same least the greatnesse therof shulde at the first brunte so muche astonyshe the reader that he myght geue the lesse credite to the autoure of this booke who neuerthelesse hath moste faythfully wrytten this hystorye of suche thynges wherof he hath seene a greate parte him selfe as being by the moste catholyke and puissaunt kynge Ferdinando appoynted a commissionarie in th affayres of India and gathered the residewe partly by information and partly out of the wrytinges of such as haue byn as Uyrgyll wryteth of Eneas The certentie of this hystory Et quorum pars magna fui that is doers and parte of such thynges as are conteyned in the hystorie as Gouernours Lieuetenauntes Capitaynes Admirals and Pylottes who by theyr paineful trauayles and prowes haue not onely subdued these landes and seas but haue also with lyke diligence commytted thorder therof to wrytinge And not this onely but for the better tryall of the trewth herein haue and yet doo in maner dayly sende from thense into Spayne such monumentes as are most certeyne testimonies of theyr doynge as yow may reade in dyuers places in this boke This newe worlde is nowe so much frequented the Ocean nowe so well knowen and the commodities so greate that the kynge erected a house in the citie of Siuile cauled the house of the contractes of India perteynynge onely to th affayres of the Ocean The house of the contractes of India to the which al such resorte for necessaries as attempte anye vyage to this newe worlde and lykewyse at theyr returne make theyr accompte to the counsayle for the Indies for the golde and suche other thynges as they brynge from thense The counsayl for the Indiâ—s It is therefore apparent that the heroical factes of the Spaniardes of these days The heroicall factes of the Spanyardes deserue so greate prayse that thautour of this booke beinge no Spanyarde doth woorthely extolle theyr doynge aboue the famous actes of Hercules and Saturnus and such other which for theyr glorious and vertuous enterpryses were accoumpted as goddes amonge men And surely if great Alexander and the Romans which haue rather obteyned then deserued immortall fame amonge men for theyr bluddye victories onely for theyr owne glory and amplifyinge theyr empire obteyned by slawghter of innocentes and kepte by violence Great Alexander The â—panyardes warres in the Indies haue byn magnified for theyr doinges howe much more then shal we thynke these men woorthy iust commendations which in theyr mercyfull warres ageynst these naked people haue so vsed themselues towarde them in exchaungynge of benefites for victorie that greater commoditie hath therof ensewed to the vanquisshed then the victourers They haue taken nothynge from them but such as they them selues were wel wyllynge to departe with and accoumpted as superfluities as golde perles precious stones and such other for the which they recompensed theym with suche thynges as they muche more estemed The benefites that the Indians haue receaued by the Spanyardes But sum wyll say they possesse and inhabyte theyr regions and vse theym as bondemen and tributaries where before they were free They inhabite theyr regions in deede Yet so that by theyr diligence and better manurynge the same they maye nowe better susteyne both then one before Theyr bondage is suche as is much rather to be desired then theyr former libertie which was to the cruell Canibales rather a horrible licenciousnesse then a libertie Lybertie The Canibales and to the innocent so terrible a bondage thaâ— in the myddest of theyr ferefull idlenesse Feareful idlenesse they were euer in daunger to be a pray to those manhuntynge woolues But nowe thanked be God by the manhodde and pollicie of the Spanyardes this deuelysshe generation is so consumed partely by the slaughter of suche as coulde by no meanes be brought to ciuilitie and partly by reseruynge such as were oueâ—come in the warres and conuertynge them to a better mynde that the prophecie may herein bee fulfylled that the woolfe and the lambe shall feede together Isai. 65. and the wylde fieldes with the vale of Aâ—hor shal be the folde of the heard of gods people Moises as the minister of the lawe of wrath and bondage geuen in fyer teÌ„pestes The warres of Moises was coÌ„maunded in his warres to saue neyther man woman nor chylde and yet brought no commoditie to the nations whom he ouercame and possessed theyr landes But the Spaniardes as the mynisters of grace and libertie The Indians subdued to the fayth browght vnto these newe gentyles the victorie of Chrystes death wherby they beinge subdued with the worldely sworde are nowe made free from the bondage of Sathans tyrannie by the myghty poure of this triumphante victourer Isai. 42. whom as sayth the prophet god hath ordeyned to be a lyght to the gentyles to open the eyes of the blynde and to delyuer the bounde owt of pryson and captiuitie What other men do phantasie herein I can not tell but suer I am that lyke as the slowe and brutysshâ— wyttes for the sclendernesse of theyr capacitie and effeminate hartes do neuer or seldome lyfte vp theyr myndes to the contemplation of goddes workes and maiestie of nature The contemplation of gods workes but lyke brute beastes lookynge euer
also which thinge ministred further suspection that he was consentinge to the death of owre men Wherfore the Admirall sente forthe an armye of three hundrethe men ouer the which he appoynted one Melchior to be capitayne wylling hym to make diligent searche to fynde owte Guaccanarillus Melchior therfore with the smauleste vessels enteringe into the countreye by the ryuers and scouringe the shores Guaccanarillus is sought â—â—lâ—hior chaunced into certen croked goulfes defended with .v lyttle stiepe hilles supposinge that it had byn the mouth of sum greate ryuer He founde here also a verye commodious and safe hauen and therefore named it Portus Regalis They saye that the enteraunce of this is so crooked and bendinge that after the shippes are once within the same whether they turne theÌ„ to the lefte hand or to the ryght they can not perceaue where they came in vntyll they returne to the mouth of the ryuer Although it be there so brode that three of the byggeste vessels may sayle together on a froont The sharpe high hilles on the one syde and on the other so brake the wynde that they were vncerten howe to rule theyr sayles In the myddle gulfe of the ryuer there is a promontorie or point of the lande with a pleasaunte groue full of Popingayes and other byrdes which breede therein and singe verye sweetlye Popingayes and byrdes They perceaued also that two ryuers of no smaule largenes fell into the hauen Whyle they thus searched the lande betwene bothe Melchior espied a high house a farre of where supposinge that Guaccanarillus had lyne hyd he made towarde it And as he was goynge there mette hym a man with a frownynge countenaunce and a grymme looke with a hundreth men folowynge hym armed with bowes and arrowes and long and sharpe staues like iauelynnes made harde at the endes with fyre Who approchyng towardes owre men spake owte alowde with a terryble voyce sayenge that they were Taini Taini that is noble men and not Canibales But when owre men had gyuen them signes of peace they lefte bothe theyr weapons and fiercenes Thus geuynge eche of them certen haukes belles haukes belles â–ª they tooke it for so greate a rewarde that they desyred to enter bondes of nere frendeshyppe with vs and feared not immediatly to submitte them selues vnder owre power and resorted to our shyps with theyr presentes They that measured the house beinge made in rounde fourme fownde it to be from syde to syde .xxxii. greate paces A large hous compased abowte with .xxx. other vulgare houses hauinge in them many beames crosse ouer and couered with reedes of sundry colours Reedes of suÌ„dry colours wrethed and as it were weaued with maruelous art When owre men asked sum of them where they myght fynde Guaccanarillus They aunswered that that Region was none of his But theyr kynges beynge there presente Yet they sayde they supposed that Guaccanarillus was gone from the playne to the mountaynes Makynge therfore a brotherly league with this Caccicus Caccius that is to saye a kynge they retourned to the Admyrall to make relation what they hadde seene and harde whervppon he sent forth dyuers other Centurians with their hundrethes to searche the countrey yet further Emonge the which were Hoiedus and Gorualanus hoâ—edus and Gorualanus noble younge gentlemen of great courage And as they went towarde the mountaines to seeke Guaccanarillus dyuidinge the mountaynes betwene theÌ„ one of them fownde on the one syde therof foure ryuers faulynge frome the same mountaynes and the other founde .iii. on the other syde In the sandes of all these ryuers is fownd great plentye of goulde Golde in ryuers faulinge from mountaynes which thinhabitantes of the same Ilande which were with vs gathered in this maner Making holes in the sande with theyr handes a Cubette deape and takynge vp sande with their lefte handes from the botome of the same The maner of gathering golde they picked out graynes of goulde with their ryght handes withowte any more arte or cunnynge Graynes of golde And so deliuered it to owre men who affirme that many of them thus gathered were as bygge as tares or fytchis And I my selfe sawe a masse of rude goulde A masse of rude goâ—de weighinge .ix ounces that is to say suche as was neuer molten lyke vnto suche stones as are founde in the bottomes of ryuers weighinge nyne ownces which Hoieda him selfe fownde Beinge contented with these signes they returned to the Admirall to certifie him hereof For the Admirall had commaunded vnder payne of punyshement that they shuld meddle no further then their commission which was only to searche the places with their signes For the fame went that there was a certeyne kynge of the mountaynes from whense those ryuers had their faule whom they caule Cacicus Caunaboa that is the lord of the house of golde Cannaboa kynge of the house of gold For they caule a house Boa goulde Cauni and a kynge or Lorde Cacicus as we haue sayde before holâ—ome water and plentie of fysshe They affirme that there can noo where be found better fysshe nor of more pleasant tast or more holsome then in these ryuers also the waters of the same to be most holsom to drynke Melchior hym selfe towld me that in the moneth of December The day and nyght of equal length in DeceÌ„ber the days and nyghtes bee of equal length among the Canibalis But the sphere or circles of the heauen agreeth not thervnto â—yrdes breed in December Albeit that in the same moneth sume byrdes make their nestes and sume haue alredy hatched their egges by reason of the heate beinge rather continuall then extreme He towlde me also when I questioned with hym as concernynge the eleuation of the pole from the horizontal lyne The eleuation of the poâ—e that al the sterres cauled Plastrum or charles wayne The starres are cauled gardens of the pole are hydde vnder the Northe pole to the Canibales And surely there returned none from thense at this viage to whome there is more credit to be gyuen then to this man But if he had byn skilfull in Astronomye he shulde haue sayde that the day was almoste equall with the night For in no place towarde the stay of the sonne cauled Solsticium can the night be equall with the day And as for them they neuer came vnder the Equinocâ—iall The Equinotial lyne for asmuch as they had euer the northe pole theyr guyde and euer eleuate in sight aboue the Horizontal Thus haue I briefely written vnto yowre honoure as muche as I thought sufficiente at this tyme. And shall shortly hereafter by Gods fauoure wryte vnto you more largely of suche matters as shal be dayly better knowen For the admirall hym selfe whome I vse famylyerly as my verye frende hathe promysed me by his letters that he wyl gyue me knowlege of al such thynges as shall chaunce
Admirall of the Ocean returning as he supposed from the continent or firme lande of East India Easte India had aduertisement that his brother Boilus one Peter Margarita an owld familier of the kinges and a noble man with diuers other of those to whom he had left the gouernemeÌ„t of the Iland The Spanyardeâ— rebelle in the Admirâ—ls absence were of corrupted mynde ageynst him departed into Spayne Wherfore as wel to purge him of such crimes as they shuld ley to his charge as also to make a supply of other men in the place of them which were returned especially to prouyde for vitailes as wheat wyne oyle and such other which the Spanyardes are accustomed to eate bycause they coulde not yet well agree with such meates as they fownde in the Ilandes determined shortly to take his vyage into Spayne But what he dyd before his departure I wyll brefely rehearse The kynges of the Ilandes which had hytherto lyued quietly and content with theyr lyttle whiche they thowght abundante The kynges of the Ilande rebell wheras they nowe perceaued that owre men began to fasten foote within theyr Regions and to beare rule amonge them tooke the matter so greuously that they thowght nothynge elles but by what meanes they myght vtterly destroy them and for euer abolysshe the memory of theyr name For that kynde of men the Spanyardes I meane which folowed the Admirall in that nauigation The Spaniardes mâ—sbehauour was for the most parte vnruly regardynge nothinge but Idlenes playe and libertie And wolde by no meanes absteyne from iniuries Rauyshynge the womeÌ„ of the Ilandes before the faces of their husbandes fathers and brethrene By which theyr abhomynable mysde maynour they disquieted the myndes of all thinhabitantes In so much that where so euer they fownde any of owre men vnprepared they slewe them with suche fyercenes and gladnes as thowgh they had offered sacryfyce to God Intendynge therefore to pacifie their troubled myndes and to punyshe them that slew his men before he departed from thense he sent for the kynge of that vale which in the booke before we descrybed to bee at the foote of the mountaynes of the Region of Cibaua This kynges name was Guarionexius Guarionexius the kynge of the greatyale Didacus the interpretour who the more streyghtly to concyle vnto hym the frendeshyppe of the Admirall gaue his syster to wyfe to Didacus a man from his chyldes age browght vp with the Admiral whom he vsed for his interpretoure in the prouinces of Cuba After this he sent for Caunaboa cauled the lorde of the howse of goulde that is of the mountaynes of Cibaua For this Caunaboa Caunaboa the kynge of the house of golde he sent one capitayne Hoieda whom the ditionaries of Caunaboa had enforced to keepe his howlde bysiegeinge for the space of .xxx. dayes the fortresse of saynte Thomas in the which Hoieda with his fyftie souldiers stoode at theyr defence vntyll the comminge of the Admirall Whyle Hoieda remayned with Caunaboa Capitayne hoieda many ambassadours of the kynges of dyuers Regions were sent to Caunaboa persuadinge hym in no condicion to permitte the Christians to inhabite the Ilande except he had rather serue then rule On the other partie Hoieda aduertised Caunaboa to goo to the Admirall and to make a league of frendeship with hym But the ambassadours on the contrary part threatened hym that yf he wolde soo doo the other kynges wolde inuade his Region But Hoieda aunswered theym ageyne that wheras they conspired to maynteyne their libertie they shuld by that meanes be browght to seruitude destruction if they entended to resist or keepe warre ageinst the Christians Thus Caunaboa on the one syde and the other kynge Caunaboa â—ad sâ—ain the Spanyardeâ— beinge troubeled as it were a rocke in the sea beaten with contrary fluddes much more vexed with the stormes of his gyltie conscience for that he had priuilie slaine .xx. of owre men vnder pretence of peace feared to coome to the Admirall But at the length hauing excogitated this deceyte Caunaboa coÌ„spireth the Admiralleâ— death to haue slayne the Admirall and his coompany vnder the colour of frendshippe if oportunitie wold soo haue serude he repayred to the Admiral with his hole familie and many other wayting on hym armed after theyr maner Beinge demaunded why he browght soo greate a rout of men with hym he aunswered that it was not decente for soo great a prince as he was to goo foorth of his howse without suche a bande of men But the thinge chaunced much otherwyse then he looked for For he fell into the snares which he had prepared for other For wheras by the way he began to repente hym that he came foorthe of his howse Hoieda with many fayre wordes and promyses Fayre worde make fooles fayne browght hym to the Admirall At whose commaundement he was immediatly taken put in prison So that the sowles of owre men were not longe from their bodies vnreuenged Thus Caunaboa with all his familie beinge taken the Admirall was determined to runne ouer the Ilande But he was certified that there was such famine amonge thinhabitantes Famine in the Ilande of hispaniola that there was alredye fyftie thousande menne deade therof And that they dyed yet dayly as it were cotton sheepe The cause wherof was wel knowen to bee theyr owne obstinacie and frowardnes For where as they sawe that owre men entended to choose them a dwelling place in the Ilande supposinge that they myght haue driuen them from thence if the vytailes of the Ilande shoulde fayle they determyned with them selues not only to leaue sowing and plantyng but also to destroy and plucke vp by the rootes euery man in his owne region The hunger of golde causeth great famine that whiche they had alredye sowen of both kyndes of breade wherof we made mencion in the fyrst booke But especially amonge the mountaynes of Cibaua otherwyse cauled Cipanga for as muche as they hadde knoweleage that the golde which abundeth in that Region was the cheefe cause that deteyned owre men in the Ilande In the meane tyme he sent foorth a Capitayne with a bande of men to searche the sowthe syde of the Ilande Who at his returne reported that throwghe out all the Regions that he trauayled there was suche scarsenes of breade that for the space of .xvi. dayes he eate nowght elles but the rootes of herbes and of younge date trees or the fruites of other wylde trees But Guarionexius the kynge of the vale lyinge beneth the mountaynes of Cibaua whose kyngedoome was not soo wasted as the other gaue owre menne certeyne vytayles Within a fewe dayes after bothe that the iourneys myght bee the shorter and also that owre men myght haue more safe places of refuge if the inhabitantes shuld hereafter rebell in lyke maner he buylded an other fortesse whiche he cauled the towre of CoÌ„ception betwene the citie of
Isabella and saint Thomas fortresse The towre of conception in the marches of the kyngdome of this Guarionexius within the precincte of Cibaua vpon the syde of A hyll hauynge a fayre ryuer of holsome water runnynge hard by the same Thus when the inhabitantes sawe newe buyldynges to bee dayly erected and owre shippes lying in the hauen rotten and halfe broken they beganne to despayre of any hope of libertie wandered vp and downe with heuie â—here From the towre of Conception searchynge diligently the inner partes of the mountaynes of Cibaua there was A certeine kyng whiche gaue them a masse of rude golde as bygge as a mans fyst weighing .xx. vnces A masse of gold weighinge .xx. ounces This golde was not fownde in the banke of that ryuer but in a heape of drye earthe and was lyke vnto the stone cauled Tofus Tofus whiche is soone resolued into sande This masse of golde I my selfe sawe in Castile in the famous citie of Methymna Campi where the courte lay all that wynter I sawe also a great piece of pure Electrum Electrum is a metall naturally mixâ— of one portion of golde another of â—iluer beinge of propertie to bewray poyson and was therfore in owlde tyme in greater estimation then golde of the whiche belles and apothecaries morters and many suche other vessels and instrumentes maye bee made as were in owlde tyme of copper of the citie of Corinthus This piece of Electrum was of such weight that I was not onely with both my handes vnable to lifte it from the grownde but also not of strengthe to remoue it eyther one waye or an other They affyrmed that it wayde more then three hundreth pownde weight after .viii. vnces to the pownde It was fownde in the howse of a certen prynce and lefte hym by his predecessours And albeit that in the dayes of thinhabitantes yet liuynge Electrum was no where digged yet knewe they where the myne therof was The myne of Electrum but owre men with muche adoo coulde hardely cause them to shewe them the place they bore them suche priuie hatred Yet at the length they browght theym to the myne beyng nowe ruinate and stopped with stones and rubbisshe It is muche easier to dygge then is the iren myne and myght bee restored agein if myners and other woorkemen skylfull therin were appoynted therto Not farre from the towre of Conception in the same mountaynes is fownd great plentie of Amber An other kynde of amber is taken out of greate whale fishes and owte of certen rockes of the same distilleth a substance of the yelowe coloure whiche the paynters vse Orpement or oker Not farre from these mountaynes are many greate wooddes in the which are none other trees then brasile whiche the Italians caule Verzino wooddes of brasile trees But here perhappes right noble prynce yowe wolde aske what shoulde be the cause that where as the Spanyardes haue brought owte of these Ilandes certen shyppes laden with brasile sumwhat of gossampine cotton a quantitie of amber a lyttel golde and sum spices why they haue not broughte suche plentie of golde and suche other ryche marchaundies as the fruitfulnesse of these regions seeme to promisse To this I answere Causes of hinderance that when Colonus the admirall was lykewise demaunded the cause hereof he made answere that the Spanyardes whiche he tooke with him into these regions were gyuen rather to slepe pley and ydlenesse then to laboure And were more studious of sedition and newes then desyrous of peace and quietnesse Also that beynge gyuen to lycenciousnes Licenciusnes of to much lâ—bertie they rebelled forsooke hym fyndynge matter of false accusations agaynst hym bycause he went aboute to represse theyr owtragiousenes By reason wherof he was not yet able to breake the power of the inhabytantes and freely to possesse the full dominion of the Ilande And these hynderaunces to be the cause that hitherto the gaynes haue scarsely counteruayled the charges And this only gathered not digged out of the bodi of the minâ— Albeit euen this yere whyle I wryte these thynges at owre requeste they gathered in twoo moonethes the summe of a thousande and twoo hundreth poundes weight of golde But bycause we intende to speake more largely of these thynges in theyr place we wyll nowe retourne from whense we haue digressed When the inhabitantes perceaued that they could by no meanes shake the yoke from their neckes they made huÌ„ble supplication to the Admirall that they myght stande to theyr tribute The people make â—uâ—â—licaâ—ion to stâ—d to their tribute and apply them selues to reincrease the fruites of theyr countrey beinge nowe almoste wasted He graunted them theyr requeste and appoynted such order that euery Region shulde paye their tribute with the commodities of theyr countreys accordinge to theyr portion and at suche tyme as they were agreed vppon But the violent famine dyd frustrate all these appoyntmentes Famine For all the trauayles of theyr bodyes were scarsely able to suffice to fynde them meate in the wooddes whereby to susteyne theyr lyues beinge of longe tyme contented with rootes and the fruites of wylde trees Yet manye of the kynges with theyr people euen in this extreme necessitie browght parte of theyr tribute Moste humbly desyringe the Admirall to haue compassion of theyr calamities and to beare with them yet a whyle vntyll the Iland were restored to the owlde state Promysinge further that that which was nowe wantinge shulde then bee dowble recompensed But fewe of the inhabitantes of the mountaynes of Cibaua kepte theyr promyse bycause they were sorer oppressed with famine then any of the other The nature of the Region dispoâ—eth the maner of the people They saye that the inhabitantes of these mountaynes differ no lesse in maners and language from them which dwel in the playnes theÌ„ amonge vs the rusticalles of the countrey from gentylmen of the courte wheras notwithstandinge they lyue bothe as it were vnder one portion of heuen and in many thinges much after one fasshion as in nakednes and rude simplicitie But nowe lette vs returne to Caunaboa kynge Caunaboa in captiuitie the kynge of the howse of golde beinge in captiuitie When he perceaued him selfe to be caste in pryson fretinge and gratinge his teethe as it had bin a lyon of Libia and dayely and nightlye deuisinge with hymself howe he myght bee delyuered The persuasion of Caunaboa beganne to persuade the Admirall that for as muche as he had nowe taken vnto his dominion the RegioÌ„ of Cipanga or Cibaua wherof he was king it shulde bee expedient to sende thyther a garryson of Christian men to defenâ—e the same from the incursions of his owld enemyes and borderers For he sayde that it was signyfied vnto hym that the countreye was wasted and spoyled with suche incursions By this crafty deuise he thought to haue browght to passe that his brother whiche was in that regyon
resortynge to hym gaue hym a certen portion of theyr breade in exchange for other of owre thynges But he coulde not long tary here bicause they lacked meate in the fortresse whyther he hasted with such as he had now gotten Leauyng therfore in the fortresse a garryson of tenne men with that portion of the Ilande breade whiche yet remayned huntinge houndes leauynge also with them a hownde to take those kyndes of lyttle beastes which they caule Vsias not muche vnlyke owre conyes he returned to the fortresse of Conception This also was the moonthe wherin the kynge Guarionexius and also Manicautexius kynge Manicautexius bortherer vnto hym shulde haue brought in theyr tributes Remaynynge there the hole moonthe of Iune he exacted the hole tribute of these twoo kinges and vytayles necessary for hym and suche as he brought with hym whiche were abowt foure hundreth in number Shortely after abowte the calendes of Iulye there came three Caraueles from Spayne Uytayles browght froÌ„ Spayne bringynge with them sundry kyndes of vitayles as wheate oyle wyne bacon and marckelmas beafe whiche were dyuyded to euery man accordynge as neede required Sum also was lost in the cariage for lacke of good lookyng too At the arryuall of these shyppes the lieuetenaunte receaued commaundment from the kynge and the Admyrall his brother that he with his men shulde remoue theyr habitation to the sowthe syde of the Ilande bycause it was nerer to the golde mynes Also that he shoulde make dilygent searche for those kynges whiche had slayne the Christian men and to sende them with theyr confederates bownd into Spayne At the nexte vyage therfore he sent three hundreth captiues with three Kinges And when he had diligently searched the coastes of the south syde he transported his habitation and buylded a fortresse there vpon the toppe of a hyll neere vnto a shure hauen This fortresse he cauled saynt Dominikes towre Saynt Dominikes towre Into this hauen runneth A ryuer of holsome water replenyshed with sundrye kyndes of good fysshes They affyrme this ryuer to haue many benefytes of nature For where so euer it runneth all thynges are excedynge pleasaunte and fruitfull hauynge on euery syde groues of date trees Groues of date trees and dyuers other of the Ilande frutes so plentyfully that as they sayled alonge by the shore often tymes the branches therof laden with flowres fruites hunge soo ouer theyr heades that they mighte plucke them with theyr handes Also that the frutefulnes of this grownde is eyther equall with the soyle of Isabella or better In Isabella Isabeâ—lâ— he lefte only certeyne sicke men and shippe wrightes whom he had appointed to make certeyne carauels The residue of his men he conueighed to the sowth to saint Dominickes towre After he had buylded this fortresse leauinge therin a garryson of .xx. men he with the remanent of his souldiers prepared them selues to searche the inner partes of the Weste syde of the Ilande hytherto knowen onely by name Therfore abowte .xxx. leaques that is foure score and tenne myles from the fortresse he chaunced on the ryuer Naiba The ryuer of Naiba whiche we sayde to descende from the mountaynes of Cibaua ryght towarde the sowth by the myddest of the Iland When he had ouerpassed this ryuer with a coompanye of armed men diuided into .xxv. decurions that is tenne in a company with theyr capitaynes he sent two decurions to the regions of those kinges in whose landes were the great woods of brasile trees wooddes of brasile trees Inclyninge towarde the lefte hande they fownde the woodes entered into them and felled the hygh and precious trees which were to that day vntouched Eche of the decurions fylled certeyne of the Ilande howses with the trunkes of brasile there to be reserued vntyll the shyppes came which shulde cary them away But the Lieuetenaunt directinge his iourney towarde the ryght hande not farre from the bankes of the ryuer of Naiba fownde a certeyne kynge whose name was Beuchius Anacauchoa kinge Beuchius Anacauchoa encamped ageynst thinhabitantes of the prouince of Naiba to subdue them vnder his dominion as he had doone manye other kynges of the Ilande bortherers vnto hym The palaice of this great kynge is cauled Xaragua The palaice of â—aragua and is situate towarde the Weste ende of the Ilande distante from the ryuer of Naiba .xxx. leaques All the prynces which dwell betwene the Weste ende and his palaice are ditionaries vnto hym All that Region from Naiba to the furtheste marches of the weste is vtterly withowte golde althowgh it bee full of mountaynes Mountaynes without gold When the kynge had espied owre men layinge a parte his weapons gyuinge signes of peace he spake gentelly to them incerteyne whether it were of humanitie or feare and demaunded or theÌ„ what they woolde haue The Lieuetenaunte aunswered That he shulde paye tribute to the Admirall his brother Tribute in the name of the Christian kynge of Spayne To whom he sayde Howe can yowe requyre that of me whereas neuer a Region vnder my dominion bringeth foorth golde For he had harde that there was a strange nation entered into the Ilande whiche made greate searche for golde But he supposed that they desyred none other thynge The leauetenaunt answered ageyne God forbydde that we shulde enioyne any man to pay such tribute as he myght not easely forbeare or such as were not engendered or growinge in the Region But we vnderstand that your Regions brynge foorth great plentie of Gossampine cotton and hempe The woolfe entreateth the sheepe with suche other whereof we desyre yowe to gyue vs parte When he harde these woordes he promysed with cherefull countenaunce to gyue hym as muche of these thynges as he wolde requyre Thus dismissinge his army sendynge messengers beefore he hym selfe accoompanyed the Leauetenaunte and browght hym to his palaice beinge dystante as we haue sayde .xxx. leaques In al this tracte they passed throwgh the Iurisdiction of other princes beinge vnder his dominion Of the whiche sume gaue them hempe of no lesse goodnes to make tackelinges for shippes then owre woodde Other sume browght breade and sum gossampyne cotton hempe and gossampine cotton And soo euery of them payde tribute with suche commodities as theyr countreys browght foorth At the lengthe they came to the kinges mansion place of Xaragua Before they entered into the palaice howe the Lieuetenant was receaued at the kynges palaice A greate multitude of the kynges seruauntes and subiectes resorted to the courte honorably after their maner to receaue their kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa with the strangers which he browght with hym to se the magnificence of his courte But nowe shall yowe heare howe they were interteyned Amonge other tryumphes and syghtes two are especially to bee noted Fyrste there mette them a company of xxx women beinge all the kynges wyues and concubines The kinges wyues bearinge in theyr handes branches of
date trees singinge and daunsinge They were all naked sauynge that theyr pryuie partes were couered with breeches of gossampine cotton But the virgins hauynge theyr heare hangynge downe abowte their shulders tyed abowte the foreheade with a fyllet were vtterly naked well fauered women They affirme that theyr faces brestes pappes handes and other partes of theyr bodyes were excedynge smoothe and well proportioned but sumwhat inclyning to a louely browne They supposed that they had seene those most beawtyfull Dryades Dryades or the natyue nymphes or fayres of the fontaynes wherof the antiquites speake so muche The branches of date trees which they bore in theyr right handes wheÌ„ they daunced they delyuered to the Leauetenaunt with lowe curtesy and smylynge countenaunce Thus enteringe into the kynges howse they fownde a delycate supper prepared for them after theyr maner A delicate supper When they were well refreshed with meate the nyght drawinge on they were browght by the kynges officers euery man to his lodginge accordyng to his degree in certeyne of theyr howses abowte the palaice where they rested them in hangynge beddes after the maner of the countrey hanginge beddes wherof we haue spoken more largely in an other place ¶ The daye folowyng they browght owre men to their common haule A common haule into the whiche they coome together as often as they make any notable games or triumphes as we haue said before Here after many daunsynges synginges maskinges runnynges wrestlynges and other tryinge of mastryes soodenly there appered in a large plaine nere vnto the haule .ii. greate armies of men of warre whiche the kynge for his pastyme had caused to bee prepared A pretie pastyme as the Spaniardes vse the playe with reedes whiche they caule Iuga de Canias As the armies drewe neere together they assayled the one the other as fiersely as if mortal ennemies with theyr baners spleade shulde fight for theyr goodes theyr landes theyr lyues their libertie theyr countrey theyr wyues and theyr chyldren Soo that within the momente of an howre foure men were slayne Foure men slaine in â—port and many wounded The battayle also shoulde haue contynued longer if the kynge had not at the request of owre men caused them to cease The thyrde day the Lieuetenant conselynge the kynge to sowe more plentie of gossampine vppon the bankes nere vnto the waters syde that they myghte the better paye theyr tribute priuately accordynge to the multitude of theyr howses he repayred to Isabella to vysite the sicke men whiche he had lefte there and also to see howe his woorkes wente forwarde In the tyme of his absence .xxx. of his men were consumed with diuerse diseases Prouision for diseased men Wherfore beinge sore trowbled in his mynde and in maner at his wyttes ende what he were best to doo for as muche as he wanted al thynges necessarie as well to restore them to healthe whiche were yet acrased as also vitayles to mayntaine the hole multitude where as there was yet no shippe coome from Spaine as at the length he determyned to sende abrode the sicke men here and there to sundrye Regions of the Ilande and to the castelles which they had erected in the same for directly from the citie of Isabella to saynt Dominikes towre that is from the north to the south The castels or towres of hispaniola throwgh the Iland they had buylded thus many castelles Fyrste .xxxvi. myles distante from Isabella they buylded the castell of Sperantia from Sperantia xxv myles was the castell of saynte Catharine from saynte Catharines .xx. myles was saynt Iames towre Other .xx. miles from saynte Iames towre was A stronger fortresse then any of the other which they cauled the towre of Conception which he made the stronger bicause it was situate at the rootes of the golden mountaynes of Cibaua The golden mountaynes of Cibaua in the greate and large playne soo fruitefull and well inhabited as we haue before described He buylded also an other in the mydde waye betwene the towre of Conception saynt Dominikes towre The which also was stronger then the towre of Conception bycause it was within the lymittes of A great kynge hauing vnder his dominion fiue thowsande men whose chiefe Citie and heade of the Realme beynge cauled Bonauum Bonauum he wylled that the castell shulde also bee cauled after the same name Therfore leauynge the sicke men in these castels and other of the Ilande howses nere vnto the same he hym selfe repayred to saynte Dominikes Tribute eractinge tributes of all the kynges whiche were in his waye When he had taryed there A fewe dayes there was a rumor spredde that all the kynges abowte the borders of the towre of Conception had conspyred with desperate myndes to rebell agenste the Spaniardes The kynges rebelle When the Lieuetenaunte was certified hereof he tooke his iorneye towarde them immediately not beyng discoraged eyther by the lengthe of the waye or feeblenesse of his souldyers beynge in maner forweried with trauayle As he drewe nere vnto them he had aduertisement that kynge Guarionexius was chosen by the other prynces to bee the Capitayne of this rebellion Guarionexius capitaine of the conspiracie And that he was enforsed therto halfe vnwilling beynge seduced by theyr perswasions and prouocations The whiche is more lykely to be trewe for that he had before had experience of the power and policie of owre men They came together at a daye appoynted accoompanied with .xv. thousande men An army of xv thouâ—ande Barbarians armed after their maner once agen to proue the fortune of warre Here the Lieuetenaunte consultynge with the Capitayne of the fortresse and the other souldiers of whoÌ„ he had the conducte determyned to sette vpon them vnwares in their owne howses before they coulde prepare theyr army He sent foorthe therfore to euery kynge a Centurian that is a capitaine of a hundreth which were commaunded vppon a sudden to inuade theyr howses in the night and to take theÌ„ sleepinge beefore the people beinge scattered here and there might assemble togyther Thus secreatly enteringe into their vylages not fortified with waules trenches or bulwarkes they broke in vppon them tooke them bounde them The kynges are taken pâ—â—soners and led away euery man his prisoner according as they were coÌ„maunded The Lieuetenaunt hym selfe with his hundreth men assayled kynge Guarionexius as the woorthier personage whom he tooke prysoner as dyd the other capitaynes theyr kynges at the same howre appoynted Foureteene of theym were browght the same nyght to the towre of Conception Shortlye after when he had put to death two of the kynges which were the chiefe autours of this newe reuolte and had suborned Guarionexius and the other kynges to attempte the same least the people for sorowe of theyr kynges shulde neglecte or forsake their countrey which thinge myght haue byn greate incommoditie to owre men who by thincrease of theyr seedes and
fruites were oftentymes ayded he freely pardoned and dismissed Guarionexius and the other kynges kynge Guarionexius is pardoned The people in the meane tyme flocked togyther abowte the towre to the noÌ„ber of fyue thowsande withowte weapons with pytiful houling for the delyueraunce of theyr kynges The ayer thundered the earth trembeled throwgh the vehemencie of theyr owtery The Lieuetenaunt warned Guarionexius and the other kynges with threatenynges with rewardes and with promyses neuer hereafter to attempte any suche thynge Then Guarionexius made an oration to the people of the great power of owre meÌ„ of theyr clemencie towarde offenders and liberalitie to suche as remayne faithfull desyringe them to quiet theyr myndes and from hensefoorth nother in deede nor thowght to interpryse any thynge ageynst the Christians but to obeye serue them excepte they wolde dayly brâ—nge them selues into further calamyties When the oration was fynyshed they tooke hym vp and set hym on theyr shulders and soo caryed hym home to his owne palaice And by this meanes this Region was pacified for a whyle But owre men with heauy countenaunce wandered vppe and downe as desolate in a strange countrey lackinge vytailes Lacke of vytayles and worne owte of apparell wheras .xv. moonethes were nowe passed sence the Admirals departure duringe which tyme they coulde heare nothynge owte of Spayne The Leauetenaunt comforted them all thâ—t he coulde with fayre wordes and promyses In the meane tyme Beuchius Anacauchoa the kynge of the Weste partes of the Region of Xaragua of whom we spake before sente messengers to the Lieuetenaunt to signifye vnto hym Beuchius Anacauchoa the kynge of Xaragua that he hadde in a redynes the gossampine cotton and suche other thinges as he wylled hym to prepare for the paymente of his trybute Whervppon the Lieuetenaunt tooke his iorney thyther and was honorably receaued of the kynge and his syster suÌ„tyme the wyfe of Caunaboa the kynge of Cibaua Queene Anacaona the wife of kynge Caunaboa bearing no lesse rule in the gouernaunce of her brothers kyngedome then he hym selfe For they affirme her to bee a wyse woman of good maners and pleasaunt in company Shee ernestly persuaded her brother by thexample of her husbande to loue and obeye the Christians This woman was cauled Anacanoa He fownde in the palaice of Beuchius Anacauchoa .xxxii. kynges which hadde browght theyr tributes with them xxxâ—i kynges and abode his comminge They browght with them also besyde theyr trybute assigned them further to demerite the fauour of owre men great plentie of vytayles as bothe kyndes of breade cunnyes and fysshes alredy dryed bycause they shulde not putrifie Serpentes also of that kynd which wee sayd to bee esteemed amonge them as most delicate meate Serpentes eaten and lyke vnto Crocodiles sauing in byggenes These serpentes they caule Iuannas which owre men learned sumewhat to late to haue byn engendred in the Ilande For vnto that day none of them durste aduenture to taste of them by reason of theyr horrible deformitie and lothe sumnes Yet the Lieuetenaunt beinge entysed by the pleasantnes of the kynges syster determined to taste of the serpentes But when he felte the fleshe therof to bee so delicate to his tonge he fel too amayne without al feare The which thinge his coompanyons perceauinge were not behynde hym in greedines In soo muche that they hadde nowe none other talke then of the sweetenes of these serpentes which they affyrme to bee of more pleasaunte taste then eyther owre phesauntes or pertriches But they lose theyr taste excepte they bee prepared after a certeyne fasshion as doo peacockes and phesauntes except they bee interlarded beefore they bee rosted They prepare them therefore after this maner The dressing of serpentes to be eaten Fyrst takynge owte theyr bowels euen from the throte to the thyghes they waâ—â—e and rubbe theyr bodies very cleane bothe within and withowte Then rouling them togyther on a cyrcle inuolued after the maner of a slepynge snake they thruste them into a potte of no bygger capacitie then to houlde them only This doone puttinge a lyttle water vnto them with a portion of the Ilande pepper they seethe theÌ„ with a soft fyer of sweete woodde and suche as maketh no greate smoke Of the fat of them beinge thus sodde is made an excedinge pleasaunte brothe or potage They say also that there is no meate to bee compared to the egges of these serpentes Serpentes egges eaten which they vse to seethe by them selues They are good to bee eaten as sone as they are sodde And may also bee reserued many dayes after But hauinge sayde thus muche of theyr intertaynement and daintie fare let vs nowe speake of other matters When the Lieuetenaunt had fylled one of the Ilande howses with the gossampine cotton which he hadde receaued for trybute Gossampine cotton the kynges promysed furthermore to gyue hym as muche of theyr breade as he wolde demaunde He gaue them hartie thankes and gentely accepted their freendly profer In the meane time whyle this breade was gatheringe in sundry Regions to bee browght to the palaice of Beuchius Anacauchoa kynge of Xaragua he sent messengers to Isabella for one of the two carauelles which were lately made there intendinge to sende the same thytâ—er ageyne laden with breade The maryners gladde of these tydynges sayled abowte the Ilande and in short space browght the shippe to the coastes of Xaragua The syster of kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa that wyse and pleasaunt woman Anacaona â—ueene Anacaona the wyfe sumtyme of Caunaboa the kynge of the golden howse of the mountaynes of Cibaua whose husbande dyed in the way when he shulde haue byn caryed into Spayne when shee harde saye that owre shyppe was arryued on the shore of her natiue countrey persuaded the kynge her brother that they bothe myght goo togyther to see it For the place where the shyppe lay was not paste .vi. myles distante from Xaragua They rested all night in the mydde way in a certeyne vyllage in the which was the treasurye or iewell howse of Anâ—caona The treasurie of Queene Anacaona Her treasure was nother goulde syluer or precious stones but only thynges necessary to bee vsed as cheyars stooles settels dysshes potingers pottes pannes basons treyes and suche other howsholde stuffe and instrumentes workemanly made of a certeyne blacke and harde shyninge woodde which that excellent lerned phisition Iohn baptiste Elisius affirmeth to bee hebene hebene woodde What so euer portion of wytte nature hath gyuen to the inhabitantes of these Ilandes the same doth most appeare in these kynde of woorkes in whiche they shewe great arte and cunnyng But those which this woman had were made in the Iland of Guanabba The Ilande of Guanabba situate in the mouth of the weste syde of Hispaniola In these they graue the lyuely Images of such phantasies as they suppose they see walke by night which the Antiquitie cauled Lemures Also the Images
of people then in any other place As owre men approched towarde them there came certeine messengers from their Cacici that is the kynges of the countrey to desyre the Admirall in the name of theyr princes to coome to theyr palayces withowte feare humayne people and that they and al theyrs shulde bee at his commaundement When the Admirall had thanked them and made his excuse for that tyme there came innumerable people with theyr boates to the shippes hauyng for the most parte cheynes abowte theyr neckes garlandes on theyr heades and braselettes on theyr armes of pearles of India Cheynes and garlandes of gold perles And that so commonlye that owre women in playes and tryumphes haue not greater plentie of stones of glasse and crystall in theyr garlandes crownes gerdels and suche other tyrementes Beinge asked where they gathered them they poynted to the next shore by the sea bankes They signified also by certeyne scorneful giestures which they made with theyr mouthes and handes that they nothyng esteemed perles Baskettes ful of pearles I knowe who had bags ful Taking also baskettes in their handes they made signes that the same might bee fylled with them in shorte space But bycause the corne wherwith his shyppes were laden to bee caryed into Hispaniola had taken hurt by reason of the salte water he determined to deferre this marte to a more conuenient tyme. Yet he sent to lande two of the shippe boates laden with men to thintent to fetch sum garlandes of perles for exchange of our thynges and also sumwhat to searche the nature of the Region and disposition of the people They enterteyned owr meÌ„ gentelly howe the Admirals men were enterteyned and came flockynge to them by heapes as it hadde byn to beholde sume straunge monsters Fyrste there came to meete owre men two men of grauitie whome the multitude folowed One of these was well in age and the other but younge They thinke it was the father with his soonne whiche shulde succede hym When the one had saluted and embrased the other they browght owre men into a certeyne rownde howse nere vnto the whiche was a greate courte Hether were browght many chayers and stooles made of a certeyne blacke woodde cheyers and stâ—les of hebene and very coonningely wrowght After that owre men and theyr Princes were sette theyr wayting men came in laden sume with sundry delicate dysshes and sume with wyne Fruites and wyne But theyr meate was only fruites and those of dyuers kyndes and vtterly vnknoweÌ„ to vs. Theyr wyne was both whyte and redde not made of grapes but of the lycour of dyuers fruites and very pleasaunte in drynkynge wyne of the lycour of fruites After this banquette made in the owlde mans howse the younge man browght them to his tabernacle or mancion place where was a greate coompany bothe of men and women but they stoode deceauered the one from the other They are whyte whyte men nere the Equinoctial euen as owre men are sauynge suche as are much conuersant in the sonne They are also very gentyll and full of humanitie towarde strangiers They coouer theyr pryuie partes with gossampine cotton wrowght with sundry coloures and are besyde all naked There was fewe or none that had not eyther a coller a cheyne or a braselette of golde and pearles and many had all Beinge asked where they had that golde they poynted to certeyne mountaynes mountaynes are the matrices of golde seemynge with theyr countenaunce to dissuade owre men from goinge thyther For puttinge theyr armes in theyr mouthes and grynninge as thowgh they bytte the same stylle poyntinge to the mountaynes they seemed to insinuate that men were eaten there But whether they mente by the Canibales Canibales or wylde beastes owre men cowlde not well perceaue They tooke it excedinge greeuouslye that they coulde nother vnderstande owre men nor owre men them When they which were sente to lande were returned to the shippes abowte three of the clocke at after noone the same daye bringinge with them certeyne garlandes and collers of pearles they loosed theyr ankers to departe myndinge to coome ageyne shortly when all thynges were sette in good order in Hispaniola But he was preuented by an other which defeated hym of the rewarde of his trauayle He was also hyndered at this tyme by reasoÌ„ of the shalownes of the sea violeÌ„t course of the water Shalownes of the sea which with continual tossing broosed the greatest ship as often as any great gale of wynde arose To auoyde the daungiours of suche shalowe places and shelfes he euer sent one of the smaulest carauelles before The vse of careuelles or brigantines to try the way with soundinge and the byggest shâ—ppes folowed behynde The Regions beinge in the large prouince of Paria for the space of CCXXX myles are cauled of thinhabitantes Cumana and Manacapana Cumana and Manacapana regions of the prouince of Paria Curiana from these regions distant three score leaques is there an other Region cauled Curiana When he had thus passâ—d ouer this long tract of sea supposing styll that it had byn an Ilande doutinge that he might passe by the Weste to the Northe directlye to Hispaniola he chaunced into a ryuer of .xxx. cubettes depthe of such breadth as hath not lyghtly byn harde of A ryuer of maruelous depth and bredth For he affirmeth it to bee .xxviii. leaques A lyttle further toward the Weste yet sumwhat more sowthwarde as the bending of the shore requyred â—he entered into a sea full of herbes or weedes A â—ea of weedes The seede of the herbes whiche swymme on the water are muche lyke the berryes of the tree cauled Lentiscus Lentiscus which beareth the sweete guÌ„me cauled Mâ—stix Mastix They grewe soo thicke that they sumetyme in maner stayed the shippes The Admirall reported that here there is not one daye thorowghe owte all the yeare muche longer or shorter then an other And that the Northe pole is here eleuate onely fyue degrees as at Paria The eleuation of the pole at Paria in whose tracte all these coastes lye Hee also declared certeyne thynges as concerninge the variete of the northe pole The which because they seeme contrarye to thoppinions of all the Astronomers Note a secreâ—te as concerning the pole starre I wyll touche them but with a drye foote as sayth the prouerbe But it is wel knowen moste noble prince that the starre which we caule the pole starre or north starre cauled of the Italians Tramontana is not the very poynte of the pole Artyke vppon the whiche the axes or extremities of heauens are turned abowte The which thynge may well be proued if when the starres fyrst appeare An experieÌ„ce yowe beeholde the pole starre throwgh any narowe hole For soo applyinge yowre instrument therto in the morninge sumwhat before the day springe haue blemyshed theyr lyght yf then
or a bone or a piece of fleshe they coomme to the sicke person commaundinge al to departe owte of that place Iuggelynge excepte one or twoo whom it shall please the sicke man to appoynt This doone they goo about hym three or foure tymes greatly deforminge theyr faces lyppes and nosethrils with sundry fylthy giestures A strange maâ—er of curing blowynge breathinge and suckyng the forheade temples and necke of the pacient wherby they saye they drawe the euyll ayer from hym and sucke the disease owt of his veynes Then rubbinge hym about the shoulders thyghes and legges and drawynge downe theyr handes close by his feete holdinge them yet faste togyther they runne to the dore beinge open where they vnclose and shake theyr handes affirminge that they haue dryuen away the disease and that the pacient shall shortely bee perfectly restored to health After this commynge behynde hym he conueygheth the piece of fleshe owte of his owne mouth like a iuggeler and sheweth it to the sicke man sayinge behoulde what you haue eaten to muche you shall nowe bee hole bycause I haue taken this from you But if he intende yet further to deceaue the pacient he persuadeth hym that his Zemes is angry Angery gods eyther bycause he hath not buylded hym a chapell or not honored hym religiously or not dedicated vnto him a groue or garden And if it soo chaunce that the sicke person dye his kinsfolkes by wytchecrafte enforce the deade to confesse whether he dyed by naturall destenye They make the deade to speake or by the neglygence of the Boitius in that he had not fasted as he shulde haue doone or not mynistred a conuenient medicine for the disease Soo that yf this phisitian bee founde fautie they take reuenge of hym Of the stones or bones which these Boitii carye in theyr mouthes yf the women can coome by them they keepe them religiously beleauinge them to bee greatly effectuall to helpe women whiche trauayle with chylde And therfore honoure them as they doo theyr Zemes. For dyuers of thinhabitantes honour Zemes of dyuers fasshions Sume make theim of woodde Diuers Idols of sundry shape as they were admonyshed by certeyne visions apperinge vnto them in the wooddes Other whiche haue receaued answere of them amonge the rockes make theÌ„ of stone and marble Sum they make of rootes to the similitude of suche as appeare to them when they are gathering the rootes cauled Ages wherof they make theyr breade as we haue sayde before These Zemes they beleue to send plentie and frutefulnes of those rootes as the antiquitie beleued suche fayries or spirites as they cauled Dryades Hamadryades Satyros Panes and Nereides Fayries or spirites of the gentyles to haue the cure and prouidence of the sea wooddes sprynges and fountaynes assigninge to euery thynge theyr peculier goddes Peculier goddes Euen soo doo thinhabitantes of this Ilande attribute a Zemes to euery thynge supposinge the same to gyue eare to theyr inuocations Wherfore as often as the kynges aske counsaile of their Zemes as concerning their warres They aske coÌ„saile of Idoâ—s increase of fruites or scarsnes or health and sickenes they enter into the house dedicate to theyr Zemes where snuffinge vp into theyr nosethryls the pouder of the herbe cauled Cohobba wherwith the Boitii are dryuen into a furye they say that immediatly they see the houses turne topsy turnye The â—ouder of the herbe Cohobba and men to walke with theyr heeles vpwarde of suche force is this pouder vtterly to take away all sense As soone as this maddenes ceaseth he embraseth his knees with his armes holdynge downe his heade And wheÌ„ he hath remayned thus a whyle astonysshed he lyfteth vp his heade as one that came newe owt of sleepe And thus loking vp towarde heauen Fyrst he fumbeleth certeyne confounded woordes with hym selfe Then certeyne of the nobilitie or chiefe gentelmen that are about him for none of the common people are admytted to these mysteries with lowde voyces gyue tokens of reioysing that he is returned to them from the speache of the Zemes Secreate misteries demaundynge of hym what he hathe seene Then hee openinge his mouthe doateth that the Zemes spake to hym duryng the tyme of his traunce declaring that he had reuelations eyther concerninge victorye or destruction Reuelations famyne or plentie health or syckenes or what soo euer happeneth fyrst on his toonge Nowe moste noble Prince what neede you hereafter to marueyle of the spirite of Apollo soo shakynge his Sibylles with extreme furie The spirite of Apollo The Sibilles Yowe had thowght that the superstitious antiquitie hadde peryshed But nowe wheras I haue declared thus much of the Zemes in generall I thowght it not good to lette passe what is sayde of them in particuler They saye therefore that a certeyne kynge cauled Guamaretus I haue harde the lyke of other in Englande had a Zemes whose name was Corochotum who they say was often tymes woonte to descende frome the hygheste place of the house where Guamaretus kepte hym faste bounde They affirme that the cause of this his breakynge of his bandes and departure was eyther to hyde hym selfe or to goo seeke for meate hungery and â—echerous Gods or els for the acte of generation And that sumtymes beinge offended that the kynge Guamaretus had byn negligent and slacke in honouringe hym he was woont to lye hyd for certeyne dayes They say also that in the kynges vylage there are sumtyme chyldren borne hauing twoo crownes which they suppose to bee the children of Corochotum the Zemes. ChildreÌ„ with two crownes They fayne lykewyse that Guamaretus beinge ouercome of his enemies in the battayle and his vylage with the palaice consumed with fyer Corochotus brake his bandes and was afterwarde founde a furlonge of safe and withowte hurte He hath also an other Zemes cauled Epileguanita made of woodde in shape lyke a foure footed beaste who also is sayde wanderinge Images often tymes to haue gonne from the place where he is honoured in to the wooddes As soone as they perceaue him to bee gonne a great multitude of them gather togyther to seeke hym with deuoute prayers And when they haue fownde hym brynge hym home religiously on theyr shulders to the chapell dedicated vnto hym But they coomplayne that sence the commynge of the Christian men into the Ilande he fledde for all togyther and coulde neuer sence bee founde wherby they diuined the destruction of theyr countrey They honoured an other Zemes in the lykenes of a woman on whom wayted twoo other lyke men as they were ministers to her One of these executed thoffice of a mediatour to the other Zemes which are vnder the power and commaundement of this woman Mediatours A woman zemes of great poure to rayse wyndes cloudes and rayne The other is also at her commaundemente a messenger to the other Zemes whiche are ioyned with her in gouernaunce to gather togyther
about xv myles distante they founde a towne of fyue hundreth houses seuered whose Chebi that is kinge was cauled Abenamachei They all forsooke theyr houses as soone as they harde of owre mennes commyng But when they sawe that owre men pursued them they turned ageyne and ranne vppon them with desperate mindes as men driuen from their owne possessions Theyr wepons are swordes of wod and long staues like iauelens hardened at the ende with fyer But they vse neyther bowes nor arrowes nor any other of thinhabitantes of the weste syde of the goulfe Thâ—nhabitantes of the west â—yde of the goulfe The pore naked wretches were easely dryuen to flight with owre weapons As owre men folowed theym in the chase they tooke the kinge Abenamachei and certeine of his noble men kynge Abenamachei is taken and his arme cut of A common souldier of owres whom the kynge had wounded coomminge to hym when he was taken cutte of his arme at one stroke with his swoorde But this was doone vnwares to the capitaynes The number of the Christian men which were here was aboute a hundrethe and fiftie the one halfe whereof the capytaynes lefte here and they with the resydue rowed vpp the ryuer ageyne with twelue of the boates of those Regions whiche they caul Vru as they of Hispaniola caule them Canoas as we haue sayde From the ryuer of Riuus Niger and the Iland of Cannafistula Many other ryuers fauling into Riuus Niger for the space of threescore and ten myles leauing both on the right hande on the lefte many riuers faulinge into it bigger then it selfe they entred into one by the conductynge of one of the naked inhabitantes beinge appoynted a guyde for that purpose Uppon the banke of this ryuer next vnto the mouthe of the same there was a kynge cauled Abibeiba kyng abibeiba dwellethe in a tree who bycause the Region was full of marysshes had his palaice buylded in the toppe of a highe tree a newe kynde of byldynge and seldome seene But that lande beareth trees of suche exceding heigth Abundance of moyster heat is cause of byggenes that emonge theyr branches a man may frame large houses As wee reede the like in diuers autoures howe in many Regions where the ocean sea rysethe and ouerflowethe the lande the people were accustomed to flye to the high trees and after the faule of the water to take the fysshe lefte on the lande The rysynge of the Ocean sea This maner of buyldinge is to laye beames crosse ouer the branches of the trees faste bownde togyther and there vppon to rayse theyr frame strongly made ageynste wynde and wether Owre men suppose that they buylde theyr houses in trees by reason of the greate fluddes and ouerflowinge of ryuers whiche often tymes chaunce in those Regions These trees are of suche heighth Trees of maruelous height that the strength of no manes arme is able to hurle a stone to the houses buylded therein And therfore doo I gyue the better credit to Plinie and other autours whiche wrytte that the trees in sume places in India are soo high by reason of the frutefulnes of the grounde Plinie abundance of water and heate of the Region that noo man is able to shute ouer theym with an arrowe And by iudgemente of all men it is thowght that there is noo frutfuller ground vnder the soonne Frutefull grounde then this is whereof wee nowe entreate Owr men measuringe manye of these trees founde theym to bee of suche biggnes that seuen men ye sumetymes eight holdinge hande in hande with theyr armes streached furthe were scarsely able too fathâ—me them aboute Yet haue they theyr cellers in the grounde Cellers in the grounde well replenysshed with such wynes wherof wee haue spoken beefore For albeit that the vehemencie of the wynde is not of poure to caste downe those houses or to breeke the branches of the trees yet are they tossed therewith and swaye sumwhat from syde to syde by reason wherof the wyne shulde bee muche troubeled with moouinge All other necessarye thinges they haue with theym in the trees When the kynge or any other of the noble men dyne or suppe in these trees theyr wyues are browght theym from the celleres by theyr seruantes whyche by meanes of exercise are accustomed with noo lesse celeritie to runne vppe and downe the steares adherente to the tree then doo owre waytynge boyes vppon the playne grounde fetche vs what wee caule for from the cobbarde bysyde owr dyninge table Owre men therfore came to the tree of kinge Abibeiba and by thinterpretoures cauled hym foorthe to communication gyuinge hym signes of peace and there vppon willinge hym to coomme downe But he denyed that he woolde coomme owte of his house Desyringe them to suffer hym to lyue after his fasshion But owre men fell from fayre woordes to threateninge that excepte he wolde descende with all his famelie they wolde eyther ouerthrowe the tree or elles set it on fyer When he had denied them ageyne they fell to hewinge the tree with theyr axes Abibeiba seeinge the chippes faule from the tree on euery syde Abibeiba the kynge of the tree yeldethe to Uaschus chaunged his purpose and came downe with only two of his soones Thus after they had entreated of peace they communed of gatheringe of golde Abibeiba answered that he had noo golde and that he neuer had any neede therof nor yet regarded it any more then stones But when they were instante vppon hym he sayde vnto them Gold no more estemed then stones If yowe soo greatly desyre golde I will seeke for sume in the nexte mountaynes and bringe it vnto yowe For it is plentifully engendred in those mountaynes Then he appointed a day when he wold bringe this golde But Abibeiba came neyther at the day nor after the daye appoynted They departed therfore from thense well refresshed with his vitailes and wyne but not with goulde as they hoped Yet were they enformed the like by Abibeiba and his ditionaries as concerninge the golde mynes and the Canibales as they harde before of kinge Comogrus Saylinge yet further aboute thirtie myles they chaunced vppon certeyne cotages of the Canibales Canibales But vtterly voyde with owte men or stuffe For when they had knowleage that owre men wandered in the prouinces nere aboute theym they resorted to the mountaynes caryinge al theyr goodes and stuffe wyth them ¶ The fyfte booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed continent IN the meane tyme whyle these thynges were doone alonge by the shores or bankes of the ryuer a certeyne Decurian that is a capytayne ouer tenne of the coompanye of those which Vascus and Colmenaris had lefte for a garryson in Riuo Nigro in the dominion of kynge Abinamachei whether it were that he was compelled throwgh hunger or that his fataule dayes was nowe coome he attempted with his souldiers to searche the countreys nere there about
hym in this effect Thoracion of the byshop of Burges in the defâ—nce of Peâ—â—us arias May it please yowre hyghnes to vnderstand most catholyke Prince that wheras Petrus Arias a man of valiente corage and greate seruice hath offered hym selfe to aduenture his lyfe in yowre maiesties affayres vnder vncerteyne hope of gayne and moste certeyne perels yet that notwithstandynge sum other haue ambiciously maliced his felicitie and prefermeÌ„t labouringe for thoffice whereto he is elected It maye please yowre grace herein soo to shewe hym yowr fauour and permit hym to enioye his sayde office as yowre maiestie doo knowe hym to bee a woorthy and meete man for the same hauyng in tyme paste had greate experience of his prowesse and valianenesse aswell in behauinge hym selfe as orderinge his souldiers as yowr hyghnes may the better consyder if it shal please yowe to caule to remembrance his doinges in the warres of Aphrica The warres of Aphrica where he shewed hym selfe bothe a wyse Capitayne and valient souldier As concerninge his maners and vsages other wayes they are not vnknowen to yowre maiestie vnder whose wynge he hath of a chylde byn browght vp in the courte and euer founde faythfull towarde yowre hyghnesse Wherfore to declare my opinion vnder yowre graces fauour whom it hath pleased to appoynt me a commissioner in these affayres I thinke it were vngodly that he shuld bee put from his office at the sute of any other especially beinge thereto moued by ambition and couetousnes who perchaunce woold proue them selues to be the same men in the office if they shuld obteyne it as they nowe shewe them selues in the ambitious desirynge of the same When the bysshoppe had sayde these woordes the kynge confirmed the election of Petrus Arias in more ample maner then before Petrus Arias Lieuetenante of Dariena wyllynge the byshoppe to appoynt hym a thousande and twoo hundreth souldiers at his charges makynge hym a warrante to thofficers of his escheker to delyuer hym money in preste for the same purpose Petrus Arias therfore beinge thus put in office and authorysed by the kynges letters patentes vnder his brode seale Petrus Arias hath a thousand twâ—o hundreth meÌ„ appoynted at the kynges charges chose a greate number of his souldiers in the court and soo departed frome Valladoleto aboute the calendâ—s of October in the yeare 1513 And sayled fyrst to Ciuile beinge a verye ryche citie and well replenyshed with people where by the kynges magistrates he was furnyshed with men and vytayles and other necessaries perteynynge to soo greate a matter For the king hath in this citie erected a house seruinge only for th affayres of the Ocean A house in Ciuile appointed to the affayres of India to the which al they that goo or coome from the newe landes and Ilandes resorte to gyue accomptes aswell what they cary thyther as what they brynge from thense that the kynge may bee truly answered of his custome of the fyfte part bothe of golde and other thynges as wee haue sayde before This house they caule the house of the Contractes of Indi Petrus Arias founde in Ciuile aboue twoo thousand younge men which made great sute to goo with hym Perularia lykewyse noo small number of couetous owlde men of the whiche many offered them selues to goo with him of theyr owne charges withowt the kynges stipende Many profe them selues to go of theyâ— owne charges But leste the shippes shulde bee pestered with to great a multitude or least vytayles shulde fayle them the libertie of free passage was restraynt It was also decreed that noo stranger might passe withowt the kynges licence Wherfore I doo not a lyttle maruaile at Aloisius Cadamustus a venetian and wryter of the Portugales vyages Aloisius Cadamustus iâ— reproued that he was not a shamed to wryte thus of the Spanyardes nauigations we went we sawe we dyd Wheras he neuer went not any Uenetian sawe But he stoule certeyne annotacions owte of the three first bookes of my fyrst Decade wrytten to Cardinal Ascanius and Arcimboldus supposinge that I woolde neuer haue publysshed the same It myght also happen that he came by the copie therof at the hande of sum ambasadoure of Uenice For I haue graunted the copie to many of them and was not daungerous to forbyd them to coÌ„municate the same to other Howe so euer it bee this honeste man Aloisius Cadamustus feared not to chalenge vnto hym the frute of an other mans laboure Of the inuentions of the Portugales which surely are woonderfull whether he haue wrytten that whiche he hath seene as he sayth or lykewise bereaued other men of the iuste commendations of theyr trauayles The Portâ—gales inueâ—tions I wyll not iudge but am content to let hym lyue after his maner Emonge the company of these souldiers there were none embarked but suche as were licenced by the kynge except a fewe Italians Genues who by frendshippe and sute were admitted for the Admirals sake younge Colonus sonne and heyre to Christophorus Colonus the fyrst fynder of those landes Petrus Arias therfore tooke shippyng in the ryuer Betis nowe cauled Guadalqueuir runnyng by the citie of Ciuile The nauigatioÌ„ of Petrus Arias aboute the beginnynge of the yeare of Christe .1514 But he loosed anker in an euyll houre A shipwracke For suche a tempeste folowed shortly after his departure that it rent in pieces two of his shippes and soo tossed the other that they were enforced to heaue ouer boorde parte of theyr vytayles to lyghten them All such as escaped sayled backe ageyne to the coastes of Spayne where beinge newely furnyshed and refreshed by the kynges officers they went forwarde on theyr viage The master pylot of the gouernoures shyppe was Iohannes Vesputius a Florentine the neuie of Americus Vesputius Americus Vesputius who left hym as it were by discente of inheritance thexperience of the mariners facultie and knowleage of the sea carde and compasse But wee were aduertised of late by certeyne which came from Hispaniola that they had passed the Ocean with more prosperous wynde For this marchaunt shyppe commynge from Hispaniola founde them landinge at certeyne Ilandes nere there aboute But in the meane tyme whyle my importunate caulers on Galeaceus Butrigarius and Iohannes Cursius men studious by al meanes to gratifie yowre holynes ceased not to put me in rememberance that they had one in a redines to depart into Italy and taryed onely to cary with hym vnto yowre holynes these my fayre Nereides althowgh rudely decked leaste I shulde bestow muche tyme in vayne I haue let passe many thynges wyll reherse onely such as seeme in my iudgement moste woorthye memory althowgh sumwhat disordered as occasion hath serued So it is therfore that this Petrus Arias hath a wyfe named Helisabeth a Boadilla A notable exemple of a valient woman beinge niese by the broothers syde to the marques of Boadilla which rendered the citie of
kynge were slayne lyke brute beastes Vaschus founde the house of this kynge infected with most abhominable and vnnaturall lechery Unnatural lechery For he founde the kynges brother and many other younge men in womens apparell smoth effeminately decked which by the report of such as dwelte abowte hym he abused with preposterous venus Of these abowte the number of fortie he commaunded to bee gyueÌ„ for a pray to his dogges For as we haue sayd the Spaniardes vsâ— he helpe of dogges in their warres ageynst the naked people whom they inuade as fiercely and rauenyngely as yf they were wylde boares or hartes The vse of dogges in the warre agenst the naked Barbarians In soo muche that owre Spanyardes haue founde theyr dogges noo lesse faythful to them in all daungiours and enterpryses then dyd the Colophonians or Castabalenses which instituted hole armies of dogges soo made to serue in the warres that beinge accustomed to place them in the fore froonte of the battayles they neuer shrunke or gaue backe When the people had harde of the seuere punysshement which owr men had excecuted vppon that fylthy kynde of men Naturaul hatred of vnnatural sinne they resorted to theim as it had byn to Hercules for refuge by violence bryngyng with them al such as they knewe to bee infected with that pestilence spettynge in theyr faces and cryinge owte to owre men to take reuenge of them and rydde them owte of the worlde from amonge meÌ„ as contagious beastes This stinkynge abhomination hadde not yet entered amonge the people Palatini but was exercised onely by the noble men and gentelmen But the people lyftinge vp theyr handes and eyes toward heauen I wolde all men were of this opinion gaue tokens that god was greuously offended with such vyle deedes Affirmynge this to bee the cause of theyr soo many thunderinges lyghtnynge and tempestes wherwith they are soo often troubeled And of the ouerflowinge of waters which drowne theyr sets and frutes whereof famenne and dyuers diseases insue as they simplye and faythfully beleue although they knowe none other god then the soonne whom onely they honoure thinkynge that it dooth bothe gyue and take awaye as it is pleased or offended Yet are they very docible The harueâ—â— is great the woorkemen but fewe and easye to bee allured to owre customes and religion if they had any teachers In theyr language there is nothynge vnpleasaunte to the eare or harde to bee pronounced but that all theyr woordes may bee wrytten with latin letters as wee sayde of thinhabitantes of Hispaniola It is a warlyke nation warreâ—yke people hath byn euer hetherto molestous to theyr bortherers But the region is not fortunate with frutful ground or plentie of gold Yet is it full of greate barren mountaynes beinge sumewhat colde by reason of theyr heyght The hygher the couâ—der And therfore the noble men and gentelmen are apparelled But the common people lyue content onely with the benefytes of nature There is a region not past two dayes iourney distant from Quarequa in which they founde only blacke Moores A region of black moores and those excedynge fierce and cruell They suppose that in tyme paste certeyne blacke mores sayled thether owt of Aethiopia to robbe that by â—hippewracke or sume other chaunce they were dryuen to those mountaynes Thinhabitantes of Quarequa lyue in continuall warre and debate with these blacke men Here Vaschus leâ—uinge in Quarequa many of his souldiers which by reason they were not yet accustomed to such trauayles and hunger Diseases of change of ayer dyet fell into dyuers diseases tooke with hym certeyne guydes of the Quarequatans to conduct hym to the toppes of the mountaynes From the palaice of kynge Poncha to the prospect of the other south sea The south sea is only syxe dayes iorney the which neuerthelesse by reasoÌ„ of many hynderances and chaunces and especially for lacke of vytayles he coulde accomplyshe in noo leâ—se then .xxv. dayes But at the length the seuenth daye of the calendes of October Uaâ—chus is coome to the fyght of the newe south sea he behelde with woonderinge eyes the toppes of the hygh mountaynes shewed vnto hym by the guydes of Quarequa from the whiche he myght see the other sea soo longe looked for and neuer seene before of any man commynge owte of owre worlde Approchinge therefore to the toppes of the mountaynes he commaunded his armye to stey and went him selfe alone to the toppe as it were to take the fyrst possession therof Prayer Where faulynge prostrate vppon the grounde and raysinge hym selfe ageyne vpon his knees as is the maner of the Christians to pray lyftynge vppe his eyes and handes towarde heauen and directinge his face towarde the newe founde south sea he poored foorth his humble and deuout prayers before almyghtie God as a spirituall sacrifice with thankes gyuing God rayseth the poore froÌ„ the dungehyl that it had pleased his diuine maiestie to reserue vnto that day the victorie and praise of so greate a thynge vnto hym beinge a man but of smaule witte and knowleage of lyttle experience and base parentage When he had thus made his prayers after his warlike maner he beckened with his hande to his coompanions to coome to hym shewynge them the greate mayne sea heretofore vnknowen to thinhabitantes of Europe Aphrike and Asia Here ageyne he fell to his prayers as before desyringe almyghtie God and the blessed virgin to fauour his beginninges and to gyue hym good successe to subdue those landes to the glorie of his holy name and encrease of his trewe religion All his coompanions dyd lykewyse and praysed god with loude voyces for ioye Then Vaschus with no lesse manlye corage then Hanniball of Carthage shewed his souldiers Italye and the promontories of the Alpes hanniball of Carthage exhorted his men to lyft vp their hartes and to behoulde the lande euen nowe vnder theyr feete and the sea before theyr eyes whiche shulde bee vnto them a full and iust rewarde of theyr great laboures and trauayles nowe ouerpaâ—sed When he had sayde these woordes he commaunded them to raise certeine heapes of stones in the steede of alters for a token of possession Uaschus taketh possession of the mountaynes Then descendynge from the toppes of the mountaynes least such as might come after hym shulde argue hym of lyinge or falshod he wrote the kynge of Castelles name here and there on the barkes of the trees bothe on the ryght hande and on the lefte and raysed heapes of stones all the way that he went vntyll he came to the region of the nexte kynge towarde the south whose name was Chiapes kynge Chiapes This kynge câ—me foorthe ageynste hym with a greate multitude of men threateninge and forbyddynge him not onely to passe through his dominions but also to goo no further Herevppon Vaschus set his battayle in array A battayle and exhorted his men beinge
in the owlde tyme as in owre dayes hathe yet doothe drawe bothe men and women to emmoderate desyre of superfluous pleasure wanton and superfluous pleasures Spayne therefore shal be able hereafter with perles to satisfie the gredye appetite of suche as in wanton pleasures are lyke vnto Cleopatra Asopus So that frome hensforth we shal neyther enuye nor reuerence the nyse frutefulnes of Stoidum Cleopatra Aâ—opus Stoidum or Taprobana Taprobana or the reâ—de sea But lette vs nowe returne to owre purpose Vaschus therfore determined with the fysshers of Chiapes to proue what myght bee doone in his fyshe pooles or stations of sea muscules Chiapes to shewe hym selfe obediente to Vaschus his requeste although the sea were boystyous coommaunded thirtye of his fysshers to prepare them selfes and to resorte to the fysshinge places Vaschus sente onelye syxe of his men with them to beeholde them frome the sea bankes but not to coommitte them selues to the daunger of the sea The fysshynge place was distante frome the palayce of Chiapes aboute tenne myles The fysshing place of king Chiapes They durste not aduenture to dyue to the bottome by reason of the furye of the sea Yet of the muscules whiche lye hyghest and of suche as were dryuen to the shore by the vyolence of the water theye broughte syxe greate farthels in the space of a fewe dayes The perles of these were but lyttle aboute the bygnes of smaule fytches yet verye fayre and bewtyfull by reason theye were taken newely owte of the fysshe beinge yet rawe And that they shulde not bee reproued of lyinge as concerninge the bignes of these sea musculs they sente many of them into Spayne to the kynge with the perles the fysshe beynge taken owte Wee thinke verily that there maye in noo place bygger bee founde These shelle fysshes therfore beynge thus founde here in soo manye places in that sea and gold in maner in euerye house Golde in maner in euery house doo argue the ryche treasurye of nature too bee hyd in those coastes forasmuche as suche greate ryches haue byn founde as it were in the lytle fynger of a giantes hande The ryche treasurye of nature What then maye wee thynke of the hole hande of the gyante for hetherto theye haue onely bynne in hande with the confynes of Vraba when theye shall haue thorowly searched all the coastes and secreates of the inner partes of all that large lande But Vaschus contented with these sygnes ioyfull of his good successe in these enterprises determined by an other waye to returne to his felowes in Dariena where also they haue golde mynes aboute tenne myles from the village The golde mynes of Dariena He gaue therfore kyng Chiapes leaue to depart and to folowe hym noo further Consailyng hym to continue faythfull to the christian kynge his lorde maister Thus embrasinge the one the other ioyninge handes Chiapes departed with teares declaring the good mynde which he bore to owre men Vaschus leauing his sicke meÌ„ with Chiapes Went forward on his iourney with the resydue hauinge also with him for guydes three of Chiapes maryners He conueyghed his armye ouer a greate ryuer into the dominion of a certeine kynge cauled Teaocha Kynge Teaocha enterteyneth vaschus frendeâ—ye who beinge aduertised of the coommyng of owre men of whose famous actes he had harde muche before was verye gladde therof and enterteyned them honorably So that for a token of his frendely affection towarde them he gaue Vaschus twentie poundes weyght of wrought golde after eyght ounces to the pounde Twentye pounde weight of wroughte golde Also twoo hundreth bigge perles but not fayre by reason they were taken owt of the musculs after they had byn sodden After they had ioyned handes Vaschus recompensed hym with certeyne of owre thynges Lykewise rewardynge his guydes the seruantes of Chiapes he dismissed them with commendations to theyr lord Kyng Teaocha at the departure of owr men from his palaice dyd not onely appoint them guydes to conduct them in the way but also gaue them certeyne slaues in the steede of beastes to cary theyr vytayles bycause they shulde passe throwgh many desertes Desertes full of wylde beastes baren and rowgh mountaynes and terrible wooddes full of tygers and Lions He sent also one of his sonnes with these slaues ladynge them with salted and dryed fyshâ— Dryed fysshe and breade of those regions made of the rootes of Maizium and Iucca He also commaunded his sonne not to depart from owr men vntyl he were licenced by Vaschus By theyr conductinge therfore Vaschus came to the dominion of an other kyng whose name was Pacra a cruell tyranne Kynge Pacrâ— a tyranne fearefull to the other kynges his bortherers and of greater poure then any of them This tyran whether it were that his giltie conscience for his mischeuous actes put him in feare that owre menne woolde reuenge the same or that he thought hym selfe inferior to resist them fled at theyr commynge Vaschus wryteth that in these regions in the mooneth of Nouember he was sore afflicted with greate heate and intollerable thirst Greate heate in the monethe of Nouember by reason that syde of the mountaynes hath lyttle water In soo muche that they were in daunger to haue perisshed but that certeyne of thinhabitants shewed them of a sprynge which was in the secreate place of a woodde whither Vaschus with all speade sent twoo quycke and stronge younge men of his coompanions with theyr gourdes and suche water vesselles as Teaocha his men browghte with them Of thinhabitantes there durst none depart from there coompany bycause the wylde beastes doo soone inuade naked men For in those mountaynes and especially in the wooddes neare vnto the springe they saye that they are sumtymes taken owte of there houses in the nyght excepte they take good heede that the doores bee well sparde It shall not bee frome my purpose hereto declare a particular chauÌ„ce before I enter any further in this matter hurte by wylde beastes Theye saye therfore that the laste yeare the regyon of Dariena was noolesse infested and trowbeled with a fierse tyger A tyger then was Calidonia in tyme paste with a wylde bore Calydonia is a foreste in Scotlande and Nemea with a horrible lyon Nemea is a wodde in Greece For they affyrme that for the space of syxe hole moonethes there passed not one nyghte withowte summe hurte doone soo that it kylled nyghtlye eyther a bullocke a mare a dogge or a hogge sumtimes euen in the highe wayes of the village For owre men haue nowe greatheardes of cattayle in those regions They say also that when this tyger had whelpes Tigers whelpes noo man myght safelye goo furthe of his doores bycause shee spared not men if shee mette fyrste with them But at the lengeth necessitye enforced them to inuente a policye howe they myght bee reuenged of suche
bludshed Searchynge therfore dilygently her footesteppes Thus the Egiptians take Crocodiles and folowynge the pathe wherbye shee was accustomed in the nyght season to wander owte of her denne to seeke her praye theye made a greate trenshe or pytte in her walke coueringe the same with hurdels whervppon theye caste parte of the earthe and dispersed the resydue The dogge tyger chaunsed fyrste into this pitfaul The dogge tyger taken The rorynge of the tyger and fel vppon the poyntes of sharpe stakes and suche other ingens as were of purpose fyxed in the bottome of the trenshe Beynge thus wounded he rored soo terrybly that it grated the bowels of suche as harde hym and the wooddes and montaynes neare aboute rebounded the noyse of the horryble crye When they perceaued that he was layde faste they resorted to the trenshe and slewe hym with stones dartes and pykes With his teethe and clawes he broke the dartes into a thousande chyppes Beynge yet deade he was fearefull to all suche as behelde hym what then thinke you he woolde haue doone beynge alyue and loose One Iohannes Ledisma of Ciuile a nere frynde to Vaschus and one of the coompanyons of his trauayles toulde me that he hym selfe dyd eate of the fleshe of that tiger Tigers flesh eaten and that it was nothinge inferyor to biefe in goodnes Beynge demaunded howe they knewe hit to bee a tyger forasmuche as none of them had euer seene a tyger they answered that they knewe hit by the spottes fiercenes agilitye and suche other markes and token wherby the anciente writers haue described the tiger For sum of them had before tyme seene other spotted wilde beastes as lybardes panthers The dogge tiger beynge thus kylled theye folowynge the trase of his steppes towarde the mountaines came to the denne where the bytche remayned with her twoo younge suckynge whelpes The bitche tyger But shee was not in the denne at there coommynge Theye fyrste caryed awaye the whelpes with them But afterwarde fearynge leaste they shulde dye bycause theye were very younge Tigers whelpes entendynge when they were bygger to sende them into Spayne they put cheynes of yren aboute there neckes and caryed them agayne to there denne whither returnynge within a fewe dayes after theye founde the denne emptye and the cheynes not remoued frome there place A straunge thynge Theye suppose that the damme in her furye fore them in pyeces and caryed them awaye leste anye shulde haue the fruition of them For theye playnely affirme that it was not possible that they shulde bee loosed frome the chaynes alyue The skynne of the deade tyger stuffed with drye herbes and strawe theye sente to Hispaniola to the admyrall and other of the chiefe rulers frome whome the newe landes receyue there lawes and succoure It shall at this tyme suffyce to haue written thus much of the tygers as I haue lerned by the reporte of them whiche bothe susteyned domage by there rauenynge and also handeled the skynne of that whiche was slayne Let vs nowe therfore returne to kynge Pacra frome whome wee haue disgressed kynge Pacrâ— When Vaschus had entred into the houses forsaken of Pacra he sente messengiers to reconcyle hym as he had doone the other kinges At the first he refused to coomme But after threatenynges he came with three other kynges in his coompanye Vaschus writethe that he neuer sawe a more monstrous and deformed creature And that nature hath onely gyuen hym humane shape and otherwyse to bee worâ—e theÌ„ a brute beaste with maners accordynge to the linyamentes of his bodye He abused with moste abhominable lechery the doughters of foure kynges his brotherers frome whome hee had taken them by vyolence Of the fylthye behauoure of Paâ—ra Naturall hatred of vyce of his crueltye and iniuryes doone by hym many of the other kynges made greuous coomplayntes to Vaschus as vnto a hygh Iudge and iuste reuenger Moste humblye besechyng hym to see suche thynges punysshed forasmuche as theye tooke hym for a man sente of god for that purpose Herevppon Vaschus aswell to wynne their good wylles as also too shewe an exemple of terroure to suche as vsed lyke fasshions Foure kinges deuoâ—red of dogges coommaunded that this monstrous beaste with the other three kynges whiche were subiecte to hym and of lyke conditions shulde bee geuen for a praye to his feyghtinge dogges and their torne carkeses to bee burned Of these dogges whiche theye vse in the warres The vse of dogges in warre ageinst naked men theye tell maruelous thynges For theye saye that theye runne vppon thinhabitantes armed after there maner with noo lesse fiercenes then if theye were hartes or wylde bores if the Spaniardes doo but onely poynte towarde them with their fyngers In soo muche that oftentymes they haue had no neede too dryue their enemyes too flyght with swoordes or arrowes But haue doone the same onely with dogges placed in the forefronte of their battayle and lettynge them slyppe with their watche woorde and priuye token Wheruppon the barbaryans stryken with feare by reason of the cruell countenaunces of the masties with their desperate bouldenes and vnaccustomed houlynge and backynge haue disparcled at the fyrste onsette and broke their arraye Yet it chaunseth otherwyse when theye haue anye conflicte agaynst the Canibales and the people of Caramairi For these are fyerser and more warrelyke men Also so experte arches The Canybales are experte archers that theye can moste certenlye dyrect their venemous arrowes against the dogges with suche celeritye as if theye were thunderboltes By reason wherof they sumtymes kyl many of theÌ„ Thinhabytantes of these montaynes doo not keepe warre with bowes and arrowes But vse onelye Mâ—chanis that is certayne longe and broude swordes made of woodde Swoordes of woodde Also slynges longe pykes and dartes hardened at the endes with fyere Whyle kynge Pacra yet lyued noo man coulde knowe of hym neyther by fayre meanes nor by foule where he had the golde whiche was founde in his house For owre men founde in his iewel house fyftye poundes weyght of golde Fâ—â—tie pounde wâ—â—ght of golde Beynge therfore demaunded where he had it he answered that they whiche gathered the same in those montaynes in his fathers dayes were all deade And that sense he was a chylde he neuer esteemed golde more then stoones More then this theye coulde not gette of hym By this seuere punyshment executed vppon Pacra Vaschus concyled vnto hym the myndes of all the other kynges of that prouynce And by this meanes it came too passe that when he sente for the sycke men whiche he lefte behynde hym with kynge Chiapes an other kynge whiche was in the mydde waye whose name was Bononiama enterteyned them gentellye kynge Bononiama frâ—nde to the christians and gaue them .xx. pounde weyght of pure wrought golde wroughte golde besyde great plentye of vyttayles And not this onely but also accoompanyed them hym selfe vntyll he had brought them
safely frome his palaice into thâ— domynyon of Pacra Where takynge eche of them by the ryghte handes he delyuered them to Vaschus hym selfe as a faythefull pledge commytted too his charge and therewith spake to Vaschus in this effecte Mooste myghtye and valyaunte vyctourer beholde I here delyuer vnto yowe yowre coompanions in suche plight as I receaued them The oration of kynge Bononâ—ama wisshynge that I had byn aswell able to gyue them healthe as they were hertely welcoome to suche pore enterteynement as I was able to shewe them For the fauoure and gentelnesse whiche I haue founde bothe in yowe and them he shall rewarde yowe whiche sendeth thunderynge and lyghtelyng to the destruction of myscheuous men The sparke of the lawe of nature is the lawe written in the hartes of men and of his clemencye giueth vnto good men plentie of Iucca and Mâ—â—izium in dewe season As he spake these woordes he lyfted vppe his handes and eyes towarde the soonne whome they honoure for god Then he spake further to Vaschus sayinge In that yowe haue destroyed and slaine owre vyolent and proude enemies yowe haue browght peace and quyetnesse to vs and owre famelyes and bounde vs for euer to loue and obeye yowe Yowe haue soo ouercoome and tamed wylde monsters that wee thynke yowe to bee sente from heauen for the punyshement of euell men and defence of innocentes that vnder the protection of yowre myghtye swoorde wee maye hereafter leade owre lyues withowte feare and with more quietneâ—se gyue thankes to the giuer of all good thinges for hâ—s mercie shewed vnto vs in this behalfe When thinterpretoure had toulde Vaschus that kyng Bononiama had sayde theâ—e woordes and suche lyke Vaschus rendered hym lyke thankes for his humanitye declared towarde owre men and rewarded hym as he had doone other in whome he founde lyke gentilnesse Vaschus wryteth that he lerned manye thynges of this kynge as concernynge the greate rychesse of these regions â—ut that he woolde at this present speake nothynge therof And rehersethe the same as thynges lyke to haue good successe What this implicate Hiperbole Hiperbole or aduauncement meaneth I doo not well vnderstande But he playnely seemeth hereby to promysse many greate thynges And surely it is to be thought that accordynge to his hope great riches maye bee looked for For they came in maner into none of thinhabytauntes houses Great plenty of golde but that they found in them eyther bresteplates or curettes of golde or elles golden ouches iewels or garlandes to weare aboute there heades neckes or armes I coniecture therfore thus by a symilitude of owre houses A symilitude for the profe of plentye of golde If amonge vs any man of great poure were moued with the desyre to haue great plentye of Iron and woolde enter into Italye with a mayne force as dyd the Gothes in tyme paste what abundaunce of Iron shoulde he haue in their houses where as he shulde fynde in one place a friyngpan in an other a chauldron here a tryuet and there a spytte and these in maner in euery pore mannes house with suche other innumerable Whereby any man maye coniecture that Iren is plentifully engendred in suche regions where they haue soo greate vse therof Owre men also perceaued that thinhabytantes of these regions do no more esteeme golde then we do Iren Iren more estemed then golde nor yet soo muche after they sawe to what vse Iren serued vs. Thus muche haue I thoughte good to write too yowre holynesse of suche thynges as I haue gathered owtâ— of the letters of Vaschus Nunnez and learned by woorde of mouthe of such as were his coÌ„panyons in these affayres As wee receyue them so wee gyue them vnto yowe Tyme which reueleth all secretes shall hereafter mynyster larger argument of wrytynge Theye coulde at this tyme doo no greate thynge in searchynge the golde mynes forasmuche as of a hundreth fourescore and tenne men whiche Vaschus broughte with hym from Dariena there remayned onely threescore and ten or at the most fourescore whose ayde he nowe vsed in these daungerous aduentures leauynge euer the crased men behynd hym in the kinges houses all the waye that he went But they mooste especially fell into sundrye diseases Chaunge of dyet is daungerous whiche came lately from Hispaniola For they were not able to abyde suche calamities as to lyue onely contented with the breade of those regions and wylde herbes without salte drinkinge none other then ryuer water and that oftentimes eyther lackinge or vnholsome where as before their stomakes had byn vsed to good meates But the owlde souldiours of Dariena Owldâ— souldiers were hardened to abyde all sorowes and exceadynge tollerable of labour heate hunger and watchynge In so muche that merilye they make their booste that they haue obserued a longer and sharper lent then euer yowre holinesse inioyned A longe lenâ— For they saye that for the space of foure hole yeares they eate none other then herbes and frutes excepte nowe and then perhappes fyshe and verye seldoome fleshe Yea and that sumtime for lacke of al these they haue not abhorrâ—d froÌ„ mangye dogges and fylt hye toades as wee haue sayde before The owlde souldiers of Dariena I caule those whiche fyrste folowed the capytaynes Nicuesa and Fogeda to inhabyte the lande of the whiche nowe fewe were lyuynge But lette vs nowe omytte these thynges and retourne to Vaschus the victourer of the montaynes ¶ The thyrde booke of the thyrde Decade WHen Vaschus had remained thirtye dayes in the palayce of kynge Pacra concilynge vnto hym the myddes of thinhabitantes and prouidinge thynges necessarye for his coompanions he departed frome thense by the conducte of certayne of kynge Teaocha his men and came too the banke of the ryuer Comogrus Comogrus â–ª wherof the region and king therof are named by the same name He founde the sydes of these montaynes so rude and baren that there was nothinge apte to bee eaten but wilde rootes and certayne vnpleasante frutes of trees Two kynges beinge neare of bludde inhabyted this infortunate region Two poore kynges whiche Vaschus ouerpassed with all speede for feare of hunger One of these poore kinges was named Cotochus and the other Ciuriza He tooke them bothe with hym to guyde hym in the waye and dismyssed Teaocha his men with vytayles and rewardes Thus for the space of three dayes he wandered throughe many deserte wooddes Desertes craggye mountaynes muddy marysshes full of suche quamyres that men are oftentymes swalowed vp in them if they looke not the more warelye to their fiete Also through places not frequented with resorte of men and suche as nature had not yet opened to their vse forasmuche as thinhabitantes haue seldoome entercourse betwene them but onely by sundrye incurtions the one to spoyle and destroye the other Beynge otherwise contented to lyue onely after the lawe of nature withowte worldly toyle for superfluous pleasures Thus enteringe
had taken vyolently from dyuers kynges Lykewise a greate number of his gentelmen and subiectes were taken stragelynge in other vyllages neare aboute his palaice For their houses are not adherent togither as owres bee bycause they are oftentimes troubeled with vehement whrilewyndes by reason of the sudden chaunges and motions of the ayre caused by the influence of the planetes in the equalitie of the daye and nyght beynge there in maner bothe of one lengthe throughowte all the yeare forasmuche as they are neare vnto the Equinoctiall lyne as we haue sayde before The cause of vehemente wyndes nere he Equinocâ—ial Their houses are made of trees couered and after their maner thetched with the stalkes of certayne towghe herbes To the palayce of Tumanama kynge Tumâ—nama his palaice was onely one house adherent and that euen as bygge as the palayce it selfe Eyther of these houses were in length a hundreth and twentie pases and in bredth fyftie pases as owre men measured them In these two houses the kynge was accustomed to muster his men as often as he prepared an armye When Tumanaman therfore was thus taken captyue with all his Sardanapamcall famelye the Pocchorrosians bragged and threatened hym beynge nowe bounde that he shulde shortly bee hanged The other kynges also his bortherers reioysed at his mysfortune Wherby owre men perceaued that Tumanama was nolesse troublesome to his neighbours then was Pacra to the kinges of the southe syde of the montaynes Vaschus also the better to please them threatned hym greuously But in deede entended no euell toward him He spake therfore sharpely vnto hym with these woordes Uaschus his woordes to kynge Tumanama Thou shalte nowe suâ—fer punyshment thou cruell tyranne for thy pryde and abhominations Thou shalte knowe of what poure the christians are whom thou haste soo contemned and threated to drawe by the heare of their heades to the nexte ryâ—er and there to drowne them as thou haste often tymes made thy vaunte emonge thy naked slaues But thou thy selfe shalte fyrste feele that whiche thou haste prepared for other And herewith commaunded hym to bee taken vppe Neuerthelesse gyuynge a priuye tooken of pardon to them whiche layde handes on him Thus vnhappye Tumanama fearynge and beleuynge that Vaschus had mente in ernesâ—e as he commaunded fell prostrate at his feete and with teares desyred pardon Protestynge that he neuer spake any suche woordes But that perhappes his noble men in their droonkennesse had so abused their toonges whiche he coulde not rule For their wynes although they bee not made of grapes yet are they of force to make men droonken He declared furthermore that the other kynges his bortherers had of malice surmysed suche lyes of hym enuyinge his fortune bycause he was of greater poure then they Oderunt quen metuunt Moste humbly desyringe Vaschus that as he tooke hym to bee a iuste vyctourer soo to gyue no credytte vnto their vniuste and malycious complaintes kyng Tumanama his woordes Addynge herevnto that if it woolde please hym to pardon hym not hauinge offended he woolde bringe him great plentie of gold Thus layinge his ryght hande on his breast he swore by the sonne that he euer loued and feared the chrystians sence he fyrste harde of their fame and vyctoryes Especially when he harde saye that they had Machanas that is swoordes sharper then thearse and such as cutte in pieces al thynges that coomme in their waye Then directynge his eyes towarde Vaschus who had his swoorde in his hand he spake thus Who excepte he were owte of his wytte dare lyfte vppe his hande ageynste this swoorde of yowres wherwith yowe are able with one strooke to cleane a man from the heade to the nauell Lette no man therfore perswade yowe o moste myghtye victourer that euer suche woordes proceded owte of my mouthe As Tumanama with trembeling spake these woordes therwith swalowynge downe the knot of deathe Vaschus seemed by his teares to bee moued to compassion Tâ—manama is pardoned And speakyng to hym with chearefull countenance commaunded hym to bee loosed This doone he sente immediatly to his palaice for .xxx. poundes weyght of pure gold artifycially wrought into sundry ouches whiche his wyues and concubynes vsed to weare xxx pounde weyghte of wroughte golde Also the thyrde daye folowynge his noble men and gentylmen sent threscore poundes weight of golde for their fyne and raunsumme lx poundes weyght of golde Tumanama beyng demauÌ„ded wher they had that gold answered that it was not gathered in his dominioÌ„s But that it was brought his auncestours from the ryuer Comogrus toward the southe But the Pocchorrosians other his enemies sayd that he lyed Affirmynge that his kingdome was ryche in golde Tumanama on the contrary part instantly protested that he neuer knewe any golde myne in all his dominions Yet denyed not but that there hath sumtimes byn found certaine smaule graines of golde to the gatherynge wherof he neuer had any regarde bycause they coulde not gette it without great longe labour They abhorre labour Whyle these thynges were dooinge the sycke men whiche Vaschus had lefte in the village of Pocchorrosa came to hym the .viii. day of the Calendes of Ianuary in the yeare of Christe M.D.XIII bringyng with them certayne labourers from the kynges of the southe with sundrye instrumentes to dygge the grounde and gather golde Thus passynge ouer the day of the natiuitye of Christ without bodely labour vppon sainte Steuens daye he brought certeyne myners to the syde of a hyll not farre dystante from the palaice of Tumanama where as he saith he perceaued by the coloure of the earth that it was lykely to brynge furthe golde When they had dygged a pytte not past a hand breadth and a halfe The coloure of the golden earthe and a tryall of the same and syfted the earthe therof they founde certayne smaule graynes of golde no bygger then lintell seedes amountynge to the weyght of twelue graynes as they prouyd with their balances of assaye before a notarie and wytnesse that the better credytte myghte bee gyuâ—n therto Wherby they argued that the rychenesse of that lande was agreable to the report of the bortherers although Vaschus coulde by noo meanes cause Tumanama to confesse the same They suppose that he nothynge esteemed so smaule a portion But other saye that he denyed his countrey to bee frutefull of golde leaste by reason therof the desyre of golde myght intyse owre men to inhabyte his kyngdome as in deede the seely kynge was a prophet in soo thinkynge For they chose that and the region of Pocchorrosa to inhabyte and determyned to buylde townes in them bothe if it shulde so please the kynge of Castyle Aswell that they myght bee baytinge places and vytailynge houses for suche as shulde iorney towarde the southe as also that both the regions were frutfull and of good grounde to beare frutes and trees Intendynge nowe therfore to departe from thense he tried the earth
knowledge many straunge and woonderfull thynges and promysseth no smaule hope of greater thynges in tyme to coome In this is founde great plentie of pearles so fayre great Great perles that the sumptuous queene Cleopatra myght haue seemed to weare them in her crownes chaynes and braslettes Of the shelfysshes wherin these are engendered wee wyll speake sumwhat more in th ende of this narration But let vs nowe returne to Hispaniola moste lyke vnto the earthly paradyse hispaniola lyke vnto the earthly paradyse In the description hereof we wyll begynne of the imposytion of dyuerse names Then of the forme of the Ilande temperate ayer and benefyciall heauen And fynally of the deuisyon of the regyons Therfore for the ryghter pronunsyation to the names yowre holynesse muste vnderstande that they are pronounced with thaccent as yowe may know by the verge sette ouer the heddes of the vowels as in the name of the Ilande Matinino where the accente is in the last vowell and the lyke to be vnderstoode in all other names They saye therfore that the fyrste inhabitours of the Iland were transported in their Canoas that is boates made of one hole pyece of woodde from the Ilande of Mâ—tinino The fyâ—st inhabitours of hiâ—paniola beynge lyke banysshed men dryuen from thense by reason of certaine contrary factions and diuisyons emonge them selues lyke as wee reade howe Dardanus came from Corytho Dardanus and Teuerus from Creta into Asia Teuâ—rus and that the regyon where they placed their habitation was afterwarde cauled Troianum Troianum The lyke wee reade howe the Tirians and Sidonians arryued with their nauye in Libya by the fabulous conduction of Dido Tâ—rians Sidonians These Matininans in like maner beynge banysshed from their owne countrey planted their fyrste habytation in that parte of the Iland of Hispaniola whiche they caule Cabonao vpon the banke of the ryuer named Bahaboni As is redde in the begynnynge of the Romaynes that Eneas of Troye aryued in the region of Italy cauled Latium vppon the bankes of the ryuer of Tiber Eneas Latium Within the mouthe of the ryuer of Bahaboni lyeth an Ilande where it is sayde that thinhabitauntes buylded their fyrste howse whiche they named Camoteia This howse they consecrated shortely after and honoured the same reuerently with continual gyftes and monumentes euen vntyl the commynge of owre men lyke as the Christians haue euer relygyously honoured Ierusalem the fountayne and oryginall of owre faythe hierusalem As also the Turkes attribute the lyke to the cytie of Mecha in Araby Mecha and thinhabytantes of the fortunate Ilandes cauled the Ilandes of Canarye to Tyrma buylded vppon a hyghe rocke from the whiche many were wounte with ioyfull myndes and songes to caste them selues downe headlonge The Ilandes of Canarie beyng persuaded by their priestes that the soules of all suche as so dyd for the loue of Tyrma shulde therby enioye eternall felycity The conquerours of the Ilandes of Canarie founde them yet remaynyng in that superstition euen vntyll owre tyme Nor yet is the memory of their sacrifyces vtterly worne awaye The rocke also reserueth the owlde name vnto this daye I haue also learned of late that there yet remayneth in the Ilande summe of the faction of Betanchor the Frenshe man and fyrste that broughte the Ilandes Betanchor a Frenchman to good culture and ciuilitie beyng therto lycenced by the kynge of Castile as I haue sayde before These doo yet for the moste parte obserue bothe the language and maners of the Frenshemen although the eyres and successours of Betanchor had soulde the two subdued Ilandes to certeyne men of Castile Yet thinhabitours whiche succeded Betanchor and buylded them houses and encreased their families there do contynue to this daye And lyue quietly and pleasauntly with the Spanyardes not greued with the sharpe coulde of Fraunce But lette vs nowe returne to thinhabitauntes of Matinino and Hispaniola The Ilande of Hispaniola was fyrste named by the fyrste inhabitours The fyrst names of hispaniola Quizqueia and then Haiti And this not by chaunce or at the pleasure of suche as diuised these names but of credulitie and belefe of summe great effecte For Quizqueia is as muche to saye as a great thinge And that so greate that none maye bee greater They interprete also that Quizqueia sygnifyeth large vniuersall or al in like signification as the Greekes named their god cauled Pan Pan. Bycause that for the greatnes therof these symple soules supposed it to bee the hole worlde And that the soonne beames gaue lyghte to none other worlde but onely to this Ilande with the other adiacente aboute the same And thervppon thoughte it most woorthy to bee cauled great as the greatest of all other knowen to them Haiti is as muche to saye by interpretation as roughe sharpe or craggie But by a fyguratiue speache cauled denomination wherby the hole is named by part they named the hole Iland Haiti that is roughe For as muche as in many places the face of this Iland is rough bâ— reason of the craggie montaynes The roughnesse of hispaniola horrible thicke wooddes and terrible darke and diepe valleys enuyroned with great and highe montaynes althoughe it bee in manye other places exceadynge bewtifull and florysshynge Here muste wee sumwhat digresse from thorder we are entered into Perhappes your holynesse wyll maruell by what meanes these symple men shoulde of soo longe contynuance beare in minde suche principles where as they haue no knowledge of letters So it is therfore that from the beginninge their princes haue euer byn accustomed to committe their children to the gouernaunce of their wise men whiche they caule Boitios to bee instructed in knowledge The maner of lernynge and to beare in memorie suche thynges as they lerne They gyue them selues chieflye to two thynges As generally to lerne thoriginall and successe of thynges And particularlye to reherse the noble factes of their graundefathers great graundefathers and auncestours aswell in peace as in warre These two thynges they haue of owlde tyme composed in certeyne myters and ballettes in their language These rhymes or ballettes Ballets and rhymes they caule Arâ—itos And as owre mynstrelles are accustomed too synge to the harpe or lute so doo they in lyke maner synge these songes and daunce to the same playinge on tymbrelles made of shels of certen fysshes These tymbrels they caule Maguei They haue also songes and ballettes of loue And other of lamentations and moornyng Singing and daunceing Soonges of loue and moornynge Summe also to encorage them to the warres with euery of them their tewnes agreable to the matter They exercyse theym selues muche in daunceinge wherin they are verye actyue and of greater agilitie then owre men by reason they gyue them selues to nothyng so muche and are not hyndered with apparell whiche is also the cause of their swiftenesse of foote In their ballettes lefte them of
his faute And therwith desyred his mayster to tell hym howe he knewe the treweth therof This leafe quod he whiche thou browghtest me hath toulde me all Then hee further rehearsed vnto hym the houre of his coommynge to his frende Ignorance causeth admiration and lykewyse of his departynge when hee retourned And thus they meryly deceaue these seely soules and keepe theym vnder obedyence In so muche that they take owre men for goddes at whose coommaundement leaues doo disclose suche thynges as they thyncke mooste hyd and secreate Bothe the sydes of the leafe receaueth the formes of letters euen as dooeth owre paper The leafe wherin they wryte It is thycker then double parchement and meruelous toughe While it is yet florysâ—hynge and newe it sheweth the letters whyte in greene And when it is drye it becommeth whyte and harde lyke a table of woodde but the letters wexe yelowe It dooeth not corrupte or putrifye nor yet looseth the letters thoughe it bee wette nor by any other meanes excepte it bee burnte There is an other tree named Xagua the iuise of whose soure apple beynge of a darke redde coloure A stronge colour of the iuise of an apple stayneth and coloureth what soo euer is touched therwith And that soo fyrmely that noo wasshynge canne take it awaye for the space of twentie dayes When the apple is full ripe the iuise looseth that strength The apple is eaten and of good tast There is also an herbe whose smoke as we haue rehersed the like before of a certen woodde is deadly poison On a tyme when the kynges assembled together and conspired the destruction of owre men An herbe whoâ—e smoke is poyson where as they durste not attempte thenterprise by open warre theyr diuise was priuilye to lay many bundels of those herbes in a certeyne house whiche shortly after they intended to set on fyer to thintenâ— that owre men makynge haste to quenshe the same myght take theyr death with the smoke therof But theyr purposed practyse beinge bewrayed thautours of the diuise were punysshed accordyngly Nowe moste holy father for as much as yowre holynesse wryteth that what so euer we haue written of the newe worlde dooth please yowe ryght well wee wyll reherse certeyne thynges owte of order but not greatly from owre purpose Of the settynge the rootes of Maizium Agis Iucca Battatas and such other beinge theyr common foode and of thuse of the same we haue spoken sufficiently before But by what meanes they were fyrste applyed to the commoditie of men we haue not yet declared We nowe therefore entende to entreate sumwhat hereof ¶ The nynth booke of the thyrde Decade THEY saye that the fyrste inhabitours lyued contented with the rootes of dates The kyndes of frutes wherwith thinhabitantes lyued fyrst and Magueans which is an herbe muche lyke vnto that which is commonly cauled Sengrene or Orpin Also the rootes of Guaiegans whiche are rounde and greate muche lyke vnto puffes of the earth or mussheromes They did lykewise eate Guaieros lyke vnto perseneppes Cibaios lyke nuttes Cabaioes and Macoanes lyke vnto onions with dyuers other suche rootes They say that after many yeares a certeyne Boiâ—ion that is a wyse oulde man sawe vppon the bankes syde a bushe lyke vnto fenel and transplantyng the roote therof brought it from wyldenes to a better kynde by noorysshynge it in gardens Necessitie the moother of all artes This was the begynnynge of Iucca which at the fyrste was deadely poyson to all suche as dyd eate therof rawe But for as muche as they perceaued it to bee of pleasaunte taste they determyned many wayes to proue the vse therof And at the length founde by experience that beinge sodde or fryed it was lesse hurtefull by whiche meanes also they came to the knowledge of the veneme lyinge hyd in the iuse of the roote Thus by dryinge saltynge seasonynge and otherwyse temperynge it they brought it to theyr fine breade which they caule Cazabbi The fine breade Cazabbâ— made of the rootes of Iucca more delectable and holsome to the stomacke of manne then breade made of wheate bycause it is of easyer digestion The same is to bee vnderstoode of other rootes and the grayne of Maizium whiche they haue chosen for their chiefe meate amonge the seedes of nature as we reade howe Ceres the doughter of Saturnus howe Ceres fyrst founde wheate and â—arly in Egypte gathered wheate and barley with suche other corne as are nowe most in vse amonge men in Egypte of certeyne graynes taken owt of the mudde dryuen from the mountaynes of Ethiopia by thincrease of the ryuer Nilus and lefte in the plaine at such tyme as Nilus resorted ageyne to his chanell For the which facte we reade that the antiquitie gaue diuine honour to Ceres who fyrst norished and increased such chosen seedes There are innumerable kyndes of Ages The â—ootes of ages the varietie wherof is knowen by theyr leaues and floures One kynde of these is cauled Guanaguax This is whyte boothe within without An other named Guaraguei is of vyolet colour without white within The other kyndes of Ages they caul Zazaueios These are redde without and whyte within Squiuetes are whyte within and without Tunna is all together of vyolet coloure Hobos is yelowe booth of skynne and inner substance There is an other named Aâ—ibunicix The skynne of this is of violet colour and the substance whyte Aniguamar hath his skynne also of vyolet coloure and is whyte within Guaccaracca hath a whyte skynne and the substance of vyolet colour There are many other which are not yet brought to vs. But I feare me least in the rehearsall of these The autourâ— excuâ—e I shal prouoke the spurres of malicious persons ageynst me which wyll scorne these owr doinges for that we haue wrytten of many such smaule thinges to a prince occupyed in suche weyghty affayres as vnto yowre holynes vppon whose shulders resteth the burthen of the hole Christian worlde But I wolde aske of these malycious enâ—yers of other mens trauayles whether Plinie and such other famous wryters Plinie when they dyrected and dedicated such thinges to kynges and princes entended only to profyte them to whom they consecrated the frute of theyr knowleage They sumtymes intermyxte famous thynges with obscure thynges lyght with heauie and greate with smaule that by the foortheraunce of princes theyr vniuersall posteritie myght enioye the fruition of the knowleage of thynges At other tymes also beinge intent about particular thinges and desyrous of newe thynges they occupyed them selues in the searchinge of particular tractes and coastes with suche thynges as nature brought foorth in the same by this meanes to coome the better to more absolute and vniuersal knowleage Let theym therefore contemne owre doinge And wee wyll laugh to scorne not theyr ignoraunce and slothfulnes but pernicious curiousnes And therewith hauynge pitie of theyr frowarde dispositions wyll commit theim to the venemous serpentes of whome enuie
plentie of golde But the deepe places of all the seas aboute these Ilandes are full of perles wherof yowe shall receaue of me as many as yow wyll requyre so that ye persyste in the bonde of frendeshyppe whiche yowe haue begunne I greatly desyre yowre frendeshyppe and woolde gladlye haue the fruition of yowre thynges whiche I sette muche more by then myllyons of perles Yowe shall therfore haue no cause to doubte of any vnfaythfulnesse or breache of frendeshyppe on my behalfe Owre men gaue hym lyke frendly woordes and encouraged hym with many fayre promysses to doo as he had sayde When owre men were nowe in a redynesse to departe they couenaunted with hym to paye yearely to the greate kynge of Castyle a hundreth pounde weyghte of perles C. pounde weyght of perles yerely for a tribute He gladlye agreed to their request and tooke it for no great thyng nor yet thought hym selfe any whitte the more to becoome tributarie With this kynge they founde suche plentie of hartes and connies Plentie of hartes and conniâ—â— that owre men stondynge in their houses myght kyll as manye as them lyste with their arrowes They lyue heare verye pleasauntly hauynge greate plentie of al thynges necessary This Ilande is scarsely syxe degrees distant from the Equinoctiall lyne They haue the same maner of breade made of rootes and the graine of Maizium and wyne made of seedes and fruites wyne of fruites and sedes euen as they haue in the region of Comogra and in other places aswell in the Ilandes as in the firme lande This kynge is nowe baptised with all his familye â–ª and subiectes The kynge is baptised His desyre was at his baptisme to bee named Petrus Arias after the name of the gouernour When owre men departed he accompanied them to the sea syde and furnysshed them with boates to retourne to the continent The fyft part of perles due to the kynge Owre men diuided the perles emonge them reseruyng the fyfte portion to be delyuered to thoffycers of the kynges Excheker in those partes They saye that these perles were maruelous precious faire oriente and exceadynge bygge Byg perles In so muche that they broughte manye with theym bygger then hasell nuttes Of what pryce and value they myghte bee I consyder by one perle the which Paulus predicessour to yowre holines A perle for a pope bowght at the second hand of a marchant of Uenece for foure forty thousande ducates Yet emonge those whiche were brought from this Ilande there was one bought euen in Dariena for a thousande and two hundreth Castelans of golde This was almost as bygge as a meane walnutte An other perle of great price And came at the length to the handes of Petrus Arias the gouernoure who gaue it to that noble and faithefull woman his wyfe of whose maner of departure with her husbande wee haue made mention before Wee muste then needes thinke that this was verye precious which was bowght so deare emonge suche a multitude of perles where they were not bought by one at once but by poundes and at the least by ounces It is also to be thought that the Uenecian marchaunte boughte his for no great sum of mony in the East parts But he sould it the dearer for that he chaunced to lyue in those lasciuious and wanton dayes when men were gyuen to suche nyse and superfluous pleasures Nise and superfluous pleasures and mette with a marchaunt for his purpose But lette vs nowe speake sumwhat of the shelfysshes in the whiche perles are engendered It is not vnknowen to yowre holynesse that Aristotell and Plinie his folower were of dyuers opinions as concernynge the generation of perles Dyuers opinions of the generation of pearles But these Indians and owre men rest onely in one assertion not assentyng to them in any other as eyther that they wander in the sea or that they moue at anye tyme after they are borne They wyll therfore that there bee certayne greeâ—â— places as it were medowes in the bottome of the sea hâ—rbes in the bottome of the sea bryngynge foorthe an herbe muche lyke vnto thyme and affyrme that they haue seene the same And that they are engendered norysshed and growe therin as wee see thincrease and succession of oysters to growe aboute them selues Also that these fysshes delyteth not in the conuersation or coompanye of the sea dogges Nor yet to bee contented with onely one twoo or three or at the moste foure pearles Affyrmyng that in the fysshynge places of the kynge of this Ilande there was founde a hundreth pearles in one fyshe A hundreth perles â—n one shell fysshe the whirhe Gaspar Moralis the capitayne hym selfe and his coompanions diligently numbered For it pleased the kynge at their beynge there in their presence to commaund his diuers to go a fysshynge for those kynde of fysshes They compare the matrices of these fysshes The matrice of the perle fysshe to the places of conception in hennes in the whiche their egges are engendered in great multitudes and clusters And beleue that these fysshes brynge foorth their byrth in lyke maner For the better profe wherof they saye that they founde certaine pearles coommynge foorthe of their matreces as beynge nowe coome to the tyme of their full rypenesse The â—yrth of perles and moued by nature to coome owte of their moothers wombe openynge it selfe in tyme conuenient Lykewise that within a while after they sawe other succede in lyke maner So that to conclude they sawe sum coommynge foorthe and other summe yet abydinge the tyme of their perfection whiche beyng complete they also became loose and opened the matrice They perceaued the pearles to bee inclosed in the myddest of their bellies there to bee norisâ—hed and increase as an infante suckynge his moothers pappes within her wombe before hee moue to coome foorthe of her priuye places And if it chaunce any of these shelfysshes to be founde scatered in the sande of the sea as I my selfe haue seene oysters disparcled on the shores in diuers places of the Ocean they affyrme that they haue byn violently dryuen thither from the bottome of the sea by force of tempestes and not to haue wandered thither of them selues But that they becoome white by the clearenesse of the mornynge dewe or waxe yelowe in troubled wether or otherwyse that they â—eeme to reioyse in faire wether and cleare ayer or contrarywyse to bee as it were astonisshed and dymme in thunder and tempestes with suche other the perfecte knowledge hereof is not to bee looked for at the handes of these vnlearned men whiche handell the matter but grossely and enquire no further then occasyon serueth Yet do they affyrme by thexperience and industrie of the dyuers that the greatest pearles lye in the deepest places where the byggest meane and least pearles are engeÌ„dred they of the meane sorte hygher and the least hyghest of all and nearer to the
rycher in golde they named it Coiba Dites The golden region of Coiâ—a Dytes that is Coiba the rych For whersoeuer they dygged the grounde whether it were on the drye lande or in the weate chanelles of the ryuers they founde the sande whiche they caste foorthe myxte with golde Iuana fledde at the coommynge of owre men Sande myxte wâ—th golde howe theyr slaues are marked in the face and coulde neuer bee brought ageyne They spoyled all the countrey neare aboute his palayce Yet had they but lyttle golde for hee had caryed all his stuffe with hym Here they founde certeyne slaues marked in the faces after a straunge sorte For with a sharpe prycke made eyther of bone or elles with a thorne they make holes in their faces and foorthwith sprinkelynge a pouder theron they moiste the pounced place with a certeyne blacke of redde iuise whose substaunce is of suche tenacitie and claniminesse that it wyll neuer weare awaye They brought these slaues away with them They saye that this iuise is of such sharpnesse and putteth them to suche payne that for extreeme doloure they haue no stomacke to their meate certaine dayes after The kynges whiche take these slaues in their warres vse their helpe in seekynge for golde and in tyllage of the grounde euen as do owre men From the pallaice of Iuana folowynge the course of the water aboute tenne myles towarde the Southe they entered into the dominion of an other kynge whome owre men named the oulde man bycause hee was oulde not passynge of his other name In the regyon of this kynge also they founde golde in all places bothe on the lande and in the ryuers Golde This region is verye fayre and frutefull and hath in it many famous ryuers Departynge from hense in fyue dayes iorneye they came to a lande lefte desolate They suppose that this was destroyed by ciuile discorde for as muche as it is for the mooste parte fruiteful A fruteful region left desolate by ciuile discorde and yet not inhabited The fyfth daye they sawe two men commynge a farre of These were laden with breade of Maizium whiche they caryed on their shulders in sackes Owre men tooke them and vnderstoode by them that there were twoo kynges in that tracte The one was named Periquâ—te kynge Perâ—quete whoe dwelte neare vnto the sea The others name was Totonoga This Totonoga was blynde and dwelte in the continent The twoo men whiche they mette were the fysshers of Totonoga whome he had sente with certayne fardelles of fyshe to Periquete and had ageyne receaued breade of hym for exchaunge For thus do they communicate their commodities one with an other by exchaunge without â—huse of wycked money By the conductinge of these twoo men they came to kynge Totonoga dwellynge on the Weste syde of sayncte Michaelles goulfe in the Southe sea S. Miâ—hael kynge Totonoga They had of this kynge the sum of syxe thousande Castellans of golde bothe rude and artifycially wrought Emonge those groumes of rude or natyue golde there was one founde of the weyghte of two Castellans Six thousand Casâ—ellanâ— of golde whiche argued the plentifull rychenesse of the ground Folowing the same coastes by the sea syde toward the West they came to a kynge whose name was Taracuru kyng Taracuru of whome they had golde amountynge to the weyght of eight thousand Pesos viii thouâ—and pesos of gold Wee haue sayde before that Pesus is the weyghte of a Castelane not coyned From hense they wente to the dominion of this kynges broother named Pananome kynge Pananome who fledde at their commynge and appered no more afterwarde They saye that his kyngdome is ryche in golde They spoyled his pallaice in his absence Syxe leaques from hense they came to an other kyng named Tabor kyng Tabor From thense they came to thâ— kyng of Cheru kynge Cheru He frendly enterteyned owre men and gaue them foure thousande Pesos of golde â—iii thousande pesos of gold Salte He hathe in his dominion many goodly salte dayes the region also aboundeth with golde About twelue myles from hense they came to an other kyng cauled Anata kyng Anata of whome they had .xv. thousande Pesos of golde whiche he had gotten of the kinges his bortherers whom he had vanquisshed by warre xv thousande pesos of gold A great part of this golde was in rude forme bycause it was molten when he set the kynges houses on fyer whom he spoyled Theyr maner of warre For they robbe and sley the one the other sackynge and fyryng their villages and wastinge their countreys They keepe warre barbarously and to vtter destruction executing extreeme crueltie ageinst them that haue the ouerthrowe Gonsalus Badaiocius with his felowes wandered at lybertie vntyll they came to this kyng And had gathered great heapes of gold of other kinges For what in braslettes collers earinges breste plates helmettes and certeine barres wherwith women beare vppe their brestes they had gathered together in gold the sum of fourescore thousande Castellans Fourescore thousand Castellans oâ— golde whiche they had obteyned partly by exchaunge for owre thinges where they founde the kinges their frendes otherwise by forceible meanes where they founde the contrary They had gotten also forty slaues whose helpe they vsed both for cariage of their vitailes and bagagies in the steade of moiles or other beastes of burden and also to relieue suche as were sycke and forweried by reason of their longe iorneys and hunger After these prosperous viages they came by the dominion of kynge Scoria kyng Scoria to the palaice of a kynge named Pariza kyng Pariza where fearyng no such thing Pariza enclosed them with a great armye Gasalus Badaiocius hath the ouerthrow and is spoyled of greaâ— ryches of golde and assayled them straggelyng and vnwares in suche sorte that they had no leasure to put on their armure He slewe and wounded about fyftie and put the resydue to flyght They made suchâ— hast that they had no respect eyther to the gold they had gathered or to their slaues but lefte all behynde them Those fewe that escaped came to Dariena The opinion of all wyse men as concernynge the varyable and inconstant chaunces of fortune in humane thinges The Inconstancie of fortune were false if al thinges shuld haue happened vnto them prosperously For such is the nature of this blynde goddesse that she oftentimes delyteth in the ouerthrowe of them whom she hath exalted and taketh plesure in confounding hygh thinges with lowe and the contrary Wee see this order to bee impermutable that who soo wyll applye hym selfe to gather rootes shall sumtymes meete with sweete lyqueresse and other whiles with soure cockle Yet wo vnto Pariza for he shall not longe sleape in rest The gouernour him selfe was of late determined with three hundreth and fyftie choise souldiers to reuenge the death of owr men But where as he by chaunce fell
thynges neceâ—sary they tooke their vyage directly towarde the west by the prouidence whâ—che thinhabitauntes caule Comi and Mâ—iâ—m Comi Maiâ—m They ouer passed these regions takyng onely freshe water and fuel in the same The barbarians both men women and châ—ldren flocked to the sea syde astonysshed greatly to behold the huge bygnesse of the shyppes Owre men marueyled in maner no leâ—se to viewe their buyldynges and especially their temples sytuate neare vnto the sea and erected after the maner of towers Thus at the length hauyng sayled about a hundreth and ten myles they thought it good to ley anker in a prouince named Campechium Campechium whose chiefe towne consysteth of three thousande houses A towne of three thousand howses Thinhabitauntes came swymmynge to the shyppes marueylyng excedyngly at the maner of saylinge and at the sayles and other tackelynges But when they hard the thunder of the gunnes sawe the smoke and smelte the sauour of brimstone and fyer they supposed that thunderboultes and lyghtnynges had byn sente from god The kynge receaued owre men honorably and broughte them into his pallayce where he feasted them well after his maner They are accustomed to eate fleshe and haue great plentie of beastes and foules Plentie of beastes and foules as peacockes and other whiche they francke and feede in their houses Also dyuers kyndes of wylde foules of the mountaines wooddes and waters Likewise partriches quailes turtle dooues duckes and geese Of beastes they haue connies woolues lyons tigers foxes wylde boores hartes and hares After this banquet the kyng with his traine and famylie brought owre men into a brode crosse way where many streates do meete Theyr Idoles and Idolatry In this they shewed them as it were a great and highe aulter buylded foure square of marble compacte together partly with the toughe cleye of Babilon cauled Bitumem and partly with smaule stoones It had on euery syde foure steares Uppon the altare was an Image of a man made of marble and fast by it the Images of two beastes of vnknowen shape whiche seemed as thoughe they wolde with yanynge mouthes haue torne in sunder the bealy of the mannes Image On the other syde stoode a great serpent compacte of the sayde toughe cleye and smaule stoones This serpent beynge in length .xlvii. foote and of the bygnesse of a large oxe seemed to deuour a lyon of marble and was al by sparcled with freshe bludde Harde by the altare were thre postes fastned in the ground the which three other trauersed and were susteined with stones In this place offenders were put to death In token wherof they sawe innumerable arrowes steined with bludde sum scatered sum lyinge on heapes and sum broken Also a great number of mennes bones lying in a court or yarde nere vnto this funestal place Their houses are here also builded of lime and stone houses of lyme stone They named this king Lazarus bicause they arriued at this lande on saint Lazarus day Departing froÌ„ hense directing theyr course styl toward the West for the space of .xv. myles they came to a prouince named Aquanil The prouince Aquinall whose chiefe towne is cauled Moseo Moseo the kynge thereof Cupoton He behelde owre men with a frowarde countenaunce and fought occasion to doo them sume priuie mischiefe whyle they sought for fresshe water For he made signes vnto them that on the further syde of the nexte hyll they shulde fynde sprynges of water intendyng to haue assayled them in that narowe passage But by the colouryng of theyr forheades as they are accustomed in theyr warres and by the bearynge of theyr bowes and other weapons owr men perceaued theyr wylynes and refused to go any further Yet a thousande of the Barbarians assayled theym vnwares and vnprepared By reason wherof they were put to flyght and dyuers of them slayne in the chase The Spanyardes are put to flyght and many slayne Many that fledde to warde the shippes were entangeled in the mudde and maryshes nere vnto the shore Twentie and two were slayne with arrowes and the resydewe for the most parte wounded Franciscus Fernandes the gouernour of the nauie receaued in this conflicte three and thirtie woundes And in maner none escaped without hurt If they had gonne to the hylles whiche were appoynted them they had byn slayne euery man They therfore that escaped returned to the Ilande of Fernardina frome whense they came where they were receaued of theyr felows with heauie chere But when Diegus Velasquen the gouernoure of the Ilande had intelligence hereof An other expedition he immediatly furnyshed a newe nauie of foure Caraueles with three hundreth men Of this nauie he appoynted Iohn Grisalua his neuie to be the gouernour And assigned for vnder capitaynes Alphons Auila Frances Montegio and Peter Aluarado For the pylot he assigned Antonie Alamino who had the regiment of the fyrst nauie They attempted the same vyage ageyne but declyned sumwhat more towarde the South about threscore and tenne myles Before they sawe any lande they espyed a towre a farre of by the viewe wherof they came to an Ilande named Cozumella The Iland of Cozumella from the whiche they smelte sweete sauours proceadynge with the wynde Sweete sauours before they approched to the lande by the space of three myles They founde the Ilande to be fortie and fiue myles in circuite It is playne and of maruelous frutefull sâ—yle A frutefull Ilande There is also golde in it but it is not engendered there but brought thether from other regions It aboundeth with hony fruites and herbes And hath also great plentie of foules and foure footed beastes Theyr order and maner of lyuyng is in al thynges lyke vnto theyrs of Iucatana Towres and â—emples Lykewyse theyr howses temples streates and apparell In many of theyr houses are great postes of marble after the maner of owre buyldynge They founde there the fouÌ„dations of certeyne owlde towres ruinate And one especially with .xviii. steares ascendynge to it after the maner of solemne temples They marueyled greatly at owre shippes and maner of saylynge At the fyrst they wolde admyt no straungers but shortly after receaued them gentelly Theyr chiefe ruler whom owre men supposed to bee a preeste led them vp to the toppe of the towre where they erected a banner and addicted the Ilande to the dominion of the kynge of Castyle namynge it Sancta Crux Cozumella named Sancta Crux bycause they entered into the same in the nones of Maye beinge then the feaste of the holye crosse They saye that it was cauled Cozumella of kynge Cozumellaus whose auncestours were the fyrst that inhabited the Ilande Idoles lyke beares In the towre they founde many chambers furnyshed with Images made both of earthe and marble to the similytude of beares These they caule vppon with a houlynge and lamentable songe Idolatry perfumyng them with sweete odours and other wyse honourynge them as
sacryfyce the bludde of these pore wretches They cutte not their throtes but open the very brestes of these selye soules and take owte their hartes yet pantynge with the hotte bludde wherof they anoynte the lyppes of their Idoles and suffer the resydue to faule into the synke This doone they burne the harte and bowels supposynge the smoke therof to be acceptable to their goddes Of their Idoles one is made to the shape of a man bowynge downe his heade and lookynge toward the synke of bludde as it were acceptyng the offeringe of the slayne sacrifyce They eate the fleshe of the armes thighes and legges especially when they sacrifyce an enemy taken in the warres They founde a streame of congeled blud as thoughe it had runne from a bouchery For this my 〈◊〉 purpose they bringe these wretches from the nexte Ilandes They sawe also innumerable heades and trunkes of bodies thus mangeled besyde many other yet remaining hole and couered with certeine mattes All the trackes of these regions abounde with golde and precious stones Gold and precious stones â–ª One of owre men wanderynge in the Ilande chaunced to fynde two water pottes of alabaster artifycially wrought and full of lyttle stones of dyuers colours They saye also that they founde a stone of the value of two thousand Castilans of gold A stone of great price whiche they sent to the gouernour This Ilande they named the Iland of sacrifyce Thinhabitauntes are circumcised There are also other Ilandes sytuate about this Coluacana or Caluacam the whiche are inhabited onely with women lyuing without the coompanye of men after the maner of the Amazones Ilandes of women But they that ponder the matter more wisely thinke them rather to be certeyne women whiche haue vowed chastitie and professed a solytarie lyfe as the nunnes doo with vs or as the virgins cauled Vestales or Bonae Deae were accustomed to do amonge the gentiles in oulde tyme. At certeyne tymes of the yeare men of the other Ilandes resorte vnto them But not for thintent of generation but moued with pitie to helpe them to dresse their gardens and tyll their grounde The reporte goeth lykewise that there are other Ilandes of corrupte women to whom men resorte for carnall copulation And that they cutte of one of the pappes of their women children least it shuld hinder their shootyng Also that they kepe onely the women children and sende awaye the men children Owr men therfore drewe nere to the shore of Colluacana where they quyetly exercised marchaundies with thinhabitauntes The kyng gaue them a great potte of gold Golde Also braslettes chaynes brouches with many other iewelles and al of gold Owre men ageyne on the other parte satisfyed him with such stuffe as they had done other before Here wolde they gladly haue planted a newe colonie or habitation but that the gouernour wolde not permytte them wherat they gruged not a lyttle The houses and other edifyes of this prouynce are buylded like vnto towres houses lyke towres It hath also .xv. great townes in it xv greate townes in the prouâ—nce of Colâ—uaâ—ana Of these they affirme that they haue seene sum consisting of more then .xx. thousande houses Townes of xâ— thousande houâ—es not ioyning together but deseuered with courtes and gardens They haue also certeyne large market places encompased with waules and streates well paued Likewise fornaces and ouens made of lyme and bricke Furthermore al sortes of handy craftes men very cunning artificers This kinges name was Potanchanus the region is cauled Palmaria The region of Palmaria The towne where the king kepeth his court coÌ„teineth .xv. thousand houses When they receaue any straungiers and make a leage of frendshyppe with them they are accustomed with a knife made of a sharpe stone to let them selues bludde in the toonge A token of frendship hande arme or sum other parte of the body And this euen in the syght of them whom they admitte to frendshyp in token that they are ready to shedde their bludde in their fryndes causes Their priestes professe a vertuous lyfe Preestes and liue vnmaried What it is to haue to do with women no man knoweth before he be maried Fornication and adultery which selde chaunce emonge theÌ„ they counte abhomination The women are of maruelous chastitie Chastitie Eurey noble maÌ„ after that he haue had one wife may haue as many concubines as hym lysteth But a maried woman taken in adulterie The punyâ—hement of adulterie is soulde of her husbande But this onely to the prince at whose handes it shal be lawfull for her kynsefolkes to redeeme her It is not lawfull for suche as are not maried Mariage is honoured to sytte at the same table with them that are maried or to eate of the same dyshe or drinke of the same cup. In the moneth of August and September they absteine .xxxv. dayes not onely from fleshe wherof they haue great plentie Fastynge but also from fyshe and al other thinges that lyue by bludde And durynge these daies lyue onely with herbes and frutes They reken twentie dayes to the moneth and twentie monethes to the yeare Owre men consumed certeyne dayes here verye pleasauntly When they departed coastynge styll by the same shore they came to an other kyng whom they named Ouandus kynge Ouandus When he had intellygence that owre men desired golde he brought foorth certeyne plates of molten gold But wheÌ„ the gouernour signified vnto him by thinterpretors that he desyred great plentie of that metal the day folowing he brought him a mannes Image of golde beinge a cubette in length Also a fanne of golde Idoles iewels and ouches of gold and an Idole of one of his domesticall goddes of curious woorkemanshyppe Likewyse garlandes of stones of sundry colours with many breste plattes brooches and other kyndes of ornamentes and all of golde He gaue hym furthermore aboundaunce of delycate meates well salted and poudred with spices When he had required owre men to coome alande he commaunded his seruauntes with all speede to prepare a great multitude of branches of trees and to waite vppon owre men to his pallayce As they went thus in order sum behynde and sum before on bothe sydes they seemed so to shadowe owre men with the bouwes as thoughe they had gonne in a continuall arbour The kynge hym selfe hauynge a septer in his hand dyd sette them in their arraye and sumtyme strike suche as were negligent in bearyng their bouwes They shewed them selues obedient in all thynges and with graue countenaunce humbled them selues to receaue his stripes When he was demaunded where he had suche plentie of golde Gold in mountaynes and ryuers he pointed with his fynger to the next mountaynes and to the ryuers descenâ—yng from the same They are so accustomed to the riuers and exercised in swymming Theyr maner of gatheryng golde that it is al one to them to liâ—e in the water
drowned and partly slayne with the swoorde And but fewe of the Spanyardes These thynges thus pacified the resydue of the Barbarians were caryed to the towne of Sanctiago and condemned to laboure in the golde mynes Shortly after they made owte a newe vyage to an other of the Ilandes An other vyage whiche lye there about so thicke that they commonly caule the number of them Archipelagus Archipelagus as they in owre sea of Ionicum are cauled Symplegades A multitude of Ilandes Here owre men were cruelly handeled and as many of them as came alande eyther slayne or wounded This Ilande they named Florida bycause they arryued there on Easter day whiche the Spanyardes caule the floryshynge day of the resurrection They say also that in this tracte they sawe .xxvi. Ilandes which Colonus had ouerpassed xxvi Ilandes about hispaniola Cuba And the same so to lye aboute Hispaniola Cuba as though they warded them from the furie of the Ocean In many of these they founde natiue golde of lyke goodnes to that which is founde in Granatum Thinhabitantes also weare many iewels and haue many Images of theyr domesticall goddes made both of golde artificially wrought and also of woodde gylted Images of golde Francis Cheregatus browght one of theyr Idoles with hym wherby may bee considered of what wytte and aptenes they are It is a maruelous thynge to see what maner of rasers they haue Rasers of stone made of certeyne yelowe stones cleare transparent lyke vnto Crystal With these they shaue and carue as though they were made of fine steele WheÌ„ the edges are blunte with longe exercise they sharpen them not with a whetstone or powder or any other stone but temper them onely with water They haue also a thousande kindes of instrumentes or tooles and such other thynges of fyne deuise Instrumentes and tooles which were to longe to rehearse Let vs therefore returne from whense we haue digressed as to Cozumella Iucatana Colluacana or Olloa beinge al landes lately founde and so rich fruteful and pleasaunt that they may in maner be compared to the earthly Paradyse Landes lyke vnto the earthly Paradyse Therfore after that it was knowen to owre men of howe greate momente these trattes were the Spanyardes which inhabited the Ilande of Cuba Anunctus beinge the gouernour of the Ilande furnyshed a newe nauie of ten Carauelles and fyue hundreth menne An other vyage of .x. Carauels and a. hundreth meÌ„ with twoo smaule brigantines as it weare in the steade of lyght horsemen or forerunners whose ayde they myght vse as scoutes to searche the wayes for daunger of rockes and shalow sandes or shelfes They shipte also certeyne horses horses and mares as fyue stoned horses and .xvi. mares apte for the warres For their generall gouernour and Admiral of the nauy they elected Fernando Cortesius who at that tyme was the chiefe ruler of the citie of Sanctiago Fernando Cortesius For vnder capitaines they appointed Alfons Portucarerius Francis Montegius Alfons Auila Aluerado Spatense Iohn Velasquen Diegus Ordassus They styll folowed the same wynde from the last angle of Cuba toward the west As soone as Frauncis Fernandes of Corduba and then Iohn Grisalua came within prospecte of the Ilande of Sacrifyces wherof we haue made mention before soodenly a tempest of contrary wynde prohibited theym to take lande and drowe them backewarde to Cozumella lyinge on the East syde of Iucatana The Iland of Cozumella This Ilande hath onely one hauen named sainte Iohns porte And hath in it onely syxe townes Also none other water then in welles and cesterns bycause it lacketh riuers and springes by reason it is plaine conteynynge onely .xlv. myles in circuite At the coommynge of owre men thinhabitauntes fledde to the thicke woods forsoke their townes for feare Owre men entered into their houses where they founde plentie of vyttayles and many ornamentes perteynynge to the furnyshynge of their houses as hanginges and carpettes of dyuers colours sheetes also of gossampine cotton whiche they caule Amaccas and muche apparell Carpets and sheetes They haue furthermore innumerable bookes Innumerable bokes of the whiche with many other thinges sent to owre newe Emperour we wyll speake more largely hereafter The souldiers wandered about the Iland viewe althynges diligently kepyng them selues styll in battell raye least they myght be sodenly inuaded They founde but a fewe of thinhabitauntes and onely one woman in their coompanie By thinterpretours of Cuba and other whiche the Spaniardes tooke fyrst from Iucatana they perswaded the woman to caule the kynges that were absente They came gladly made a leage of frendshyp with owre men wherby they were restored to their houses and a great parte of their stuffe They are circumcised Idolatours Circumcised Idolaters and sacrifyce children of bothe kyndes to their Zemes which are the Images of their familiar and domesticall spirites whiche they honour as goddes When I enquired of Alaminus the pilote also of Frances Montegius and Portucarerius from whense they had the children they offered in sacrifyce They Sacrifice Chyldren they answered that they bowght them in the Ilandes theraboute by exchaunge for golde and other of their trafycke For in al this so large a space of land the deuelyshe anxietie for the desyre of wicked money hath not yet oppressed thinhabitantes They saye the same also of the Ilandes lately founde wherof two are named Destam and Sestam The Ilandes of Disâ—am Sestam whose inhabitauntes go naked and for scarenesse of children sacrifice dogges whiche they nourishe aswell for that purpose as also to eate as wee do connies These dogges are dumme and can not barke Sacrifice of dogges hauynge snowtes lyke vnto foxes Suche as they destinate to eate they geld while they are whelpes wherby they waxe very fat in the space of foure monethes They reserue al the bytches for increase and but fewe dogges Owre men disswaded them from these superstitions declarynge how they were abhominable and detested of god They were soone perswaded and desyred a law whiche they myght folowe They are soone persuaded to owre religion Owre men therfore declared vnto them that there was onely one god which made heauen earth the geuer of al good thynges beyng of one incomprehensyble substaunce vnder triplicitie of person As soone as they harde these woordes they broke their Zemes and pared scraped and washed the pauementes and waules of their temples Owre men gaue them a painted picture of the blessed vyrgine whiche they placed reuerently in their temple The picture of the blessed virgine and aboue it a crosse to be honored in the remembraunce of god and man and the saluation of mankynde They erected also an other great crosse of wod in the toppe of the temple whyâ—her they oftentymes resorte togither to honour the Image of the vyrgine Thinhabitantes signified by thinterpretours that in the Iland of Iucatana
frute and strayne it thorowe a cloth they make a mylke therof lyke vnto goates mylke These date trees are lyke vnto them that beare dates but are not so full of knottes With the iuise of two of these date trees a hole famelie of tenne persons may bee maynteyned with wyne vsynge one viii dayes and the other other .viii. dayes for they shulde els bee dryed and wythered These trees continue for the space of a hundreth yeares This Ilande where they founde this humane and gentell people is cauled Zuluan The Iland of zuluan and is not verye bygge Abowt this Ilande they founde manye other Ilandes and therefore named this sea Archipelago di San Lazaro The sea caulâ—d Archâ—pelago dâ—â—an Laâ—aro that is the great sea of saynte Lazarus beinge tenne degrees aboue the Equinoctiall towarde owre pole and C.lxi. frome the place from whense they departed The people of this Ilande are Caphranitae that is gentyles Gentyles They go naked sauynge that they couer theyr priuie partes with a clothe made of the rynde of a certeyne tree The chiefest men haue abowte theyr heades a sylken cloth of needle woorke They are grosse and brode set and of the coloure of an oliue They annoynte theyr bodies with the oyle of Cocus to defend them ageynst the heate of the soonne and drynesse of the wynde The .xxv. day of Marche they departed from hense and directed theyr course betwene the Weste and southwest and sayled betwene foure Ilandes named Cenalo Huinanghan Hibusson and Abarien Foure Ilands c. The xxviii daye of Marche they came to the Ilande of Buthuan where they were honorably interteyned of the Kynge and the Prince his soonne who gaue theim muche golde and spices The Iland of Buthuan The capitayne gaue the kynge a vesture of red clothe and an other of yelowe made after the Turaysshe fasshyon and also a red cappe And gaue liâ—ewiâ—e to other that came with hym certeyne knyues glasses and beades of cristalle After that the capitayne had shewed the Kynge the secreates of his shippe and suche marchaundies as he had therin he caused a piece of ordinaunce suddenly to bee shore of whereat the kyng was greately amased vntil the capitayne comforted hym Then the Capitaine commaunded one of his men to be armed from the heade to the foote and caused three other to strike hym with theyr swoordes whereat the Kynge maruayled greately and sayde to thinterpretoure who was a slaue borne in Malacha that one of those armed men was able to encounter with a hundreth of his men But he maruayled muche more when the capitaine tould hym by thinterpretoure howe he founde the straight by the compasse and lode stone and howe many dayes they were without sight of any lande Then askynge licence to departe the capitayne sente two of his men with him of the whiche Antonie Pigafetta was one When the kynge sawe Antonie Pigafetta write the names of many thinges and afterwarde rehearse them ageyne he maruayled yet more makynge sygnes that suche men descended from heauen The Kynge brought them firste to his pallaice where he interteyned them honorably and gaue them manye gyftes as dyd also the Prince in his pallaice beynge in an other Ilande named Caleghan The Iland of Calâ—ghan As they syfted a certeyne myne of earthe in the Kynges Ilande they founde pieces of golde suâ— as bigge as nuttes and other as bigge as egges All the kynges veâ—selles were of golde Plentâ—e of golde and his house well furnysshed In all the hole nation there was no man of coomlier personage then the kinge He had his heare long downe to his shulders and very blake with a vaile of silke rowled abowte his head The kynge of Buthuan and two greate ringes of golde hanginge at his eares He had abowte hys myddle a clothe wroughte of cotton and silke impaled wyth golde and reacheinge downe to his knees On his one syde he had a long dager with a hafte of golde and the shethe of a fayre kynde of carued woodde He had on euery finger three ringes of golde and had his bodie annoynted with oyle of storax and Beniamin The natural coloure of his face was like vnto the coloure of an oliue And all his bodye bysyde paynted with diuers colours The kynges name was Raia Colambu and the Prince was cauled Raia Siagu The laste day of Marche neare vnto Easter the capitaine caused his preeste to say masse Masse and sente to the kinge by thinterpretoure that his commyng a lande at that tyme was not to dyne with hym but only to heare masse The Capitayne came alande with fyftie of his men in theyr best apparel with owte weapons or harnesse and all the resydue well armed Before the boates came to lande he caused sixe pieces of ordinaunce to be shotte of in token of peace and so came aland where the two kinges embrased hym and accompanyed hym to the place appoynted for masse to be sayde not farre frome the sea syde Sumwhat before the beginnynge of masse the Capitayne sprinkeled the Kynges with damaske water When the preeste was at mid masse at the offitorie the kings profered them selues to go to kysse the crosse with the capytayne but offered nothynge At the tyme of sacringe when the preeste lifted vppe the bodie of Christ and the Christians kneeled downe and helde vppe their handes ioyned togither the kinges dyd the like also wyth greate reuerence In the meane tyme whyle certeyne of the Christians were at the communion a handegunne was shotte of to signifie vnto theym that were in the shyppes to discharge all theyr ordinaunce When masse was fynysshed the Capitaine caused certeyne of his men to put on theyr harnesse and to make a combat with theyr naked swoordes A combatte wherat the kynges tooke great pleasure This doone the Capitaine caused a crosse to be brought furth with nayles and a crowne of thornes The Crosse and crowne of thornes gyuynge commaundement to all his men to gyue reuerence therunto and signifyinge to the kynges by thinterpretour that that banner was gyuen hym by Themperoure his lorde and master with commaundement tâ— lâ—aue the same in al places where he came to the great commoditie and profite of all such as wolde reuerendly receaue it as an assured token of frendship And that he wold therâ—ore leaue it there aswel to accomplyshe his lords commaundement as also that if at any tyme any shyppes of Christians shulde chaunce to coome that way shulde by seing that crosse perceaue that owre men had byn well enterteyned there and wolde therfore not onely absteyne from doing them any hurte or displeasure but also helpe to ayde them ageynste theyr enemies And that therfore it shulde bee requisite to erecte that crosse vâ—pon the toppe of the hygheste mountayne that myght bee seene from the sea on euery syde Also to pray vnto it reuerently And that in so doinge they shulde not bee hurte with thunder lyghtnynge or
the men whome he seemed to see in the same Wherupon he profered hym selfe to enter into leaque of frendshyppe wâ—th the kynge of Spayne and to accepte owre men as his brotherne and chyldren wyllyng them to come alande as into theyr owne houses Also that for theyr commynge that Ilande shulde no more bee cauled Tidore but Castile for the greate loue whiche he bore to theyr kynge whom he reputed as his lorde and master This kynge is a Moore and is named Raia Sultan Mauzor The Ilandes of Molucca are fiue in number are thus named Tarenate Tidore Mutir Macebian and Bacchian The fyue Ilandes of molucca Of these Tarenate is the chiefest Tarenate Directly ageynste the Ilande of Tidore there is an other great Ilande named Gilolo The Iland of Gilolo inhabited of Moores and Gentyles Moores gentyles The Moores haue two kynges of the which one hath syxe hundreth chyldren the other sixe hundreth and fiftie The Gentyles kepe not so many women as doo the Moores nor yet lyue in suche superstitions They praye to the fyrste thynge that they meete in the mornynge when they go furth of theyr houses and honoure that as theyr god for that day The kynge of the gentyles is very ryche in golde Golde In the sayde Ilande of Gilolo are reedes as bygge as a mans legge and full of cleare water holsome to bee drunke water in reedes The .xii. daye of Nouember the kynge of Tidore appoynted owre men a ware house in the citie where they might sell theyr marchaundies Theyr maner of exchange was in this sort Theyr maner of barteringe For tenne yardes of good redde cloth they had one Bahar of cloues whiche amounteth to foure Cantari and syxe pounde weight And one Cantar is a hundreth pounde weight For .xv. yardes of cloth sumwhat woorse then the other they receaued in Cambie one Bahar For .xxxv. drynkynge cuppes of glasse they had one Bahar For .xvii. Cathyls of quicke syluer one Bahar They came dayly to the shyppes with many of theyr barkes full of goates hennes fygges of a spanne longe also the frute cauled Cocus with dyuers other kyndes of vyttayles in such quantitie that it was a marueylous thynge to beholde water of A straunge qualitie They furnyshed also theyr shyppes with fresshe water which is hotte as it issheweth owt of the sprynge but is very coulde when it hath stoode a while in an other place It spryngeth from the mountaynes on the which the cloue trees growe They sawe a cloude ryse in maner dayly which compaseth about the sayde mountaynes The kynge of the Ilande of Bacchian sente the kynge of Spayne two deade byrdes of straunge forme Byrdes of a straunge forme They were of the byggâ—nes of turtle dooues with lyttle heades and longe vylles also longe and smaule legges and no wynges but in the stâ—ade therof certeyne longe fethers of diuers colours and tayles lyke turtle dooues All the other fethers are of one coloure much lyke vnto tawny except those of the wynges They flye not but when the wynde bloweth These Moores are of opinion that these byrdes coomme frome the heauenlye Paradyse and therfore caule them Manuccodiata that is the byrdes of god When they were determyned to depart from the Ilandes of Molucca certeyne kynges of the Ilandes accompanied theÌ„ with theyr canoas and conducted them to an Ilande cauled Mare where they refresshed theyr shyppes with freshe water and fuell The kynges sent Themperours maiestie many presentes and embrasynge owre menne departed with the teares in theyr eyes And owre men for theyr laste farewell shotte of all theyr ordinaunce When in the Ilande of Mare they perceaued that one of theyr shyppes leaked and toke water very sore They leaâ—e one of theyr shyppes behynd them wherby they were inforced to tary there three dayes But seinge that they coulde fynde no remedie for the same but in longe tyme they determined to leaue it gyuynge order that if afterwarde it coulde bee repayred they shuld returne into Spayne as well as they coulde In all the Ilandes of Molucca is founde cloues The Ilandes of Molucca ginger breade of the roote of Sagu ryse goates sheepe hennes fygges almondes sweete pomegranates and sowre oranges lemondes and hony which is made of certeyne flyes lâ—sse then antes hony of flyes Also canes of suger oyle of Cocus mellons geurdes and a marueilous coulde frute which they name Camulicai and dyuers other frutes Furthermore whyte and redde popingiayes Popingiayes and other of variable coloures It is not paste fiftie yeares sence the moores fyrste inhabited anye of these Ilands which were before inhabited only with geÌ„tyles The Ilande of Tidere The Iland of Tidore is aboue the Equinoctiall line towarde owre pole abowt .27 minutes And in longitude froÌ„ the place from whense they departed .171 degrees And from the Archipelagus in the which is the Iland of Zamal which our men named the Iland of theeues ix degrees and a halfe and runneth to the quarter of south southwest and north northeast Terenate Terenate is vnder the Equinoctial line foure minutes vnder the pole Antartike Mutir Mutir is directly vnder the Equinoctiall line Macchian is .xv. minutes toward the pole Antartike Macchian â—nd Bacâ—hian one degree These Ilandes are lyke foure sharpe mountaynes except Macchian which is not sharpe The byggest of all these is Bacchian Bacchian Departynge from the Iland of Mare and directyng these courle towarde the southwest with onely .xlvi. men in theyr shyppe and .xiii. Indians they passed by the Ilandes of Chacouan Lagoma Sico Gioghi Caphi Sulacho Lumatola Many Ilande Tenetum Buru Ambon Budia Celaruri Benaia Ambalao Bandan Zorobua Zolot Noceuamor Galian and Mallua with dyuers other Ilandes both great and smaule of Moores Gentyles and Canibales Owre men remayned xv dayes in the Ilande of Mallua to repayre theyr shyppe in certeyne places where it tooke water The Iland of Mallua All the fieldes of this Ilande is full of longe and rounde pepper Pepper and is situate towarde the pole Antartike vnder the Equinoctiall line .viii. degrees and a halfe and is in the longitude of .169 degrees and 40. minutes The pilote which owre men brought owt of the Ilandes of Molucca toulde them that not farre from thense was an Iland named Arucetto in the which are men and women not past a cubite in height hauynge eares of such byggenesse that they lye vppon one and couer them with the other Lyttle men with longe eares But owr men wolde not sayle thyther bothe bycause the wynde and course of the sea was ageynste theym and also for that they gaue no credite to his reporte The .xxv. day of Ianuary in the yeare .1522 they departed from Mallua and the day folowyng arryued at a greate Iland named Timor The Iland of Timor beinge fiue leaques distante from Mallua betwene the south and southwest In this
therwith as are the Iuwes but do sum tymes receaue it fauorably to gratifie the princes to whome theyÌ„ obey Erasmus lamenteth this in his fyrste booke de ratine concionaÌ„di where he speaketh of the people cauled pilapâ—â— And that no more of theym imbrase the Christian fayth the faute is sumwhat to bee imputed to the by shoppes and prelates that haue eyther reiected this cure and charge of instructynge the nation or suâ—fered the faith of Christ to be suffocate euen in the fyrst sprynge For vnder the pretense of religion they woulde haue aduaunced theyr owne reuenues and ouerburthened the people by an intollerable exemple none otherwyse here then in all Christendome which thynge is doubtlesse the cause of moste greuons defections I harde Iohn a bysshoppe of Gothlande say thus We that gouerne the churche of Upâ—alia and haue vnder owre dioceâ—se a great parte of that nation lyke as it is not conueniente to declare many thynges of owre vigilance and attendaunce ouer the flocke committed to owre charge euen so absteynynge frome myscheuous couetousnesse wherby religion is abused for luker we doo in all places owre diligent endeuour that we minister none occasion whereby this nation as oâ—fended by owre â—innes maye bee the lesse wyllynge to embrase the Christian â—ayth This is the state of the religion amonge the Lapones Althowgh of theyr owne institution and custome receaued of theyr predicessours they are Idolatours Idolatrie honourynge that lyuynge thynge that they meete fyrst in the mornynge for the god of that daye and diuinynge thereby theyr good lucke or euyll They also erecte images of stone vpon the mountaines which they esteeme as goddes attributing to them diuine honour They solemne mariages and begynne the same with fyre and flynte A misterie of mariage in fyre fâ—int as with a mysterie so aptely applyed to the image of stone as if it had byn receaued frome the myddeâ—â—e of Grecia For in that they adhibite a mysterie of fyre as they doo not this alone forasmuche as the Romanes obserued the same custome euen so are they herein partly to be commended in that they vse the ceremonies of so noble a people The mysterie of the flinte is no lesse to bee praysed both forasmuche as this is domesticall philosophie and hath also a nere affinitie and signification to these sonemnities For as the flynt hath in it fyre lyinge hydde whiche appeareth not but by mouynge and force so is there a secreate lyfe in both kyndes of man and woman whiche by mutuall coniunction coommethe furth to a lyuynge byrth They are furthermore experte inchaunters Experte inchauncers They tye three knottes on a strynge hangynge at a whippe When they lose one of these they rayse tollerable wyndes When they lose an other the wynde is more vehement But by losyng the thyrde they rayse playne tempestes as in owlde tyme they were accustomed to rayse thunder and lyghtnynge This arte doo they vse ageinst such as sayle by theyr coastes and staye or moue the ryuers and seas more or lesse as they lyst to shewe fauoure or displeasure They make also of leade certeyne shorte magicall dartes of the quantitie and length of a fynger Magical dartes These they throwe ageynste suche of whome they desyre to bee reuenged The canker to places neuer so farre distant They are sumtimes so vexed with the canker on their armes or legges that in the space of three dayes they dye throwgh the vehemencie of the payne The sonne fauleth very lowe in these regions and prolongeth one continuall nyghte for the space of thre moonethes in wynter One nyght of three moonethes durynge whiche tyme they haue none other lyght but lyke vnto the twylyght of euenynges and mornynges This is very cleare but continueth but fewe honres and is lyke the bryght shynynge of the moone Therfore that day that the sonne returneth to the hemispherie they keepe holy day and make great myrth with solemne festiuitie And these are the maners of this nation not so brutysshe or saluage as woorthy therfore to bee cauled Lapones for theyr vnaptnesse or simplicitie as when they lyned vnder theyr owne Empire and vsed no familiaritie or entercourse with other nations and knewe not the commoditie of theyr owne thynges Rich furres neyther the pryce and estimation of theyr furres in owre regions by reason whereof they soulde great plentie of them for sum of owre wares of smaule vâ—lue The houndes or limittes of Laponia beinge thextreme lande of Scondia knowen towarde the north pole are extended towarde this parte of the North to the worlde yet vnknowen to vs And furthermore towarde the same parte of the vttermost sea accordynge to this description The fyrst coaste 70 72. The coaste folowynge 80 7. That that yet foloweth 90 70. From the fysshynge places and store houses of this sea Plentie of sea fysshe they cary foorth to Nordbothnia and whyte Russia landes confinynge to them great plentie of fysshe Wherby we may coniecture that this sea is extended on euery syde toward the North. Towarde the weste it is limitted with the moste inwarde goulfe of at the Castell of Wardhus at the degree wardhus 54 70 30. Towarde the Southe it is lymitted by a line drawen from thense vnto the degree .90 69. Norwegia or Norway NOrdway is as muche to say as the Northwaye This was sumtyme a florysshynge kyngedome whose dominion comprehended Denmarke Friselande and the Ilandes farre abowt vntyll the domestical Eâ—pire waâ— gouerned by the succession of inheritaunce In the meane tyme while this gouâ—rnaunce ceased for lacke of dewe issue it was instituted by consent of the nobilitie that the kynges shuld be admitted by election supposinge that they wolde with more equitie execute that office forasmuche as they were placed in the same by such autoritie and not by obteynynge the kyngedome by fortune and newe aduauncement But it came so to passe that as euery of them excelled in richesse ambition and fauour by consangiuitie so were they in greater hope to obteyne the kyngedome And were by this meanes diuided into factions kyngdomes destroyd by factions attemtyng also occasions tinuade foraigne realmes wherby they might strengthen theyr parties It is therefore at this present vnder the dominion of the Danes The Daneâ— who doo not only exact intollerable tributes but also brynge all theyr ryches and commodities into Denmarke constitutynge the continuance of theyr gouernaunce in thinfirmitie and pouertie of the subiectes which exemple sum other princes doo folowe at this day in the Christian Empire For after that the princes had forsaken suche vertues as shulde haue shyned in them as to bee Patres patriae that is the fathers of theyr countreys and that in the place hereof onely the proude countenaunce of dominion remayned which opened licentiousnesse to thiniuxie of the subiectes this folowed therof that wheras the Danes by this occasion had no further trust or ayde in the loue of the
castell of Pustoosero Camenipoias are dyuers and innumerable nations whiche by one common name are cauled Samoged that is such as eate them selues Samoged They haue great increase of foules byrdes dyuers kyndes of beastes Foules and beastes as Sables Marternes Beuers Otters Hermelines Squyrels and in the Ocean the beaste cauled Mors Also Uess whyte beares woolfes hares Equiwoduani great whales and a fysshe cauled Semfi with dyuers other The people of these nations come not to Moscouia For they are wylde wyld people and flye the company societie of other men From the mouthes of Stzuchogora saylynge vp the ryuer vnto Poiassa Poiassa Artawische Cameni and Poiassa the greater is three weekes vyage Furthermore the ascendynge to thâ— mounte Camen Camen is three dayes iorney from the whiche descendyng they come to the ryuer Artawischa Artawischa and from thense to the ryuer Sibut Sibut from whence they passe to the castell of Lepin Lepin and from Lepin to the ryuer Sossa The people that inhabite the region by this ryuer are cauled Uuogolici Leauynge Sossa on the ryght hande Soâ—sa they come to the greate ryuer Oby Obâ— that spryngeth owt of the lake Kitaisko Kitaisko the whiche with all the haste they coulde make they coulde scarsely passe ouer in one day the ryuer beinge of such breadth that it reacheth fourescore Werstes The people also that dwell abowt this ryuer are cauled Uuogoliâ—i and Ugritzschi Uuogolici From the castell of Ohea ascendynge by the ryuer of Oby vnto the ryuer Irtische into the which Sossa entereth Irtische is three moonethes iorney In these places are two castels named Ierom and Lumen Ieron â—umem kepte by certeyne lordes cauled Knesi Iuhorski beinge tributaries to the greate duke of Moscouia as they say Here are dyuers kyndes of beastes and furres Frome the mouth of the ryuer Irtische to the Castell of Grustina Grustina is two monethes iorney from whense to the lake Kitai by the ryuer Oby which I sayde to haue his sprynges in this lake is more then three monethes iorney Kitai From this lake come many blacke men lackyng thuse of common spech Blacke men withowt speache They brynge with them dyuers wares and especially pearles and precious stones whiche they sell to the people cauled Grustintzi and Serponowtzi These haue theyr name of the castell Serponow Serponowe situate in the mountaynes of Lucomorya beyonde the ryuer Obi. Lucomoria They say that to the men of Lucomorya chaunceth a marueylous thynge and incredible Men that yearely dye and reuyue For they affirme that they dye yearely at the .xxvii. daye of Nouember beinge the feast of saynt George amonge the Moscouytes and that at the nexte sprynge abowte the .xxiiii. daye of Apryll they reuyue ageyne as doo frogges With these also the people of Grustintzi and Serponowtzi A straunge trade of marchaundies exercise a newe and straunge kynde of trade For when the accustomed tyme of theyr dyinge or rather of sleapynge aprocheth they leaue theyr wares in certeyne places appoynted which the Grustintzi and Serponowtzi carye away leauynge other wares of equall valewe in theyr places whiche if the deade men at the tyme of theyr reuyuyne perceaue to bee of vnequall pryce they requyre theyr owne ageyne by reason wherof muche stryfe and fighting is betwene them From the ryuer of Obi descending toward the left hand Obi. are the people cauled Calami Calami which came thether from Obiowa and Pogosa Beneth Obi abowte Aurea Anus that is the golden owlde wyfe are the ryuers Sossa Beres Uua Ryuers and Danadim al which sprynge owt of the montayne CameÌ„ Bolschega Poiassa and the rockes ioynynge to the same All the nations that inhabite from these ryuers of Aurea Anus are subiecte to the prynce of Moscouia Aurea Anus cauled in the Moscouites toonge Slata Baba Aurea Anus is an Idole at the mouthes of Obi in the prouince of Obdora Obdora standynge on the furthest banke towarde the sea Alonge by the bankes of Obrand the ryuers neare there about are here and there many castells and fortresses all the lordes wherof are subiecte to the prince of Moscouia as they say They say also or rather fable that the Idole cauled Aurea Anus is an Image lyke vnto an owlde wyfe hauyng a chyld in â—er lappe and that there is nowe seene an other infante which they say to bee her neuie Also that there are certeyne instrumentes that make a continuall sounde lyke the noyse of trumpettes The which if it so bee I thynke it to bee by reason of the wynde blowynge continually into the holowe places of those instrumentes The ryuer Cossin Cossin fauleth owt of the mountaynes into Lucomoria In the mouth of thys is a castell Whyther froÌ„ the sprynges of the great ryuer Cossin is two moonethes by age Furthermore from the sprynges of the same ryuer the ryuer Cassima hath hys original Cassima which runnynge throwgh Lucomoria fauleth into the great ryuer Tachnin Tachnin beyonde the which as is sayde dwell men of prodigious â—hape of whom sum are ouergrowne wich heare lyke wylde beastes other haue heades lyke dogges People of Monstrous shape and other theyr faces in theyr brestes withowt neckes and with longe handes also and withowte feete A fysshe lyke a man There is lykewyse in the ryuer Tachnin a certeyne fysshe with headde eys nose mouthe handes fiete Plinie wryteth of the lyke fysshe other members vtterly of humane shape and yet withowt any voyce pleasante to bee eaten as are other fysshes All that I haue hetherto rehersed I haue translated out of the sayde ioyney whiche was delyuered me in the Moscouites tounge In the which perhappes sum thynges maye seeme fabulous and in maner incredible as of the doomme men and the deade reuyuynge the Aurea Anus also and the monstrous shapes of men with the fysshe of human forme wherof althowgh I haue made dylygeÌ„t inquisicion yet could I knowe nothynge certeyne of any that had seene the same with theyr eys neuerthelesse to gyue further occasion to other to searche the truth of these thynges I haue thowght good to make mention hereof Noss in the Moscouites tounge signifieth a nose and therfore they caule all capes or poyntes of lande that reache into the sea by the same name The mountaynes about the ryuer of Petzora Mountaynes are cauled Semnoi Poyas or Lingulus mundi that is the gyrdle of the worlde or of the yearth Kithay is a lake of whome the greate Chan of CATHAY whom the MoscouiaÌ„s caule Czar Kythaiski The greate Chan of Cathay hath hys name For Chan in the Tartars language signifieth a kyng The places of Lucomorya nere vnto the sea Lucomoria are saluage full of wooddes and inhabited withowt any houses And albeit that the autour
father had byn sent ambassadour to the great Chan of Cathay And that the great citie of Cambalu where the great Chan kepeth his courte in winter was in maner destroyed by Necromancie and magicall artes wherin the Cathaynes are very expert as wryteth Marcus Paulus Uenctus Ther was also at the same tyme thambassadour of the kynge of Persia cauled the great Sophic This ambassadour was appareled all inscarlet and spake much to the duke in the behalfe of owre men of whose kyngdome and trade he was not ignorant The people cauled Czeremisse Czeremisse dwell in the wooddes beneth Nouogardia the lower They haue a peculiar language and are of the secte of Machumet They were sumtyme subiecte to the kynge of Casan but the greater part of them are nowe subiecte to the prince of Moscouia Many of them at my beinge there were brought to Moscouia as suspected of rebellion This nation doth inhabite a large region withowt houses from Uuiathka and Uuolochda hâ—bitacion withowt houses to the ryuer of Kama All the nation aswell women as men are very swyft of foote and expert archers wherin they so delite that theyr bowes are in maner neuer owt of theyr handes and gyue theyr children no meate vntyl they hyt the marke they shoote at Two leaques distante from Nouogardia the lower were many houses to the similitude of a citie or towne where they were accustomed to make salte Salte These a fewe yeares sense beinge burnt of the Tartars were restored by the commaundement of the prince Mordwa are people inhabytynge by the ryuer of Uolga on the south banke beneth Nouogardia the lower And are in al thynges like vnto the Czeremisses but that they haue more houses And here endeth Thempire of the Moscouites Note here that Matthias of Michou in his booke of Sarmatia Asiatica writeth that the dominion of the duke of Moscouia recheth from the northwest to the southeast fyue hundreth myles of Germanie which are more then leaques For they affirme that a Germane myle is more then three Englysshe myles ¶ Of the Tartars WEe wyll nowe adde hereunto sumwhat of the people confinynge with â—he Moscouites towarde the East of the which the Tartars of Casan are the first The Tartars of Casan But before wee speake of them particularly wee wyl fyrst reherse sumwhat of theyr maners and customes in generall The Tartars are diuided into companies which they caul Hordas of the which the Horda of the Sawolhenses is the chiefe in fame and multitude horda For it is sayde that the other Hordas had theyr ofsprynge and original of this And albeit that euery Horda hath his peculiar name as the Sawolhenses Precropenses and Nahays with dyuers other being all Machumetans yet doo they take it euyll and count it reproch to bee cauled Turkes but wyll them selues to bee cauled Besermani Besermani by the which name also the Turkes desyre to bee cauled And as the Tartars inhabyte many prouynces reachynge far on euery syde euen so in maners and order of lyuynge doo they not agree in all thynges They are men of meane stature The stature of the Tartars with broade and fat faces holowe eyde with roughe and thyck beardes and poulde heades Onely the noble men haue longe heare and that exceadyng black which they wreath on both sydes theyr eares They are stronge of body and stoute of mynde prone to leacherye and that vnnaturall They eate the fleasshe of horses camells and other bâ—astes excepte hogges They absteâ—ne from hogges flesshe Abstinence from which they absteyne by a lawe They can so abyde fasting hunger that they suÌ„time forbeare meate and sleepe for the space of foure days occupyed neuertheleâ—se aboute theyr necessary affayres Ageyne when they gette any thyng to deuoure Uoracitie they ingorge them selues beyond measure and with that surfecte in maner recompense theyr former abstynence And beynge thus oppressed with laboure and meate they sleepe contynually for the space of three or foure days withowt doyng any maner of worke or labour durynge which tyme the Lyuons and Moscouites into whose domynyons they are accustomed to make theyr incursions assayle them vnwares thus oppressed with meate and sleepe lyinge scatered here and there owt of order withowte watch or warde Also if when they ryde they bee molested with hunger and thyrste So doo the Turkes they vse to lette theyr horses blud and with drynkyng the same satysfye theyr present necessytie and affyrme theyr horses to bee the better therby And bicause they all wander in vnknowen places they vse to dyrect theyr iorneys by thaspecte of the starres Iorneying by the pole star and especyally of the pole starre which in theyr tounge they caule Selesnikoll that is an iren nayle They greatly delyte in mares mylke Mares mylke and beleue that it maketh men strong and fatte They eate herbes very much and especyally such as growe abowt Tanais Fewe of them vse salte horse flesshe eaten When theyr kynges dystrybute any vytayles among them they are accustomed to gyue one horse or cowe to fortye men Of the slayne beaste the bowells and trypes are reserued for the chiefe men and capytaynes Clenly These they heate at the fyre vntyll they may shake owt the doonge and then deuoure them gredely They sucke and lycke not only theyr fyngers imbrued with fatte but also theyr knyues and styckes wherwith they scrape the doong from the guttes The heades of horses are counted delycate disshes with them as are bores heades with vs hors heades deintie meate and are reserued only for the chyefe men The Tartars horses Theyr horses wherof they haue great aboundaunce are but smaule and with short neckes but very strong and such as can wel away with labour hunger These they fede with the branches barkes or ryndes of trees the rotes of hearbes and weedes wherby they accustome them to hard feedynge and exercyse them to contynuall laboure by reason wherof as say the Moscouytes theyr horses are swyfter and more durable then any other These kynde of horses they caule Pachmat They haue none other saddells and steroppes then of woodd Saddels and styrrops of woodde except suche as they eyther bye of the Chrystians or take from them by vyolence Least theyr horse backes shulde bee hurte with theyr saddells they vnderlaye them with grasse and leaues of trees They also passe ouer ryuers on horsbacke But if when they flye they feare the pursuynge of theyr enemyes then castynge away theyr saddells apparelle and all other impedymentes reseruyng only theyr armoure and weapons they flye amayne and with greate ceelrytye Theyr women vse the same kynde of apparell that doo the men withowt any dyfference except that they couer theyr heades with lynnen vayles The Tartars women and vse lynnen hose muche lyke vnto maryners sloppes When theyr queenes coome abrod they are accustomed to couer theyr faces The other multytude of the
Of the landes of Laborador and Baccalaos lyinge west and northwest from Englande and beinge parte of the firme lande of the West Indies MAny haue trauayled to search the coast of thâ— lande of Laborador aswell to thintente to knowe howe farre or whyther it reachethe as also whether there bee any passage by sea through the same into the sea of Surand the Ilandes of Maluca which are vnder the Equinoctiall line The way to the Ilandes of Maluca by the north sea thinkynge that the wayâ— thyther shulde greatly bee shortened by this vyage The Spanyardes as to whose ryght the sayde Ilandes of spices perteyne The Spanyâ—â—des dyd fyrst seeke to fynde the same by this way The Portugâ—les also hauynge the trade of spices in theyr handes dyd trauayle to fynde the same although hetherto neyther anye such paâ—sage is founde or the ende of that lande In the yeare a thousande and fiue hundreth Basper Cortesreales Baâ—per Corteâ—reales made a vyage thyther with two carauelles but founde not the â—â—reyght or passage he sought At his beinge there he named the Ilandes that lye in the mouth of the goulfe Quadrado after his name Cortesreales 〈…〉 lyinge in the L. degrees and more and browght from that lande abowt three score men for slaues He greatly maruayled to beholde the houge quantitie of snowe and Ise. Snowe and Ise. For the sea is there frosen excedyngly Thinhabitauntes are men of good corporature although tawny lyke the Indies and laborious They paynte theyr bodyes and weare braselettes and hoopes of syluer and copper Furreâ— Theyr apparel is made of the skynnes of marternes and dyuers other beastes whiche they weare with the heare inwarde in wynter and owtwarde in soommer This apparell they gyrde to theyr bodyes with gyrdels made of cotton or the synewes of fysshes and beastes They eate fysshe more then any other thynge and especially salmons Fysshe althoughe they haue foules and frute They make theyr houses of timber wherof they haue great plentieâ— and in the steade of tyles couer them with the skynnes of fysshes and beastes It is sayde also that there are grifes in this lande Gryfes and that the beares and many other beastes and foules are whyte Beares To this and the Ilandes abowt the same the Britons are accustomed to resorte The britons as men of nature agreable vnto them and borne vnder the same altitude and temperature The Norwayes also sayled thyther with the pylot cauled Iohn Scoluo And the Englysshe men with Sebastian Cabot Sebastian Cabot The coaste of the lande of Baccallaos The land of Baccallâ—os is a greate tracte and the greatest altitude therof is xiviii degrees and a halfe Sebastian Cabot was the fyrst that browght any knowleage of this lande For beinge in Englande in the dayes of kyng Henry the seuenth The vyage of Cabot in the dayes of kyng henry the seuenth he furnysshed twoo shippes at his owne charges or as sum say at the kynges whome he persuaded that a passage might bee founde to Cathay by the north seas and that spices myght bee brought from thense soner by that way then by the vyage the Portugales vse by the sea of Sur He went also to knowe what maner of landes those Indies were to inhabite He had with hym three hundreth men and directed his course by the tracte of Islande vppon the cape of Laborador at .lviii. degrees I se in Iuly affirmynge that in the monethe of Iuly there was such could and heapes of Ise that he durst passe no further also that the dayes were very longe and in maner withowt myght and the nyghtes very cleare Certeyne it is that at the. lx degrees the longest day is of .xviii. houres But consyderynge the coulde and the straungenes of thâ— vnknowen lande he turned his course from thense to the West folowynge the coast of the lande of Baccalaos vnto thâ— xxxviii degrees Baccallaos from whense he returned to Englande To conclude the Brytons and Danes haue sayled to the Baccalaos Bryâ—ons â—anes and Iaques Cartier a frenche man was there twyse with three galeons Iaques Cartyer as one in the yeare .xxxiiii. and the other in the .xxxv. and chose the lande to inhabite frome the .xlv. degrees to the. li. beinge as good a lande as Fraunce and al thynges therein commune to such as fyrst possesse the same Of these lands Iacobus Gastaldus wryteth thus The newe lande of Baccalaos The people of Baccallaos is a coulde region whose inhabytauntes are Idolatours and praye to the soonne and moonâ— and dyuers Idoles They are whyte people and very rustical For they eate flesshe and fysshe and all other thynges rawe Sumtymes also they eate mans flesshe priuilye so that theyr Laciqui haue no knowleage therof The apparell of both the men and women is made of beares skynnes althowgh they haue sables and marternes not greatly estemed bycause they are lyttle Sum of them go naked in soommer and weare apparell only in wynter The Brytous and Frenche men are accustomed to take fysshe in the coaste of these landes where is founde great plentie of Tunnyes which thinhabitauntes caul Baccalaos wherof the lande was so named Fysshynge for tunnyes Northwarde from the region of Baccalaos is the lande of Laborador Laborador all full of mountaynes and great wooddes in whiche are manye beares and wylde bores Thinhabitauntes are Idolatoures and warlike people appareled as are they of Baccallaos In all this newe lande is neyther citie or castell but they lyue in companies lyke heardes of beastes ¶ The discouerynge of the lande of Floryda THe gouernour of the Ilande of Boriquena Iohn Ponce of Leon beinge discharged of his office and very ryche Iohn Ponce water of great vertue of this reade in the Deâ—ades furnysshed and sente foorth two caruels to seeke the Ilandes of Boyuca in the which the Indians affirmed to be a fontayne or springe Whose water is of vertue to make owlde men younge Whyle he trauayled syxe monethes with owtragious desyre amonge many Ilandes to fynde that he sought and coulâ—e fynde no token of any such fountayne he entered into Bimini and discouered the lande of Florida in the yeare .1512 on Easter day which the Spanyardes caule the florysshyng day of Pascha Bemminâ— wherby they named that lande Florida And supposyng that great rychâ—s myght be browght from thense he returned into Spayne and conuenaunted with kynge Ferdinando as touchynge the trade and by thintercession of Nicolas de Quando and Peter Nunez de Guzman the kynge dyd not onely make hym gouernoure of Bemini and Florida but also sente furthe with hym three shippes from Siuile toward his second vyage in the yeare .1515 He touched in the Ilande of Guacana otherwyse cauled Guadalupe Guacana and sent to lande certeyne of his men with the landresses of the shyppes whom the Canibales lyinge in ambusshe The Canibales assayled
Massaquiber Oram Nassaquiber The kyngedome of Fes reachethe vnto the Ocean sea from the West to the citie of Argilla and the porte of the sayde kyngedome is cauled Salla Saâ—la The kyngedome of Marrocko is also extended aboue the Ocean sea vnto the citie of Azamor and Azafi whiche are aboue the Ocean sea towarde the West of the sayde kyngdome Azamor In Mauritania Tingitanea that is to say in the two kyngedomes of Fes and Marrocko are in the sea the Ilandes of Canarie cauled in owlde time the fortunate Ilandes The Ilandes of Canarie Toward the south of this region is the kyngedome of Guinea Guinea with Senega Iaiofo Gambra and manye other regions of the blacke Moores cauled Ethiopians or Negros Ethiopians all whiche are watered with the ryuer Negro cauled in owlde tyme Niger In the sayde regions are no cities but only certeyne lowe cotages made of bouwes of trees plastered with chauke and couered with strawe In these regions are also very great desertes The kyngedome of Marrocko hath vnder it these seuen kyngedomes Hea Sus Guzula the territorie of Marrocko Marrocko Duchala Hazchora and Telde The kyngedome of Fes hath as many as Fes Fes Temesne Azgar Elabath Errifi Garet and Eicauz The kyngedome of Tremisen hath these regions Tremesin Tremisen Tenez and Elgazaet all which are Machometistes But all the regions of Guinea are pure Gentyles and Idolatours withowt profession of any religion or other knowleage of god then by the lawe of nature Guinea Africa the great Africa the great is one of the three partes of the worlde knowen in owlde tyme and seuered from Asia on the East by the ryuer Nilus On the West from Europe by the pillers of Hercules The hyther part is nowe cauled Barbarie and the people Moores The inner parte is cauled Libia and Ethiopia Afrike the lesse is in this wyse bounded Affrike the lesse On the west it hath Numidia On the east Cyrenaica On the north the sea cauled Mediterraneum In this countrey was the noble citie of Carthage Carthage In the East syde of Afrike beneth the redde sea dwelleth the greate and myghtye Emperour and Chrystian kynge Prester Iohan Prester Iohn well knowen to the Portugales in theyr vyages to Calicut His dominions reache very farre on euery syde and hath vnder hym many other kynges both Chrystian and hethen that pay hym trybute This myghty prince is cauled Dauid Themperour of Ethiopia Sum wryte that the kynge of Portugale sendeth hym yearely .viii. shyppes laden with marchaundies His kyngedome confineth with the redde sea and reacheth farre into Afrike towarde Egypte and Barbarie Southwarde it confineth with the sea towarde the cape de Buona Speranza Cape de Buona Speranza and on the other syde with the sea of sande cauled Mare de Sabione The sea of sande a very daungerous sea lyinge betwene the great citie of Alcaer or Cairo in Egypte and the countrey of Ethiopia Alcair In the whiche way are many vnhable desertes continuinge for the space of fyue dayes iorney And they affirme that if the sayde Chrystian Emperour were not hyndered by those desertes in the which is great lacke of vittayles and especially of water he wolde or nowe haue inuaded the kyngedome of Egypte and the citie of Alcayer The chiefe citie of Ethiope where this great Emperour is resydent is cauled Amacaiz beinge a fayre citie whose inhabitauntes are of the coloure of an olyue There are also many other cities as the citie of Saua vppon the ryuer of Nilus where Themperoure is accustomed to remayne in the soommer season There is lykewyse a great citie named Barbaregaf And Ascon from whense it is sayde that the queene of Saba came to Ierusalem to heare the wysdome of Salomon From wheÌ„se the queene of Saba came This citie is but lyttle yet very fayre and one of the chiefe cities in Ethiope In the sayde kyngdome is a prouince cauled Manicongni Manicongni whose kynge is a Moore and tributarie to Themperour of Ethiope In this prouince are many excedynge hyghe mountaynes vppon the which is sayde to be the earthly Paradyse The earthly Paradyse And sum say that there are the trees of the soonne and moone whereof the antiquitie maketh mention The trees of the soonne and moone Yet that none can passe thyther by reason of greate desertes of a hundreth dayes iorney Also beyonde these mountaynes is the cape of Buona Speranza And to haue sayde thus much of Afrike it may suffice ¶ The fyrst vyage of Guinea IN the yeare of owre Lorde M.D.LIII. the xii day of August sayled from Porchemouth two goodly shyppes the Primrose and the Lion The prymrose The Lyon with a pynnesse cauled the moone The Moone beinge all well furnysshed aswell with men of the lustiest sorte to the number of seuen score as also with ordinaunce and vyttayles requisite to such a vyage Hauynge also two capitaynes the one a straunger cauled Antoniades Pinteado a Portugale Pinteado borne in a towne named the porte of Portugale a wyse discrete and sober man who for his cunnynge in saylynge beinge aswell an expert pylot as polytyke capitayne was sumtyme in great fauoure with the kynge of Portugale and to whom the coastes of Brasile and Guinea were commytted to bee kepte from the Frenchemen to whom he was a terroure on the sea in those partes Brasile Guinea and was furthermore a gentleman of the kinge his masters house But as fortune in maner neuer fauoureth but flattereth The flatteryng of fortune neuer promyseth but deceaueth neuer rayseth but casteth downe ageyne and as great wealth and fauour hath alwayes companions emulation and enuie he was after many aduersites and quarels made ageynst hym inforced to come into Englande where in this golden vyage he was euyll matched with an vnequall coompanion and vnlyke matche of most sundry qualities and conditions with vertues few or none adourned with vices dyuers and many fowly spotted The euel conditions of Wyndam knowen of many with out profyte and desyred of fewe or none for his wyckednes whose smaule acquayntaunce was profitable to all men and his familiar conuersation an vndoinge that happye was the man or woman that knewe hym not he for his gooddes and shee for her name In fine vnfortunate was the coompany that had owght to doo with hym in so much that it was no maruayle that so goodly an enterpryse with so noble a furniture of men shyppes and ordinaâ—â—ce of all sortes with all kynde of vyttayles and that of so â—reat abundaunce had so smaul successe which could be none otherwyse wher so foule a spotte dyd blemysshe ye rather deface the rest Thus departed these noble shyppes vnder sayle on theyr vyage But first this capitayne Wyndam puttyng furth of his shyp at Porchmouth a kynseman of one of the headde marchauntes and shewynge herein a muster of
from the Ilandes Of the Ilandes of Galanta or Galana and Guadalupea and of the trees which beare that kynde of cotton whiche the Italians caule Bombasine and the Spanyardes Algadon Of dyuers kyndes of popingiayes And of the Iland of Matinino or Madanino being inhabited only with women Also of dyuers other frutefull Ilandes And of a conflicte which the Spanyardes had with the Canibales Of certeyne Ilandes in the which are seene the mynes of metals and precious stones and of the frutefull and peopulous Ilande cauled Burichena or Boriquen or Insula S. Iohanuis Howe all the Admirals men whiche at his fyrst vyage he lefte in Hispaniola were slayne in his absence by the rebellion of Guaccanarillus kynge of the Region of Xamana and of the free kynde of lyfe which they leade that haue not the vse of money Of the .vii. maydens which swamme .iii. myles in the sea And of the maner of gatheryng of gold in the sands of riuers ¶ The Contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 10. ¶ A particular description of the Ilande of Hispaniola whiche Colonus thynketh to be Ophir from whense kynge Salomon had his great ryches of golde Of the maruelous frutefulnes of Hispaniola and of the suger canes growynge there Of the golden regions of Cipanga or Cibaua and of the ryuers in whose sandes is founde great plentie of golde Of certeyne graines of gold of exceadyng great quantitie Of wylde vines of pleasaunt taste and of grasse which in foure dayes groweth as hygh as wheate Of the Ilande of Iohanna or Cuba beinge the ende of the East and the West And of the frutefull and peopulous Ilande of Iamaica Howe the Admirall thought that he had sayled abowte the lowest hemispherie or halfe circle of the earth and of a secreate of Astronomie touchynge the same matter Howe the Admirall gaue names to .vii. hundreth Ilandes and passed by three thousande unnamed Of certeyne serpentes lyke vnto Crocodiles of .viii. foote longe whose flesshe is delicate to be eaten and of certeyne trees which beare gourdes Of the ryuer whose water is very hotte and of the huntynge fysshe which taketh other fysshes Of great abundaunce of Tortoyses as bygge as targets and of a frutefull mountayne well inhabited Of dogges of deformed shape and dum And of whyte and thicke water Of wooddes of date trees and pynepaple trees and of certeyne people appareled like white friers Of certeyne trees whiche beare spices and of cranes of exceadynge bignes Of stocke doues of more pleasaunte taste then partriches An oration of a barbarous gouernoure as touchinge the immortalitie of the sowle Also of the rewarde of vertue and punysshmente of vice A similitude of the golden worlde and of prouision with owte care Howe the admirall fell sicke by reason of to much watchynge And of a sedition which rose among the Spaniardes in the Ilande of Hispaniola ¶ The Contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 18. Howe the Kynges of the Ilande of Hispaniola were by the Spaniardes mysbehauoure prouoked to Rebellion And howe the admirall sent for them Howe kinge Caunaboa the Lorde of the house of golde that is of the mountaynes of Cibaua conspired the Admirals death and how he with his familie were takeÌ„ prisoners Of a greate famine that chaunced in the Iland of Hispaniola and howe the Admiral builded certeyne fortresses Of a piece of rude golde waighinge .xx. vnces and of the myne of the riche metall cauled Electrum Of the mountayne in the whyche is founde greate plentye of Amber and orpemente And of the wooddes of brasile trees Howe thinhabitauntes are put to they re tribute And howe the nature of the Region disposethe the maners of the people Howe the brother of kinge Caunaboa came ageynste the Admiral with an army of fiue thowsand naked men and how he was taken and his amry put to flyght Of the frutfull vale Magona in the sandes of whose ryuers is founde great plentie of golde and of certeyne whirlewyndes and tempestes Howe the Admirall sente foorthe his brother Bartholomeus Colonus with an army of meÌ„ to search the gold mines of the fosses which he found to haue bin digged in old tyme ¶ The Contentes of the .v. booke Fol. 22. Howe the Lieuetenaunt builded a fortresse in the golde mynes And prepared instrumentes for the pourginge and fyninge of the golde Howe certeyne shyppes laden with vyttayles came frome Spayne And howe the Lieuetenaunt sent the kynges which rebelled with three hundreth captiues into Spayne Howe the Liefetenaunte remoued his habytacion And buylded a fortresse which he cauled saynt Dominickes towre Also howe he passed ouer the ryuer Naiba and entered into the wooddes of brasyle trees Howe the great kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa frendely enterteyned the Lieuetenaunt and browght hym to his pallayce where the kynges wyues and concubines receaued him honorably with pompes and triumphes Of the fortresses which were erected in Hispaniola And howe the Lieuetenaunt exacted tribute of the kynges whiche rebelled ageyne Howe the Lieuetenaunt sette vppon the kynges vnwares in the nyght season and tooke .xiiii. of them prysoners Howe kynge Guarionexius capitayne of the conspiracie was pardoned howe he persuaded the people to obedience Howe kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa sente messingers to the Lieuetenaunt to repayre to his pallayce where he founde xxxii kinges redy with theyr tributes And howe the queene Anacaona entysed hym to eate of the serpentes flesshe Howe the serpentes flesshe is prepared to be eaten And how delicate meate theyr egges are yf they be sodden Howe queene Anacaona syster to kynge Beuchius Aâ—acauchoa enterteyned the Liefetenaunt and gaue hym muche housholde stuffe and many vessels of Hebene woodde artificially wrought and carued Howe kynge Anacauchoa and the queene his syster went aboorde the Liefetenaunt his shyppe and howe greately they were amased to beholde the furniture therof Howe Roldanus Xeminus a Spaniarde rebelled in the Lieuetenauntes absence by whose mysdemeanour also kinge Guarionexius was prouoked to a newe conspiracie with hym Maiobanexius the kynge of the mountaynes ☞ The contentes of the syxte boke Foli 28. ¶ The thyâ—de vyage of Colonus and howe he diuerted from his accustomed rase by the Ilandes of Canarie to the Ilande of Madera for feare of certayne frenche pirates and rouers Of the .xiii. Ilandes which in olde tyme were cauled Hesperides and are nowe cauled the Ilandes of Caput Uiride or Cabouerde Also of the Tortoyses of the Ilande of Bonauista wherwith the leaper is healed Howe the Admirall founde contagious ayre and extreme heate nere the Equinoctial where the north pole was eleuate onely fyue degrees And how sailyng from thence westward he founde the starres placed in other order and the sea rysynge as it were the backe of a mountayne Howe the Admyrall saylynge westwarde and neuer passyng owte of the clyme or paraleles of Ethiope founde a temperate Region and people of goodly corporature And what difference is betwene the natures of Regions beyng vnder one paralele and one eleuation of the pole
thinhabitauntes of the goulfe of Uraba and put them to flyght Also howe he founde greate plentâ—e of wrought golde and housholde stuffe in a thycket of reedes ¶ The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 58. ¶ Howe Nicuesa loste his felowes in the darke nyght and went past the mouth of the ryuer Beragua which he sought And howe the capitaynes of the other shyppes consulted how to fynde hym Also of the ryuer Lagartos in the which great Lysartes are founde much lyke vnto the Crocodiles of Nilus Howe the capitaynes forsooke theyr shyppes that the souldyers myght bee without hope of departure And of the miserable chaunce of Petrus de Umbria and his felowes By what chaunce Nicuesa was founde and of the calamities which he and his coompany susteyned Also of the region of Gracia Dei or Cerabaro and of the ryuer of Sancti Matthei Howe Nicuesa caused them to remoue theyr habitacion from Beragua to poynte Marmor where he bylded a fortresse And howe his men by warre and famyn were consumed from seuen hundreth and odde to scarsely one hundreth Howe one Uaschus Nunnez vsurped thautoritie of the Lieuetenaunte shyppe of Uraba in thabsence of Fogeda And of the nauigation of Rodericus Colmenatis from Hispaniola to Uraba Of the ryuer Gaira descendynge from the toppe of a hygh mountayne couered with snowe And howe Rodericus Colmâ—naris in a conflicte ageynst the barbarians loste .xlvii. of his men by reason of theyr inuenemed arrowes Of the force of the poyson wherewith the barbarians infecte theyr arrowes and a remedie for the same Also howe Colmenaris by gunneshot and kyndelynge fyers on the hyghe toppes of the rockes came to the Spanyardes lefte desolate in Dariena ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 61. ¶ Howe Nicuesa was sought foorth to acquiete the contentions of Uraba And howe he was ageyne reiected Howe Uaschus Nunnez inuaded tooke prysoners and spoyled the kynges bortherynge abowt the region of Uraba And howe Ancisus Lieuetenaunt for Fogeda was cast in pryson and afterwarde set at libertie Howe Ancisus tooke his vyage from Uraba to Spayne to accuse Uaschus who also at the same tyme sent Ualdiuia aswell to speake in his defence as also to certifie the kynge of theyr doynges Howe kynge Careta conspired with the Spanyardes ageynst kynge Poncha whom they put to flyght and spoyled his vyllage Howe kynge Comogrus frendely enterteyned the Spanyardes and brought them to his pallaice where he shewed them the dryed Carkases of his auncestours reserued and sumptuously apparelled And howe the kynges elder sonne gaue Uaschus and Colmenaris foure thousand vnces of wrought gold and fiftie slaues Also a wyttie oration which he made to the Spanyardes wherein he certifyed theym of a countrey exceadynge ryche in golde c. ¶ The contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 66. ¶ Of horryble thunder and lyghtnynge in the mooneth of Nouember and of grayne which waxeth rype thryse a yeare Also how digestion is strengthened by owtwarde coulde Howe Ualdiuia is sent ageyne into Hispaniola to mouâ— the gouernour and counsayle there to sende into Spayne to the kynge for a supplie of a thousand souldyers to make way to the golden mouÌ„taynes And howe he caryed with hym the kynges portion that is the fyfte parte of golde and other thynges Howe Uaschus inuaded the kynges inhabytynge the regions about the goulfe of Uraba and howe he put kyng Dabaiba to flyght in whose vyllage he founde wrought goldâ— amountynge to the weyght of seuen thousande Castellans Of battes as bygge as turtle dooues which sumtyme bytâ— men in the nyght in theyr sleepe whose bytynge is also venemous but is healed with water of the sea or by cauterization as are also the woundes of venemous arrowes Of the Ilande of Cannafistula and a towne of fyue hundreth houses whose kynge Abenamachei was taken and his arme cutte of in the fyght Of trees of exceadynge bygnesse and heyght And howe kynge Abibeiba had his pallaice in the toppe of a tree frome the which he was inforced to descende and entreate of peace ¶ The contentes of the fyfth booke Fol. 69. ¶ Howe kynge Abraiba slewe a capitayne of the Spanyards and caused the kynges to rebell Also howe they were put to flyght and many of theyr men slayne Of fyue kinges which attempted a newe conspiracie with a hundreth great Canoas and fiue thousand men And howe theyr intent was bewrayed by a woman and preuented Also howe Rodericus Colmenaris sacked the vyllage of Tichiri and honge the kynge therof with foure of his chiefe rulers and commaunded them to be shotte through with arrowes ¶ The contentes of the syxte booke Fol. 72. ¶ Howe Uaschus with his confetherates sente Iohannes Quicedus and Colmenaris from Dariena to Hispaniola and from theÌ„se to Spayne to the kyng for a thousand men to passe ouer the mountaynes to the golden regions And what miseries they susteyned in that vyage Also of the death of Ualuia Zamudius and Fogeda Of the prosperous vyage of Ancisus And howe godde wrought miracles by the simple fayth of a mariner Also hoâ— god respecteth thinfancie of fayth for zeles sake And howe one religion turned into another holdeth styll many thinges of the fyrste Howe many of the barbarians were baptised by reason of the miracles And howe they rewarded the prestes by whome they were baptised Howe Ancisus shortly after his arryuall in Spayne resorted to the courte and made his complaynt to the kinge of thinsolencie of Uaschus wheruppon the kynge gaue sentence ageynst hym And howe apte the barbarous nations are to embrase the Christian fayth ¶ The contentes of the seuenth booke Fol. 79. ¶ Howe Quicedus and Colmenaris the procuratours of Dariena were honorably enterteyned at the courte and brought to the kynges presence And howe theyr complexion was chaunged by alteration of the ayer Howe Petrus Arias a noble man was elected gouernouâ— and Lieuetenaunt of Dariena And howe other of the court laboured for the same office Also howe the bysshop of Burges spake to the kynge in his behalfe Howe Petrus Arias had a thousande and two hundrethe souldyers appoynted hym at the kynges charges And of thâ— kynges custome houâ—e in the citie of Ciuile cauled the house of the contractes of India Howe a great number of Spanyardes profered theÌ„ selues to go at theyr owne charges And of a restraâ—nt made that no straunger myght passe without the kynges licence Also howe the autour reproueth Aloisius Cadamustus a wryter of the Portugales vyages Howe Petrus Arias shortely after his departure frome Ciuile lost two of his shyppes and was dryuen backe agâ—yne by tempest And howe beinge newly furnysshed hee paâ—sed the Oâ—ean with more prosperous wyndes The thyrde vyage of Uincentius Pinzonus and howe he came to the regions of Paria where encounterynge with thinhabitauntes he put them fyrst to flyght but after faulyng to entreatie of peace they gaue hym greate plentie of golde and abundaunce of masculine frankensence with dyuers other princely presentes Of the greate multitude of
popingiayes which are in thâ— region of Paria and howe thinhabitours are apparelled Also of the fyue kynges that made a league of frendeshyppe with Uincentius Howe Uincentius sayled Eastwarde by the tracte of the regions of Paria vntyll he came to the poynte of that longe lande which the autour supposeth to be the greate Ilande Atlantike wherof the owlde wryters make mention Cap. S. Aâ—gustini ¶ The contentes of the .viii. booke Fol. 80. ¶ A contention betwene the Castilians and Portugales as concernynge the diuision of the newe founde landes And howe the controuersie was fynysshed by the byshop of Rome Howe Don Chrystopher the gouernoure of the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis was slayne by the Canibales and the bysshop put to flyght Also of the other bysshops of the Ilandes Howe the Canibales of the Iland of Sancta Crux slew and eate a kynge with certeyne of his men beinge frendes to the Chrystians and made faggottes of theyr bones And how querelynge with owre men they put them to silence ¶ The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 81. ¶ Of the maruelous frutefulnes of the regions of Beragua Uraba and Dariena And of the dyuers kyndes of trees and frutes Also of the pleasaunt taste of swynes flesshe beinge fedde with the frutes of Mirobalane trees Of Lions and Tygers and other wylde beastes And of a beaste of straunge forme Of the ryuers of the goulfe of Uraba as the ryuer of Dariena and Rio Grandis And howe the great serpentes cauled Crocodiles are founde in other ryuers bysyde Nilus in Egypte Also howe thautour of this booke was sent Ambassadour to the Soldane of Alcayr in Egipte Of the Portugales nauigations and of the ryuer Senega founde by them to bee a chanel of Nilus Also of the multitude of byrdes foules beinge in the marysshes of Dariena A phylosophicall discourse of thoriginall and generatioâ— of sprynges and ryuers And of the breadth of the lande diuydynge the north and south Ocean Of the great ryuer Maragnonus and of the earthly Paradyse And howe sprynges are engendered by conuercion of ayer into water Of the often faule of rayne vnder the Equinoctiall line and of the pores of the sea opened by the South wyndes Of the great ryuers of Tanais Ganges Danubius and Eridanus famous to the owlde wryters And howe certeine ryuers runnynge throughe the caues of the earthe breake furth into sprynges afarre of ¶ The contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 86. ¶ Howe the newe founde landes discouered by the Spanyardes in the West Ocean are eyght tymes bygger then Italie besyde that which the Portugales possesse And of the cardes of the sea drawen by Colonus and Americus Uesputius The order of measurynge the lande And howe a league conteyneth foure myles by sea and but three by lande The Nauâ—gation of Iohannes Dias and of the sundrye eleuations of the pole starre Of the Ilande of Boiuca or Agnaneo and of the springe whose water being dronke causeth owld men to loke yonge Howe Nicuesa and his souldiers were so oppreâ—sed with famin that they were dryuen to eate mangie dogges toades and deade men And howe a brothe made of a dogges skinne was soulde for many pieces of golde ¶ The contentes of the bookes of the thyrde Decade ¶ The contentes of the fyrst booke Fol. 88. ¶ Of the desperate aduenture and good fortune of Uaschus And how with a hundreth fourscore and ten men he brought that to passe for the whâ—ch Petrus Arias was sente with a thousande and two hundreth fresshe souldyers Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold and howe superfluities hynder libertie Howe Uaschus in one conflicte slewe syxe hundreth barbaryans with theyr kynges And howe he founde the house of kyng Quarequa infected with vnnatural lechery commaundynge that the kynge and fortie suche as he kepte for that purpose shulde be gyuen for a pray to his dogges whiche he vsed to serue in the warres ageynst these naked people Of a region of blacke Moores And howe Uaschus came to the toppes of the mountaynes where geuynge thankes to god he behelde the newe south Ocean neuer before sene nor knowen to men of owre worlde Howe Uaschus put kynge Chiapes to flyght and after made a league of frendeshyppe with hym And howe the king gaue hym .iiii. hundreth poundes weyght of wrought golde Howe kynge Coquera was putte to fâ—yght who also beinge receaued to frendeshyppe gaue Uaschus syxe hundreth and fiftie poundes weyght of wrought golde Of the goulfe cauled Sinus S. Michaelis beinge full of inhabited Ilandes And of the manly corage and godly zeale of Uaschus Also of the rysynge and faulyng of the south sea Howe kynge Tumaccus beinge dryuen to flyght and afterwarde reconciled gaue Uaschus .vi. hundreth and .xiiii. pesos of golde and two hundreth and fortie of the greatest and fayrest pearles And howe the kynge caused his men to fyshe for pearles Of the Ilande cauled Margaritea Diues And of the abundaunce of fayre and great pearles founde therin Of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line And of the Portugales nauigations to the Antipodes inhabytynge the fyue and fiftie degree of the south pole Also a declaration of Antipodes and of the starres about the south pole ¶ The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 95. ¶ Of the maner of fysshynge for pearles and of the three kyndes therof Also dyuers other questions coÌ„cernyng perles Of the multitude of the shell fysshes wherin perles are ingendered and founde in maner in all places in the south sea And of abundaunce of golde founde almoste in euery house Also howe the treasurie of nature is in those coastes And of the golde mynes of Dariena Howe kynge Teaocha gaue Uaschus .xx. poundes weight of wrought golde and two hundreth perles Also of desertes full of wylde beastes and howe Uaschus was troubled with greate heate in the moneth of Nouember Howe a dogge Tyger was taken and his whelpes tyed in cheynes and torne in pieces Also howe Uaschus gaue .iiii kynges to his dogges to be deuoured Of the vse of dogges in theyr warres and of the fiercenesse of the Canibales Howe kynge Bononians fauoured the Chrystians and gaue Uaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also his oration to Uaschus A similitude prouynge greate plentie of golde in the regions of the south sea and of the trauayles which owlde souldyers are able to susteyne ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 99 ¶ Howe kynge Buchibuea submytted hym selfe to Uaschus and sent hym certeyne vesselles of golde Also howe kyngâ— Chiorisus sente hym .xxx. dysshes of pure golde Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold Also an exemple of the lyfe of owr fyrste parentes Howe kynge Pocchorrosa submytted hym selfe and gaue Uaschus .xv. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also howe Tumanama the great kynge of the golden regions towardâ— the south sea is taken prisoner Lykewyse howe he gaue Uaschus .xxx. pounde weyght of pure and wrought golde and his noble men .lx. poundes weyght of golde Of the cause