THE History of Trauayle in the VVest and East Indies and other countreys lying eyther way towardes the fruitfull and ryche Moluccaes As Moscouia Persia Arabia Syria Aegypte Ethiopia Guinea China in Cathayo and Giapan VVith a discourse of the Northwest passage In the hande of our Lorde be all the corners of the earth Psal. 94. Gathered in parte and done into Englyshe by Richarde Eden Newly set in order augmented and finished by Richarde VVilles ¶ Imprinted at London by Richarde Iugge 1577. Cum Priuilegio To the ryght noble and excellent Lady the Lady Brigit Countesse of Bedforde my singuler good Lady and Mystresse AL studies haue theyr speciall tymes Ryght noble Lady all good partes and singuler qualities of the mynde are holden vp and maynteyned with honour The seely chylde learneth in his teÌ„der age how to speake to reade to write youÌ„g laddes bestowe theyr tyme in the study of other liberall sciences as yeeres come on and wyt encreaseth so finally the whole course of learnyng is runne ouer Agayne the arte of Grammer is wont erst to be learned and than Logike afterwarde naturall Philosophie goeth not before eloquence in our schooles Geometry is first read than Geography So that the studies of good letters haue their times in respecte of mans age they haue theyr tymes in the order of learning yea they haue a tyme that maketh vs all to bestowe therein our tyme and to studie eche facultie in due tyme I meane that speciall tyme they floryshe in I may not denye but that learnyng hath at all tymes ben well accompted of in most countreys the skyll of dyuers languages well thought of learned men to haue ben alwayes rewarded what is than that speciall tyme wherin all studies doe flooryshe Learnyng may bee ryght well compared vnto the floutes fruites of the earth and the speciall tyme of learnyng vnto theyr singuler seasons In May floures in Iune Cheries at Haruest corne in September Grapes so fareth it in the study of good letters There was a tyme whaÌ„ the arte of grammer was so muche esteemed that Gramariens proceeded masters thereof as woorshypfully as other professours now doe in any other facultie Than was it honourable to be a Poet honourable I say for that the Poet Laureate enioyed the honour of a Palatine that tyme is paste There was a tyme whan Logike Astrology onely so weeried the heades of young schollers yea and busied olde age also that true Philosophie in deede was almost forgotten eloquence defaced the languages exiled that tyme is past Not long since happy was he that had any skil in the greke tongue he was thought a great scholler that could make a greeke verse Nowe a dayes who studieth not rather the Hebrue language VVhere haue you almost any greeke aucthour printed Geography laye hydden many hundred yeeres in darkenesse and obliuion without regarde and price of late who taketh not vppon him to discourse of the whole worlde and eche prouince thereof particulerly euen by hearesay although in the first principles of that arte he bee altogeather ignorant and vnskylfull This tyme is now So long as Poetry was esteemed the arte of grammer accompted of Logike muche made of Astrology well thought of Diuine Poets good Gramariens perfecte Logiciens excellent Astronomers no where wanted A Virgile can you neuer want where one Mecènas is Honour promotion bestowed vppon the maynteyners of controuersies in religion hath brought gray heares from endlesse Sophistry from Scotus formalites from Buridan and Burley from Holcot from Bricot from Vademecum from Dormi secure and taught yonger yeeres rather to passe through Aristotle and his interpreters than euer to dwell therein caused them to studie the scriptures to reade ouer the fathers to conferre the counseyles to learne the greeke and Hebrue languages to searche the Chalday Paraphraste to peruse the olde Doctours to translate the newe wryters to heape vp common places to discourse of sectes to wryte cunningly to preach eloquently and made them to be for braulyng Sophisters graue Philosophers for formal Dunses plaine doctors for rude questionaries diuine Orators for vnskilful schoolemen eloquent and graue diuines It is nowe almost one hundred fiftie yeeres agoe that Don Henrico sonne of Iohn the fyrst of that name Kyng in Portugale and Nepheu vnto our Kyng Henry the fourth made his vyage after the conquest of Sepâ—a to the Canaries and eâ—â—â—uraged the Portugales to searche the coastes of Africa and to seeke the landes thereabout not spoken of to fore His grande Nepheu Iohn the seconde so furthered this enterpryse that the Portugale shyppes halled the Cape of good hope discouered Aethiopia and sayled where antiquitie denyed passage beyond all Africa into the Indian seas He sent also expert and cunning traueylers into Aegypt and the redde sea coastes to espye what way the Portugales might looke for beyond the Cape of good hope to Calecut in India the which viage in his sonne Emanuell his tyme was prosperously taken in hand by Vasquez Gama the nienth day of Iuly in the yeere of our Lorde .1497 happely ended in Iuly againe two yeeres after to his great credit and preferment to the immortal fame honour of his Prince and countrey Here began the studie of Geographie that euer since Ptolomeus raigne laye troden vnder foote buried in dust and ashes to spring vp agayne and by the relations of skilful traueylers in Europe Affrike Asie through the discouery of the far Indies the Moluccaes new founde landes of late so to be wondred at as no other facultie more I dare be bold to say that generally all Christians Iewes Turkes Moores Infidels Barbares be this day in loue with Geographie The wylde and rogishe Tartares myght for famine perishe in the winter if they in the sommer skylfully followed not the sunne The heathen Giapans diuided the worlde into three partes Afrike was described by a Moore The Iewes report the estates of all countreyes to the Turkes The Turkishe Basshaes gouerne the sweetest prouinces in Europe Afrike and Asia no men greater traueylers than Christians VVho but Geographers doe teach vs what partes of the earth be cold warme or temperate Of whom doe we learne howe to diuyde the world into partes the partes into prouinces the prouinces into shyres of Geographers vnto whom haue wee to make recourse for Mappes Globes tables and Cardes wherein the dyuers countreys of the worlde are set downe vnto Geographers Set Geographie asyde you shal neyther be able to get intelligences of the situation and strength of any citie nor of the limites and boundes of any countrey nor of the rule and gouernement of any kingdome nor be able wel to trauayle out of your owne doores wil you see what wise and experte traueylers skilful in geometry and Astronomy for that is to bee a Geographer in deede be able to doe Looke you on the King of Portugales title the two partes of the three therein were atchiued
consyder what newe landes and countreys what newe seas what sundry nations and tounges what golde mynes what treasuries of perles they haue lefte vnto your hyghnesse besyde other reuenues The whiche what they are and howe greate these three Decades shall declare Come therfore most noble Prince elected of God and enioye that hyghe estate of thinges not yet vnderstode to men We offer vnto you the Equinoctiall lyne hytherto vnknowen and burnte by the furious heate of the sonne and vnhabitable after the opinion of the olde wryters a fewe excepted but nowe founde to be most replenished with people faire fruiteful and most fortunate with a thousande Ilandes crowned with golde and bewtifull pearles besydes that greate portion of earth supposed to be parte of the firme lande excedyng in quantitie three Europes Come therfore and embrase this newe world and suffer vs no longer to consume in desyre of your presence From hence from hence I say most noble young Prince shal instrumentes be prepared for you wherby al the worlde shal be vnder your obeysance And thus I byd your maiestie farewell to whose taste if I shal perceaue the fruites of this my tyllage to be delectable I wyll heareafter do my endeuoure that you may receaue the same more abundauntly From Madrid the day before the Calendes of October In the yere of Christ M.D.XUI The fyrst Booke of the Decades of the Ocean written by Peter Martyr of Angleria Milenoes counsaylour to the king of Spayne and Protonotarie Apostolicall to Ascanius Sphorcia Vicount Cardinal c. THe reuerende and thankful antiquitie was accustomed to esteeme those men as gods by whose industrie and magnanimitie such landes and regions were discouered as were vnknowen to theyr predecessours But vnto vs hauyng only one God whom we honour in triplicitie of person this resteth that albeit we do not worship that kinde of men with diuine honour yet do we reuerence them and woorthyly marueyle at theyr noble actes and enterpryses Unto kynges and princes we geue due obeysaunce by whose gouernance and furtherance they haue ben aided to perfourme their attempts we commend both and for theyr iust desartes woorthyly extol them Wherefore as concerning the Ilandes of the west Ocean lately discouered and of the auctours of the same whiche thyng you desyre by your letters to knowe I wyl begyn at the fyrst aucthour thereof lest I be iniurious to any man Take it therefore as foloweth Christophorus Colonus otherwyse called Columbus a gentleman of Italie borne in the citie of Genua perswaded Fernando and Elizabeth catholike prynces that he doubted not to fynde certayne Ilandes of India nere vnto our Ocean sea if they woulde furnyshe hym with shyppes and other thynges apparteynyng affyrmyng that therby not onely the Christian religion myght be enlarged but Spayne also enryched by the great plentie of golde pearles precious stones and spices whiche myght be founde there At the length three shyppes were appoynted hym at the kinges charges of the whiche one was a great caracâ—e with deckes and the other two were light marchaunte shyppes without deckes whiche the Spaniardes call Carauelas Thus he departed from the costes of Spaine about the calendes of September in the yeere of Christe .1492 and set forwarde on his viage being accompanied with CC.xx. Spanyardes The fortunate Ilandes as manye thynke them to be whiche the Spaniardes call Canariae found but of late dayes are distaunte from the Ilandes of Gades a thousande and two hundreth myles accordyng to theyr accomptes for they say they are distant three hundred leagues whereas suche as are expert sea men affirme that euery league conteineth foure miles after theyr supputations These Ilandes were called fortunate for the temperate ayre whiche is in them For neyther the coldnesse of wynter is sharpe vnto them nor the heate of sommer intollerable Yet some men are of opinion that those were in olde tyme called the fortunate Ilandes whiche the Portugales call Capo Verde Colonus therfore sayled fyrst to the Ilandes of Canariae to the intente there to refreshe his shyppes with freshe water and fuell before he committed hym selfe to this so laborous a viage And because I haue heare made mention of the Ilandes of Canariae it shal not be muche from my purpose to declare howe of vnknowen they became knowen and of sauage and wilde better manured For by the long course of many yeeres they were forgotten and remayned as vnknowen These seuen Ilandes therefore called the Canaries were founde by chaunce by a frenche man called Betanchor by the permission of queene Katharine protectrixe of king Iohn her sonne while he was yet in his nonage about the yeere of Christe M. CCCC.U This Betanchor inuaded two of these Ilandes called Lancelotus and Fortisuentura which he inhabited brought to better culture He being dead his sonne and heire solde bothe the sayde Ilandes to certayne Spaniardes After this Farnandus Peraria and his wyfe inuaded Ferrea and Gomera The other three were subdued in our time Grancanaria by Petrus de Vera citizen of the noble citie of Xericium and Michael of Moxica Palma and Tenerifen by Alphonsus Lugo at the kings charges Gomera and Ferrea were easily subdued But the matter went harde with Alphonsus Lugo For that naked and wylde nation fyghtyng only with stones and clubbes droue his armie to flight at the first assaulte and slue about foure hundred of his men But at the length he ouercame them And thus all the Ilandes of Canariae were added to the dominion of Spayne From these Ilandes Colonus directyng his voyage towarde the west folowyng the falling of the sunne but declining somewhat towarde the left hande sayled on forwarde .xxxiii. dayes continually hauyng only the fruition of the heauen and the water Then the Spanyardes whiche were accompanyed with hym began fyrst to murmure secretely among them selues and shortly after with wordes of reproche spake euil of Colonus theyr gouernour and consulted with them selues eyther to rydde hym out of the way or els to cast hym into the sea ragyng that they were deceyued of a stranger an outlandyshe man a Ligurian a Genues and brought into suche daungerous places that they might neuer returne agayne And after .xxxiii. dayes were past they furiously cryed out against him and threatned him that he shoulde passe no further But he euer with gentle wordes and large promises appeased their furie and prolonged day after day some tyme desyryng them to beare with hym yet a whyle and some time putting them in remembrance that yf they shoulde attempt any thing against him or otherwyse disobey hym it would be reputed for treason Thus after a fewe dayes with cheareful harts they espied the lande long looked for In this fyrst nauigation he discouered .vi. ilandes wherof two were exceedyng great Of whiche the one he called Hispaniola and the other Iohanna But at that tyme he knewe not perfectly that Iohanna
haue borne after them hattes agreeable vnto theyr tytles if the Loutea be meane then hath he brought after hym but one hatte and that may not be yealowe but if he be of the better sorte then may he haue two three or foure the principall and chiefe Louteas may haue all theyr hattes yealowe the which among them is accompted great honour The Loutea for warres although he be but meane may notwithstandyng haue yealowe hattes The Tutanes and Chians when they goe abrode haue besydes all this before them ledde .3 or .4 horses with theyr garde in armor Furthermore the Louteas yea and all the people of China are woonte to eate theyr meat syttyng on stooles at hygh tables as we do and that very cleanly although they vse nether table clothes nor napkyns Whatsoeuer is set downe vppon the boorde is fyrst carued before that it be brought in they feede with two styckes refraynyng from touchyng theyr meate with theyr handes euen as we do with forkes for y e which respect they lesse do neede any table clothes He is the nation onely ciuil at meate but also in conuersation and in courtesie they seeme to exceede all other Likewise in theyr dealynges after their maner they are so ready that they farre passe all other Gentyles and Moores the greater states are so vayne that they lyne theyr clothes with the best sylke that may be founde The Louteas are an idle generation without all maner of exercises and pastymes excepte it be eatyng and drynkyng Somtymes they walke abrode in the fieldes to make the souldyars shoot at prickes with theyr bowes but theyr eatyng passeth they wyll stande eatyng euen when the other do drawe to shoote The pricke is a great blanket spread on certayne long poles he that stryketh it hath of the best man there standyng a peece of crymson taffata the whiche is knyt about his head in this sorte the wynners honoured and the Louteas with theyr bellye 's full returne home agayne The inhabitantes of China be very great Idolaters all generally do worshyppe the heauens and as we are woont to saye God knoweth it so saye they at euery worde Tien Tautee that is to saye The heauens do knowe it Some do worshyp the Sonne and some the Moone as they thynke good for none are bounde more to one then to an other In their temples the which they do cal Meani they haue a great altar in y e same place as we haue true it is that one may goe rounde about it There set they vp the Image of a certayne Loutea of that countrey whom they haue in great reuerence for certaine notable thinges he dyd At the ryght hande standeth the deuyl muche more vglie paynted then we do vse to set hym out whereunto great homage is done by suche as come into the temple to aske counsell or to drawe lottes this opinion they haue of hym that he is malitious and able to do euyl If you aske them what they do thynke of the soules departed they wil answeare that they be immortall and that as soone as any one departeth out of this life he becommeth a deuyl if he haue liued well in this worlde if otherwyse that the same deuyl chaungeth hym into a bufle oxe or dogge Wherfore to this deuyl do they muche honour to hym do they sacrifice praying hym that he wyll make them lyke vnto hym selfe and not lyke other beastes They haue moreouer an other sorte of temples wherein both vppon the altars and also on the walles do stande many Idoles well proportioned but bare headed These beare name Omithofon accompted of them spirites but suche as in heauen do nether good nor euyll thought to be suche men and women as haue chastlye lyued in this worlde in abstinence from fyshe and fleshe fedde only with ryse salates Of that deuil they make some accompte for these spirites they care litle or nothyng at all Agayne they holde opinion that if a man do well in this lyfe the heauens wyll geue hym many temporall blessynges but if he do euyll then shall he haue infirmities diseases troubles and penurie and all this without any knowledge of God Finally this people knoweth no other thing then to liue die yet because they be reasonable creatures al seemed good vnto them we speake in our language though it were not very sufficient our maner of praying especially pleased them and truely they are wel ynough disposed to receiue the knowledge of the trueth Our lorde graunte for his mercie all thynges so to be disposed that it may some tyme be brought to passe that so great a nation as this is peryshe not for wante of helpe Our manner of praying so well lyked them that in pryson importunately they besoughte vs to wryte for them somewhat as concernyng heauen the whiche we dyd to theyr contentation with suche reasons as we knewe howbeit not very cunnyngly As they do theyr Idolatry they laugh at them selues If at any tyme this countrey myght be ioined in league with the kyngdome of Portugale in such wyse that free accesse were had to deale with the people there they might al be soone conuerted The greatest fault we do fynd in them is Sodomie a vice very common in the meaner sort nothing strange amongst the best This sinne were it left of them in all other thynges so well disposed they be that a good interpretour in a short space myght do there great good yf as I sayde the countrey were ioyned in league with vs. Furthermore the Louteas with al the people of China are wont to solempnize the dayes of the newe and full Moones in visiting one eache other and makyng great bankettes for to that end as I earst sayd do tend all theyr pastymes and spendyng theyr daies in pleasure They are wont also to solempnize eache one his byrth daye whereunto theyr kyndred and frendes do resorte of custome with presentes of Iuelles or money receyuyng agayne for theyr rewarde good cheare They keepe in lyke maner a general feast with great bankets that day theyr kyng was borne But theyr most principall and greatest feast of al and best cheare is the fyrst day of theyr newe yeere namely the fyrst day of the newe Moone of Februarye so that theyr fyrst moneth is Marche and they recken the tymes accordynglye respect beyng had vnto the reigne of theyr Prynces as when anye deede is wrytten they date it thus Made suche a daye of suche a Moone and such a yeere of the reigne of suche a Kyng And theyr auncient wrytynges beare date of the yeeres of this or that Kyng Nowe wyll I speake of the maner the whiche the Chineans doo obserue in dooyng Iustice that it maye be knowen how farre these Gentyles doo herein exceede manye Christians that be more bounden then they to deale iustly and in trueth Because the Chinishe Kyng maketh his abode contynually in the Citie Pachyn his kyngdome so great the shyres so many as
the hart A man worthy to serue any prynce and most vilely vsed And of seuenscore men came home to Plymmowth scarsely fourtie and of them many dyed And that no man shoulde suspect these wordes whiche I haue sayd in commendation of Pinteado to be spoken vppon fauour otherwyse then truth I haue thought good to ad hereunto 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 kyng his maisters displeasure and not for any other cryme or offence as may appeare by the sayde letters he was only for pouertie inforced to come into Englande where he fyrst persuaded our merchauntes to attempt the sayde vyages to Guinea But as the kyng of Portugale to late repented hym that he had so punyshed Pinteado vppon malicious informations of suche as enuied the mans good fortune euen so may it hereby appeare that in some cases euen Lions them selues may either be hyndred by the contempt or ayded by the helpe of the poore myse accordyng vnto the fable of Esope The copie of Antoni Anes Pinteado his letters patentes wherby the king of Portugale made him knyght of his house after al his troubles and imprisonment which by wrong information made to the king he had susteined of long time being at the last deliuered his cause knowen and manifested to the kyng by a grey fryer the kynges confessour I The kyng do geue you to vnderstande lorde Frances Desseosa one of my counsaile and ouerseer of my house that in consideration of the good seruice which Antonie Anes Pinteado the sonne of Iohn Anes dwellyng in the towne called the porte hath done vnto me my wyl and pleasure is to make him knight of mi house alowing to him in pension seuē hundred reis monethly and euery day one alcayre of barly as long as he keepeth a horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinaunce of my house Prouydyng alwayes that he shal receyue but one mariage gifte And this also in such condition that the tyme which is excepted in our ordinaunce forbiddyng such men to marry for gettyng suche chyldren as myght succeede them in this alowance which is syxe yeeres after the makyng of this patent shal be fyrst expired before he do mary I therfore commaund you to cause this to be entred in the booke called the Matricola of our housholde vnder the title of knyghtes And when it is so entred let the clarke of y e Matricola for the certaintie thereof wryte on the backsyde of this Aluala or patent the number of the leafe wherin this our graunt is entered Which doone let him returne this writing vnto the said Anthonie Anes Pinteado for his warrant I Diego Henriques haue wrytten this in Almarin the twenty and two day of September in the yeere of our Lorde .1551 And this beneuolence the kyng gaue vnto Anthonie Anes Pinteado the twentie and fyue day of Iuly this present yeere Rey. The secretaries declaration written vnder the kynges graunt YOur Maiestie hath vouchsafed in respect consideration of the good seruice of Anthonie Anes Pinteado dwellyng in the port and sonne of Iohn Anes to make hym knyght of your house with ordinarie allowance of seuen hundred Reys pension by the moneth and one Alcayr of Barley by the day as long as he kepeth a Horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinance of your house with condition that he shall haue but one mariage gyft and that not within the space of .vi. yeeres after the makyng 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 the infant and brother to the kyng of Portugale sent into England to Anthonie Anes Pinteado ANthonie Anes Pinteado I the infant brother to the kyng haue me hartely commended vnto you Peter Gonsalues is gone to seeke you desiring to bryng you home againe into your countrey And for that purpose hath with hym a safe conduct for you graunted by the kyng that thereby you maye freelye and without all feare come home And allthough the weather be foule and stormye yet fayle not to come For in the tyme that his Maiestie hath geuen you you maye do many thynges to your contentation and gratyfiyng the king whereof I woulde be ryght glad and to bryng the same to passe wyll do all that lyeth in me for your profite But forasmuche as Peter Gonsalues wyl make further declaration hereof vnto you I say no more at this present Wrytten in Luxburne the eyght day of December Anno. M.D.LII. The infant Don Lewes AL these forsayde wrytynges I sawe vnder seale in the house of my frende Nicholas Liese with whom Pinteado left them at his vnfortunate departyng to Guinea But notwithstandyng all these freendly letters and fayre promises Pinteado durst not attempt to goe home neyther to keepe company with the Portugales his countrey men without the presence of other forasmuch as he had secrete admonitions that they entended to sley hym yf tyme and place myght haue serued theyr wicked entent The second viage to Guinea AS in the fyrst viage I haue declared rather the order of the historie then the course of the nauigation wherof at that time I could haue no perfect information so in the discription of this seconde viage my cheefe intent hath been to 〈◊〉 the course of the same accordyng to the obseruation and ordinary custome of the maryners and as I receyued it at the handes of an expert Pilot beyng one of the cheefe in this viage who also with his owne handes wrote a briefe declaration of the same as he founde and tryed al thynges not by coniecture but by the art of saylyng and instrumentes parteynyng to the mariners facultie Not therefore assumyng to my selfe the commendations due vnto other neyther so bolde as in any part to change or otherwyse dispose the order of this viage so well obserued by arte and experyence I haue thought good to set foorth the same in suche sort and phrase of speache as is commonly vsed among them and as I receyued it of the sayd pilot as I haue said Take it therefore as foloweth In the yeere of our lorde .1554 the .11 daye of October we departed the ryuer of Temmes with three goodly shyppes the one called the Trinitie a ship of the burden of seuenscore tun the other called y e Barthelmew a shyppe of the burden of lxxxx the thyrd was the Iohn Euangelist a shyp of seuenscore tunne With the sayde shyppes and two pynnesses whereof the one was drowned in the coast of Englande we went forwarde on our vyage and stayed at Douer .xiiii. dayes We stayed also at Rye three or foure dayes Moreouer last of all we touched at Darthmouth The fyrst day of Nouember at .ix of the clocke at nyght departyng from the coaste of Englande we sette of the stert bearyng southwest al that nyght in the
Ilande This is the summe of those thynges whiche olde Critia sayde he had vnderstoode of Solon And certaynely these wordes of Plato of the said Iland haue caused great contention among many great Philosophers which haue written commentaries vpon the sayde Dialogue of Timeus composed by Plato Insomuche that the same in those dayes being vtterly vnknowen many haue taken this narration of Solon for an allegorical fable and haue interpreted the same in diuers senses and meanynges But it may nowe well appeare the true meanyng hereof to be this that Plato intendyng to wryte of the vniuersall frame of the worlde the whiche he knewe to be made an habitation for the diuine best man and also beholdyng therin the great ornament and beautie of the heauen and starres whereby man myght knowe his God and creatour it myght seeme to hym a thyng to farre from reason that only two partes thereof shoulde be inhabited and the other part desolate and depriued of men and that the Sunne and starres might seeme to shewe theyr lyght only halfe theyr course without profite shining only vpon the sea and desolate places destitute of man and other liuing creatures And therefore Plato had in great admiration the hystorie of the sayde Egyptian priest makyng mention of an other part of the worlde besyde Asia Europa and Africa and thought it woorthy to be rehearsed in the beginning of his diuine Dialogue aforesayde We ought therefore certainely to thinke our selues most bounde vnto God that in these our tymes it hath pleased hym to reueale and discouer this secrete in the fyndyng of this newe worlde whereby we are certaynely assured that vnder our Pole starre and vnder the Equinoctial line are most goodlye and ample regions as well and commodiously inhabited as are other partes of the worlde best knowen vnto vs. The testimonie of the Poet Seneca in his Tragedie De Medea where by the spirite of Poetical furie he sayth Venient annis Secula seris quibus Oceanus Vincula rerum laxet et ingens Pateat tellus Typhisque nouos Detegat Orbes Nec sit terris vltima Thyle Whiche may be thus Englished In late yeeres newe worldes shal be founde And newe landes shal then appeare on the grounde When Typhis Nauigation newe worldes shal fynde out Then shal not Thyle for last be left out For then shal the Ocean dissolue his large bandes And shewe foorth newe worldes regions and landes ⧠To the moste noble prince and catholike kynge Charles Peter Martyr of Angleria wisheth perpetual felicitie THe diuine prouidence from the time that he fyrst created the worlde hath reserued vnto this day the knowledge of the great and large Ocean sea In the whiche tyme he hath opened the same chiefely vnto you moste mightie Prince by the good fourtune and happie successe of your grandfather by your mother syde The same prouidence I knowe not by what destenie hath brought me out of my natiue countrey of Milane and out of the citie of Rome where I continued almost .x. yeeres into Spaine that I myght particularlye collecte these marueilous and newe thinges which shoulde otherwyse perhappes haue lien drowned in the whirlepoole of obliuion forasmuche as the Spanyardes men worthy great commendation had only care to the generall inuentions of these thinges Notwithstanding I do not chalenge vnto me only the thankes of the trauaile bestowed herein whereas the chiefe rewarde therof is due to Ascanius vicount Cardinal who perceauyng that I was wylling to departe out of the citie to be present at the warres of Granatum disswaded me from my purpose But seeing that I was fully resolued to departe exhorted required me to write vnto him suche newes as were famous in Spaine worthy to be noted I toke therfore my iourney into Spayne chiefely for the desyre I had to see thexpedition whiche was prepared agaynst the enimies of the fayth forasmuche as in Italye by reason of the dissention among the Princes I coulde fynde nothyng wherewith I myght feede my wytte beyng a younge man desyrous of knowledge and experience of thynges I was therefore presente at the warres from whence I writte to Cardinal Ascanius and by sundry epistles certifyed hym of such thinges as I thought most woorthye to be put in memorie But when I perceiued that his fortune was turned from a naturall mother to a stepdame I ceassed from wrytyng Yet after I sawe that by thouerthrowe of the enimies of our fayth Spayne was pourged of the Moores as of an euil weede plucked vp by the rootes leste I shoulde bestowe my slippery yeares in vnprofitable idlenesse I was mynded to returne to Italie But the singuler benignitie of both the Catholyke kyng and queene nowe departed and theyr large promises towarde me vpon my returne from my legacie of Babylon deteyned me from my purpose Yet doth it not repent me that I drew backe my foote aswel for that I see in no other place of the world at this tyme the lyke woorthy thinges to be done as also that in maner throughout all Italie by reason of the discorde of Christian Princes I perceiued all thynges to runne headlong into ruine the countreys to be destroyed and made fatte with humane blood the cities sacked virgins and matrones with theyr goods and possessions caried away as captiues and miserable innocentes without offence to be slayne vnarmed within theyr owne houses Of the whiche calamities I dyd not onely heare the lamentable outcryes but dyd also feele the same For euen the blood of myne owne kinsfolkes and frendes was not free from that crueltie As I was therefore musyng with my selfe of these thynges the Cardinal of Arragone after that he had seene the two fyrst bookes of my Decades wrytten to Ascanius required me in the name of kyng Frederike his vncle to put foorth the other eyght epistle bookes In the meane tyme also whyle I was voyde of al care as touching the matters of the Ocean the Apostolicall messengers of the byshop of Rome Leo the tenth by whose holsome counsayle and aucthoritie we trust the calamities of Italy shal be fynished raysed me as it were from sleepe encoraged me to proceede as I had begun To his holynesse I wrytte two Decades comprysed in short bookes after the maner of epistles and added them to the fyrst which was printed without mine aduise as shal further appeare by the preface folowyng But nowe I returne to you most noble Prince from whom I haue somwhat digressed Therfore wheras your grandfather by your mothers side haue subdued al Spaine vnder your dominion except only one corner of the same and haue also lefte you the kingdome of Naples with the fruteful Ilands of our seas it is surely a great thing and worthy to be noted in our cronacles But not offendyng the reuerence due to our predecessours whatsoeuer from the begynnyng of the worlde hath been doone or wrytten to this day to my iudgement seemeth but lyttle yf we
and that of no lesse goodnesse then that which the phisitians minister to suche as be diseased with the ague but it was not rype at theyr beyng there They affirme that there are trees of suche bygnesse that .xvi. men ioyning handes togeather and standyng in compasse can scarcely embrace some of them Among these trees is found that monstrous beaste with a snoute lyke a foxe a tayle lyke a marmasette eares lyke a bat handes lyke a man and feete lyke an ape bearyng her whelpes aboute with her in an outwarde bellye much lyke vnto a great bagge or purse The deade carkas of this beaste you sawe with me and turned it ouer and ouer with your owne handes marueylyng at that new belly and wonderful prouision of nature They say it is knowen by experience that she neuer letteth her whelpes goo out of that purse except it be ether to play or to sucke vntyll suche tyme that they be able to gette theyr lyuyng by them selues They tooke thys beaste with her whelpes But the whelpes dyed shortely after in the shyppes Yet the damme liued certaine monethes but at the length not being able to abide so great alteration of ayre and change of meate she died also in the way But of this beaste we haue saidt enough Let vs now therfore returne to the aucthours of these thinges These two Pinzoni the vncle and the neuiew susteyned many greate troubles horrible tempestes and perilles in this nauigation For when they had nowe sailed by the coastes of Paria about syxe hundred leagues as they supposed beyond the citie of Cathay and the costes of East India beyond the riuer of Ganges there rose sodenly so fierce a tempest in the moneth of Iuly that of the four Carauels which they had with them two were drowned euen before theyr eyes and the thyrd lying at anker with lyke sodennes caried out of theyr syght throwgh the violence of the tempest the fourth also lying at anker was so shaken and broosed that all the seames therof were almost loosed Yet came they to land out of this last shyp but vtterly despayryng of the shyp Wherfore consultyng with them selues what was best to bee donne in so extreeme a case and how to prouyde them a safe dwellyng place in those Regions beyng out of all hope how to depart from thence they determyned to slay all the inhabytauntes of the countrey nere about them least they with the other shoulde conspyre together to kyll them but theyr fortune was better For the Carauel which the tempest had caried away was come to them agayne This had in it .xviii. men And the other that remayned was saued and repayred With these two therfore they tooke theyr voyage directly to Spayne and thus being tossed with tempestes and vexed with aduersities they returned to theyr natyue countrey of Palos to theyr wyues and chyldren the day before the Calendes of October with the losse of many of theyr deere frends neighbours They brought with them Cinamome and ginger but not very good because they were not there fully seasoned with the heate of the sonne before they brought them from thence They brought also certayne pretious stones which Baptista Elysius that excellent philosopher and your lordshyppes phisition affirmeth to be true Topases After these mens returne other of theyr neighbours being moued therto by a certaine emulation to proue yf theyr fortune wold be any better lyke men of good corage beyng nothing discomforted by the hard fortune of their neighboures knowing that it often times chaunceth that that which is one mans vndoing is an other mans making attempted a newe voiage toward the south by y e costes of Paria folowyng the steps of Colonus the Admiral who had fyrste discouered the same They also brought with them great plentie of Cassia fistula and founde that precious medicine called of the Spaniards Animae album whose perfume is of most excellent effect to heale the reumes murres and heauines of the head As touching this vyage as yet I know no other newes that I thought woorthy to certifie you of wherfore I wyl nowe make an ende of this booke because you put me so often in remembrance of your departure Yet to accomplyshe the Decade I wyl declare somewhat of the superstitions of Hispaniola You shall nowe therfore vnderstand the illusions wherewith the people of the Ilande haue ben seduced after the errours of the olde gentilitie and wandered in the ignoraunce and blyndnesse of humane nature corrupted by the disobedience of our fyrst parentes whiche hath remayned in all nations vpon the face of the earth except where it hath pleased GOD by the lyght of his spirite by his woorde to powre vpon his electe the grace of renouation by the lyght whereof the natural darkenesse receiueth some clearenesse as in a glasse vntil imperfection shal be abolished Our men therefore were long in the Ilande of Hispaniola before they knewe that the people thereof honoured any other thyng then the lyghtes of heauen or had anye other religion but when they had ben nowe long conuersaunt with them and by vnderstandyng their language drew to a further familiaritie they had knowledge that they vsed diuers rites and superstitions I haue therefore geathered these fewe thinges folowyng out of a booke wrytten by one Ramonus an Heremite whom Colonus had left with certayne kynges of the Ilande to instruct them in the Christian fayth And because in manner their whole religion is none other thyng then idolatrie I wil begyn at theyr idolles It is therefore apparant by the images whiche they honour openly and commonly that there appeare vnto them in the nyght seasons certayne phantasies and illusions of euil spirites seducing them into many fonde and foolish errours for they make certayne images of Gossampine cotton folded or wreathed after theyr manner and hard stopped within These images they make syttyng muche lyke vnto the pyctures of spirites and deuyls which our paynters are accustomed to paynt vpon walles but forasmuche as I mee selfe sent you foure of these images you may better presently signifie vnto the kyng your vncle what manner of thynges they are and howe like vnto paynted deuylles then I can expresse the same by wrytyng These images the inhabitantes call Zemes whereof the leaste made to the lykenesse of young deuyls they bynde to their foreheades when they goe to the warres agaynst theyr enimies and for that purpose haue they those stringes hangyng at them which you see Of these they beleeue to obteyne rayne yf rayne be lackyng lykewyse fayre weather for they thynke that these Zemes are the mediatours and messengers of the great god whom they acknowledge to be only one eternal without ende omnipotent and inuisible Thus euery king hath his particuler Zemes whiche he honoureth They cal the eternal god by these two names Iocauna and Guamaonocon as theyr predecessours taught them affyrmyng that he hath
whole to the kyng in that shyp in the which the gouernour Boadilla was commyng home into Spaine the shyp with all the men beyng drowned by the way by reason it was ouer laden with the weyght of gold multitude of men albeit there were mo then a thousande persons which saw and handeled the piece of gold And wheras here I speake of a pounde I do not meane the common pounde but the summe of the ducate of gold with the coyne called Triens which is the third part of a pounde which they call Pesus The summe of the weight hearof the Spanyardes call Castelanum Aureum All the gold that is digged in the mountaines of Cibaua and Port Regale is caried to the tower of Conception where shoppes with al thinges appertayning are redy furnished to fine it melt it and caste it into wedges That doone they take the kynges portion therof which is the fyfte parte and so restore to euery man his owne which he gotte with his labour But the gold which is founde in saynt Christophorus myne and the regions there about is caryed to the shoppes which are in the vyllage called Bonauentura In these two shops is moulten yeerely aboue three hundred thousand pound wayght of gold Yf any man be knowen deceytfullye to keepe backe any portion of golde whereof he hath not made the kynges officers priuie he forfeyteth the same for a fyne There chaunceth among them oftentymes many contentions and controuersies the whiche vnlesse the magistrates of the Ilande do fynyshe the case is remoued by appellation to the hygh counsayle of the court from whose sentence it is not lawfull to appeale in al the dominions of Castyle But let vs nowe returne to the newe landes from whence we haue digressed They are innumerable diuers and exceedyng fortunate Wherefore the Spanyardes in these our dayes and theyr noble enterpryses do not geue place eyther to the factes of Saturnus or Hercules or anye other of the auncient prynces of famous memory which were canonized among the goddes called Heroes for theyr searchyng of newe landes and regions and bryngyng the same to better culture and ciuilitie Oh God howe large farre shal our posteritie see the Christian religion extended howe large a campe haue they now to wander in whiche by the true nobilitie that is in them or mooued by vertue wyll attempt eyther to deserue lyke prayse among men or reputation of well doyng before God What I conceiue in my mynde of these thynges I am not able to expresse with penne or tongue I wil now therfore so make an end of this perpendiculer conclusion of the whole Decade as myndyng hereafter to search and geather euery thyng particulerly that I may at further leysure wryte the same more at large For Colonus the Admiral with foure ships and a hundred threescore and ten men appoynted by the kyng discouered in the yeere of Christe .1520 the lande oueragaynst the West corner of Cuba distant from the same about a hundred and thirtie leagues in the myddest of whiche tracte lyeth an Ilande called Guanassa From hence he directed his voyage backwarde toward the East by the shore of that coast supposyng that he shoulde haue founde the coastes of Paria but it chaunced otherwise It is sayde also that Vincencius Agnes of whom we haue spoken before and one Iohannes Daiz with diuers other of whose voyages I haue as yet no certayne knowledge haue ouerrunne those coastes but yf God graunt me lyfe I trust to knowe the trueth hereof and to aduertise you of the same Thus fare ye well The ende of the fyrst Decade The fyrst booke of the seconde Decade to Leo Bishop of Rome the tenth of that name of the supposed continent or firme lande SInce the tyme that Galeatius Butrigarius of Bononie and Iohannes Cursius of Florence most holy father came to the Catholique kyng of Spayne the one of your holinesse ambassage and the other for the affayres of his common wealth I was euer for the moste parte in theyr companye and for theyr vertues and wysedome had them in great reuerence And whereas they were greatlye geuen to studie and continuall reuoluing of diuers auctours they chaunced vpon certayne bookes negligently let slyppe out of my handes entreatyng of the large landes and regions hytherto lying hyd and almost West Antipodes founde of late by the Spanyardes Yet being allured and delyted with the newnesse and straungenesse of the matter although rudely adourned they commended the same therewith earnestly desyryng me in theyr owne names and requiring me in the name of your holynesse to adde hereunto al such thynges as were founde after that tyme and to geue them a copie therof to sende to your holynesse that you myght thereby vnderstande both howe great commodities is chaunced to the progenie of mankynde as also encrease of the millitant congregation in these our dayes by the fortunate enterpryses of the kynges of Spayne For lyke as rased and vnpaynted tables are apte to receiue what fourmes soeuer are fyrst drawen thereon by the hande of the paynter euen so these naked and simple people doo soone receyue the customes of our religion and by conuersation of our men shake of theyr fierce and natiue barbarousnesse I haue thought it good therfore to satisfie the request of these wyse men espetially vsyng thaucthorytie of your name wherunto not to haue obeyed I shoulde esteeme my selfe to haue commytted a heynous offence Wherfore I wyll nowe briefly rehearse in order what hyd coastes the Spanyardes ouerran who were thaucthours therof where they rested what further hope they brought and finallye what greate thynges those tractes of landes do promyse in time to come In the declaration of my decade of the ocean which is nowe prynted and dyspersed throughout Chrystendome vnwares to me I described howe Christophorus Colonus founde those ilandes wherof wee haue spoken and that turnyng from thence towarde the left hande southward he chaunced into greate regions of landes and large seas dystant from the Equinoctiall lyne onely from fyue degrees to tenne where he founde brode ryuers and exceeding hygh mountaynes couered with snowe and harde by the sea bankes where were manye commodious and quyet hauens But Colonus being now departed out of this lyfe the kyng beganne to take care how those lands might be inhabited with Christian men to thincrease of our fayth Wheruppon he gaue lycence by his letters patentes to al such as would take the matter in hand and espetially to two wherof Diego Nicuesa was one the other was Alphonsus Fogeda Wherfore about the Ides of December Alphonsus departing fyrst with three hundred souldiers from the ilande of Hispaniola in the which we sayd the Spaniardes had builded a cytie planted theyr habitation saylyng in maner ful south he came to one of the hauens found before which Colonus named Portus carthaginis both because of the iland
tooke the gouernour thereof prisoner and hanged him on the tree in whiche he dwelt him selfe commaundyng hym to be shotte through with arrowes in the syght of thinhabitantes and with hym foure other rulers to be hanged on gibbets to the example of other rebelles This punyshment thus executed vppon the conspiratours stroke the hartes of all thinhabitantes of the prouince with such feare that there is not nowe a man that dare styrre his fynger agaynst the wrath of our men They lyue nowe therefore quietly and the other kyngs by theyr example do the gladlyer lyue in subiection with lesse offence bearyng the yoke which they can by no meanes shake of The syxte booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed continent THese thynges thus fynyshed assembling al theyr company togeather they determined with one consent that a messenger shoulde foorthwith be sent to Hispaniola from whence they haue theyr lawes and ayde to declare the whole order of al these affayres fyrst to the Admiral and gouernour of the Ilande and afterward to the Kyng of Spayne and to perswade hym to sende those thousande men whiche young Comogrus sayde to be expedient to passe ouer the mountaynes lying betwene them and the golden regions toward the South â–ª Vaschus hym selfe dyd greatlye affect this embassage but neither would the residue of his felowes electe hym therto nor his factionaries suffer hym to departe aswell for that thereby they thought they should be left desolate as also that they murmured that if Vaschus should once go from them he woulde neuer returne to suche turmoyles and calamities by the example of Valdiuia and Zamudius who had ben now absent sence the moneth of Ianuary in so much that they thought they woulde neuer come agayne but the matter was otherwyse then they tooke it as I wyll shewe in his place for they were perished At the length after many scrutinies they elected one Iohn Quicedus a graue man wel in yeeres and treasourer of the kynges Exchequer in those prouinces they had conceiued a good opinion of this Quicedus that all thynges shoulde be well brought to passe by his meanes aswell for his wysdome as also that they were in good hope of his return because he had brought his wife with hym to those regions whom he left with his felowes for a pledge of his comming againe When they had thus elected Quicedus they were againe of diuers opinions whom they might ioyne with him for assistance affirming that it were a daungerous thing to committe so weightie a matter to one mans handes not that they mistrusted Quicedus but because the life of man is fraile the change of the ayre perillous especially to them hauyng now of long time ben accustomed to the temperature neere vnto the Equinoctial if they should be compelled to returne to y e North with alteration of ayre diet They thought it therfore good to appoynt a companion to Quicedus that if by chaunce the one should faile thother might remaine that if they both escaped the king should geue y e better credit to the relation of both After long consultation therfore they chose Rodericus Colmenaris a man of good experience of whom we haue oftentimes made mention for from his youth he had trauailed ouer al Europe by lande and by sea and was present at the doynges of al things in Italie agaynâ—â— the Frenche men of whose returne also they had no smal hope because he had many farmes and had tylled and sowne much grounde in Dariena by the increase wherof he myght get much gold by selling the same to his felowes He left therfore the charge of al his affayres in Dariena with his partner Alphonsus Nunnez a iudge of the lawe who also was lyke to haue ben chosen procuratour of this voyage before Colmenaris yf one had not put them in remembrance that he had a wife at Matritis fearing lest being ouercome with her teares he woulde no more returne Colmenaris therfore a free man at libertie being associate assystant with Quicedus they tooke shyppyng together in a Brigandine the fourth day of the Calendes of Nouember in the yeere of Christe .1512 In this voyage beyng tossed with sundry tempestes they were by the violence of the winde cast vpon the West coastes of that large Iland which in the fyrst Decade we called Cuba supposed to haue ben firme land They were sore oppressed with hunger for it was nowe three monethes synce they departed from theyr felowes by reason whereof they were enforced to take lande to prooue what ayde they coulde get among the inhabitauntes Theyr chaunce therefore was to arryue in that part of the Ilande where Valdiuia was dryuen aland by tempest But oh you wretched men of Dariena tary for Valdiuia whom you sent to prouide to helpe your necessities prouyde for your selues rather and trust not to them whose fortune ye knowe not For when he arryued in Cuba the inhabitantes slue hym with al his felowes and left the Carauel wherin they were caryed torne in peeces and halfe 〈◊〉 with sande on the shore where Quicedus and Colmenaâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the fragmentes thereof bewayled theyr felowes myâ—fortune but they founde none of theyr carcasses supposyng that they were eyther drowned or deuoured of the Canibales which oftentimes make incursions into that Ilande to hunt for men But at the length by two of the Ilande men which they had taken they had knowledge of Valdiuia his destruction and that the inhabitauntes the more greedily attempted the same for that they had heard by the babblyng of one of his felowes that he had great plentie of golde for they also take pleasure in the beautie of golde whiche they fourme artificially into sundry ouches Thus our men stricken with pensiuenesse for the cruell destenie of theyr felowes and in vayne seekyng reuenge for theyr iniuries determined to forsake that vnfortunate lande departyng from those couetous naked barbarians with more sorowe and necessitie then they were in before Or euer they had passed the South syde of Cuba they fel into a thousande mysfortunes and had intelligence that Fogeda arryued therabout leadyng a miserable lyfe tossed and turmoyled with tempestes and vexed with a thousande perplexities so that departyng from thence almost alone his felowes beyng for the most part al consumed with maladies and famine he came with much difficultie to Hispaniola where he dyed by force of the poyson of his venemous wounde which he had receiued in Vraba as we haue sayde before But Ancisus elected Lieutenant sayled by al those coastes with much better fortune for as he hym selfe tolde me he founde prosperous wyndes in those parties and was wel enterteyned of thinhabitantes of Cuba but this specially in the dominion of a certayne kyng whose name was Commendator for wheras he desyred of the Christian men whiche passed by to be baptised demaundyng the name of the gouernour of the Ilande next vnto Hispaniola beyng a
stay and went hym selfe alone to the toppe as it were to take the fyrst possession thereof Where fallyng prostrate vppon the grounde and raysing hym selfe againe vpon his knees as the maner of the Christians is to praye lyftyng vp his eyes and handes towarde heauen and directyng his face towarde the newe founde south sea he powred foorth his humble and deuout prayers before almightie God as a spirituall sacrifyce with thankes gyuing that it pleased his diuine maiestie to reserue vnto that day the victorie and prayse of so great a thyng vnto hym beyng a man but of smal wyt and knowledge of lytle experience and base parentage When he had thus made his prayers after his warlike maner he beckned with his hande to his companions to come to hym shewyng them the great mayne sea heretofore vnknowen to thinhabitants of Europe Aphrike and Asia Here agayne he fell to his prayers as before desyring almyghtie God and the blessed virgin to fauour his beginnynges and to geue hym good successe to subdue those landes to the glory of his holy name and encrease of his true religion All his companions dyd lykewyse and praysed God with loude voyces for ioy Then Vascus with no lesse manlye corage then Hanniball of Carthage shewed his souldiers Italye and the promontories of the Alpes exhorted his men to lyft vp theyr hartes and to beholde the lande euen nowe vnder theyr feete and the sea before theyr eyes whiche shoulde bee vnto them a full and iust rewarde of theyr great laboures and trauayles nowe ouerpassed When he had sayde these woordes he commaunded them to raise certaine heapes of stones in the stede of alters for a token of possession They descendyng from the toppes of the mountaynes least suche as myght come after hym shoulde argue hym of lying or falshood he wrote the kyng of Castels name here and there on barkes of the trees both on the ryght hande and on the left and raysed heapes of stones all the way that he went vntyll he came to the region of the next kyng towarde the south whose name was Chiapes This kyng came foorth agaynst hym with a great multitude of men threatnyng and forbyddyng him not only to passe through his dominions but also to goe no further Hereupon Vaschus set his battayle in aray and exhorted his men beyng nowe but fewe fiersly to assayle theyr enemies and to esteeme them no better then dogges meate as they shoulde be shortly Placing therefore the hargabusiers and masties in the forefroont they saluted kyng Chiapes and his men with such alarome that when they hard the noyse of the gunnes saw the flames of fire and smelt the sauour of brimstone for the wynde blewe towardes them they droue them selues to flyght with such feare lest thunderboultes and lyghtnynges folowed them that many fell downe to the ground whom our men pursuing fyrst keepyng theyr order and after breakyng theyr aray slue but fewe and tooke manye captyue For they determined to vse no extremitie but to pacyfie those regions as quietly as they myght Enteryng therfore into the pallace of kyng Chiapes Vaschus commaunded many of the captyues to be loosed wyllyng them to search out theyr kyng and to exhort hym to come thither and that in so doyng he woulde be his frend and profer hym peace besyde many other benefites But if he refused to come it shoulde turne to the destruction of hym and his and vtter subuertion of his countrey And that they myght the more assuredly do this message to Chiapes he sent with them certayne of the guides whiche came with hym from Quarequa Thus Chiapes beyng persuaded aswell by the Quarequans who coulde coniecture to what end the matter woulde come by thexperience whiche they had seene in them selues and theyr kyng as also by the reasons of his owne men to whom Vaschus had made suche frendly promises in his behalfe came foorth of the caues in the whiche he lurkâ—d and submitted hym selfe to Vaschus who accepted hym frendly They ioyned handes embraced the one the other made a perpetuall league of frendship and gaue great rewardes on both sydes Chiapes gaue Vaschus foure hundred poundes weyght of wrought golde of those poundes whiche they call Pesos and Vaschus recompenced hym agayne with certayne of our thynges Thus beyng made frendes they remayned togeather a fewe dayes vntyll Vaschus souldiers were come whiche he left behynde hym in Quarequa Then callyng vnto hym the guydes and labourers whiche came with hym from thence he rewarded them liberally and dismissed them with thankes Shortly after by the conduct of Chiapes hym selfe and certayne of his men departyng from the toppes of the mountaynes he came in the space of foure dayes to the bankes of the newe sea where assemblyng al his men togeather with the kynges scribes and notaries they addicted all that mayne sea with all the landes adiacent thereunto to the dominion and Empire of Castile Here he left part of his souldiers with Chiapes that he myght the easelier search those coastes And takyng with hym niene of theyr lyghters made of one whole tree whiche they call Culchas as thinhabitantes of Hispaniola cal them Canoas also a bande of fourescore men with certeyne of Chiapes men he passed ouer a great riuer and came to the regioÌ„ of a certeine king whose name was Coquera He attempted to resyst our men as dyd the other and with lyke successe for he was ouercome and put to flight But Vaschus who entended to winne him with gentelnes sent certeyne Chiapeans to hym to declare the great power of our men howe inuincible they were howe mercifull to such as submit them selues also cruell and seuere to such as obstinatly withstand them Promisyng hym furthermore that by the frendship of our men he might be wel assured by thexample of other not only to liue in peace and quietnes hym selfe but also to be reuenged of the iniuries of his enimies Wyllyng hym in conclusion so to weigh the matter that yf he refused this gentlenes profered vnto hym by so great a victourer he should or it were long learne by feelyng to repent hym to late of that peryll whiche he myght haue auoyded by hearyng Coquera with these wordes and examples shaken with great feare came gladly with the messengers bryngyng with him .650 Pesos of wrought golde whiche he gaue vnto our men Vaschus rewarded hym likewise as we sayd before of Poncha Coquera beyng thus pacified they returned to the pallace of Chiapes where visityng theyr companions and restyng there a whyle Vaschus determined to search the next great gulfe the whiche from the furthest reachyng thereof into the lande of theyr countryes from the enteraunce of the mayne sea they say to be threescore myles This they named saint Michaels gulfe whiche they say to be full of inhabited Ilandes and hugious rockes Entryng therefore into the niene boates of Culchas wherewith he passed ouer the ryuer
foorth of his doores because shee spared not men yf shee mette fyrste with them But at the length necessitie enforced them to inuent a policie howe they myght be reuenged of suche bloodshed Searchyng therfore dilygently her footesteppes and folowyng the pathe whereby she was accustomed in the nyght season to wander out of her denne to seeke her praye they made a great trenche or pyt in her walke coueryng the same with hurdels whereupon they caste parte of the earth and dispearsed the resydue The dogge Tyger chaunced fyrst into this pitfall and fel vpon the poyntes of sharpe stakes and such other engins as were of purpose fyxed in the bottome of the trench Beyng thus wounded he rored so terrybly that it grated the bowels of suche as harde hym and the wooddes and mountaynes neare about rebounded the noyse of the horryble crye When they perceiued that he was layde fast they resorted to the trenche and slue hym with stones dartes and pykes With his teethe and clawes he brake the dartes into a thousande chyppes Beyng yet dead he was fearefull to all such as behelde hym what then thynke you he woulde haue doone beyng alyue and loose One Iohannes Ledisma of Ciuile a neare frende to Vascus and one of the companions of his trauayles tolde me that he hym selfe dyd eate of the fleshe of that Tyger and that it was nothyng inferiour to beefe in goodnes Beyng demaunded howe they knewe it to be a Tyger forasmuch as none of them had euer seene a Tyger they answeared that they knewe it by the spottes fiercenes agilitie and suche other markes and tokens wherby auncient writers haue described the Tyger For some of them had before tyme seene other spotted wylde beastes as Libardes and Panthers The dogge Tiger beyng thus kylled they folowyng the trase of his steppes towarde the mountaynes came to the denne where the bytche remayned with her two young suckyng whelpes But she was not in the denne at their commyng They fyrst caryed away the whelpes with them But afterwardes fearyng lest they shoulde dye because they were young entendyng when they were bygger to send them into Spaine they put cheynes of iron about theyr neckes and caryed them agayne to their denne whither returnyng within a fewe dayes after they founde the denne emptie and they cheynes not remoued from theyr place They suppose that the damme in her furye tore them in peeces and caryed them away lest any shoulde haue the fruition of them For they playnely affirme that it was not possible that they shoulde be loosed from the chayne 's alyue The skynne of the dead Tyger stuffed with drye hearbes and straws they sent to Hispaniola to the Admiral and other of the cheefe rulers from whom the newe landes receiue their lawes and succour It shall at this tyme suffise to haue written thus muche of the Tygers as I haue learned by report of them which both suâ—teyned domage by their rauenyng and also handled the skynne of that whiche was slayne Let vs nowe therfore returne to king Pacra from whom we haue digressed When Vaschus had entred into the houses forsaken of Pacra he sent messengers to reconcile him as he had doone the other kynges At the first he refused to come but after threatnynges he came with three other kynges in his company Vaschus writeth that he neuer sawe a more monstruous defourmed creature and that nature hath only geuen hym humane shape and otherwyse to bee worse then a bruite beast with maners accordyng to the liniamentes of his body He abused with most abominable lechery the daughters of foure kynges his borderers from whom he had taken them by violence Of the fylthy behauiour of Pacra of his crueltie and iniures doone by hym many of the other kyngs made greeuous complayntes to Vaschus as vnto a hygh Iudge and iust reuenger most humbly beseechyng hym to see suche thynges punyshed forasmuche as they tooke hym for a man sent of God for that purpose Herevppon Vaschus aswell to wyn their good wylles as also to shewe an example of terrour to such as vsed lyke fasshions commaunded that this monstrous beast with the other three kynges whiche were subiecte to hym and of lyke conditions shoulde be geuen for a pray to his fyghtyng dogges and their torne carkases to bee burned Of these dogges whiche they vse in the warres they tell marueylous thynges for they say that they runne vppon thinhabitauntes armed after their maner with noo lesse fiercenes then if they were Hartes or wylde Bores if the Spaniardes doo but onely poynt towarde them with theyr fyngers Insomuche that oftentymes they haue had no neede to dryue their enemyes to flyght with swoordes or arrowes but haue doone the same only with dogges placed in the forefront of theyr battayle and lettyng them slyppe with theyr watche woorde and priuie token whereupon the barbarians strycken with feare by reason of the cruell countenances of theyr masties with theyr desperate boldenesse and vnaccustomed howlyng and barkyng haue disparckled at the first onsette and brake theyr array Yet it chaunceth otherwyse when they haue any conflycte agaynst the Canibales and the people of Caramairi for these are fiercer and more warlyke men also so expert archers that they can moste certaynely direct theyr venemous arrowes agaynst the dogges with suche seleritie as yf they were thunderboltes by reason whereof they sometymes kyll many of them Thinhabitauntes of these mountaynes doo not keepe warre with bowes and arrowes but vse only Macanis that is certayne long and brode swoordes made of wood also slynges long pykes and dartes hardened at the endes with fyre Whyle kyng Pacra yet lyued no man coulde knowe of hym neyther by fayre meanes nor by fowle where he had the golde whiche was founde in his house for our men founde in his iewell house fiftie poundes weyght of golde Beyng therfore demaunded where he had it he aunswered that they which geathered the same in those mountaynes in his fathers dayes were all dead and that sence he was a chylde he neuer esteemed golde more then stones More then this they coulde not geat of hym By this seuere punyshment executed vpon Pacra Vaschus concyled vnto hym the myndes of all the other kynges of that prouince and by this meanes it came to passe that when he sent for the sycke men whiche he left behynde hym with kyng Chiapes another kyng whiche was in the mydde way whose name was Bononiama enterteyned them gentelly and gaue them twentie pounde weight of pure wrought golde besyde great plentie of vittualles And not this onlye but also accompanyed them hym selfe vntyll he had brought them safely from his pallace into the dominion of Pacra where takyng eche of them by the ryght handes he delyuered them to Vaschus hym selfe as a faythfull pledge committed to his charge and therewith spake to Vaschus in this effecte Moste myghtie and valyaunt
victourer beholde I heere delyuer vnto you your companions in suche plight as I receiued them wishyng that I had ben aswell able to gyue them health as they were hartyly welcome to suche poore entertaynement as I was able to shewe them For the fauoure and gentelnesse whiche I haue founde both in you and them he shall rewarde you whiche sendeth thunderyng and lyghtnyng to the destruction of myscheuous men and of his clemencye gyueth vnto good men plentie of Iucca and Maizium in due season As he spake these woordes he lyfted vp his handes and eyes towarde the Sonne whom they honour as God Then he spake further to Vaschus saying In that you haue destroyed and slayne our violent and proude enemies you haue brought peace and quietnesse to vs and our familyes and bounde vs for euer to loue and obey you You haue so ouercome and tamed wylde monsters that we thynke you to bee sent from heauen for the punyshement of euyll men and defence of innocentes that vnder the protection of your myghtie swoorde we maye hereafter leade our lyues without feare and with more quietnesse geue thankes to the geuer of all good thynges for his mercie shewed vnto vs in this behalfe When the interpretoure had tolde Vaschus that the kyng Bononiana had sayde these woordes and suche lyke Vaschus rendered hym lyke thankes for his humanitie declared towarde our men and rewarded hym as he had doone other in whom he founde lyke gentilnesse Vaschus wryteth that he learned manye thynges of this kyng as concernyng the great rychesse of these regions but that he woulde at this present speake nothing thereof and rehearseth the same as thinges lyke to haue good successe What this implicate Hiperbole or aduauncement meaneth I do not well vnderstand but he plainly seemeth hereby to promise many great thynges And suerly it is to be thought that accordyng to his hope great riches may be loked for For they came in maner into none of thinhabitaunts houses but that they founde in them eyther bresteplates or curettes of golde or elles golden ouches iewels or garlandes to weare about their heades neckes or armes I coniecture therfore thus by a similitude of our houses If among vs any man of great power were moued with the desyre to haue great plentie of Iron and woulde enter into Italie with a mayne force as dyd the Gothes in tyme past what abundance of Iron shoulde he haue in theyr houses whereas he shoulde fynde in one place a fryingpan in another a caldron here a triuet and there a spitâ—e and these in manner in euery poore mans house with suche other innumerable whereby any man may coniecture that iron is plentifully engendred in suche regions where they haue so great vse thereof Our men also perceiued that the inhabitauntes of these regions do no more esteeme golde then we do iron nor yet so much after they sawe to what vse iron serued vs. Thus much haue I thought good to write to your holynesse of suche thynges as I haue geathered out of the letters of Vaschus Nunnez and learned by woorde of mouth of suche as were his companions in these affayres As we receiue them so we geue them vnto you Tyme whiche reuealeth al secretes shal hereafter minister larger argument of wrytyng They coulde at this tyme do no great thyng in searchyng the golde mynes forasmuche as of a hundred fourescore and tenne men which Vaschus brought with him from Dariena there remayned only threescore and ten or at the most fourescore whose ayde he nowe vsed in these daungerous aduentures leauing euer the crased men behynde hym in the kynges houses all the way that he went but they moste especially fel into sundry diseases whiche came lately from Hispaniola for they were not able to abyde such calamities as to lyue only contented with the bread of those regions and wylde hearbes without salt drynkyng none other then riuer water and that oftentymes eyther lackyng or vnholsome where as before theyr stomackes had ben vsed to good meates But the olde souldiers of Dariena were hardened to abyde all sorowes exceedyng tollerable of labour heate hunger watchyng insomuche that merily they make theyr boast that they haue obserued a longer sharper Lent then euer your holynesse enioyned for they say that for the space of foure whole yeeres they ate none other then hearbes and fruites except nowe and then perhappes fyshe and very seldome fleshe yea and that sometyme for lacke of all these they haue not abhorred from mangie dogges and fylthy toades as we haue sayde before The olde souldiers of Dariena I call those whiche fyrste folowed the captaynes Nicuesa and Fogeda to inhabite the lande of the whiche nowe fewe were lyuyng But let vs nowe omyt these thynges and returne to Vaschus the vyctourer of the mountaynes The thyrde booke of the thyrde Decade WHen Vaschus had remained thyrtie dayes in the palace of kyng Pacra concilyng vnto him the mindes of the inhabitauntes and prouidyng thynges necessarie for his companions As he departed froÌ„ thence by the conduct of certayne of kyng Teaocha his men and came to the banke of the riuer Comogrus wherof the region and kyng thereof are named by the same name he found the sydes of these mountaynes so rude and barren that there was nothyng apt to be eaten but wilde rootes and certayne vnpleasaunt fruites of trees Two kynges beyng neere of blood inhabited this vnfortunate region which Vaschus ouerpassed with all speede for feare of hunger One of these poore kynges was named Cotochus and the other Ciuriza He tooke them both with him to guyde hym the way and dismissed Teaocha his men with vittuals and rewards Thus for the space of three dayes he wandered through many desart woods craggy mountaynes muddie marishes ful of suche quamyres that men are oftentimes swalowed vp in them if they loke not y e more warely to their feete also through places not frequented with resort of men and suche as nature had not yet opened to theyr vse forasmuche as the inhabitauntes haue seldome entercourse betweene them but only by sundry incursions the one to spoyle and destroy the other beyng otherwyse contented to lyue onlye after the lawe of nature without al worldly toyle for superfluous pleasures Thus entryng at the length into the territorie of another kyng whose name was Bechebâ—ea they founde all thynges voyde and in scilence for the kyng and his subiectes were al fledde to the woods When Vaschus sent messengers to fetche hym he dyd not onlye at the fyrst submit hym selfe but also promise his ayde with all that he myght make Protestyng furthermore that he fledde not for feare that our men woulde doo them iniurie but that he hyd hym selfe for verye shame and greefe of mynde for that he was not able to receiue them honorablye accordyng vnto theyr dignitie because his store of vitayles was consumed Yet in
Cabot is my very frend whom I vse famâ—lierlye and delyte to haue hym sometymes keepe me company in my owne house For beyng called out of Englande by the commaundement of the catholique kyng of Castile after the death of Henry kyng of Englande the seuenth of that name he was made one of our counsayle and assistaunce as touching the affayres of the new Indies lookyng dayly for shyppes to be furnished for hym to discouer this hyd secret of nature This voyage is appoynted to be begunne in Marche in the yeere next folowyng beyng the yeere of Christ .1516 What shall succeede your holynesse shal be aduertysed by my letters yf God graunt me lyfe Some of the Spaniardes denye that Cabot was the fyrst fynder of the lande of Bacallaos and affirme that he went not so farre westewarde But it shall suffice to haue sayde thus muche of the gulfes and strayghtes and of Sebastian Cabot Let vs nowe therfore returne to the Spaniardes At this tyme they let passe the hauen of Carthago vntouched with al the Ilandes of the Canibales there aboute whiche they named Insulas Sancti Bernardi leauyng also behind theyr backes al the region of Caramairi Heere by reason of a sodayne tempest they were caste vpon the Ilande Fortis beyng about fyftie leagues distant from the enteraunce of the gulfe of Vraba In this Iland they founde in the houses of thinhabitantes many baskettes made of certayne great sea reedes ful of salt For this Iland hath in it many goodly salt bayes by reason wherof they haue great plentie of salte which they sell to other nations for such thyngs as they stande in neede of Not farre from hence a great Curlew as bygge as a Storke came flying to the gouernours shyp and suffered her selfe to be easely taken whiche beyng carryed aboute among all the shyppes of the nauie dyed shortly after They sawe also a great multitude of the same kynde of foules on the shore a farre of The gouernours shyppe whiche we sayd to haue lost the rudder beyng now sore broosed and in maner vnprofytable they left behynde to folowe at leasure The nauie arryued at Dariena the twelfth day of the Calendes of Iuly and the gouernours shyppe beyng voyde of men was dryuen alande in the same coastes within foure dayes after The Spanyardes whiche now inhabited Dariena with theyr Captayne and Lieuetenaunt Vaschus Nunnez Balboa of whom we haue largelye made mention before beyng certifyed of the arriuall of Petrus Arias and his companye went foorth three myles to meete him and receiued him honorably and religiously with the psalme Te deum laudamus geuyng thankes to god by whose safe conduct they were brought so prosperously thyther to al theyr comfortes They receyued them gladly into theyr houses builded after the maner of those prouinces I may wel cal these regions Prouinces a Procul Victis that is such as are ouercome farre of forasmuche as our men do now inhabite the same al the barbarous kynges and Idolatours beyng eiected They entertayned them with such cheare as they were able to make them as with the fruites of those regions and new bread both made of rootes and the graine Maizium Other delicates to make vp the feast were of theyr own store which they brought with them in theyr ships as poudred flesh salted fyshe and bread made of wheat for they brought with them many barrelles of wheate meale for the same purpose Heere may your holynesse not without iust cause of admiration beholde a kynges nauye and great multitude of Christians inhabiting not only the regions situate vnder the cyrcle of heauen called Tropicus Cancri but also in maner vnder the Equinoctiall line contrary to the opinion of the olde wryters a fewe excepted But after that they are nowe mette togeather let vs further declare what they determined to do Therfore the day after that y e nauie arriued there assembled a company of Spanyards thinhabitours of Dariena to the nuÌ„ber of foure hundred and fiftie men Petrus Arias the gouernour of the nauy and his companye conferred with them both priuilie and openlye of certayne articles whereof it was the kynges pleasure he shoulde enquire and most especially as concernyng suche thynges wherof Vaschus the fyrst fynder and Admirall of the South sea made mention in his large letter sent from Dariena to Spayne In this inquisition they founde althyngs to be true whereof Vaschus had certified the king by his letters and therevpon concluded that in the dominions of Comogra Pocchorrosa Tumanama at the assignement of Vaschus certayne fortresses shoulde be erected foorthwith to thintent there to plant theyr colonie or habitation To the better accomplyshment hereof they sent immediatly one Iohannes Aiora a noble young gentleman of Corduba and vnder Lieuetenant with foure hundred men and foure Carauels and one other lytle shyp Thus departyng he sayled fyrst directly to the hauen of Comogrus distant from Dariena about twentie and fyue leagues as they wryte in theyr last letters From hence he is appoynted to send a hundred and fyftie of his foure hundred towarde the South by a newe and ryghter way founde of late by the whiche as they say it is not past twentie and syxe leagues from the pallace of kyng Comogrus to the entraunce of the gulfe of Sancti Michaelis The residue of the foure hundred shal remayne there to be an ayde and succour to al such as shall iorney to and fro Those hundred and fyftie whiche are assigned to go southward take with them for interpretours certain of our men which had learned the soothern language of the bondmen which were geuen to Vaschus when he ouerranne those regions and also certayne of the bondemen them selues which had nowe learned the Spanyshe tongue They say that the hauen of Pocchorrosa is only seuen leagues distant from the hauen of Comogrus In Pocchorrosa he is assigned to leaue fyftie men with the lightest ship which may be a passinger betwene them that like as we vse post horses by land so may they by this currant shyp in short space certifie the Lieuetenaunt and thinhabitours of Dariena of such thynges as shal chaunce They entend also to build houses in the region of Tumanama The pallace of king Tumanama is distant froÌ„ Pocchorrosa about twenty leagues Of these foure hundred men beyng of the olde souldiers of Dariena men of good experience fyftie were appointed to be as it were Decurians to guide and conduct the new men from place to place to do theyr affayres When they had thus set all thynges in order they thought it good to aduertyse the kyng hereof and therwith to certyfye hym that in those prouinces there is a kyng named Dabaiba whose dominion is verye ryche in gold but the same to be yet vntouched by reason of his great power His kyngdome ioyneth to the second great ryuer named Dabaiba after his name whiche falleth into the sea out
of the corner of the gulfe of Vraba as we haue largely declared before The common report is that all the land of his dominions is ryche in gold The pallace of kyng Dabaiba is fyftie leagues distant from Dariena The inhabitantes saye that from the pallace the gold mynes reache to the borders on euery syde Albeit our men haue also golde mynes not to be contemned euen within three leagues of Dariena in the whiche they geather golde in many places at this present Yet do they affirme greater plentye to be in the mynes of Dabaiba In the bookes of our fyrst fruites written to your holynesse we made mention of this Dabaiba wherein our men were deceyued and mystooke the matter For where they founde the fyshermen of kyng Dabaiba in the marishes they thought his region had been there also They determined therfore to send to kyng Dabaiba three hundred choyse young men to be chosen out of the whole army as most apt to the warres and well furnyshed with all kyndes of armour and artyllerie to the intent to go vnto hym and wyll hym eyther frendly and peaceably to permit them to inhabite part of his kyngdome with the fruition of the golde mynes or els to byd hym battayle and dryue hym out of his countrey In theyr letters they oftentymes repeate this for an argument of great ryches to come that they in a maner dygged the ground in no place but found the earth myxt with sparkes and small graynes of golde They haue also aduertised the kyng that it shal be commodious to place inhabitours in the hauen of Sancta Martha in the region of Saturma that it may be a place of refuge for them that sayle from the Ilande of Dominica from the whiche as they saye it is but foure or fyue dayes saylyng to that hauen of the region of Saturma and from the hauen but three dayes saylyng to Dariena But this is to be vnderstoode in goyng and not in returnyng For the returnyng from thence is so laborious and difficulte by reason of the contrary course of the water that they seeme as it were to ascende hyghe mountaynes and stryue agaynste the power of Neptunus This swyft course of the sea towards the west is not so violent to them whiche returne to Spayne from the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba although they also do labour agaynst the fall of the Ocean The cause whereof is that the sea is heere very large so that the waters haue theyr full scope But in the tract of Paria the waters are constrayned togeather by the bendyng sydes of that great land and by the multitude of Ilandes lying agaynst it as the lyke is seene in the strayghtes or narrow seas of Scicile where the violent course of the waters cause the daungerous places of Scilla and Caribdis by reason of those narrowe seas which conteyne Ionium Libicum and Tirrhenum Colonus the fyrste fynder of these regions hath left in wrytyng that saylyng from the Ilande of Guanassa and the prouinces of Iaia Maia and Cerabaro beyng regions of the west marches of Beragua he founde the course of the water so vehement and furious agaynst the foreparte of his shyp whyle he sayled from those coastes towarde the East that he coulde at no time touche the grounde with his soundyng plummet but that the contrary violence of the water woulde beare it vp from the bottome He affyrmeth also that he coulde neuer in one whole day with a meetely good wynde wynne one myle of the course of the water And this is the cause why they are oftentymes enforced to saile fyrst by the Ilandes of Cuba and Hispaniola and so into the mayne sea towarde the North when they returne to Spayne that the North wyndes may further theyr voyage whiche they can not bryng to passe by a direct course But of the motions of the Ocean sea to and fro this shal suffise Let vs nowe therefore rehearse what they wryte of Dariena and of theyr habitation there whiche they cal Sancta Maria Antiqua planted on the sea bankes of Dariena The situation of the place hath no natural munition or defence and the ayre is more pestiferous then in Sardus The Spanishe inhabitours are al pale and yelowe lyke vnto them whiche haue the yelowe iaundies which neuerthelesse commeth not of the nature of the region as it is situate vnder the heauen For in many regions beyng vnder the selfe same degree of latitude hauing the pole of the same eleuation they fynd holsome temperate ayre in such places where as the earth bryngeth foorth fayre sprynges of water or where holsome riuers runne by bankes of pure earth without mudde but most especially where they inhabite the sides of the hyls and not the valleys But that habitation whiche is on the bankes of the ryuer of Dariena is situate in a deepe valley and enuironed on euery syde with hygh hylles By reason wherof it receyueth the Sonne beames at noonetyde dyrectly parpendicular ouer theyr heades and are therefore sore vexed by reflection of the beames both before behynde and from the sydes For it is the reflection of the sonne beames whiche causeth feruent heate and not theyr accesse or neerenesse to the earth forasmuche as they are not passyble in themselues as doth manifestly appeare by the snowe lying contynually vnmoulten vpon certayne hygh mountaynes as your holynesse knoweth ryght well The sonne beames therfore fallyng on the mountaynes are reflected downwarde into the valley by reason of the obiect of the declining sydes of the hylles as it were the fall of a great round stone rowled from the toppe of a mountayne The valley therefore receyueth both those beames whiche fall directly thereon and also those whiche are reflected downewarde from euery syde of the mountaynes Theyr habitation therefore in Driena is pernicious and vnholsome onely of the particuler nature of the place and not by the situation of the region as it is plased vnder the heauen or neare to the sonne The place is also contagious by the nature of the soyle by reason it is compassed about with muddy and stynkyng marishes the infection whereof is not a lytle encreased by the heate The vyllage is selfe is in a marishe and in maner a standyng puddle where of the droppes fallyng from the handes of the bondemen whyle they water the pauementes of theyr houses Toades are engendred immediately as I my selfe saw in an other place the droppes of that water turne into flees in the sommer season Furthermore wheresoeuer they dygge the grounde the deapth of a handful and a halfe there spryngeth out vnholsome and corrupt water of the nature of the ryuer whiche runneth through the deepe and muddye chanell of the valley and so falleth into the sea Nowe therfore they consult of remouyng theyr inhabitations Necessitie caused them fyrst to fasten theyr foote heere because that they whiche fyrst arryued in those landes were oppressed with suche
vrgent hunger that they had no respect to chaunge the place although they were thus vexed by the contagion of the soyle and heate of the Sonne besyde the corrupt water and infectious ayre by reason of venemous vapours and exhalations rysyng from the same An other great incommoditie was that the place was destitute of a commodious hauen beyng three leagues distant from the mouth of the gulfe The way is also rough and difficult to bryng vyttayles and other necessaries from the sea But let vs nowe speake somewhat of other particuler thynges whiche chaunced Therefore shortly after that they were arryued there happened many thynges whereof they had no knowledge before A certayne well learned phisition of Ciuile whom partly the auctoritie of the Bishop of Dariena and partly the desyre of golde had allured to those landes was so scarred with lyghtnyng in the nyght season lying in bedde with his wyfe that the house and all the stuffe therein beyng set on fyre and burnt he and his wyfe beyng both sore scorched ranne foorth crying and almost naked hardely escapyng the daunger of death And an other tyme as certayne of them stoode one the shore a great Crocodile sodenly caryed away a masty of a yeere and a halfe olde as a kyte shoulde haue snatched vp a chicken and this euen in the presence of them all where the miserable dogge cryed in vayne for the helpe of his maister In the nyght season they were tormented with the bytyng of Battes which are there so noysome that if they byte any man in his sleepe they put hym in daunger of lyfe onely with drawyng of blood In so muche that some haue dyed thereof fallyng as it were into a consumption through the maliciousnesse of the venemous wounde If these Battes chaunce to fynde a cocke or a henne abrode in the nyght season they byte them by the combes and so kyl them They also whiche went last into these regions do wryte that the lande is troubled with Crocodiles Lions and Tygers but that they haue nowe deuised artes aod ingens howe to take them Lykewyse that in the houses of theyr felowes they founde the hydes and cases of suche Lions and Tygers as they had kylled They wryte furthermore that by reason of the rankenesse and fruitefulnesse of the grounde kyne swyne and horses doo maruelously increase in these regions and growe to a muche bygger quantitie then they whiche were of the fyrst broode Of the exceedyng hyghnesse of the trees with theyr fruites of the garden hearbes fruites plantes and seedes whiche our men brought from Spayne and sowed and set the same in these regions lykewyse of the Hartes and other foure footed beastes both tame and wylde also of dyuers kyndes of foules byrdes and fyshes they wryte euen as we haue declared in the decades before Careta the kyng of the region of Cioba was with them for the space of three dayes whom when they had frendly entertayned and shewed hym the secrete places of theyr shyppes their Horses also with theyr trappers bardes and other furnimentes besyde many other thynges whiche seemed straunge to hym and had further delyted his mynde with the harmony of theyr musycal instrumentes geuen hym many rewardes they dismyssed hym halfe amased with to muche admiration He sygnifyed vnto them that there are trees in that prouynce of the plankes whereof if shyppes were made they shoulde be safe from the woormes of the sea whiche they call Bromas Howe these woormes gnawe and corrode the shyppes we haue declared before Our shyppes are greatly troubled with this plague if they lye long in the hauens of these regions But they affyrme that the wood of this tree is so bytter that the woormes wyll not taste thereof There is also an other tree peculyar to these landes whose leaues if they onely touche the bare in any place of a mans body they cause great blysters and those so malitious that except the same be foorthwith healed with salte water or fastyng spyttle they do incontinently engender deadly paynes They say lykewyse that the sauour of the wood is present poyson and that it can no whither be caried without daunger of lyfe When thinhabitantes of the Ilande of Hispaniola had oftentymes attempted to shake of the yoke of seruitude and coulde neuer bryng the same to passe neyther by open warre nor yet by priuie conspiracies they were determined in the nyght season to haue kylled our men in theyr sleepe with the smoke of this wood But when the Christian men had knowledge hereof they compelled the poore wretches to confesse theyr intent and punyshed the chiefe auctours of the deuice They haue also a certayne hearbe with the sauour wherof they are preserued from the hurt of this venemous wood so that they may beare it safely Of these small thinges it shall suffyce to haue sayde thus much They looke dayly for many greater thinges to certifie vs of from the Ilandes of the south sea For at such tyme as the messenger whiche brought our letters departed from thence Petrus Arias prepared an expedition to that ryche Iland which lyeth in the mouth of the gulfe called Sinus S. Michaelis and reacheth into the south sea being also left vntouched of vaschus by reason that the Sea was at that tyme of the yeere sore troubled with tempestes as we haue further declared in Vaschus his vyage to the south Wee looke therefore dayly for greater thinges then are hitherto paste For they haue now taken in hande to subdue many other prouinces which we suppose to be eyther very ryche or to bryng foorth some straunge workes of nature Iohannes Diaz Solisius of Nebrissa of whom we haue made mention before is sent by the froont of the cape or poynt of Sancti Augustini which reacheth seuen degrees beyonde the Equinoctial lyne and parteyneth to the dominion of the Portugales to thintent to ouerrunne the south syde from the backe halfe of Paria Cumana Cuquibacca with the hauens of Cartbago and Sancta Martha of Dariena also and Beragua that more perfect and certayne knowledge may be had of those tractes Furthermore one Iohannes Poncius was sent foorth with three ships to destroye the Canibales both in the lande and Ilandes there about aswell that the nations of the more humane and innocent people may at the length lyue without feare of that pestiferous generation as also the better and more safely to searche the secretes and rychesse of those regions Many other lykewyse were sent dyuers and sundry wayes as Gasper Badaiocius to search the West parts Franciscus Bexerra to sayle by the corner of the gulf and Valleius to passe by the mouth or entraunce thereof to the Easte coastes of the gulf to searche the secretes of that lande in the which Fogeda with his company had of late begunne to plant their habitation and had buylded a fortresse and a vyllage Badaiocius
into the lake are these From the North syde Guanicabon From the Southe Xaccoei from the East Guannabo And from the West Occoa They saye that these ryuers are great and continuall and that besyde these there are .xx. other small ryuers whiche fall into this Caspium Also on the North syde within a furlong of the lake there are aboue twoo hundreth springes occupying lykewyse about a furlong in circuite the water wherof is colde in sommer freshe also and holsome to be drunke These sprynges make a ryuer that can not bee waded ouer which neare at hande ioynyng with the other falleth into the lake Here must we staye a whyle The kyng of this region founde his wyfe praying in a Chapell buylded by the Christians within the precincte of his dominion and requyred her company to satisfie his fleshely lust His wyfe reproued him and put him in remembraunce to haue respecte to the holy place The wordes which she spake to him were these Teitoca Teitoca which is as muche to say as be quyet be quyet Techeta cynato guamechyna That is God will be greatly angry Guamechyna signifyeth God Techeta greatly Cynato angrye But the husbande halyng her by the arme sayde Guaibba that is goe Cynato macabuca guamechyna That is What is that to me if God be angry And with these wordes as he profered her violence sodeinly he became dumme and lame Yet by this myracle being stryken with repentaunce he euer after ledde a relygious lyfe insomuche that from thencefoorth he would neuer suffer the Chapell to bee swepte or decked with any other mans hande By the same myracle many of thinhabitauntes and all the Christians being moued resorted deuoutly to the Chapell They take it in good parte that the kyng suffered the reuenge of that reproche Let vs now returne to Caspium That salte lake is tossed with stormes and tempestes and oftentymes drowneth small shyppes or fyssher boates and swaloweth them vp with the maryners In so muche that it hath not been hearde of that any man drowned by shyppewracke euer plunged vp againe or was caste on the shore as commonly chaunceth of the dead bodyes of suche as are drowned in the sea These tempestes are the daintie banquets of the Tiburones This Caspium is called Hagueigabon In the myddest hereof lyeth an Iland named Guarizacca to the which they resort when they go a fishyng but it is now cultured There is in the same playne an other lake next vnto this whose water is myxte of salt and fresh and is therfore neyther apt to be drunke nor yet to be refused in vrgent necessitie This conteyneth in length twentie and fyue myles and in breadth eyght myles in some places also niene or ten It receyueth many ryuers which haue no passage out of the same but are swalowed vp as in the other Water spryngeth out of the sea into this also but in no great quantitie which is the cause that it is so commyxt In the same prouince towards the west syde there is an other lake of freshe water not farre distaunt from Caspius this the inhabitauntes call Iainagua The same salte lake hath on the North syde thereof an other named Guaccaa this is but lytle as not past three or foure myles in breadth and one in length the water of this may well be drunke On the South syde of the salt lake there lyeth an other named Babbareo of three myles in length and in maner rounde The water of this is freshe as of the two other This lake because it hath no passage out nor yet any swalowyng gulfes conueyeth the superfluous waters to the sea if it be encreased with y e streames which fal sometymes more abundantly from the mountaynes this is in the region of Xamana in the prouince of Bainoa There is an other called Guaniba lying betwene the East and the South neere vnto the syde of Caspius this is ten myles in length and almost round There are furthermore many other small standyng pooles or lakes disparsed here and there in the Iland whiche I wyll let passe lest I shoulde be tedious in remaynyng to long in one thyng I wyll therefore make an ende with this addition that in all these great plentie of fyshe and foule is nouryshed All these lakes lye in a large playne the whiche from the East reacheth into the West a hundreth and twentie miles being of breadth .xviii. miles where it is narowest and .xxv. where it is largest Lookyng toward the West it hath collaterally on the left hande the mountaines of Daiguani and on the ryght hande the mountaines of Gaigua so called of the name of y e vale it selfe At the rootes of the mountaynes of Caigua towarde the North syde there lyeth an other vale much longer and larger then that before named For it conteineth in length almost two hundreth myles and in breadth thirtie where it is largest and about .xx. where it is narowest This vale in some parte thereof is called Maguana in an other place Iguaniu and els where Hathathiei And forasmuch as we haue here made mention of this parte of the vale named Hathathiei we will somewhat digresse from the discourse of this description and entreate of a thing so straunge and marueilous that the lyke hath not been hearde of So it is therefore that the kyng of this region named Caramatexius taketh great pleasure in fyshing Into his nettes chaunced a young fyshe of the kynde of those huge monsters of the sea which thinhabitours call Manati not founde I suppose in our seas nor knowne to our men before this tyme. This fyshe is foure footed and in shape lyke vnto a Tortoyse although shee be not couered with a shell but with scales and those of such hardnesse couched in such order that no arrow can hurte her Her scales are beset defended with a thousande knobbes her backe is playne and her head vtterly lyke the head of an Oxe She lyueth both in the water on the lande shee is slowe of mouyng of condition meeke gentle associable and louing to mankynde and of a marueilous sense or memorie as are the Elephant and the Delphyn The kyng norished this fysh certeine dayes at home with the bread of the countrey made of the roote of Iucca Panycke with such other rootes as men are accustomed to eate For when shee was yet but young hee cast her into a poole or lake neare vnto his palace there to be fed with hande This lake also receiueth waters and casteth not the same foorth againe It was in tyme paste called Guaurabo but is now called the lake of Manati after the name of this fyshe which wandered safely in the same for the space of .xxv. yeeres and grewe exceeding byg Whatsoeuer is written of the Delphines of Baian or Arion are muche inferior to the dooinges of this fyshe whiche for her gentle nature they named Matum that
syluer and precious stones set and wrought after a marueylous straunge deuice and with no lesse cunnyng woorkemanshyp Heere they determined to sende messengers to our newe Emperour to knowe his pleasure that they myght in this prouince plant a newe colonie or habitation and this dyd they without the aduise of Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Iland of Cuba or Fernandina who fyrst sent them foorth with commaundement to returne agayne after they had searched these regions and obtayned plentie of golde While they consulted herof they were of diuers opinions but the most part alleaged that in this case it was not requisite to make the gouernour of theyr counsayle forasmuch as y e matter shoulde be referred to a higher Iudge as to the king of Spaine hym self When they were thus agreed they receyued vittayles of the gentle king of the prouince and assigned the place of their colonie twelue myles from the saide towne in a fruiteful holsome soile For theyr generall gouernoure they elected Cortesius the gouernour of the nauie agaynst his wyll as some saye For other magistrates to gouerne the citie which they intended to builde he chose Portucarerius and Montegius of whom we haue made mention before They chose also certayne messengers to send to the kyng by the conduction of Alaminus the pilot Furthermore foure of the princes of this prouince offered them selues wyllyngly to go with our men into Spayne to thintent to see our landes and that kyng whose power is so great and whose auctoritie reacheth so farre They brought lykewyse two women with them whiche serued and obeyed them in all thinges after the maner of their countrey The people of this nation is of browne or yelowyshe colour Both the men and the women haue pendauntes of gold pretious stones hanging at their eares The men also bore theyr neather lippes full of holes from the vppermost part of the lippe euen vnto the neathermost part of the gumme At these they hang certayne rynges and plates of golde and syluer fastned to a smal and thynne plate lying within betwene the lip the gumme At the biggest hole in the middest of the lippe there hangeth a rounde plate of syluer as brode as the coyne called a Carolyne as thicke as a mans finger I do not remember that euer I sawe any thyng that seemed more fylthy in myne eye Yet do they thynke that there is nothyng more comly vnder the circle of the moone whereby we may see howe vainely mankynde wandereth in his owne blyndnesse The Ethiopian thincketh the blacke colour to be fayrer then the white and the white man thinketh otherwise They that are powled thynke that more decent then to weare a bushe and they that weare beardes iudge it a deformitie to be shauen As appetite therfore moueth and not as reason perswadeth men runne after vanities and euery prouince is ruled by theyr owne sense as writeth saint Ierome From whence they haue their gold we haue spoken sufficiently before But as our men marueyled where they had theyr syluer they shewed them certayne high mountaines which are continually couered w t snowe sauing that at certaine times of the yeere the only toppes are seene bare bicause the snow is there molten by reason of y e thicke and warme cloudes The plaines therfore or milde softe pleasaunt mountaines seeme to bring foorth golde and the rough craggie mountaynes with theyr colde valleyes are the places where syluer is engendred They haue also Laton whereof they make such Mases and Hammers as are vsed in the warres dygging Mattockes also and Spades for they haue neyther Iron nor steele But let vs nowe speake of the presentes sent into Spayne to the kyng and fyrst of the bookes These procuratours therefore of the newe colonie of the prouince of Coluacana among other their presentes brought also a great number of bookes the leaues whereof are made of the inner ryndes or barkes of trees thinner then eyther that of the Elme or of y e Salowe these they smeere or anoynt with the pitche of molten Bitumem and whyle they be soft extend them to what fourme them lysteth When they bee cold and harde they rubbe them ouer with a certayne playster It is to be thought that they beate the playster into fyne floure and so temperyng it with some byndyng moysture to make a crust therewith vppon the leaues whereon they wryte with anye sharpe instrument and blot the same agayne with a spunge or some suche other thyng as marchaunt men and noble mens stewards are accustomed to do with their wryting tables made of the woodde of figge trees The leaues of theyr bookes are not set in order after the maner of ours but are extended many cubittes in length The matters whiche they write are conteyned in square tables not lose but so bound togeather with the tough flexible clay called Bitumem that they seeme lyke woodden tables whiche had been vnder the handes of cunnyng Bookbynders Which way so euer the booke lieth open there are two leaues seene and two sydes wrytten with as many lying vnder them except the booke be vnfoulded in length For vnder one leafe there are many leaues ioyned togeather The fourmes of theyr letters are nothyng lyke vnto ours but are muche more crooked and entangled lyke vnto fyshhookes knottes snares starres fyles dyse and suche other muche lyke vnto the Egyptian letters and wrytten in lines lyke vnto ours Heere and there betweene the lines are pictured the shapes of men and diuers beastes and especyally the Images of kynges and other noble men Whereby it is to be thought that in such bookes the factes of theyr kinges are conteined as we see the lyke among vs how our printers expresse the summe of histories in pictures that men may therby be the more allured to bye suche bookes The coueringes of theyr bookes are also artificially wrought and paynted When they are shut they seeme to differ nothing from ours in fourme In these bookes are furthermore comprehended theyr lawes rytes of ceremonies and sacrifyces annotations of Astronomie accomptes computations of tymes with the maner of graffyng sowing and other thynges parteynyng to husbandry They begyn the yeere from the goyng downe of the seauen starres called Vergiliae or Pleiades and count theyr monethes accordyng to the mones They name a moneth Tona of the Moone for in theyr language they call the Moone Tona They recken the dayes by the sonnes therefore as many dayes as they name they saye so manye sonnes the Sonne in theyr tongue is called Tonatico They distribute the yeere without any reason why into twentie monethes and the moneth into as many dayes The temples whiche they frequent they adourne with golden hangynges and other ornamentes of golde and syluer with precious stones intermyxt At the spryng of the day they perfume theyr temples with frankensence and make theyr prayers before they take in hand any other busynesse
tofore it hath been sayde in it therefore the Gouernours and Rulers muche lyke vnto our Shyryffes be so appoynted sodenly and speedely discharged agayne that they haue no tyme to growe naught Furthermore to keepe the state in more securitie the Louteas that gouerne one shyre are chosen out of some other shyre distaunt farre of where they must leaue theyr wyues chyldren and goodes carryeng nothyng with them but them selues True it is that at theyr commyng thyther they do fynde in a redinesse all thynges necessarie theyr house furniture seruantes and all other thynges in suche perfection and plentie that they want nothyng Thus the kyng is well serued without all feare of treason In the principall cities of the shyres be foure cheefe Louteas before whom are brought all matters of the inferiour townes throughout the whole realme Diuers other Louteas haue the maneagyng of iustice and receyuyng of rentes bounde to yeeld an accompte thereof vnto the greater officers Other doo see that there be no euyll rule keept in the citie eache one as it behoueth hym Generally al these do impryson malefactours cause them to be whypped racked hoysing them vp downe by the armes with a corde a thyng very vsuall there and accompted no shame These Louteas do vse great diligence in y e apprehending of theeues so that it is a wonder to see a theefe escape away in any towne citie or village Upon the sea neere vnto the shore many are taken and looke euen as they are taken so be they fyrst whypped and afterward layd in prison where shortly after they all dye for hunger and colde At that tyme when we were in pryson there died of them aboue threscore and ten Yf happely any one hauyng the meanes to geat foode do escape he is set with the condemned persones and prouided for as they be by the kyng in such wyse as hereafter it shal be sayde Theyr whyps be certayne peeces of canes cleft in the middle in such sort that they seeme rather playne then sharpe He that is to be whipped lieth grouelong on the ground Upon his thighes the Hangman layeth on blowes myghtely with these canes that the standers by tremble at theyr crueltie Ten sâ—rypes drawe a great deale of blood twentie or thyrtie spoyle the fleshe altogeather fyftie or threescore wyll require long tyme to be healed and yf they come to the number of one hundred then are they incurable The Louteas obserue moreouer this when any man is brought before them to be examined they aske hym openly in the hearing of as many as be present be y e offence neuer so great Thus did they also behaue them selues with vs. For this cause amongst them can there be no false witnes as dayly amongst vs it falleth out This good commeth therof that many being alwaies about the iudge to heare the euidence and beare witnesse the processe can not be falsifyed as it happeneth sometymes with vs. The Mores Gentiles Iewes haue al their sundry othes y e Mores doo sweare by theyr Mossafos the Brachmans by theyr Fili the rest likewise by the thynges they do worshyppe The Chineans though they be wonte to sweare by heauen by the Moone by the Sunne and by all theyr Idolles in iudgement neuerthelesse they sweare not at all If for some offence an othe be vsed of any one by and by with the least euidence he is tormented so be the wytnesses he bryngeth if they tell not the truth or do in any poynt disagree except they be men of worshyppe and credyte who are beleeued without any farther matter the rest are made to confesse the trueth by force of tormentes and whyppes Besydes this order obserued of them in examinations they do feare so muche theyr kyng and he where he maketh his abode keepeth them so lowe that they dare not once styrre Agayne these Louteas as great as they be notwithstanding the multitude of Notaries they haue not trusting any others do write al great processes and matters of importance them selues Moreouer one vertue they haue worthy of great prayse and that is being men so well regarded and accompted of as though they were princes they be patient aboue measure in geuyng audience We poore straungers brought before them myght saye what we woulde as all to be lyes and falaces that they dyd wryte ne dyd we stande before them with the vsuall cerimonies of that countrey yet dyd they beare with vs so patiently that they caused vs to wonder knowyng specially howe litle any aduocate or iudge is wonte in our countrey to beare with vs. For where so euer in any towne of Christendome shoulde be accused vnknowen men as we were I knowe not what ende the very innocentes cause woulde haue but we in a Heathen countrey hauyng our great ennimies two of the chiefest men in a whole towne wantyng an interpreter ignorant of that countrey language dyd in the ende see our great aduersaryes cast into pryson for our sake and depriued of theyr offices and honoure for not doyng iustice yea not to escape death for as the rumor goeth they shal be beheadded Somewhat is nowe to be sayde of the lawes that I haue been hable to knowe in this countrey and fyrst no thefte or murther is at any tyme pardoned adulterers are put in pryson and the facte once proued condemned to dye the womans husbande must accuse them this order is keapt with men and women found in that fault but theeues and murtherers are inprisoned as I haue sayd where they shortly dye for hunger and colde If any one happely escape by brybyng the gayler to geue hym meate his processe goeth farther and commeth to the courte where he is condemned to dye Sentence beyng geuen the prysoner is brought in publyke with a terrible bande of men that laye hym in Irons hande and foote with a boorde at his necke one handefull broade in length reachyng downe to his knees clefte in two partes and with a hole one handefull downewarde in the table fyt for his necke the whiche they enclose vp therein naylyng the boorde fast togeather one handefull of the boorde standeth vp behynde in the necke the sentence and cause wherefore the fellon was condemned to dye is wryten in that parte of the table that standeth before This cerimonie ended he is laid in a great prison in the companie of some other condemned persons the which are found by the king as long as they do liue The boord aforsaid so made tormenteth the prysoners very much keeping them both from rest eke lettyng them to eate commodyously theyr handes beyng manecled in Irons vnder that bord so y t in fine there is no remedy but death In y e chiefe cities of euery shire as we haue erst said there be foure principal houses in ech of them a prison but in one of them where the Taissu maketh his abode there is a greater a more principal prison theÌ„ in any of y e rest although
we laye in prison at Fuquieo we came many tymes abrode and were brought to the pallaces of noble men to be seene of them and theyr wyues for that they had neuer seene any Portugall before Many thinges they asked vs of our countrey and our fashions and dyd wryte euery thyng for they be curious in nouelties aboue measure The gentlemen shewe great curtesie vnto straungers and so dyd we finde at their handes and bycause that many tymes we were brought abrode into the citie somewhat will I say of such thinges as I dyd see therein beyng a gallant citie and chiefe in one of the thirtiene shyres aforesayde The citie Fuquieo is very great and mightily walled with square stone both within and without and as it may seeme by the breadth thereof filled vp in the middle with earth layde ouer with bricke and couered with tyle after the maner of porches or galeryes that one myght dwell therein The steyers they vse are so easily made that one may go them vp and down a horsebacke as eftsoones they doe the streetes are paued as already it hath been sayde there be a great number of Merchantes euery one hath written in a great table at his doore such thinges as he hath to sell. In lyke maner euery artisane paynteth out his craft the market places be large great aboundance of all thinges there be to be solde The citie standeth vppon water many streames run through it the bankes pitched and so broade that they serue for streetes to the cities vse Ouer the streames are sundry brydges both of tymber stone that beyng made leuell with the streetes hynder not the passage of the Barges to and fro the chanelles are so deepe Where the streames come in and goe out of the citie bee certayne arches in the wall there goe in and out theyr Parai that is a kynde of Barges they haue and this onely the day tyme at nyght these arches are closed vp with gates so doe they shut vp all the gates of the citie These streames and Barges doe ennoblyshe very muche the citie and make it as it were to seeme an other Uenice The buyldinges are euen well made hygh not lofted except it be some wherein merchandise is layde It is a worlde to see howe great these cities are and the cause is for that the houses are buylt euen as I haue sayde and doe take a great deale of roome One thyng we sawe in this citie that made vs all to wonder and is woorthy to bee noted Namely ouer a porche at the commyng in to one of the aforesayde foure houses the whiche the kyng hath in euery shyre for his gouernours as I haue erst sayde standeth a Towre buylt vppon fourtie pyllers eche one whereof is but one stone eche one fourtie handfulles or spannes long in breadth or compasse twelue as many of vs dyd measure them Besydes this theyr greatnesse suche in one peece that it myght seeme impossible to worke them they bee moreouer cornerde and in colour length and breadth so lyke that the one nothyng dyffereth from the other This thyng made vs all to wonder verye muche Wee are wont to call this countrey China and the people Chineans but as long as we were prisoners not hearing amongst them at any tyme that name I determined to learne howe they were called and asked sometymes by them thereof for that they vnderstoode vs not whan wee called them Chineans I answered them that all the inhabitantes of India named them Chineans wherefore I prayed them that they would tell mee for what occasion they are so called whether peraduenture any citie of theyrs bare that name Heerevnto they alwayes answered mee to haue no suche name nor euer to haue had Than dyd I aske them what name the whole countrey beareth and what they would answere beyng asked of other nations what countrymen they were It was tolde me that of auncient tyme in this countrey had been many kynges and though presently it were all vnder one eche kyngdome neuerthelesse enioyed that name it fyrst had these kyngdomes are the prouinces I spake of before In conclusion they sayde that the whole countrey is called Tamen and the inhabitantes Tamegines so that this name China or Chineans is not hearde of in that countrey I doe thinke that the nearenesse of an other prouince thereabout called Cochinchina and the inhabitantes thereof Cochinesses fyrst discouered before that China was lying not farre from Malacca dyd gyue occasion both to the one nation and to the other of that name Chineans as also the whole countrey to be named China But their proper name is that aforesayde I haue hearde moreouer that in the citie Nanquim remayneth a table of golde and in it written a kyng his name as a memory of that residence the kyngs were wont to keepe there This table standeth in a great pallace couered alwayes except it bee in some of theyr festiuall dayes at what tyme they are wont to let it be seene couered neuerthelesse as it is all the nobilitie of the citie goeth of duetie to doe it euery day reuerence The lyke is done in the head cities of all the other shyres in the pallaces of the Ponchiassini wherein these aforesayde tables doe stande with the kyng his name written in them although no reuerence be done thervnto but in solempne feastes I haue lykewyse vnderstoode that the citie Pachin where the kyng maketh his abode is so great that to goe from one syde to the other besydes the Subarbes the which are greater than the citie it selfe it requyreth one whole day a horsebacke going hackney pase In the Subarbes be many wealthy marchantes of all sortes They tolde me furthermore that it was Moted about and in the Motes great store of fyshe wherof the kyng maketh great gaynes It was also tolde mee that the kyng of China had no kyng to wage battayle withall besides the Tartares with whom he had concluded a peace more than fourescore yeeres agoe Neuerthelesse theyr friendshyp was not so great that the one nation might marry with the other And demaunding with whom they married they sayde that in olde tyme the Chinish kynges whan they would marry theyr daughters accustomed to make a solempne feast whervnto came all sorts of men The daughter that was to be marryed stoode in a place where shee myght see them all and looke whom shee lyked best him did shee chuse to husbande and if happely he were of a base condition hee became by and by a gentleman but this custome hath been left long since Nowe a dayes the kyng marryeth his daughters at his owne pleasure with great men of the same kyngdome the lyke order he obserueth in the maryage of his sonnes They haue moreouer one thing very good and that whiche made vs all to marueyle at them beyng Gentiles namely that there be hospitalles in all theyr cities alwayes full of people we neuer sawe any poore body begge
al their merchandise and wares for India Ethiope and Arabie as appeareth by the wrytyng first of Strabo who wryteth that he was in Egypt and then by Plinie who was in the tyme of Domitian Strabo also speaking of the saide fosse or trenche whiche was made towarde the redde sea wryteth thus There is a trenche that goeth towarde the red sea the gulfe of Arabie and to the citie of Arsinoe whiche some call Cleopatrida and passeth by the lakes named Amari that is bytter because in deede they were fyrste bytter but after that this trenche was made and the ryuer entred in they became sweete and are at this present ful of foules of the water by reason of their pleasantnesse This trenche was fyrste begunne by king Sesostre before the battaile of Troy Some say that it was begunne by king Psammiticus while he was a childe and that by reason of his death it was left imperfect also that afterwarde king Darius succeeded in the same enterprise who woulde haue finished it but yet brought it not to the ende because he was enfourmed that the redde sea was higher then Egypt and that if this lande diuiding both the seas were opened all Egypt shoulde be drowned thereby King Ptolomeus woulde in deede haue finished it but yet left it shut at the head that he myght when he woulde sayle to the other sea and returne without peryll Here is the citie of Arsinoe and neare vnto that the citie called Heroum in the vttermost parte of the gulfe of Arabie towarde Egypt with many portes and habitations Plinie likewise speaking of this trenche sayth In the furthest part of the gulfe of Arabie is a porte called Danco from whence they determined to bryng a nauigable trenche vnto the riuer of Nilus whereas is the firste Delta Betweene the saide sea and Nilus there is a streict of lande of the length of .lxii. miles The firste that attempted this thing was Sesostre king of Egypt after him Darius king of the Persians whom Ptolomeus folowed who made a trenche a hundred foote large and thirtie foote deepe being CCC miles in length vnto the lakes named Amari and durst proceede no further for feare of inundation hauing knowledge that the red sea was higher by three cubites then all the countrey of Egypt Other say that this was not the cause but that he doubted that yf he shoulde haue let the sea come any further all the water of Nilus shoulde haue been thereby corrupted whiche onely ministreth drynke to all Egypt But notwithstanding all these thinges aforesayde all this viage is frequented by lande from Egypt to the redde sea in whiche passage are three Causeyes or hygh wayes The fyrst begynneth at the mouth of Nilus named Pelutio All whiche way is by the sandes insomuche that if there were not certayne hygh Reedes fyxt in the earth to shew the ryght way the Causey could not be found by reason the wynde euer couereth it with sand The seconde Causey is two myles from the mountayne Cassius And this also in the ende of threescore myles commeth vpon the way or Causey of Pelusius inhabited with certayne Arabians called Antei The thyrde begynneth at Gerro named Adipson and passeth by the same Arabians for the space of threescore miles somewhat shortter but full of rough mountaynes and great scarcenesse of water Al these Causeyes leade the way to the citie of Arsinoe builded by Ptolomeus Philadelphus in the gulfe Carandra by the redde sea This Ptolomeus was the fyrst that searched all that part of the red sea whiche is called Trogloditica Of this trench described of Strabo and Plinie there are seene certeyne tokens remaynyng at this present as they do affyrme whiche haue been at Sues beyonde the citie of Alcayr otherwyse called Babylon in Egypt But the merchauntes that of later dayes trauayle this viage by lande ryde through the drye and barren desartes on Camels both by day and by nyght directyng theyr waye by the starres and compasse as do mariners on the sea and carying with them water sufficient for many dayes iorneys The places of Arabie and India named of Strabo and Plinie are the selfe same where the Portugales practyse theyr trade at this day as the maners and customes of the Indians doo yet declare for euen at this present their women vse to burne them selues alyue with the dead bodyes of their husbandes Whiche thyng as wryteth Strabo in his .xv. booke they dyd in olde time by a lawe for this consyderation that sometyme being in loue with other they forsooke or poysoned their husbandes And for as muche as accordyng to this custome the olde Poet Propertius who lyued about an hundred yeeres before the incarnation of Christ hath in his booke made mention of the contention that was among the Indian women whiche of them shoulde be burned aliue with theyr husbandes I haue thought good to subscribe his verses whiche are these Faelix Eois lex funeris vna maritis Quos aurora suis rubra colorat equis Namque vbi mortifero iacta est fax vltima lecto Vxorum fusis stat pia turba comis Et certamen habent lethi quae viua sequatur Coniugium pudor est non licuisse mori Ardent victrices flammae pectora praebent Imponuntque suis ora perusta viris As touchyng these viages both by sea and by lande to East India and Cathay many thinges are wrytten very largly by diuers autours which I omit because they parteyne not so much vnto vs as doth the viage attempted to Cathay by the north seas and the coastes of Moscouia discouered in our tyme by the viage of that excellent young man Rychard Chaunceller no lesse learned in al mathematicall sciences then an expert pilotte in the yeere of our Lorde .1554 As concernyng this viage I haue thought good to declare y e communication which was betweene the sayd learned man Galeatius Butrigarius and that great philosopher and noble gentleman of Italie named Hieronimus Fracastor as I fynd written in the Italian histories of nauigations As they were therefore conferryng in matters of learnyng and reasoning of the science of Cosmographie the saide learned man hauyng in his hand an instrument of Astronomie declared with a large oration howe much the worlde was bound to the kinges of Portugale rehearsing the noble factes done by them in India and what landes and Ilandes they had discouered and howe by theyr nauigations they made the whole worlde to hang in the ayre He further declared of what partes of the ball the earth remayned yet vndiscouered and sayde that of the landes of the inferior hemispherie or halfe compase of the ball towarde the pole Antartike there was nothyng knowen but that litle of the coaste of Brasilia vnto the streyght of Magellanus also a part of Peru also a litle aboue Affrike towarde the cape of Bona Speranza Also
in Affrik and the beare in Sarmatia are fierce as in theyr present strength and vigoure but translated into a contrary heauen are of lesse strength and courage The foule called Ciconia which some thynke to be the Storke doth not tary the wynter yet do the Cranes come at that tyme. The Scythian wyll accuse the Romane heauen as inducyng feuers whereas neuerthelesse there is none more holsome Such as haue been tenderly brought vp if they come suddeynely into the campe can not away with hunger watchyng heate passages through ryuers battayles sieges and assaultes But the olde souldier exercised in the warres vseth these as meditations of the fielde as hardened therto by long experience He that hath been accustomed to the shadowe of the citie and wyll attempte the saying of the poet Uirgil Nudus ara sero nudus that is naked and bare without house and home shal to his peryl make an end of the verse Habebis frigora febram that is he shal haue the colde ague Suche thynges therfore as seeme hard vnto vs beyng accustomed by litle and litle become more tollerable Insomuch that this exercise of sufferaunce by such degrees doth oftentimes growe to prodigious effectes farre beyond our expectation And thus we seeme to haue made sufficient demonstration by heauen nature and art wherby it may appeare that no part of the land or sea is denied to liuing creatures The reader may also perceiue howe large matter of reasons and examples may be opened for the declaryng of our opinion wherin we rest Let therfore thauctoritie of the auntient auctours geue place and the consent of the newe writers agree to this history not as nowe at the length comprehended wheras before many hundred yeeres Germanie and Scondia had entercouse of merchandies not seuered by the large gulfe of Gothia but as nowe by our commentaries brought to lyght and hauyng sayde thus muche in maner of a preface we wyll nowe proceede to wryte of the North regions Schondia SCondia Schondania or Schondenmarchia is as muche to saye as fayre Dania or fayre Denmarke Plinie in one place nameth it Scandia and in an other Scandinauia if there be no faute in thexemples It was named Schondia by reason of the fayrenesse and fruitefulnesse thereof And this aswell for that in beneficiall heauen fertilitie of grounde commoditie of hauens and marte townes abundaunce of ryuers and fyshe plentie of beastes great quantitie of metall as golde syluer copper and leade diligent culturyng the grounde with townes and cities well â—nhabited and gouerned by ciuile lawes it geueth place to none other fortunate region This was in maner vnknowen to the olde Greekes and Latins as may appeare by this argument that with one consent they affirmed that in these north regions the colde Zone or clime was condemned to perpetuall snowe intollerable to al lyuyng creatures For fewe of them haue made mention hereof as to be inhabited Among whom Plinie as one of the chiefe saith in his fourth booke that Schondania is of vnknowen biggenesse and onely that portion thereof to be knowen which is inhabited with the nation of the Hilleuiones in fiftie villages Neither yet is Eningia lesse in opinion Other more auncient then Plinie haue placed most fortunate regions with men of long lyfe which the Greekes call Macrobios and of most innocent behauour vnder the tracte of those landes and that there came from thence to Delphos certayne religious virgines with vowes and giftes consecrated to Apollo And furthermore that that nation obserued this institution vntyll the saide virgins were violated of them of whom they were receiued as straungers These are most cleare testimonies of Antiquitie both of the greatnesse of Schondia and the people that inhabite the same although they were since vnknowen as lykewyse the Gothes departyng from these North landes although they obteyned Thempire of the regions about the maryshes of Meotis and the coastes of the sea Euxinus with the realme of Denmarke wherof that is thought to be a portion whiche is nowe called Transiluania and the bankes of the ryuer of Danubius and in fine inuaded the Romane Empire yet were not the regions well knowen from whence they tooke theyr originall Therefore lyke as part of the olde wryters are vnsufficient witnesses to testifie of our narrations as touchyng these landes vnknowen to them Euen so the other parte whiche excluded the same as vnhabitable are to be conuinced leaste theyr authoritie beyng admitted shoulde engender opinions not agreeable or conuenient to the nature of places Sigismundus Liberus in his commentaries of Moscouia writeth thus Scandia or Scondia is no Ilande as some haue thought but part of the continent or firme land of Suetia which by a long tract reacheth to Cothland and that nowe the kyng of Denmarke possesseth a great part thereof But whereas the writers of these thynges haue made Scondia greater then Suetia and that the Gothes and Lumbardes came from thence they seeme in my opinion to comprehend these three kyngdomes as it were in one bodie only vnder the name of Scondia forasmuch as then that part of land that lyeth betweene the sea Baltheun which floweth by the coastes of Finlandia and the frosen sea was vnknowen and that by reason of so manye maryshes innumerable riuers and intemperatenesse of heauen it is yet rude vncultured and litle knowen Which thyng hath been the cause that some iudged al that was called by the name of Scondia to be one great Iland Gronelande GRonelande is interpreted greene land so called for the great encrease and fruitfulnesse of pasture By reason whereof what great plentie of cattaile there is it may hereby appere that at such time as shippes may passe thither they set foorth great heapes of Cheese and Butter to be solde whereby we coniecture that the lande is not rough with barren mountaynes It hath two Cathedrall Churches vnder the Ordination of Nidrosia To one of these was of late yeeres a Byshop appoynted only by the title of a Suffragane in consideration that while the Metropolitane doth neglect the direction of religion for the distance of the place and difficult nauigation the people is in maner falne to gentilitie being of them selues of moueable wittes geuen to magicall artes For it is sayd that they as also the people of Laponia do rayse tempestes on the sea with magicall inchauntmentes and bryng such shyps into daunger as they entend to spoyle They vse litle ships made of Leather and safe agaynst the brusing of the sea and rockes and with them assaile other shyps Peter Martir of Angleria writeth in his Decades of the Spanysh nauigations that Sebastian Cabot saylyng from England continually towarde the North folowed that course so farre that he chaunced vpon great flakes of yse in the Mooneth of Iuly and that diuertyng from thence he folowed the coast by the shore bendyng toward the South vntyll he came to the clyme
that whereas Paulus Iouius wryteth here that the ryuer of Diuidna otherwyse called Duina runneth through the region of Colmogor it is to bee vnderstood that there are two ryuers of that name the one on the Northeast side of Moscouia toward the frosen sea the other on the Southwest syde fallyng into the sea Baltheum or the gulfe of Finnonia by the citie of Riga in Liuonia And forasmuche as the true knowledge of these and certayne other is very necessarie for all such as shal trade into Moscouia or other regions in those coastes by the North sea I haue thought good to make further declaration hereof as I haue founde in the historie of Moscouia most faythfully and largly wrytten by Sigismundus Liberus who was twyse sent Embassadour into Moscouia as fyrst by Maximilian the Emperour and then agayne by Ferdinando kyng of Hungarie and Boheme This haue I done the rather for that in al the mappes that I haue seene of Moscouia there is no mention made of the riuer of Duina that runneth through the region of Colmogor and by the citie of the same name although the prouince of Duina be in all cardes placed Northwarde from the ryuer of Vstiug or Succana which is the same Duina wherof we now speake and whereof Paulus Iouius wryteth although it be not so named but from the angle or corner where ioynyng with the ryuer of Iug and Succana it runneth Northwarde towards the citie of Colmogor and from thence falleth into the North or frosen sea as shall hereafter more playnely appeare by the wordes of Sigismundus that the one of these be not taken for the other beyng so farre distant that great errour myght ensue by mistaking the same especially because this whereof Paulus Iouius writeth is not by name expressed in the cardes but only in the other wherby the errour myght be the greater Of that therfore that runneth by the confines of Liuonia and the citie of Riga Sigismundus writeth in this maner The Lake of Duina is distant from the sprynges of Boristhenes almost ten myles and as many from the marishe of Fronovvo From it a ryuer of the same name towarde the West distant from Vuilna twentie myles runneth from thence toward the North where by Riga the cheefe citie of Liuonia it falleth into the Germane sea whiche the Moscouites call Vuareâ—zkoie morie It runneth by Vuitepso Polotzo and Dunenburg and not by Plescouia as one hath wrytten This riuer beyng for the moste part nauigable the Liuons call Duna Of the other Duina whereof Poulus Iouious speaketh he wrytteth as foloweth The prouince of Duina and the ryuer of the same name is so named from the place where the ryuers of Suchana and Iug meetyng togeather make one ryuer so called For Duina in the Moscouites tongue signifieth two This ryuer by the space of two hundred myles entreth into the North Ocean on that part where the sayde sea runneth by the coastes of Suecia and Norway and diuideth Engreonland from the vnknowen lande This prouince situate in the full North perteyned in tyme past to the segniorie of Nouogorode From Moscouia to the mouthes of Duina are numbred CCC myles Albeit as I haue sayde in the regions that are beyonde Volga the accompt of the iourney can not be wel obserued by reason of many maryshes ryuers and very great wooddes that lye in the way Yet are we led by coniecture to thynke it to be scarsely two hundred myles forasmuch as from Moscouia to Vuolochda from Vuolochda to Vstiug somewhat into thâ— East and laste of al from Vstiug by the ryuer Duina is the ryght passage to the North sea This region besyde the Castel of Colmogor and the citie of Duina situate almost in the mydde way betwene the sprynges and mouthes of the ryuer and the Castell of Piâ—nega standyng in the very mouthes of Duina is vtterly without townes and Castels Yet hath it many vyllages which are farre in sunder by reason of the barennesse of the soyle c. In an other place he wryteth that Suchana and Iug after they are ioyned togeather in one loose theyr fyrst names and make the ryuer Duina c. But let vs nowe returne to the hystorie of Paulus Iouius Unto Vstiuga from the Permians Pecerrians Inugrians Vgolicans and Pinnegians people inhabytyng the North and Northest prouinces are brought the precious furres of Marterns and Sables also the cases of Woulfes and Foxes both whyte and blacke And lykewyse the skynnes of the beastes called Ceruariâ— Lupi that is harte Woolfes beyng engendred eyther of a Woolfe and a Hynde or a Hart and a bitch Woolfe These furres and skynnes they eâ—chaunge for dyuers other wares The best kynde of Sables and of the â—inest heare wherewith nowe the vestures of princes are lyued and the tender neckes of delicate dames are couered with the expresse similitude of the lyuyng beast are brought by the Permians and Pecerrians whiche they them selues also receyue at the handes of other that inhabite the regions neere vnto the North Ocean The Permians and Pecerrians a litle before our tyme dyd sacrifice to Iâ—ols after the maner of the Gentyles but do nowe acknoweledge Christe theyr God The passage to the Inugrians and Vgolicans is by certayne rough mountaynes whiche perhappes are they that in olde tyme were called Hiperborei In the toppes of these are founde the best kyndes of Falcons whereof one kynde called Herodium is white with spotted fethers There are also Ierfalcons Sakers and Peregrines whiche were vnknowen to the ancient princes in theyr excessiue and nise pleasures Beyonde those people whom I last named beyng all trybutaries to the kynges of Moscouia are other nations the last of men not knowen by any voyages of the Moscouites forasmuche as none of them haue passed to the Ocean and are therefore knowen onely by the fabulous narrations of merchauntes Yet it is apparante that the ryuer Diuidna or Duina draweyng with it innumerable other ryuers runnneth with a vehement course towarde the North and that the sea is there exceedyng large so that saylyng by the coaste of the ryght hande shyppes may haue passage from thence to Cathay as it is thought by most lykely coniecture except there lye some lande in the way For the region of Cathay perteyneth to thextreme and furthest partes of the Easte situate almost in the paralel of Thracia and knowen to the Portugales in India when they sayled neere thereunto by the regions of Sinara and Malacha to Aurea Chersonesus and brought from thence certayne vestures made of Sables skynnes by whiche onely argument it is apparente that the citie of Cathay is not farre from the coastes of Scithia But when Demetrius was demaunded whether eyther by the monuments of letters or by fame lefte them of theyr predicessours they had any knowledge of the Gothes who nowe more then a thousande yeeres since subuerted Thempire of the Romane
and cruell Basilius the Sonne of Iohn was the fyrst that tooke vppon hym the name and title of a kyng in this maner The great lord Basilius by the grace of God kyng and lorde of all Russia and the great Duke of Vuolodimaria Moscouia Nouogradia c. Furthermore wheras nowe this Prince is called Emperour I haue thought good to shewe the title and cause of this errour Note therfore that Czar in the Ruthens tongue signifieth a kyng whereas in the language of the Slauons Pollons Bohemes and other the same worde Czar signifieth Cesar by whiche name the Emperours haue been commonly called For both they and the Slauons that are vnder the kyngdome of Hungarie call a kyng by an other name as some Crall other Kyrall and some Korall but thynke that only an Emperour is called Czar Whereby it came to passe that the Ruthene or Moscouite interpretours hearyng theyr Prince to be so called of strange nations began them selues also to name hym an Emperour thâ—nk the name of Czar to be more worthy then the name of a kyng although they signifie all one thyng But who so wyll reade all theyr histories and bookes of holy scripture shall fynde that a kyng is called Czar and an Emperour Kessar By the lyke errour the Emperour of the Turkes is called Czar who neuerthelesse of antiquitie vsed no hygher tytle then the name of a kyng expressed by this worde Czar And hereof the Turkes of Europe that vse the Slauon tongue call the citie of Constantinople Czargard that is the kyngs citie Some call the Prince of Moscouie the whyte kyng which I thynke to proceede of the whyte Cappes or other tyrementes they weare on theyr heades lyke as they call the kyng of Pertia Kisilpassa that is redde head He vseth the tytle of a kyng when he wryteth or sendeth to Rome the Emperour the Pope the Kyng of Suetia and Denmarke the great maister of Prusia and Liuonia and also to the great Turke as I haue been credibly enfourmed but he is not called kyng of any of them except perhaps of the Liuons Yet by reason of his later conquestes some haue thought hym worthy the name of a kyng or rather of an Emperour because he hath kyngs vnder his Empire To the kyng of Polone he vseth this title The great lorde Basilius by the grace of God lord of al Russia and great Duke of Vuolodimeria Moscouia Nouogradia c. leauyng out the title of a kyng For none of them vouchsafeth to receyue the letters of the other augmented with any newe title as I knewe by experience at my beyng in Moscouia at which time Sigismundus the kyng of Polone sent hym his letters augmented with the title of the Duke of Moscouia wherwith he was not a litle offended They glory in theyr histories that before Vuolodimeria and Olha the land of Russia was baptised and blessed of Sainct Andrewe the Apostle of Christ affirmyng that he came from Grecia to the mouthes of the ryuer Boristhenes and that he sayled vp the ryuer to the mountaynes where as is nowe Chiouia and that there he blessed all the lande and placed his crosse prophesyng also that the grace of God shoulde be great there and that there shoulde be many churches of Christian men Lykewyse that he afterward came to the sprynges of Boristhenes vnto the great Lake Vuolok and by the ryuer Louat descended into the Lake Ilmer from whence by the ryuer Vuolcon whiche runneth out of the same Lake he came to Nouogradia and passed from thence by the same ryuer to the Lake Ladoga and the ryuer Heua and so vnto the sea whiche they call Vuarezkoia beyng the same that we call the Germane sea betweene Vuinlandia or Finlandia and Liuonia by the whiche he sayled to Rome and was at the last crucified for Christ his Gospell in Peloponnesus by the tirranie of Agus Antipater as theyr cronacles make mention The Prince euery seconde or thyrde yeere causeth a muster to bee taken of the Sonnes of the Boiorons and taketh an accompte booth of theyr number and howe manye Horses and men euery of them is able to make and then appoynteth a certayne stypende to suche as are able further to beare theyr owne charges in the warres They haue seldome any rest or quietnesse For they eyther keepe warre with the Lithuanians Liuonians Suetians or Tartars of Casan Or if it so chaunce that the prince keepe no warre yet doth he yeerely appoynte garrysons of .xx. thousande men in places about Tanais and Occa to represse the incursions and robberyes of the European Tartars called Precopites As in other matters euen so in the order of warrefare there is great diuersitie among men For the Moscouian as soone as he beginneth to flye thinketh of none other succoure but putteth all his confidence therin Beyng pursued or taken of his enimie he neyther defendeth hym selfe nor desireth pardon The Tartar cast of from his horse spoyled of all his armure and weapones and also sore wounded defendeth hym selfe with handes feete and teethe and by all meanes he may vntyll his strength and spirite fayle hym The Turke when he seeth hym selfe destitute of all helpe and hope to escape doth humbly desyre pardon castyng away his weapons and armure and reaching forth to the victourer his handes ioyned togeather to be bounde hopyng by captiuitie to saue his lyfe The Moscouites in placeyng theyr armie chuse them a large playne where the best of them pytch theyr tentes and the other make them certaine arbours of bowes fyxt in the grounde bendyng togeather the toppes thereof which they couer with theyr clokes to defende them selues theyr bowes arrowes saddels and other theyr necessaries from rayne They put foorth theyr horses to pasture and for that cause haue theyr tentes so farre in sunder which they fortifie neither with cartes or trenches or any other impedyment except perhappes the place be defended by nature as with wooddes ryuers and maryshes It may perhappes seeme straunge howe he mayntayneth hym and his so longe with so small an armye as I haue sayde I wyll nowe therefore briefely declare theyr sparyng and frugalitie He that hath syxe or sometymes more horses vseth one of them as a packe horse to beare all theyr necessaryes He hath also in a bagge of two or three spannes long the flower or meale of the graine called mille and .viii. or .x. pounds weyght of Swines fleshe poudred He hath lykewyse a bagge of salte myxt with pepper if he be rych Furthermore euery man caryeth with hym a hatchet a fyre boxe and a brasen potâ—e so that if they chaunce to come to any place where they can fynde no fruites Garlyke Onyons or fleshe they kyndle a fyre and fyll theyr pottes with water whereunto they put a spoonefull of meale with a quantitie of salt and make pottage therof wherwith the maister and all his seruauntes lyue contented But if the maister bee very
Moscouia to Cathay THe great and large prouince of Permia is distant from Moscouia two hundred and fyftie or as some sai three hundred leagues directly betwene the East and North and hath a citie of the same name by the ryuer Vischora which runneth .x. leagues beneth Camam The iorney by land can scarsely be trauailed thither but in winter by reasō of mani riuers marishes ▪ and fens But in sommer this iorney is dispatched with more facilitie in boates or smal ships by Vuolochda Vstiug and the ryuer Vitzechda which runneth into Duina .xii. leagues from Vstiug But they that go from Permia to Vstiug must sayle vp the ryuer Vischora agaynst the course of the streame and passyng ouer certayne ryuers sometymes also conueying theyr boates into other ryuers by land they come at the length to Vstiug three hundred leagues distant from the citie of Permia There is smal vse of bread in this prouince For theyr yeerely tribute they pay to the Prince furres and horses They haue a priuate language and letters of theyr owne which one Stephen a Byshop who confirmed them yet waueryng in the fayth did inuent For before beyng yet infantes in the faith of Christ they slewe and fleyde an other Byshop that was appoynted to instruct them This Stephen afterward when Demetrius the sonne of Iohn reygned was taken for a Sainct among the Ruhens Of these people there yet remayne many Idolatours here and there in the woods whom the Munkes and Heremites that go thyther do not cease to conuert from theyr vaine errour In the winter they iorney to Artach as they do in many places of Russia Artach are certaine long patentes of wood of almost six handfulles in length which they make fast to theyr feete with Latchets and therwith perfourme theyr iorneis with great celeritie They vse for this purpose great Dogges in the steade of other beastes with the which they carry theyr fardels on sleades as other do with Hartes in other places as we wyl further declare hereafter They say that the prouince toward the East confineth with the prouince called Tumen parteining to the Tartars The situation of the prouince of Iugaria is apparent by that which we haue sayd before The Moscouites call it Iuhra with an aspiration and call the people Iuhrici This is that Iugaria from whence the Hungarians came in tyme past possessed Pannonia and vnder the conduct of Attila subdued many prouinces of Europe wherein the Moscouites doo greatly glorye that a nation subiect to them inuaded and wasted a great part of Europe Georgius Paruus a Greeke borne and a man of reputation with the Prince of Moscouia wyllyng to ascribe to the ryght of his Prince the great Dukedome of Lithuania and the kyngdome of Polonie ▪ with certayne other Dominions tolde me that the Iuhgarici or Iuhgarie beyng subiects to the great Duke of Moscouia came foorth of theyr owne countrey and fyrst inhabited the regions about the Fennes of Meotis and then Pannonie which was afterward called Hungarie by the ryuer of Danubius Also that in fine they possessed the region of Morauia so named of the ryuer and lykewyse Pollonie so called of Polle whiche signifieth a playne Furthermore that Buda was so called after the name of the brother of Attila They say also that the Iuhgarie vse the same tongue that do the Hungarians the whiche whether it be true or not I do not know For although I haue made diligent inquisition to knowe the trueth hereof yet could I fynde no man of that region with whom my seruaunt beyng expert in the Hungarian tongue might speake They also pay furres for theyr tributes to the Prince of Moscouia And albeit that pearles and precious stones are brought from thence to Moscouia yet are they not geathered in theyr Ocean but in other places especially about the coast of the Ocean neare vnto the mouthes of Duina The prouince of Sibier confineth with Permia and Vuiathka the whiche whether it haue anye castels or cities I do not yet certaynely knowe In this the ryuer Iaick hath his originall and falleth into the Caspian sea They say that this region is desart because it lyeth so neare the Tartars or that yf it be in any part inhabited the same to be possessed of the Tartar Schichmamai Thinhabitantes haue a peculiar language and haue theyr cheefe gaynes by the furres of Marternes whiche in fairnesse and greatnesse excel al the furres of that kynd that are found in any other prouinces Yet could I haue no greate plentie of them in Moscouia at my beyng there Note that long after the wrytyng of this historie at Richard Chaunceler his fyrst bryng in Moscouia Duke Iohn Vasiliuiche that nowe reygneth subdued all the Tartars with theyr regions and prouinces euen vnto the great citie and mart towne of Astrachan the Caspian sea At the same tyme also there was in the Dukes Court an ambassadour that came from this prouince of Sibier who declared that his father had been sent Ambassadour to the great Chan of Cathay and that the great citie of Cambalu where the great Chan kepeth his Court in wynter was in maner distroyed by Nigromancie and Magicall Artes wherein the Cathyans are very expert as wryteth Marcus Paulus Venetus There was also at the same tyme thambassadour of the kyng of Pertia called the great Sophie This Ambassadour was apparelled al in Scarlet and spake muche to the Duke in the behalfe of our men of whose kyngdome and trade he was not ignorant The people called Czeremisse dwell in the wooddes beneth Nouogradia the lower They haue a peculiar language and are of the secte of Machumet They were sometyme subiecte to the kyng of Casan but the greater part of them are nowe subiecte to the prince of Moscouia Many of them at my beyng there were brought to Moscouia as suspected of rebellion This nation doth inhabite a large region without houses from Vuiathka and Vuolochda to the ryuer of Rama All the nation aswell women as men are very swifte of foote and expert archers wherin they so delyght that theyr bowes are in maner neuer out of their handes and geue theyr chyldren no meate vntyll they hyt the marke they shoote at Two leagues distaunt from Nouogradia the lower were many houses to the similitud of a citie or towne where they were accustomed to make salte These a fewe yeeres since beyng burnt of the Tartars were restored by the commaundement of the prince Mordwa are people inhabytyng by the ryuer of Volga on the south banke beneth Nouogradia the lower and are in al thinges lyke 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 reacheth from the northwest to the southeast fyue hundred myles of Germanie
these Barbarians of singular faith grauitie tolde vs of a marueylous in maner incredible thing that is seene among these Tartars And that his father being sent by the prince of Moscouia to the kyng of Sawolhense saw while he was in that legacie a certaine seede in that Iland somewhat lesse rounder then the seeds of Melones Of the which being hyd in the ground there groweth a fruite or plante very lyke a Lambe of the height of fiue spannes and is therefore called in theyr tongue Boranetz whiche signifieth a litle Lambe For it hath the head eyes eares and all other partes like vnto a Lambe newly eyued with also a very thyn skyn wherewith dyuers of the inhabitauntes of those regions are accustomed to lyue theyr cappes and hattes and other tyrements for theyr heades Many also confirmed in our presence that they had seene these skynnes He saide furthermore that that plant yf it may be called a plant hath blood and no fleshe but hath in the steade of fleshe a certayne substaunce lyke vnto the fleshe of Creuishes The hooffes also are not of horne as are the Lambes but couered with heare in the same fourme The roote cleaueth to the nauyl or myddest of the belly the plant or fruite lyueth vntil al the grasse hearbes growing about it being eaten the roote wythereth for lacke of nouryshment They say that it is very sweete to be eaten and is therfore greatly desyred and sought for of the Woolues and other rauenyng beastes And albeit I esteeme all that is sayde of this plant to be fabulous yet forasmuche as it hath been tolde me of credible persons I haue thought good to make mention hereof Of this strange fruite Mandeuile maketh mention where in the .lxxxiiii. Chapter of his Booke he wryteth thus Nowe shal I say of some landes countreys and Isles that are beyonde the lande of Cathay therefore whoso goeth from Cathay to India the hygh and the lowe he shall goe through a Kyngdome that men call Cadissen and is a great lande There groweth a manner of fruite as it were Gourdes and when it is rype mâ—n cut it asunder and fynde therein a beast as it were of fleshe bone and blood as it were a litle Lambe without wooll and men eate that beast and the fruite also whiche is a great marueyle neuerthelesse I sayde vnto them that I helde that for no marueyle for I sayde that in my countrey are trees that beare fruite that become byrdes fleeing which are good to be eaten and that that falleth into the water lyueth and that that falleth on the earth dyeth And they had great marueyle of this c. From the prince of Schidacke proceedyng twentye dayes iourney towarde the East are the people which the Moscouites cal Iurgenci whose prynce is Barack Soltan brother to the great Chan of Cathay In tenne dayes iourney from Barack Soltan they come to Bebeid Chan. And this is that great Chan of Cathay Names of dignities among the Tartars are these Chan signifieth a Kyng Soltan the sonne of a Kyng Bij a Duke Mursa the sonne of a Duke Olboud a noble man or counseller Olboadulu the sonne of a noble man Seid the hygh priest Ksi a priuate person The names of offices are these Vlan the seconde dignitie to the Kyng for the Kynges of the Tartars haue foure principal men whose counsell they vse in all their weyghtie affayres Of these the firste is called Schirni the seconde Barni the thyrde Gargni the fourth Tzipsan And to haue sayde thus muche of the Tartars it shal suffise Marcus Paulus wryteth that the great Chan is called Chan Cublai that is the great Kyng of Kynges as the great Turcke wryteth hym selfe in lyke maner as I sawe in a letter wrytten by hym of late in the citie of Ragusa in the whiche he vseth this subscription Soltan Soliman desclim Cham Signore de Signori en sempiterno The Nauigation by the frosen Sea AT my beyng in Moscouia when I was sent thyther by king Ferdinando my lorde and maister it so chaunced that Georgius Istoma the Duke of Moscouia his Interpreter a man of great experience who had before learned the latine tongue in the court of Iohn king of Denmarke was there present at the same tyme. He in the yeere of Christe .1496 beyng sent of his prince with maister Dauid a Scotte borne and then Ambassadour for the kyng of Denmarke whom also I knewe there at my firste legacie made me a breefe information of al the order of his iourney the which forasmuch as it may seeme difficult and laborious as wel for the distance as daungerous places I haue thought good to describe the same as I receyued it at his mouth Fyrst he sayde that beyng sent of his prince with the sayde Dauid they came fyrst to Nouogradia the great And whereas at that tyme the kyngdome of Suecia reuolted from the Kyng of Denmarke also the Duke of Moscouia was at discention with the Suetians by reason whereof they could not passe by the most accustomed way for the tumultes of warre they attempted theyr iourney by an other way longer but safer and came fyrst from Nouogradia to the mouthes of the ryuer of Dwina and Potiwlo by a very diffâ—cult and paynfull iourney For hee sayd that this iourney which can not be to muche detested for such labours and traueyles continueth for the space of three hundred leagues In fine takyng foure small shyppes or barkes at the mouthes of Dwina they sayled by the coast on the right hand of the Ocean where they sawe certayne hygh and rough mountaynes and at the length saylyng .xvi. leagues and passyng a great gulfe folowed the coast on the lefte hande and leauyng on the right hande the large sea whiche hath the name of the ryuer Petzora as haue also the mountaynes adiacent to the same they came to the people of Finlappia who although they dwell here there in low cottagies by the sea syde and leade in maner a beastly lyfe yet are they more meeke and tractable then the wylde Lappians He sayde that these also are tributaries to the prince of Moscouia Then leauing the lande of the Lappians and saylyng fourescore leagues they came to the region of Nortpoden vnder the dominion of the kyng of Suecia This the Moscouites call Kaienska Semla and the people Kaieni Departyng from hence and saylyng along by the coast of a wyndyng and bendyng shore reachyng towarde the ryght hande they came to a promontorie or cape called the Holy nose being a great stone reachyng farre into the sea to the similitude of a nose vnder the which is seene a caue with a whyrlepoole which swaloweth the sea euery syxe houres and castyng foorth the same agayne with terryble roaryng and violence causeth the sayde whyrlepoole Some call this the Nauell of the sea and other name it Charibdis He affyrmeth that the violence of this
lesse dignitie the ancient renoume thereof greatly diminished and the name deuided into the prouinces confine or adiacent vnto it So that now the prouince of Persia as it is diuided conteyneth eight kingdomes whereof the first is named Chasum the seconde Churdistam the third Loc the fourth Cielstam the fyft Instanich the sixte Zerazi the seuenth Socham and the eight Timochaim in the confines of Persia. There are very fayre and goodly horses of great price insomuch that sometymes one is solde for .200 pounds of Turon Merchants bring them to the cities of Chisi and Curmosa situate on the sea side and sell them into India Also Asses be there very fayre and great insomuch that sometymes one is solde for .xxx. pounde weight of siluer The people is of euyll disposition quarellous theeues and murderers and robbe and kyll merchantes by the way except they goe in great companyes Yet in the cities they are of betâ—er maners and of more humanitie also very excellent artificers in woorkes of gold silke Embroderie needle woorke and suche lyke They haue aboundance of bombasine wheate barlye myll wyne also and fruites but in religion they are Mahumetans Of the kyngdome of the Persians Haithon in his booke de Tartaris Cap. vii writeth as foloweth THe kyngdome of the Persians is diuided chiefly into two partes whiche make one kyngdome bicause they are both subiecte to the dominion of one kyng The first parte of Persia beginneth in the East from the confines of the kingdome of Turquestan and is extended toward the West to the great ryuer of Phison which is the chiefe among the foure floodes which run out of earthly Paradyse Towarde the North it is extended to the Caspian sea and towarde the South vnto the desartes of India The region is in maner all playne in the middest whereof are two very great and riche cities the one is named Boctara and the other Seonorgant The Persians haue a language proper to them selues they vse merchandies and tyllage of the grounde and among them selues lyue in peace In tyme paste they were Idolatours and honoured fyre chiefly for God But after that the secte of the Mahumetans occupied the dominion of those landes they became vniuersally Saracens beleeuing the deuilishe doctrine of Mahumet The other parte of Persia beginneth from the riuer Phison and is extended Westward vnto the confines of the kyngdomes of Media and partely also of Armenia the greater Toward the North it is extended vnto the Caspian sea on the South syde it confineth with a certaine prouince of the kingdom of Media and in this prouince are two great cities one named Nesabor and the other Sachen whiche in secte and maners are lyke vnto the other Of Persia and of dyuers cities therof other notable thinges reade heereafter the thirde booke of the voyage of Lodouicus Vartomannus Also the first booke of the same voyage Cap. 12. of Mahumet and his fellowes where you may see the difference in religion betweene the Turkes and Persians beyng both Mahumetans The name of the Sophie Thomas Shaugh and why he is so called THe Persians doe not call theyr kyng by the name of Sophie but this name Sophie is giuen him by other nations for of his owne people he is called Thomas Shaugh whiche is Thomas the ruler Soltan or gouernour for Shaugh is not the name of a kyng but of an office For a kyng in theyr language is called Pachet but no Prince is called by this name before hee haue reigned by seuen discentes but he that nowe reygneth is but only of fyue discentes and is therefore called only Shaugh which is a name of office He hath foure wyues and .xii. sonnes and hath kepte one of his sonnes in prison many yeeres for a great ouerthrowe whiche he gaue the Turke in the warres although he tooke the same for acceptall seruice and a noble exployt Yet forasmuch as by that facte he obteyned great renoume of a valiant and warlyke man he began him selfe to haue him in suspition least the glorie of that enterprise myght encourage him to attempt somewhat agaynst his father as oftentymes the Turkes sonnes haue rebelled agaynst theyr fathers yet liuyng and displaced them of their dignitie Of the kyngdome of Ormus confine to Persia and of the trafique betweene them Also of the citie and Ilande of Ormus or Armusium ORmus is a great kyngdome and hath a peculiar Kyng tributorie to the kyng of Portugale This kyngdome conteyneth all the sea coastes of Arabia in the gulfe of Persia from the mouth of the riuer of Euphrates vntill the Cape of Razalguati and also parte of the kingdome of Persia whiche is adiacent vnto the streight of Bazora called Fretum Bazorae and in maner all the Ilandes of the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus The Metrapolis or chiefe citie of the kingdome of Ormus is the citie of Ormus situate in an Iland named Geru being one of the famost martes of these partes of the world The Iland is within the gulf of Persia not far within the streight of Bazora This streight of Bazora other haue named the streight of Ormus being betweene Arabia Foelix and the region of Persia. The region of Ormus is well peopled hath many goodly places cities The gulfe is not euery where nauigable by reason of many shelues and lowe places Within foure dayes sayling of Ormus are the Ilandes of Baharen where are found the fayrest orientall pearls of the world Ormus vseth trafique of merchandies with Adem Cambaia and with the kingdomes of Decan Goa with the portes of Narsinga Malabar The chiefe merchandies brought from thence are horses of Arabia Persia pearles salt peter brimstone silke Tutia Alume also Alume of Alexandria or Borace Uâ—triol or Copporose salt in great quantitie siluer Muske Ambar wheate many dryed fruites Ryse many other prouisions of vittailes and other thinges to be eaten For these they returne pepper cloues Cinamon Ginger and diuers other sorts of spices and drugges which are dispersed into sundry regions of Persia and Arabia and also into Aden where there is great plentie But if they be deare in Ormus it is not possible that they should be caryed to Cair to come into Italie Theyr returne is with Ryse as much as they can haue white cloth Iron Theyr horses are of marueylous great price in the kyngdomes of Goa Decan and Narsinga and therefore yeerely the merchantes of Ormus bryng many thither and yet sometyme one horse is there at the price of vii hundred of those peeces of golde which they call Saraffos The best are of Arabia the seconde of Persia and the woorst of Cambaia Of the Sophie and kyngdome of Persia after the later writers PErsia is one of the greatest and most famous Prouinces of the worlde It toucheth not the sea but at the gulfe of Ormus On the syde of Cambaia it confineth with the people named Motagues on the syde of
was Teueris of the chiefe citie of Persia. He asked hym many thynges more as of the realme of Englande marueylyng that it shoulde be an Iland of so great rychesse and power as Edwardes declared vnto hym of the ryches and abundaunce of our merchaundies as he further vnderstode by our trafique in Moscouia and other countreys He demaunded also many thynges of the Queenes maiestie and of the customes and lawes of the realme saying oftentymes in his owne language Bara colla that is to saye wel said He asked also many thinges of kyng Philip and of his warres agaynst the Turke at Malta Then demaunded of hym what was the chiefe cause of his resorte into his realme And beyng certified that it was for the trade of merchaundies he asked what kynde of merchaundies he coulde bryng thyther Such sayde he as the Venetian merchauntes which dwellyng in our countrey in the citie of Londro sende to Uenes and from thence into Turkie by Halepo and Tripoli in Sorya from whence as by the seconde and thyrde handes with great charges of many customes and other thynges thereunto parteyning they are at the length brought into your countrey and cities of Persia. What merchaundies are those sayd the Sophie Edwardes answeared that they were great abundaunce of fine carseis of brode clothes of all sortes and coloures as scarlettes violettes and other of the fynest cloth of all the worlde Also that the Venetians brought out of Englande not onely such clothes redie made but furthermore great plentie of fyne wool to myngle with their wools of the which they coulde not otherwise make fyne cloth Affirming that there went out of Englande yeerely that wayes aboue two hundred thousande carseis and as manye brode clothes besyde fine wool and other merchaundies besyde also the great abundaunce of like clothes y t which were caried into Spaine Barbarie and diuers other countreys The Sophie then asked hym by what meanes such merchaundies myght be brought into Persia. Ryght well Sir sayde he by the way of Moscouia with more safetie and in much shorter tyme then the Venetians can bryng them fyrst from Englande to Uenes and from thence into Persia by the way of Turkye And therefore if it shall please your maiestie to graunt vs free passage into al your dominions with such priuileges as may apperteyne to the safegard of our lyues goodes and merchandies we wyl furnysh your countreys with al such merchandies other commodities in shorter tyme and better cheape then you may haue the same at the Turkes handes This talke and muche more was between the Sophie and Edwardes for the space of two houres all whiche thynges lyked hym so well that shortly after he graunted to the sayde Arthur Edwardes two other priuileges for the trade of merchandies into Presia all wrytten in Azure and golde letters and deliuered vnto the lorde keeper of the Sophie his great seale The lorde keeper was named Coche Califaye who sayde that when the Shaughe that is the kyng or prince dyd sytte to seale any letters that priuilege shoulde be sealed and deliuered to Laurence Chapman In this priuilege is one principal article for seruantes or merchantes That yf the Agent do perceyue that vpon theyr naughtie doynges they woulde become Busor men that then the Agent whersoeuer he shall fynde anye such seruant or seruantes to take them and put them in pryson and no person to keepe them or maynteyne them This article was graunted in respect of a custome among the Persians being Mahumetanes whose maner is frendly to receyue and wel entertayne both with giftes lyuyng all suche Christians as forsakyng theyr religion wyl become of the religion of the Persians Insomuch that before this priuilege was graunted there was great occasion of naughtie seruantes to deceyue and robbe theyr maisters that vnder the coloure of professyng that religion they might liue among them in such safetie that you might haue no law agaynst them eyther to punysh them or to recouer your goodes at theyr handes or els where For before the Sophie whom they say to be a marueylous wyse and gracious prince seemed to fauour our nation and to graunt them such priuileges the people abused them very much and so hated them that they would not touche them but reuiled them callyng them Cafars Gawars which is infydels or misbeleeuers But after they saw how greatly the prince fauoured them they had them afterward in great reuerence and would kysse theyr handes and vse them very frendly For before they tooke it for no wrong to rob them defraud them beare false witnesse against them such merchandies as they had bought or sold make them take it againe and chaunge it as often as them listed And yf any straunger by chaunce had kylled one of them they woulde haue the lyfe of two for one slayne and for the debtes of any straunger woulde take the goodes of any other of the same nation with many other such lyke abuses in maner vnknowen to the Prince before the complayntes of our men made vnto hym for reformation of such abuses which were the cause that no merchant strangers of contrary religion durst come into his dominions with theyr commodities which myght be greatly to the profite of hym and his subiectes The Articles 10 Item that the merchantes haue free lybertye as in theyr fyrst priuilege to go vnto Gylian and all other places of his dominions now or hereafter when occasion shal be geuen 11 Item yf by misfortune any of theyr ships should breake or fal vpon any part of his dominions on the sea coast his subiectes to help with al speede to saue the goodes to be deliuered to any of the sayd merchants that liueth or otherwyse to be kept in safetie vntyl any of them come to demaund them 12 Item yf any of the sayd merchants depart this lyfe in any citie or towne or on the hygh way his gouernours there to see theyr goodes safely kept and to be deliuered to any other of them that shal demaund them 13 Item the sayde merchants to take such camell men as they them selues wyl beyng countrey people and that no Kyssell Bayshe do let or hynder them And the sayde owners of the camels to be bounde to answere them such goodes as they shall receyue at theyr handes and the camell men to stande to the losses of theyr camels or horses 14 Item more that the sayde carryars do demaunde no more of them then theyr agreement was to pay them 15 Item more if they be at a pryce with any carryours and geuen earnest the Camell men to see they keepe theyr promesse 16 Item if any of the sayd merchauntes be in feare to trauaile to geue them one or more to go with them and see them in saftie with theyr goods to the place they wyll go vnto 17 Item in all places to say in all cities townes or villages on the hygh way his subiectes to geue them
or rather against the charitie that ought to be among Christian men that such as violentlye inuade the dominions of other shoulde not permit other frendly to vse the trade of merchandies in places neerer or seldome frequented of them whereby theyr trade is not hyndred in such places where they them selues haue at theyr owne election appointed the martes of theyr trafficke But forasmuch as at this present it is not my entent to accuse or defend approue or improue I wil ceasse to speake any further hereof proceade to the discription of the first viage as breefely and faithfully as I was aduertised of the same by the information of such credible persons as made diligent inquisition to know the trueth hereof as much as shal be requisite omittyng to speake of many partiticuler thinges not greatly necessarie to bee knowen whiche neuerthelesse with also the exacte course of the nauigation shall be more fully declared in the seconde vyage And if herein fauour or friendshyp shall perhappes cause some to thynke that some haue been sharpely touched let them laye a parte fauour and friendshyp and gyue place to trueth that honest men may receyue prayse for well doyng and lende persons reproche as the iust stipende of theyr euyll desartes whereby other may bee deterred to doe the lyke and vertuous men encouraged to proceede in honest attemptes But that these vyages may be more playnely vnderstoode of all men I haue thought good for this purpose before I intreate hereof to make a breefe description of Affrica beyng that great parte of the worlde on whose Weste syde begynneth the coaste of Guinea at Cabo Verde about the twelue degrees in latitude on this syde the Equinoctiall line and two degrees in longitude from the measuryng lyne so runnyng from the North to the South and by East in some places within v.iiii and .iii. degrees and a halfe within the Equinoctiall and so foorth in maner direcly East and by North for the space of xxxvi degrees or there about in longitude from the West to the East as shall more playnely appeare in the description of the seconde vyage A breefe description of Affrike IN Affrica the lesse are these kyngdomes the kingdome of Tunes Constantina which is at this day vnder Tunes and also the region of Bugia Tripoli and Ezzah This part of Afrike is very baren by reason of the great desartes as the desartes of Numidia Barcha The principall portes of the kingdome of Tunes are these Goletta Bizerta Potofarnia Boua and Stora The chiefe cities of Tunes are Constantina and Boua with diuers other Under this kyngdome are many Ilands as Zerbi Lampadola Pantalarea Limoso Beit Gamelaro and Malta where at this present is the great maister of the Rodes Under the South of this kyngdome are the great desartes of Libia All the nations in this Africa the lesse are of the secte of Mahumet a rusticall people lyuyng scattered in villages The best of this parte of Afrike is Barbaria lying on the coast of the sea Mediterraneum Mauritania now called Barbaria is diuided into two partes as Mauritania Tingitania and Cesariensis Mauritania Tingitania is nowe called the kyngdome of Fes and the kyngdome of Marrocko The principall citie of Fes is called Fessa and the chiefe citie of Marrocko is named Marrocko Mauritania Cesariensis is at this daye called the kyngdome of Tremisen with also the citie called Tremisen or Telensin This region is full of desartes and reacheth to the sea Mediterraneum to the citie of Oram with the porte of Massaquiber The kyngdome of Fes reacheth vnto the Ocean sea from the West to the citie of Argilla and the porte of the sayde kyngdome is called Salla The kyngdome of Marrocko is also extended aboue the Ocean sea vnto the citie of Azamor and Azafi which are aboue the Ocean sea towarde the West of the sayde kyngdome In Mauritania Tingitania that is to say in the two kyngdomes of Fes and Marrocko are in the sea the Ilandes of Canarie called in olde tyme the fortunate Ilandes Towarde the South of this region is the kyngdome of Guinea with Senega Iaiofo Gambra and many other regions of the blacke Moores called Ethiopians or Negros all whiche are watered with the ryuer Negro called in olde tyme Niger In the sayde regions are no cities but only certayne lowe cotages made of boughes of trees plastered with chauke and couered with strawe In these regions are also very great desartes The kyngdome of Marrocko hath vnder it these seuen kyngdoms Hea Sus Guzula the territory of Marrocko Duchala Hazchora and Telde The kyngdome of Fes hath as many as Fes Temesne Azgar Elabath Errifi Garet and Elcauz The kyngdome of Tremisen hath these regions Tremisen Tenez and Elgazaet all which are Machometistes But all the regions of Guinea are pure Gentyles and Idolatours without profession of any religion or other knowledge of God then by the lawe of nature Africa the great is one of the three partes of the worlde knowen in olde tyme and seuered from Asia on the East by the ryuer Nilus on the West from Europe by the pillers of Hercules The hyther parte is now called Barbarie and the people Moores The inner parte is called Libia and Ethiopia Afrike the lesse is in this wyse bounded On the West it hath Numidia On the East Cyrenaica On the North the sea called Mediterraneum In this countrey was the noble citie of Carthage In the East side of Africke beneath the redde sea dwelleth the great and myghtie Emperour and Christian kyng 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 heathen that pay hym tribute This mightie prince is called Dauid Themperour of Ethiopia Some wryte that the kyng of Portugale sendeth hym yeerely .viii. shyppes laden with marchaundies His kingdome confineth with the redde sea and reacheth farre into Afrike toward Egypte and Barbarie Southwarde it confineth with the sea towarde the cape de Buona Speranza and on the other syde with the sea of sande called Mare de Sabione a very dangerous sea lying betweene the great citie of Alcayer or Cairo in Egypt and the countrey of Ethiopia In the whiche way are many vnhabitable desarts cōtinuing for the space of fiue dayes iorney And they affirme that if the sayd Christian Emperour were not hyndered by those desartes in the whiche is great lacke of victualles and especially of water he woulde or nowe haue inuaded the kingdome of Egypt and the citie of Alcayer The cheefe citie of Ethiopia where this great Emperour is resident is called Amacaiz being a faire citie whose inhabitantes are of the colour of an Olyue There are also many other cities as the citie of Saua vpon the ryuer of Nilus
not vnlyke of heare They haue eyes lyke swyne the snout or trunke very long wherwith they put meate and drinke into their mouth and therefore may it well be called the hande of the Elephant The mouth is vnder the throte much lyke the mouth of a Sowe and the trunke is holowe and can therwith holde fast stickes or slaues and them rule as it were with a hande I sawe also the trunke of a tree ouerthrowen by an Elephant which xxiiii men attempting could not doe The two great teeth or tuskes are placed in the highest iawe Ech of their eares are two handfuls byg whether the beast be of the bygger or lesse kinde The feete are like vnto such round thicke trenchers of wood as he commonly vsed The foote conteineth fyue hoofes in roundnesse like vnto great Oysters The tayle is lyke to the tayle of a Bufle foure handfull long and of thyn heare The Females are also bigger then the Males they are of sundry bignes for some are of .xiii. handfuls high and other of .xiiii. handfuls and some also haue been seene of sixtiene handfuls They goe slowly and walowing and therfore some that haue not ben vsed to them are moued to vomite euen as it were on the sea Yet is it a pleasure to ryde on the young Elephantes bicause they goe softly like ambeling Mules When you mount on them they stoope bend their knees that you may easily ascende They are neuer brydeled neyther vse theyr keepers any halters to gouerne them Of the ingendering of Elephantes and of the magnificence riches of the king of Narsinga Cap. 10. WHen they ingender they resorte to the medowes or woods for by a certaine naturall shamefastnesse they doe it not but in secrete places Although some Aucthours haue written that Elephants engender backward Some take it for a great present to giue the king the member or pissell of an Elephant whiche perhappes they doe for the exceedyng great price of Elephantes For some are solde there for fyue hundred peeces of golde and some as they say for two thousande which peraduenture is not for theyr greatnesses of bodie but rather for certayne properties wyt docilitie wherein some farre exceede other euen as among men And I dare well say that I haue seene some men much inferior to Elephants in wyt and sense Therefore the kyng of Narsinga in riches and dominion farre exceedeth all kynges that euer I haue seene or hearde of The citie in situation and fayrenesse representeth the citie of Milane except only that it is in a declining place and lesse equal Other kingdoms which are subiect to this lye round about it as the kyngdome of Ausonia Venice lye about Milane Their Bramini so are the priestes named tolde me y t the king receiueth dayly of that citie for tribute or reuenue the summe of twelue thousandes of those peeces of golde whiche they call Pardios He maynteyneth an army of many thousandes of men for he liueth in continuall warre with his borderers He is an Idolatour and honoureth the deuyl euen as doth the kyng of Calecut They that are of the rychest sorte vse a slender inwarde apparell or peticote not very long and bynde theyr heades with a phillet or broade bande of sundry colours after the maner of the Mahumetans The common sorte couer only theyr priuities and are besyde all naked The kyng weareth a Cappe of cloth of golde of two handfulles long when he goeth to warre he weareth a vesture of bombasine and thereon a cloke adourned with plates of gold hauyng the borderer garde besette with all sortes of precious stones and Iewelles His horse with the furniture is esteemed to bee woorth as muche as one of our cities by reason of innumerable Iewelles of great price When he goeth a huntyng three other kynges beare him company whose office is to be euer neare him and guyde him When he maketh any iourney or rydeth abrode he is accompanyed with six thousand horsemen And therefore it is manifeste that not only for these thynges whereof we haue spoken but also for dyuers other of lyke magnificence hee is one of the greatest Kynges in the worlde He coyneth money and peeces of golde named Pardios Also other siluer money of lesse value whiche they call Fano conteynyng the value of sixtiene of the smallest money of copper Traueylers may here goe safely through all his dominions if they can auoyde the daunger of the Lions Of theyr dyet and order of lyuyng I will speake more largely where occasion shall serue to wryte of Calecut This kyng of Narsinga is a great friende to the Christians and is in great amitie with the kyng of Portugale and besyde him hee knoweth none other Christian Prince and therefore the Portugales are here friendly and honourably vsed When I had remayned in this citie many dayes I returned to the citie of Canonor And after I had remayned there three dayes I entered further into the lande and came to a citie named Trompata about twelue myles from Canonor The inhabitauntes are Idolatours It is neare vnto the sea and therefore there are seene many merchantes Mahumetans They lyue moderately haue in maner none other ryches then nuttes of India but there are very fayre trees to make shyppes There are in the citie aboue fiftiene thousande Mahumetans although the Kyng be an Idolatour Departyng from hence I came to the citie of Pandara and from thence passyng by the citie of Capagot I came at the length to the famous citie of Calecut And to be breefe I haue here ouerpassed to speake largely of many other people and kyngdomes as are these Chianul Dabul Bathecalo Onouè Bangolor Cauonor Cuchin Cacilon and Calonue which I haue done to the ende that I may entreat more largely of Calecut as the chiefest and as it were the head and metropolitane of all the cities of India For it is certayne that the Kyng of Calecut in royall maiestie exceedeth all the kynges of the East and is therefore in theyr language called Samory that is to say God on the earth The fyfth booke of East India and fyrst of the famous citie of Calecut Cap. 1. THe citie of Calecut is situate vppon the continent or firme lande and the sea beateth vppon the houses of the citie There is no porte but on the South syde about a myle from the citie is a ryuer which runneth into the Ocean sea by a narow mouth This runneth by many braunches into the playne feeldes and is of the inhabitantes by diuers trenches dispearsed to water the grounde It is not past the depth of three or foure foote of water The course of it bendeth towarde the citie and runneth into it The citie is not compassed with walles but conteyneth in circuite sixe thousande houses not adherent or ioynyng togeather after the maner of ours but by a
breast These ceremonies are done the seconde watche of the nyght Within fyfteene dayes after the wyfe biddeth to a banquette all her husbandes kynsfolkes and when they come at a daye appoynted they go al to the place where her husbande was burnt and at the same houre of the nyght then commeth foorth the wyfe garnyshed with all her iewells and best apparell vsyng therein the helpe of all her kynsfolkes In the same place is made a pytte no deeper then may serue to receiue the woman This pytte is sette about with reedes and the reedes are couered with a cloth of sylke that the pytte may not be seene In the meane tyme also a fyre is made in the pyt with sundry sorts of sweet woods the wife after that her gestes haue well banqueted eateth very muche of a certayne meate whiche they call Betola whiche troubleth her mynde as though she were halfe madde or drunken In the meane whyle a great company of suche theyr musitions as we haue spoken of before apparelled like deuyls with burnyng stickes in theyr mouthes daunce fyrst about the pytte and then make sacrifice to the great deuyl Deumo The wyfe also in y e meane season runneth vp and downe lyke a madde body with countenaunces of dauncyng and reioycyng Then turnyng her to them that are disguised lyke deuyls she commendeth her selfe to theyr deuoute prayers desiryng them for her to make intercession to the great Deumo that after this transitorie lyfe it may please him to receyue her into the company of his Angelles After the ceremonies are fynished shee taketh her leaue of all her kynsfolkes whiche stande rounde about her and neare vnto the pitte then with sodaine outrage and a loude crye liftyng vp her handes she hurleth her selfe into the burnyng pit which done her kynsfolkes standing neare vnto the fyre couer her with litle fagottes of sweete wood hurlyng also thereon much pitche that the bodie may the sooner be consumed and except the wyfe shoulde doe this after the death of her husbande she should euer after be esteemed an euyll woman be hated of all men and in fine in danger to be slayne both of her owne kynsfolkes and her husbandes and therefore shee goeth to it the more willingly The kyng him selfe is present at these pompes which are not commonly vsed for all men but only for the kynges priestes and noble men Of the iustice which the inhabitantes of Tarnassari obserue Cap. 10. IF any kyll a man he is adiudged to death as in the citie of Calecut Of giuyng and receyuyng iustice is ministred as proofe may be made by writing or witnesse They wryte in parchement lyke vnto ours and not in barkes of trees as doe they of Calecut When they contende for any thyng they resorte to the gouernour of the citie to whom the kyng hath giuen full aucthoritie of iurisdiction and if any merchaunt straunger dye there without children he may make no inheritour but all his goods is due to the kyng when the kyng is dead his chyldren succeede in the kyngdome When the inhabitantes dye theyr goods are equally diuided among theyr children Howe the Mahumetans are buried in the citie of Tarnassari Cap. 11. WHen any of the Mahumetan merchantes dye they are embaulmed with many spices and sweete gummes and theyr bodies put in Coffins of wood with chiefe regarde that theyr heades lye towarde the citie of Mecha which is from thence Northwarde Of the dyuers sortes of theyr shyppes or other vesselles Cap. 12. THey haue Brigantines very shalowe and with flatte bottoms which drawe but small depth of water Some also vse Foistes hauyng two or double forepartes and two Mastes and are open without any couerture There is an other kynde of shyppes of burden Of the which some beare the burden of a thousande tunnes In these they carry Botes and other smaller vesselles to the citie of Melacha when they goe for spices Of Bangella a great and riche citie of India and of the great power of the kyng Cap. 13. IT is now tyme to speake further of our viage and of our proceedyng therein Therefore packyng vp our wares and commityng vs to the sea we came in twelue dayes saylyng to a citie named Bangella distant from Tarnassari seuen hundred myles This citie in fruitfulnesse and plentifulnesse of all thinges may in maner contende with any citie in the worlde The kyngdome and dominion of this citie is exceedyng large The kyng hath an army of two hundred thousande footemen and horsemen Mahumetans and is of so great power that he keepeth sore warres with the kyng of Narsinga The region is so plentifull in all thynges that there lacketh nothyng that may serue to the necessarie vses or pleasures of men for there are in maner all sortes of beastes good and holesome fruites and plentie of corne Spices also of all sortes Lykewyse of bombasine and silke so exceedyng great aboundance that in these thinges I thinke there is none other region comparable with this and therefore here are very many riche merchantes For euery yeere departe from hence fyftie shyppes laden with clothe of bombasine and silke into the cities and countreys of Turchia Syria Arabia Persia Ethiopia and India There are also many merchaunt straungers whiche buye precious stones of the inhabitauntes Of certayne Christian merchauntes which exercise merchandies there Cap. 14. HEre we founde many Christian merchantes which were borne in the citie of Sarnau as they tolde vs. They resorte thyther as to a great marte with cloth of silke and wood of Aloes Laser which yeldeth the sweete gumme named Laserpitium commonly called Belzoi beyng a kynde of myrre They bryng also Castoreum and diuers other sweete sauours The sayde Christians tolde vs also that there be in that kyngdome many Christian Princes subiect to the great Cham of the citie of Cathai The apparell of these Christians was Chamlet loose and very full of pleytes and lyned with bombasine cloth On theyr heads they weare certayne coppen or sharpe poynted cappes of two handfull hygh of scarlet colour They are white men They acknowledge one God in Trinitie are baptised after our maner They beleeue the doctrine of the Apostles and Euangelistes They wryte backewarde after the maner of the Armenians They celebrate the birth and buriall of Christ and obserue fastyng the fourtie dayes of Lent as we doe They celebrate also certayne sainctes dayes They vse no shooes but weare loose hose of silke garnished with dyuers Iewels On theyr fingers they weare Ringes with stones of incomparable splendour At meate they vse no table but eate lying on the grounde and feede of all sortes of fleshe They affyrmed also that there are certayne Christian kynges whiche they call Rumi of great power confinyng or borderyng on the dominions of the great Turke When these Christians had seene the precious merchaundies of my companion and
as sayled behynd the Sunne towarde the West dyd greatly lengthen the daye And albeit that the sayde booke of Peter Martyr is peryshed yet hath not fortune permytted that the memorie of so woorthy and marueylous an enterpryse shoulde vtterly be extincte forasmuche as a certayne noble gentelman of the citie of Vincenza in Italie called master Antonie Pigafetta who beyng one of the companie of that voyage and after his returne into Spayne in the shyppe Victoria was made knyght of the Rhodes wrote a particular and large booke thereof whiche he gaue to Themperours Maiestie and sent a copie of the same into Fraunce to the lady Regent mother vnto the French king who committed it to an excellent philosopher called master Iacobus Faber hauing long studied in Italy wyllyng hym to translate it into the Frenche tongue This booke therefore was printed fyrst in the Frenche tongue and then in the Italian with also an epistle to the Cardinall of Salsepurge as touchyng the same voyage written by Maximilian Transiluane secretarie to Themperours Maiestie in the yeere 1522. And doubtlesse among all the cities of Italie the citie of Vincenza may herein muche glorie that besyde the auncient nobilitie and many excellent and rare wyttes whiche it hath brought foorth aswell in learnyng as discipline of warre it hath also had so woorthy and valiaunt a gentleman as was the sayde master Antonie Pigafetta who hauyng compassed about the ball or globe of the worlde hath lykewyse described that voyage particularly For the whiche his so noble and wonderfull an enterprise so happily atchiued if the same had ben done in the olde tyme when Th empyre of the Greekes and Romans floryshed he shoulde doubtlesse haue ben rewarded with an Image of marble or gold erected in a place of honour in perpetuall memorie and for a singular example of his vertue to the posteritie In fine this may we boldly affyrme that the antiquitie had neuer such knowledge of the worlde whiche the Sunne compasseth about in .xxiiii. houres as we haue at this present by the industrie of men of this our age But before I speake any thyng of the vyage I haue thought it good fyrst to adde hereunto the Epistle of Maximilian Transiluane which he wrote to the Cardinall of Salsepurge as a preface to his sayde booke ¶ The Epistle of Maximilian Transiluane secretarie to the Emperours Maiestie written to the ryght honorable and reuerende lorde the lord Cardinal of Salepurge of the marueylous and woonderfull nauigation made by the Spanyardes rounde about the worlde in the yeere of Christ M.D.xix. IN these dayes my most honorable and reuerend lord returned one of those fiue ships whiche the yeere before Themperours beyng at Saragosa in Spaine were at his maiesties commaundement sent to the newe worlde heretofore vnknowen vnto vs to seeke the Ilandes of spices For albeit the Portugales bryng vs great quantitie of Spyces from that part of East India whiche in olde tyme was called Aurea Chersonesus where is nowe thought to be the great rych citie of Malaccha yet in East India growe none of those Spyces except Pepper For other Spyces as Sinamome Cloues Nuttemegs and Mase whiche is the huske that couereth the shell of the Nut are brought from other farre countreys and from Ilandes scarsely knowen by theyr names from the whiche Ilandes they are brought in shyppes or barkes made without any Iron tooles and tyed togeather with cordes of Date trees with rounde sayles lykewyse made of the small twigges of the branches of Date trees weaued togeather These barkes they call Giuâ—che with the whiche barkes and sayles they make theyr viage with only one wynde in the stearne or contrarywyse Neyther yet is it a thyng greatly to be marueiled at that these Ilands where the Spices growe haue ben vnknowen so many worlde 's past vnto our tyme forasmuch as all suche thynges as vnto this daye haue ben wrytten of old autours of the places where spices growe are all fabulous and false Insomuch that the countreys where they affyrme them to growe are nowe certaynely founde to be further from the place where they growe in deede then we are from them For lettyng passe many other thynges that are wrytten I wyll speake more of this which Herodotus otherwise a famous auctoure affirmeth that Sinamome is founde in the toppes of the nestes of certayne byrdes and foules that bryng it from farre countreys and especially the Phenyx the whiche I knowe no man that euer hath seene But Plinie who might more certaynely affyrme thinges by reason that before his tyme many thynges were knowen and discouered by the nauigations of great Alexander and other sayth that Sinamome groweth in that part of Ethiope which the people inhabit called Trogloditi Neuerthelesse it is now found that Sinamome groweth very far from all Ethiope now much further from the Trogloditi which dwel in caues vnder the ground But to our men which are now returned from those partes and the Ilandes of spices hauyng also good knowledge of Ethiope it was necessarie to passe far beyond Ethiope before they come to these Ilands and to compasse about the whole worlde and many tymes vnder the greatest circumference of heauen The which nauigations made by them beyng the most marueylous thyng that euer was done by man vppon the earth sence the fyrst creation of the worlde and neuer founde before or knowen or attempted by any other I haue deliberated faythfully to wryte to your honorable lordeshyppe and to declare the whole successe thereof As touchyng which matter I haue with all diligence made inquisition to knowe the trueth aswell by relation of the Captayne of that shyppe as also by conference with euery of the maryners that returned with hym All whiche gaue the seâ—fe same information both to Themperours Maiestie and diuers other And this with such faythfulnesse and sinceritie that not onely they are iudged of all men to haue declared the trueth in all thynges but haue thereby also geuen vs certaine knowledge that al that hath hitherto ben sayd or wrytten of olde autours as touchyng these thynges are false and fabulous For who wyl beleeue that men are founde with onely one legge Or with suche feete whose shadowe couereth theyr bodyes Or men of a cubite heyght and other suche lyke beyng rather monsters then men Of the whiche neyther the Spanyardes who in our tyme saylyng by the Ocean sea haue discouered all the costes of the lande towarde the West both vnder and aboue the Equinoctiall nor the Portugales who compassyng about all Affryke hath passed by all the East and lykewyse discouered all those costes vnto the great gulfe called Sinus Magnus nor yet the Spaniardes in this theyr last nauigation in the which they compassed about the whole earth dyd neuer in any of theyr viages wryte of such monsters which doubtlesse they would not haue omytted if they myght haue had certayne
do bread It hath the taste of an Almonde and is vsed in the steade of bread when it is dryed In the myddest of this carnell is a cleare and sweete water beyng very holsome and cordiale This water sometyme coniealeth and lyeth within the shell lyke an egge When they intende to make oyle hereof the laye it to putrifie in water and boyle it vntyll it be lyke oyle or liquide butter When they intende to make vineger they suffer onely the water to putrifie and then set it to the Sunne where it becommeth vineger lyke vnto that which is made of whyte wyne And when they mingle the carnell with the water whiche is in the myddest of the fruite and strayne it through a cloth they make a mylke thereof lyke vnto Goates mylke These Date trees are lyke vnto them that beare Dates but are not so full of knottes With the iuice of two of these Date trees a whole familie of tenne persons may be mentayned with wyne vsyng one .viii. dayes and the other other .viii. dayes for they shoulde els be dryed and wythered These trees continue for the space of a hundred yeeres This Ilande where they founde this humane and gentle people is called Zuluan and is not very bygge About this Ilande they founde many other Ilandes and therefore named this sea Archipelago di San Lazaro that is the great sea of saint Lazarus beyng tenne degrees aboue the Equinoctiall towarde our pole and C.lxi. from the place from whence they departed The people of this Ilande are Caphranita that is Gentiles They go naked sauyng that they couer theyr priuie partes with a cloth made of the rynd of a certaine tree The chiefest men haue about theyr heades a sylken cloth of needle woorke They are grosse and brode set and of the coloure of an Olyue They annoynt theyr bodies with the oyle of Cocus to defende them agaynst the heate of the Sunne and drynesse of the wynde The .xxv. daye of Marche they departed from hence and directed theyr course beteweene the West and southwest and sayled betweene foure Ilandes named Cenalo Huinanghan Hibusson and Abarien â–ª c. The .xxviii. daye of Marche they came to the Ilande of Buthuan where they were honorably entertayned of the Kyng and the Prynce his sonne who gaue them muche golde and spices The Captayne gaue the Kyng a vesture of red cloth and an other of yelowe made after the Turkyshe fasshion and also a redde cappe and gaue lykewyse to other that came with hym certayne knyues glasses and beades of Crystall After that the Captayne had shewed the Kyng the secretes of his shyp and suche merchaundies as he had therein he caused a peece of ordinaunce sodenly to be shotte of whereat the kyng was greatly amased vntyl the Captayne comforted hym Then the Captayne commaunded one of his men to be armed from the head to the foote and caused three other to stryke hym with theyr swoordes whereat the kyng marueyled greatly and sayde to thinterpretour who was a slaue borne in Malacha that one of those armed men was able to encounter with a hundred of his men But he marueyled much more when the Captayne tolde hym by thinterpretoure howe he founde the strayght by the compasse and lode stone and howe many dayes they were without syght of any lande Then askyng lycence to depart the Captaine sent two of his men with hym of y t which Antonie Pigafetta was one When the kyng sawe Antonie Pigafetta wryte the names of many thynges and afterwarde rehearsed them againe he marueyled yet more makyng sygnes that such men descended from heauen The kyng brought them fyrst to his pallace where he interteyned them honorably and gaue them many gyftes as dyd also the Prince in his pallace beyng in an other Ilande named Caleghan As they syfted a certeyne myne of earth in the kynges Iland they founde peeces of golde some as bygge as Nuttes and other as bygge as Egges All the kynges vesselles were of gold and his house well furnyshed In al the whole nation there was no man of comelyer personage then the kyng he had his heare long downe to his shulders and very blacke with a vaile of sylke rouled about his head and two great rynges of golde hangyng at his eares He had about his myddle a cloth wrought of cotten and sylke impaled with golde and reachyng downe to his knees On his one syd he had a long daggar with a hafte of gold and the sheathe of a fayre kynde of carued woodde He had on euery finger three rynges of golde and had his bodie annoynted with oyle of storax and Beniamin The natural coloure of his face was lyke vnto the coloure of an Oliue and all his body besyde paynted with diuers colours The kynges name was Raia Colambu and the prince was called Raia Siagu The last day of Marche neare vnto Easter the Captayne caused his priest to say Masse and sent to the kyng by the interpretour that his comming a land at that tyme was not to dyne with hym but only to heare Masse The Captayne came aland with fyftie of his men in theyr best apparel without weapons or harnesse and all the residue well armed Before the boates came to lande he caused sixe peeces of ordinaunce to be shot of in token of peace and so came alande where the two kynges imbrased hym and accompanied hym to the place appoynted for Masse to be sayde not farre from the sea syde Somewhat before the begynnyng of Masse the Captayne sprynkled the kynges with Damaske water When the priest was at myd Masse at the offertorie the kinges profered them selues to go to kysse the crosse with the Captayne but offered nothyng At the tyme of sacryng when the priest lyfted vp the body of Christe and the Christians kneeled downe and helde vp theyr handes ioyned togeather the kynges dyd the lyke also with great reuerence In the meane tyme whyle certayne of the Christians were at the Communion a handgunne was shot of to signifie vnto them that were in the shippes to discharge al theyr ordinaunce When Masse was finished the Captayne caused certayne of his men to put on their harnesse and to make a cumbat with theyr naked swoordes whereat the kynges tooke great pleasure This doone the Captayne caused a crosse to be brought foorth with nayles and a crowne of thornes geuyng commaundement to all his men to gyue reuerence therevnto and signifying to the kynges by the interpreter that that banner was gyuen hym by the Emperour his lorde and maister with commaundement to leaue the same in all places where he came to the great commoditie and profyte of al such as woulde reuerendly receyue it as an assured token of frendship and that he woulde therfore leaue it there aswel to accomplishe his lordes commaundement as also that yf at any tyme any ships of Christians shoulde chaunce to come that way myght by seyng that crosse perceyue
distant from Giaua maior Here they were informed that aboue Giaua maior towarde the north is a great gulfe called the gulfe of China in the whiche are trees of exceedyng byggnesse inhabited with foules of such greatnesse that they cary great beastes in the ayre The fruites of these trees are as byg as Cucummers The cape of Malacha is one degree and a halfe aboue the Equinoctiall line toward the pole Artike On the east syde of this cape runneth a very long coast in the which are many regions cities wherof some are called by these names Cingaporla whiche is the cape Also Pahan Calantan Patani Braalin Benu Longon and Odia wherin is the citie in the whiche dwelleth the kyng of Sian named Zacabedera Theyr cities are buylded as ours are and subiect to the kyng of Sian After the realme of Sian are the regions of Iamgoma and Campaa where Reubarbe groweth of the whiche are diuers opinions some supposyng it to be a roote and other a putrified tree affyrming that if it were not putrified it should not haue so great a sauour They call it Calama Next vnto this is founde the great China whose kyng is thought to be the greatest prince in the worlde and is named Santoa Raia Furthermore all that is written hereafter of this kyng and these regions they learned by thinformation of a Moore that was in the Iland of Timor He affirmed that the sayd kyng hath threescore and tenne crowned kynges vnder his empyre and hath a port in the sea named Canthan and two principall cities named Nauchin and Connulaha where he remaineth hym selfe and hath euer foure of his chiefe princes lying about his palace on euery syde towarde the east west north and south geuyng dilygent attendaunce what is done in euery of theyr quarters All the princes of the greater India called India Maior and of that whereof I haue spoken before are obedient to this kyng And in token that they are true subiectes they keepe in theyr palaces which are in the myddest of theyr cities the beast called Linx beyng fayrer then a Lion and is the great kynges signet whiche all such as intende to go to China beare with them sealed in waxe or on a peece of Iuerye for theyr safe conducte without the whiche they may not enter into the hauen When any of his kynges rebell or are disobedient he causeth them to be flayen and salted and dryed at the Sunne then to be stuffed with chaffe and set vp on some hygh thyng in the myddest of the chiefe streate of the citie where al the people may see it He neuer suffereth his owne person to be openly seene to any man But when his noble men of the courte are desyrous to see hym he commeth downe from his palace into a ryche pauilion accompanyed with syxe of his principall concubines apparelled with lyke vestures as he hym selfe is All this way he is not seene by reason of the pauilion When he hath passed through the pauylyon he entereth into a Serpent named Nagha beyng the most marueylous and ryche woorke of the worlde and placed in the greatest courte of the palace When the kyng entereth into this with the women to the intent that he may not be knowen among them he causeth the sayde noble men onely to looke in at a glasse whiche is in the breste of the Serpent where they see the kyng among the women but can not discerne whiche is he He ioyneth in maryage with his syster that the blood royall be not myxte with any other His palace is enuironed with seuen large walles the one beyng farre distant from the other and hath in euery suche circuite tenne thousand men for the garryson of his palace who haue theyr waytyng dayes appoynted them course by eourse with fresshe men in theyr places and thus keepe theyr watche continually both day and nyght In this palace are .lxxix. haules in the whiche is an infinite number of women that serue the kyng hauyng euer lyght torches in theyr handes for the greater magnificence He that woulde see all the palace shoulde spende a whole daye therein Among other there are foure principal haules where somtimes the kyng geueth audience to his noble men Of these one is couered both aboue and beneath with metall an other all ouer with syluer the thyrde with golde and the fourth with pearles precious stones These people of China are whyte men appareled as we are and eate theyr meate on tables as we do They haue the crosse in some estimation but knowe not the cause whye Beyonde the coaste of China are dyuers other nations and people as Cheneby where Pearles and Sinamonie are founde also the people named Lickij where reigneth the great kyng of Mien hauyng vnder hym .xxii. kynges and is subiecte to the kyng of China Here is also founde the great citie of Cathay â–ª in the East and dyuers other nations in the sayde fyrme lande of the which some are bruityshe and beastiall whiche vse to kyll and eate theyr parentes when they be olde thynkyng thereby that they shall reuyue in them All these people are Gentyles The .xi. daye of February in the yeere .1522 they departed from the Ilande of Timos and were ingulfed by chaunce in the great sea called Lantchidol and tooke theyr course betweene the west and southwest leauyng the north coastes on theyr ryght hande fearyng least if they shoulde sayle towarde the firme land they myght be seene of the Portugales who are of great power in Malacha and therefore dyrected theyr course without the Ilande of Sumatra called in olde tyme Taprobana leauyng also on theyr ryght hand vppon the fyrme lande the prouinces and regions of Pegu Bengala Calecut Canonor Coa Cambaia the gulfe of the Iland of Ormus and all the coastes of the greater India And more safely to passe the cape of Buona Speranza beyng aboue Affrike they sayled about .xlii. degrees towarde the pole Antartike remayned seuen weekes about that cape with many fetches compassyng the wynde with theyr sayles continually alofte because they had a west and northwest wynde in the proos of theyr shyppe whiche woulde not suffer them to passe The cape of Buona Speranza is toward the pole Antartike beneath the Equinoctiall line .34 degrees and a halfe and .1600 leagues from the cape of Malacha and is the greatest and most daungerous cape that is founde at this daye in all the worlde When they had by these peryls ouerpassed this cape certaine of them aswell for lacke of vyttayles as also by reason of syckenesse were mynded to sayle to a hauen of the Portugales named Monzambique aboue Affryke But the other answeared that they woulde rather dye then go to any other place then directly to Spayne They folowed theyr course therefore saylyng toward the Southwest two monethes continually without touchyng at any port in
soules rest in Caues and to be that reflexion of the ayre the which we doe call Eccho Dec. 8. c. 9. The contention betwixte Garaius and Cortesius for ambition Dec. 7. c. 5. Dec. 8. cap. 1. .2 The great Cormorantes that deuoure fishe of fyue pounde weight at one morsel Dec. 7. c. 9. The shamelesse daunses of naked women at theyr funeralles and obsequies Dec. 7. c. 10. Theyr woorshipping of the crosse in Saltier .x. Or made thus x vppon theyr newe borne babes to dryue away deuylles as also in the nyght tyme if they feare any thyng imagining with that signe the place to be purified Dec. 8. c. 9. The Chiribikes follies in daunsing whole weekes togeather theyr language full of difficulties for leauyng out some sillables in speech theyr maner of mariage by clippyng the brydes heare Dec. 8. c. 8. The dead bodyes of gentlemen to be rosted so hanged vp to roofe for buttry goddes the bones of other that laye buried a whole yeere to be taken vp againe at the .xii. monethes ende and solempnely buried Decade 8. c. 9. To conclude How Captayne Olitus whom Cortesius feared not a litle therefore sent vnder the pretexte of honour as it were to discouer other landes tooke head him selfe agaynst Cortesius and miserably was murthered in the end Dec. 8. c 6 .10 These with some other the lyke thinges may the curious reader finde in many woordes set downe in the aforesayde .7 and .8 Decades spoken of all for the most parte before in P. Martyr his other doinges or mentioned in Ouiedus Summary or by R. Eden briefly noted or not greatly needfull to be set foorth at large in Englyshe except they were matters of greater weight One speciall thing I obserued amongst other in reading ouer these .6 7. and 8. Decades to wyt the West Indians not onely to be conquered by the Spaniardes but also to be theyr slaues and bondmen the cause why after the conquest made of them the Spanyardes doe in continuall bondage and slauery keepe them vnder is expresly brought foorth by Pe. Martyr Dec. 7. c. 4. in the spanysh tounge as it was read at the Indishe counsayle boorde in Spayne and may thus be Englished These be the Indians qualities in respecte whereof they deserue no libertie IN the continent or fyrme lande they eate mans fleshe they be more gyuen to Sodomye than any other nation of the world there is no order of iustice among them they goe naked they haue neyther loue nor honestie they bee fooles and furious there is no truth in them except it be for theyr owne profit inconstant without all discretion very vnkynde louers of nouelties they delyght to make them selues dronke with wynes made of diuers hearbes fruites and graine as ale and sider to ouercome their braynes as wel otherwise with hearbs as in making drinke thereof or eating them â–ª They are very bruitishe and doe make it a prayse to wallowe in vyces No obedience no reuerence at all sheweth the young man to the olde the childe to his father Neyther teaching nor chastning amendeth them they be traitors cruell so full of reuenge that they neuer forgyue any offence great enemyes vnto our religion They be slothfull theeues of iudgement very grosse and base without all honestie and good order Neither doe the men behaue them selues loyally with theyr wyues nor the wyues with their husbandes they be superstitiously giuen to soothsaying as fearful as Hares filthes eating lyse spiders woormes whersoeuer they finde them they haue no arte nor good condition of men Hauing learned any pointes of Christian religion they are woont to say that to be good in Spayne but in India nothing woorth for that they desire not to alter their maners They haue no beardes for they peele and plucke vp the heare as faste as it groweth They take no pietie on sicke folke suche as bee very sicke they gyue ouer to some one kynsman or neighbour of theyrs or els carry them to the mountaynes to dye there leauing with them some small portion of bread and water and so goe theyr way The elder they waxe the woorse they bee vntyll they be .xi. or .xii. yeeres olde some hope there is that they would prooue ciuil and vertuous when they grow elder they become bruit beasts In conclusion I say that god neuer created so corrupte a people for vice and beastlinesse without any mixture of goodnesse and ciuilitie they are as blockishe as Asses making no accompt at all to kyll them selues In the fyft Decade is written by P. Martyr or geathered rather by him out of Ferd. Cortesius relations the conquest of that portion of the West Indishe continent that lyeth in the hot zone neare the Tropike of Cancer betwyxte our Weste sea and Mar del zur the chiefe prouince wherein is Mexico and the principall citie Themistitan This region after that it was conquered by Cortesius beganne to be called Noua Hispania newe Spayne for the lykenesse thereof vnto the Spanysh kyngdome in nature of soyle greatnesse disposition of the ayre other such lyke thynges as Cortesius him selfe writeth vnto Charles the fifth humbly desiryng his maiestie to allowe of that name Some later wryters haue gyuen the particuler name of one shyre vnto the whole callyng it Mexico and the generall name of that whole shyre to the head citie therein calling Themistitan lykewyse Mexico howbeit in trueth Themistitan is the principal citie in Mexico prouince Mexico the chiefe prouince in all newe Spaigne Of this countrey the commodities it doeth yeelde the nature of the inhabiters partly you haue already seene in Gon. Ferd. Ouiedus historie Fol. 221. and chiefely Fol. 225. The kyng of this countrey bare name Monte Zuma or Muteezuma as Cortesius that conquered him writeth â–ª in P. Martyr his Decades printed in Spaigne An. d. 1530. Meteezuma in his .4 â–ª Decade entituled de insul nuper inuentis to no. orb p. 506. Multoxumam as also in the last edition thereof at Cullen ioyntly with the three first decades the which our Printer in the translation hereof hath folowed in the discourse of the West Indies Ilandes Straunge names are many tymes diuersly written though in effecte they meane all one Henricus say we with the Frenchmen Henry the Almans Henreich the Italians Arrigo the Portugales Henrico as Barros speaking of king Iohn the first his sonne whom Cadamust called in his Nauigation Huric This kyng was so welthie so mightie his dominions so large that the inhabiters knew no other prince in all the worlde of him Cortesius had intelligence by Montegius and Portucarrerius and from him certaine rich presentes for his maister Charles Themperour as in the aforesayd discourse of the west Indish Ilands it hath ben sayde Wherefore the .16 day of August in the yeere of our Lorde .1520 Ferdinandus Cortesius with .15 light horsemen and fyue hundred footemen well appoynted besides three noble men of the citie Cempoal named Teuchius Mamexus
Weakenesse of hunger Cape Marmor Nomen Dei The nauigation of Rodericus Colmenaris An exceedyng high mountayne couered with snowe Apparelled men Spanyardes slayne with venemous arrowes A remedie agaynst venemous arrowes The hauen of Vraba Nicuesa is founde in a miserable case Insolencie oftâ— muche felicitie The death of Nicuesa Famine enforseth them to fal to spaylyng Careta kyng of Coiba Kyng Careta is taken and spoyled Mine thine the seedes of al myscheefe Ancisus Lieuetenant for Fogeda is cast in pryson Ancisus taketh his voyage to Hispaniola The reuengâ— of God The inconueniences of discorde King Poncha Swordes of wood Kyng Careta conspireth with the Spaniards agaynst kyng Poncha The region of Comogra distant from Dariena .xxx. leagues Kyng Comogrus The kynges pallace Wine syder Blacke wine The carcasses of men dâ—yed The distribution of golde Young Comogrus his oration The hunger of golde A region flowing with golde Kyng Tumanama Canibales The golde mines of the mountaynes Vnwrought golde not estemed Abundance of golde Housholde stuffe of golde Naked people tormented with ambition A vehement perswasion A token of hunger Kyng Comogrus is baptised with his familie Horrible thunder and lyghtnyng in the moneth of Nouember Maryshe grounde Ancisus bitten of a Batte A tempest King Turui The Ilande of Cannafistula King Abibeiba dwelleth in a tree The rysyng of the Ocean sea Trees of marueilous height Plinie Fruitefull grounde Abibeiba the kyng of the tree yeeldeth to Vaschus Golde no more esteemed then stones Canibales Men good yenough yf they had iron Captiues A garryson of thirtie men Eightene Spanyardes slayne and drowned The kinges which conspired the death of the Christians A straunge chaunce Women can keepe no counsayle An armie of an hundred Canoas and fyue M. men Triumph before victorie Affection corrupteth true iudgement The conspiracie of the kyngs is detected Kyng Cemaechus conspireth the death of Vaschus Vaschus pursueth the kings with threescore and ten men Colmenaris sacketh the vyllage of Tichiri Fyue rulers hanged shot through with arrowes Iohan. Quicedus is sent to Spayne A wife is a hinderaunce The death of aldiuia Hurt of lauyshnesse of the tongue The calamities and death of Fogeda Maladies and famine The prosperous voyage of Ancisus A king of Cuba baptised by the name of Commendator A marueylous hystorie howe God wrought myracles by the simple faith of a Maryner Be not rashe in iudgement A Chappell builded to the pycture of the virgin Marie One superstititious religion turned into an other holdeth stil many thinges of the fyrst Zeale without knowledge is neuer godly Marke this blyndnesse This ignorance is to be lamented The deuil dissembleth to keepe his in blyndnesse styll A notable lye of a papistical heretike One blasphemie vpon another The deuyll appeareth in his lykenesse What likenes A strange myracle not to be credited Another myracle Wise men Math. xiiii This is another matter The deuyl appeareth againe The virgin Mary in her owne person ouercommeth the deuyl The priestes rewarde Why name you Capons Ancisus voiage to Spayne Ancisus complayneth of Vaschus Marke to whoÌ„ this fayned myraculous storie was written The procuratours of Dariena are honourably receiued at the court The great master of the kings ships Petrus Arias is elected gouernour of Dariena The oration of the Byshop of Burges in the defence of Petrus Arias The warres of Aphryca A house in Ciuile appoynted to the affayres of India Perulariae The Portugales inuentions The nauigation of Petrus Arias A shipwracke Americus Vesputius A notable example of a valiant woman The wyfe of Petrus Arias Plentie of pearles The vse of gunnes Great abundance of gold frankencense â–ª Olibanum Sabea is a couÌ„trey in â—rabia which bringeth foorth Frankencense Rulers for one yeere The great gulfe of Paria The great Iland Atlantike Contention betweene the Castilians Portugales for the newe landes The bishop of Rome diuideth the lande The golden regioÌ„ of Ciamba The Ilande of S. Iohannis Fyue byshops of the Ilande made by the bishop of Rome The Canibales of the Iland of Sancta Crux The ryuers of Vraba The fruitfulnesse of Vraba The fruitefulnes of Dariena Swynes fleshe of better taste more holsome then mutton Fruites putrified on the sea Betatas Lions and Tygers A strange beast The ryuers of Vraba A league is xxiiii furlonges Danubius A Crocodile is muche lyke a Neute but of exceedyng kygnesse The Portugales nauigations A philosophical discourse as concerning thoriginal of springes and ryuers The breadth of the lande at Vraba from the North Ocean to the South sea The sea The lande enclosed with two seas Conuersion of ayre into water in the caues of mountaynes The often fal of rayne and continuall spryng tyme. The Equinoctiall The pores of the sea and the south wynde The fludde Eridanus The ryuer Alpheus Longe caues in the mountaines The length and forme of the Iland Cardes of the sea The carde of Americus Vesputius The carde of Colouns The carde of Iohannes de la Cossa The carde of Andreas moralis The maner of measuring the cardes A league The nauigation of Iohannes Dias The eleuation of the pole The iurisdiction of the Portugales Hercules pyllers The Ilande Boiuca or Agnaneo The renouation of age A water of marueilous vertue The accidentes of age may be hydden Extreme hunger This was at the siege of Hierusalem Many dogges eaten A mangie dog â—â—are solde Broth of a mangie dogs skynne Toades eaten A dead man eaten Note Petrus Arias whoÌ„ the Spanyardâ—s call Pedâ—arias Vaschus Nunnez gouernor of Dariena The new south Ocean Commendation of the Spanyardes A valiant mynd can not be ydle Vaschus his voyage toward the golden mountaynes â–ª Careta kyng of Coiba King Poncha Strange thinges are counted precious Lacke of Iron A stone in the steede of Iron Superfluities hynder libertie Carpenters Brydges The region of Quarequa kyng Quarequa is dryuen to flyght Hargabusies Crossebowes vi C. Barbarians are slaine The vse of dogges in the warre agaynst the naked Barbarians Natural hatred of vnnatural sinne I woulde al men were of this opinion The haruest is great and the woorkemen but fewe Warlyke people The higher the colder A region of blacke Moores Diseases of change of ayre and dyet The south sea Prayer God rayseth the poore from the dounghyl Hanniball of Carthage King Chiapes A battayle Chiapes is driuen to flyght Vaschus sendeth for kyng Chiapes Chiapes submitteth hym selâ—e to Vaschus A gulfe of threescore myles Saint Michaels gulfe The manly corage and godly zeale of Vaschus Ryches are the synewes of warre The faythfulnes of kyng Chiapes A tempest on the sea The increasing of the South sea The Northe Ocean Hard shyft in necessitie The region Tumacca Kyng Tumaccus is driuen to flyght Golde and pearles Muscles of the sea Fyshyng for pearles The thyrst of golde Ambition among naked men A kyng of greaâ— power Byg pearles Cleopatra queene of Egypt resolued a pearle in vineger drunke it Price fiue
thousande pounde of our money The starres about the south pole A similitude declaryng Antipodes The maner of of fyshyng for pearles Petrus Arias Wanton and superfluous pleasures The fyshyng place of kyng Chiapes Gold in maner in euery house The rych treasury of nature The golde mynes of Dariena King Teaocha enterteyneth Vaschus frendly Twenty pound weyght of wrought gold Desartes ful of wylde beastes Dryed fyshe Kyng Pacra a tyraunt Great heate in the moneth of Nouember Hurt by wylde beastes A Tyger Calidonia is a forrest in Scotlande Nemea is a wood in Greece Tigers whelpes Thus the Egiptians take Crocodiles The dogge tyger taken The roryng of the tyger Tigers flesh eaten The biâ—the tyger Tigers whelpes A straunge thyng Kyng Pacra Natural hatred of vice Foure Kynges deuoured of dogges The vse of dogges in warre against naked men The Canibales are expert archers Swoordes of wood Fiftie pound weight of gold Kyng Bononiama frend to the christians Wrought gold The oration of kyng Bononiama The sparke of the lawe of nature is the lawe written in the hartes of men Great plenty of golde A symilitude for the profe of plentye of golde Chaunge of dyet is daungerous Old souldiers A long lent Comogrus Two poore kynges Desartes Vessels of golde kyng Chiorisus sendeth Vaschus xxx dyshes of pure golde Axes of Iron more esteemed then any golde Plenty of gold and scarcenesse of meate A good policie The cause of vehement windes neere the Equinocciall Vaschus his Wordes to King Tumanama Oderuut quem metuunt Xxx. pounde weight of wrought gold Threescore poundes weight of gold They abhorrce labour The coloure of the golden earth and a triall of the same Tokens of great plentle of gold Feeblenesse of hunger and watching The riuer Comogrus Vaschus returneth to Dariena The good fortune of Vaschus O flatteryng fortune looke his death in the booke of the Iland lately found The earth is our generall mother The cout of infernal Pluto Manhuntees The fyersnessâ— of the Canibales Our duty to god and naturall loue to mankinde The office of Christian princes The haruest is great The fourth nauigation of Colonus the Admiral From Spaine to Hispaniola a thousande and two hundred leagues Simple people A great marchaunt Gentle people The regions of Tuia Maia Seuen kyndes of date trees Wilde vines Mirobalanes Byrdes and foules People of goodly stature They poynt theyr bodyes The swyft course of the sea from the East to the West Freshe water in the sea Fayre ryuers Great reedes Great Tortoyses Quatuor tempora The region of Quicuri The hauen of Cariai or Mirobalanus Ciuile and humane people Trees growing in the sea after a strange sort Plinie A strange kynd of Monkeys A Monkey fyghteth with a man A conflyct betwene a Monkey and a wyld Bore The bodyes of kynges dryed and reserued Crownes of beastes clawes Spytefull people Guns make peace Seuen golden ryuers Note wher the plentie of gold endeth Crocodiles of sweet sauour Alcayr or Babylon in Egypt Shyppes eaten with wormes Alexandria in Egypt Howe the kyng of Beragua entertayned the Lieuetenant Their reuereÌ„ce to their kyng Slynges and dartes Libertie more esteemed then ryches The Spanyardes are dryuen to flyght A miserable case Necessitie hath no lawe Howe farre life is to be estemed Sanctus Dominicus Landes founde by Colonus Themperat regions and holsome ayre Expert miners A godly nature in golde Golden haruest High and great mountaynes Tirrhenum is nowe called Tuscane The mouÌ„tayns of Beragua higher then the cloudes Mountaynes of fiftie myles heyght Ianus otherwase called Iaphet the son of Noe. By this coniecture the way shoulde open to Cathai by the Hiperboreans Looke the nauigation of Cabote Deca iii. lib. vi The great riuer Maragnonus The great riuer Dabaiba or sancti Iohannes The riuers haue theyr increase from the sprynges of the mountaynes The ryuer of Nilus in Egypt Maryshes and desolate wayes A superstitious opinion of the originall of the mountaynes of Dabaiba Dragons and Crocodiles in the maryshes The hauen Cerabaro Twentie golden ryuers Precious stones A precious Diamond of exceeding bignes Topasis The nauigation of Petrus Arias The Ilande of Canarie Prouision of freshe water and fuel The sea of hearbes These mountaines are called Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata Decade .ii. lib. 1. and .ii. Mountaynes couered with snowe The stoutnes of the Barbarians The Canibales fight in the water The vse of gunnes The generation of thunder and lyghtning Plentie of fysh Cunning fyshers Tapistrie This is he whom Cardanus praiseth Precious stones The Smaradge is the true Hâ—merode Another kynde of Amber is founde in Whales Golde and Brasile Marchasites are flowres of mettals by the colours whereof the kyndes of mettals are knowen These Locustes burne the corne with touching and deuoure the residue They are in India of three foote length Gardens Insubres are nowe called Lumbardes and Hetruci Tuscans One myriade is ten thousande The manner of plantyng the roote Iucca Earth turned into rootes Howe bread is made of rootes Panicum is a grayne somewhat lyke mil The Italians cal it Melica He meaneth the equal length of day and nyght which is continualy in regions vnder the Equinoctiall line Holsome ayre Gossampine Cotton Fethers Bowes and arrowes Dead bodies reserued Gonzalus Ouiâ—dus sayeth that they gylt marueylously with the iuce of a certayne hearbe White marble The great riuer Maragnonus This ioyneth with the mighty riuer called Flumen Amazonum founde of late Clokes of fethers The swift course of the water Fourtie leagues in one nyght Sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft course from the East into the West The Equinoctial line Why al waters moue towarde the south or Equinoctial read Cardanus ae subtilit liber ii de elementis Strayghtes As by the strayght of Magelanus The north landes The frosen sea Sebastian Cabot The voyage of Sebastian Cabot from Englande to the frosen sea Demogorgon is the spirite of the earth People couered with beastes skynnes The Ilandes of the Canybales The Ilande Fortis Salte A strange thing Howe Vaschus receiued the newe gouernour Habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line Where the new gouernour planteth his habitation A passinger shyp Decurians are officers deuided into tennes c. The gold mines of Dabaiba An errour The region of Saturma The Ilande of Dominica Difficult saylyng agaynst the course of the sea The daungerous straightes of Scylla and Charibdis The vehement course of the sea from the east to the west By what meanes the Sonne beames are cause of feruent heate The pernitious ayre of Dariena Toades and Flees engendred of drops of water Necessitie hath no lawe A house set on fyre with lightnyng A dogge deuoured of a Crocodile Tanquam canis de Nilo The bytyng of Battes Lions and Tygers Beastes waxe higher in theyr kynde Note Broma or Bissa are wormes which destroy shyppes A venemous tree Perhaps their venemous arrows are made of this wood A preseruatiue against poison The Ilandes of the
substaunce Great trees A marueylous tree Kyndlyng of fyre without fyre Putrified woodde shynyng in the nyght Plinie Trees whiche continue euer greene Cassia A secrete thyng Radycall moysture Platani Fygges Tunas Bihaos Hauas Dying of cotton A strange thyng Note Caniballes archers Wherwith they inuenome theyr arrowes Petrus Arias The water of the sea The gulfe of Uraba Xagua Hohi Some thinke these to be mirobalanes Date trees Thinhabitauntes of the sea of Sur. An hearbe that beareth cordes Cabuia and Henequen A strange thing Leaues A leafe of great vertue Tiburons Manates Great Tortoyses Tiburons Plinie Crocodiles Manates The fyshe Manate A remedy agaynst the stone The swoorde fyshe Tunnye Turbut Note Fleeyng fyshes The Iland of Bermuda Not to hie for the Pye nor to lowe for the Crowe Beragua The west Ocean The sea Mediterraneum Hispaniola Cuba The South sea The power and wysedome of God is sene in his creatures Esquegua and Vrraca Nomen Dei Panama The ryuer of Chagre The Ilande Bastimento The marueylous brydge The Ilandes of Molucca The commoditie of this viage Tigers Plantes and hearbes Birdes Men. Sheepe Bulles Iucca Battes Plinie The Tiger The huntyng of Tigers A rewarde for kyllyng of Tygers Colonus compared to Hercules The pyllers of Hercules The strayghtes of Gibilterra Note Plus Vltra Howe farre the Emperours maiestie excelleth Hercules A Tyger made tame The Indian women The men of India The kyng is borne on mens backes Lettyng of blood They haue no beardes They paynte their bodies The Canibals Armure of golde Their galantnesse in the Warres Theyr Iuelles Howe the women beare vp theyr teates with barres of golde The stature colour of the Indians The Indians called Coronati The Ilande of Giantes Iucatos The sculles of the Indians heades Newe Spaine The houses of the Christians in India Dariena Gardens Men are desirous of newe thynges The commodities of Hispaniola Englande and Sicilie Golde mynes Cotton Cassia Suger Plantes and hearbes Great thynges hyndred by respect of present gaynes Oranges Pomegranats Fygges all the yeere Dates Beastes Great heardes of cattayle Good pasture The effect of continuall and moderate heate The cause of fat nouryshment Beastes of long lyfe in regions about the Equinoctial line Trees whose leaues do not wyther The canker of the tree Long lyued men in India Paradise neare the Equinoctiall line Sheepe and Hogges Dogges and Cattes become wylde The situation of Hispaniola The citi of San Domenico The ryuer Ozama The Hauen A cathadrall churche and monasteris in Hispaniola An Hospitall The people Glowormes Crowes stinkyng sweete Sainct Iohn his Ilande â–ª Iamaica Partriches Pellettes for Gunnes wrought by nature A fountayne of the pytche of Bitumen Quintus Cursius Bitumen of Babylon Panuco Baccalaos Indians Ryche furres and syluer Idolaters The citie of Mexico or Temixtitan Golde and syluer Sylke Cotton Alame Woade Suger Shelles for mony Corne. Beastes Haukyng and huntyng Payntyng WomeÌ„ sumptuously appareled A warlyke nation Captiues sacrificed to Idoles Peru is the rychest land that is knowen A house couered with golde Harnesse of golde A fruitfull region Great sheepe The dutie of Christian Princes Paraue Iohn Dias Solis The Iland Martinus Gratias The viage of Sebastian Cabot to the riuer of Plata Charlis Ophir Cipango Cathay The ryuer of Plata Marueylous fruitefulnes Mountaynes conteynyng golde and syluer Great sheepe Theyr colour Men with deformed legges The way to the Ilandes of Molucca by the north sea The Spanyardes Gasper Cortesreales Insula Cortesreales Snowe and Ise. Furres Fyshe Gryfes Beares The Britons Sebebastian Cabot The lande of Baccallaos The viage of Cabot in the dayes of king Henry the seuenth I se in Iuly Baccallaos Brytons Danes Iaques Cartyre The people of Baccallaos Fyshing for Tunnies Laborador Iohn Ponce Water of great vertue of this reade in the Decades Bemini Guaccana The Canibales Boriquen The death of Iohn Ponce The lande of Florida Ferdinando de Soto The valiant myndes of the Spanyardes The thyrd attempt of the conquest of Florida Certayne Fryers attempt the conquest onely with wordes but with euyll successe The Fryers are slayne and eaten A newe kynde of disgradyng 1. By the southeast 2. By the southwest 3. By the northeast Ortel tab Asiae 3. 4. By the Northwest Ob. 1. In Theatro Ob. 2. Ob. 3. Ob. 4. 5. Ob. Ob. 6. Cic. i. de orat Arist. pri Metaph. Lib. i. Geog. Cap. 2. Sol. i. Sol. 2. Oued 1. Meta. Sol. 3. Sol. 4. Lib. Geog. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 2. Meteor Cap. 1. Plin. lib. 2. Cap. 67. Sol. 5. Sol. 6. Luc. lib. 1. Pharsal VVhat the easterne currant is Lib. 1. Geog. Cap. 2. Fuquien Cinceo Cantan Chequeam Xutiamfu Chelim Quianci rather Quinzi Pachin al. Pochang Theyr monethes Loutea Chian al. Chaen Ponchiassi Anchiassi al. Hexasi Tuzi Taissu Licentiates Doctors Dutch lyke We that is the Italians and Spaniardes After the Dutch fation Pithigorian lyke The Italians call it the strapadâ— A pylleâ—â— boorde Of like the first lenders be the more welthier Fuquieo Hereof to fore Parai Tamen the proper name of China Pochang al. Theyr enemies Maryage of the kynges children He speaketh not here of all China but of the cities for in other places there be beggers as you haue seene already swarmyng out of trees He speaketh of Fuquien shyre Aliis Cenchi The kynges reuenues Parai That is theyr temples It shoulde seeme by their voyage to be Cardandan in Ortelius It seemeth they came vp the riuer from the Caspian sea At cacan Ali. Auoins Tartares Mounte Vsont Mogorites Bremes Southwarde from Chenchi to the sea Auoins Chenchi Goa is a citie of the Portugales in East Indie Theyr gouernement Tundi P. 231. But his almes are very good Inambuxu Genguis The Giaponish Funerals Ainan 〈…〉 Santianum The Romane Empyre 4. hundreth yeeres of ignoraunce East India well knowen in olde time Strabo The great rychesse of Egypt The citie of Alexandria Marueylous rychesse The gouernaunce and reuenues of the Romanes Trogloditica and India The gulfe of Arabia Ethiope Rych customs The rychesse whiche were brought in olde time from India and the redde sea The commision of Themperours Marcus and Comodus The great riches the kings of Egypt had by customes The noble enterpryses of the kings of Egypt Arsinoe Damiata Pelusio Nilus Copto Berenice A nauigable trenche made from Egypt to the red sea Lacus amari King Sesostre King Psammiticus Kyng Darius Kyng Ptolomeus The citie Heroum What Plinie writeth of the nauigable trenche The largenesse and length of the trenche The viage by land from Egypt to the red sea What kyng Ptolomeus discouered Alcayre The viage to East India frequented in olde tyme. The customes and maners of the Indians The voyage to Cathay Rycharde Chaunceler A learned descourse of dyuers voyages The voyages of the Portugales The worlde hangyng in the ayre What is knowen of the lower hemispherie The lande of Brasile Peru. The charg and dutie of Christian princes Note
Artawischa Sibut Lepin Sossa Obi. Kitaisko Vuogolici Irtische Ierom. Tumen Grustina Kitai Blacke men without speech Serponow Lucomorya Men that yeerely dye and reuyue A straunge trade of marchaundies Obi. Calami Ryuers â–ª Aurea Anus Obdora Cossin Cassima Tachnin People of moÌ„strous shape A fyshe lyke a man Plinie writeth of the lyke fysh Mountaynes The great Chane of Cathay Lucomoria Tumen Petzora Papin Hygh mountaynes supposed to be Hyperborei and Rhiphei Engreonland Stolp Cathay The fruitfull prouince of Rezan Iaroslaw Hony Donco Asoph Capha Constantinople Tanais diuideth Europe from Asia The sprynges of Tanais A great lake The ryuer Schat Casan Astrachan Meotis Tulla Achas Fruitefull regions about Tanais Plentie of wyld beastes Fyre and salt Where Tanais is fyrst nauigable Asoph The marte of Asoph Libertie allureth straungers The altars of Alexander and Cesar. The holy mountaynes Tanais the lesse From Moscouia to Asoph Moscouia in Asia and not in Europe The prouince of Permia Maryshes in sommer Duina Vstiug Tribute Furres and Horses Munkes and Heremites Patentes Marcus Panlus wryteth that these doggs are almost as byg as Asses that they vse six to one sleade Iugaria Hungaria Pannonia Attila The hygher or 〈…〉 called Auâ—tria Polonie Buda Furres Pearles precious stones Sibier Aspreolos I thynke to bee Marternes yet some thinke them to be Squirels Gesnerus wryteth that the kinges of the Tartars haue their tentes couered without with the skimes of Lions within with the skynnes of Sables and Ermines Czeremisse Habitation without houses Salte The Tartars of Casan Horda Besermani The stature of the Tartars They absteine from hogges fleshe Abstinence Voracitie So do the Turkes Iorneing by the pole starre Mares milke Horse fleshe eaten Clenly Horse heades deyntie meates The Tartars horses Saddels and styrrops of wood The Tartars women The Tartars curse No iustice among the Tartars The Tartas are theeues and poore They reioyce in spoylyng The feelde Tartars A meery tale Casan The kynge of Casan Archers Waryners The towne Tartars Moscouia inuaded by the Tartars The prince of Moscouia tributary to the Tartars Duke Basilius army agaynst the Tartars The kyng of Casan submitteth hym selfe The Iland of marchauntes The Caspian sea Persia. Armenia Astrachan The Tartars neare to the Caspian sea Nogai The possession of three bretherne The kynges called Sawolhenses A maruelous frute lyke a lambe Wandeuile Barnacles of the Orkeneys Barack Soltan Cathay Nouogradia Suecia vnder the kyng of Denmarke Dwina Potiwlo Hygh mountaynes neare the north Ocean Finlappia The wylde Lappians The region of Nortpoden The cape called the holy nose A whyrlpoole oâ— swalowing goulfe Such whyrlepooles are cauled vipers The stone called Semes Superstition Sacrifice to the stone Semes The cape Motka The castel of wardhus The region of the wylde Lappones Dront Iourneying on Sleades How the Harts draw Sleades Twentye leagues in one day The citie of Berges in Norway A shorter iourney Rostowe Pereaslaw Castromow Vuolochda Sucâ—ana Dwina Hafnia Koppenhagen Liuonia Werst is almost an Italian myle Paulus Iouius Ryuers fallyng into the frosen sea wynde Ise. I se of many yâ—eres The sea Baltheum Where the Sunne falleth not in .xl. days The wyld Lappones are tributares to the Moscouites Furres and fyshe Expert archers Good felowshyp Necessarie wares No vse of mony Theyr cotages Mountaynes continually burnyng The ryuer Petzora The beast called Mors. The prouidence of nature The frosen sea Engreonland or greonland Iiar I would reade Mair that is in the Sarasen language mixt of Turkish Egiptian February interpreted by them the moneth to set shyps to the sea A werst is theyr myle and is three quarters of an Englyshe myle Media nowe called Sharuan Armenians Christians A marueylous long wall builded by great Alexander The magnificence of Abdalaca kyng of Media Haukyng and huntyng The Turkes Ambassadours resist maister Ienkinson Great holinesse in shooes Christians called Frankes The Turkes sonne beheaded Christians Georgians Hasell Nuttes Casbin The kynges Concubines How straungers are vsed Haly A goodly and well grounded religion Theyr opinion of Christ. Theyr money Theyr bookes and learnyng Such was the lawe of the Macedons for Treason Dissention for religion Shauing Theyr pryestes and preaching Theyr Lent Abstinence froÌ„ wyne but not from drunkennes Theyr saintes and holy men Pilgrimage Theyr prayer and worshiping of God and Mahumet Washyng and outward clenlenesse Their swearing The kynges magnificence Pursiuantes The kynges companie with his wyues and concubines A very Sardanapalus The succession of the kyngdome Mariage Circumcisâ—on Theyr houses maner of eateyng Bond men bond women Women bougth solde and let to hire Abundance of Oyle ishuing out of the ground Oleum Petroleum Two sortes of Kyne Foxes in great plentie Abraham Oâ—tilius Tamerlanes Thamurlanes Tamburlanes or Tamurthlam Georgians Christians Contention for religion betweene Turkes and Persians Persians Turkes Anno. do 1280. Phison is thought to be Ganges Sarasins that is Mahumetans Abraham Ortelius Babilon of Chaldea and not of Egypt Tauris or Teueris Ismael they pronounce Smael Mortus Ali. Enukes or gelded men Londro London The Venetians trafique in England English cloths carses fyne wool Busor men be they that forsake theyr faith and receyue the religion of Mahumet Kyssell Bashe are the gentlemen that weare red cappes The commoditie which Englishe merchants may haue by the trade into Persia. Oxen and kyne beare burdens Ambision Africa The coast of Guinea Tunes Bugia Tripoli Numidia Ilandes of Tunes Malta The desartes of Libia Barbarie Mauritania The kinkdoms of Fes and marrocko Tremisen Oram Massaquiber Salla Azamor The Ilandes of Canarie Guinea Ethiopians Marrocko Fes Tremisen Guinea Africa the great Affricke the leasse Carthage Prester Iohn Cape de Buona Speranza The sea of sande Alcair From whence the queene of Saba came Manicongni The earthly Paradice The trees of the Sunne and Moone The Primrose The Lion The Moone Pinteado Brasile Guinea The flatteryng of fortune The Ilandes of Madera A galeon of the kyng of Portugale The Castell of Mina The Ilandes of Canarie The Ilande of S. Nicolas Guinea The ryuer of Sesto Graynes The thirst of golde The Castell of Mina The quantitie of golde Benin Pepper Furie admitteth no counsayle The Rossia Rottyng heate Scorchyng heate Benin Francisco Nicolas Lamberte The kyng of Banin his courte Reuerence towarde the kyng The communication betweene the kyng of Benin and our men Pepper The kynges gentelnesse towarde our men The disorder and death of our men The death of wyndan Pinteado euyll vsed of the maryners This Lambart was a LoÌ„dener borne whose father had been Lorde mayre of London and this Lambart sometyme a knyght of the rodes one as he was vnmaried so he liued in the feare of God and was the fyrst of that order that forsoke the Pope and claâ—e to Gods holy worde The death of Pinteado Seuen hundred reis are .x. s. Alcayre is halfe a bushell The I le of Madera The I le of palmes Teneriffa The Canaries From Madera
is gentle or noble Therefore whensoeuer any of the kynges familyers especially such as are knowne to her resorte to the bankes of the lake and call Matum Matum then she as myndefull of such benefites as shee hath receyued of men lifteth vp her head and commeth to the place whither shee is called and there receyueth meate at the handes of such as feede her If any desirous to passe ouer the lake make signes and tokens of theyr intent shee boweth her selfe to them therewith as it were gentelly inuityng them to amount vppon her and conueyeth them safely ouer It hath been seene that this monstrous fyshe hath at one tyme safely caryed ouer tenne men singing and playing But if by chaunce when she lyfted vp her head shee espyed any of the Christian men she would immediatly plunge downe againe into the water and refuse to obey bycause shee had once receyued iniury at the handes of a certayne wanton young man among the Christians who had cast a sharpe darte at her although shee were not huâ—te by reason of the hardenesse of her skynne being rough and full of scales and knobbes as we haue sayde Yet dyd shee beare in memorie thiniurie shee susteyned with so gentle a reuenge requityng thingratitude of him which had delt with her so vngentelly From that day whensoeuer shee was called by any of her familiers she would fyrst looke circumspectly about her least any were present apparelled after the maner of the Christians She would oftentymes play and wrestle vppon the banke with the kynges chamberlens and especially with a young man whom the kyng fauoured well being also accustomed to feede her Shee would bee sometymes as pleasaunt and full of play as it had been a moonkey or marmaset and was of long tyme a great comfort and solace to the whole Iland For no small confluence aswell of the Christians as of thinhabitantes had dayly concourse to beholde so straunge a myracle of nature the contemplation whereof was no lesse pleasaunt then wonderfull They say that the meate of this kynde of fyshe is of good taste and that many of them are engendred in the seas thereabout But at the length this pleasaunt playfelowe was loste and caryed into the sea by the great ryuer Attibunicus one of the foure which diuide the Ilande For at that tyme there chauncâ—d so terrible a tempest of wynde and rayne with suche floods ensuing that the lyke hath not lightly been heard of By reason of this tempest the ryuer Attibunicus so ouerflowed the bankes that it filled the whole vale and myxt it self with all the other lakes at which tyme also this gentle Matum pleasaunt companyon folowing the vehement course and fall of the floods was thereby restored to his olde moother and natyue waters and since that tyme neuer seene agayne Thus hauyng digressed sufficiently let vs now come to the situation of the vale It hath collateraâ—ly the mountaynes of Cibaua and Caiguam which bryng it to the South sea There is an other vale beyonde the mountaynes of Cibaua towarde the North this is called the vale of Guarionexius bycause that before the memorie of man the predicessours auncestours of kyng Guarionexius to whom it is descended by ryght of inheritaunce were euer the Lordes of the whole vale Of this kyng wee haue spoken largely in the fyrst narration of the Ilande in the fyrst Decade This vale is of length from the East to the West a hundred and fourescore myles and of breadth from the South to the North thirtie myles where it is narowest and fiftie where it is brodest It beginneth from the region Canobocoa by the prouinces of Huhabo and Caiabo and endeth in the prouince of Bainoa and the region of Mariena it lyeth in the myddest betweene the mountaynes of Cibaua and the mountaynes of Cahonai Caxacubuna There is no prouince nor any region which is not notable by the maiestie of mountaynes fruitfulnesse of vales pleasauntnesse of hylles and delectablenesse of playnes with abundance of faire ryuers running through the same There are no sides of mountaynes or hylles no ryuers which abound not with golde and delycate fyshes except only one ryuer which from thoriginal thereof with the sprynges of the same breakyng foorth of the mountaynes commeth out salt and so continueth vntill it perysh This ryuer is called Babuan and runneth through the myddle of the region Maguana in the prouince of Bainoa They suppose that this ryuer hath made it selfe a way vnder the grounde by some passages of playster or salte earth for there are in the Ilande manye notable salte bayes whereof we will speake more heereafter Wee haue declared howe the Ilande is diuided by foure ryuers and fyue prouinces There is also an other particion which is this The whole Ilande consisteth of the toppes of foure mountaynes whiche diuide it by the myddest from the East to the West in all these is abundaunce of nooryshyng moysture and great plentie of golde of the caues also of the which the waters of all the riuers into the which the caues emptie them selues haue theyr originall and increase There are lykewyse in them horryble dennes obscure and darke vales and myghtie rockes of stone There was neuer any noysome beast founde in it nor yet any rauenyng foure footed beast no Lion no Beare no fierce Tigers no crafâ—ie Foxes nor deuouring Woolfes All thinges are blessed and fortunate and now more fortunate for that so many thousandes of men are receyued to bee the sheepe of Christes flocke all theyr zemes and Images of deuylles being reiected and vtterly out of memorie If I chaunce now and then in the discourse of this narration to repeate one thing dyuers tymes or otherwyse to make digression I must desyre your holynesse therewith not to bee offended For whyle I see heare and wryte these thinges mee seemeth that I am heerewith so affected that for very ioy I feele my mynde stirred as it were with the spirite of Apollo as were the Sibilles whereby I am enforced to repeate the same agayne especially when I consider howe farre the amplitude of our religion spreadeth her wynges Yet among these so many blessed and fortunate thinges this one greeueth mee not a lyttle that these simple poore men neuer brought vp in labour doe dayly peryshe with intollerabe trauayle in the golde mynes and are thereby brought to suche desperation that many of them kyll them selues hauyng no regarde to the procreation of chyldren insomuche that women with chylde perceyuing that they shall bryng foorth suche as shal be slaues to the Christians vse medecines to destroy theyr conception And albeit that by the kynges letters patentes it was decreed that they should be set at libertie yet are they constrayned to serue more then seemeth conuenient for free men The number of the poore wretches is wonderfully extenuate they were once reckened to bee aboue twelue hundred thousand heades but what they