thereof folowe effectually Diuination Neuerthelesse althowgh such thynges as are spoken eyther by coniecture Coniecture or by thinstincte of nature or by naturall reason doo oftentymes take place and succede accordyngely yet are not such coniectures to bee accoumpted as certeyne as prophesies reueled by the spirite of god Prophesie which wee ought entierly to beleue but not so the other gathered only by certeine apparences similitudes reasons and demonstrations althowghe it bee greatly to bee maruailed to consyder howe they hytt e the truthe sumtyme which perhappes they doo accordyng to the prouerbe that sayth He that speaketh much shall sumtimes stumble on the truth So do the Egiptians All this I speake consyderynge the sayinge of the poet Seneca in his tragedie of Medea where his woordes seeme in all poyntes to agree with the discouerynge of the Indies founde of late by Chrystofer Colon the Spanyardes The woordes of Seneca The wordes of Seneca are these Venient annis Saecula seris quibus Oceanus Vincula rerum laxet et ingens Pateat tellus Tiphisque nouos Detegat orbes Nec sit terris vltima Thyle That is to saye There shall coomme worldes in late yeares in the which the Ocean shall vnlose the bondes of thynges and a great lande shall appeare Also Typhis that is nauigation shall discouer newe worldes And Thyle shall not bee the furthest lande Islande was in owlde time cauled Thyle as summe thinke ¶ The coppie of the duke of Moscouie and Emperoure of Russia his letters sent to kinge Edwarde the syxte The almighty poure of god and the incomprehensible holie Trinitie rightfull Christian beleefe we greatest Duke Ivan Uasileuich by the grace of god Emperoure of all Russia and greate duke of Uflademerskii Iuan Uasiliuich that is Iohn the soon of Basilius He conquered Casan therfore wryteth Lazanskii Moskouskii Nougorodskii Cazanskii Pskouskii Smolenskii Tuerskii Yougorskii Permskii Ueatsskii Bolgarskii with diuers other landes Emperoure also and greate duke of Nouagoroda and in the lowe countreys of Chermgouskii Rezanskii Uolotsskii Rzefskii Belskii Rostouskii Yaroslauskii Bclocherskii Oodorskii Obdorskii Condinskii and many other countreys Lord ouer all the north coaste Greetinge BEfore all right great and of honoure woorthy Edwarde kynge of Englande oure moste harty and of good zeale with good intente and frendly desyre and of owre holy Christian fayth of greate gouernaunce in the lyght of greate vnderstandynge Owre aunswere by thys our honorable writing vnto yowre kyngly gouernaunce at the request of yowre faithfull seruaunt Rycharde with his company as they shall let yowe wysely knowe is thus In the strengthe of the twentie yeare of owre gouernaunce be it knowen that at owre sea coastes arryued a shyppe with one Rycharde and hys company and sayd that he was desyrous to comme into owre dominions and accordynge to hys request hath seene owre lordshyppes and owre eys Seene owre eyes that is coomme to owr presence hathe declared vnto vs yowre maiesties desyre as that we shulde graunte vnto yowre subiectes to go and comme And in oure dominions and among owre subiects to frequente free martâ—s with all sortes of marchandies and vppon the same to haue wares for theyr returne And they haue also delyuered vs yowre letters which declare the same request And here vppoÌ„ we haue gyuen order that where soeuer your faythfull seruaunte Hugh Wyllobie lande or touche in owre dominions to bee well interteyned who as yet is not arryued as yowre seruaunte Rycharde can declare And wee with Christian beleefe and faythfulnesse and according to your honorable requeste and my honorable commaundement wyll not leaue it vndoone And am furthermore willynge that yow sende vnto vs with your shyppes and vessels when and as often as they may haue passage with good assurance on owre partie to see them harmelesse And if yow sende one of yowre maiesties counsaile to treate with vs wher by your countrey marchauntes may with all kyndes of wares and where they wyll make theyr market in our dominions and there to haue theyr free marte with all free liberties thorough my whole dominions with al kyndes of wares to come and goo at theyr pleasure without any lette domage or impediment accordynge to thys our letter our worde and our seale which wee haue commaunded to bee vnder sealed Wrytten in our dominion in our towne and our palesse in the Castell of Moscouia in the yeare .vii. thousande and syxtie the seconde moneth Febriarie Thys letter was wrytten in the Moscouian tounge in letters much lyke vnto the Greeke letters very fayre wrytten in paper with a brode seale hangynge at the same sealed in paper vppon wex Thys seale was much lyke vnto the brode seale of Englande hauyng in it on the one syde the Image of a man on horsebacke in complete harnes fighting with a dragon Under this letter was an other paper writteÌ„ in the duche toung which was thinterpretation of the other wrytten in the Moscouite Letters These letters were sent the nexte yeare after the data of Kynge Edwardes Letters ¶ Of the great Ilande which Plato cauled Atlantica or Atlantide THe Philosopher Plato wrytethe in his Dialoges of Timeus and Cricia that in the owlde time there was in the sea Atlanticke ouer agenst Affrica an Ilande cauled Atlantide greater then Affrica and Asia Plato sayth that these kynges were the sonnes of Neptunus affirmynge that those landes aâ—e from thense continent and greate And that the kynges of that Ilande gouerned a greate parte of Affrica and Europe But that in a certeyne greate earthequake and tempest of rayne An earthquake this Ilande soonke and the people were drowned Also that there remayned so much mudde of the drownynge or synkynge of that Ilande that that sea Atlantike coulde not bee sayled Sum take this for a fable and many for a trewe hystorie as doothe Marcilius Ficinus inducinge Proclus alleagynge certeyne hystories of the Ethiopians wrytten by one Marcellus Marcilius Ficinus Proclus who corfirmeth the same to bee trewe But there is nowe no cause why wee shulde any longer doubte or dispute of the Iland Antlantide forasmuch as the discouerynge and conquest of the west Indies do plainly declare what Plato hath wrytten of the sayde landes In Mexico also at this day they caul that water Atl. by the halfe name of Atlant Mexico or new Spaine as by a woorde remaynynge of the name of the Ilande that is not Wee may lykewyse say that the Indies are eyther the Ilande and firme lande of Plato or the remanent of the same and not the Ilandes of Hesperides or Ophir or Tharsis as sum haue thought of late dayes For the Hesperides are the Ilandes of Cabo Uerde and the Gorgonas from whense Hanon browght apes Albeit in conferrynge it with Solinus hesperides Capo Uerde Ophir Tharsis Gorgonas Solinus there is sum doubte by reason of the nauigation of fortie
downewarde thynke the worlde to be in maner no bygger then theyr owne dungehylles or cagies lyttle passynge whether the Chrystian fayth do spreade through the worlde or bee dryuen to one corner Euen so al good wyttes and honest natures I doubte not wyl not onely reioyce to see the kyngedome of God to bee so farre enlarged vppon the face of the earthe to the confusion of the deuyll and the Turkysshe Antichryste The Christian Empire enlarged but also do the vttermost of theyr poure to further the same For surely as Gonsalus Ouiedus wryteth to the Emperours maiestie in his hystorie of the Weste Indies that he thynketh hym no trewe Spanyarde whiche reioyceth not in the good fortune of theyr kynges by whose ayde and godly zeale this myghtie portion of the worlde hath byn added to the flocke of Chrystes congregation The conuertion of the gentyles Euen so do I thinke them no trewe Chrystian men that do not reioyce with the Angels of heauen for the deliuerie of these owre brootherne owre flesshe and owre bones from the handes of owre commune enemie the oulde serpente who hath so longe had them in hys possession vntyll the fulnesse of the gentyles be accomplysshed accordynge to the time prefinite by hym who vnto the yeare after his incarnation M. CCCC.lxxxxii hath suffered the greate serpente of the sea Leuiathan Leuiathan to haue suche dominion in the Ocean and to caste such mystes in the eyes of men that sence the creation of the worlde vntyll the yeare before named there hath byn no passage from owr knowen partes of the world to these newe landes wheras nowe the same are moste certeynely knowen to be not past .xxx. dayes saylynge from Spayne Neyther yet had the church of Europe any knowleage of the myghtie Chrystian Empire of Preciosus Iohannes otherwyse cauled Presbyter Iohannes Emperour of many Chrystian nations in Ethiope Prester Iohn the Christian Emperour of Ethiope vntyll the yeare of Chryste M. CCCC.xxxiii as largely appeareth in the nauigations of the Portugales and especially in the booke of Damianus a Goes wrytten to the bysshop of Rome Paule the thyrde of that name of the fayth and religion of the Ethiopians which they haue hadde sence the tyme of the Apostles A thynge certes most woonderfull and suche that yf the same were not hydde hetherto by gods vnsercheable prouidence I can not but thynke much negligence or ignorance in owr forefathers and predicessours vntyll the dayes of the ryght noble prudent and Catholike kynge of Aragon Don Ferdinando grandfather to Themperours maiestie by his eldest dowghter Don Ferdinando kynge of Aragon to the queenes hyghnesse by his seconde dowghter the most vertuous lady queene Catherine her graces moother A prince doubtelesse of suche nobilitie prowes magnificence and all other vertues commendable in a prince that who so shall indifferentely way all his doinges and good successe in all his affayres comparinge the same to thenterpryses and doinges atchyued by suche famous princes in whome the Greekes and Romans haue so greately gloryed maye with one eye perceaue not onely howe farre his noble factes do surmount theyrs but also wel consyder what noble braunches of isshewe were lyke to sprynge owt of so woorthy a stocke And suerly if sence the begynning of the worlde the fauour of god toward men hath byn knowen by such benefites and blessynges as he hath geuen to men The fauour of god knowen by his benefites it seemeth to me that in maner onely Chryste excepted there neuer lyued man to whom god hath geuen greater benefites and shewed more fauoure Great doubtlesse was the fauour and mercie that god shewed vnto Noe Noe. by whom he saued the remanent of mankynde beinge but fewe in number But much greater was the grace which he shewed to kynge Ferdinando vnder whom and by whose meanes he saued not onely the bodies but also the soules of innumerable millions of men inhabytynge a great part of the worlde heretofore vnknowen and drowned in the deluge of erroure What god hath wrought by kynge Ferdinando What shulde I here speake of Abraham the father of fayth whose promyses were great Abraham and he cauled the frende of god Dyd he or his posteritie see Israell increase to such multitudes and nations as kyng Ferdinandos posteritie may see thincrease of this spirituall Israell vnto whome as a seconde Abraham he was the father of fayth Spirituall Israell Moises was so great in the syght of god that he disclosed vnto hym his secreate name Moises and miraculously caused a corner of the sea to open at his prayer But howe greater a myracle was it that he opened vnto the nauie of Don Ferdinando the greate Ocean thowght before that tyme to bee without ende where neuerthelesse he and his posteritie the kynges of Spayne haue nowe planted a newe Israell muche greater then that whiche Moises ledde throughe the red sea It were here superfluous to speake of Dauid whom Godde founde a man accordynge to his hartes desyre Dauid and yet maye it be doubted whether his plages and scourges were greater then his benefites His sonne Salomon for al his inconstant and wauerynge wysedome and his great ryches obteyned by his nauigations to Ophir Salomon Ophir yet was there at this tyme no knowleage of Antipodes Antipodes neyther dydde any of his shyppes sayle abowt the hole worlde perce the Ocean The nauigation rounde about the worlde and trauerse the Equinoctial line to thinferiour hemispherie or halfe globe of the earthe and sea as dyd the famous shyppe Uictoria sent furth by Themperours maiestie A thyng doubtlesse so strange and marueylous that as the lyke was neuer done before so is it perhaps neuer lyke to be done ageyne so farre haue the nauigations of the Spanyardes excelled the vyage of Iason and the ' Argonautae to the region of Colchos or all that euer were before And although in the booke of kynges and Paralipomenon it bee hyperborically wrytten that in the daâ—es of Salomon golde syluer were in HierusaleÌ„ in maner as plentiful as stones that his seruantes brought from Ophir foure hundreth fiftie talentes of gold yet do we not reade that any of his shyppes were so laden with golde that they soonke as dyd a shyppe of kynge Ferdinandos as yow maye reade in the last booke of the fyrste Decade Neyther was the dominion of Salomon extended from the ryuer of Euphrates to the lande of the Philistians and thextreme confines of Egypte to be compared with the large Empire whiche the kynges of Spayne haue in the west Indies The dominion of Salomon Paral 9. The Indies Nor his ryches of golde to be thought much in respect of that which hath byn browght from thense into Spayne as shall playnely appere to al suche as wyll seeke to knowe the truth hereof But to let passe to speake any further of the myracles which god hath wrought
vnder yowr dominion except onely one corner of the same and haue also lefte yowe the kyngedome of Naples with the frutefull Ilandes of owr seas The kyndome of Naples it is suerly a greate thynge and woorthy to be noted in owre cronacles But not offendynge the reuerence due to owre predicessours what so euer frome the begynnynge of the worlde hath byn doone or wrytten to this day Note frome the begynning of the worlde to my iudgement seemeth but lyttle if we consyder what newe landes and countreys what newe seas what sundry nations and tounges what goldemynes what treasuries of perles they haue lefte vnto yowre hyghnesse besyde other reuenues The whiche what they are and howe greate these three Decades shall declare Come therfore moste noble Prince elected of God and enioy that hyghe estate of thynges not yet vnderstode to men We offer vnto yowe the Equinoctiall line hetherto vnknowen and burnte by the furious heate of the soonne and vnhabitable after the opinion of the owlde wryters a fewe excepted The temperatnes of the Equinoctial vnknowen to the owlde wryters But nowe founde to bee most replenisshed with people faire frutefull and moste fortunate with a thowsande Ilandes crowned with golde and bewtifull â—erles besyde that greate portâ—on of earth supposed to bee parte of the firme lande excedynge in quantitie three Europes Continente or firme lande as bygge as thre Europes Come therfore and embrase this newe worlde and suffer vs no longer to consume in desyre of yowr presence From hense from hense I saye mooste noble younge Prince shall instrumentes be prepared for yow Ryches are the instrumentes of conquestes whereby al the worlde shal be vnder yowr obeysaunce And thus I byd yowr maiestie farewell To whose taste if I shal perceaue the fruites of this my tyllage to be delectable I wyll hereafter doo my endeuoure that yowe maye receaue the same more abundauntly From Madrid The day before the Calendes of October In the yeare of Chryste M. D. XVI FINIS The fyrst decade ¶ THE FIRSTE BOOKE OF THE DECADES of the Ocean written by Peter Martyr of Angleria Milenoes counsiler to the kyng of Spayne and Protonotarie Apostolicall To Ascanius Sphorcia vicount Cardinall c. THE REVERENDE AND thanckefull antiquite was accustomed to esteme those men as goddes The reward of vertâ—e by whose industrie and magnanimitie suche Landes and Regions were discouered as were vnknowen to theyr predicessoures But vnto vs hauynge onely one god whom we honour in triplicitie of person this resteth that albeit we do not woorship that kind of men with diuine honoure yet do we reuereÌ„ce them and woorthely maruell at theyr noble actes and enterprises Unto kynges and princes we gyue due obeysaunce by whose gouernaunce and furtheraunce they haue bin ayded to perfurme theyr attemptes we commende bothe and for theyr iust desertes worthely extoll them Wherfore as concernynge the Ilandes of the west Ocean The Ilandes of the weste Ocean lately discouered of the auctours of the same whiche thynge you desyre by your letters to knowe I wyll begynne at the fyrst auctoure therof leste I be iniurious to any man Take it therfore as foloweth ¶ Christophorus Colonus other wise called Columbus A gentilman of Italy Christophorus Colonus borne in the citie of Genua perswaded Fernando and Elyzabeth catholike prynces that he doubted not to fynde certayne Ilandes of India India â–ª nere vnto owre Occean sea if they wolde furnysshe hym with shyppes and other thynges apperteynynge Affyrminge 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 might be founde there At the lenghte three shyppes were appoynted hym at the kinges charges of the which one was a great caracte with deckes and the other twoo 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 yere of Christ 1492. and set forward on his viage The fyrst viage of Colonus being accompanied with C C. xx Spanyardes The fortunate Ilandes as manye thinke them to be whiche the Spaniardes call Canariae The Ilandes of Canarie found but of late dayes are distaunte from the Ilandes of Gades Gades or Cals mals a thousande and twoo hundreth myles accordyng to theyr accompte for they say they are distant three hundreth leaques A leaque what it conteyneth by sea wheras such as are expert sea men affyrme that euery leaque conteyneth foure myles after theyr supputations These Ilandes were called fortunate the fortunate Ilandes for the temperate ayre whiche is in them For neyther the coldenesse 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 Cabouerde whiche the Portugales call Capo Verde Colonus therfore sayled fyrste to the Ilandes of Canariae to the intente there to refreshe his shyppes with freshe water and fuell before he committed him selfe to this so laborious a vyage And bycause I haue here made mentâ—on of the Ilandes of Canariae It shall not be muche from my purpose to declare howe of vnknowen they became knowen and of saluage and wilde better manured For by the longe course of manye yeres they were forgotten and remayned as vnknowen These seuen Ilandes theâ—fore called the Canaries The seuen Ilandes of Canarie were fouÌ„de by chaunce by a frenche man called Betanchor Betanchor A frenche man subdued the Ilandes of Canarie by the permission of queene Katharine protectrixe of kyng Iohn her son while he was yet in his nonage about the yere of Christe M. CCCC V. This Betanchor inuaded twoo of these Ilandes called Lancelotus and Fortâ—suentura Lâ—ncelotus FortisueÌ„tura whiche he inhabited and brought to better culture He beinge deade his son and heire solde bothe the sayde Ilandes to certayne Spaniardes After this Fernandus Peraria and his wyfe inuaded Ferrea and Gomera Ferrea Gomera The other three were subdued in our tyme. Grancanaria Grancanaria by Perrus de Vera citezen of the noble citie of Xericium and Michaell of Moxica Palma and Tenerifen Palma Tenerifen by Alphonsus Lugo at the kynges charges Gomera and Ferrea were easely subdued But the matter wente harde with Alphonsus Lugo Alphonsus Lugo For that naked and wylde nation fyghtinge onely with stones and clubbes droue his armie to flighte at the fyrste assaulte and slewe aboute foure hundreth 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 directynge his viage towarde thâ— weste folowinge the fallinge of the sonne but declining somwhat towarde the left hande sayled on forwarde .xxxiii. dayes continually hauynge onely the fruition of the heauen and the water Then the
of this fyshe whiche wandered safelye in the same for the space of .xxv. yeares and grewe excedyng byg What so euer is written of the Delphines of Baian or Arion are muche inferior to the dooinges of this fysh which for her gentle nature they named Matum that is gentle or noble Therefore when so euer any of the kynges familyers especially suche as are knowen to her resorte to the bankes of the lake and caule Matum Matum Matum then she as myndefull of suche benefites as she hath receaued of men lyftethe vp her heade and commeth to the place whither she is cauled A fyshe caryeth men oueâ— the lake and there receaueth meate at the handes of suche as feede her If any desirous to passe ouer the lake make signes and tokens of theyr intente she boweth her selfe to them therewith as it were gentelly inuitynge them to amount vppon her and conueyeth them safely ouer It hath byn seene that this monstrous fysshe hath at one tyme safely caryed ouer tenne men singinge and playinge A maruelouâ— thynge But if by chaunce when she lyfteed vp her heade she espyed any of the Christian men she woolde immediatly ploonge downe ageyne into the water and refuse to obey bycause she had once receaued iniury at the handes of a certeyne wanton younge man amonge the Christians who hadde caste a sharpe darte at her although she were not hurte by reason of the hardenes of her skynne beinge roughe and ful of skales and knobbes as we haue sayde Yet dyd she beare in memorie thiniurie she susteyned with so gentell a reuenge requitynge thingratâ—tude of hym which hâ—d delte with her so vngentelly From that day when so euer she was cauled by any of her familiers shâ— woolde fyrst looke circumâ—pectly about her least any were present appareled after the maner of the Christians She woolde oftentymes play and wrestle vppon the banke with the kynges chamberlens And especially with a younge man whom the kynge fauoured well beinge also accustomed to feede her Shee woolde bee sumetymes as pleasaunt and full of play as it had byn a moonkey or marmaset And was of longe tyme a great comfort and solace to the hole Ilande For no smaule confluence aswell of the Christians as of thinhabitantes had dayly concourse to beholde so straunge a myracle of nature the contemplation wherof was no lesse pleasaunt then woonderfull They say that the meate of this kynde of fysshe is of good taste And that many of them are engendered in the seas therabout But at the length this pleasaunt playfelowe was loste and caried into the sea by the great ryuer Attibunicus The ryuer Attibunicus one of the foure which diuide the Ilande For at that tyme there chaunced so terrible a tempest of wind rayne with such fluds ensewing that the like hath not lightly byn hard of By reason of this tempest the ryuer Attibunicus so ouerflowed the bankes that it fylled the hole vale myxt it selfe with all the other lakes At which tyme also this gentell Matum and pleasaunte companyon The situation of the great â—ale folowynge the vehemente course and faule of the fluddes was therby restored to his oulde moother and natyue waters and sence that tyme neuer seene ageyne Thus hauynge digressed sufficiently let vs nowe coome to the situation of the vale It hathe collaterally the mountaynes of Cibaua and Caiguam which brynge it to the South sea The mountaynes of Cibaua and Caiguam There is an other vale beyonde the mountaynes of Cibaua towarde the North. This is cauled the vale of Guarionexius bycause that before the memorie of man the predicessours and auncestours of kyng Guarionexius to whom it is descended by right of inheritaunce The greate vale of Guariâ—nexius were euer the lordes of the hole vale Of this kynge we 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 hundreth and fourescore myles And of breadth from the South to the North thirtie myles wher it is narowest and fiftie where it is brodeste It begynneth 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 betwene the mountaynes of Câ—baua and the mountaynes of Cabonai and Cazacubuna There is no prouince nor any region which is not notable by the maiestie of mountaynes Mountaynes frutefulnes of vales Uales pleasauntnesse of hylles hylles and delectablenes of playnes Playnes with abundaunce of fayre ryuers runnynge through the same Ryuers There are no sides of mountaynes or hylles no ryuers which abound not with golde and delycate fysshes Golde in all mountaynes and golde and fysshe in all ryuers except only one ryuer which from thoriginall therof with the sprynges of the same breakynge foorth of the mountaynes commeth owt salte and so contynueth vntyll it peryshe This ryuer is cauled Bahuan and runneth through the myddle of the region Maguana in the prouince of Bainoa They suppose that this ryuer hathe made it selfe awaye vnder the grounde by sume passages of playster or salte earthe For there are in the Ilande many notable salte bayes Salte bayes wherof we wyl speake more hereafter We haue declared howe the Ilande is diuided by foure ryuers fyue prouinces howe the Ilande is diuided with mountaynes There is also an other particion whiche is this The hole Ilande consysteth of the tops of foure mountaines which diuide it by the myddest from the East to the weste In all these is abundance of nooryshynge moysture and greate plentie of golde Golde of the caues also of the whiche the waters of al the riuers into the which the caues emptie them selues haue theyr originall and increase The ryuers haue theyr increase from the caues of the mountaynes There are lykewyse in theÌ„ horryble dennes obscure and darke vales and myghtie rockes of stone There was neuer any noysome beaste founde in it Nor yet any rauenynge foure footed beaste No hurtful or raueninge beast in the Ilande No lyon no beare no fierce tygers no craftie foxes nor deuouring woolfes Al thynges are blessed and fortunate And nowe more fortunate for that so many thousandes of men are receaued to bee the sheepe of Christes flocke all theyr Zemes and Images of deuylles being reiected and vtterly out of memorie The autours excuse If I chaunce nowe and then in the discourse of this narration to repeate one thynge dyuers tymes or otherwise to make digression I must desyre yowre holynes therwith not to bee offended For whyle I see heare and wryte these thinges mee seemeth that I am herewith so affected that for verye ioy I feele my mynde stirred as it were with the spirite of Apollo as were the Sibylles whereby I am enforced to repeate the same ageyne Especially when I consyder howe farre the amplitude of owre
of his approued faithfulnesse and industrie he had before byn sent as oratoure to the kynges of Suecia and Denmarke and the great master of Prussia he was at the last sente to Themperoure Maximilian in whose courte beinge replenysshed with all sortes of menne whyle he was conuersant if any thyng of barbarous maners yet remayned in so docible and quiet a nature the same was put away by framynge hym selfe to better ciuilitie The cause of his legacie or ambassade was gyuen by Paulus Centurio a Genuese Paulus Centurio who when he had receaued letters commendatori of pope Leo the tenth and came to Moscouia for the trade of marchaundies of his owne mynde conferred with the familiers of Duke Basilius as touchynge the conformation of the rites of both churches He furthermore of great magnanimitie and in maner owtragious desire sowght howe by a newe and incredible viage spices myght bee browght from India Spiceâ— browght froÌ„ India to Moscouia For whyle before he had exercised the trade of merchaundies in Syria Egypte and Pontus he knewe by fame that spices myght bee conueighed from the further India vp the riuer Indus ageynst the course of the same The ryuer Indus and from thence by a smal vyage by lande passinge ouer the mountaynes of Paropanisus to bee caried to the riuer Oxus in Bactria Oxus or hexina a ryuer of Asia runneth through the desertes of Sythia which hauing his original almost from the same mountaynes frome whense Indus dooth springe and violently caryinge with it manye other ryuers fauleth into the sea Hircanum or Caspium at the porte cauled Straua The sea hircanum is now cauled mare Abacuk or mare de Sala And he ernestly affirmed that frome Straua is an easy and safe nauigation vnto the marte towne of Citrachan or Astrachan and the mouth of the ryuer Uolga and from thense euer ageynst the coâ—rse of the ryuers Citrachan or Astracan as Uolga Occha and Moscho vnto the citie Moscha and frome thence by lande to Riga and into the sea of Sarmatia and all the west regions For he was vehemently and more then of equitie accensed and prouoked by the iniuries of the Portugales Sarmartia is that greate countrey wherin 〈◊〉 conteyned Russia Liuonia and Tartaria the north and East part of Polonia who hauynge by force of armes subdued a great parte of India and possessed all the marte townes takynge holy into theyr handes all the trade of spices to brynge the same into Spayne and neuerthelesse to sell them at a more greuous and intollerable price to the people of Europe then euer was hard of before And furthermore kepte the coastes of the Indian sea so straightly with continuall nauies that those trades are thereby lefte of which were before exercised by the goulfe of Persia and towarde the ryuer of Euphrates Ageynst the Portugales and also by the streightes of the sea of Arabia and the ryuer Nilus and in fine by owre sea The trade of spices inowld tyme. by which trade all Asia and Europe was abundantly satisfied and better cheape then hathe byn sence the Portugales had the trade in theyr handes with so manye incommodities of such longe viages wherby the spices are so corrupted by thinfection of the poompe and other fylthynesse of the shippes that theyr naturall sauour taste Spices corrupted and qualitie aswell hereby as by theyr longe reseruyng in the shoppes sellers and warehouses in Lussheburne vanyssheth and resolueth so that reseruynge euer the fresshest and neweste they sel only the woorst and most corrupted But Paulus although in all places he ernestly and vehemently argued of these thinges and styrred great malice and hatred ageynst the Portugales affirmynge that not only therby the customes and reuenewes of princes shulde bee much greater if that vyage might bee discouered but also that spices myght bee better cheepe bowght at the handes of the Moscouites yet coulde he nothinge auayle in this sute forasmuche as Duke Basilius thowght it not good to make open or disclose vnto a straunger and vnknowne man those regions which giue enterance to the sea Caspium and the kyngedomes of Persia. The Caspian sea Paulus therfore excludynge all hope of further trauayle and become nowe of a marchaunte an Ambassadoure browght Basilius letters pope Leo beinge nowe departed to Adriane his successoure Basilius wrot to Pope Adâ—â—ane in the whiche he declared with honorable and reuerened woordes his good wyll and fauorable mynde towarde the bysshop of Rome For a fewe yeares before Basilius then keepynge warres ageynste the Polones at suche tyme as the generall counsayle was celebrate at Laterane requyred by Iohn kynge of Denmarke the father of Christierne who was of late expulsed from his kyngedome that safe passage myght bee graunted to thambassadours of Moscouia to go to Rome But wheras it so chaunced that kynge Iohn and pope Iulius dyed both in one day wherby he lacked a conuenient sequester or solicitoure he omittted his consulation as touchynge that legacie After this the warre waxed hot betwene him and Sigismunde the kynge of Polonie who obteinynge the victorie ageinst the Moscouites at Boristhene warre betwene the Polones and Moscouites supplications were decreed in Rome for the ouerthrowe and vanquyssynge the enemies of the Christian faithe whiche thinge greatly alienated both kynge Basilius him selfe and all that nation from the bysshop of Rome But when Adriane the .vi. departed from this lyfe and lefte Paulus nowe redie to his seconde vyage his successour Clemente the .vii. perceauynge that Paulus styll furiously reuolued and tossed in his vnquiet mynde that vyage towarde the Easte sente hym ageyne with letters to Moscouia The seconde viage of Paulus to Moscouiâ— by the which with propense and frendly persuasions he exhorted Basilius to acknowleage the maiestie of the Romane churche The Pope persuadeth Basilius to acknowledge the Romane churche and to make a perpetuall leage and agreement in matters of religion which thynge shuld be not only for the health of his soule but also greatly to thincrease of his honour And further promysed that by the holy autoritie of his office he wolde make hym a kynge and gyue hym kyngely ornamentes if reiectyng the doctrine of the Greekes he wolde conforme hym selfe to thautoritie of thâ— Romane churche For Basilius desyred the name and tytle of a kynge by thassignation of the bysshoppe of Rome forasmâ—ch as the iudged that to apperteyne to the catholyke right and the bysshoppes maiestie of whome as he knewe ryght well euen Themperours them selues by an auncient custome haue receaued there insignes of honoure with the Diademe and scepter of the Romane Empire The Emperoures receaue there diademe of the bysshoppes of Rome althowghe it is sayde that he required the same of Themperour Maximiliane by many ambassades Paulus therfore who with more prosperous iorneys then great vantage had from his youth trauayled a greate parte of the world althowgh he were
of Iohn Anes dwellynge in the towne cauled the porte hath doone vnto me my wyll and pleasure is to make hym knyght of my house alowynge to hym in pension seuen hundreth reys monethly Seuen hundreth reys are .x. s. Alcayr is halfe a busshel and euery daye one alcayr of barly as longe as he kepeth a horse and to bee payde accordynge to the ordinaunce of my house Prouydynge alwayes that he shal receaue but one mariage gyfte And this also in such condition that the tyme whiche is excepted in owre ordinaunce forbyddynge such men to mary for gettynge such chyldren as myght succeade them in this alowance which is syxe yeares after the makynge of this patente shal be fyrste expired before he do mary I therfore commaunde yowe to cause this to bee entered in the booke cauled the Matricola of owre housholde vnder the tytle of knyghtes And when it is so entered let the clerke of the Matricola for the certentie therof wryte on the backe syde of this Aluala or patente the number of the leafe wherin this owre graunt is entered Which doone let hym returne this wrytynge vnto the sayd Antonie Anes Pinteado for his warrant I Diego Henriques haue wrytten this in Almarin the xxii day of September in the yeare of owre lorde .1551 And this beneuolence the kynge gaue vnto Antonie Anes Pinteado the .xxv. day of Iuly this present yeare Rey. ¶ The secretaries declaration wrytten vnder the kynges graunt YOwre maiestie hath vouchsafed in respect and consyderation of the good seruice of Antonie Anes Pinteado dwellynge in the porte and soonne of Iohn Anes to make hym knyght of yowre house with ordinarie alowance of seuen hundreth reys pension by the moneth and one Alcayr of barley by the day as longe as he keepeth a horse And to bee payde accordyng to the ordinaunce of yowr house with condition that he shall haue but one mariage gyfte And that not within the space of .vi. yeares after the makynge of these letters patentes The secretaries note Entered in the booke of the Matricola Fol. 683. Francisco de Siquera ¶ The coppie of the letter of Don Lewes thinfant and brother to the kynge of Portugale sent into Englande to Antonianes Pinteado ANtonie Anes Pinteado I the infant brother to the kynge haue me hartely commended vnto yow Peter Gonsalues is gone to seeke yow desyrynge to brynge yowe home ageyne into yowr countrey And for that purpose hath with hym a safe conduct for yow graunted by the kynge that thereby yowe may freely and withowt all feare come home And although the wether be foule and stormy yet fayle not to come For in the tyme that his maiestie hath gyuen yow yow maye doo many thynges to yowre contentacion and gratifying the kynge wherof I wolde bee ryght gladde and to brynge the same to passe wyll doo all that lyeth in me for yowre profyte But forasmuch as Peter Gonsalues wyll make further declaration hereof vnto yow I say no more at this present Wrytten in Luxburne the .viii. day of December Anno M.D.LII. ¶ The Infant don Lews AL these forsayd wrytynges I sawe vnder selâ— in the house of my frende Nicolas Lyese with whom Pinteado left them at his vnfortunatâ— departynge to Guinea But notwithstanding all these frendly letters and fayre promyses Pinteado durste not attempte to go home neyther to keepâ— company with the Portugales his countrey men withowt thâ— presence of other forasmuch as he had secreate admonition that they intended to sley hym if tyme and place myght hauâ— serued theyr wycked intent ☞ The seconde vyage to Guinea AS in the fyrst vyage I haue declared ratheâ— the order of the hystory theÌ„ the course of the nauigation whereof at that tyme I coulde haue no perfecte information so in the discription of this seconde vyage my chiefe intent hath byn to shew the course of the same accordynge to the obseruation and ordinarie custome of them aryners and as I receaued it at the handes of an experte pylot beinge one of the chiefe in this viage who also with his owne handes wrote a briefe declaration of the same as he founde and tryed all thynges not by coniecture but by the arte of saylynge and instrumentes perteynynge to the mariners facultie Not therfore assuminge to my selfe the commendations dewe to other neyther so boulde as in anye parte to chaunge or otherwise dispose the order of this vyagâ— so wel obserued by art and experience I haue thowght good to set furth the same in such sorte and phrase of speache as is commonly vsed amonge them and as I receaued it of the said pylot as I haue sayde Take it therfore as foloweth In the yeare of owre lorde M.D.LIIII the .xi. day of October wee dâ—parted the ryuer of Temmes with three goodly shyppes th one cauled the Trinitie a shyppe of the burden of seuen score toonne Thother cauled the Barthelmewe a shyppe of the burden of lxxxx The thyrde was the Iohn Euangelist a shyppe of seuen score toonne With the sayde shyppes and two pyunesses wherof the one was drowned in the coast of Englande we went forwarde on owr vyage and steyde at Douer .xiiii. dayes We steyde also at Rye three or foure dayes More ouer last of all we touched at Darthmouth The fyrst day of Nouember at .ix. of the clocke at nyght departynge from the coaste of Englande we sâ—rte of the stert bearynge southwest all that nyght in the sea and the nexte day all day and the next nyght after vntyll the thyrde dayâ— of the sayde mooneth abowt noone makynge owr way good dyd runne .60 leaques Item from .xii. of the clocke the thyrde daye tyll .xii. of the clocke the .iiii day of the sayde mooneth makynge owr way good southeast dyd runne euery three houres twoo leaques which amounteth to .xvi. leaques the hole Item from .xii. of the clocke the .iiii. day to .xii. of the clocke the .v. day runnynge southwest in the sea dydde runne .xii. leaques Item runnynge from .xii. of the clocke the .v. day vntyll .xii. of the clocke the .vi. day runnyng southeast dyd runne .xviii leaques And so from .xii. of the clocke the .vi. daye vntyll .xii. of the clocke the .vii. day runnynge southsouthwest dyd runne euery houre .ii. leaques which amouÌ„t to .xlviii. leaques the hole Item from .xii. of the clocke the .vii. day tyl .iii. of the clocke the .viii. day southsouthwest runnyng in the sea dyd runne xxx leaques Item from three of the clocke the .viii. day vntyll .iii. of the clocke the .ix. day runnyng southsouthwest dyd runne .xxx. leaques Item from .iii. of the clocke the .ix. day tyll .iii. of the clocke the .x. day dyd southsouthaest in runnynge in the sea the sum of .xxiiii. leaques Also from .iii. of the clocke thy .x. day vntyl .xli. of the clocke the .xi. day dyd run southsouthwest the sum of .xii. leaques and from .xii. of the. clocke tyll .vi. of the sayde day dyd run vi leaques Runnynge south and by west in the
vnprofitable And brynge rather a fame to theyr inuentoures then trewe glorye Fame differeth from true glory Perillus was famous by diuisynge his brasen bulle yet so that it had byn better for hym to haue byn obscure and vnknowen They haue therefore deserued more trewe commendation whiche in buyldynge of cities townes fortresses bridges cundites hauens shyppes and suche other haue so ioyned magnificence with profecte that bothe may remaine for an eternal testimonie of absolute glory Absolute glory whose perfection extendeth to the gratifyinge of vniuersal mankind as farre as mans mortalitie wyll permit The whiche thinge whyle I consider and caule to memorie howe Cicero defineth trewe glory to bee a fame of many and greate desertes eyther towarde owre citizens What is true glory owre countrey or towarde all man kynde and the same to bee of such excellencie that the owlde poetes for sume effecte fayned it to bee the sweete Ambrosia and Nectar wherwith the goddes are fedde and that of such force that who so may drynke therof shal also become a god that is to say immortall and happy mee thynke verely that yf man maye be a god to men as holy scripture speaketh of Moises and other the kynges of Spayne of late dayes if I may speake it without offence of other may so much the more for theyr iust desertes and good fortune be compared to those goddes made of men whom the antiquitie cauled Heroes and for theyr manyfolde benefites to man kynde honoured theym with The kynges of Spayne Heroes diuine honoure as theyr famous factes so farre excell al other as I dare not speake to such as haue not yet harde or redde of the same least the greatnesse therof shulde at the first brunte so muche astonyshe the reader that he myght geue the lesse credite to the autoure of this booke who neuerthelesse hath moste faythfully wrytten this hystorye of suche thynges wherof he hath seene a greate parte him selfe as being by the moste catholyke and puissaunt kynge Ferdinando appoynted a commissionarie in th affayres of India and gathered the residewe partly by information and partly out of the wrytinges of such as haue byn as Uyrgyll wryteth of Eneas The certentie of this hystory Et quorum pars magna fui that is doers and parte of such thynges as are conteyned in the hystorie as Gouernours Lieuetenauntes Capitaynes Admirals and Pylottes who by theyr paineful trauayles and prowes haue not onely subdued these landes and seas but haue also with lyke diligence commytted thorder therof to wrytinge And not this onely but for the better tryall of the trewth herein haue and yet doo in maner dayly sende from thense into Spayne such monumentes as are most certeyne testimonies of theyr doynge as yow may reade in dyuers places in this boke This newe worlde is nowe so much frequented the Ocean nowe so well knowen and the commodities so greate that the kynge erected a house in the citie of Siuile cauled the house of the contractes of India perteynynge onely to th affayres of the Ocean The house of the contractes of India to the which al such resorte for necessaries as attempte anye vyage to this newe worlde and lykewyse at theyr returne make theyr accompte to the counsayle for the Indies for the golde and suche other thynges as they brynge from thense The counsayl for the Indiâ—s It is therefore apparent that the heroical factes of the Spaniardes of these days The heroicall factes of the Spanyardes deserue so greate prayse that thautour of this booke beinge no Spanyarde doth woorthely extolle theyr doynge aboue the famous actes of Hercules and Saturnus and such other which for theyr glorious and vertuous enterpryses were accoumpted as goddes amonge men And surely if great Alexander and the Romans which haue rather obteyned then deserued immortall fame amonge men for theyr bluddye victories onely for theyr owne glory and amplifyinge theyr empire obteyned by slawghter of innocentes and kepte by violence Great Alexander The â—panyardes warres in the Indies haue byn magnified for theyr doinges howe much more then shal we thynke these men woorthy iust commendations which in theyr mercyfull warres ageynst these naked people haue so vsed themselues towarde them in exchaungynge of benefites for victorie that greater commoditie hath therof ensewed to the vanquisshed then the victourers They haue taken nothynge from them but such as they them selues were wel wyllynge to departe with and accoumpted as superfluities as golde perles precious stones and such other for the which they recompensed theym with suche thynges as they muche more estemed The benefites that the Indians haue receaued by the Spanyardes But sum wyll say they possesse and inhabyte theyr regions and vse theym as bondemen and tributaries where before they were free They inhabite theyr regions in deede Yet so that by theyr diligence and better manurynge the same they maye nowe better susteyne both then one before Theyr bondage is suche as is much rather to be desired then theyr former libertie which was to the cruell Canibales rather a horrible licenciousnesse then a libertie Lybertie The Canibales and to the innocent so terrible a bondage thaâ— in the myddest of theyr ferefull idlenesse Feareful idlenesse they were euer in daunger to be a pray to those manhuntynge woolues But nowe thanked be God by the manhodde and pollicie of the Spanyardes this deuelysshe generation is so consumed partely by the slaughter of suche as coulde by no meanes be brought to ciuilitie and partly by reseruynge such as were oueâ—come in the warres and conuertynge them to a better mynde that the prophecie may herein bee fulfylled that the woolfe and the lambe shall feede together Isai. 65. and the wylde fieldes with the vale of Aâ—hor shal be the folde of the heard of gods people Moises as the minister of the lawe of wrath and bondage geuen in fyer teÌ„pestes The warres of Moises was coÌ„maunded in his warres to saue neyther man woman nor chylde and yet brought no commoditie to the nations whom he ouercame and possessed theyr landes But the Spaniardes as the mynisters of grace and libertie The Indians subdued to the fayth browght vnto these newe gentyles the victorie of Chrystes death wherby they beinge subdued with the worldely sworde are nowe made free from the bondage of Sathans tyrannie by the myghty poure of this triumphante victourer Isai. 42. whom as sayth the prophet god hath ordeyned to be a lyght to the gentyles to open the eyes of the blynde and to delyuer the bounde owt of pryson and captiuitie What other men do phantasie herein I can not tell but suer I am that lyke as the slowe and brutysshâ— wyttes for the sclendernesse of theyr capacitie and effeminate hartes do neuer or seldome lyfte vp theyr myndes to the contemplation of goddes workes and maiestie of nature The contemplation of gods workes but lyke brute beastes lookynge euer
Seleucus Nicanor whiche attempted to cutte in sundre certeyne places cauled Isthmi beinge narowe portions of lande so diuidynge twoo seas that there is no passage from the one to the other and yet neuer finisshed that they tooke in hande beinge hyndered eyther by deathe The rewarde of noble enterprises warres or other chaunces The auncient Romans Greekes gaue such glorye vnto them that had eyther well deserued of the common welthe or otherwyse attempted such great enterprises as might bee profitable for mankynde that after theyr death they caused Images of golde syluer brasse Iuery and marble to bee made to theyr lykenesse and the same to be placed in theyr solemne haules palaices or temples with certeyne verses made to the comnendation of them whom the Images represented And thâ—s no lesse to prouoke and encorage other forwarde natures to themulaâ—ion of their vertues then alâ—o to geue them the due honoure of theyr iust desertes And surely if â—uer sence the begynnynge of the worlde any enterpryse haue deserued greate prayse as a thynge atchyued by men of heroicall vertue doubtlesse there was neuer any more woorthy commendation and admiration then is that whâ—che owre nation haue attempted by the north seas to discouer the mightie and riche empire of Cathay The vyage to Caâ—hay by the north seas by whâ—ch vyage not only golde syluer precious stones and spices may be browght hether by a safer and shorter way but also much greater matters may hereof enâ—ewe in tyme if it shall please God to gyue vnto Christian men such passage into those regions whereby such familiaritie may further growe betwene the ChristiaÌ„ princes of Europe and the greate emperoure of Cathay that as wryteth Haytho De societate Christianorum et Tartarorum there can nothynge be imagined more effectuall for the confusion of the Turke if the great Cham of Cathay and the Sophie of Persia on the one syde Societie betwene the Tâ—eâ—aâ—s and the Christians The Turke The Sophie and the Christian Princes on the other syde shulde with one consent inuade his dominions as dyd Tamburlanes Themperoure of the Tartars who abowte the Tambulanes Baiasetes yeare of Christe M. CCC.lxxxxviii toke prisoner Baiasetes Ottomanus Themperoure of the Turkes and slewe .xx. thousande of his men in one battayle besyde many other great victories as yowe may further reade in this booke in the hystorie of Paulus Iouius And to haue sayde thus muche in maner of a preface it may suffice ¶ To the moste noble Prince and Catholike kynge Charles Peter Martyr of Angleria wysheth perpetuall felicitie THe diuine prouidence frome the tyme that he fyrste created the worlde hathe reserued vnto this day the knowleage of the great and large Ocean sea The largenes of the Ocean vnknowen to this day In the which tyme he hath opened the same chiefely vnto yowe moste mightie Prince by the good fortune and happie successe of yowr grandfather by yowr mothers syde The same prouidence I knowe not by what destenie hath brought me owt of my natiue countrey of Milane and owt of the citie of Rome where I continued almost .x. yeares into Spaine that I myght particularlye collecte these marueylous and newe thynges which shoulde otherwyse perhappes haue line drowned in the whirlepoole of obliuion forasmuch as the Spanyardes men woorthy greate commendation had onely care to the generall inuentions of these thynges Notwithstandinge I doo not chalenge vnto me only the thankes of the trauaile bestowed herein wheras the chiefe rewarde therof is due to Ascanius vicounte Cardinal Cardinal Ascanius who perceauynge that I was wylling to departe owt of the citie to be present at the warres of Granatum The warres of Granatum ageynst the Moores dissuaded me from my purpose But seing that I was fully resolued to departe exhorted and required me to wryte vnto hym such newes as were famous in Spayne and woorthy to be noted I tooke therfore my iorney into Spaine chiefely for the desyre I had to see thexpedition whiche was prepared ageynst the enemies of the fayth forasmuche as in Italye by reason of the dissention amonge the Princes I coulde fynde nothynge wherewith I myght feede my wytte beinge a younge man desyrous of knowleage and experience of thynges I was therefore presente at the warres frome whense I writte to Cardinal Ascanius and by sundry epistels certifyed hym of such thynges as I thought moste woorthye to be put in memorie But when I perceaued that his fortunâ— was turned from a naturall moother to a steppedame I ceased from wrytynge Yet after I sawe that by thouerthrowe of the enemies of owre faythe Spayne was pourged of the Moores as of an euyll weede plucked vp by the rootes Leaste I shulde bestowe my slippery yeares in vnprofitable Idlenesse I was mynded to returne to Italie But the singuler benignitie of bothe the Catholyke kynge and queene nowe departed and theyr large promises towarde me vppon my returne frome my legacie of Babilon deteyned me frome my purpose The autour was â—ent ambassadour to the Soltane of Alcayr in Egypte Yet dooth it not repent me that I drewe backe my foote Aswel for that I see in no other place of the worlde at this time the lyke woorthy thinges to bee done As also that in maner throwgh owt all Italy by reason of the discorde of the Christian Princes I perceaued all thynges to runne headelonge into ruine Italy disquiâ—ted with warres the countreys to be destroyed and made fatte with humane bludde The cities sacked virgines and matrones with theyr gooddes and possessions caried away as captâ—ues and miserable innocentes without offence to be slayne vnarmed within theyr owne houses Of the which calamities The sequeles of water I dyd not onely heare the lamentable owtcryes but dyd also feele the same For euen the bludde of mine owne kinsfolkes and frendes was not free from that crueltie As I was therfore musynge with my selfe of these thynges the Cardinal of Arragonie after that he had seene the two fyrste bookes of my Decades wrytten to Ascanius required me in the name of kynge Frederike his vncle Kynge Frederike to put foorth the other eyght epistell bookes In the meane tyme also while I was voyde of all care as touchynge the matters of the Ocean the Apostolicall messengers of the bysshopppe of Rome Leo the tenth Leo the tenth â–ª byshoppe of Rome by whose holsome counsayle and autoritie we truste the calamities of Italy shal be fynysshed raysed me as it were frome sleape and encoraged me to proceade as I had begunne To his holynesse I writte two Decades coÌ„prysed in short bokes after the maner of epistels and added them to the fyrst which was printed withowt myne aduise as shall further appeare by the preface folowynge But nowe I returne to yow most noble Prince from whom I haue sumwhat digressed Spayne subdued from the Moores Therfore wheras yowr graundefathers by yowre moothers syde haue subdued all Spayne
Spanyardes Animae album Animae album whose perfume is of most excellent effect to heale the reumes murres and heauines of the heade As touchinge this vyage as yet I knowe noo other newes that I thought worthy to certifie yowe of Wherfore I wyl nowe make an ende of this booke bycause yow put me so often in rememberance of your departure Yet to accomplysshe the Decade I wyll declare sumwhae of the superstitions of Hispaniola The superstitions of hispaniola Yowe shall nowe therfore vnderstand the illusions wherwith the people of the Ilande haue byn seduced after the errours of the owlde gentilitie The errours of the owlde gentilitie and wandered in the ignorance and blyndenes of humane nature corrupted by the disobedience of owr fyrst parentes which 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 poure vppon his electe the grace of renouation The grace of renouation by the lyght wherof the naturall darkenes receaueth sume clearenes as in a glasse vntyll imperfection shal be abolyshed Owre men therefore were longe in the Ilande of Hispaniola before they knewe that the people thereof honorede any other thynge theÌ„ the lyghtes of heauen or had any other Religion But when theye had byne nowe longe conuersante with them and by vnderstandyng their language drewe to a further familiaritie they had knowleage that they vsed dyuers rytes and superstitions I haue therfore gathered these fewe thynges folowynge owte of a booke wrytten by one Ramonus an heremyte Ramonus an heremyte whom Colonus had lefte with certeyne kynges of the Ilande to instruct them in the Christian fayth And bycauâ—e in maner their hole religion is none other thing then Idolatry I wyll begynne at theyr Idoles Idoâ—atry and Idoles It is therfore apparente by the Images which they honour openly and commonly that there appere vnto them in the nyghte seasons certeyne phantaâ—ies and illusions of euyll spirites Illuâ—ions of euyl spirites seducinge them into many fonde and folyshe errours For they make certeyne Images of gossampine cotton foulded or wrethed after theyr maner Images of gossampâ—ne cotton and harde stopped within These Images they make sytting much lyke vnto the pictures of sprites and deuelles which owr paynters are accustomed to paâ—nt vppon waules But forasmuch as I my selfe sent yowe foure of these Images yowe may better presently signifie vnto the kynge yowre vncle what maner of thynges they are howe lyke vnto paynted deuelles then I can expresse the same by wrytynge These Images thinhabitantes caule Zemes zemes wherof the leaste made to the lykenes of younge deuels younge deuyls they bind to theyr forheades when they goo to the warres ageynst their enemies And for that purpose haue they those strynges hangynge at them which yowe see Of these they beleue to obteyne rayne if rayne be lackyng and lykewyse fayre wether For they thinke that these Zemes are the mediatours and messengers of the greate god Mediatours whom they acknowleage to be only one eternall Only one god eternall withowte ende omnipotent and inuisible Thus euery kynge hath his particuler Zemes which he honoureth The names of god They caule the eternall god by these twoo names Iocauna and Guamaonocon as theyr predicessours tawght them Affirminge that he hath a father cauled by these fyue names The father of god that is Artabâ—ra Mamona Cuacarapita Liella Guimazoa Nowe shall yowe heare what they fable on the earth as touchinge the originall of man The originall of man kynde There is in the Ilande a Region cauled Caunana wher they fayne that mankynde came fyrst owte of twoo caues of a mountayne and that the byggest sorte of men came furth of the mouth of the byggest caue and the least sorte owte of the leaste caue The rocke in the which these caues are they caule Cauâ—a The greatest denne they name Cazibaxagua and the lesse Amaiauna Fables much lyke Ouide his transformations They say that before it was lawful for men to come foorth of the caue the mouth of the caue was kepte and watched nyghtly by a man whose name was Machochael This Machochael departinge sumwhat farre from the caue to thintente to see what thynges were abrode was soodenly taken of the soonne whose sight he was forbydden and was turned into a stone They fayne the lyke of dyuers other that whereas they went foorthe in the nyghte season a fysshynge so farre from the caue that they coulde not returne before the rysynge of the soone the which it was not lawful for them to behold they were transformed into myrobalane trees The original of Mirobalane trees which of them selues growe plentifully in the Ilande They saye furthermore that a certeyne ruler cauled Vagoniona sent one furth of the caue to goo a fysshynge who by lyke chaunce was turned into a nyghtyngale bycause the soonne was rysen beefore he came ageyne to the caue The nightingale And that yearelye abowte the same tyme that he was turned into a byrde he dothe in the nyght with a moornynge songe bewayle his mysfortune and caule for the helpe of his maister Vagoniona And this they thynke to bee the cause why that byrde singeth in the night season But Vagoniona beinge sore troubled in his mynd for the losse of his familier frende whom he loued soo intierly leauinge the men in the caue brought foorth onely the women with theyr suckynge chyldren leauinge the women in one of the Ilandes of that tracte cauled Mathinino The Iland of Mathinino and caryed the chyldren awaye with hym which poore wretches oppressed with famine fainted and remained on the banke of a certeine ryuer where they were turned into frogges Children turned into frogges and cryed toa toa that is mama mama as chyldren are wont to crye for the mothers pappe And hereof they say it commeth that frogges vse to cry so pytifully in the sprynge tyme of the yeare And that men were scattered abrode in the caues of Hispaniola withowte the companye of women They say also that whereas Vagoniona hym selfe was accustomed to wander in dyuers places and yet by a speciall grace A speciall grace neuer transformed descended to a certeyne fayre woman whom he sawe in the bottome of the sea and receaued of her certeyne pibple stones of marble whiche they caule Cibas and also certeine yelowe and bright plates of laton whiche they caule Cuaninos These thynges to this day are had in greate estimation amonge the kynges as goodly iewels and most holy reliques holy reliques These men whiche we sayde before were lefte in the caues withowte women went furth in the nyght as they say to wasshe them selues in a ponde of raine water and sawe a farre of by the way a greate multitude of certeine beastes in shape sumwhat lyke vnto women creping as thicke as antes aboute the myrobalane
yoke of seruitude with an euyll wyll but yet they beare it They caule these hyred labourers Anaborias Yet the kynge doth not suffer that they shulde bee vsed as bondemen And onely at his pleasure they are sette at libertie or appoynted to woorke At suche tyme as they are cauled together of theyr kynges to woorke as souldiers or pioners are assembled of theyr centurians many of them stele away to the mountaynes and wooddes where they lye luckynge They abhorre laboure being content for that tyme to lyue with wyld frutes rather then take the paynes to laboure They are docible and apte to lerne They are docible and haue nowe vtterly forgotten theyr owlde supersticions They beleue godly and beare wel in memory suche thynges as they haue lerned of owre faith Theyr kynges children are brought vp with the chiefest of owre men The kynges chyldren and are instructed in letters and good maners When they are growen to mans age they sende them home to theyr countreys to bee exemple to other and especially to gouerne the people if theyr fathers bee dead that they maye the better set foorthe the Christian Religion and keepe theyr subiectes in loue and obedience By reason whereof they coome nowe by fayre meanes and gentell persuasions to the mynes which lye in twoo Regions of the Ilande aboute thirtie myles distante frome the citie of Dominica wherof the one is cauled Sancti Christophori The two chiefe golde myres of hispaniola And the other being distante aboute foure score and tenne myles is cauled Cibaua not farre from the cheefe hauen cauled Portus Regalis These regions are very large In the which in many places here and there are fownd sumtyme euen in the vpper crust of the earth and sumtyme amonge the stones Golde founde in the vpper part of the earth certeyne rounde pieces or plates of golde sumtyme of smaule quantitie and in sum places of great weyght In so muche that there hath byn found rounde pieces of three hundreth pounde weyght and one of three thousande three hundreth and tenne pounde weyght A piece of golde weighinge three thousande three huÌ„dreth ten pounds A coastly shipwrake The whiche as yowe harde was sente hole to the kynge in that shyppe in the which the gouernour Boadilla was comming home into Spayne the shyppe with all the men beinge drowned by the way by reason it was ouer laden with the weight of golde and multytude of men Albeit there were moo then a thowesande persons whiche sawe and handeled the piece of golde And wheras here I speake of a pounde I doo not meane the common pounde but the summe of the ducate of golde with the coyne cauled Triens which is the thyrde parte of a pounde whiche they caule Pesus Pesus The sum of the weyght hereof the Spanyardes caule Castellanum Aureum Al the golde that is dygged in the mountaynes of Cibaua and Porte Regale The fynynge and 〈…〉 of goâ—de is caryed to the towre of Conception where shoppes with al thynges apperteyninge are redy furnysshed to fyne it melte it and caste it into wedges That doone they take the kynges portion therof whiche is the fyfte parte and soo restore to euery man his owne whiche he gotte with his labour But the golde whiche is fownde in saynt Christophers myne and the Region there aboute is caryed to the shoppes whiche are in the vylage cauled Bonauentura In these twoo shoppes is molten yerely aboue three hundreth thousand pounde weight of golde Three hundreth thousaÌ„d weyght of gold molten yerely 〈◊〉 â—ispaniola If any man bee knowen deceatefully to keepe backe any portion of golde whereof he hathe not made the kynges officers pryuie he forfiteth the same for a fyne There chaunce amonge them often tymes many contentions and controuersies Controuerses the whiche onlesse the magistrates of the Ilande doo fynysshe the ease is remoued by applelation to the hyghe counsayle of the courte from whose sentence it is not lawfull to appele in all the dominions of Castyle But lette vs nowe returne to the newe landes frome whense wee haue digressed The newe landes They are innumerable dyuers and exceadynge fortunate Wherfore the Spanyardes in these owre dayes and theyr noble enterpryses The Spanyardes noble enterpryses are not inferiour to the actes of hercules or Saturnus c. doo not gyue place eyther to the factes of Saturnus or Hercules or any other of the ancient princes of famous memorie which were canonized amonge the goddes cauled Heroes for theyr searchinge of newe landes and regions bringinge the same to better culture and ciuilitie Oh God howe large and farre shal owre posteritie see the Christian Religion extended Enlarging of the Christian Religion Howe large a campe haue they nowe to wander in whiche by the trewe nobilitie that is in theym or mooued by vertue wyll attempte eyther to deserue lyke prayse amonge men or reputacion of well doinge before god What I conceaue in my mynde of these thynges The originall of trewe nobilitie I am not able to expresse with penne or tonge I wyll nowe therfore soo make an ende of this perpendiculer conclusion of the hole Decade as myndinge hereafter to searche and gather euery thynge particulerlye that I maye at further leasure wryte the same more at large For Colonus the Admiral with foure shyppes and a hundreth threescore and tenne men appoynted by the kynge discouered in the yeare of Christe .1520 the lande ouer ageynste the weste corner â—f Cuba distant from the same aboute a hundreth and thirtie leaques In the myddest of which tracte lyeth an Ilande cauled Guanassa The Ilande of Guanassa From hense he directed his vyage backewarde towarde the Easte by the shore of that coast supposinge that he shulde haue founde the coastes of Paria but it chaunced otherwyse It is sayd also that Vincentius Agnes of whom we haue spoken before and one Iohannes Diaz with dyuers other of whose vyages I haue as yet no certeyne knowleage haue ouer runne those coastes The vyage of Iohannes Diaz But if God graunt me life I trust to know the truthe hereof and to aduertise yowe of the same Thus fare ye well ¶ The seconde Decade foloweth ¶ THE FYRST BOOKE OF THE SECONDE Decade to Leo bysshop of Rome the tenthe of that name of the supposed Continent or firme lande SENSE the tyme that Galeatius Butrigarius of Bononie and Iohannes Cursius of Florence moste holye father came to the catholyke kynge of Spayne the one of yowre holynes ambasage and thother for thaffaires of his coÌ„mon welth I was euer for the moste parte in theyr coompanie and for theyr vertues and wysedoome had theym in greate reuerence And wheras they were greatly gyuen to studye and continuall reuoluinge of dyuers autours they chaunced vppon certeyne bookes negligently let slyppe owte of my handes entreatinge of the large landes and Regions hetherto lyinge hyd and almost west
kynge were slayne lyke brute beastes Vaschus founde the house of this kynge infected with most abhominable and vnnaturall lechery Unnatural lechery For he founde the kynges brother and many other younge men in womens apparell smoth effeminately decked which by the report of such as dwelte abowte hym he abused with preposterous venus Of these abowte the number of fortie he commaunded to bee gyueÌ„ for a pray to his dogges For as we haue sayd the Spaniardes vsâ— he helpe of dogges in their warres ageynst the naked people whom they inuade as fiercely and rauenyngely as yf they were wylde boares or hartes The vse of dogges in the warre agenst the naked Barbarians In soo muche that owre Spanyardes haue founde theyr dogges noo lesse faythful to them in all daungiours and enterpryses then dyd the Colophonians or Castabalenses which instituted hole armies of dogges soo made to serue in the warres that beinge accustomed to place them in the fore froonte of the battayles they neuer shrunke or gaue backe When the people had harde of the seuere punysshement which owr men had excecuted vppon that fylthy kynde of men Naturaul hatred of vnnatural sinne they resorted to theim as it had byn to Hercules for refuge by violence bryngyng with them al such as they knewe to bee infected with that pestilence spettynge in theyr faces and cryinge owte to owre men to take reuenge of them and rydde them owte of the worlde from amonge meÌ„ as contagious beastes This stinkynge abhomination hadde not yet entered amonge the people Palatini but was exercised onely by the noble men and gentelmen But the people lyftinge vp theyr handes and eyes toward heauen I wolde all men were of this opinion gaue tokens that god was greuously offended with such vyle deedes Affirmynge this to bee the cause of theyr soo many thunderinges lyghtnynge and tempestes wherwith they are soo often troubeled And of the ouerflowinge of waters which drowne theyr sets and frutes whereof famenne and dyuers diseases insue as they simplye and faythfully beleue although they knowe none other god then the soonne whom onely they honoure thinkynge that it dooth bothe gyue and take awaye as it is pleased or offended Yet are they very docible The harueâ—â— is great the woorkemen but fewe and easye to bee allured to owre customes and religion if they had any teachers In theyr language there is nothynge vnpleasaunte to the eare or harde to bee pronounced but that all theyr woordes may bee wrytten with latin letters as wee sayde of thinhabitantes of Hispaniola It is a warlyke nation warreâ—yke people hath byn euer hetherto molestous to theyr bortherers But the region is not fortunate with frutful ground or plentie of gold Yet is it full of greate barren mountaynes beinge sumewhat colde by reason of theyr heyght The hygher the couâ—der And therfore the noble men and gentelmen are apparelled But the common people lyue content onely with the benefytes of nature There is a region not past two dayes iourney distant from Quarequa in which they founde only blacke Moores A region of black moores and those excedynge fierce and cruell They suppose that in tyme paste certeyne blacke mores sayled thether owt of Aethiopia to robbe that by â—hippewracke or sume other chaunce they were dryuen to those mountaynes Thinhabitantes of Quarequa lyue in continuall warre and debate with these blacke men Here Vaschus leâ—uinge in Quarequa many of his souldiers which by reason they were not yet accustomed to such trauayles and hunger Diseases of change of ayer dyet fell into dyuers diseases tooke with hym certeyne guydes of the Quarequatans to conduct hym to the toppes of the mountaynes From the palaice of kynge Poncha to the prospect of the other south sea The south sea is only syxe dayes iorney the which neuerthelesse by reasoÌ„ of many hynderances and chaunces and especially for lacke of vytayles he coulde accomplyshe in noo leâ—se then .xxv. dayes But at the length the seuenth daye of the calendes of October Uaâ—chus is coome to the fyght of the newe south sea he behelde with woonderinge eyes the toppes of the hygh mountaynes shewed vnto hym by the guydes of Quarequa from the whiche he myght see the other sea soo longe looked for and neuer seene before of any man commynge owte of owre worlde Approchinge therefore to the toppes of the mountaynes he commaunded his armye to stey and went him selfe alone to the toppe as it were to take the fyrst possession therof Prayer Where faulynge prostrate vppon the grounde and raysinge hym selfe ageyne vpon his knees as is the maner of the Christians to pray lyftynge vppe his eyes and handes towarde heauen and directinge his face towarde the newe founde south sea he poored foorth his humble and deuout prayers before almyghtie God as a spirituall sacrifice with thankes gyuing God rayseth the poore froÌ„ the dungehyl that it had pleased his diuine maiestie to reserue vnto that day the victorie and praise of so greate a thynge vnto hym beinge a man but of smaule witte and knowleage of lyttle experience and base parentage When he had thus made his prayers after his warlike maner he beckened with his hande to his coompanions to coome to hym shewynge them the greate mayne sea heretofore vnknowen to thinhabitantes of Europe Aphrike and Asia Here ageyne he fell to his prayers as before desyringe almyghtie God and the blessed virgin to fauour his beginninges and to gyue hym good successe to subdue those landes to the glorie of his holy name and encrease of his trewe religion All his coompanions dyd lykewyse and praysed god with loude voyces for ioye Then Vaschus with no lesse manlye corage then Hanniball of Carthage shewed his souldiers Italye and the promontories of the Alpes hanniball of Carthage exhorted his men to lyft vp their hartes and to behoulde the lande euen nowe vnder theyr feete and the sea before theyr eyes whiche shulde bee vnto them a full and iust rewarde of theyr great laboures and trauayles nowe ouerpaâ—sed When he had sayde these woordes he commaunded them to raise certeine heapes of stones in the steede of alters for a token of possession Uaschus taketh possession of the mountaynes Then descendynge from the toppes of the mountaynes least such as might come after hym shulde argue hym of lyinge or falshod he wrote the kynge of Castelles name here and there on the barkes of the trees bothe on the ryght hande and on the lefte and raysed heapes of stones all the way that he went vntyll he came to the region of the nexte kynge towarde the south whose name was Chiapes kynge Chiapes This kynge câ—me foorthe ageynste hym with a greate multitude of men threateninge and forbyddynge him not onely to passe through his dominions but also to goo no further Herevppon Vaschus set his battayle in array A battayle and exhorted his men beinge
bludshed Searchynge therfore dilygently her footesteppes Thus the Egiptians take Crocodiles and folowynge the pathe wherbye shee was accustomed in the nyght season to wander owte of her denne to seeke her praye theye made a greate trenshe or pytte in her walke coueringe the same with hurdels whervppon theye caste parte of the earthe and dispersed the resydue The dogge tyger chaunsed fyrste into this pitfaul The dogge tyger taken The rorynge of the tyger and fel vppon the poyntes of sharpe stakes and suche other ingens as were of purpose fyxed in the bottome of the trenshe Beynge thus wounded he rored soo terrybly that it grated the bowels of suche as harde hym and the wooddes and montaynes neare aboute rebounded the noyse of the horryble crye When they perceaued that he was layde faste they resorted to the trenshe and slewe hym with stones dartes and pykes With his teethe and clawes he broke the dartes into a thousande chyppes Beynge yet deade he was fearefull to all suche as behelde hym what then thinke you he woolde haue doone beynge alyue and loose One Iohannes Ledisma of Ciuile a nere frynde to Vaschus and one of the coompanyons of his trauayles toulde me that he hym selfe dyd eate of the fleshe of that tiger Tigers flesh eaten and that it was nothinge inferyor to biefe in goodnes Beynge demaunded howe they knewe hit to bee a tyger forasmuche as none of them had euer seene a tyger they answered that they knewe hit by the spottes fiercenes agilitye and suche other markes and token wherby the anciente writers haue described the tiger For sum of them had before tyme seene other spotted wilde beastes as lybardes panthers The dogge tiger beynge thus kylled theye folowynge the trase of his steppes towarde the mountaines came to the denne where the bytche remayned with her twoo younge suckynge whelpes The bitche tyger But shee was not in the denne at there coommynge Theye fyrste caryed awaye the whelpes with them But afterwarde fearynge leaste they shulde dye bycause theye were very younge Tigers whelpes entendynge when they were bygger to sende them into Spayne they put cheynes of yren aboute there neckes and caryed them agayne to there denne whither returnynge within a fewe dayes after theye founde the denne emptye and the cheynes not remoued frome there place A straunge thynge Theye suppose that the damme in her furye fore them in pyeces and caryed them awaye leste anye shulde haue the fruition of them For theye playnely affirme that it was not possible that they shulde bee loosed frome the chaynes alyue The skynne of the deade tyger stuffed with drye herbes and strawe theye sente to Hispaniola to the admyrall and other of the chiefe rulers frome whome the newe landes receyue there lawes and succoure It shall at this tyme suffyce to haue written thus much of the tygers as I haue lerned by the reporte of them whiche bothe susteyned domage by there rauenynge and also handeled the skynne of that whiche was slayne Let vs nowe therfore returne to kynge Pacra frome whome wee haue disgressed kynge Pacrâ— When Vaschus had entred into the houses forsaken of Pacra he sente messengiers to reconcyle hym as he had doone the other kinges At the first he refused to coomme But after threatenynges he came with three other kynges in his coompanye Vaschus writethe that he neuer sawe a more monstrous and deformed creature And that nature hath onely gyuen hym humane shape and otherwyse to bee worâ—e theÌ„ a brute beaste with maners accordynge to the linyamentes of his bodye He abused with moste abhominable lechery the doughters of foure kynges his brotherers frome whome hee had taken them by vyolence Of the fylthye behauoure of Paâ—ra Naturall hatred of vyce of his crueltye and iniuryes doone by hym many of the other kynges made greuous coomplayntes to Vaschus as vnto a hygh Iudge and iuste reuenger Moste humblye besechyng hym to see suche thynges punysshed forasmuche as theye tooke hym for a man sente of god for that purpose Herevppon Vaschus aswell to wynne their good wylles as also too shewe an exemple of terroure to suche as vsed lyke fasshions Foure kinges deuoâ—red of dogges coommaunded that this monstrous beaste with the other three kynges whiche were subiecte to hym and of lyke conditions shulde bee geuen for a praye to his feyghtinge dogges and their torne carkeses to bee burned Of these dogges whiche theye vse in the warres The vse of dogges in warre ageinst naked men theye tell maruelous thynges For theye saye that theye runne vppon thinhabitantes armed after there maner with noo lesse fiercenes then if theye were hartes or wylde bores if the Spaniardes doo but onely poynte towarde them with their fyngers In soo muche that oftentymes they haue had no neede too dryue their enemyes too flyght with swoordes or arrowes But haue doone the same onely with dogges placed in the forefronte of their battayle and lettynge them slyppe with their watche woorde and priuye token Wheruppon the barbaryans stryken with feare by reason of the cruell countenaunces of the masties with their desperate bouldenes and vnaccustomed houlynge and backynge haue disparcled at the fyrste onsette and broke their arraye Yet it chaunseth otherwyse when theye haue anye conflicte agaynst the Canibales and the people of Caramairi For these are fyerser and more warrelyke men Also so experte arches The Canybales are experte archers that theye can moste certenlye dyrect their venemous arrowes against the dogges with suche celeritye as if theye were thunderboltes By reason wherof they sumtymes kyl many of theÌ„ Thinhabytantes of these montaynes doo not keepe warre with bowes and arrowes But vse onelye Mâ—chanis that is certayne longe and broude swordes made of woodde Swoordes of woodde Also slynges longe pykes and dartes hardened at the endes with fyere Whyle kynge Pacra yet lyued noo man coulde knowe of hym neyther by fayre meanes nor by foule where he had the golde whiche was founde in his house For owre men founde in his iewel house fyftye poundes weyght of golde Fâ—â—tie pounde wâ—â—ght of golde Beynge therfore demaunded where he had it he answered that they whiche gathered the same in those montaynes in his fathers dayes were all deade And that sense he was a chylde he neuer esteemed golde more then stoones More then this theye coulde not gette of hym By this seuere punyshment executed vppon Pacra Vaschus concyled vnto hym the myndes of all the other kynges of that prouynce And by this meanes it came too passe that when he sente for the sycke men whiche he lefte behynde hym with kynge Chiapes an other kynge whiche was in the mydde waye whose name was Bononiama enterteyned them gentellye kynge Bononiama frâ—nde to the christians and gaue them .xx. pounde weyght of pure wrought golde wroughte golde besyde great plentye of vyttayles And not this onely but also accoompanyed them hym selfe vntyll he had brought them
safely frome his palaice into thâ— domynyon of Pacra Where takynge eche of them by the ryghte handes he delyuered them to Vaschus hym selfe as a faythefull pledge commytted too his charge and therewith spake to Vaschus in this effecte Mooste myghtye and valyaunte vyctourer beholde I here delyuer vnto yowe yowre coompanions in suche plight as I receaued them The oration of kynge Bononâ—ama wisshynge that I had byn aswell able to gyue them healthe as they were hertely welcoome to suche pore enterteynement as I was able to shewe them For the fauoure and gentelnesse whiche I haue founde bothe in yowe and them he shall rewarde yowe whiche sendeth thunderynge and lyghtelyng to the destruction of myscheuous men The sparke of the lawe of nature is the lawe written in the hartes of men and of his clemencye giueth vnto good men plentie of Iucca and Mâ—â—izium in dewe season As he spake these woordes he lyfted vppe his handes and eyes towarde the soonne whome they honoure for god Then he spake further to Vaschus sayinge In that yowe haue destroyed and slaine owre vyolent and proude enemies yowe haue browght peace and quyetnesse to vs and owre famelyes and bounde vs for euer to loue and obeye yowe Yowe haue soo ouercoome and tamed wylde monsters that wee thynke yowe to bee sente from heauen for the punyshement of euell men and defence of innocentes that vnder the protection of yowre myghtye swoorde wee maye hereafter leade owre lyues withowte feare and with more quietneâ—se gyue thankes to the giuer of all good thinges for hâ—s mercie shewed vnto vs in this behalfe When thinterpretoure had toulde Vaschus that kyng Bononiama had sayde theâ—e woordes and suche lyke Vaschus rendered hym lyke thankes for his humanitye declared towarde owre men and rewarded hym as he had doone other in whome he founde lyke gentilnesse Vaschus wryteth that he lerned manye thynges of this kynge as concernynge the greate rychesse of these regions â—ut that he woolde at this present speake nothynge therof And rehersethe the same as thynges lyke to haue good successe What this implicate Hiperbole Hiperbole or aduauncement meaneth I doo not well vnderstande But he playnely seemeth hereby to promysse many greate thynges And surely it is to be thought that accordynge to his hope great riches maye bee looked for For they came in maner into none of thinhabytauntes houses Great plenty of golde but that they found in them eyther bresteplates or curettes of golde or elles golden ouches iewels or garlandes to weare aboute there heades neckes or armes I coniecture therfore thus by a symilitude of owre houses A symilitude for the profe of plentye of golde If amonge vs any man of great poure were moued with the desyre to haue great plentye of Iron and woolde enter into Italye with a mayne force as dyd the Gothes in tyme paste what abundaunce of Iron shoulde he haue in their houses where as he shulde fynde in one place a friyngpan in an other a chauldron here a tryuet and there a spytte and these in maner in euery pore mannes house with suche other innumerable Whereby any man maye coniecture that Iren is plentifully engendred in suche regions where they haue soo greate vse therof Owre men also perceaued that thinhabytantes of these regions do no more esteeme golde then we do Iren Iren more estemed then golde nor yet soo muche after they sawe to what vse Iren serued vs. Thus muche haue I thoughte good to write too yowre holynesse of suche thynges as I haue gathered owtâ— of the letters of Vaschus Nunnez and learned by woorde of mouthe of such as were his coÌ„panyons in these affayres As wee receyue them so wee gyue them vnto yowe Tyme which reueleth all secretes shall hereafter mynyster larger argument of wrytynge Theye coulde at this tyme doo no greate thynge in searchynge the golde mynes forasmuche as of a hundreth fourescore and tenne men whiche Vaschus broughte with hym from Dariena there remayned onely threescore and ten or at the most fourescore whose ayde he nowe vsed in these daungerous aduentures leauynge euer the crased men behynd hym in the kinges houses all the waye that he went But they mooste especially fell into sundrye diseases Chaunge of dyet is daungerous whiche came lately from Hispaniola For they were not able to abyde suche calamities as to lyue onely contented with the breade of those regions and wylde herbes without salte drinkinge none other then ryuer water and that oftentimes eyther lackinge or vnholsome where as before their stomakes had byn vsed to good meates But the owlde souldiours of Dariena Owldâ— souldiers were hardened to abyde all sorowes and exceadynge tollerable of labour heate hunger and watchynge In so muche that merilye they make their booste that they haue obserued a longer and sharper lent then euer yowre holinesse inioyned A longe lenâ— For they saye that for the space of foure hole yeares they eate none other then herbes and frutes excepte nowe and then perhappes fyshe and verye seldoome fleshe Yea and that sumtime for lacke of al these they haue not abhorrâ—d froÌ„ mangye dogges and fylt hye toades as wee haue sayde before The owlde souldiers of Dariena I caule those whiche fyrste folowed the capytaynes Nicuesa and Fogeda to inhabyte the lande of the whiche nowe fewe were lyuynge But lette vs nowe omytte these thynges and retourne to Vaschus the victourer of the montaynes ¶ The thyrde booke of the thyrde Decade WHen Vaschus had remained thirtye dayes in the palayce of kynge Pacra concilynge vnto hym the myddes of thinhabitantes and prouidinge thynges necessarye for his coompanions he departed frome thense by the conducte of certayne of kynge Teaocha his men and came too the banke of the ryuer Comogrus Comogrus â–ª wherof the region and king therof are named by the same name He founde the sydes of these montaynes so rude and baren that there was nothinge apte to bee eaten but wilde rootes and certayne vnpleasante frutes of trees Two kynges beinge neare of bludde inhabyted this infortunate region Two poore kynges whiche Vaschus ouerpassed with all speede for feare of hunger One of these poore kinges was named Cotochus and the other Ciuriza He tooke them bothe with hym to guyde hym in the waye and dismyssed Teaocha his men with vytayles and rewardes Thus for the space of three dayes he wandered throughe many deserte wooddes Desertes craggye mountaynes muddy marysshes full of suche quamyres that men are oftentymes swalowed vp in them if they looke not the more warelye to their fiete Also through places not frequented with resorte of men and suche as nature had not yet opened to their vse forasmuche as thinhabitantes haue seldoome entercourse betwene them but onely by sundrye incurtions the one to spoyle and destroye the other Beynge otherwise contented to lyue onely after the lawe of nature withowte worldly toyle for superfluous pleasures Thus enteringe
foorthwith to thintente there to plant theyr colonie or habitacion where the newe gouernour planted his habitatioÌ„ To the better accomplysshemente hereof they sent immediatly one Iohannes Aiora a noble younge gentelman of Corduba and vnder Lieuetenant The viage of Iohannes Aiora with foure hundreth men and foure carauelles and one other lyttle shippe Thus departinge he sayled fyrst directly to the hauen of Comogrus The hauen of Comogrus dystant from Dariena aboute twentie and fyue leagues as they wryte in theyr last letters Frome hense he as appoynted to sende a hundreth and fyftie of his foure hundreth towarde the South by a newe and ryghter way founde of late by the which as they say it is not paste .xxvi. leagues from the palaice of kynge Comogrus to the enteraunce of the goulfe of Sancti Michaelis Sainte Mychaels goulfâ— The residewe of the foure hundreth shall remayne there to bee an ayde and succour to all such as shall iorney to and fro Those hundreth and fiftie which are assigned to go southwarde take with them for interpretours certeine of owre men which had lerned the sootherne language of the bonde men which were gyuen to Vaschus when he ouerranne those regions and also certeyne of the bondemâ—n them selues which had nowe lerned the Spanysshe tonge They say that the hauen of Pocchorrosa The hauen Pocchorrosa is onely seuen leaques distante frome the hauen of Comogrus In Pocchorrosa he is assigned to leaue fyftâ—e men with the lyghtest shyp which maye bee a passinger betwene them A passynger shyppe that lyke as we vse poste horses by lande so may they by this currant shippe in shorte space certifie the Lieuetenaunt and thinhabitours of Dariena of suche thynges as shall chaunce They entende also to buylde houses in the region of Tumanama The palaice of kynge Tumanama Kyng Tumanama is distant from Pocchorrosa about twentie leaques Of these foure hundreth men beinge of the owlde souldiers of Dariena and men of good experience fyftie weare appoynted to bee as it were Decurians to guide and conducte the newe men from place to place to do their affaires Decurians are officers deuided into â—ennes c. When they had thus sette all thynges in order they thought it good to aduertise the king hereof and therwith to certifye hym that in those prouinces there is a kynge named Dabaiba whose dominion is very riche in golde Kyng Dabaiba But the same to be yet vntouched by reason of his great power His kingedome ioyneth to the seconde greate ryuer named Dabaiba after his name The gold mynes of Dabaiba whiche fauleth into the sea owt of the corner of the goulfe of Vraba as we haue largely declared before The common reporte is that all the lande of his dominions is ryche in golde The palayce of kynge Dabaiba is fyfty leaques distante from Dariena The pallaice of kynge Dabaiba Thinhabitantes saye that from the palaice the golde mynes reache to the borthers on euery syde The gold mynes of Dariena Albeit owre men haue also golde mynes not to bee contempned euen within three leaques of Dariena in the which they gather golde in many places at this presente Yet doo theye affyrme greater plentie to bee in the mynes of Dabaiba In the bookes of owre fyrste frutes wrytten to yowre holynesse we made mention of this Dabaiba wherin owre men were deceaued and mystooke the matter â—n erroure For where they founde the fyssher men of kyng Dabaiba in the marysshes they thought his region had byn there also They determyned therfore to sende to kynge Dabaiba three hundreth choyse younge men to be chosen owte of the hole army as moste apte to the warres Eâ—pedition ageinst kynge Dabaiba and well furnysshed with all kyndes of armoure and artillery to thintent to go vnto hym and wyl hym eyther frendly and peaceably to permytte them to inhabyte parte of his kingdome with the fruition of the golde mynes or elles to bydde him battayle and dryue hym owte of his countrey In their letters they often â—ymes repete this for an argument of great rychesse to coome Great plentie of golde that they in maner dygged the grounde in noo place but founde the earthe myxte with sparkes and smaule graynes of golde They haue also aduertised the kynge that it shal be commodious to place inhabitours in the hauen of Sancta Martha in the region of Saturma The regyon of Saturma that it maye bee 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 regyon of Saturma The Ilande of Dominica And from the hauen but thre dayes saylyng to Dariena Dariena But this is to bee vnderstode in goynge and not in returnynge For the returnyng from thense is so laborious and difficulte by reason of the contrary course of the water Difficulte saylyng ageynst the course of the sea that they seeme as it were to ascende hyghe montaynes and stryue ageynste the poure of Neptunus This swyfte course of the sea towarde the Weste is not so violente to theym whiche retourne to Spayne frome the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba Althoughe they also do laboure ageynste the faule of the Ocean The cause wherof is that the sea is here verye large so that the waters haue their full scoope But in the tracte of Paria the waters are constrayned together by the bendynge sydes of that great lande and by the multytude of Ilandes lyinge ageynste it as the lyke is seene in the straightes or narowe seas of Sicilie where the violent course of the waters cause the daungerous places of Scylla and Charybdis The daungerous straightes of Scylla Charybdis by reason of those narowe seas whiche conteine Ionium Libicum and Tirrhenum Colonus the fyrst fynder of these regyons hath lefte in wrytynge that saylynge from the Ilande of Guanassa Guanassa and the prouynces of Iaia Iaia Maia Maia and Cerabaro Cerabaro beyng regyons of the west marches of Beragua Beragua he founde the course of the water so vehemente and furious ageynste the fore parte of his shippe whyle he sailed from those coastes towarde the Easte that he coulde at no tyme touche the grounde with his soundynge plummet but that the contrary vyolence of the water woolde beare it vppe from the bottome The vehement course of the sea fro the east to the west He affyrmeth also that he coulde neuer in one hole daye with a meately good wynde wynne one myle of the course of the water And this is the cause why they are oftentymes enforced to sayle fyrste by the Ilandes of Cuba and Hispaniola and so into the mayne sea toward the North when they returne to Spaine that the Northe wyndes maye further their vyage whiche they can not brynge to passe by a directe course The northâ— wynde But
of the motions of the Ocean sea to and fro this shal suffyce Let vs now therfore reherse what they write of Dariena of their habitation there which they caule Sancta Maria Antiqua Sancta Maria Antiqua the fyâ—st habitation of the spaniardes in the fyrme lande planted on the sea bankes of Dariena The situation of the place hath no natural munition or defense And the ayer is more pestiferous then in Sardus Sardus the Ilande of Sardinia The Spanyshe inhabitours are all pale yelowe lyke vnto them that haue the yelowe gianndyes Whiche neuerthelesse commeth not of the nature of the region as it is situate vnder the heauen For in many regyons beyng vnder the selfe same degree of latitude hauyng the pole of the same eleuation The variety of regions lynge vnder one paralel they fynd holsome temperate ayer in such places where as the earth bryngeth forth fayre sprynges of water or where holsome ryuers runne by bankes of pure earthe without mudde but moste especyally where they inhabyte the sydes of the hylles and not the valleyes But that habytation whiche is on the bankes of the ryuer of Dariena is sytuate in a deepe valley and enuironed on euery syde with hyghe hylles By reason wherof it receaueth the soonne beames at noonetyde directly perpenticular ouer their heades and are therfore sore vexed by reflection of the beames bothe before behynde and from the sydes For it is the reflection of the soonne beames whiche causeth feruente heate By what meanes the â—onne beames are cauâ—e of feruent heate â–ª and not their accesse or nerenesse to the earth Forasmuche as they are not passyble in them selues as dothe manyfestly appeare by the snowe lyinge contynually vnmolten vpon certeyne hygh montaynes as yowre holynesse knoweth ryghte well The soonne beames therfore faulyng on the montaynes are reflected downewarde into the valley by reason of thobiecte of the declynynge sydes of the hylles as it were the faule of a greate rounde stoone rowled frome the toppe of a montayne The valley therfore receaueth both those beames whiche faule directly theron and also those whiche are reflected downwarde from euery syde of the montaynes Their habitation therfore in Dariena The pernicious ayer of Darienâ— is pernicious and vnholsome onely of the particular nature of the place not by the sytuation of the regyon as it is placed vnder the heauen or â—â—eare to the soonne The place is also contagious by the nature of the soyle by reason it is coompased aboute with muddy and stynkynge marysshes thinfection wherof is not a lyttle encreased by the heate The vyllage it selfe is in a maryshe and in maner a standynge puddle where of the droppes faulyng from the handes of the bond men whyle they water the pauementes of their houses Toades and flees engendered of droppes of water toades are engendered immediately as I my selfe sawe in an other place the droppes of that water turne into flees in the soomer season Furthermore where so euer they dygge the grounde the deapthe of a handefull and a halfe there springeth owte vnholsome and corrupte water of the nature of the ryuer which runneth through the deepe muddy chanel of the valley and so fauleth into the sea Now therfore they consulte of remouyng their habytation Necessytie caused them fyrst to fasten their foote heare Necessytie hath no â—awâ— bycause that they whiche fyrst arryued in those landes were oppressed with suche vrgente hunger that they had no respecte to chaunge the place althoughe they were thus vexed by the contagion of the soyle and heate of the soonne besyde the corrupte water and infectious ayer by reason of venemous vapours and exhalations rysynge from the same An other great incommoditie was that the place was destitute of a commodious hauen beynge three leaques distante from the mouthe of the goulfe The waye is also roughe and diffyculte to brynge vyttayles and other necessaries from the sea But lette vs nowe speake sumwhat of other particular thynges whiche chaunsed Therfore shortly after that they weare arryued there happened many thynges wherof they had no knowledge before A certayne well learned phisytion of Ciuile whome partely thautorytie of the bysshoppe of Dariena and partely the desyre of golde had allured to those landes was so scarred with lyghtnynge in the nyghte season lyinge in bedde with his wyfe that the house and all the stuffe therin beynge sette on fyer and burnte A houâ—e sette on fyer with lyghtnynge he and his wyfe beynge bothe soore scorched ranne foorthe cryinge and almoste naked hardely escapynge the daunger of deathe At an other tyme as certayne of them stoode on the shoore a great Crocodyle sodenly caryed awaye a masty of a yeare and a halfe owlde A dogge deuoured of a crocodyle as a kyte shulde haue snatched vppe a chicken Tanquam canis e Nilo And this euen in the presence of theym all where the myserable dogge cryed in vayne for the helpe of his mayster In the nighte season they were tormented with the bytynge of battes whiche are there soo noysome that if they byte any man in his sleape The byting of battes they putte hym in daunger of lyfe onely with drawynge of bludde In so muche that summe haue dyed therof faulynge as it were into a consumption through the malyciousnesse 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 kyll them They also whiche wente laste into these regions do wryte that the lande is troubeled with Crocodyles Lyons and Tigers Lyons and tygers But that they haue nowe deuised artes and ingens howe to take them Lykewyse that in the houses of their felowes they founde the hydes and cases of suche Lyons and Tygers as they had kylled They wryte furthermore that by reason of the rankenesse and frutefulnesse of the grounde kyne swyne and horses doo maruelously increase in these regions and growe to a muche bygger quantitie then they whiche weare of the first broode Beastes wer bygger in theâ—r kynde Of the excedynge hyghnesse of the trees with their fruites of the garden herbes fruites plantes and seedes whiche owre men broughte from Spayne and sowed and set the same in these regyons lykewyse of the hertes and other foure footed beastes bothe tame and wylde also of dyuers kyndes of foules byrdes and fysshes they write euen as we haue declared in the decades before Careta the kynge of the regyon of Cioba how the gouernour enterteyned kyng Careta was with them for the space of three dayes whome when they had frendly enterteyned and shewed hym the secreate places of their shyppes their horses also with their trappars bardes and other furnimentes besyde many other thinges whiche seemed straunge to hym and had further delited his mynd with the harmony of their musycall instrumentes and gyuen hym many rewardes they dysmyssed hym halfe amased
fearynge thexemple of thinhabitantes of Potanâ—hana the fame wherof myght haue coome to theyr eares or els hopynge that vnder the shadowe of suche valiant menne they myght obteyne ayde and succour ageynst theyr enemies and bortherers For as I haue sayde before they dystroye one an other with continuall warre for the desyre to inlarge theyr dominions Owre men refused perpetuall habitacion and accepted theyr frendely profer for a tyme. As they came alande the people folowed them on euery syde with bouwes in theyr handes which they helde ouer owre mens heades to defende them from the rayne as though they had walked in a continual arbour Here they encamped And least the residue lefte in the shippes shulde in the meane tyme waxe slothefull with Idlenes the gouernour gaue commaundement to Alaminus the pylot and Francis Montegius to search the west partes of that lande whyle he relieued the weried souldiers and healed suche as were wounded To them that went forward on this vyage he assigned two brigantines with fiftie men An other vâ—age of two brygantines fiftie men Unto this goulfe the course of the water was gentyl enough and moderate where the sea runneth swyftly from the East to the West But when they had sayled a lyttle further towarde the Weste they founde the sea runnynge with so swift a course as if it were a great ryuer faulynge from the tops of hygh mountaynes In so much that in a shorte space of tyme it caried them fiftie myles from theyr felowes When they were now entered into this violent streame of the water A conflict betwene the waters comming from the west and from the south they sawe on their left hand a large playne sea which mette with the course of the other waters faulynge from the weste And lyke as two great ryuers that runne contrary wayes make a vehement conflycte where they meete so seemed the waters commyng from the Southe to resyst these waters as enemyes that had entered into the ryght or possessyon of an other On the contrary parte they sawe the lande reachynge farre bothe on the lefte hande and on the ryght In this strife betwene the waters they were so tossed on bothe sydes and entangled with whirlepooles A dangerous and peinefull vyage that they longe wrestled with owte hope of lyfe At the length with muche difficultie turnynge the stemmes or forpartes of their shyppes ageynst the streame from whense they came and labourynge al that they myght with their oers and sayles they coulde scarsely ouercoome the rage of the water In so much that where as they thought that they had in one nyght sayled twoo myles they founde that they were dryuen backe foure myles Yet at the length with goddes helpe they ouercame this daungerours conflycte They spente .xxii. daies in this lyttle space of sea And when they were nowe returned to their felowes declared vnto them that that ende was the land of Colluacana whiche they adiudged to be parte of the supposed continent The land of Colluacana The lande whiche they sawe a farre of before their fase they suppose eyther to be annexed to owre continent or to bee ioyned to the large North regions cauled Baccalaos The land of Baccaleos or Baccalâ—arum wherof we haue made mention in owr Decades in the vyage of Sebastian Cabote This matter is yet doubtefull But wee truste it shall once bee better knowen While Alaminus and Montegius searched these secreates the kynge of the prouince whose name was Multoxumam sent owre men by one of his chiefe offycers beynge also his Lieuetenaunt of the sayde towne many ryche and goodly presentes of golde syluer and precious stoones Rych presenâ—es of golde and precious sleâ—es sette and wroughte after a marueylous straunge deuyse and with no lesse cunnynge woorkemanshyp Here they determined to sende messengiers to owre newe Emperour to knowe his pleasure that they myght in this prouince planâ— a newe colonie or habitation And this dyd they withowte thaduise of Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Iland of Cuba or Fernandina who fyrste sente them foorth with commaundement to returne ageyne after they had searched these regions and obteyned plentie of golde While they consulted hereof they were of dyuers opinions But the moste part alleaged that in this case it was not requisyte to make the gouernour of their counsaile Forasmuche as the matter shulde be referred to a higher Iudge as to the kyng of Spaine him selfe When they were thus agreed they receaued vyttayles of the gentle kyng of the prouince and assigned the place of their colonie twelue myles from the sayde towne in a fruteful and holsome soile A newe colonie For their generall gouernour they elected Cortesius the gouernour of the nauye against his wyll as sum saye For other magistrates to gouerne the citie which they intended to build he choose Portuâ—arerius and Montegius of whome we haue made mention before This Cortesius hath written a booke of these thinges They chose also certeyne messengiers to sende to the kyng by the conduction of Alaminus the pylot Furthermore foure of the princes of this prouince offered theÌ„ selues wyllyngly to go with owre men into Spaine to thintent to see owre landes and that kynge whose poure is soo great and whose auctoritie reacheth so farre They brought lykewise two women with them which serued obeied theÌ„ in all thinges after the maner of theyr countrey The people of this nation is of broune or yelowyshe colour Bothe the men and the women haue pendauntes of gold and precious stones hanginge at their eares The men also boore their nether lyppes full of holes from the vppermoste parte of the lyppe euen vnto the nethermoste parte of the gumme They weare rynges and plates at ther lyppes At these they hange certeyne rynges and plates of golde and syluer fastned to a smaule and thynne plate lyinge within betwene the lippe and the gumme At the byggest hole in the myddest of the lip there hangeth a rounde plate of syluer as brode as the coyne cauled a Corolyne and as thicke as a mannes fynger I do not remember that euer I sawe any thinge that seemed more fylthy in myne eye The dyuers phantasies of men Yet do they thynke that there is nothing more cumly vnder the circle of the moone Wherby 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 pouled thinke that more decent then to weare a bush 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 prouynce is rulâ—d by their ownesense as writeth saint Ierome From whense they haue their golde we haue spoken sufficiently before But as owre men marueyled where they had their syluer Syluer they shewed them certayne high mountaynes whiche are continually couered
with snowe sauynge that at certeyne â—ymes of the yeare the onely toppes are seene hate bicause the snow is there molten by reason of the thicke and warme â—loudes The playnes therfore or mylde softe and pleasaunt mountaynes seeme to brynge foorthe golde And the rough craggye mountaynes with their coulde valleyes are the places whâ—re syluer is engendered Note where goâ—d and sylueâ— are engeÌ„dered They haue also laton wherof they make such maces and hammers as are vsed in the warres I thinke this lâ—ton to â—e sum kyâ—de of pure copper â–ª or els copper that holdeâ—h golde Foâ— laton is an artificial meâ—aâ— hath no natuâ—all myne Theyr bokes Dyggynge mattockes also and spades for they haue nother Iren nor steele But lette vs nowe speake of the presentes sent into Spayne to the kyng and fyrste of the bokes These procuratours therfore of the newe colonie of the prouynce of Colluacana emong other their presentes brought also a great number of bookes the leaues wherof are made of the inner ryndes or barkes of trees thinner then eyther that of the elme or of the salowe These they smere or annoint with the pytche of molten Bitumen and while they be softe extend them to what forme them lysteth When they be coulde and harde they rubbe them ouer with a certeyne playster It is to bee thoughte that they beate the playster into fine floure and so temperynge it with sum byndynge moister to make a cruste therwith vppon the leaues wheron they wryte with any sharpe instrument and blotte the same againe with a â—punge or sum suche other thynge as marchaunt men and noble mens stewardes are accustomed to do with their wrytynge tables made of the woodde of fygge trees The leaues of their bokes are not set in order after the maner of owres but are extended many cubettes in length The matters whiche they write are conteyned in square table Not loose but so bounde togither with the toughe and flexible cley cauled Bitumen that they seeme lyke woodden tables whiche had byn vnder the handes of cunnyng bokebynders Which way so euer the booke lyeth open there are two leaues seene and two sydes written with as many lyinge hyd vnder them exâ—epte the booke be vnfoulded in length For vnder one leafe there are many leaues ioyned togyther The formes of their letters are nothynge lyke vnto owres Theyr letters But are muche more crooked and entangeled lyke vnto fyshehookes knottes snares starres dise fyles and suche other muche lyke vnto the Egiptian letters and written in lynes lyke vnto owres Here and there betwene the lynes are pictured the shapes of men dyuers beastes And especially the Images of kynges and other noble men what is conteyned in theyr bookes Wherby it is to be thought thaâ— in suche bookes the factes of their kynges are conceyued as wee see the lyke emonge vs howe owre printers expresse the summe of histories in pictures that men may therby be the more allured to bye suche bookes The couerynges of their bookes are also artifycially wrought and paynted When they are shutte they seeme to differre nothynge from owres in forme In these bookes are furthermore comprehended their lawes rytes of ceremonies and sacrifyces annotations of Astronomie accomptes computations of tymes with the maner of graffynge sowyng and other thynges perteinyng to husbandry They begynne the yeare from the goynge downe of the seuen starres cauled Vergiliae or Pleiades And counte theyr monethes accordyng to the moones They name a moneth Tona of the moone For in theyr language they caule the moone Tona they reken the dayes by the soonnes Therfore as many daies as they name they saye so many soonnes The soonne in their tonge is cauled Tonatiâ—o They destribute the yeare without any reason why into twentie monethes And the moneth into as many dayes The temples whiche they frequent Templeâ— rychly adourned they adourne with golden hangynges and other ornamentes of golde and syluer with precious stones intermixte At the springe of the daye Prayer they perfume their temples with frankensence and make their praiers before they take in hande any other busynesse But oh horrible crueltie For thinhabitauntes of all these tractes also doo sacrifyce children to their Idoles in lyke maner as wee haue sayde before They sacryfice chyldren captyues At suche tyme as the seedes lye in the ground and when the corne begynneth to shewe foorth the eare they destinate to their Zemes suche bondmen as they haue bought or suche captiues as they haue taken in the warres which they sacrifyce after that they haue made them great chiere and decked them in precious apparell Also before they sacrifyce these poore wretches A wronge way to heaueÌ„ they lead them about the towne whyle al the people salute them humbly and reuerently affyrmyng that in shorte space they shal be receaued into the coompanye of the goddes They honour their Zemes with an other sharp kind of deuotion For they lette them selues bludde eyther in the tonge Bluddy gods lyps eares legges thyghes or brest which they take in their handes and hurle it vppe towarde heauen soo that with the faule therof the pauement of the temple is all sâ—arcled with bludde wherby they thincke that their goddes are well pleased From the newe colonie cauled Villa Ricca nyne myles distante Villa Ricca there is a towne of .xv. thousande houses whiche thinhabitauntes caule Cemobal but owre men named it Sybilla Siuilla Noua The kynge of this towne had fyue men whiche he reserued to be sacrifyced Whom when owre men wold haue delyuered the kynge made humble request to them sayinge that if they tooke awaye suche men as he had consecrated to be offered to the goddes they shulde brynge vtter destruction to hym and all his kyngdome The force of an owlde errour For if owre sacrifyces sayd he do cease owre Zemes wyll take suche displeasure with vs that they wyll suffer owre corne graffes and frutes to bee consumed of woormes scortched with drowth destroyed with fluddes or blasted with lyghtnynge Owre men perceauynge his ernestnesse herein thought it beste to chose the least euel perceauynge that it was yet no tyme to disquyes their myndes and therfore suffered them to exercise their accustomed ceremonies And althoughe their priestes promysse theym immortall glorie eternall felicytie and perpetuall conuersation with the goddes after the stormye dayes of this lyfe Theyr priests lyue chast yet do they with heauy countenaunces giue eare to their promisses and had rather be sette at lybertie Their priestes are named Quines in the plurell number and Quin in the syngular They leade a pure and chaste lyfe And are honoured of the people with feare and reuerence They make fagots of the bones of their enemyes which they haue taken in the warres Faggots of bones and hange vppe the same at the feete of their Zemes as tokens of the victories obteyned by their fauour To these they adde certayne
of the which the sayde pilote brought summe with hym into Spayne They haue syluer and copper and certeyne other metalles They are Idolaters and honoure the soonne and moone Idolaters and are seduced with suche superstitions and errours as are they of the firme And to haue wrytten thus muche it maye suffice of suche thinges as haue semed to me most woorthy to be noted in the SuÌ„marie of Gonzalus Ferdinandus wrytten to TheÌ„perours maiestie ¶ Of other notable thynges gathered owte of dyuers autours And fyrste of the vniuersal carde and newe worlde THe hole globe or compase of the earth was dyuyded by the auncient wryters into three partes as Europa Affrica and Asia whiche partes conteyne in longitude .180 degrees begynnynge the fyrst degree at the Ilandes of Canarie And conteyne in latitude towarde the North .63 degrees begynnynge the fyrste degree frome the Equinoctiall And .10 degrees towarde the South All the reste of the longitude which conteyneth other .180 degrees is discouered of late tyme as the West India cauled the newe worlde west India the newe worlde bycause none of the owlde autoures had any knowelege or made any mention therof All that therfore is cauled newe which is Westwarde from the Ilandes of Canarie And thus accomptynge these .180 degrees towarde the East discouered in owlde tyme with the other .180 degrees discouered of late dayes they make 360. degrees which is al the circle of the Equinoctiall in the sphere The circumference of the Equinoctiall lyne Also the part aboue the .63 degrees of the North latitude The North regions was founde by men of late tyme as Norway and Grutlande with many other prouinces Lykewise the part more south then .10 degrees of latitude The South regions was discouered of late dayes althoughe Ariane and Plinie say that it was knowen in owlde tyme whiche yf it were yet had they no suche particular description thereof as we haue in these dayes ¶ A discourse of the vyage made by the Spanyardes rounde abowte the worlde THe vyage made by the Spanyardes rownde abowt the worlde is one of the greatest and moste marueylous thynges that hath bynne knowen to owre tyme. And althoughe in many thynges we excell owre aunciente predicessours in this especiallye wee so farre exceade all theyr inuentions that the lyke hath not heretofore byn knowen to this day This viage was written particularly by Don Peter Martyr of Angleria being one of the counsayle of Themperours Indies Don Peter Martyr to whom also was commytted the wrytyng of the hystorie and examination of al suche as returned from thense into Spayne to the citie of Siuile in the yeare M. D. xxii But sendynge it to Rome to bee prynted in that miserable tyme when the citie was sacked it was lost and not founde to this day or any memory remaynynge therof Rome sacked sauynge suche as sum that redde the same haue borne in mynde And amonge other notable thynges by hym wrytten as touchynge that vyage this is one that the Spanyardes hauynge sayled abowt three yeares and one moneth A day lost in three yeares and one moneth and the most of them notynge the dayes day by day as is the maner of all them that sayle by the Ocean they founde when they were returned to Spayne that they had loste one daye So that at theyr arryuall at the porte of Siuile beinge the seuenth day of September was by theyr accompt but the sixth day And where as Don Peter Martyr declared the strange effecte of this thynge to a certeyne excellente man who for his singuler lernynge was greately aduaunced to honoure in his common welthe and made Themperours ambassadoure this woorthy gentelman who was also a greate Philosopher and Astronomer answered that it coulde not otherwyse chaunce vnto them hauynge sayled three yeares continually euer folowynge the soonne towarde the West And sayde furthermore that they of owlde tyme obserued that all suche as sayled behinde the soonne towarde the West dyd greatly lengthen the day And albeit that the sayde booke of Peter Martyr is perysshed yet hath not fortune permitted that the memorie of so woorthy and marueylous an enterpryse shulde vtterly bee extincte forasmuch as a certeyne noble gentleman of the cytie of Uincenza in Italie cauled master Antonie Pigafetta who beinge one of the coompanie of that vyage and after his returne into Spayne in the shyppe Uictoria Antonie Pigafetta was made knyght of the Rhodes wrote a particular and large booke therof which he gaue to Themperours Maiestie and sente a coppie of the same into Fraunce to the lady Regente mooâ—her vnto the frenche kynge who committed it to an excellent philosopher cauled master Iacobus Faber Iacobus Faber hauyng longe studyed in Italy wyllynge him to translate it into the Frenche toonge This booke therefore was printed fyrst in the frenche toonge and then in the Italien with also an epistle to the Cardinall of Salsepurge as touchynge the same viage written by Maximiliane Transiluane secretarie to Themperours Maiestie Maximilian Transiluane in the yeare .1522 And doubtelesse amonge al the cities of Italie the citie of Uicenza may herein much glorie that beside the ancient nobilitie and many excellent and rare wyttes whiche it hath browght furth aswell in learnynge as discipline of warre it hath also had so woorthy and valiaunt a gentleman as was the sayde master Antonie Pigafetta who hauing compased abowte the ball or globe of the worlde hath lykewyse described that vyage particularly For the whiche his so noble and woonderfull an enterprise so happily atchiued The rewarde of noble enterpryseâ— if the same had byn doone in the owlde tyme when th empyre of the Grekes and Romans florysshed he shulde doubtelesse haue byn rewarded with an Image of marble or golde erected in a place of honoure in perpetuall memorie and for a singular exemple of his vertue to the posteritie In fine this may we bouldly affirme that the antiquitie had neuer such knowlege of the worlde whiche the soonne coompaseth abowte in xxiiii houres The antiquitie had no suche knowlege of the worlde as we haue as we haue at this presente by thindustrye of men of this owre age But before I speake any thynge of the viage 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 wrytten to the ryght honorable and reuerende lorde the lorde Cardinall of Salsepurge of the marueylous and woonderfull nauigation made by the Spanyardes rounde abowt the worlde in the yeare of Christ. M. D. xix IN these daies my most honorable and reuerend lorde returned one of those fiue shippes which the yeare before Themperours beinge at Saragosa in Spayne were at his maiesties commaundement sent to the newe worlde heretofore vnknowen vnto vs to seeke the Ilandes of spices The
frute and strayne it thorowe a cloth they make a mylke therof lyke vnto goates mylke These date trees are lyke vnto them that beare dates but are not so full of knottes With the iuise of two of these date trees a hole famelie of tenne persons may bee maynteyned with wyne vsynge one viii dayes and the other other .viii. dayes for they shulde els bee dryed and wythered These trees continue for the space of a hundreth yeares This Ilande where they founde this humane and gentell people is cauled Zuluan The Iland of zuluan and is not verye bygge Abowt this Ilande they founde manye other Ilandes and therefore named this sea Archipelago di San Lazaro The sea caulâ—d Archâ—pelago dâ—â—an Laâ—aro that is the great sea of saynte Lazarus beinge tenne degrees aboue the Equinoctiall towarde owre pole and C.lxi. frome the place from whense they departed The people of this Ilande are Caphranitae that is gentyles Gentyles They go naked sauynge that they couer theyr priuie partes with a clothe made of the rynde of a certeyne tree The chiefest men haue abowte theyr heades a sylken cloth of needle woorke They are grosse and brode set and of the coloure of an oliue They annoynte theyr bodies with the oyle of Cocus to defend them ageynst the heate of the soonne and drynesse of the wynde The .xxv. day of Marche they departed from hense and directed theyr course betwene the Weste and southwest and sayled betwene foure Ilandes named Cenalo Huinanghan Hibusson and Abarien Foure Ilands c. The xxviii daye of Marche they came to the Ilande of Buthuan where they were honorably interteyned of the Kynge and the Prince his soonne who gaue theim muche golde and spices The Iland of Buthuan The capitayne gaue the kynge a vesture of red clothe and an other of yelowe made after the Turaysshe fasshyon and also a red cappe And gaue liâ—ewiâ—e to other that came with hym certeyne knyues glasses and beades of cristalle After that the capitayne had shewed the Kynge the secreates of his shippe and suche marchaundies as he had therin he caused a piece of ordinaunce suddenly to bee shore of whereat the kyng was greately amased vntil the capitayne comforted hym Then the Capitaine commaunded one of his men to be armed from the heade to the foote and caused three other to strike hym with theyr swoordes whereat the Kynge maruayled greately and sayde to thinterpretoure who was a slaue borne in Malacha that one of those armed men was able to encounter with a hundreth of his men But he maruayled muche more when the capitaine tould hym by thinterpretoure howe he founde the straight by the compasse and lode stone and howe many dayes they were without sight of any lande Then askynge licence to departe the capitayne sente two of his men with him of the whiche Antonie Pigafetta was one When the kynge sawe Antonie Pigafetta write the names of many thinges and afterwarde rehearse them ageyne he maruayled yet more makynge sygnes that suche men descended from heauen The Kynge brought them firste to his pallaice where he interteyned them honorably and gaue them manye gyftes as dyd also the Prince in his pallaice beynge in an other Ilande named Caleghan The Iland of Calâ—ghan As they syfted a certeyne myne of earthe in the Kynges Ilande they founde pieces of golde suâ— as bigge as nuttes and other as bigge as egges All the kynges veâ—selles were of golde Plentâ—e of golde and his house well furnysshed In all the hole nation there was no man of coomlier personage then the kinge He had his heare long downe to his shulders and very blake with a vaile of silke rowled abowte his head The kynge of Buthuan and two greate ringes of golde hanginge at his eares He had abowte hys myddle a clothe wroughte of cotton and silke impaled wyth golde and reacheinge downe to his knees On his one syde he had a long dager with a hafte of golde and the shethe of a fayre kynde of carued woodde He had on euery finger three ringes of golde and had his bodie annoynted with oyle of storax and Beniamin The natural coloure of his face was like vnto the coloure of an oliue And all his bodye bysyde paynted with diuers colours The kynges name was Raia Colambu and the Prince was cauled Raia Siagu The laste day of Marche neare vnto Easter the capitaine caused his preeste to say masse Masse and sente to the kinge by thinterpretoure that his commyng a lande at that tyme was not to dyne with hym but only to heare masse The Capitayne came alande with fyftie of his men in theyr best apparel with owte weapons or harnesse and all the resydue well armed Before the boates came to lande he caused sixe pieces of ordinaunce to be shotte of in token of peace and so came aland where the two kinges embrased hym and accompanyed hym to the place appoynted for masse to be sayde not farre frome the sea syde Sumwhat before the beginnynge of masse the Capitayne sprinkeled the Kynges with damaske water When the preeste was at mid masse at the offitorie the kings profered them selues to go to kysse the crosse with the capytayne but offered nothynge At the tyme of sacringe when the preeste lifted vppe the bodie of Christ and the Christians kneeled downe and helde vppe their handes ioyned togither the kinges dyd the like also wyth greate reuerence In the meane tyme whyle certeyne of the Christians were at the communion a handegunne was shotte of to signifie vnto theym that were in the shyppes to discharge all theyr ordinaunce When masse was fynysshed the Capitaine caused certeyne of his men to put on theyr harnesse and to make a combat with theyr naked swoordes A combatte wherat the kynges tooke great pleasure This doone the Capitaine caused a crosse to be brought furth with nayles and a crowne of thornes The Crosse and crowne of thornes gyuynge commaundement to all his men to gyue reuerence therunto and signifyinge to the kynges by thinterpretour that that banner was gyuen hym by Themperoure his lorde and master with commaundement tâ— lâ—aue the same in al places where he came to the great commoditie and profite of all such as wolde reuerendly receaue it as an assured token of frendship And that he wold therâ—ore leaue it there aswel to accomplyshe his lords commaundement as also that if at any tyme any shyppes of Christians shulde chaunce to coome that way shulde by seing that crosse perceaue that owre men had byn well enterteyned there and wolde therfore not onely absteyne from doing them any hurte or displeasure but also helpe to ayde them ageynste theyr enemies And that therfore it shulde bee requisite to erecte that crosse vâ—pon the toppe of the hygheste mountayne that myght bee seene from the sea on euery syde Also to pray vnto it reuerently And that in so doinge they shulde not bee hurte with thunder lyghtnynge or
Ilande is founde the woodde of whyte sanders and ginger whyte sanders and ginger and dyuers kindes of frutes Also sundry kyndes of beastes and plentie of vyttayle and golde They of the Ilandes of Giaua Molucca and Lozon resort to this Ilande for sanders Thinhabitauntes are gentyles They say that when they go to cut the woodde of saunders the deuyll appeareth to them in dyuers formes and asketh theym what they haue neede of The deuyll appeareth And that after this vision many of them are longe sicke In al the Ilandes of this Archipelagus rayneth the disease of saynt Iob whiche wee caule the frenche poxe more then in any other place in the worlde Saynt Iob his disease Farre from this Ilande betwene the west and northwest they came to an Ilande named Eude in the whiche growethe great plentie of Sinamome Cinamome In this tracte are founde many Ilandes lying in order as it were one directly behynde an other euen vnto the Ilande of the greater Giaua The Ilandes of Giaua named Giaua maior and vnto the cape of Malaccha Malaccha beinge in East India Giaua the lesse is as bygge as the Ilande of Madera and is but halfe a leaque distante from Giaua maior Here they were informed that aboue Giaua maior toward the north is a great goulfe cauled the goulfe of China The greate goulfe of China in the which are trees of exceadyng byggenesse inhabyted with foules of suche greatenes that they cary great beastes in the ayer The frutes of these trees are as bygge as cucummers The cape of Malaccha is one degree and a halfe aboue the Equinoctiall line towarde the pole Artike The cape of Malaccha On the East side of this cape runneth a very longe coaste in the which are many regions and cities wherof sum are cauled by these names Cingaporla which is the cape The names of many regions Also Pahan Calantan Patani Braalin Beneu Longon and Odia wherin is the citie in the which dwelleth the kynge of Sian named Zacabedera Theyr cities are builded as owres are and subiecte to the kynge of Sian After the realme of Sian are the regions of Iamgoma Campaa where Reubarbe groweth Reubarbe of the which are dyuers opinions sume supposynge it to bee a roote and other a putrifyed tree affirmyng that yf it were not putrified it shulde not haue so great a sauour They caule it Calama Next vnto this is found the great China The greate kynge of China whose kyng is thought to bee the greatest prince in the worlde and is named Santoa Raia Furthermore al that is written hereafter of this kyng and these regions they lerned by thinformation of a Moore that was in the Ilande of Timor He affirmed that the sayde kynge hathe threescore and tenne crowned kynges vnder his empyre and hathe a porte in the sea named Canthan And two principal cities named Nauchin and Connulaha where he remayneth hym selfe and hath euer foure of his chiefe princes lying abowt his pallaice on euery syde towarde the Easte Weste Northe and South giuinge dylygente attendaunce what is doone in euerye of theyr quarters All the prynces of the greater India cauled India Maior The greater India and of that wherof I haue spoken before are obedient to this kynge And in token that they are trewe subiectes they keepe in theyr pallaices which are in the middest of theyr cities the beaste cauled Linx The beast cauled linx being fayrer then a lyon And is the great kynges signette whiche all suche as intende to go to China beare with them sealed in waxe or on a piece of Iuerye for theyr safe conducte withowt the which they may not enter into the hauen When any of his kyngs rebell or are disobedient he causeth them to bee fâ—ene and salted and dryed at the soonne Then to bee stuffed with chaffe The punishement of rebelles and sette vppe on sum 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 bee openly seene to any man But when his noble men of the courte are desyrous to see hym The kynge is not seene but at a glasse he commeth downe frome hys pallaice into a ryche pauylyon accompanyed with syxe of hys principall concubynes appareyled with lyke vestures as is he hym selfe All thys way he is not seene by reason of the pauylyon When he hath passed through the pauylyon he entereth into a serpent named Nagha A thyng of strange workmanshyppe being the most marueylous and ryche woorke of the worlde and placed in the greaâ—est courte of the pallaice When the kynge entereth in to this with the womeÌ„ to thintent that he may not be knoweÌ„ among them he causeth the sayd noble men only to looke in at a glasse which is in the breste of the serpente where they see the kynge amonge the women but can not dicerne which is he He ioyneth in mariage with hys syster that the blud royall bee not myxte with any other The kynge maryeth his syster His pallaice is enuironed with seuen large walles hispallaice the one being farre dystante froÌ„ the other And hath in euery such circuite tenne thowsande men for the garryson of hys pallaice A marueilous garde who haue theyr waytinge dayes appoynted them course by course with fresshe meÌ„ in theyr places and thus keepe theyr watch continually both daye and nyght In this pallaice are .lxxix. haules in the which is an infinite number of women that serue the kynge hauyng euer lyght torches in theyr handes for the greater magnyfycenceâ— women serue the kynge He that wolde see all the pallaice shulde spend a hole day therin Amonge other there are foure principal haules where sumtymes the kynge gyueth audience to hys noble men Foure maruelous haules Of these one is couered both aboue and beneth with metall an other all ouer with syluer the thyrde with gold and the fourth with pearles and precious stones These people of China The people of China are whyte menne appareled as we are and eate theyr meate on tables as wee doo They haue thâ— crosse in sum estimation but knowe not the cause whye Beyonde the coaste of China The Crosse. are dyuers other nations and people as Chenchii where pearles and cynamon are founde Also the people named Lichii where reyneth the great kynge of Mâ—en The greate kyng of mâ—en hauyng vnder hym .xxii. kynges and is subiecte to the kyng of China Here is also founde the great citie of CATHAY in the East CATHAY and dyuers other nations in the sayd firme land of the which sum are brutysshe and bestiall which vse to kyll and eate theyr parentes when they are owld thinking therby that they shall reuyue in them All these people are gentyles The .xi. day of February in the yeare .1522 they departed from the Iland of
goulfe of Bothia â–ª but as nowe by owr commentaries brought to light And hauâ—ng sayde has much in maner of a preface we wâ—ll nowe procede to wryte of the north regions ¶ Schondia SChondia Sâ—hondama or Schondenmarchia is as much to say as fayre Dania or fayre Denmarke Scone is fayre in the duch toonge Plinie in one place nameth it Scandia and in an other Scandinauiâ— if there bee no fauce in the templers It was named Schondia by reason of the fayrenesse and true fulnesse therof And this aswell for that in beneficiall heauen fertilitie of gronnde The fertilitie of â—condia commodite of hauens and marte townes abundaunce of ryuers and fysshe plentie of beastes great quantitie of metall as golde syluer copper and leade diligent culturynge the grounde with townes and cities wel inhabited and gouerned by ciuile lawes it gyuethe place to none other fortunate region This was in maner vnknowen to the owlde Greekes and Latins as may appeare by this argomente that with one consente they affirmed that in these north regions the could zonâ— or clime was condemned to perpetuall snowe intollerable to all lyuynge creatures For few of theÌ„ haue made mention hereof as to be inhabited Amonge whom Plinie as one of the chiefe sayth in his fourth booke that Schondania is of vnknowen byggenesse and only that portion therof to be knowen which is inhabited with the nation of the Hilleuiâ—nes in fiftie vyllages Neyther yet is Eningia lesse in opinion he meaneth Diodorus Siculus Other more auncient then Plinie haue placed most fortunate regions with men of longe lyfe whiche the Greekes caule Macrobios and of moste innocente behauour vnder the tracte of those landes and that there came from thence to Delphos certeyne religious virginnes with vowes and gyftes consecrated to Apollo And furthermore that that nation obserued this institution vntyll the sayde virgins were violated of them of whome they were receaued as straungers These are most cleare testimonies of Antiquitie both of the greatnesse of Schondia and the people that inhabite the same althowgh they were sence vnknowen as lykewyse the Gothes departynge from these north landes althowghe they obteyned Thempire of the regions abowte the marisshes of Meotis and the coastes of the sea Euxinus â—hinuasions of the Gothes with the realme of Denmarke wherof that is thought to bee a portion which is nowe cauled Transiluania and the bankes of the ryuer of Danubius â—ransiluania and in fine inuaded the Romane Empire yet were not the regions wel knowen from whense they tooke theyr originall Therefore lyke as parte of the owlde wryters are vnsufficient wytnesses to testifie of owre narrations as touchynge these landes vnknowen to them Euen so the other parte which excluded the same as vnhabitable are to bee conuinced leaste theyr autoritie beinge admitted shuld ingender opinions not agreeable or conuenient to the nature of places Sigismundus Liberus in his commentaries of Moscouia wryteth thus Scandia or Scondia is no Iland as sume haue thought but parte of the continente or firme lande of Suetia which by a longe tracte reacheth to Gothlande And that nowe the kynge of Denmarke possesseth a great parte therof But wheras the wryters of these thinges haue made Scondia greater then Suetia that the Gothes and Lumbardes came frome thense The Gothes and Lumbardes they seeme in my opinion to comprehende these three kyngedomes as it were in one body only vnder the name of Scondia forasmuch as then that parte of lande that lyeth betwene the sea Balthrum whiche floweth by the coastes of Finlandia and the frosen sea was vnknowen And that by reason of so many marisshes innumerable ryuers and intemperatnesse of heauen it is yet rude vncultured and lyttle knowen Which thynge hath byn the cause that summe iudged all that was cauled by the name of Scondia to bee one great Ilande ¶ Gronlande GRonlande is interpreted greene lande so cauled for the great increase and frutefulnesse of pasture Frutefull pasture By reason wherof what great plentie of cattayle there is it may hereby appere that at such tyme as shyppes may passe thyther they set furth great heapes of cheese and butter to bee sould wherby wee coniecture that the lande is not rowgh with barren mountaynes It hath two Cathedrall Churches vnder thordinaâ—ion of Nidrosia To one of these was of late yeares a bysshop appoynted onely by the tytle of a suffragane in consideration that while the metropolitane dooth neglect the direction of religion for the distance of the place and difficult nauigation the people is in maner faulne to gentilitie Religion neglected beinge of them selfe of mouable wyttes and gyuen to magical artes For it is sayde that they as also the people of Laponia doo rayse tempestes on the sea with magical inchauntmentes Inchaunters and brynge such shippes into daungeour as they intâ—â—de to spoile They vse lyttle shyppes made of lether and safe ageynste the brusynge of the sea and rockes and with them assayle other shippes Peter Martyr of Angletia writeth in his Decades of the Spanisshe nauigations that Sebastian Cabote sayling from Englande continually towarde the north The vyage of Sebastian Cabote to the frosen sea folowed that course so farre that he chaunsed vppon greate flakes of Ise in the mooneth of Iuly and that diuertynge from thense he folowed the coaste by the shore bendynge towarde the South vntyl he came to the clime of the Ilande of Hispaniola aboue Cuba an Iland of the Canibales Which narration hath giuen me occasion to extende Gronlande beyonde the promontory or cape of Huitsarch to the continente or firme lande of Lapponia aboue the castell of Wardhus Gronlande wardhus which thynge I did the rather for that the reuerende Archebysshoppe of Nidrosia constantely affirmed that the sea bendethe there into the forme of a crooked elbowe It agreeth herewith also that the Lapones consent with them in the lyke magical practises and doo neyther imbrase the Christian religion nor refuse it wherby I haue thowght this lykenesse of customes to bee betwene them bycause they ioyne togyther in one continent Lapponia Gronlande The distance lykewyse seemeth not to disagree For betwene both these people Schoeni the distance is not full twoo hundreth Schâ—ni euery one being a space of grounde conteinyng .lx. furlonges which make .vii. myles and a halfe It furthermore agreeth with this coniecture that Cabote chaunsed into such Ise. And albeit as touchynge the mooneth of Iuly Cabote tould me that this Ise is of fresshe water and not of the sea I wyll contend it is not well rehersed no althowghe he had sayled vnder the pole for such reasons as wee haue declared before to the contrary neuerthelesse that at sum tyme he sayled by Ise this testifieth in that he sayled not by the mayne sea but in places nere vnto the lande comprehendyng and imbrasyng the sea in forme of a goulfe A commixtioÌ„ of
the people cauled Lapones A nation exceadynge rude suspicyous and fearefull flyinge and astonysshed at the syght of al straungiers shyppes They knowe neyther frutes nor apples nor yet any benignitie eyther of heauen or earth They prouyde them meate onely with shootynge and are â—pâ—areled with the skynnes of wild beastes They dwell in caues fylled with drye leaues and in holow trees consumed within eyther by fyre or rotten for age Suche as dwell neare the sea syde fysshe more luckyly then cunnyngly and in the stead of frutes reserue in store fysshes dryed with smoke They are of smaule stature of body with starre visagies pale and wannye coloure and very swyfte of foote Their wittes or dispositions are not knowen to the Moscouites theyr bortherers who thynke it therfore a madnesse to assayle them with a smaule poure Armeline furres and iudge it neyther profitable nor glorious with greate armies to inuade a poore and beggerly nation They exchâ—unge the most whyte furres which wee caule Armelines for other wares of dyuers sortes Bargeninge withowt wordes Yet so that they flie the syght and coompanie of all marchauntes For comparynge and layinge theyr wares together and leauynge theyr furres in a mydde place they bargeyne with simple fayth with absente and vnknowen men The darke region by thâ—s darke region and the Pigmeâ—ts the way to Cathay by the Northe sea Sum men of great credite and autoritie doo testifie that in a region beyond the Lappones betwene the west and the north oppressed with perpetuall darkenes is the nation of the people cauled Pigâ—ei who beinge growen to theyr ful grought doo scarsely excede the stature of owre chyldren of ten yeares of age It is a fearefull kynde of menne and expresse theyr wordes in such chatteryng sort that they seeme to be so much the more lyke vnto apes in howe muche they dyffer in sence and staâ—ure from men of iust heyght Towarde the North innumerable people are subiecte to thempire of the Moscouites Theyr regions extende to the Scythian Ocean for the space of almoste three moonethes iorney The â—cythiaâ— Ocean Nâ—xâ— vnto Moscouia is the region of Colmogora aboundyng with frutes The region of coâ—mogora Through this runneth the ryuer of Diuidna beinge one of the greateste that is knowen in the Northe partes and gaue the name to an other leâ—â—e ryuer wâ—ich breaketh furthe inâ—o the sea Baltheum She ryuer of diuidna This increasynge aâ— câ—rteyne tymes of the yeare as dooth the ryuer Nilus ouâ—r loweth the fâ—eldes and playnes and with his fat and nurishinge moysture dooth maruelously reâ—ist the iniuries of heauen and the sharpe bâ—astes of the North wynde When it ryseth by reason of molten snowe and greate shoures of rayne it faulâ—th into the Ocean by vnknowen nations and with so large a trenche lyke vnto a greate sea that it can not bee sayled ouer in one day with a prosperous wynde But when the waters are faulen they leaue here and there large and frutful Ilandâ—s For corne there cast on the grounde groweth without any helpe of the plowe and with maruelous celeritie of hastynge nature fearynge the newe iniurie of the proude ryuer dooth both sprynge and rype in short space Into the ryuer Diuidna runneth the ryuer Iuga The ryuer of Iuga or Iug. And in the corner where they ioyne togyther is the famous marte towne cauled Ustiuga distant from the chiefe citie Mosca .vi. hundreth myles Ustiuga Note that wheras Paulus Iouius wryteth here that the ryuer of Diuidna otherwyse cauled Dwina The ryuer of Diuidna or Dwina runneth throughe the region of Colmogor it is to bee vnderstode that there are twoo ryuers of that name the one on the Northeast syde of Moscouia towarde the frosen sea and the other on the southwest syde faulyng into the sea Beltheum or the goulfe of Finnonia by the citie of Riga in Liuonia And forasmuch as the trewe knowleage of these and certeine other iâ— very necessary for all such as shall trade into Moscouia or other regions in those coastes by the northe sea I haue thought good to make further declaration hereof as I haue founde in the hystorie of Moscauia most faythfully and largely wrytten by Sigismundus Liberus who was twyse sent ambassadour into Moscouia as fyrst by Maximilian Themperour and then ageyne by Ferdinando kyng of Hungary and Boheme This haue I doone the rather for that in all the mappes that I haue seene of Moscouia there is no mention made of the ryuer of Dwina that runneth through the region of Colmogor and by the citie of the same name although the prouynce of Dwina bee in all cardes placed Northewarde frome the ryuer of Ustiug or Succana The ryuer Suchana whiche is the same Dwina whereof we nowe speake and wherof Paulus Iouius wryteth although it bee not so named but from the angle or corner where ioynynge with the ryuer of Iug and Suchana it runneth Northewarde towarde the citie of Colmogor and from thence fauleth into the north or frosen sea The frosen sea as shall hereafter more playnâ—y appeare by the woordes of Sigismundus that the one of these bee not taken for the other being so farre distant that great errour myght ensue by mistakynge the same especially bicause this wherof Paulus Iouius wryteth is not by name expressed in the cardes but only the other wherby is the errour myght bee the greater Of that therfore that runneth by the confâ—nes of Liuonia and the citie of Riga Sigismundus wryteth in this maner The lake of Dwina is distante from the sprynges of Bousthenes almost tenne myles and as many from the marysshe of Fronowo From it a ryuer of the â—ame name towarde the west distante from Uuilua .xx. myles runneth from thence towarde the Northe where by Riga the chiefe citie of Liuonia it faulethe into the Germayne sea which the Moâ—couites caule Uuareczkâ—â—e moue It runneth by Uuitepsko Polotzko and Dunenburg and not by Plescouia as one hath wrytten This ryuer beinge for the moste part nauigable the Lyuons caule Duna Of the other Dwina wherof Paulus Iouius speaketh he wryteth as foloweth The prouince of Dwina and the ryuer of the same name is so named from the place where the ryuers of Suchana and Iug meatynge togyther make one ryuer so cauled Dwina and Suchana For Dwina in the Moscouites tounge signifieth two This ryuer by the course of a hundred myles entereth into the North Ocean on that part where the sayde sea runneth by the coastes of Swecia and Norwaye and diuidethe Engronlande from the vnknowen lande This prouince situate in the ful north perteined in tyme cast to the segniorie of Nouegorede Gronland or Engronland From Moscouia to the mouthes of Dwina are numbered CCC myles Albeit as I haue sayde in the regions that are beyond Uolga the accompte of the iorney can not bee well obserued by reason of many marysshes ryuers and very greate wooddes that lye
or Moscouite interpretours hearynge theyr prince to bee so cauled of straunge nations began them selues also to name hym an Emperour and thinke the name of Czar to bee more worthy then the name of a kynge althowgh they signifie all one thynge But who so wyl reade all theyr hystories and bookes of holy scripture The greate Turke shall fynde that a kynge is cauled Czar and an Emperour Kessar By the lyke erroure Themperour of the Turkes is cauled Czar who neuerthelesse of antiquitie vsed no hygher tytle then the name of a kynge expressed by this woorde Czar And hereof the Turkes of Europe that vse the Slauon tounge caule the citie of Constantinople Czargead that is the kynges citie Sum caule the prince of Moscouie the whyte kynge The whyte kynge whiche I thinke to proceade of the whyte cappes or other tyrementes they weare on theyr heades lyke as they caule the kynge of Percia Kisilpassa that is redde headde The duke of Moâ—couia his tyâ—le He vseth the tytle of a kynge when he writeth or sendeth to Rome the Emperour the pope the kynge of Suetia and Denmacke the greate master of Prussia and Liuonia and also to the greate Turke as I haue byn credably informed but he is not cauled kynge of any of them excepte perhappes of the Liuons Yet by reason of his later conquestes sum haue thought hym worthy the name of a kynge or rather of an Emperour bycause he hath kynges vnder his Empire To the kynge of Polone he vseth this tytle The greate lorde Basilius by the grace of god lorde of all Russia and greate duke of Uuolodimeria Moscouia Nouogardia c. leauynge owt the tytle of a kynge For none of them vouchesafeth to receaue the letters of the other augmented with any new tytle as I knewe by experience at my being in Moscouia at which tyme Sigismundus the kynge of Polone sente hym his letters augmented with the tytle of the duke of Masouia wherwith he was not a lyttle offended They glorie in theyr hystories that before Uuolodimeria and Olha the lande of Ruâ—sia was baptised and blessed of saynt Andrewe thappostle of Chryst Russia baptysed by saynte Andrewe the Apostle affirmynge that he came from Grecia to the mouthes of the ryuer Borysthenes and that he sayled vppe the ryuer to the mountaynes where as is nowe Chiouia and that there he blessed all the lande and placed his crosse prophesyinge also that the grace of god shulde bee greate there and that there shulde bee many churches of Chrystian men Lykewyse that he afterwarde came to the sprynges of Borysthenes vnto the great lake Uuolok and by the ryuer Louat descended into the lake Ilmer from whense by the ryuer Uuolcon whiche runneth owte of the same lake he came to Nouogardia and passed frome thense by the same ryuer to the lake Ladoga and the ryuer Heua and so vnto the sea whiche they caule Uuaretzkoia beinge the same that we caule the Germayne sea betwene Uuinlandia or Finlandia and Liuâ—nia by the whiche he sayled to Rome and was at the laste crucified for Chryste his gospell in Peloponnesus by the tyranny of Agus Antipater as theyr crownacles make mention The prynce euery seconde or thyrde yeare causeth a muster to bee taken of the soonnes of the Boiarons The Moscouites warres and takethe an accoumptâ— bothe of theyr number and howe many horses and men euery of them is able to make and then appoynteth a certeyne stypende to suche as are able further to beare theyr owne charges in the warres They haue seldome any rest or quyetnesse For they eyther keepe warre with the Lithuanians Liuonians Suetians or Tartars of Casan Or yf it so chaunce that the prynce keepe no warre yet dooth he yearely appoynte garrysons of .xx. thousande menne in places abowt Tanais and Occa to represse the incursions and robberyes of the European Tartars cauled Precopites As in other matters Dyuers maners of dyuers people in the ware euen so in thorder of warrefare ther is great diuersitie amonge men For the Moscouian as soone as he begynneth to flye thinketh of none other succoure but putteth all his confidence therein Beinge pursued or taken of his enemie he neyther defendeth him selfe nor desirethe perdon The Tartar cast of from his horse spoyled of al his armure weapons and also sore wouÌ„ded 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 casting away his weapons armure and reching furth to the victourer his handes ioyned together to be bounde hopynge by captiuitie to saue his lyfe The Moscouites in placeinge theyr armye chuse them a large playne where the best of them pytch theyr tentes the other make theÌ„ certen arbours of bouwes fyxt in the grounde The Moscouytes army bendyng together the toppes therof whiche they couer with theyr clokes to defende them selues theyr bowes arrowes saddyles and other theyr necessaries from rayne They put furth theyr horses to pasture and for that cause haue theyr tentes so farre in sunder which they fortifye neyther with cartes or trenches or any other impedyment excepte perhappes the place bee defended by nature as with wooddes ryuers and marysshes It may perhappes seeme straunge howe he maynteyneth hym and hys so longe with so smaule an armye as I haue sayde howe he maynteyneth his army I wyll nowe therfore brefely declare they re sparynge and frugalitie He that hath syxe or sumtymes more horses vseth one of them as A packe horse to beare all theyr necessaryes eyes He hath also in a bagge of two or three spanes longe the floure or meale of the grayne cauled mylle and .viii. or x. poundes weyghte of swynes flesshe poudered He hathe lykewyse A bagge of salte myxte with pepper if he bee ryche Furthermore euery man caryeth with hym A hatchet A fyre boxe and a brasen potte so that if they chaunce to coomme to any place where they can fynde no frutes garlyke onyons or flesshe they kyndle a fyre and fylle theyr pottes with water wherunto they put a spoonefull of meale with a quantitie of salte and make pottage therof wherwith the master and all hys seruauntes lyue contented But if the master bee very hungary he eateth all alone and the seruantes are sumtymes inforsed to faste for the space of two or three dayes And yf the master intende to fare sumwhat more delycately then he addeth therto a lyttle portion of swynes flesshe I speake not thys of the best of them but of suche as are of the meane sorte The gouernours and capytaynes of tharmye doo sumtymes bydde the poorer sorte to they re tables where theye feede them selues so wel that they fast two or three dayes after When they haue frutes garlyke and onyons theye can well forbeare all other meates Procedynge forwarde to the battayle they put more confydence in
great Alexander and Iulius Cesar whiche many wryters make mention of in this place The altars of Alexander and Cesar. or of theyr ruines I coulde haue no certeyne knowleage of thinhabitauntes or any other that had oftentymes trauayled these places Furthermore the souldyers whiche the prince of Moscouia maynteyneth there yearely to oppresse thincursion of the Tartars beinge of me demaunded hereof answered that they neuer sawe or harde of any such thynge Neuerthelesse they sayde that abowt the mouthes of Tanais the lesse foure dayes iorney from Asoph nere vnto a place cauled Sewerski by the holy mountaynes The holy mountaynes they sawe certeyne images of stone and marble Tanais the lesse Tanais the lesse hath his sprynges in the dukedome of Sewerski whereof it is cauled Donetz Sewerski and fauleth into Tanais three dayes iorney aboue Asoph But suche as iorney from Moscouia to Asoph by lande From Moscouia to Asoph they passynge ouer Tanais abowt the owlde and ruinate towne of Donco doo sumwhat turne from the south to the Easte In the which place if a ryght line bee drawen from the mouthes of Tanais to the spirnges of the same Moscouia shal be found to bee in Asia and not in Europe Moscouia in Asia and not in Europe ¶ More directly from Moscouia to Cathay THe great and large prouince of Permia The prouince of Permia is dystante from Moscouia two hundreth and fyftie or as sum say three hundreth leaques directly betwene the East and North And hath a citie of the same name by the ryuer Uischora which runneth .x. leaques beneth Kamam The iorney by lande can scarcely bee trauayled thyther but in wynter by reason of many ryuers marysshes Marysshes in sommer and fennes But in sommer this iorney is dispatched with more facilitie in boates or smaule shippes by Uuolochda Ustiug and the ryuer Uitzechda which runneth into Dwina .xii. leaques from Ustiug Dwina Ustiug But they that go from Permia to Ustiug muste sayle vp the ryuer Uischora ageinst the course of the streame and passing ouer certeyne ryuers sumtymes also conueyinge theyr boates into other ryuers by lande they come at the length to Ustiug three hundreth leaques distant frome the citie of Permia There is smaule vse of breade in this prouince For theyr yearely tribute Tribute they pay to the prynce furres horses Furres and horses They haue a priuate language and letters of theyr owne whiche one Steuen a bysshop who confirmed them yet waueryng in the fayth dyd inuente For before beinge yet infantes in the fayth of Chryste they slewe and fleyde an other bysshop that was appoynted to instructe them This Steuen afterwarde when Demetrius the sonne of Iohn reigned was taken for a saynte amonge the Ruthens Of these people there yet remayne many Idolatours here and there in the woods whom the moonkes and heremites that go thyther Monkes and heremites doo not cease to conuert from theyr vayne errour In the wynter they iorney in Artach as they doo in many places of Russia Artach are certeyne longe patentes of woodde of almost syxe handfuls in length Patentes whiche they make faste to theyr fiete with latchettes therwith performe theyr iorneys with great celeritie Marcus Paulus wryteth that these dogges are almost as byg as Asses and that they vâ—e syxe to one steade They vse for this purpose greate dogges in the steade of other beastes with the which they cary theyr farthels on sleades as other doo with hartes in other places as we wyll further declare hereafter They say that that prouince toward the East confineth with the prouince cauled Tumen perteynynge to the Tartars The situation of the prouince of Iugaria Iugaria is apparente by that which we haue sayde before The Moscouites caule it Iuhra with an aspiration and caule the people Iuhrici This is that Iugaria from whense the Hungarians came in tyme paste hungaria possessed Pannonia Pannonia and vnder the conduct of Attila Attila subdued many prouinces of Europe wherin the Moscouites doo greatly glory that a nation subiecte to them inuaded and wasted a great parte of Europe Georgius Paruns a greeke borne and a man of reputation with the Prince of Moscouia wyllynge to ascribe to the ryght of his prince the great dukedome of Lithuania and the kyngedome of Polonie with certeyne other dominions toulde me that the Iuharici or Iuhgary beinge subiectes to the great duke of Moscouia came furth of theyr owne countrey and fyrste inhabited the regions abowt the fennes of Meoris and then Pannonie which was afterwarde cauled Hungarie The hygher or superyor Hungarye is cauled Austria by the ryuer of Danubius Also that in fine they possessed the region of Morauia so named of the ryuer and lykewyse Pollonie Polonie so cauled of Polle which signifieth a playne Furthermore that Buda was so cauled after the name of the brother of Attila Buda They say also that the Iuhgari vse the same tounge that doo the Hungarians The which whether it be trew or not I do not knowe For althowgh I haue made diligent inquisition to knowe the truth hereof yet coulde I fynde no man of that region with whom my seruaunt beinge expert in the Hungarian tounge myght speake They also pay furres for theyr tributes to the prince of Moscouia Furres And albeit that pearles and precious stones are brought frome thense to Moscouia Pearles and Precious stones yet are they not gathered in theyr Ocean but in other places especially about the coast of the Ocean nere vnto the mouthes of Dwina The prouince of Sibier Sibiâ—r confineth with Permia and Uuiathka The whiche whether it haue any castels or cities I doo not yet certeynly knowe In this the ryuer Iaick hathe his originall and fauleth into the Caspian sea They saye that this region is deserâ—e bycause it lyeth so neare the Tartars Aspreolos I thynk to be marterns yet sum think theÌ„ to be squerels Geâ—nerus wryteth that the kyngs of the Tartars haue they re tenâ—eâ— couered withowt wyth the skynnes of lyons within â–ª with the skynnes of â—sbles and Ermynes Or that yf it bee in any parte inhabited the same to be possessed of the Tartar Schichmamai Thinhabitantes haue a peculiar language and haue theyr chiefe gaynes by the furres of marterns whiche in fayrenes and greatnes excell all the furres of that kynde that are founde in any other prouinces Yet coulde I haue no great plentie of them in Moscouia at my beinge there Note that longe after the writyng of this hystorie at Rycharde Chaunceler his fyrst being in Moscouia Duke Iohn Uasilivich that nowe raygneth subdued all the Tartars with theyr regions and prouinces euen vnto the great citie and mart towne of Astrachan the Caspian â—ea At the same tyme also there was in the dukes court an ambassadour that came frome this prouince of Sibier who declared that his
father had byn sent ambassadour to the great Chan of Cathay And that the great citie of Cambalu where the great Chan kepeth his courte in winter was in maner destroyed by Necromancie and magicall artes wherin the Cathaynes are very expert as wryteth Marcus Paulus Uenctus Ther was also at the same tyme thambassadour of the kynge of Persia cauled the great Sophic This ambassadour was appareled all inscarlet and spake much to the duke in the behalfe of owre men of whose kyngdome and trade he was not ignorant The people cauled Czeremisse Czeremisse dwell in the wooddes beneth Nouogardia the lower They haue a peculiar language and are of the secte of Machumet They were sumtyme subiecte to the kynge of Casan but the greater part of them are nowe subiecte to the prince of Moscouia Many of them at my beinge there were brought to Moscouia as suspected of rebellion This nation doth inhabite a large region withowt houses from Uuiathka and Uuolochda hâ—bitacion withowt houses to the ryuer of Kama All the nation aswell women as men are very swyft of foote and expert archers wherin they so delite that theyr bowes are in maner neuer owt of theyr handes and gyue theyr children no meate vntyl they hyt the marke they shoote at Two leaques distante from Nouogardia the lower were many houses to the similitude of a citie or towne where they were accustomed to make salte Salte These a fewe yeares sense beinge burnt of the Tartars were restored by the commaundement of the prince Mordwa are people inhabytynge by the ryuer of Uolga on the south banke beneth Nouogardia the lower And are in al thynges like vnto the Czeremisses but that they haue more houses And here endeth Thempire of the Moscouites Note here that Matthias of Michou in his booke of Sarmatia Asiatica writeth that the dominion of the duke of Moscouia recheth from the northwest to the southeast fyue hundreth myles of Germanie which are more then leaques For they affirme that a Germane myle is more then three Englysshe myles ¶ Of the Tartars WEe wyll nowe adde hereunto sumwhat of the people confinynge with â—he Moscouites towarde the East of the which the Tartars of Casan are the first The Tartars of Casan But before wee speake of them particularly wee wyl fyrst reherse sumwhat of theyr maners and customes in generall The Tartars are diuided into companies which they caul Hordas of the which the Horda of the Sawolhenses is the chiefe in fame and multitude horda For it is sayde that the other Hordas had theyr ofsprynge and original of this And albeit that euery Horda hath his peculiar name as the Sawolhenses Precropenses and Nahays with dyuers other being all Machumetans yet doo they take it euyll and count it reproch to bee cauled Turkes but wyll them selues to bee cauled Besermani Besermani by the which name also the Turkes desyre to bee cauled And as the Tartars inhabyte many prouynces reachynge far on euery syde euen so in maners and order of lyuynge doo they not agree in all thynges They are men of meane stature The stature of the Tartars with broade and fat faces holowe eyde with roughe and thyck beardes and poulde heades Onely the noble men haue longe heare and that exceadyng black which they wreath on both sydes theyr eares They are stronge of body and stoute of mynde prone to leacherye and that vnnaturall They eate the fleasshe of horses camells and other bâ—astes excepte hogges They absteâ—ne from hogges flesshe Abstinence from which they absteyne by a lawe They can so abyde fasting hunger that they suÌ„time forbeare meate and sleepe for the space of foure days occupyed neuertheleâ—se aboute theyr necessary affayres Ageyne when they gette any thyng to deuoure Uoracitie they ingorge them selues beyond measure and with that surfecte in maner recompense theyr former abstynence And beynge thus oppressed with laboure and meate they sleepe contynually for the space of three or foure days withowt doyng any maner of worke or labour durynge which tyme the Lyuons and Moscouites into whose domynyons they are accustomed to make theyr incursions assayle them vnwares thus oppressed with meate and sleepe lyinge scatered here and there owt of order withowte watch or warde Also if when they ryde they bee molested with hunger and thyrste So doo the Turkes they vse to lette theyr horses blud and with drynkyng the same satysfye theyr present necessytie and affyrme theyr horses to bee the better therby And bicause they all wander in vnknowen places they vse to dyrect theyr iorneys by thaspecte of the starres Iorneying by the pole star and especyally of the pole starre which in theyr tounge they caule Selesnikoll that is an iren nayle They greatly delyte in mares mylke Mares mylke and beleue that it maketh men strong and fatte They eate herbes very much and especyally such as growe abowt Tanais Fewe of them vse salte horse flesshe eaten When theyr kynges dystrybute any vytayles among them they are accustomed to gyue one horse or cowe to fortye men Of the slayne beaste the bowells and trypes are reserued for the chiefe men and capytaynes Clenly These they heate at the fyre vntyll they may shake owt the doonge and then deuoure them gredely They sucke and lycke not only theyr fyngers imbrued with fatte but also theyr knyues and styckes wherwith they scrape the doong from the guttes The heades of horses are counted delycate disshes with them as are bores heades with vs hors heades deintie meate and are reserued only for the chyefe men The Tartars horses Theyr horses wherof they haue great aboundaunce are but smaule and with short neckes but very strong and such as can wel away with labour hunger These they fede with the branches barkes or ryndes of trees the rotes of hearbes and weedes wherby they accustome them to hard feedynge and exercyse them to contynuall laboure by reason wherof as say the Moscouytes theyr horses are swyfter and more durable then any other These kynde of horses they caule Pachmat They haue none other saddells and steroppes then of woodd Saddels and styrrops of woodde except suche as they eyther bye of the Chrystians or take from them by vyolence Least theyr horse backes shulde bee hurte with theyr saddells they vnderlaye them with grasse and leaues of trees They also passe ouer ryuers on horsbacke But if when they flye they feare the pursuynge of theyr enemyes then castynge away theyr saddells apparelle and all other impedymentes reseruyng only theyr armoure and weapons they flye amayne and with greate ceelrytye Theyr women vse the same kynde of apparell that doo the men withowt any dyfference except that they couer theyr heades with lynnen vayles The Tartars women and vse lynnen hose muche lyke vnto maryners sloppes When theyr queenes coome abrod they are accustomed to couer theyr faces The other multytude of the
present at this last expedition he greatly suspected Palitzki the Lieuetenaunte of tharmy to bee corrupted with brybes to proceade no further In this meane tyme the kynge of Casan sent ambassadours to Basilius to intreate of peace whome I sawe in the dukes courte at my beynge there but I coulde perceaue no hope of peace to bee betwene them For euen then Basilius to endomage the Casans translated the marte to Nouogardia which before was accustomed to bee kepte in the Ilande of marchauntes nere vnto the citie of Casan The Iland of marchauntes Commaundyng also vnder peyne of greuous punysshemente that none of his subiectes shulde resorte to the Ilande of marchauntes thynkyngâ— that this translation of the marte shulde greately haue endomaged the Casans and that only by takyng away their trade of salte which they were accustomed to bye of the Moscouites at that marte they shulde haue byn compelled to submyssion But the Moscouites them selues felte no lesse inconuenience hereby then dyd the Casans by reason of the dearth and â—earesenesse that folowed hereof of al such thynges as the Tartars were accustomed to brynge thyther by the ryuer of Uolga from the Caspian sea The Caâ—piâ—n â—ea the kyngedomes of Persia and Armenia Pâ—râ—ia â—â—menia and the marte towne of Astrachan â—strâ—câ—an especially the great number of most excellent fysshes that are taken in Uolga both on the hyther and further syde of Casan But hauynge sayde thus much of the warres betwene the prince of Moscouia and the Tartars of Casan we wyll now procede to speake sumwhat of the other Tartars inhabytyng the regions towarde the southeast and the Caspian sea Next beyonde the Tartars of Casan The Tartars neare to the Caspian â—ea are the Tartars cauled Nagai or Nogai Nogâ—i which inhabâ—te the regions beyond Uolga abowt the Caspian sea at the ryuer Iaick runnyng owt of the prouince of Sibier These haue no kynges but dukes In owre tyme three bretherne diuydynge the prouinces equally betwene them possessed those dukedomes The poâ—seâ—sion of three brytherne The fyrst of them named Schidack possesseth the citie of Scharaitzick beyond the ryuer of Rha or Uolga towarde the Easte with the region confinynge with the ryuer Iaick The seconde cauled Cossum enioyeth all the lande that lyethe betwene the ryuers of Kaman Iaick and Uolga The thryde brother named Schichmamai possesseth parte of the prouince of Sibier and all the region abowt the same Schichmamai is as much to say by interpretacion as holy or myghty And in maner al these regions are full of wooddes excepte that that lyeth towarde Scharaitz which consysteth of playnes and fyeldes Betwene the ryuers of Uolga and Iaick abowt the Caspian sea there sumtymes inhabyted the kynges cauled Sawolhenses The kynges cauled Sawolhenses Demetrius Danielis a man among these barbarians of singular fayth and grauitie toulde vs of a maruelous and in maner incredible thyng that is sene amonge And that his father beinge sente by the prynce of Moscouia to the kynge of Sawolhense sawe whyle he was in that legacie a certeyne seede in that Ilande sumwhat lesse and rounder then the seedes of Melones Of the whiche beinge hydde in the grounde there groweth a frute or plante very lyke a lambe A maruelous frute lyke a lambe of the heyght of fyue spannes And is therfore cauled in theyr tounge Boranetz whiche signifyeth a lyttle lambe For it hath the headde eyes eares an all other partes like vnto a lambe newly cyned with also a very thynne skynne wherwith dyuers of thinhabitauntes of those regions are accustomed to line theyr cappes and hattes and other tyrementes for theyr heades Many also confirmed in owre presence that they had seene these skynnes He sayde furthermore that that plant if it may bee cauled a plant hath bludde and no flesshe but hath in the steade of flesshe a certeyne substance like vnto the flesshe of creuysshes The hoofes also are not of horne aâ— are the lambes but couered with heare in the same forme The roote cleaueth to the nauell or myddest of the belly The plante or fruite lyueth vntyll all the grasse and herbes growynâ—e abowte it beinge eaten the roote wythereth for lacke of nurysshement They say that it is very sweete to bee eaten and is therefore greately desyred and sought for of the woolues and other rauenynge beastes And albeit I extreme all that is sayde of this plant to be fabulous yet forasmuch as it hath byn toulde me of credible persons I haue thought good to make mention hereof Of this straunge frute Mandeuell maketh mâ—ntion Mandeuell where in the ixxxiiii chapiture of his booke he wryteth thus Nowe shall I say of sum landes countreys and Iles that are beyonde the lande of Cathay Therfore who so goeth from Cathay to India the hygh and the lowe â–ª he shall go through a kyngedome that men caule Cadissen and is a great lande There groweth a maner of frute as it were gourdes And when it is rype men cut it a sunder and fynd therin a beast as it were of fleâ—she bone and bludde as it were a lyttle lambe withowt woolle Barnacles oâ— the Oâ—keâ—eys And men eate that beast and the frute also which is a great maruayle Neuerthelesse I sayde vnto them that I helde that for no maruayle For I sayde that in my counâ—rey are tres that beare frute that become byrdes flying which are good to bee eaten And that that fauleth into the water lyueth And that that fauleth on the earth dyeth And they had greate maruayle of this â–ª c. From the prince of Schidack proceadyng .xx. dayes iorney towarde the East are the people which the Moscouites caule Iurgenci whose prince is Barack Soltan Barack Soltan brother to the greate Chan of Cathay Cathay In tenne days iorney from Barack Soltan they coomme to Bebeâ—d Chan. And this is that great Chan of Cathay Names of dignities amonge the Tartars Names of dignities amonge the Tartars are these Chan signifieth a kynge Soltan the soonne of a kynge Bii a Duke Mursa the soonne of a duke Olboud a noble man or counsiler Olboadulu the soonne of a noble man Seid the hygh preste Ksi a priuate person The names of offices are these Names of offices Ulan the seconde dignitie to the kynge For the kynges of the Tartars haue foure principall men whose counsayle they vse in al theyr weyghty affayres Of these the fyrste is cauled Schirni the seconde Barni the thyrde Gargni The fourth Tziptzan And to haue sayde thus much of the Tartars it shall suffice Marcus Pauâ—us wryteth that the greate Chan is cauled â—han Cublâ—i that is the great kynge of kynges Chan Cublai as the greate turcke wryteth hym selfe in lyke maner as I â—awe in a letter wrytten by hym of late to the citie of Raguls in the which he vâ—eth this â—ubâ—crâ—ption Soltan Soliman deselun Chain Signore de Signoâ— in â—empiterno As concernynge Moâ—couia and
with theyr inuenemed arrowes and slaying the most parte caryed away the women With this euyll begynnynge Iohn Ponce departed frome hense to Boriquen and from thense to Florida wher he went alaude with his souldyers to espie a place moste commodious to inhabite and plant a colonie Boriquena But the Indians commynge furth ageynst hym to defende the enterance assayled the Spanyardes fiercely and slewe and wounded many of them At which conflicte also he hym selfe beinge wounded with an arrowe dyed shortely after in the Ilande of Cuba The deaâ—â— of Iohn Ponce and so endynge his lyfe consumed a great parte of the rychesse he had before begotten at saynt Iohannes of Boriquen This Iohn Ponce had before sayled with Chrystopher Colon to the Ilande of Hispaniola in the yeare .1493 He was a gentel souldier in the warres of this Ilande and capitayne of the prouince of Niguei for Nycolas de Quando â—hat conquested the same The region of Floryda is a poynt or cape of lande reachynge into the sea lyke vnto a tounge The land of Floryda beinge a famous and notorious place amonge the Indians by reaâ—on of many Spanyardes that haue bin slayne there But wheras by same this Floryda was estemed a ryche lande many valient and noble men desyred the conquest therof amonge whome Ferdinando de Soto who had before byn a capitayne in Peru and greatly inryched by thimprisonment of kynge Atabaliba atteÌ„pted Ferdinando de Soto a vyage thyther with a good bande of men and spente fyue yeare in seekynge of golde mynes supposynge that this lande hadde byn lyke vnto Peru. In fine he dyed there and was the destruction and vndoinge of all that went with hym withowt inhabytynge that lande The valiente myndes of the Spanyardes in the which the conquestours had hytherto neuer good successe forasmuche as these Indians are valiente archers and stronge and hardy men But the valiant myndes of the Spanyardes not discouraged by these mysaduentures after the death of Ferdinando Soto The thyrde attempte of the conqueste of Florida many woorthy gentelmen desyred this conquest in the yeare .1544 amonge whom was Iulyan Samano and Peter de Ahumada beinge brotherne and men of sufficient abilitie for such an enterprise But neyther themprour beinge then in Germanie neyther the prince Don Phylippe his sonne who gouerned all the kyngedomes of Castile and Aragonie neyther yet the counsayle of the Indies wolde in any case agree to the conqueste â—erteine fryers attempte the conquest onely with woordes but with euyll successe Neuerthelesse not vtterly contemnynge the matter which they were partly persuaded myght otherwyse bee browght to passe they sent thyther fryer Luys Cancell of Baluastro with other fryers of the order of saynt Dominike who offered them selues to conuerte the nations of that lande from theyr gentilitie to the fayth of Chryst and obedience to Themperoure onely with woordes The fryer therfore goinge forwarde on his vyage at the kynges charges in the yeare .1549 went aland with foure other fryers which he tooke with hym and certeyne maryners with owt harnesse or weapons vnto whom as he began his preachynge The fryers are slayne and eaten many of the Indians of the sayd Florida resorted to the sea syde where withowt gyuynge audience to his woordes they caryed hym away with three other of his companyons and dyd eate them whereby they suffered martyrdomâ— for the fayth of Chryst. The resydue that escaped made hast to the shyppe and kept them selues for confessours as sum say Many that fauoure thintente of the fryers doo nowe consyder that by that meanes the Indians coulde not be browght to owre frendeshippe and religion Neuerthelesse that if it coulde so haue byn browght to passe A new kynde of disgrading it had byn better There came of late from that shippe one that had byn the page of Ferdinando de Sodo who declared that the Indians hanged vp the skynnes with the heades and crownes of the sayd fryers in one of theyr temples ¶ An opinion that Europa Africa and Asia are Ilandes and of certeyne nauigations abowt the same THe anciente wryters diuided this owre worlde into Asia Africa and Europa by the ryuer Tanais as Isocrates declareth in his Panegyrico Afterwarde they diuided Asia and Africa by the â—urnynges and course of the ryuer Nilus thowghe the same had byn better by the sea Bermeto that is the redde sea which almoste trauerseth and passeth throwgh the lande from the Ocean to the sea Mediterraneum which diuideth Europa and Asia But Berosus the Caldean sayth that Noe gaue names to Africa Asia and Europa Noe gaue names to Africa Aâ—ia and Europa and gaue them to his sonnes Cham Sem and Iafet also that he sayled by the sea Mediterraneum ten yeres In fine we nowe conclude that the three sayde prouinces occupy this mydlande of the worlde All in geneâ—all say that Asia is greater then any of the other Aâ—ia and in maner as bygge as they both Albeit Herodotus in his Melpomene scorneth them that make Europe and Asia equall Europe affirmynge that Europe in longitude is equal to Asia and Afrike and that it passeeh them in latitude wherin he speaketh not greatly owt of square But to speake more of this elswhere not perteynynge to the matter wee haue in hande The hole earth is an Ilande I say that Homerus one of the most ancient wryters sayth that the world which is diuided into Asia Africa and Europa is an Ilande as reherseth Pomponius Mela in his thyrde booke Strabo in the fyrst boke of his Geographie sayth that the earth which is inhabited is an Ilande enuironed with the Ocean Hâ—ginius also and Solinus confirmed this sentence Althowghe Solinus doo erre in mystakinge the names of the seas supposynge that the Caspian sea was parte of the Ocean The Caspian sea beinge rather lyke vnto the sea Mediterraneum so named bycause it is in the mydlande as is the Caspian sea withowt participacion of the great Ocean Caliz is a ryuer Strabo wryteth that in the tyme of Tolomeus Euergetes one Eudoxus sayled three or foure tymes from Caliz to India â—auigations from the red sea to East India And that the guides of the redde sea cauled the goulfe of Arabie or Bermeio presented to the same kynge Tolomeus an Indian whome he brought frome thense Kynge Iuba also prooued this nauigation from Caliz to India as wryteth Solinus Whereby it appeareth that the nauigation to India by the Ocean was then wel knowen and frequented althowgh not so much as at this present the same beinge neyther then or nowe a thynge of gret difficultie or trauayle by the coastes of hotte regions The vyage to India by the noâ—th seas But to sayle from India to Caliz by the other parte of the north by a clyme and regions of extreme coulde shulde bee doubtlesse a difficult and daungerous thynge wherof is no memory amonge the owlde autours sauynge
onely of one shyppe as Plinie and Mela doo wryte rehersynge the testimony of Cornelius Nepos who affirmed that the kynge of Suema presented to Quintus Metelus Celeâ— Lieuetenaunt of Fraunce The hystorye of Comelius Nepos certeyne Indians dryuen by tempest into the sea of Germanie if the same were not of the lande of Laborador or Bacallaos and they deceaued in theyr coloure Note this For sum say that lykewyse in the dayes of the Emperoure Fredericus Barbarossa certeyne Indians were browght in a Canoa from the citie of Lubec in Germanie Indians in Lubec Furthermore pope Eneas Syluius wryteth that the Sarmation sea is as certeyne as the Scythian Germanian or Indian sea Nowe also there is great knowleage and experience how the nauigations and passage may be attempted by Norwayâ— and other north regions vnder the same north The Sarmaâ—â—an sea and to folow that coaste to the souâ—h sea of Sur and keepe that course by the tracte of China Olanus Gothus the archbysshop of Upsalia and borne in Gothlande hath wrytten muche of these north regions and nauigations by the north sea In the trace of this vyage by the north sea â—lande are the Ilandes of Islande and Gruntlande Gruntlande althowgh there is doubte whether Gruntlande be an Ilande or parte of the firme lande It is xl leaques from Lapponia Lapponia and sumwhat more frome Finmarchia a lande of Scandinauia in Europe Finmarchia The people of Gruntland are stronge men and of coomly stature They sayle with smaul shippes or barkes couered close aboue with lether or beastes hydes for feare of the coulde and fysshes Gruntlande Gruntlande as sum say is fyftie leaques from the north parte of the firme lande of the West Indies by the lande of Laborador The distance from Gruntland to the lande of Laborador But it is not yet knowen whether this land be continent or adherent with Gruntlande or if there bee any streyght of sea betwene theÌ„ If all bee one firme lande adioynynge by any parte then the two great partes of the world seeme to ioyne togyther abowt the north pole or vnder it or beneth it of the streight if it be forasmuch as it is not past fortie or fiftie leaques froÌ„ Finmarche to Grunâ—lanâ—â— wherby it may appere that althowgh there be any suchstraight of â—idynge them yet are they neyghbours not farre in sunder Furthermore from the land of Laborador by thaccompt of the pilottes is abowte foure hundreth leaques to â—aial one of the Ilandes of Azores The Ilandeâ— of Soua or Azores otherwyse cauled the Ilandes of Soria lyinge in the West Ocean ouer ageynst Spayne Also by their accompte the lande of Laborador is abowte fiue hundreth leaques from Irland From laborador to Irland and sixe hundreth from Spayne That the Spanyardes haue sayled to the Antipodes that is suche as go fiete to fiete ageynst vs and inhabite the inferiour hemispherie or halfe globe of the earthe contrarie to thoppinion of the owlde writers AL the ancient philosophers of the genâ—iles do deny that there may be any passage from owre hemispherie or halfe compasse of the earth to the Antopides by reasoÌ„ of the burnt line cauled Zona Torrida and the Ocean sea lyinge in the mydde way wherby this vyage shulde be hyndered and impossible as Macrobius wryteth Macrobius at large in his coÌ„mentaries vpon the dreame of Scipio Of the Chrystyan phylosophers Clemente wryteth that it is not possible for any man to passe the Ocean Clement and other wryters of later tyme seeme to confirme the same In deede I verely beleue that this way was neuer knowen to them aswell for that euer presupposynge the thynge to bee impossible they neuer attempted it as also that the Indians whom we caule Antipodes haue no shippes sufficient for so longe and difficulte a nauigation to brynge them knowleage herof The Indians are Antipodes as haue the Spaniardes to passe the Ocean vnto theÌ„ In so much that at this present this vyage is by dayly experience so well knowen vnto the Spanyardes and Portugales that they can in maner go thyther blyndfielde contrarye to thoppinion of those phylosophers I wyll here omytte to speake of many shippes â—hat haue sayled ordynaryly frome Spayne to India and speake onely of the shyppe Uictoria which compassâ—d abowt the hole globe of the worlde and touched in the landes of two or three Antipodes The shyppe 〈◊〉 and in fine returned to Spayne by a contrary way wherby is declared the ignorance of the sage antiquitie In this nauigation they founde mâ—ny secreaâ—es A strâ—unge thinge amonge the which this is strange and woorthy memorie that al such deade Christians as were cast into the sea lay on theyr backes and turned theyr faces vpwarde but the gentyles lay all groouelyn on theyr bellyes They also pâ—rceaued the soonne and moone to keepe a contrary course from that they doo here euer to cast the shadowes of all thynges towarde the south Shadowes to 〈◊〉 the soâ—th whiche thynge also was knowen to sum of the owlde wryters For this is manifeste that the sonne ryseth on the ryght hande to theym that lyue in the thyrtie degrees on thother syde the Equinoctiall The sonne rysynge on the ryght â—ande so that lookynge towarde the sonne they turne theyr faces to the north wherby it appeareth to bee trew that they affirme They consumed three yeares lackynge .xiiii. dayes in goynâ—e and commynge The vyage of Magellanus and loste a daye in theyr accompte whereby they dyd eate flesshe on frydayes and celebrated the feaste of Easter on Mundayes so that they ouerleaped a day not faylynge in the calender and kept no iust rekenynge of the bisertile The cause wherof whyle some haue searched by phylosophie they haue erred more then the maryners They sayled x. thousande leaques and .xiiii. myles by theyr accompte albeit they shulde haue gonne lesse if theyr way hadde liue ryght forth But as they were enforced partely of necessitie and partely to fynde that they sowght they made many wyndynges and turnynges They trauersed the Equinoctiall line syxe tymes withowt burnynge contrary to thoppinion of tâ—e owlde autours They remayned fyue monethes in the Iland of Tidore whose inhabitauntes are Antipodes to theym of Guinea Antipodes Guinea wherby it is apparente that wee maye communicate with them And althowgh they lost the syght of the northe starre yet dyd they euer dyrecte theyr course therby For beinge in the .xl. degrees of the south The north starre they sawe the needle of the compaâ—se stande as directly towarde the north as it dooth in the sea Mediterraneum althowgh sum say that it looseth his force sumwhat The needle compasse Abowt the poynt of the Southe or pole Antartike they sawe a lyttle whyte cloude and foure starres lyke vnto to crosse with three other ioyayâ—ge therunto which resemble owre Septentrion and are indeed to
Massaquiber Oram Nassaquiber The kyngedome of Fes reachethe vnto the Ocean sea from the West to the citie of Argilla and the porte of the sayde kyngedome is cauled Salla Saâ—la The kyngedome of Marrocko is also extended aboue the Ocean sea vnto the citie of Azamor and Azafi whiche are aboue the Ocean sea towarde the West of the sayde kyngdome Azamor In Mauritania Tingitanea that is to say in the two kyngedomes of Fes and Marrocko are in the sea the Ilandes of Canarie cauled in owlde time the fortunate Ilandes The Ilandes of Canarie Toward the south of this region is the kyngedome of Guinea Guinea with Senega Iaiofo Gambra and manye other regions of the blacke Moores cauled Ethiopians or Negros Ethiopians all whiche are watered with the ryuer Negro cauled in owlde tyme Niger In the sayde regions are no cities but only certeyne lowe cotages made of bouwes of trees plastered with chauke and couered with strawe In these regions are also very great desertes The kyngedome of Marrocko hath vnder it these seuen kyngedomes Hea Sus Guzula the territorie of Marrocko Marrocko Duchala Hazchora and Telde The kyngedome of Fes hath as many as Fes Fes Temesne Azgar Elabath Errifi Garet and Eicauz The kyngedome of Tremisen hath these regions Tremesin Tremisen Tenez and Elgazaet all which are Machometistes But all the regions of Guinea are pure Gentyles and Idolatours withowt profession of any religion or other knowleage of god then by the lawe of nature Guinea Africa the great Africa the great is one of the three partes of the worlde knowen in owlde tyme and seuered from Asia on the East by the ryuer Nilus On the West from Europe by the pillers of Hercules The hyther part is nowe cauled Barbarie and the people Moores The inner parte is cauled Libia and Ethiopia Afrike the lesse is in this wyse bounded Affrike the lesse On the west it hath Numidia On the east Cyrenaica On the north the sea cauled Mediterraneum In this countrey was the noble citie of Carthage Carthage In the East syde of Afrike beneth the redde sea dwelleth the greate and myghtye Emperour and Chrystian kynge Prester Iohan Prester Iohn well knowen to the Portugales in theyr vyages to Calicut His dominions reache very farre on euery syde and hath vnder hym many other kynges both Chrystian and hethen that pay hym trybute This myghty prince is cauled Dauid Themperour of Ethiopia Sum wryte that the kynge of Portugale sendeth hym yearely .viii. shyppes laden with marchaundies His kyngedome confineth with the redde sea and reacheth farre into Afrike towarde Egypte and Barbarie Southwarde it confineth with the sea towarde the cape de Buona Speranza Cape de Buona Speranza and on the other syde with the sea of sande cauled Mare de Sabione The sea of sande a very daungerous sea lyinge betwene the great citie of Alcaer or Cairo in Egypte and the countrey of Ethiopia Alcair In the whiche way are many vnhable desertes continuinge for the space of fyue dayes iorney And they affirme that if the sayde Chrystian Emperour were not hyndered by those desertes in the which is great lacke of vittayles and especially of water he wolde or nowe haue inuaded the kyngedome of Egypte and the citie of Alcayer The chiefe citie of Ethiope where this great Emperour is resydent is cauled Amacaiz beinge a fayre citie whose inhabitauntes are of the coloure of an olyue There are also many other cities as the citie of Saua vppon the ryuer of Nilus where Themperoure is accustomed to remayne in the soommer season There is lykewyse a great citie named Barbaregaf And Ascon from whense it is sayde that the queene of Saba came to Ierusalem to heare the wysdome of Salomon From wheÌ„se the queene of Saba came This citie is but lyttle yet very fayre and one of the chiefe cities in Ethiope In the sayde kyngdome is a prouince cauled Manicongni Manicongni whose kynge is a Moore and tributarie to Themperour of Ethiope In this prouince are many excedynge hyghe mountaynes vppon the which is sayde to be the earthly Paradyse The earthly Paradyse And sum say that there are the trees of the soonne and moone whereof the antiquitie maketh mention The trees of the soonne and moone Yet that none can passe thyther by reason of greate desertes of a hundreth dayes iorney Also beyonde these mountaynes is the cape of Buona Speranza And to haue sayde thus much of Afrike it may suffice ¶ The fyrst vyage of Guinea IN the yeare of owre Lorde M.D.LIII. the xii day of August sayled from Porchemouth two goodly shyppes the Primrose and the Lion The prymrose The Lyon with a pynnesse cauled the moone The Moone beinge all well furnysshed aswell with men of the lustiest sorte to the number of seuen score as also with ordinaunce and vyttayles requisite to such a vyage Hauynge also two capitaynes the one a straunger cauled Antoniades Pinteado a Portugale Pinteado borne in a towne named the porte of Portugale a wyse discrete and sober man who for his cunnynge in saylynge beinge aswell an expert pylot as polytyke capitayne was sumtyme in great fauoure with the kynge of Portugale and to whom the coastes of Brasile and Guinea were commytted to bee kepte from the Frenchemen to whom he was a terroure on the sea in those partes Brasile Guinea and was furthermore a gentleman of the kinge his masters house But as fortune in maner neuer fauoureth but flattereth The flatteryng of fortune neuer promyseth but deceaueth neuer rayseth but casteth downe ageyne and as great wealth and fauour hath alwayes companions emulation and enuie he was after many aduersites and quarels made ageynst hym inforced to come into Englande where in this golden vyage he was euyll matched with an vnequall coompanion and vnlyke matche of most sundry qualities and conditions with vertues few or none adourned with vices dyuers and many fowly spotted The euel conditions of Wyndam knowen of many with out profyte and desyred of fewe or none for his wyckednes whose smaule acquayntaunce was profitable to all men and his familiar conuersation an vndoinge that happye was the man or woman that knewe hym not he for his gooddes and shee for her name In fine vnfortunate was the coompany that had owght to doo with hym in so much that it was no maruayle that so goodly an enterpryse with so noble a furniture of men shyppes and ordinaâ—â—ce of all sortes with all kynde of vyttayles and that of so â—reat abundaunce had so smaul successe which could be none otherwyse wher so foule a spotte dyd blemysshe ye rather deface the rest Thus departed these noble shyppes vnder sayle on theyr vyage But first this capitayne Wyndam puttyng furth of his shyp at Porchmouth a kynseman of one of the headde marchauntes and shewynge herein a muster of
knees and theyr handes beefore theyr faces not lookynge vppe vntyll the kynge commaunde them And when they are commynge towarde the kynge as farre as they do see him do they shewe such reuerence sytting on the grounde with theyr faces couered as before Lykewise when they depart from hym they turne not theyr backes towarde hym but go creepynge backewarde with lyke reuerence And nowe to speake sumwhat of the communication that was betwene the kynge and owre men The communication betwene the kynge of Benin and owr men yowe shall fyrst vnderstande that he hym selfe coulde speake the Portugale tounge which he had lerned of a chylde Therfore after that he had commaunded owre men to stande vp and demaunded of them the cause of theyr commynge into that countrey they answered by Pinteado that they were marchauntes trauaylynge into those parties for the commodities of his countrey for exchaunge of wares which they had browght from theyr countreys beinge such as shulde bee no lesse commodious for him and his people The kynge then hauynge of owlde lyinge in a certeyne store house thirtie or fortie kyntals of pepper euery kyntall beinge an hundreth weyght wyllynge them to looke vppon the same Pepper and ageyne to brynge hym a syght of suche marchaundies as they had browght with them And theruppon sent with the capitayne and the marchauntes certeyne of his men to conducte them to the warers syde with other to brynge the ware from the pinnesse to the courte Who when they were returned and the wares seene the kynge grewe to this ende with the marchauntes The kynges gentlenesse towarde owr men to prouyde in thirtie dayes the ladynge of all theyr shyppes with pepper And in case theyr marchaundies wolde not extende to the value of so muche pepper he promysed to credite them to theyr nexte returne and thereuppon sente the countrey rounde abowt to gather pepper causynge the same to be browght to the courte So that within the space of .xxx. days they had gathered foure score toonne of pepper In the meane season owre men partly hauynge no rule of them selues The disorder and death of owre men but eatyng withowt measure of the frutes of the countrey and drynkyng the wyne of the palme trees that droppeth in the nyght from the cutte branches of the same and in such extreeme heate runnynge continually into the water not vsed before to such suddeyne and vehement alterations then the which nothynge is more daungerous were therby browght into swellynges and agues In so much that the later tyme of the yeare coÌ„myng on caused theÌ„ to dye suÌ„â—ymes iii. suÌ„times .iiii. or .v. in a day Then Wyndam perceauyng the tyme of the .xxx. dayes to be expyred his men dying so fast sent to the court in poste to capitayne Pinteado and the rest to come away and to tary no longer But Pinteado with the rest wrote backe to hym ageyne certifyinge hym of the great quantitie of pepper they had alredy gathered and loked dayly for much more Desyrynge hym furthermore to remember the great prayse and name they shulde wynne if they came home prosperously and what shame of the contrary With which answere Wyndam not satisfied and many of theyr men dyinge dayly wylled and commaunded them ageine eyther to coomme away furthwith or els thretened to leaue them behynde When Pinteado harde this answere thynkynge to persuade hym with reason tooke his way from the court towarde the shyppes beinge conducted thyther with men by the kynges commaundement In the meane season Windam all rageinge The furie of Wyndam brake vppe Pinteados Caben broke open his chestes spoyled suche prouisyon of coulde stilled waters and suckettes as he hade prouided for his health and lefte hym nothynge neyther of his instrumentes to sayle by nor yet of his apparell And in the meane tyme faulinge sycke hym selfe dyed also The death of Wyndam Whose death Pinteado comminge aborde lamented as muche as if he had byn the derest frend he had in the worlde But certeyne of the maryners and other officers dyd spette in his face Pinteado euil vsed of the maryners sum caulynge hym Iewe saying that he had browght them thether to kylle them And sum drawynge theyr swordes at hym makynge A shewe to sley hym Then he perceauinge that they wolde nedes away desyred them to tary that he might fetch the reste of the marchauntes that were fefte at the court But they wolde not graunte his request Then desyred he them to gyue hym the shippe boate with as muche of an owlde sayle as myght serue for the same promisynge them therewith to bringe Nicolas Lamberte and the rest into England But all was in vayne Then wrotte he a letter to the courte to the marchauntes informynge them of all the matter and promysynge theÌ„ if god wolde lende hym life to returne with al hast to fetche them And thus was Pinteado kepte a bordeshippe ageynste his wyll thrust amonge the boyes of the shippe not vsed like a man nor yet like an honest boy But glad to find fauoure at the cokes hande Then departed they leauing one of theyr shippes behynde them whiche they soonke for lake of men to cary her After this within sixe or seuen days saylinge dyed also Pinteado for very pensiuenesse and thowght that strooke hym to the harte The death of Pinteado A man worthy to serue any prince and most vilely vsed And of seuen score men came home to Plymmuowth scarsely fortye and of them many dyed And that no man shulde suspecte these wordes which I haue sayd in commendation of Pinteado to be spoken vpon fauour otherwyse then truth I haue thought good to adde herevnto the coppie of the letters which the kyng of Portugale and the infant his brother wrote vnto hym to reconcyle hym at suche tyme as vppon the kynge his masters displeasure and not for any other cryme or offence as may appere by the sayde letters he was onely for pouertie inforced to coomme into Englande where he fyrst persuaded owre marchauntes to attempte the sayde vyages to Guinea But as the kynge of Portugale to late repented hym that he had so punysshed Pinteado vppon malicious informations of such as enuied the mans good fortune euen so may it hereby appere that in sum cases euen Lyons them selues may eyther bee hyndered by the contempt or ayded by the helpe of the pore myse accordynge vnto the fable of Isope ¶ The coppie of Antomanes Pinteado his letters parentes wherby the kynge of Portugale made hym knyght of his house after all his troubles and imprisonment which by wronge information made to the kynge he had susteyned of longe tyme beinge at the laste deliuered his cause knowen and manifested to the kynge by a grey fryer the kynges confessoure I The kynge do gyue yow to vnderstande lorde Frances Desseosa one of my counsayle and ouerseer of my house that in consideration of the good seruice which Antonie Anes Pinteado the sonne
popingiayes which are in thâ— region of Paria and howe thinhabitours are apparelled Also of the fyue kynges that made a league of frendeshyppe with Uincentius Howe Uincentius sayled Eastwarde by the tracte of the regions of Paria vntyll he came to the poynte of that longe lande which the autour supposeth to be the greate Ilande Atlantike wherof the owlde wryters make mention Cap. S. Aâ—gustini ¶ The contentes of the .viii. booke Fol. 80. ¶ A contention betwene the Castilians and Portugales as concernynge the diuision of the newe founde landes And howe the controuersie was fynysshed by the byshop of Rome Howe Don Chrystopher the gouernoure of the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis was slayne by the Canibales and the bysshop put to flyght Also of the other bysshops of the Ilandes Howe the Canibales of the Iland of Sancta Crux slew and eate a kynge with certeyne of his men beinge frendes to the Chrystians and made faggottes of theyr bones And how querelynge with owre men they put them to silence ¶ The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 81. ¶ Of the maruelous frutefulnes of the regions of Beragua Uraba and Dariena And of the dyuers kyndes of trees and frutes Also of the pleasaunt taste of swynes flesshe beinge fedde with the frutes of Mirobalane trees Of Lions and Tygers and other wylde beastes And of a beaste of straunge forme Of the ryuers of the goulfe of Uraba as the ryuer of Dariena and Rio Grandis And howe the great serpentes cauled Crocodiles are founde in other ryuers bysyde Nilus in Egypte Also howe thautour of this booke was sent Ambassadour to the Soldane of Alcayr in Egipte Of the Portugales nauigations and of the ryuer Senega founde by them to bee a chanel of Nilus Also of the multitude of byrdes foules beinge in the marysshes of Dariena A phylosophicall discourse of thoriginall and generatioâ— of sprynges and ryuers And of the breadth of the lande diuydynge the north and south Ocean Of the great ryuer Maragnonus and of the earthly Paradyse And howe sprynges are engendered by conuercion of ayer into water Of the often faule of rayne vnder the Equinoctiall line and of the pores of the sea opened by the South wyndes Of the great ryuers of Tanais Ganges Danubius and Eridanus famous to the owlde wryters And howe certeine ryuers runnynge throughe the caues of the earthe breake furth into sprynges afarre of ¶ The contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 86. ¶ Howe the newe founde landes discouered by the Spanyardes in the West Ocean are eyght tymes bygger then Italie besyde that which the Portugales possesse And of the cardes of the sea drawen by Colonus and Americus Uesputius The order of measurynge the lande And howe a league conteyneth foure myles by sea and but three by lande The Nauâ—gation of Iohannes Dias and of the sundrye eleuations of the pole starre Of the Ilande of Boiuca or Agnaneo and of the springe whose water being dronke causeth owld men to loke yonge Howe Nicuesa and his souldiers were so oppreâ—sed with famin that they were dryuen to eate mangie dogges toades and deade men And howe a brothe made of a dogges skinne was soulde for many pieces of golde ¶ The contentes of the bookes of the thyrde Decade ¶ The contentes of the fyrst booke Fol. 88. ¶ Of the desperate aduenture and good fortune of Uaschus And how with a hundreth fourscore and ten men he brought that to passe for the whâ—ch Petrus Arias was sente with a thousande and two hundreth fresshe souldyers Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold and howe superfluities hynder libertie Howe Uaschus in one conflicte slewe syxe hundreth barbaryans with theyr kynges And howe he founde the house of kyng Quarequa infected with vnnatural lechery commaundynge that the kynge and fortie suche as he kepte for that purpose shulde be gyuen for a pray to his dogges whiche he vsed to serue in the warres ageynst these naked people Of a region of blacke Moores And howe Uaschus came to the toppes of the mountaynes where geuynge thankes to god he behelde the newe south Ocean neuer before sene nor knowen to men of owre worlde Howe Uaschus put kynge Chiapes to flyght and after made a league of frendeshyppe with hym And howe the king gaue hym .iiii. hundreth poundes weyght of wrought golde Howe kynge Coquera was putte to fâ—yght who also beinge receaued to frendeshyppe gaue Uaschus syxe hundreth and fiftie poundes weyght of wrought golde Of the goulfe cauled Sinus S. Michaelis beinge full of inhabited Ilandes And of the manly corage and godly zeale of Uaschus Also of the rysynge and faulyng of the south sea Howe kynge Tumaccus beinge dryuen to flyght and afterwarde reconciled gaue Uaschus .vi. hundreth and .xiiii. pesos of golde and two hundreth and fortie of the greatest and fayrest pearles And howe the kynge caused his men to fyshe for pearles Of the Ilande cauled Margaritea Diues And of the abundaunce of fayre and great pearles founde therin Of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line And of the Portugales nauigations to the Antipodes inhabytynge the fyue and fiftie degree of the south pole Also a declaration of Antipodes and of the starres about the south pole ¶ The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 95. ¶ Of the maner of fysshynge for pearles and of the three kyndes therof Also dyuers other questions coÌ„cernyng perles Of the multitude of the shell fysshes wherin perles are ingendered and founde in maner in all places in the south sea And of abundaunce of golde founde almoste in euery house Also howe the treasurie of nature is in those coastes And of the golde mynes of Dariena Howe kynge Teaocha gaue Uaschus .xx. poundes weight of wrought golde and two hundreth perles Also of desertes full of wylde beastes and howe Uaschus was troubled with greate heate in the moneth of Nouember Howe a dogge Tyger was taken and his whelpes tyed in cheynes and torne in pieces Also howe Uaschus gaue .iiii kynges to his dogges to be deuoured Of the vse of dogges in theyr warres and of the fiercenesse of the Canibales Howe kynge Bononians fauoured the Chrystians and gaue Uaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also his oration to Uaschus A similitude prouynge greate plentie of golde in the regions of the south sea and of the trauayles which owlde souldyers are able to susteyne ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 99 ¶ Howe kynge Buchibuea submytted hym selfe to Uaschus and sent hym certeyne vesselles of golde Also howe kyngâ— Chiorisus sente hym .xxx. dysshes of pure golde Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold Also an exemple of the lyfe of owr fyrste parentes Howe kynge Pocchorrosa submytted hym selfe and gaue Uaschus .xv. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also howe Tumanama the great kynge of the golden regions towardâ— the south sea is taken prisoner Lykewyse howe he gaue Uaschus .xxx. pounde weyght of pure and wrought golde and his noble men .lx. poundes weyght of golde Of the cause