came to his Ships side such aboundance of Fish of all sorts that they might therewith haue fraught themselues for their returne if Hudson had not too desperately pursued the Voyage neglecting this oportunitie of storing themselues with fish which hee committed to the care of certaine carelesse dissolute Villaines which in his absence conspired against him in few dayes the fish all forsooke them Once a Sauage visited them who for a knife glasse and beads giuen him returned with Beuers skins Deeres skins and a Sled At Hudsons returne they set sayle for England But in few dayes their victuals being almost spent and hee out of his despaire letting fall some words of setting some on shore the former Conspirators the chiefe whereof was Hen. Greene none of their allowed Company but taken in by Hudson himselfe and one Wilson entred his Cabin in the night and forced him the Master together with his sonne Iohn Hudson Tho. Widowes Arn. Ludlo Sidraoh Fauor Ad. Moore Hen. King Mic. Bute to take Shallop and seeke their fortune But see what sinceritie can doe in the most desperate tryals One Philip Staffe an Ipswich man who according to his name had beene a principall staffe and stay to the weaker and more enfeebled courages of his Companions in the whole action lightening and inlightening their drooping darkened spirits with sparkes from his owne resolution their best Purueyor with his Peece on shore and both a skilfull Carpenter and lusty Mariner on boord when hee could by no perswasions seasoned with teares diuert them from their diuellish designes notwithstanding they entreated him to stay with them yet chose rather to commit himselfe to Gods mercy in the forlorne Shallop then with such Villaines to accept of likelier hopes A few dayes after their victuals being spent the ship came aground at Digges Iland and so continued diuers houres till a great floud which they by this accident tooke first notice of came from the Westward and set them on flote Vpon the Cliffes of this Iland they found aboundance of Fowles tame whereof they tooke two or three hundred and seeing a greas long Boat with forty or fifty Sauages vpon the shore they sent on Land and for some of their toyes had Deeres skinnes well dressed Morse-teeth and some few Furres One of our men went on land to their Tents one of theirs remaining for hostage in which Tents they liued by hoords men women and children they are bigge-boned broad-faced flat-nosed and small-footed like the Tartars their Apparell of skinnes but wrought all very handsomely euen Gloues and Shooes The next morning Greene would needs goe on shore with some of his chiefe companions and that vnarmed notwithstanding some aduised and intreated him the contrary The Sauages entertained him with a cunning ambush and at the first onset shot this mutinous Ringleader into the heart where first those those Monsters of treacherie and bloody crueltie now payed with the like had beene conceiued end Wilson his Brother in euill had the like bloody inheritance dying swearing and cursing Perse Thomas and Moter dyed a few dayes after of their wounds Euery where can Diuine Iustice finde Executioners The Boat by Gods blessing with some hurt men escaped in this manner One Abacucke Pricket a seruant of Sir Dudley Digges whom the Mutiners had saued in hope to procure his Master to worke their pardon was left to keepe the Shallop where he sate in a gowne sicke and lame at the sterne vpon whom at the instant of the ambush the leader of all the Sauages leapt from a Rocke and with a strange kinde of weapon indented broad and sharpe of bright steele riueted into a handle of Morse-tooth gaue him diuers cruell wounds before hee could from vnder his gowne draw a small Scottish-Dagger wherewith at one thrust into his side he killed this Sauage and brought him off with the Boat and some of the hurt company that got to him by swimming Being got aboord with a small weake and wounded company they made from this Iland vnto the Northerne Continent where they saw a large opening of the Sea North-West-ward and had a great floud with such a large Billow as they say is no where but in the Ocean From hence they made all possible haste home-wards passing the whole Straits and so home without euer striking sayle or any other let which might easily haue made it impossible For their best sustenance left them was Sea-weeds fryed with Candles ends and the skins of the Fowles they had eaten Some of their men were starued the rest all so weake that onely one could lye along vpon the Helme and steere By Gods great goodnesse the sixt of September 1611. they met with a Fisherman of Foy by whose meanes they came safe into England §. VII Of BVTTONS and BAFFINS late Discoueries THis newes so incouraged the Aduenturers that by the gracious assistance of that Starre of the North Illustrious Sonne of Britaines brightest Sunne and in his presence shining with beauteous beames in this and euen to that further Hemisphere but with speedier setting raised aboue the Sunne and Spheres and Starres to discouer the Straits and passage to a better World there to shine with light vnspeakeable in the fruition of that light inaccessible with the Father of Lights and Sunne of Righteousnesse For how could a worldly Kingdome though the Kingdome of the World deserue so good so great a spirit to rule it But these my words are too short an Epitaph his owne Name euen after death speakes more and proclaimeth in a few Letters al humane Greatnesse Great Britaines great hope PRINCE HENRY the Aduenturers I say whom my weaker eyes dazled with this greater Light could scarce recouer by this Princely assistance pursued the action in more Royall fashion with greater shipping vnder the command of a Worthy Sea-man seruant to Prince HENRY Captaine Thomas Button whose Discouerie of a great Continent called by him New-Wales and other accidents of his Voyage I haue not seene onely I haue seene a Chart of those discouered places and I heare that he passed Hudsons Straits and leauing Hudsons Bay to the South sailed aboue two hundred Leagues South-West-Ward ouer a Sea aboue fourescore fathoms deepe without sight of Land which at length hee found to be another great Bay And after much misery of sicknesse in his wintering notwithstanding he was forced to quit the great ship hee beat and searched the whole Bay with very great industrie euen backe againe almost to Digges Iland neere which hee found the comming in of the great and strong tyde from the North-West which feeds both those huge Bayes This seemed strange that in this Voyage as he searched many Leaguee East West he found the variation of the Compasse to rise and fall in an admirable proportion as if the true Magneticall Pole might be discouered The comming in of the floud from the Northwest giuing them hopes of a passage in March 1614. Captaine
And of great goodnesse 7. And Truth 8. Which keepest Mercy for thousands 9. Which takest away the Iniquitie 10. Transgressions 11. And sinnes 12. Which absoluest not 13. But rendrest the Iniquitie of the Fathers vpon the Children to the third and fourth Generation then follow those thirteene Articles in forme of an Hymne with the Exposition of R. Moses which also you may reade in the Treatise of Philip Ferdinand a Polonian Christned Iew. And hee which thus beleeueth sayth Ferdinand is a Iew and as a Brother to bee loued and though hee commit all the sinnes of the World howsoeuer hee shall bee punished for his sinne yet shall he haue part in the Kingdome of Heauen though he be reckoned among the Sinners of Israel But he which shall ouerturne one of these Precepts shall bee blotted out of the number of the Saints and be reckoned an Heretike Apostata Epicure worthy to bee hated of all This is the Iewish Faith in which with much vexation doubting and lamentation they liue and dye vpon which their Religion hath beene alway founded but it was first put in writing and brought into this Order by R. Mosche bar Maimon who dyed in the yeere after their reckoning 4964. Anno Dom. 1104. and straite charge was giuen That the Iewes thenceforth for euer confessing it in this Order should according to the same liue and dye This their Creed howsoeuer Charity may construe much of it to a better sense yet according to their vnderstanding doth it principally ayme at the subuersion of Christian Religion as appeareth in a more strait Examination after their sense of the 2 3 4 and 5 the 7 8 9 10 11 12. Articles All which make against the person or the Office of the Sonne of GOD as they vnderstand them denying his God-head and disanulling his Office affirming as a Iew shamed not to professe and vtter vnto M. Buxdorfius That it needed not that any should satisfie for them for euery Fox must yeeld his owne skinne and haires to the flayer And the Iewish Faith saith R. Ioseph Albu is founded vpon three foundations vpon the vnitie of the Diuine Essence vpon the Law of Moses and vpon the eternall reward of good workes and punishment of euill contemning the Passion of Christ by whose stripes we are healed and on whom GOD hath laid the iniquities of vs all It is written also in their Talmud that all the Israelites haue their portion in the World to come not all alike but he shall haue a greater part that hath done more good workes and the wicked and Impenitent shall be punished twelue moneths in Hell or Purgatorie after which time they also and some sooner if they haue beene lesse sinners shall haue their part but a lesse then the former but to them which deny GOD which become Christians their fore-skinne groweth againe and as vncircumcised eternally are punished in Hell And the Sonne of a deceased Iew is bound to say for the space of one yeere a Prayer called Kiddisch thereby to redeeme him from Purgatorie in which respect the Father dyeth with ioy A good woman may doe the like for her Husband But R. Bechai who excludeth all other Nations from their part in the Resurrection preferring the Iewes in a foure-fold Priuiledge viz. the Land of Canaan the Law the Prophets and the Resurrection reciteth out of the great Talmud That three sorts of men shall rise againe at the Day of Iudgement one of the best Israelites a second sort of the wicked and worst the third of a meane who haue done as much good as euill The good shall presently goe into life eternall the wicked shall be cast into Hell as in the twelfth of Daniel and shall be for euer in torments of bodie and soule The third and meaner sort of sinners shall bee tormented for twelue moneths space for their sinnes in Hell at the end of which time their bodies shall be consumed and the wind shall scatter their ashes vnder the soles of the feet of the Iust c. and as worthily doe they proue it out of the Prophet And in that day two parts shall be cut off and dye and the third shall be left therein and I will bring that third part thorow the fire and will fine them as siluer is fined and will try them as Gold is tryed And in another place The Lord killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to Hell and raiseth vp Iust as fitly applyed as 1. Cor. 3. and such like places by our Purgatory Spirits R. Dauid Kimchi vpon the first Psalme and Esay 26. commenteth That the wicked shall not rise but in the day of death their soule shall dye together with their bodie And Aben Ezra in his Exposition of Dan. 12. writeth out of R. Higgaon That many shall rise and many not rise but suffer euerlasting reproch and expoundeth it thus That the good Iewes which dye in Exile shall rise againe when the Messias shall come and shall liue as long as the Patriarkes before the Floud and then they shall make merrie with the great Fish Leuiathan and the great Bird Ziz and the great Oxe Behemoth of which we shall speake after When this is done they shall dye and at the last Day shall be raysed vp againe and shall possesse eternall Life where shall bee no eating nor drinking but glory c. Iacob desired to be buried in Canaan not in Egypt for three causes saith R. Salomon Iarchi because he foresaw That of the Dust of Egypt shall bee made Lice Secondly because the Israelites which dye out of Canaan shall not rise againe without much paine of their rolling thorow the deepe and hidden Vaults of the Earth Thirdly left the Egyptians should make an Idoll of him For the better vnderstanding hereof let vs heare what is said out of the Booke Tanchum an Exposition of the Pentateuch concerning this subiect The Patriarkes sayth he desired to be buried in Canaan because they which are there buried shall first rise in the time of the Messias And R. Hananiah sayth That they which dye out of Canaan must endure two deaths and the same appeareth Ier. 20. where it is said Pashur should go into Babel and should there dye and there be buried What quoth R. Simon shall then all the Iust perish which dye out of Canaan No but God will make them Mechillos that is deepe Clifts and Caues vnder the Earth by which they may passe into the Land of Promise whither when they are come GOD shall inspire into them the breath of life that they may rise againe as it is written I will open your Graues and cause you to come out of your Sepulchres c. The like is written in their Targum or Chaldaean Interpretation of the Canticles When the dead shall rise Mount Oliuet shall cleaue asunder and the Israelites which haue beene dead shall come out of the same and they which haue dyed in
strict orders they may not nourish Hennes because of their female Sexe To drinke Wine is punished in their Priests with stoning They haue many Fasts in the yeare but one especially in which the people frequent the Temples and their Sermons They haue their Canonicall houres by day and night for their holy things They hold that the World shall last eight thousand yeares whereof sixe thousand are passed and then it shall be consumed with fire at which time shall bee opened in Heauen seuen eyes of the Sunne which shall drie vp the Waters and burne vp the Earth In the ashes shall remaine two Egges whence shall come foorth one Man and one Woman which shall renew the World But there shall be no more Salt but fresh Riuers and Lakes which shall cause the Earth without mans labour to abound in plenty of good things The Siamites are the sinke of the Easterne Superstitions which they deriue to many Nations Gasper de Cruz testifieth that the Bramenes in Siam are Witches and are the Kings principall seruants They worship one god called Probar Missur which say they made Heauen and Earth and another called Pralocussur who obtained of a third named Praissur that power vnto Probar Missur Another called Praput Prasur Metrie Hee thinketh the third part of the Land to be Priests or Religious persons These Religious are proud the inferiour worshipping their superiours as gods with prayer and prostrating They are reuerenced much of the people none daring to contradict them so that when our Frier Gasper preached if one of those Religious came and said This is good but ours is better all his Auditors would forsake him They number in their opinion seuen and twentie Heauens holding that some of them are like Mahomets Paradise fraught with faire women with meates also and drinkes and that all liuing things which haue soules goe thither euen Fleas and Lice And these lousie heauens are allotted to all secular persons which enter not into their rule and habit of Religion They haue higher heauens for their Priests which liue in wildernesses ascribing onely this felicitie to them there to sit and refresh themselues with winde And according to the higher merits they assigne other higher heauens among their gods which haue round bodies like bowles and so haue these that goe thither They hold also that there are thirteene Hells according to the differing demerits of mens sinnes Of their Religious men some are supreme and sit aboue the King called Massauchaches a second Order they entitle Nascendeches which sit with the King and are as Bishops a third and lower ranke sit beneath the King named Mitires which are as Priests and haue the Chapuzes and Sazes two inferior degrees vnder them all reuerenced according to their place Except the Priests and Religious all are slaues to the King and when they die their whole state deuolueth to him how hardly soeuer the wife and children shift which was caused through a rebellion against the brother of the King which then reigned when the Frier writ this In the yeere 1606. Balthasar Sequerius a Iesuite landing at Tanassary passed from thence partly by goodly Riuers partly ouer cragged and rough Hills and Forrests stored with Rhinocerots Elephants and Tigres one of which tare in pieces one of their company before his eyes vnto Odia Conferring with the Talipoies or Religious men he learned their conceits That there was now no God in the world to gouerne it Three had beene before now dead and a Fourth is expected which deferreth his comming In the meane while lest this huge Frame should want a Ruler it is ordered by a certaine Bubble or Brooch which some of the Former Gods had left The vulgar people heare these bubbles bables and fables with great reuerence and silence holding vp their ioyned hands They obserue their Festiualls according to the course of the Moone and then open their Temples whither the people resort to doe their deuotions These are built strong and stately with Art and Beautie hauing their Porches Cloisters Quires and lower Iles great Chappels being annexed on both sides and large Church-yards In one of these hee saw a Statue of eighteene Cubites length dedicated to the great God They are of marueilous abstinence and thinke it a great sinne to taste wine In their Quires they haue singing men which after the Europaean fashion sing there especially in the shutting in of the Euening and about midnight Very early in the morning warning is giuen for them to goe to beg from doore to doore They haue their funerall Holies and Obits for the dead The carkasses are burned being put into painted Coffins with great solemnitie if they be great men with Musicke and dances and great store of victuals to be bestowed on the Talipoys Thus farre Sequerius The Inhabitants of this Kingdome are much giuen to pleasure and ryot they refuse the vse of Manuall Arts but addict themselues to Husbandry They haue publike Schooles where they teach Lawes and Religion in the vulgar Language other Sciences they learne in a more learned Tongue They worship innumerable Idols but especially the foure Elements according to which his Sect each man maketh choise of his buriall They which worshipped the Earth are therein buried the Fire burneth the dead carkasses of them which obserued it in the Ayre are hanged to feast the airy-winged people with their flesh those which adored the Ayre being aliue The Water drowneth those which had aliue beene drowned in that Waterie Religion Euery King at his first entrance to the Crowne erecteth a Temple which hee adorneth with high Steeples and innumerable Idols In the Citie of Socotay is one of mettell fourescore spans high The Kingdome of Siam comprehendeth that Aurea Regio of Ptolemey by Arrianus in his Periplus the Map whereof Ortelius set forth 1597. called Aurea Continens nigh to which is placed that Aurea Chersonesus then it seemeth by a necke of land ioyned to the Continent since supposed to be by force of the Sea separated from the same and to bee the same which is now called Sumatra which Tremellius and Iunius iudge to bee Salomons Ophir The Land trendeth long and narrow and containeth fiue hundred leagues of Sea-coast compassing from Champa to Tauay But of this space the Arabians or Moores haue vsurped two hundred with the Townes of Patane Pahan Ior and Malacca now in possession of the Portugals and the Kingdomes of Aua Chencran Caipumo and Brema haue shared also therein Odia is the chiefe Citie thereof containing foure hundred thousand housholds and serueth the King with fiftie thousand Souldiers and to the Riuer Caipumo on which it standeth belong two hundred thousand vessels This King hath nine Kingdomes subiect to him and thirtie thousand Elephants whereof three thousand are trained to the warres His Nobles hold their Lands in a kinde of Knights-seruice like the Turkish Timars yet onely for terme of life without the Kings pay serue him whensoeuer
of the Magistrate and sell him for a slaue The Moores will sometimes make semblance as if they would kill themselues that these foolish Guzzarates may see them in like sort They will go out of the path if they light on an Ant-hill lest they might happily treade on some of them they sup by day-light lest their candle-light should occasion the death of some Gnat or Fly And when they must needs vse a Candle they keepe it in a Lanthorne for that cause If Lice doe much annoy them they call to them certaine Religious and holy men after their account and these Obseruants will take vpon them all those Lice which the other can find and put them on their head there to nourish them But yet for all this lousie scruple they sticke not at coozenage by false weights measures and coyne nor at vsury and lies Some are said to be so zealous in their Idol-seruice as to sacrifice their liues in their honour whereunto they are perswaded by the preachings of their Priests as the most acceptable deuotion Many offer themselues which being brought vpon a scaffold after certaine ceremonies put about his neck an Iron coller round without but within very sharpe from which hangeth a chaine downe his brest into which sitting downe he putteth his feet and whiles the Priest muttereth certaine words the party before the people with all his force stretcheth out his feet and cuts off his head their reward is that they are accounted Saints CHAP. IX Of the Indian Nations betwixt Cambaia and Malabar and their Religions §. I. Of the seasons of the yeeres and of the parts next to Cambaya THe mightie Riuers of Indus and Ganges paying their fine to the Lord of waters the Ocean almost vnder the very Tropick of Cancer do as it were betwixt their watery armes present into that their Mothers bosome this large Chersonesus A Countrey full of Kingdomes riches people and our dewest taske superstitious customes As Italy is diuided by the Apennine and bounded by the Alpes so is this by the Hils which they call Gate which goe from East to West but not directly and quite thorow to the Cape Comori which not only haue entred league with many In-lets of the Sea to diuide the soyle into many Signiories and Kingdomes but with the Ayre and Natures higher officers to dispence with the ordinary orders and established Statues of Nature at the same time vnder the same eleuation of the Sun diuiding to Summer and Winter their seasons and possessions For whereas cold is banished out of these Countries except on the tops of some Hils and altogether prohibited to approach so neere the Court and presence of the Sun and therefore their Winter and Summer is not reckoned by heate and cold but by the fairenesse and foulenesse of weather which in those parts diuided the yere by equall proportions at the same time when on the West-part of this Peninsula betweene that ridge of Mountaines and the Sea it is after their appellation Summer which is from September till April in which time it is alwayes cleere skie without once or very little raining on the other side the hils which they cal the coast of Choromandell it is their Winter euery day and night yeelding abundance of raines besides those terrible thunders which both begin and end their Winter And from April till September in a contrary vicissitude on the Westerne part is Winter and on the Easterne Summer insomuch that in little more then twentie leagues iourney in some place as where they crosse the Hills to Saint Thomas on the one side of the Hill you ascend with a faire Summer on the other you descend attendant with a stormy Winter The like saith Linschoten hapneth at the Cape Rosalgate in Arabia and in many other places of the East Their Winter also is more fierce then ours euery man prouiding against the same as if he had a voyage of so many moneths to passe by Sea their ships are brought into harbour their houses can scarce harbour the Inhabitants against the violent stormes which choake the Riuers with Sands and make the Seas vnnauigable I leaue the causes of these things to the further scanning of Philosophers the effects and affects thereof are strange The Sea roareth with a dreadfull noyse the Windes blow with a certaine course from thence the people haue a Melancholike season which they passe away with play In the Summer the Wind bloweth from the Land beginning at Midnight and continuing till Noone neuer blowing aboue ten leagues into the Sea and presently after one of the clock vntill midnight the contrary winde bloweth keeping their set-times whereby they make the Land temperate the heate otherwise would bee vnmeasurable But this change commonly causeth diseases Fluxes Feuers Vomitings in dangerous and to very many in deadly manner as appeareth at Goa where in the Kings Hospitall which is onely for white men there die fiue hundred in a yeere Here you may see both the North and South Starres and little difference or none is found in the length of day and night throughout the yeere Dely is the next Kingdome to Camboia now not the next but the same the Mountaines which before diuided it not prohibiting the Mogors Forces to annexe it to his Crowne Of it is spoken before in the Chapter of Cambaya as also of Decan which lyeth along the Coast betwixt the Riuers Bate and Aliga two hundred and fiftie miles Here was as is said sometimes a Moore King who leading a voluptuous and idle life by his Captaines was dispossessed of his State the one of these was called Idalcan whose Seat-Royall is Visapore who in the yeere 1572. incamped before Goa which the Portugals had taken from him with an Army of seuenty thousand Foot and fiue and thirty thousand Horse two thousand Elephants and two hundred and fiftie pecces of Artilerie The other was Nizzamalucco which resideth in Danager besieged Chaul now belonging to the Portugals with not much lesse forces against a Captaine of the Venazarie which are a people that liue on spoyle as the Resbuti in Cambaia the Belemi in Delly Canara or Concam seemeth to haue beene a part of Decan but is possessed by the King of Narsinga whose state is on the East side of the Mountaines It hath in it the Coast-townes of Onor Batticalla Mayander and Mangalor famous for trafficke but eclipsed by the Portugals neighbourhood The Religion of these parts is partly Mahumetan partly Heathenish These haue their proper Iolatries as wee haue before noted peculiar Idols and Sects to peculiar Tribes and Trades They haue also more common Rites worshipping the Images of diuers Beasts Elephants Kine Apes and the like to which they dedicate Pagodes or Temples They haue other common deuotions haue appropriated to War to Seed to Fortune to Life to Death seuerall Deities The Deuill they worship in horrible forme as we shall after see for in this confusion
without any fault but the defect of our Treasurie who therefore poysoned himselfe and the I le became tributarie Sextus Rufus saith as much Amasis was the first if we beleeue Herodotus f that euer conquered Cyprus and made it tributarie He also saith lib. 4. That the Cyprians were partly from Salamine and Athens partly from Arcadia partly from Cythnus from Phoenicia and from Aethiopia Plinie affirmeth That it was sometime the seate of nine Kings and was diuersly named as Acamantis Cerastis Aspelia Amathusia Macaria Cryptus and Colinia It was such a Forrest of Trees that when as their shipping and Mines were not able to waste them it was made lawfull for any man to fell and destroy them and for his labour to possesse the land which he had so cleered Bartholomaeus Saligniacus sayth he saw flying fishes in the Sea about Cyprus which in the Atlantike Ocean are common he saw also a Ramme in Cyprus with seuen hornes HONDIVS his Map of Cyprus CYPRUS In the time of Constantine it was forsaken of the Inhabitants as before forsaken of the Elements which refused to water with any drops of raine that Iland sometime called Macaria or happy the space of seuenteene yeeres together or as others haue it sixe and thirtie repeopled from diuers parts by Helena the Mother of Constantine and remayning to the Greeke Empire till that Lion of England made it a prey and the Knights purchase who sold it to Guido Lusignun whose posterity failing the Venetians succeeded till SEYLIM the Second minding to erect a Religious Hospitall to testifie his magnificence beganne with an irreligious foundation For whereas their holy Lawes will not suffer any thing to bee dedicated to holy vses which their owne Sword hath not conquerd hee brake league with the Venetian and robbed them of this Iland which they are thought not with the iustest title before to haue possessed But it is high time to bethinke vs of our Indian shore whence we haue taken so large a prospect where we are stayed to be transported into the chiefe of those Ilands there to take a more leisurely view of their Regions and Religions And if any be desirous to reade the ancient names and descriptions of the Seas and Ilands about Asia Marcianus Heracleotes and Sculax Carnandensis haue written especiall Treatises thereof which Dauid Hoeschelius hath published in Greeke very profitable to the learned Students of the ancient Geographie as are the workes also of Isidorus Characenus Artemidorus Ephesius and Dicaearchus Messenius which he hath ioyned with them CHAP. XV. A larger Relation of some principall Ilands of Asia and first of the Ilands of Iapon §. I. A Preface touching the Iesuites and a description of Iapon with some of their strange Customes THe Iesuits haue not more fixed the eyes of the World vpon them in the Westerne parts then they haue fixed their owne eyes on the Easterne heere seeking to repaire with their vntempered-Morter the ruines of their Falling Babylon there laying a new foundation of their after-hopes heere by their Politike Mysteries and Mysticall Policies endeuouring to recouer there by new Conquests to make supply to their losses heere for busie intruding into affaires of State suspected by their owne hated by their Aduersaries there by seeming to neglect Greatnesse and to contemne Riches of the mightiest are not feared whiles Others beleeue obserue and admire them Both heere and there they spare not to compasse Sea and Land to winne Proselytes euery of their Residences or Colledges being as so many Forts to establish this new Romane Monarchie but with vnlike aduantage encountring there with Reason or rather with the carkasse of Reason attended with Ignorance and Superstition whose Owlish eyes cannot endure the enteruiew of Truth though darkened with those Cloudes wherewith they ouer-cast it Heere with Truth yea the Soule of Truth true Religion whose Shield of Faith and Sword of the Spirit these the stronger part of the strongest Gate of Hell cannot preuaile against A Spanish Faction of Spanish humour and successe more easily conquering a World of the naked Americans and effeminate Indians then keeping all they had in Europe Such are the armes of the one and the preaching of the other Yet would I faine be thankful to the one and the other the first for furthering Geographic with knowledge of a new World the other for making a possibility of a better World to some whereas otherwise there was a generall desperation of all Neyther are the wounds of Popish Superstition so absolutely mortall as the Ethnike Atheisme the one hauing no foundation at all the other shewing the true foundation although their Babylonish slime euen heere supply the roome of better morter besides their stubble hay and wood built vpon it Better a mixed truth then a totall errour and a maymed Christ then none at all But howsoeuer they bee beholden to them for their Diuinitie it were inhumanitie in vs not to acknowledge a beholdingnesse to them for that they giue vs the knowledge of many peoples although in all their Discourses this caution is necessary not to yeeld them a Catholike and vniuersall credit where we any way may spie them dawbing the wals of their pretended Catholike Church In relating their Miracles and such like we will remember they are Iesuits in other things not seruiceable to Rome we will heare them as Trauellers when lying doth not aduantage them nor hurt vs But as the labours of the Iesuites may euery where breed shame to our negligence in a better quarrell so in Iapon it is most of all admirable that the furthest part of the World should be so neere to their industry And that you at last may bee acquainted with Iapon wee will borrow of them to pay your hopes by this long introduction suspended Maffaeus who hath translated and set forth more then thirty of those Iaponian Epistles in the twelfth Booke of his Indian History doth thus describe it Besides other lesse three principall Ilands beare the name of Iapon which the first and greatest more particularly challengeth and contayneth in it three and fifty Kingdomes or Principalities the chiefe City whereof is Meaco The second is Ximum diuided into nine Signiories The third Xicoc quartered into foure Lordships so that there are in all of this Iaponian Dominion three score and sixe Shires or pettie Kingdomes The space of Land is measured two hundred leagues in length in bredth some-where ten in other places thirtie betweene the thirty and thirtie eight degrees of Latitude Eastward from China Our Countrey-man William Adams which now liues there and hath done these many yeeres and therefore hath better meanes to know the truth placeth it from the 35. to the 48. degree of Northerly latitude the length East and by North and West and by South for so it lyeth is two hundred and twenty English leagues that way and South and North two hundred and three score leagues almost
lothsomenesse the prize of Beautie The Kingdome of Brocall extends to Gambea which Riuer is so great deepe and strong that the Sea in thirtie leagues from the mouth which opens it selfe fiue leagues in disgorging his full stomacke can scarcely subdue it vnto his salt qualitie Some thinke it proceedes from the same Fountayne with Niger whence these peoples are called Negros some that this and Zanaga proceed from the same head Midway betwixt both is the Greene Cape Alongst both sides of this Riuer dwell the Mandingae a perfidious and Idolatrous Nation which haue certaine Inchanters called Bexerini to performe their Priestly Holies The Riuer is sayled vp a hundred and threescore Leagues horrible Precipices and Cataracts forbidding further passage by water they call this fall a Bow for the obliquitie of the fall suffering men to passe vnder without wetting Many fertile and pleasant Ilands are contayned in the diuided armes of this streame The Inhabitants haue Shippes of good â—ignesse and strength Not farre hence to the South is Cape Saint Marie from which to the Riuer of Dominico is thirtie leagues peopled by the Arriari and Falopi Here is also the Riuer Casamanqua inhabited on the North by the Iabundi on the South the Benhuni to whom on the East adioyne the Casangae the King is subiect to the King of Iarem and hee to another more within Land and so in degrees vnto the Monarch of Mandinga whose chiefe Citie is Songus aboue a hundred leagues Eastward from the Cape of Palmes to this King the most of the former are subiect The Casangae worship an Idoll called China which is nothing else but a bundle of staues or poles pitched into the ground and fastened together with paste made of the meale of Rice and Millet which they sprinkle with the bloud of sacrificed Kine and Goates Some hang on the top thereof two or three skuls of Dogges The Temple to this goodly Deitie is some shadie Tree and there they offer also Millet and the Wine of Palmes To secure their Seede they sticke one of these poles in the ground The Portugals buy slaues in these parts sold by reason of the Kings vnreasonable tyrannie The Burami adioyne to the Casangae on both sides the Riuer Iarim or Dominico as farre as Rio Grand Here also they buy slaues The men and women file their teeth the women to keepe their tongues in order euery morning take a draught of water into their mouthes and there hold it till Dinner or Breakfast time meane-while doing their houshold businesse not spitting eating or talking The chiefe Towne of the Burami is eight leagues from the Hauen where the chiefe King to whom the rest are subiect resides Their Houses are of Earth couered with leaues The Bijags inhabit neere the great Riuer a fierce warlike robbing people possessing also seuenteene Iles the Portugals haue there the Towne of the Crosse The Beafares also in these parts are dispersed of whom the King of Guinala carrieth the greatest state and pompe at whose death all his Wiues and Seruants and dearest Clients and the Kings Horse are slaine and intombed with him to serue him in the other life The like vsage is in very many of these Guinean Kingdomes to which they adde further cruelty in the manner for they cut off their toes and fingers and beate their bones as it were in a Morter three houres longer then which they could not out-liue this torture and then in the sight of those which were to vndergo the like fate thrust them into the neck with a sharpe stake so finishing their blinde Martyrdome On the other side the Riuer is Biguba a Portugall Towne the best they haue in these parts the Natiues are Beafares whose King being dead the strongest is his Heire the cause of much Warre Betweene this and Cape Sierra Liona so called of the Lyon-like roring made there by the waues if not of the Thunders and dreadfull storme are the Mallusians Bagasians and Cozolines In these parts Grapes and Sugar-canes grow wilde store also of Cotton Brasill Wood of seuen colours Graines called Malegetta of the name of the Region long Pepper Millet besides Waxe and Iuory Out of their Palmes they draw Wine and Oyle and a certaine excellent Sope forbidden as is also the long Pepper for the excellence to bee carried into Portugall They haue Apes called Baris exceeding great and so industrious that being brought vp in the house they supply the roome of a seruant going on their hinder feete beating things in the Morter fetching water home in Vessels which yet if none bee ready to take from them they will cast downe and breake and then howle Heere is store of Iron better then ours but their best Commoditie is Gold but no Forreiners know the Mines whence they haue it The Portugals called their Castle here built Saint George of the Mine in the fift degree of Northerly latitude In Sierra Liona are thirteene Riuers which fall into the Sea On the Riuer Das Piedrus the Portugals haue a Towne Capor and Tambassire two other Riuers fall from the Hils Machamala in which is a great Rocke of most pure Chrystall Two of these Riuers Tagaris on the North and Bangua on the South of this Lion-hill make it a Peninsula in some places so neere that they carry their Boates by Land from one to the other The Inhabitants are the Cumbae and the Natiues called Capi these more ingenious then other Guineans They haue their Kings which administer Law hauing to that purpose round Galleries not farre from their Palaces called Funkes where is a high Throne for the King and lower Seates on both sides for his Counsellors called Solatequis Their Lawyers or Aduocates they call Troens which weare parti-coloured garments wouen with feathers hold staues in their hands whereon they leane whiles they pleade and haue Vizors to hide their blushing if any such cause happen in the Kings presence who hauing heard the pleading of these and the aduice of the Counsellors pronounceth sentence In the Creation of a Solatequis the rite obserued is this they place the person to be created in a faire seate of wood and then the King strikes his face with the inwards of a Goat that the bloud and filth runnes downe his brest then sprinkles him with meale and after puts a Cap on his head When the King dies his Sonne Brother or next Kinsman succeeds but before his full Regalitie they bind him at his house and lead him bound to the Palace there whip him after this they loosen him attire and leade him to the Iudgement Seat where the eldest Counsellor makes an Oration concerning his right and dutie which ended he puts a Hatchet into his hand which they vse in Executions and after this all acknowledge subiection No lesse strange is their custome for their Maydens In euery City or Village they haue a house seuered like a Monasticall Cloyster from the rest
the Islands of Africa from the Cape hitherwards §. I. Of Saint Helena Thomee Cape de Verd and diuers others betwixt them and of the weeds and calmes of those Seas ON this side the Cape is the Iland of S. Helena in 16 degrees and one quarter of Southerly latitude It is very high and hilly the name was giuen of the Saint on whose day it was discouered It hath in it store of goats hogs hens and other creatures which the Portugals haue there left to multiply for before there was none of them there also they haue planted Figs Oranges Limons and such like whereof the Vallies are full that it seemeth an earthly Paradise the Fruit growing all the yeere long They haue great store of Fish of which with crooked nayles they take great plenty the Rocks yeeld salt for the furthering of their prouision It seemes God hath planted it in conuenient place for the long and dangerous Indian Nauigations There the Portugals leaue their sicke which stay till other ships come the next yeere to take them It was neuer inhabited onely an Hermite dwelt there who vnder pretence of mortifying his flesh by penance butchered the flesh of the Goats and Bucks so fast for their skins that the King sent for him home and will suffer none to dwell there Abraham Kendall put in there about the yeere 1591. and left on shore one Segar a sicke man whom Edmund Parker eighteene moneths after found in good plight but their vnexpected comming as it seemeth so rauished his weake spirits with ioy that it distracted him and being otherwise of bodily constitution very wel he dyed eight dayes after The like I haue read of a Portugall in the same place In Iune 1613. the Dutch set vpon two Carricks in this roade but with ill successe one of their ships with nine and forty men being casually blown vp North-west from hence are the Iles of Ascension not inhabited Of Loanda nigh to or rather a piece of Congo is already spoken Ouer against the Cape of Lopo Gonsalues is the I le of Nobon and not farre from thence Saint Thomas an hundred and fourescore miles from the shore and so much also in compasse right vnder the Line At the first discouerie it was a Wood Now inhabited by Portugals and Negro's These liue an hundred and ten yeeres but few borne in Europe exceed fifty It is vnwholsome through exceeding heat vnto Europaeans especially which in December Ianuary and February can scarcely walk vp and downe for faintnesse In the middest is a wooddy Mountaine continually ouershadowed with a thicke cloud which so moistens the Trees that grow in great abundance thereon that from hence droppeth water sufficient for the watering of all their fields of Sugar-Canes They haue threescore and ten Ingenios or Sugar-houses each of which hath two or three hundred slaues belonging thereto They grind the Canes and boyle the iuice to make it into Sugar but by no meanes can they make it so white heere as in Madera and other places The refuse of their Canes they giue to their Hogs which are heere very many fat and delicate as the flesh of a Hen. They are some yeeres exceedingly plagued with Ants and also with Rats White men which liue there are visited two houres in euery eight or ten dayes with an Ague but strangers haue more shrewd entertainment and scarcely in twenty dayes with great care can shake off this Shaker The chiefe Citie is Pouoason an Episcopall Sea. The Negro's worke sixe dayes for their Masters and the seuenth day for themselues in setting and planting their seeds fruits and prouision Wheat heere sowne becommeth all blade without ripening any corne No fruit which hath a stone in it will heere prosper The town which hath about seuen hundred Families and the Castle was taken by the Hollanders 1599. The I le Del Principe was so called because the reuenues thereof were in times past allowed to the Prince of Portugall It standeth in three degrees of Northerly Latitude Iulian Glerehagen tooke the same An. 1598. The Iles of S. Matthew Santa Cruz S. Paul and Conception yeeld small matter of History Next to Cape Verde stand seuen Islands full of Birds empty of Inhabitants called Barbacene But those that are called the Iles of Cape Verde are nine situate betweene the Greene and White Capes Linschoten reckons ten They were first discouered by Antoni di Nolli a Genoway An. 1440. None of them are inhabited but the Isles of Iago and Del Fogo both which were taken An. 1596. by Sir Anth. Sherley who had one nights showre of Ashes from that Island of Fogo or Fuego or of Fire so called because it continually burneth which fell so thicke on their ship that you might write your name with your finger vpon the vpper decke Saint Iago was taken and burnt by Sir Francis Drake An. 1585. Braua and Bueua Vista haue brauer and goodlier names then Nature Maio yeeld salt in a Lake of two leagues long the Sun congealing and turning the waters into Salt From thence is passed into the Sea called Sargasso because it is couered with herbs like to the herbe Sargasso in the Portugall Wels not vnlike to Samper yellow of colour with empty Berries like Goose-berries but lesse which beginneth at twenty degrees and continueth till thirty foure farre off in the Sea for the ships in their going to India keeping neere the shore meet not with any The Sea seemeth as a greene field so thicke that a man cannot see the water and hindereth the ships passage except they haue a strong winde Ralph Wilson hath told vs of a new Iland discouered by the Salomon in 19. 34. to the South Anno 1612. The Coast of Africa is foure-hundred miles distant neither is any Iland neere saue that these weeds seeme to make many Ilands Thus doe men in ships behold the wonders of the Lord in the deepe no Land being nigh nor no ground to be found although it is thought to come from the ground Some thinke it growes on the Rocks and is thence beaten off by the Sea . And indeed all those Seas are full of wonders as they passe along the Coast toward the Indies Thomas Steuens complaineth of the continuall Thunders Lightnings and vnwholsome Rainos which there they met the raine-water if it stand a little conuerting presently to Wormes and filling the meat hanged vp with Wormes An herbe also swamme vpon the face of the waters like a Cocks Combe so venemous that it can scarce bee touched without perill Fishes called Sharkes most rauenous deuourers which had other sixe or seuen smaller fishes garded with blue and greene attending like Seruing-men Fishes also as big as a Herring with wings which doe not so much helpe them by flying to escape another greater fish that pursueth them by Sea as endanger them to a Sea-Fowle which waits that opportunitie Neither can it fly high or farre or
that it was an inuiolable law amongst them that if their Souldiers did in any place publicke or priuate offer any licentious or iniurious behauiour to a woman he was assuredly put to death The people of this countrie were of a goodly stature well formed and of a good complexion There were among them Giants of an incredible greatnesse the skull of one of them is remaining in which there are eightie teeth and his bodie which was found buried in the Sepulchre of the Kings of Guymur of which race he was measured fifteene foot The people that dwell on the South-side of the Iland were of the colour of an Oliue but those that dwelt on the North-side were faire especially their women hauing bright and smooth haire Their common apparell was a certaine garment made of Lambes skins like a short coate without pleate or collor or sleeues fastned together with straps of the same leather The ordinarie garment for men and women of the common sort was called Tomarco onely the women for modesties sake had another couering vnder their Tomarco which was a side coate downe to the knees made of skins which reached downe to the ground for they held it an vnseemely thing in a woman to haue her breasts or her feete vncouered In this garment they liued and in this they dyed and in this they were commonly buried For their dyet they sowed Barly and Beanes Wheate was vtterly vnknowne to them They toasted their Barly by the fire then did grinde it in certaine hand mils such as are now in Spaine The floure so made they called Giffio wetting it with water milk or butter It serued instead of bread also and was their greatest and most Generall sustenance They eat the flesh of Sheepe of Goats and Pork but not commonly for they haue certaine assemblies like our festiuall Wake-dayes in England at which times the King in person with his owne hands did giue to euery twentie of them three Goates and a proportion of their Giffio After which Feast euery companie came before the King shewing their agilitie in leaping running wrastling darting dancing and other sports They haue a certaine kind of hony out of a fruit called Mozan of the greatnesse and bignesse of a pease Before they are ripe they are very greene when they beginne to ripe they are red and when they are ripe are blacke nothing vnlike our blackberries saue in their taste which is exceeding pleasant They eat no more but the iuyce of them which they call Yoya and the Hony which they make of them they call Chacerquem They gather these Mozans very ripe and do put them into the Sun for a weeke then they breake them in pieces and put them into water to bee boyled vntil they come to a sirrope and this is their Physick for the fluxe and the grieuings in the backe and for both these diseases they did also let bloud in the armes head and forehead with a flintstone At their time of sowing the King hauing appointed to euery man his portion of ground that was to bee sowne they digged vp the earth with Goats hornes and with certaine words threw their seed into the ground All other works appertained vnto and were performed by their women The King did make his habitation in naturall caues or hollow rocks of which there are infinite store remayning to this day When there was any Feast made in any Kingdome their Feasts had the priuiledge that men might with immunity passe to and fro through the enemies Countrey yea many times the enemies would feast one with another In their Marriages the men vsed to aske the consent of the Widdowes or Maids parents if there were any which being granted they were married with little or no ceremony that I could learne And the marriage was not so soone made but it might be as quickly broken for if the husband or wife were disposed to be separated they might be so and both of them marry again with others at their pleasures Notwithstanding all the children of the separated begotten afterwards were esteemed as bastards the King only for successions sake exempted from this custome to whom for that respect it was lawfull to marry with his own sister For many yeeres this Iland was subiect to one only King whom they called Adexe who being growne old his Sons which were nine in number conspiring against him parted the Iland into nine seuerall Kingdomes All their war was to steale cattle one from another and especially the spotted Goats which amongst them are in great and religious estimation there is very little difference betwixt the body colour and smothnesse of our English fallow Deere and their Goat The ancient Guanches of this Iland had an appointed Officer or Embalmer answerable to the sex man or woman who washing the dead corps did put into its body certaine Confections made of Goats Butter melted the powder of Furzes and of a kind of ruffe stones the rindes of Pine-trees and other herbs and did stuffe the body with this euery day for 15. dayes together putting the body against the Sun now on the one side now on the other vntill it were stiffe and dry All this space their friends bewayled their death At the end of 15. dayes they wrapped their body in Goats skins so cunningly sowed together that it was maruellous and so they carried the body to a deepe caue where none might haue accesse There are of these bodies remayning yet which haue been buried these 1000. yeeres The neerest port towne to the City called Cidade de Laguna is Santa Cruz from thence you ascend vp the steepe Mountaynes to the City which you shall finde to bee most miraculously seated in the midst of a flat of ten miles in compasse as if nature had prepared that place for man to build a City vpon being walled about with hils of wonderful height on al sides sauing to the Northwest from whence there being a leuel tract of land euen to the Seaside which is seuen leagues distant there doth continually arise from the Sea a vapour which being circulated among so many and intricate Mountaines groweth to be a wind and taketh his passage through those channels of Mountaynes to the City to its great refreshing and in this great Plaine like Enuy for want of opposition dieth And let the wind blow full Southeast at Sea yet shall you alwayes haue the wind full Northwest at the City like a true friend when you must need him from twelue a clocke in the day vntill night The extreame dew which falleth doth sufficiently coole the night Their buildings are all of an open rough stone nothing faire they are very plaine in their buildings two or three stories high and no more and commonly but one story high in the remoter parts of the City It is not walled they haue no chimneyes no not so much as in their kitchins They make only a
Tome appeareth Perhaps this Voyage of Cabot was the same which is mentioned by Master Robert Thorne in a Treatise of his written 1527. that his Father and Hugh Eliot a Merchant of Bristow were the Discouerers of the New-found-lands and if they had followed their Pilots minde the Lands of the West Indies had beene ours Anno 1500. Gasper Corteregalis a Portugall minding new Discoueries set forth a ship at his owne charge from Lisbone and sayling farre North at last came to a Land which for the pleasantnesse thereof he called Greene The men as he reported were barbarous brown-coloured very swift good Archers clothed in Beasts skins They liue in Caues or base Cottages without any Religion but obserue Sooth-sayings They vsed Marriages and were very iealous Petrus Pasqualigi in a Letter concerning this Voyage sayth they brought from thence a piece of a gilded Sword which seemed to be of Italian workmanship a child also amongst them ware two siluer-earings which by the workmanship appeared to bee brought from these parts perhaps belonging to some of Cabots company Returning into Portugall hee sayled thitherward againe Anno 1501. But what became of him none can tell His Brother Michael Corteregalis the next yeere set forth two ships to make search for his Brother but he also was lost The King Emanuel grieued herewith sent to enquire of them but all in vaine Their Brother Vasco would haue put himselfe on this aduenture but the King would not suffer him The name Greene vpon this occasion was withered and the land was called Terra Corteregalis Thus farre Osorius It reacheth according to Boterus reckoning to the 60. degree Let vs come to our owne For of Steuen Gomes little is left vs but a Iest This Gomes hauing beene with Magellan a few yeeres before in his Discouery of the South Sea inlarged with hopes of new Streights in the yeere 1525. set forth to search this Northerly passage But finding nothing to his expectation he laded his ship with slaues and returned At his returne one that knew his intent was for the Moluccas by that way inquiring what hee had brought home was told Esclauos that is slaues Hee fore-stalled with his owne imagination of Cloues had thought it was said Clauos and so posted to the Court to carry first newes of this Spicy Discouery looking for a great reward but the truth being knowne caused hereat great laughter Dithmar Bleskens in his Treatise of Island relateth that in the yeere 900. the Nobilitie of East Frisia and Breame found that Iland and 200. leagues from thence discouered Groenland which he saith was named per antiphrasin of the contrary for want of greene and pleasant Pastures and that by Whirle-pooles and misty darknesse all their Nauie but one ship perished William Steere translated a Booke Anno 1608. before translated out of the Norsh Language 1560. for the vse of Henry Hudson in which is mention of diuers Townes of Groenland as Skagenford an Easterne Dorp or Village and from thence more Easterly Beareford where was great fishing for Whales by the Bishops licence the benefit redounding to the Cathedrall Church Allabourg sound where Fowle and Oxen were plentifull Fendbrother Hauen where in Saint Olaffs time some were drowned and their ship cast away Crosses being yet seene on their Graue-stones Corsehought where by authority from the Bishop they hunted for White Beares from hence Eastward nothing but Ice and Snow Westward stood Kodesford a Dorp well built with a great Church Wartsdale Peterswicke Saint Olaffes Monastery and another of Saint Benets Nuns here were many warme-water◠in the Winter intolerably hot and medicinable There was also a Church of Saint Nicholas and many other Parishes and Villages Desarts Beares with red patches on their heads Hawkes Marble of all colours great Streames Nuts and Acornes in the Hils Wheate Sables Loshes c. He affirmeth that it is not so cold there as in Island and Norway But let vs obserue the Discoueries of our owne Countrimen §. III. Discoueries by Sir MARTIN FROBISHER SIr Martin Frobisher deserueth the first place as being the first that in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth sought the Northwest Passage in three seuerall Voyages The first whereof was written by Christopher Hall the second by Dionise Settle the third by Thomas Ellis and all in one Discourse by M. George Best all which at large the Reader may find in M. Hakluyts laborious Discouery of Discoueries To speake briefly what may best befit vs in our Pilgrimage Sir Martin Frobisher sayled from Blackewall Iune the fifteenth and the seuenth of Iuly had sight of Frisland but could not get on shore for the abundance of Ice which was also accompanyed with an extreame fogge as double gard to that Iland vncertaine whether to fortifie it or to imprison them The twentieth of Iuly he had sight of and high Land which he named Queene Elizabeths fore-Fore-land Here was he much troubled with Ice but sayling more Northerly descryed another fore-Fore-land with a Great Gut Bay or Passage which he entred calling it Frobishers Straits supposing it to be the diuision of Asia and America Hauing entred threescore leagues hee went on shore and was encountred with mighty Deere which ranne at him with danger of his life Here had he sight of the Saluages which rowed to his ship in Boats of Seales skinnes with a Keele of wood within them like a Spanish Shallop saue onely they be flat in the bottome and sharpe at both ends They eat raw flesh and fish or rather deuoured the same they had long blacke haire broad faces flat noses tawny of colour or like an Oliue which neyther Sunne or Wind but Nature it selfe imprinted on them as appeared by their Infants and seemeth to be the generall Liuery of America Their apparell was Scales skins their women were painted or marked downe the cheekes and about the eyes with blue strakes These Saluages intercepted fiue of our men and the Boat Ours also tooke one of theirs which they brought into England where they arriued the second of October 1576. Hee had taken possession of the Countrey in right of the Queene and commanded his company to bring euery one somewhat in witnesse of the same One brought a piece of blacke stone like Sea-coale which was found to hold Gold in good quantity Whereupon a second Voyage was made the next yeere 1577. to bring Ore And comming to those Straits in Iuly found them in manner shut vp with a long Mure of Ice which sometime indangered their ships especially on the nineteenth of that moneth They found a great dead fish round like a Porcpis twelue foot long hauing a Horne of two yards lacking two inches growing out of the Snout wreathed and straight like a Waxe Taper and might bee thought to be a Sea Vnicorne It was broken in the top wherein some of the Saylers said they put Spiders which presently dyed It was reserued as a Iewell
making a noyse downward that they worship the Deuill vnder them There is no flesh or fish which they find dead smel it neuer so filthily but they wil eat it without any other dressing Their Deere haue skins like Asses and feet large like Oxen which were measured 7. or 8. inches in breadth There are no Riuers or running Springs but such as the Sun causeth to come of snow Sometimes they will perboyle their meate a little in kettles made of beasts skins with the bloud water which they drinke lick the bloudy knife with their tongues This licking is the medicine also for their wounds They seeme to haue traffike with other Nations from whom they a small quantity of Iron Their fire they make of heath mosse In their leather Boats they row with one oare faster then we can in our Boats with all our oares §. IIII. Discoueries by IOHN DAVIS GEORGE WEYMOVTH and IAMES HALL to the North-West MAster Iohn Dauis in the yeere 1585. made his first voyage for the North-west discouery and in 64. degrees and 15. minutes they came on shore on an Iland where they had sight of the Sauages which seemed to worship the Sunne For pointing vp to the Sunne with their hands they would strike their breasts hard with their hands which being answered with like action of the English was taken for a confirmed league and they became very familiar They first leaped and danced with a kind of Timbrel which they strucke with a sticke Their apparell was of beasts and birds skins buskins hose gloues c. Some leather they had which was dressed like the Glouers leather The 6. of August they discouered land in 66. deg. 40. min.. They killed white Beares one of whose fore-feet was fourteene inches broad so fat that they were forced to cast it away It seemed they fed on the grasse by their dung which was like to Horse-dung they heard Dogs howle on the shore which were tame They killed one with a Collar about his necke hee had a bone in his pisle these it seemed were vsed to the Sled for they found two Sleds The next yeere he made his second voyage wherein hee found the Sauage people tractable They are great Idolaters and Witches They haue many Images which they weare about them and in their Boats They found a graue wherein were many buried couered with Seales skinnes and a Crosse laid ouer them One of them made a fire of Turfs kindled with the motion of a sticke in a piece of a boord which had a hole halfe thorow into which hee put many things with diuers words and strange gestures our men supposed it to be a sacrifice They would haue had one of the English to stand in the smoke which themselues were bidden to doe and would not by any meanes whereupon one of them was thrust in and the fire put out by our men They are very theeuish They eate raw Fish grasse and Ice and drinke salt-water Heere they saw a whirlewinde take vp the water in great quantitie furiously mounting it vp into the ayre three houres together with little intermission They found in 63. degrees 8. minutes a strange quantitie of Ice in one entire masse so bigge that they knew not the limits thereof very high in forme of land with Bayes and Capes like high-cliffe-land they sent their Pinnasse to discouer it which returned with information that it was onely Ice This was the 17. of Iuly 1586. and they coasted it till the thirtieth of Iuly In the 66. deg. 33. min.. they found it very hot and were much troubled with a stinging Fly called Muskito All the Lands they saw seemed to bee broken and Ilands which they coasted Southwards till they were in foure and fifty and a halfe and there found hope of a passage In the same voyage he had sent the Sun-shine from him in 60. degrees which went to Iseland and on the seuenth of Iuly had sight of the Gronland and were hindered from harbour by the Ice They coasted it till the last of Iuly Their houses neere the Sea-side were made with pieces of wood crossed ouer with poles and couered with earth Our men played at foot-ball with them of the Iland The third voyage was performed the next yeere 1587. wherein Mr Dauis discouered to the 73. degree finding the Sea all open and forty leagues betweene land and land hauing Groenland which hath an Iland neere it to the West for the loathsome view of the shore couered with snow without wood earth or grasse to be seene and the irkesome noise of the Ice called Desolation in 59. on the East and America on the West The Spanish Fleet and the vntimely death of Master Secretarie Walsingham the Epitome and summary of Humane worthinesse hindered the prosecution of these intended Discoueries In the yeere 1602. Captain George Weymouth made a voyage of Discouery to the Northwest with two Fly-boats set forth by the Muscouy Company saw the South part of Gronland and had water in 120. fadome blacke as thick as puddle and in a little space cleere with many such enterchanges The breach of the Ice made a noise as a thunder-clap and ouerturning had sunke both their Vessels if they had not with great diligence preuented it They had store of Fogges some freezing as they fell In 68 deg. 53. min.. they encountred an Inlet forty leagues broad and sailed West and by South in the same 100. leagues Iames Hall An. 1605. sailed to Groenland from Denmarke and had like encounters of Ice yeelding in the breach no lesse noise then if fiue Canons had beene discharged with people also like those which in Frobishers Voyage are mentioned they make sailes of guts sowed together for their fishing Boats and deceiued the Seales with Seales-skin garments Groenland is high Mountainous full of broken Ilands alongst the Coasts Riuers nauigable and good Bayes full of fish Betweene the Mountaines are pleasant Plaines and Vallies such as a man would scarce beleeue He saw store of Fowle no beasts but blacke Foxes and Deere The people seemed a kind of Samoydes wandering in Summer by companies for Hunting and Fishing and remouing from place to place with their Tents and Baggage they are of reasonable stature browne actiue warlike eate raw meat or a little perboyled with bloud Oyle or a little water which they drinke their apparell beasts of fowles skinnes the hairy or feathered side outward in Summer in the Winter inward their arrowes and darts with two feathers and a bone-head they haue no wood but drift they worship the Sunne Anno 1606. He made a second Voyage thither found their Winter houses built with Whales bones couered with Earth and Vaults two yards deepe vnder the Earth square They call Groenland in their language Secanunga Vp within the Land they haue a King carried on mens shoulders The next yeere he sailed thither the third time and in a fourth Voyage 1612. was slaine
widest and to vomit out betweene these cleauing morsels into the Oceans lap so many streames and so farre is it from the Northerne and Southerne extremes three hundred miles distant The Inhabitants on the Northerne branches are the Tiuitiuas a goodly and valiant people which haue the most manly speech and most deliberate saith Sir Walter that euer I heard of what Nation so euer In the Summer they haue houses on the ground as in other places In the Winter they dwell vpon the trees where they build very artificiall Townes and Villages for betweene May and September the Riuer of Orenoque riseth thirtie foot vpright and then are those Ilands ouerflowne twenty foot high except in some few raised grounds in the middle This waterie store when the clouds are so prodigall of more then the Riuers store-house can hold whereby they become violent intruders and incrochers vpon the Land and not the violence of cold giueth this time the Title of Winter These Tiuitiuas neuer eate of any thing that is set or sowne Natures nurslings that neither at home nor abroad will be beholden to the Arte or Labour of Husbandry They vse the tops of Palmitos for bread and kill Deere Fish and Porke for the rest of their sustenance They which dwell vpon the branches of Orenoque called Capuri and Macureo are for the most part Carpenters of Canoas which they sell into Guiana for gold and into Trinidado for Tobacco in the excessiue taking whereof they exceed all Nations When a Commander dieth they vse great lamentation and when they thinke the flesh of their bodies is putrified and fallen from the bones they take vp the carkasse againe and hang it vp in the house where he had dwelt decking his skull with feathers of all colours and hanging his gold-plates about the bones of his arms thighs and legs The Arwacas which dwell on the South of Orenoque beat the bones of their Lords into powder which their wiues and friends drinke As they passed along these streames their eyes were entertained with a Pageant of Shewes wherein Nature was the onely Actor here the Deere came downe feeding by the waters side as if they had desired acquaintance with these new-come guests there the Birds in vnspeakeable varietie of kinds and colours rendering their seruice to the eye and eare the Lands either in large plaines of many miles bearing their beautifull bosomes adorned with Floraes embroidery of vnknown Flowres and Plants and prostrating themselues to the eye that they might be seene or else lifting vp thēselues in Hils knitting their furrowed brows and strouting out their goggle eyes to watch their treasure which they keepe imprisoned in their stony walls and now to see these strangers the Waters as the Graces dancing with mutuall and manifold embracings of diuers streames attended with plenty of Fowle and Fish both Land and Water feasting varietie of senses with varietie of obiects onely the Crocodile a creature which seemeth Vassall now to the land now to the Water but to make prey on both wel-nigh marred the Play and turned this Comedie into a Tragedie euen in their sight feasting himselfe with a Negro of their company One leuell passed hence to Cumana an hundred and twenty leagues to the North wherein dwell the Sayma the Assawai the Wikiri and the Aroras a people as blacke as Negros but with smooth haire Their poisoned Arrowes like cruell Executioners doe not onely kill but with vncouth torments make death to be as the last so the least of their fury especially if men drinke after they are wounded At the Port of Morequito they anchored and the King being an hundred and ten yeeres old came afoot fourteene miles to see them and returned the same day They brought them store of fruits and a sort of Paraquitos no bigger then Wrens and an Armadilla which seemeth to be all barred ouer with small plates somewhat like to a Rhinoceros with a white horne growing in his hinder-parts as big as a great hunting horne which they vse to winde in stead of a Trumpet They after eate this beast Monardus saith it is in bignesse and snout like a Pigge liues vnder the earth as a Moule and is thought to liue on earth They passed further till they came in sight of those strange ouer-fals of Caroli of which there appeared ten or twelue in sight euery one as high ouer the other as a Church-Tower They had sight at Winicapora of a Mountaine of Cristall which appeared a farre off like a white Church-Tower of an exceeding height There falleth ouer it a mighty Riuer which toucheth no part of the side of the Mountain but rushing ouer the top falleth to the ground with so terrible noise as if a thousand great bels were knocked one against another No maruell of these roaring out-cries if we consider that double penalty of Sense and Losse which this Riuer seemeth to sustaine the one in that dreadfull downfall bruising and breaking his vnited streames into drops and making it foming and senselesse with this falling-sicknesse the other in leauing behinde his Cristall purchase further enriched with Diamonds and other Iewels which euen now hee embraced in his waterie armes but himselfe such is the course and curse of couetousnesse will not suffer himselfe to enioy Now for the Monsters of Men there are said to be not seene by our men but reported by the Sauages and other an Amazonian Nation further South which Gomara thinkes to bee but the wiues of some Indians a thing common as you haue euen now read shooting and following the warres no lesse then their husbands Once about Iucatan about Plata about the Riuer called of this supposition Amazones about Monomotapa in Africa our Age hath told but no man hath seene this Vnimammian Nation Yet here they speake not of searing of the brest and what need they if there bee such seeing the women are so good Archers in other places their brests notwithstanding Againe they tell of men with mouthes in their brests and eyes in their shoulders called Chiparemoi and of the Guianians Ewiaponomos very strong and of others headed like Dogges which liue all the day time in the Sea These things are strange yet I dare not esteeme them fabulous onely as not too prodigall of faith I suspend till some eye-intelligence of some of our parts haue testified the truth §. II. Relations and discoueries thereof by other Englishmen FRANCIS SPARREY left in Guiana by Sir W. Raleigh 1595. hath also written of these parts He relateth of a place called Comalaha Southwards from Orenoque where at certain times they sell women as at a faire He saith he bought eight the eldest of which was not eighteene for a Red-hafted Knife which in England cost a halfe-peny he gaue them to the Sauages Hee was afterwards sent Prisoner into Spaine Anno 1604. Captaine Charles Leigh set saile from Woolwich on the one and twentieth of March for Guiana May 10. he came
his Pinnasse left him in forty seuen The Ro-bucke kept with him to thirtie sixe Captaine Barker transgressing his directions was slaine with fiue and twenty men on Land and the Boat lost and soone after 25. others followed the like fortunes ten others by the cowardise of the Master of the Ro-bucke forsaken at Spirito Sancto which stole away with sixe monethes victuals for an hundred and twenty persons they being but forty sixe At Sebastians happened another mutinie by treacherie of an Irish man here Master Kniuet and other sicke persons were set on shore Intending againe for the Straits he beate and was beaten vp and downe the frowning Seas and came within two leagues of Saint Helena but could not attaine it and professeth he had rather haue put himselfe on an Iland if hee could not attaine it and professeth hee had rather haue put himselfe on an Iland if he could haue found one which the Charts place in eight degrees then returne and now was scarce able to hold a Pen when he wrote this Hee dyed homewards Since that Sir Richard Hawkins passed the Straits into the South Sea of which his Voyage I haue read a long Discourse written by himselfe Hee fell into the hands of the Spaniards which tooke him in the South Sea Let me adde this touching these Straits that possession thereof was formally taken by turfe and twigge after the English manner in the first Voyage Captaine Drake deliuering the said seisin to Captaine Winter in the name of Queene Elizabeth and her Successors This did Captaine Winter himselfe relate to me at Bathe in the presence of many desiring to haue it published this last September 1618. forty yeeres after the performance with many other particulars of that his Voyage CHAP. VII Of Terra Australis and Chili AS for the Land on the Southerne side of the Straits it is called the Land of Fire either because the Discouerers saw fire thereabouts or because that cold Climate so much needeth fire More Easterly against the Cape of Good Hope is the Land Terra di Vista This Land about the Straits is not perfectly discouered whether it be Continent or Ilands Some take it for Continent and extend it more in their imagination then any mans experience towards those Ilands of Salomon and New Guinnee esteeming of which there is great probabilitie that Terra Australis or the Southerne Continent may for the largenesse thereof take vp a fift place in order and the first in greatnesse in the diuision and parting of the whole World Master Brerewood our Learned Countriman as is before obserued perswadeth himselfe that it is as large as the Easterne Continent which containeth Europe Africa and Asia altogether His reasons are that touching latitude it is knowne to approch neere if not on this side the Aequator and touching Longitude to runne along in a continuall circuit about the Earth fronting both the other Continents Another reason which he deemeth of more certaine importance is this that the Land to the North side of the Line in the other Continents of the Old and New World is at least foure times as large as that part of them which lyeth to the South Now for as much as the face of the Sea is leuell so hee argueth being therefore called Aequor Aqua and secondly the Earth beeing equally poysed on both sides of her owne Centre and thirdly this Centre being but one to the Water and the Earth euen no other then the Centre of the World it followeth thereupon that the Earth should in answerable measure and proportion lift it selfe and appeare aboue the face of the Sea on the South side of the Line as it doth on the North. And consequently that what is wanting in the South parts of the other Continents towards the counteruailing of the North parts which is about three fiue parts of both the other Continents layed together must of necessitie be supplyed in this Continent of the South Lopez Vaz writeth That the Gouernours which the King of Spaine sendeth for Peru and New Spaine haue a custome to discouer new Countries The Licentiate Castro being Gouernour of Peru sent forth a Fleet from Lima which sayling 800. leagues Westward found certaine Ilands in 11. degrees to the South of the Equinoctiall with a kind of people of yellowish complexion and all naked Heere they found Hogs Dogges Hens Cloues Ginger Cinamon and some Gold The first Iland they named Izabella the greatest Guadalcanal on the Coast whereof they sayled 150. leagues where they tooke a Towne and some graines of Gold hanged vp in the Houses They burnt their Towne because they had in a sudden surprize killed fourteene of their men They spent fourteene moneths in this Discouery and named them the Ilands of Salomon that by that name men might bee further induced to discouer and inhabit them imagining that Salomon had his Gold from thence Noua Guinea was discouered by Villalobos sent from New Spaine in the yeere 1543. going to discouer the Moluccas Herera saith it was discouered by Aluaro of Saauedra Anno 1527. and the Ilands of Salomon in the yeere 1567. by Lope Garcia of Castro which are many and great but eighteene principall some of them 300. leagues in compasse two of 200. others of 100. and of fifty and lesse the Inhabitants some blacke some white some browne the greatest named Saint Isabel 150. leagues in length and eighteene in breadth Saint Nicholas 150. leagues in compasse The Inhabitants are blacke of hue and wittie The Spaniards haue coasted it 700. leagues and yet cannot tell whether it bee an I le or Continent Hesselius Gerardus hath largely set forth the Petition or Memoriall of Peter Ferdinandez de Quir vnto the King of Spaine about his discouery of those Southerne vnknowne Ilands for the Plantation of the same I haue since seen this his Supplication to the King in Spanish with other memorials thereof wherein he saith that hee was sent with two ships to discouer the Ilands of Salomon and taking his course about the height of the Magellan Straits discouered a mayne Land and sayled eight hundred Leagues on the Coast till hee came in fifteene degrees Southward from the Line where he found a fruitfull Countrey He discouered a Bay into which fall two great Riuers where they purpose to settle a Plantation Order was taken that he should presently be sent from Peru with commission to take vp 1200. men with shipping and other necessaries and as many the yeere after out of New Spaine He found out three and twenty Ilands 230. leagues from Mexico Taumaco Chicayma where are great Oysters with Pearles Guaytopo the people whereof are as white as the Spaniards Tucopio Fonofono c. They pray to the Deuill which hath conference with an Indian vnseene from a piece of wood and to him and all the rest many times by night he toucheth the face and brest with cold touches but they could neuer learne what he was
like is noted in the East Indies at the Hils of Balegate where that Ridge parteth Winter and Summer in the same neernesse to the Sunne at the same time and a few miles distant The Raines in the Hils are cause why they call it Winter and the deawes or mysts in the Plaines so that when the Raines fall most in the Hils it is cleere weather in the Plaines and when the deaw falleth in the Plaines it is cleere on the Hils and thus it commeth to passe that a man may trauell from Winter to Summer in one day hauing Winter to wash him in the morning and ere night a cleere and dry Summer to scorch him Yea in some places sayth Alexandro Vrsino within sixe miles space both heate and cold are intolerable and enough to kill any man From Saint Helen to Copiapo it neuer raineth which Coast extends forty miles in some places fiftie in breadth and twelue hundred leagues in length §. II. Of the first Inhabitants their Quippos Arts Marriages ABout the point of Saint Helena in Peru they tell that sometimes there liued Giants of huge stature which came thither in Boates the compasse of their knee was as much as of another mans middle they were hated of the people because that vsing their women they killed them and did the same to the men for other causes These Giants were addicted to Sodomie and therefore as the Indians report were destroyed with fire from Heauen Whether this be true or no in those parts are found huge and Giantlike bones Cieza writes that Iohn di Holmos at Porto Vicio digged and found teeth three fingers broad and foure long Contrariwise in the Valley of Chincha they haue a Tradition that the Progenitors of the present Inhabitants destroyed the natiue people which were not aboue two Cubits high and possessed their roomes in testimonie whereof they alledge also that bone-argument Concerning the Indians conceit of their own originall we haue mentioned their opinion of a floud and the repeopling of the World by them which came out of a Caue They haue another Legend that all men being drowned there came out of the great Lake Titicaca one Virococha which stayed in Traguanaco where at this day is to bee seene the ruines of very ancient and strange buildings and from thence came to Cusco and so beganne Mankinde to multiply They shew in the same Lake a small Iland where they faine that the Sunne hid himselfe and so was preserued and for this reason they made great Sacrifices vnto him in this place both of Sheepe and Men. They held this place sacred and the Inguas built there a Temple to the Sunne and placed there Women and Priests with great treasures Some learned men are of opinion that all which the Indians make mention of is not aboue foure hundred yeeres which may bee imputed to their want of writing In stead of writing they vsed their Quippos These Quippos are Memorials or Registers made of cords in which there are diuers knots and colours signifying diuers things these were their Bookes of Histories of Lawes Ceremonies and accounts of their affaires There were officers appointed to keepe them called Quipocamayos which were bound to giue account of things as Notaries and Registers They had according to the diuersitie of businesse sundry cords and branches in every of which were so many knots little and great and strings tyed to them some red some greene and in such varietie that euen as wee deriue an infinite number of words from the Letters of the Alphabet so doe they from these kinds and colours And at this day they will keepe account exactly with them I did see sayth Acosta a handfull of these strings wherein an Indian woman did carrie as it were written a generall confession of all her life and thereby confessed herselfe as well as I could haue done in written paper with strings for the circumstances of the sinnes They haue also certaine wheeles of small stones by meanes whereof they learne all they desire by heart Thus you shall see them learne the Pater-noster Creed and the rest and for this purpose they haue many of these wheeles in their Church-yards They haue another kinde of Quippos with grains of Mays with which they wil cast hard accounts which might trouble a good Arithmetician with his Pen in the Diuisions They were no lesse wittie if not more in things whereto they apply themselues then the men of these parts They taught their young children all Arts necessary to the life of men euery one learning what was needfull for his person and family and not appropriating himselfe to one profession as with vs one is a Tayler another a Weauer or of other Trade Euery man was his owne Weauer Carpenter Husbandman and the like But in other Arts more for ornament then necessitie they had Gold-smiths Painters Potters and Weauers of curious workes for Noblemen and so of the rest No man might change the fashion vsed in his owne Countrey when hee went into another that all might be knowne of what Countrey they were For their Marriages they had many Wiues but one was principall which was wedded with Solemnitie and that in this sort The Bridegroome went to the Brides House and put Ottoya which was an open Shooe on her foot this if shee were a Mayd was of wooll otherwise of Reeds and this done he led her thence with him If she committed Adulterie shee was punished with death when the Husband dyed shee carried a mourning Weed of blacke a yeere after and might not marry in that time which befell not the other Wiues The Ingua himselfe with his own hand gaue this woman to his Gouernours and Captaines and the Gouernours assembled all the young men and Mayds in one place of the Citie where they gaue to euery one his Wife with the aforesaid Ceremonie in putting on the Ottoya the other Wiues did serue and honour this None might marry with his Mother Daughter Grandmother or Grand-childe and Yapangui the Father of Guaynacapa was the first Ingua that married his Sister and confirmed his fact by a Decree that the Inguas might doe it commanding his owne children to doe it permitting the Noblemen also to marrie their Sisters by the Father side Other Incest and Murther Theft and Adulterie were punished with death Such as had done good seruice in warre were rewarded with Lands Armes Titles of honour and Marriage in the Inguas Linage They had Chasquis or Posts in Peru which were to carrie tidings or Letters for which purpose they had houses a league and a halfe asunder and running each man to the next they would runne fifty leagues in a day and night §. III. The Regall Rites Rights Workes and of RVMINAGVI and ALVARADO WHen the Ingua was dead his lawfull heire borne of his chiefe Wife succeeded And if the King had a legitimate Brother he first inherited and then the Sonne of the first Hee
inherited not the goods as is sayd already but they were wholly dedicated to his Oratorie or Guaca and for the mayntenance of the Family he left which with his Off-spring was alway busied at the Sacrifices Ceremonies and Seruice of the deceased King for being dead they presently held him for a God making Images and Sacrifices to him The Ensigne of Royaltie was a Red Rowle of Wooll finer then Silke which hung on his forehead which was a Diadem that none else might weare in the middest of their forehead at the eare the Noblemen men might When they tooke this Roll they made their Coronation Feast and many Sacrifices with a great quantitie of vessels of Gold and Siluer and many Images in the forme of Sheepe of Gold and Siluer and a thousand others of diuers colours Then the chiefe Priest tooke a young Child in his hand of the age of sixe or eight yeeres pronouncing these words with the other Ministers to the Image of Viracocha Lord wee offer this vnto thee that thou mayest mayntaine vs in quiet and helpe vs in our Warres mayntaine our Lord the Ingua in his Greatnesse and estate that hee may alway increase giuing him much knowledge to gouerne vs There were present at this Ceremonie men of all parts of the Realme and of all Guacas and Sanctuaries It is not found that any of the Inguas Subiects euer committed Treason against him Hee placed the Gouernours in euery Prouince some greater and some smaller The Inguas thought it a good rule of State to keepe their Subiects alway in action and therefore there are seene to this day long Causeys of great labour diuiding this large Empire into foure parts Hauing conquered a Prouince they presently reduced them into Townes and Communalties which were diuided into Bands one was appointed ouer tenne another ouer a hundred and another ouer a thousand and ouer tenne thousand another Aboue all there was in euery Prouince a Gouernour of the House of the Inguas to whom the rest gaue accounts of what had passed and who were eyther borne or dead At the Feast called Raymar the Gouernours brought the Tribute of the whole Realme to the Court at Cusco All the Kingdome was diuided into foure parts Chinchasuyo Collosuyo Andesuyo and Condesuyo according to the foure wayes which went from Cusco East West North and South When the Ingua conquered a Citie the Land was diuided into three Parts the first for Religion euery Idoll and Guaca hauing his peculiar Lands appropriated to their Priests and Sacrifices and the greatest part thereof was spent in Cusco where was the Generall and Metropolitan Sanctuary the rest in that Citie where it was gathered which all had Guacas after the fashion of Cusco some being thence distant two hundred leagues That which they reapt on the Land was put into Store-houses built for that purpose The second part of that diuision was for the Ingua for the mayntenance of his Court Kinsmen Noblemen and Souldiers which they brought to Cusco or other places where it was needfull The third part was for the Communaltie for the nourishment of the people no particular man possessing any part hereof in proper As the Family encreased or decreased so did the portion Their Tribute was to till and husband the Lands of the Ingua and the Guacas and lay it vp in Store-houses being for that time of their labour nourished out of the same lands The like distribution was made of the Cattel to the same purposes as that of the lands and of the wooll and other profits that thence arose The old men women and sicke folkes were reserued from this Tribute They payed other Tributes also euen whatsoeuer the Ingua would choose out of euery Prouince The Chicas sent sweete Woods the Lucanas Brancars to carrie his Litter the Chumtilbicas Dancers others were appointed to labour in the Mines and all were slaues to the Ingua Some hee employed in building of Temples Fortresses Houses or other Workes as appeareth by the remnants of them where are found stones of such greatnesse that men cannot conceiue how they were cut brought and layed in their places they hauing no Iron or Steele to cut Engines to carrie nor Morter to lay them and yet they were so cunningly layed that one could not see the ioynts Some of eight and thirtie foot long sayth Acosta eight broad and sixe thicke I measured and in the walles of Cusco are bigger none so little sayth Sancho in some buildings there as three Carts might carrie and some thirty spannes square Iohn Ellis which lately was there sayth some of them are twentie tunne weight strangely ioyned without morter They built a Bridge at Chiquitto the Riuer being so deepe that it will not admit Arches they fastened bundles of Reedes and Weedes which being light will not sinke which they fasten to eyther side of the Riuer they make it passable for man and beast it is three hundred foot long Cusco their chiefe Citie standeth in seuenteene degrees it is subiect to cold and Snow the Houses are of great and square stone It was besieged by Soto and by Pizarro and by him entred where they found more treasure then they had by the imprisonment of Atabaliba Quito is said to haue beene as rich as Cusco Hither Ruminagni fled with fiue thousand Souldiers when Atabaliba his Master was taken by the Spaniards and slue Illescas his Brother that withstood his Tyrannicall proceedings flayed him and made a Drumme of his skinne slue two thousand Souldiers that brought the bodie of Atabaliba to Quite to be interred hauing in shew of Funerall pompe and honour before made them drunke and with his Forces scoured the Prouince of Tamebamba hee killed many of his Wiues for smiling when hee told them they should haue pleasure with the bearded men and burnt the Wardrobe of Atabaliba that when the Spaniards came and entred Quito which had almost dispeopled Panama Nicaragua Cartagena and other their Habitations in hope of Peruuian spoyles they found themselues disappointed of their expected prey and in anger set fire on the Towne Aluarado with like newes came from Guatimala into those parts with foure hundred Spaniards but was forced to kill his Horse to feede his famished Company although at that time Horses were worth in Peru aboue a thousand Ducats a piece was almost killed with thirst was assaulted with showres of Ashes which the hote Vulcane of Quito dispersed two hundred and fortie myles about with terrible Thunders and Lightnings which Pluto had seemed to steale from Iupiter and here to vent them and after with Snowes on the colde Hils which exacted seuenty Spaniards for Tribute in the passage found many men sacrificed by the Inhabitants but could finde no Gold till Pizarro bought his departure with an hundred thousand Duckets Hee gaue Thankes hee sayd to God for his deliuerance by that Tract by which hee had passed to the Deuill This was hee that afterward being bruised with the fall
from other fishes being halfe a span straight vp erected from his mouth the greatest foure foot long a scole of these followed them neere one thousand leagues knowne to bee the same by some hurts wherewith they had marked them The Bonitos are like Mackrils but greater some as bigge as a man could lift The Sharkes haue their mouthes vnder their bellies that they cannot bite their prey without a halfe turne and the helpe of his tayle These are the most rauenous and some hold ominous they haue found in their bellies Hats Caps Shooes Ropes ends and whatsoeuer hanged by the Ships sides they haue thirteene rowes of teeth They spawne not but whelpe like the Dogge or Wolfe and at night or towards stormes receiue their young into their mouthes for safetie I haue seene them sayth Sir Richard go in and out being aboue a foot and halfe long Little fishes alway accompany them and feed on the scraps they are lesse then a Pilchard streaked blacke and white as in coloured Liueries keeping on the head fins and backe of the other Another obseruation of this our Author is the Scuruie or Scorbute whereunto they are much subiect in Nauigations neere the Line the cause he ascribeth the weaknesse of the stomacke in immoderate heate salt meates specially fish Calmes and the Sea-water which could not but infect the World if it were not otherwise affected and moued with Windes Tides and Currents an instance whereof he sheweth in the Queenes Nauie in the yeere of our Lord 1590. at the Asores many moneths becalmed the Sea thereby being replenished with seuerall sorts of Gellies and formes of Serpents Adders and Snakes Greene Yellow Blacke White and some partie-coloured whereof many had life being a yard and halfe or two yards long And they could hardly draw a Bucket of water cleere of some corruption withall In twentie yeeres wherein he vsed the Sea hee could giue account of two thousand consumed with this disease In this Voyage they were forced for want of fresh Water to distill Sea-water which they found wholsome and nourishing I might follow our Authour in his Obseruations of these Seas which he sayth vnder the Line is best to crosse in Ianuary February and March and of the Ilands of Cape Verde elsewhere by vs obserued being in the height of these Ilands where now we are discouering which he sayth are the most vnwholsome in the World and had halfe his people on this Coast sicke of shaking burning frenzie-feuers a man can scarcely goe on the Earth though well shod when the Sun shineth and the Breeze which in the afternoone cooles them from the North-east pierceth them also with sudden cold so that the Inhabitants goe thicke clothed with Caps and Kerchers besides their Hats their Suites of thicke cloth and Gownes well lined or furred to preuent danger Sleeping in the open Ayre or in the Moone-shine is there very vnwholsome The Moone shining on his shoulder on the Coast of Guinee left him with such paine that for twentie houres space he was like to run mad But what Moone-shine hath made mee lunatike to run from these American Ilands to those and the Coast of Africa Patience Reader and I will bring thee backe in a fresher pursuit In Dominica where we were last on shore it is related by one which wrote the Earle of Cumberland his Voyage to Port Rico that they haue their seuerall Houses to other vses priuate but haue a common Hall or Dyet for to eate in together as Lycurgus instituted to preuent Riot amongst his Spartans The Maydes in this Iland are said to weare no Garters and the first night of their Marriage they tye them so hard that the flesh hangs ouer In Tortuga they tolled certaine Spaniards ashoare vnder pretence of Traffique and then ate them §. III. Of Boriquen Iamaica Cuba and the Lucayae BOriquen or Saint Iohns is three hundred miles long and seuenty broad trauersed with a rough Mountayne which yeelds many Riuers The Spaniards haue there some Townes The Earle of Cumberland in the yeere 1597. hauing by his Sea forces stayed the going of fiue Carikes to the Indies whereby the King of Spaine lost three Millions and the Merchants foure times as much sayled to Saint Iohn Port Rico in this Iland and tooke it with diuers Forts here was a Bishops See and Cathedrall Church with a Fryery foure hundred Souldiers in pay besides three hundred others It was accounted the Mayden Towne and inuincible and is the Spanish Key and their first Towne in the Indies He brought from thence neere fourescore cast Peeces and much other wealth This Iland was first conquered by Iohn Ponce and by him inhabited the Naturals were altogether like in Religion and manners to the Inhabitants of Hispaniola and so were the Plants and Fruits also Ouiedo hath written hereof largely in his sixteenth Booke There growes the Tree called Legno Santo more excellent then Guaiacan for the Neapolitan and many other diseases there is also white Gumme good for Ships in stead of Pitch and there are Bats which the Inhabitants did eate These Ilands are not so well peopled as in former times and many of them are retyring places of Rebels and Fugitiues which take this shelter against the Spanish cruelties Hispaniola is the next Iland of name but shall haue a place by it selfe as a Map and Summarie of all the other Iamaica is almost as large as Boriquen It is extremely subiect to the Vracani which are such terrible gusts of Winde that nothing can resist them They turne vp Trees ouer-turne Houses transport the Ships from Sea to Land and bring with them a most dreadfull and horrible confusion They raigne or tyrannize rather in August September and October The Inhabitants are of quicker wits then the other Ilands Cuba is more Northerly and extendeth it selfe three hundred leagues in length and twentie in bredth full of Mountaynes Woods Fennes Riuers Lakes both salt and fresh This Iland hath had many names giuen by the Spaniards Fernandina Ioanna Alpha and Omega The Woods are replenished with Swine and Kine the Riuers yeeld Golden Sands It hath sixe Spanish Colonies Saint Iago a Bishops See is the chiefe Towne in the Iland and Hauana is the chiefe Port of the Indies Ouiedo reckons two things most admirable therein one a Valley trending betweene two Hils three leagues which produceth abundance of stones enough to lade many Ships of a perfect round forme like Bullets The other a Fountaine whence Bitumen or a certaine Pitchie substance floweth and floteth euen to the Sea excellent for pitching of Ships In this Iland the common people were prohibited the eating of Serpents as being reserued for Royall Dainties and the Prerogatiues of the Kings Table Columbus sayling by this Iland lighted into a Nauigable Riuer the water whereof was so hot that none might endure his hand long therein He espied also a Canoa of fishermen which after a strange fashion