them away But the Indians whiche haue no oyle smoke them and burne them with fyre and abyde great paynes in takyng them away by this meanes Of other litle beastes whiche trouble men and are engendred in theyr heades or other partes of theyr bodyes I say that the Christian men which trauayle into these partes haue them but seldome tymes and that not past one or two this also very seldome For passyng by the lyne of the Diameter where the compasse maketh difference of saylyng by the wynde called Greco that is Northeast and Magistral that is southwest whiche is in the course of the Ilandes of Azori they sayle but a litle way folowyng our viage by the west but that all the lyse whiche the Christians cary with them or are engendred in theyr heades or other places of theyr bodyes dye and vtterly consume by litle and litle and are not engendred in India except in the heades of litle chyldren in those partes aswell among the chyldren of the Christians whiche are borne there as also among the naturall Indians who haue them commonly in theyr heades and sometymes in other partes of theyr bodyes and especially they of the prouince of Cueua whiche is a region contaynyng more then a hundred leagues in length and embraseth the one and the other coast of the North sea and of the East When these Indians are infected with this fylthynesse they dresse and cleanse one an other And they that exercyse this are for the most part women who eate all that they take and haue herein suche dexteritie by reason of theyr exercise that our men can not lyghtly attayne therunto There is also another thyng greatly to be consydered and this is howe the Christian men beyng there cleane from this fylthynesse of India aswell in theyr heades as the rest of theyr bodyes yet when they returne to come agayne into Europe and begyn to arryue in that place of the Ocean sea where we sayde before that these lyse dyed and forsoke them sodenly in theyr repassyng by the same clyme as though these lyse had taryed for them in that place they can by no meanes auoyde them for the space of certayne dayes although they change theyr shertes two or three times in a day These lise are at y e fyrst as litle as nittes and growe by litle and litle vntyl they be of the byggenesse that they are in Spayne This haue I oftentymes prooued hauyng nowe foure tymes passed the Ocean sea by this viage Besyde these wormes and vermyn whereof we haue spoken there is another litle myschâ—uous worme whiche we may number among the kyndes of 〈◊〉 this pestilence the Indians call Nigua and is muche lesse then a flea it pearseth the fleshe of a man and so launâ—eth or cutteth the same whyle in the meane tyme it can neyther be seene nor taken that from some it hath cut of theyr handes and from other theyr feete vntyll the remedy was founde to annoynt the place with oyle and scrape it with a rasor In the firme lande in golden Castyle or Beragua there are many vipers lyke vnto them of Spayne they that are bytten of them dye in short space for fewe lyue to the fourth day except present remedy Of these some are of lesse kynde then other and haue theyr tayle somewhat rounde and leape in the ayre to assayle men and for this cause some call this kynde of vipers Tyro theyr bytyng is most venomous and for the most parte incurable One of them chaunced to byte an Indian mayde whiche serued me in my house to whom I caused the Surgians to mynister theyr ordinary cure but they coulde do her no good nor yet geat one droppe of blood out of her but onely a yelowe water so that she dyed the thyrde day for lacke of remedy as the lyke hath chaunced to dyuers other This mayde was of the age of .xiiii. yeeres and spake the Spanyshe tongue as if she had been borne in Castyle she sayde that the viper whiche byt her on the foote was two spannes long or litle lesse and that to byte her she lept in the ayre for the space of more then syxe pases as I haue hearde the lyke of other credible persons I haue also seene in the firme lande a kynde of adders very small and of seuen or eyght foote long these are so redde that in the nyght they appeare lyke burnyng cooles and in the day seeme as redde as bloodde these are also venomous but not so muche as the vipers There are other muche lesse and shorter and blacker these come out of the ryuers and wander sometymes farre on the lande and are lykewyse venomous There are also other adders of a russet colour these are somewhat bygger then the viper and are hurtful and venomous There are lykewyse an other sort of many colours and very long of these I sawe one in the yeere of Christ .1515 in the Iland of Hispaniola neere vnto the sea coastes at the foote of the mountaynes called Pedernales when this adder was slayne I measure her and founde her to be more then .xx. foote long somwhat more then a mans fyst in byggnesse and although she had three or foure deadly woundes with a swoorde yet dyed she not nor stonke the same daye insomuche that her blood contynued warme all that tyme. There are also in the Maryshes and desartes of the fyrme lande many other kyndes of Lysartes Dragons and other diuers kyndes of Serpentes whereof I entende not heere to speake muche because I haue more particulerly entreated of these thynges in my generall historie of the West Indies There are also Spyders of marueylous byggenesse and I haue seene some with the bodye and legges bygger then a mans hande extended euery waye and I once sawe one of suche byggenesse that only her bodye was as bygge as a Sparrowe and full of that Laune whereof they make theyr webbes this was of a darke russet coloure with eyes greater then the eyes of a Sparowe they are venomous and of terrible shape to heholde There are also Scorpions and dyuers other such venomous wormes Whereby we may see that where as naturall causes and influence of the planettes are of strongest actiuitie they ceasse not to engender and bryng foorth both good and badde accordyng to the dispotion of the matter whiche they also doo partly dispose as the philosophers affyrme Furthermore in the fyrme lande there are many Toades beyng very noyous and hurtfull by reason of theyr great multitude they are not venomous they are seene in great abundaunce in Dariena where they are so bygge that when they dye in the tyme of drouth the bones of some of them and especialy the rybbes are of suche greatnesse that they appeare to be the bones of Cattes or of some other beastes of the same byggenesse But as the waters diminishe and the moysture consumeth in the tyme of drouth as I haue sayde they also consume
they haue foules and fruite They make theyr houses of tymber whereof they haue great plentie and in the steade of tiles couer them with the skinnes of fishes and beastes It is sayde also that there are Gryfes in this lande and that the Beares and many other beastes and foules are whyte To this and the Ilandes about the same the Britons are accustomed to resort as men of nature agreeable vnto them and borne vnder the same altitude and temperature The Norwayes also sayled thyther with the pilot called Iohn Scoluo and the Englyshe men with Sebastian Cabot The coaste of the lande of Baccallaos is a great tract and the greatest altitude thereof is .xlviii. degrees and a halfe Sebastian Cabot was the first that brought any knowledge of this land For beyng in England in the dayes of kyng Henrye the seuenth he furnyshed two shyps at his owne charges or as some say at the kynges whom he perswaded that a passage myght be founde to Cathay by the North seas and that spyces myght be brought from thence sooner by that way then by the viage the Portugales vse by the sea of Sur. He went also to knowe what maner of landes those Indies were to inhabite He had with hym three hundred men and directed his course by the tract of Islande vpon the Cape of Laborador at fyftie and eight degrees affirming that in the moneth of Iuly there was such cold heapes of Ise that he durst passe no further also that the daies were very long and in maner without nyght and the nyghtes very cleare Certayne it is that at the threescore degrees the longest day is of eighteene houres But considering the cold and the strangenesse of the vnknowen lande he turned his course from thence to the West folowing the coast of the land of Baccallaos vnto the thirtie eight degrees from whence he returned to Englande To conclude the Britons and Danes haue sayled to the Baccallaos and Iaques Cartier a french man was there twise with three Galeons as one in the yeere .xxxiiii. and the other in the .xxxv. and chose the land to inhabite from the .xlv. degrees to the .li. beyng as good a land as Fraunce and all thynges therin commune to suche as fyrst possesse the same Of these landes Iacobus Gastaldus wryteth thus The new land of Baccallaos is a colde region whose inhabitauntes are Idolatours and praye to the Sonne and Moone and dyuers Idoles they are whyte people and verye rusticall for they eate fleshe and fyshe and all other thynges rawe Sometymes also they eate mans fleshe priuilie so that theyr Cacique haue no knoweledge thereof The apparrel of both the men and women is made of Beares skynnes although they haue Sables and Marternes not greatlye esteemed because they are litle Some of them go naked in sommer and weare apparrell only in winter The Britons and Frenchmen are accustomed to take fyshe in the coastes of these landes where is founde great plentie of Tunnies which thinhabitantes cal Baccallaos wherof the land was so named Northward from the region of Baccallaos is the lande of Laborador all full of mountaynes and great woods in which are many Beares wild Bores The inhabitantes are Idolatours and warlyke people apparelled as are they of Baccallaos In al this new land is neyther citie or castell but they lyue in companies like heardes of beastes The discouering of the land of Florida THe gouernour of the Ilande of Boriouena â–ª Iohn Ponce of Leon beyng discharged of his office and very ryche furnished sent foorth two Carauels to seeke the Ilands of Boiuca in the which the Indians affirmed to be a fountayne or spryng whose water is of vertue to make old men young Whyle he trauayled syxe monethes with outragious desire among many Ilandes to fynde that he sought and coulde fynde no token of any suche fountayne he entred into Bemini and discouered the lande of Florida in the yeere 1512. on Easter day whiche the Spaniards cal the floryshing day of Pascba wherby they named that lande Florida And supposyng that great ryches myght be brought from thence he returned into Spayne and couenanted with king Ferdinando as touchyng the trade and by the intercession of Nicolas de Ouando and Peter Nunnez de Gusman the kyng dyd not only make hym gouernour of Bemini and Florida but also sent foorth with hym three shyppes from Sciuile towards his second viage in the yeere 1515. He touched in the Ilande of Guaccana otherwyse called Guadalupea and sent to lande certayne of his men with the Laundresses of the shyppes whom the Canibales lying in ambushe assayled with theyr inuenomed arrowes and slaying the most part caried away the women With this euill beginning Iohn Ponce departed from hence to Boriquen and from thence to Florida where he went alande with his souldyers to espie a place most commodious to inhabite and plant a colonie But the Indians commyng foorth agaynst him to defende the entrance assayled the Spanyardes fiercely and slue and wounded many of them At whiche conflicte also hee him selfe beyng wounded with an arrowe dyed shortly after in the Ilande of Cuba and so endyng his lyfe consumed a great parte of the rychesse hee had before gotten at sainct Iohans of Boriquen This Iohn Ponce had before sayled with Christopher Colon to the Ilande of Hispaniola in the yeere 1493. Hee was a gentle souldyer in the warres of this Ilande and captayne of the prouince of Higuei for Nicolas de Ouando that conquested the same The region of Florida is a poynt or cape of lande reachyng into the sea lyke vnto a tongue beyng a famous and notorious place among the Indians by reason of many Spanyardes that haue been slayne there But whereas by fame this Florida was esteemed a ryche lande many valiant and noble men desyred the conquest thereof among whom Ferdinando de Soto who had before been a captayne in Peru and greatly inryched by the imprisonment of kyng Atabaliba attempted a viage thither with a good bande of men and spent fyue yeeres in seekyng of golde mynes supposyng that this land had been lyke vnto Peru. In fine hee dyed there and was the destruction and vndoyng of all that went with him without inhabytyng that lande in the whiche the conquestours had hytherto neuer good successe forasmuche as these Indians are valiant archers and strong hardy men But the valiant myndes of the Spanyardes not discouraged by these misaduentures after the death of Ferdinando Soto many woorthie gentlemen desyred this conquest in the yeere .1544 among whom was Iulian Samano and Peter de Abumada beyng bretherne and men of sufficient abilitie for such an enterprise But neyther the Emperour beyng then in Germanie neyther the prince Don Philip his son who gouerned all the kyngdomes of Castile and Aragonie neyther yet the counsayle of the Indies would in any
and had large communication of many thynges The Captayne persuaded them to the Christian fayth whiche they gladly embrased and tooke such pleasure in hearyng the articles of our beliefe that the teares fell from theyr eyes for ioye They were baptised and shortly after all the people of the Ilande They esteeme nothing more precious then drynkyng glasses of Uenice woorke When they came to the citie they founde the kyng in his Pallace sitting vppon a floore or storie made of the leaues of Date trees wrought after a curious deuise lyke a certayne kynde of mattes He had vppon his body none other apparell but only a cloth of Bombasine cotton hangyng before his priuie partes On his head he had a vayle of needle worke and about his necke a chayne of great price At his eares hung two Rynges of gold wherein were inclosed many precious stones He was but of small stature but somewhat grosse and had the residue of his body paynted with dyuers colours whereof some were lyke vnto flamyng fyre Before him he had two vesselles made of the fine earth called Porcellana with sodden egges Also foure vesselles of Porcellana full of wyne made of Date trees and couered with many odoriferous hearbes The Prince brought them to his house where he had foure daughters very wel fauoured and whyte lyke ours Hee caused them to daunce all naked and therewith to sing and playe on certayne Tymbrelles made of metall At this tyme it so chaunced that one of the Spanyardes dyed in one of the shyppes and when certayne of theyr company desired the kyng to gyue them leaue to burie him on the land he answered that forasmuche as he and all his were at the commaundement of theyr kyng and maister howe muche more ought the grounde so to bee They greatly marueyled at the ceremonies parteynyng to the maner of our funeralles and honoured the crosses whiche were set at both the endes the graue They lyue with iustice and vse weightes and measures Their houses are made of Tymber and sawne boordes and are so builded aboue the grounde vppon proppes and pyles that they ascende to the same by certayne stayers Under theyr houses they keepe theyr Hogges and Hennes When they came to barteryng they gaue golde Ryse Hogges Hennes and dyuers other thynges for some of our tryfles of small value They gaue tenne Pesos of golde for sixtiene poundes weyght of Iron One Pesus is in value a ducate and a halfe The Sunday folowyng the kyng was baptysed with great solemnitie at which tyme the Captayne admonyshed him before not to be afrayde at the shootyng of of the ordinance bycause it was theyr custome so to doe at such solemne feastes After this the Captayne caused them to breake all theyr Idoles and to set vp the crosse in dyuers places praying to the same both mornyng and euenyng kneelyng on theyr knees and holdyng vp theyr handes ioyned togeather The kyng in his baptisme was named Charles after the Emperours name and the Prince Ferdinando after the name of his maiesties brother The kyng of Messana was named Iohn the Moore Christopher To all other they gaue suche names as are commonly vsed in Christendome And thus before masse was begunne were fyue hundred men baptised When masse was finyshed the Captayne inuited the Kyng to dyne with him in his shyppe and at his commyng caused the ordinaunce to be discharged The Queene was also baptised with fourtie of her gentlewomen and her daughter the princes wyfe The Queene was very young and fayre hauyng her bodie couered with a whyte cloth Her lyppes were redde and she had on her head a Hatte on the toppe wherof was a triple crowne much lyke the Popes this crowne and the Hat were made of the leaues of Date trees Within the space of eyght dayes the inhabitantes of the Ilande were baptised excepte one village of Idolatours who would not herein obey the kynges commaundement Wherevppon the Captayne sent certayne of his men thyther who burnt the towne and erected a crosse in that place bycause the people of the vyllage were Gentyles that is Idolaters But if they had been Moores that is Machumetistes they woulde haue erected a pyller of stone bycause the Moores are more stubberne and harder to be conuerted then are the gentiles When the Queene came to the place where she should heare masse shee came foorth with great pompe and solemnitie hauyng going before her three young damosels and three men with their Cappes in their hands whom she folowed apparelled in whyte and blacke with a great vayle of silke vppon her head fringed about with golde which couered her hatte and hung downe to her shoulders She had also a great trayne of women folowyng her beyng all barefooted and naked excepte that vppon theyr heades and priuie partes they wore certayne vayles of silke and had theyr heare spredde Before the kyng of Zubut was baptised he was named Raia Humabuon When the Captayne demaunded of him why all the Idolles in the Ilande were not burnt accordyng to his promyse he answered that they esteemed them no more as goddes but only made sacrifice to them for the Princes brother who was very sicke and as noble and wittie a man as was in the Ilande The Captayne answered that if he would burne all his Idoles and beleeue faythfully in Christ and be baptised he should bee immediately restored to health and that he would els giue them leaue to stryke of his head By these woordes and persuasions of the Captayne he conceyued suche hope of health that after he was baptised hee felte no mare greefe of his disease And this was a manifeste myracle wrought in our tyme whereby diuers Infidelles were conuerted to our fayth and theyr Idolles destroyed and also theyr Altars ouerthrowen on the which they were accustomed to eate the sacrificed fleshe The people of the Ilande paye the kyng a portion of victualles for theyr tribute by all theyr cities and vyllages Not farre from this Ilande of Zubut is the Ilande of Mathan whose inhabitantes vse marueylous ceremonies in theyr sacrifices to the sonne and burying the dead They weare ringes of golde about their priuie members The Iland is gouerned by two Princes whereof the one is named Zula and the other Cilapulapu And whereas this Cilapulapu refused to paye tribute to the kyng of Spayne the Captayne went agaynst him in his owne person with .60 of his men armed with coates of mayle and Helmets Cilapulapu diuided his army into three battayles hauyng in euery battayle two thousand fyftie men with armed bowes arrowes dartes and Iauelins hardened at the poyntes with fyre This continued long and sharpe But the Captayne being a valiaunt man and preasing him selfe in the brunte of the battaile was sore wounded and slaine forasmuche as the most of the Barbarians directed all their force agaynst him Besyde the Captayne were slayne of our men about .viii. or .ix. Of the
reade them ouer to your Honours recreation as one of the principall causes wherefore at this tyme they were set foorth If varietie of matter occurrents out of forraigne countryes newes of newe founde landes the sundry sortes of gouernement the different manners fashions of diuers nations the wonderfull workes of nature the sightes of straunge trees fruites foule and beastes the infinite treasure of Pearle Golde Siluer ioyes may recreate and delight a mynde trauelled in weighty matters weeried with great affayres credit me good Madam in listning vnto this worke shall you haue recreation you shall finde delight in reading ouer these relations wherein so newe so straunge so diuers so many recreations and delightes of the mynd are expressed Your Honours good lykyng thereof wyll be to me no small contentation for this worke paynefully doone a good occasion spedyly to finish the rest of my owne labours concerning this faculty a great encouragement and comfort to bestow my whole time hereafter only in that study wherewith all my former knowledge in Philosophy and Geography may ende The whiche conueniently now I am in good hope to perfourme with my Lorde and your Ladyshyps good leaue and continuance of my duety and effectuall desire to doe your Honours the better seruice At London the 4. day of Iuly 1577. Your Honors seruaunt humbly at commaundement Richarde VVilles R. VVilles Preface vnto the Reader wherein is set downe a generall summe as it were of the whole worke THis greate and large bolume consisteth principally of foure partes agreeable vnto those foure corners of the worlde whereunto the skilfull seamen and merchauntes aduenturers of late yeeres haue chiefely traueiled and yet specially are wont to resorte The first part conteyneth foure Decades written by P. Martyr a learned graue counseller of Charles the Emperour fifte of that name concernyng the Spanyardes voyages Southwestwarde theyr famous exploites doone in these newly discouered partes of the worlde the whiche vsually wee now call the west Indies Hereunto haue we added Gonzalus Eerdinandus Ouiedus breefe historie touching the same matter so that the first part of our volume hath fiue particular bookes In the first whereof cap 1.2.3 4 and 5. P. Martir describeth Columbus first and second nauigations and discoueries of certaine Ilandes made by hym specially and his brother In the 6. chapter or booke thereof for both names we finde is set foorth Columbus third voiage and the discouery of Peru in the maigne west Indish lande In the seuenth his troubles both in the west Indies and retourne into Spaigne with his brother being both prisoners The 8. is of P. Alfonsus voyages that same way In the 9. are declared the trauailes of Vincent and Peter Pinzoni and other Spaniards likewise thither from Palos The 10. is a conclusion of the whole Decade with particuler mention of some special nouelties Colūbus fourth voiage beganne So that in the first Decade you haue historically set downe the discouerye of the west Indies taken in hande about the yeere of our Lorde .1492 by Columbus and his companions vntill the yeere 1510. as P. Martir witnesseth fol. 8. 43 47. and 54. This worthy trauayler and skilfull seaman died at Validolid in Spaigne An. dom 1506. as Lopez reporteth cap. 25. in his generall historie de las Indias The second Decade conteyneth Peru matters entituled by P. Martir Creditus Cortinens that is a continent or maigne lande as in deede it is of it selfe with the rest of America in lyke maner as Europe Affryk Asia be one continent or maigne lande vnited togeather In the fyrst and seconde chapters of this Decade shall you reade the voyages of Fogeda and Nicuesa to Dariena In the thyrd Colmenaris trauayles Nicuesa his death and the Indishe kyng Comogrus beneuolence In the fourth Vasquez Nunnez doynges in Vraba gulfe His conquest of rebellious Barbarian kyngs in the fifte In the syxt Quicedus Colmenaris ambassage out of Dariena to Hispaniola and the religion of king Commendator in Cuba The seuenth booke conteineth Petrus Arias iorney to Paria in Peru. The .8 the dissention betwixt the Spaniardes and Portugales for theyr boundes and makyng of fyue Bishops in these newely founde partes of the worlde In the 9 are shewed the ryuers of Darien and philosophically the causes of so great waters there That countrey is described in the .10 and the extreme hunger abydden by the companions of Nicuesa set forth In the fyrst second and thyrd chapters of the thyrde Decade is conteyned an abridgement of Vascus Nunnez relations concerning his voyage to the south sea for it lyeth south from Darien vsually termed nowe a dayes Mar del zur and may also be called the wyde east Indyshe Ocean The discouery thereof made by Nunnez the kyng subdued by hym especially kyng Commogrus christenyng by the name of Charles and the wynnyng of kyng Tumanama or Tubanama and his countrey In the fourth chapter shal you fynd Columbus fourth vyage began An. do 1502 to the mayne west Indyshe lande with the description of some part therof lying betwyxt our Atlantike or westerne Ocean and the aforesayde Mar del zur as Vraba and Beragua In respecte of the history and course of yeeres this booke myght haue been placed before the seconde Decade but it shoulde seeme that these reportes came no sooner to P. Martyr his handes wherefore he began this fourth booke ryght well thus I was determined c. The fyfth booke conteyneth P. Arias iorney mentioned dec 2 lib. 7. to the north syde of Peru wherein Carthagena and S. Martha two famous hauens do stande with a description of the countrey and people thereof In the syxt you haue a disputation touchyng the Leuant streame or easterne surge of the sea the discouery of Baccalaos done by Cabot P. Arias arriuall in Darien the buildyng of S. Maria antiqua there with other fortresses finally the commodities and vnwholesomnesse of Darien In the .7 8. .9 bookes shal you haue a description of Hispaniola Cuba and other Ilandes thereabout done by Andreas Moralis And in the .10 shall you reade of the Ilande Diues in Mar del zur of the kyng therof subdued by Andreas Moralis of Pearles the finding therof of Petrus Arias Captaynes doinges agaynst the Caniballes of the Barbares fowlyng the manner of the geatheryng of gold in Dariena The fourth Decade for so was it named in the Spanyards edition of P. Martyr his woorkes set forth at Alcala in Spayne An. do 1530. though the Basile and Cullen printers haue entituled it De insulis nuper inuentis that is of Ilandes lately found out to wyt after Columbus voyages this booke I say was by P. Mar. culled out of the Indian registers conteynyng speciall notes that seemed vnto hym most meete to be publyshed as the discouery of certayne Ilandes and creekes namely Iucatan done by Fernandes of Corduba his companions Cozumella the Ilands of Sacrifice the Ilandes of women the prouince Coluacan
not openly publyshyng any memorie thereof neyther of the place or what it was called or in what yeere it was founde Albeit the fault was not theyrs but rather the malyce of other or the enuie of that which we call fortune I do not therfore marueyle that the auncient histories affyrme that great thynges proceede and increase of small and obscure begynnynges syth we haue seene the same veryfied in this fynding of the Indies being so notable and newe a thyng We neede not be curious to seeke the name of the Pilot syth death made a shorte ende of his doynges Some wyl that he came from Andaluzia and traded to the Ilandes of Canaria and the Iland of Madera when this large and mortal nauigation chaunced vnto hym Other say that he was a Byscanne and traded into Englande and Fraunce Gther also that he was a Portugale that either he went or came from Mina or India which agreeth well with the name of these newe landes as I haue sayd before Agayne some there be that say that he brought the Carauel to Portugale or to the Iland of Madera or to some other of the Ilandes called De los Azores Yet do none of them affyrme any thyng although they al affirme that the Pilot dyed in the house of Christopher Colon with whom remayned all suche writynges and annotations as he had made of his voyage in the sad Carauell aswell of such thynges as he obserued both by land and sea as also of the eleuation of the pole in those landes whiche he had discouered VVhat maner of man Christopher Colon otherwyse called Columbus was and how he came fyrst to the knowledge of the Indies CHristopher Colon was borne in Cugureo or as some say in Nerui a vyllage in the territorie of Genua in Italie He descended as some thynke of the house of the Pelestreles of Placentia in Lumbardie He beganne of a chylde to be a maryner of whose arte they haue great exercise on the ryuer of Genua He traded many yeeres into Suria and other partes of the East After this he became a maister in makyng cardes for the sea whereby he had great vantage He came to Portugale to know the reason description of the south coastes of Affrica and the nauigations of the Portugales thereby to make his cardes more perfecte to be solde He maryed in Portugale as some say or as many say in the Ilande of Madera where he dwelt at suche tyme as the sayd Carauell arryued there whose Pilot soiorned in his house and dyed also there bequeathyng to Colon his carde of the description of suche newe landes as he had found whereby Colon had the fyrst knowledge of the Indies Some haue thought y t Colon was wel learned in y e Latine tongue and the science of Cosmographie and that he was thereby fyrst moued to seeke the lands of Antipodes and the rych Ilande of Cipango wherof Marchus Paulus wryteth Also that he had redde what Plato in his dialoges of Timeus and Cricias writeth of the great Ilande of Atlantide and of a great land in the west Ocean vndiscouered beyng bygger then Asia and Affrica Furthermore that he had knowledge what Aristotell and Theophrastus saye in theyr bookes of maruayles where they wryte that certayne merchauntes of Carthage saylyng from the streyghtes of Gibraltar towarde the West and South founde after many dayes a great Ilande not inhabited yet replenyshed with al thynges requisite and hauing many nauigable ryuers In deede Colan was not greatly learned yet of good vnderstanding And when he had knowledge of the sayde newe landes by the information of the dead Pilot made relation thereof to certeyne learned men with whom he conferred as touching y e like thinges mentioned of olde autours He communicated this secrete and conferred chiefely with a fryer named Iohn Perez of Marchena that dwelt in the monastery of Rabida So that I veryly beleeue that in maner all that he declared and many thynges more that he leaft vnspoken were written by the sayde Spanyshe Pilot that dyed in his house For I am persuaded that if Colon by science atteined to the knowledg of the Indies he would long before haue communicat this secreate to his owne countrey men the Genueses that trauayle all the worlde for gaynes and not haue come into Spayne for this purpose But doubtelesse he neuer thought of any such thyng before he chaunced to be acquainted with the sayde Pilot who founde those landes by fortune accordyng to the saying of Plinie Quod ars docere non potuit casus inuenit That is That arte coulde not teache chaunce founde Albeit the more Christian opinion is to thynke that God of his singuler prouidence and infinite goodnesse at the length with eyes of compassion as it were lookyng downe from heauen vppon the sonnes of Adam so long kept vnder Sathans captiuitie intended euen then for causes to hym onely knowen to rayse those wyndes of mercy whereby that Carauell herein most lyke vnto the shyppe of Noe whereby the remnante of the whole world was saued as by this Carauel this newe worlde receyued the fyrst hope of theyr saluation was dryuen to these landes But we wyll now declare what great thynges folowed of this small begynnyng and howe Colon folowed this matter reuealed vnto hym not without Gods prouidence VVhat labour and trauayle Colon tooke in attemptyng his fyrst voyage to the Indies AFter the death of the Pilot maryners of the Spanyshe Carauell that discouered y e Indies Christopher Colon purposed to seeke the same But in howe muche more he desyred this the lesse was his power to accomplyshe his desyre For besyde that of hym selfe he was not able to furnyshe one shyppe he lacked also the fauoure of a kyng vnder whose protection he myght so enioye the ryches he hoped to fynde that none other myght take the same from hym or defeate him therof And seyng the kyng of Portugale occupied in the conquest of Africa and the Nauigations of the East whiche were then fyrst attempted the kyng of Castyle lykewyse no lesse busyed in the warres of Granada he sent to his brother Bartholomewe Colon who was also priuie to this secrete to practise with the kyng of England Henry the seuenth beyng very ryche and without warres promysyng to bryng hym great ryches in short tyme if he woulde shewe hym fauour and furnyshe hym with shyps to discouer the newe Indies whereof he had certayne knowledge But neyther here beyng able to bryng his sute to passe he caused the matter to be moued to the kyng of Portugale Don Alonso the fyfth of that name at whose handes he founde neither fauour nor mony forasmuch as the Licenciat Calzadilla the bishop of Viseo and one maister Rodrigo men of credite in the science of Cosmographie withstoode hym and contended that there neither was nor coulde any golde or other ryches be founde in the west as Colon affirmed By reason whereof he was very sad and pensiue but
or thryse to and fro she casteth her selfe from branche to branche and so from tree to tree as though she flewe An archer of ours hurt one of them who perceiuyng her selfe to be wounded leapt downe from the tree and fiercely set on him whiche gaue her the wound in so much that he was fayne to defend hym selfe with his swoorde And thus by chaunce cuttyng of one of her armes he tooke her and with much a do brought her to the shyppes where within a while she waxed tame Whyle she was thus kept and bounde with cheynes certayne other of our hunters had chased a wylde Bore out of the maryshes neere vnto the sea syde for hunger and desyre of fleshe caused them to take double pleasure in huntyng In this meane tyme other which remayned in the shyppes goyng a lande to recreate them selues tooke this Monkie with them who assoone as she had espyed the Bore set vp her brystels and made towarde him The Bore lykewyse shooke his bristels and whet his teeth The Monkie furiously inuaded the Bore wrappyng her tayle about his body with her arme reserued of her victourer helde him so fast about the throte that he was suffocate These people of Cariai vse to drie the dead bodyes of theyr princes vppon hurdels and so reserue them inuolued in the leaues of trees As he went forwarde about twentie leagues from Cariai he founde a gulfe of suche largenes that it contayned .xii. leagues in compasse in the mouth of this gulfe was foure litle Ilandes so neere togeather that they made a safe hauen to enter into the gulfe This gulfe is the hauen whiche we sayde before to be called Cerabaro of thinhabitantes But they haue nowe learned that only the land of the one syde therof lying on the ryght hande at the enteryng of the gulfe is called by that name but that on the left syde is called Aburema He sayth that all this gulfe is full of fruitefull Ilandes wel replenished with goodly trees and the grounde of the sea to be very cleane without rockes and commodious to cast anker lykewyse the sea of the gulfe to haue great abundance of fyshe and the lande on both the sydes to bee inferyor to none in fruitfulnes At his fyrst arryuyng he espyed two of thinhabitantes hauyng cheynes about theyr neckes made of ouches whiche they call Guauines of base golde artificially wrought in the fourmes of Eagles and Lions with dyuers other beastes and foules Of the two Cariaians whiche he brought with hym from Cariai he was enfourmed that the regions of Cerabaro and Aburema were rych in golde and that the people of Cariai haue al theyr gold from thence for exchaunge of other of theyr thynges They tolde hym also that in the same regions there are fiue villages not farre from the sea syde whose inhabitants apply them selues onely to the geathering of gold The names of these villages are these Chirara Puren Chitaza Iureche Aâ—amea All the men of the prouince of Cerabaro go naked are painted with diuers colours They take great pleasure in wearing garlandes of floures and crownes made of the clawes of Lions Tygers The women couer only theyr priuie partes with a fyllet of gossampine cotton Departing from hence coasting styll by the same shore for the space of xviii leagues he came to another ryuer where he espyed about three hundred naked men in a company When they sawe the shyppes drawe neare the lande they cryed out aloude with cruel countenaunces shakyng theyr woodden swoordes and hurlyng dartes takyng also water in theyr mouthes and spouting the same agaynst our men whereby they seemed to insinuate that they woulde receiue no condition of peace or haue ought to do with them Here he commaunded certayne pieces of ordinaunce to be shot of cowarde them yet so to ouershoote them that none myght be hurt thereby For he euer determined to deale quietly peaceably with these newe nations At the noyse therefore of the gunnes and syght of the fyre they fel downe to the grounde and desyred peace Thus enteryng into further frendshyp they exchaunged theyr cheynes and ouches of golde for glasses and haukes belles and suche other marchandies They vse drummes or tymbrels made of the shelles of certaine sea fyshes wherewith they encorage them selues in the warres In this tract are these seuen ryuers Acateba Quareba Zobroba Aiaguitin Vrida Duribha Beragua in all the whiche golde is founde They defende them selues agaynst rayne and heat with certayne great leaues of trees in the steade of clokes Departyng from hence he searched the coastes of Ebetere and Embigar into the whiche fall the goodly ryuers of Zohoran and Cubigar And here ceasseth the plentie and fruitfulnes of gold in the tract of fiftie leagues or there about From hence only three leagues distant is the rocke whiche in the vnfortunat discourse of Nicuesa we sayde was called of our men Pignonem but of thinhabitantes the Region is called Vibba In this tract also about fyre leagues from thence is the hauen whiche Colonus called Portus Bellus wherof we haue spoken before in the region which thinhabitants cal Xaguaguara This region is very populous but they goe all naked The kyng is paynted with blacke colours but all the people with redde The kyng and seuen of his noble men had euery of them a litle plate of golde hangyng at theyr nosethrylles downe vnto theyr lyppes and this they take for a comely ornament The men inclose theyr priuie members in a shell and the women couer theyrs with a fyllet of gossampine cotton tyed about theyr loynes In theyr gardens they noryshe a fruite muche lyke the nut of a pine tree the which as we haue sayde in an other place groweth on a shrubbe muche lyke vnto an hartichoke but the fruite is much softer and meate for a kyng also certayne trees whiche beare gourdes whereof we haue spoken before this tree they call Hibuero In these coastes they met sometymes with Crocodiles lying on the sandes the whiche when they fled or tooke the water they left a very sweete sauoure behynde them sweeter then muske or Castoreum When I was sent ambassadoure for the catholyke kyng of Castile to the Soltane of Babylon or Alcayre in Egypt thinhabitantes neere vnto the ryuer of Nilus tolde me the lyke of theyr female Crocodiles affyrmyng furthermore that the fat or shewet of them is equall in sweetnes with the pleasaunt gummes of Arabie But the Admirall was nowe at the length enforced of necessitie to depart from hence aswell for that he was no longer able to abyde the contrarie and violent course of the water as also that his shyppes were dayly more and more putrified and eaten through with certayne wormes which are engendred of the warmenesse of the water in al those tractes neere vnto the Equinoctiall line The Uenetians call these wormes Bissas The same are also engendred in two hauens of the
beyng enfourmed of the matter appoynted hym two shyppes wherewith he returned to his maister and companions As he founde them so came they to Hispaniola very feeble and in maner naked What chaunced of them afterwarde I knowe not as yet Let vs now therefore leaue these particulers and speake somwhat more of generals In al those tracts whiche we sayd here before to haue been founde by Colonus the Admiral both he hym selfe writeth and all his companions of that voyage confesse that the trees hearbes and fruites are floryshyng and greene all the whole yeere and the ayre so temperate holesome that of al his companie there neuer fel one man sycke nor yet were vexed eyther with extreme colde or heate for the space of fyftie leagues from the great hauen of Cerabaro to the ryuers of Hiebra and Beragua Thinhabitantes of Cerabaro and the nations whiche are betwyxt that the sayde ryuers applie not them selues to the geatheryng of gold but only at certayne tymes of the yeere and are very expert and cunnyng herein as are our myners of syluer and Iron They knowe by long experience in what places golde is most abundantly engendred as by the colour of the water of the ryuers and such as fall from the mountaynes and also by the colour of the earth and stones They beleeue a certayne godly nature to be in golde forasmuche as they neuer geather it except they vse certayne religious expiations or purgyng as to absteyne from women and all kyndes of pleasures and delicate meates and drinkes during all the tyme that their golden haruest lasteth They suppose that men do naturally liue and die as other beastes do and therfore honour none other thyng as God Yet do they pray to the Sonne and honour it when it ryseth But let vs nowe speake of the mountains and situation of these landes From all the sea bankes of these regions exceedyng great and hygh mountaynes are seene towarde the South yet reaching by a continual tract from the East into the west by reason wherof I suppose that the two great seas wherof I haue spoken largely before are deuided with these mountaynes as it were with bulwarkes least they shoulde ioyne and repugne as Italie diuideth the sea called Tirrhenum from the sea Adriatike whiche is nowe commonly called the gulfe of Uenice For whiche way so euer they sayled from the poynt called Promontorium S. Augustini whiche parteyneth to the Portugales and prospecteth against the sea Atlantike euen vnto Vraba and the hauen Cerabaro and to the furthest landes founde hitherto westward they had euer great mountaynes in syght both neere hande and also farre of in all that long rase These mountaynes were in some place smooth pleasaunt and fruitfull full of goodly trees and hearbes and somwhere hygh rough ful of rockes and barren as chaunceth in the famous mountayne of Taurus in Asia and also in dyuers coastes of our mountaynes of Apennini such other of like bygnesse The rydgies also of these mountaynes are diuided with goodly and fayre valleys That part of the mountaynes which includeth the limittes of Beragua is thought to be hygher then the cloudes insomuch that as they say the tops of them can seldome be seene for the multitude of thicke cloudes whiche are beneath the same Colanus the Admiral the fyrst fynder of these regions affirmeth that the toppes of the mountaines of Beragua are more then fiftie myles in heyght He sayth furthermore that in the same region at the rootes of the mountaynes the way is open to the south sea compareth it as it were betwene Uenice and Genua or Ianua as the Genues wyl haue it called whiche fable that theyr citie was builded of Ianus He affirmeth also that this land reacheth forth toward the south and that from hence it taketh the begynning of breadth lyke as from the Alpes out of the narowe thygh of Italie we see the large and mayne landes of Fraunce Germanie and Pannonie to the Sarmatians and Scithians euen vnto the mountaynes and rockes of Riphea and the frosen sea and embrase therewith as with a continuall bonde al Thracia and Grecia with all that is included within the promontorie or poynt of Malea and Hellespontus southwarde and the sea Euzinus and the marysshes of Meotis in Scithia northwarde The Admiral supposeth that on the left hande in saylyng towarde the west this lande is ioyned to India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges and that on the ryght hande towarde the North it is extended to the frosen sea beyonde the Hyperboreans and the North pole So that both the seas that is to meane that south sea which we sayd to bee founde by Vaschus and our Ocean shoulde ioyne and meete in the corners of that lande and that the waters of these seas do not onely inclose and compasse the same without diuision as Europe is inclosed with the seas of Hellespontus and Tanais with the frosen Ocean and our sea of Tyrrhenum with the Spanyshe seas But in my opinion the vehement course of the Ocean toward the west doth signifie the let that the sayd two seas shoulde not so ioyne togeather but rather that that lande is adherent to the firme landes towarde the North as we haue sayde before It shall suffice to haue sayde thus muche of the length hereof Let vs nowe therefore speake somwhat of the breadth of the same We haue made mention before howe the south sea is diuided by narowe limittes from our Ocean as it was proued by thexperience of Vaschus Nunnez and his companions which fyrst made open the way thyther But as dyuersly the mountaynes of our Alpes in Europe are somwhere narowe and in some place brode euen so by the lyke prouidence of nature this land in some part therof reacheth farre in breadth and is in other places coarcted with narowe limittes from sea to sea with valleys also in some places whereby men may passe from the one syde to the other Where we haue described the regions of Vraba and Beragua to be situate these seas are diuided by small distaunce Yet ought we to thynke the region whiche the great ryuer of Maragnonus runneth through to be very large if we shall graunt Maragnonum to be a ryuer and no sea as the freshe waters of the same ought to perswade vs. For in suche narowe caues of the earth there can be no swalowyng gulfes of suche bygnesse as to receiue or nooryshe so great abundance of water The lyke is also to be supposed of the great ryuer of Dabaiba whiche we sayde to be from the corner of the gulfe of Vraba in some place of fourtie fathomes depth and somwhere fiftie also three myles in breadth and so to fall into the sea We must needes graunt that the earth is brode there by the which the ryuer passeth from the high mountaines of Dabaiba from the East and not from the west They
therewith vntyl the yeere next folowyng when the rayne and moysture encrease at whiche tyme they are seene agayne Neuerthelesse at this present there is no such quantitie of them as was wont to be by reason that as the lande is better cultured by the Christians aswell by the fellyng of wooddes and shrubbes as also by the pasture of Kyne Horses and other beastes so is it apparent that this poyson diminisheth daylye whereby that region becommeth more holsome and pleasaunt these Toades syng after three or foure sortes for some of them syng pleasauntly other lyke ours of Spayne some also whystle and other some make an other maner of noyse they are lykewyse of diuers coloures as some greene some russet or gray and some almost blacke but of all sortes they are great and fylthy and noyous by reason of theyr great multitude yet are they not venemous as I haue sayde There are also a straunge kynde of Crabbes whiche come foorth of certayne holes of the earth that they them selues make the head and bodie of these make one rounde thyng muche lyke vnto the hood of a Faulkon hauyng foure feete commyng out of the one syde as many out of the other they haue also two mouthes like vnto a payre of small Pinsers the one bygger then the other wherewith they byte but doo no great hurt because they are not venomous theyr skynne and bodie is smooth and thynne as is the skynne of a man sauyng that it is somewhat harder theyr coloure is russet or whyte or blewe and walke sydelong they are very good to be eaten insomuche that the Christians trauaylyng by the fyrme lande haue been greatly nouryshed by them because they are founde in maner euery where in shape and fourme they are muche like vnto the Crabbe whiche we paynt for the signe Cancer and like vnto those whiche are founde in Spayne in Andalusia in the ryuer Guadalchiber where it entreth into the sea and in the sea coastes there about sauyng that these are of the water and the other of the lande they are sometymes hurtfull so that they that eate of them dye but this chaunceth only when they haue eaten any venomous thyng or of the venomous apples wherewith the Canible archers poyson theyr arrowes whereof I wyll speake hereafter and for this cause the Christians take heede how they eate of these Crabbes yf they fynde them neare vnto the sayd apple trees Furthermore in these Indies aswel in the fyrme lande as in the Ilandes there is founde a kynde of Serpentes whiche they call Y. V. anas whiche some cal Iuannas these are terrible and feareful to syght and yet not hurtful they are very delicate to be eaten and it is not yet knowen whether they be beastes of the lande or fyshes because they lyue in the water and wander in the wooddes and on the lande they haue foure feete and are commonly bygger then Connies and in some places bygger then Otters with tayles lyke Lysartes or Eutes theyr skynne is spotted and of the same kynde of smothnesse or barenesse although of dyuers colours vpon the rydge of theyr backes they haue many long prickes theyr teeth are very sharpe and especially theyr fanges or dogge teeth theyr throtes are long and large reachyng from theyr beardes to theyr breastes of the lyke skynne to the resydue of theyr bodyes they are dumbe and haue no voyce or make any noyse or crye although they bee kept tyed to the foote of a cheste or any other thyng for the space of .xx. or .xxv. dayes without any thyng to eate or drynke except they geue them nowe and then a litle of the bread of Cazabbi or some suche other thyng they haue foure feete and theyr fore feete as long as a mans fynger with clawes lyke the clawes of a byrde but weaker and suche as can not grasple or take holde of any thyng they are muche better to bee eaten then to beholde for fewe that see them wyll haue desyre to eate of them by reason of theyr horrible shape except suche as haue ben accustomed to the beastes of these regions whiche are more horrible and feareful as this is not but onely in apparence theyr fleshe is of muche better tast then the fleshe of Connies and more holsome for it hurteth none but onely suche as haue had the frenche poxe insomuche that if they haue been touched of that infirmitie although they haue ben whole of long tyme neuerthelesse they feele hurte and complayne of the earyng of these Iuannas as hath been oftentimes prooued by experience There are founde in the fyrme lande certayne byrdes so litle that the whole body of one of them is no bygger then the toppe of the byggest fynger of a mans hande and yet is the bare body without the feathers not halfe so bygge This byrde besyde her litlenesse is of suche velocitie and swyftnesse in fleeyng that who so seeth her fleeyng in the ayre can not see her flap or beate her winges after any other sort then do the Dorres or humble bees or Beetels so that there is no man that seeth her flee that would thynke her to be any other then a Dorre they make their nestes accordyng to the proportion of their bygnes and I haue seene that one of these byrdes with her nest put in a payre of golde weights altogeather hath waide no more then .2 Tomini which are in poise .24 graines with the feathers with out the which she shoulde haue wayed somwhat lesse And doubtlesse when I consider the fynenesse of the clawes feete of these byrdes I knowe not whereunto I may better lyken them then to the litle byrdes whiche the lymners of bookes are accustomed to paynte on the margent of churche bookes and other bookes of diuine seruice Theyr feathers are of many fayre colours as golden yelowe and greene besyde other variable colours theyr beake is very long for the proportion of theyr bodies and as fyne and subtile as a sowyng nedle they are very hardy so that when they see a man clime y e tree where they haue their nests they flee at his face stryke hym in the eyes commyng goyng and returnyng with such swyftnes that no man woulde lyghtly beleeue it that hath not seene it and certaynly these byrdes are so litle that I durst not haue made mention hereof if it were not that diuers other which haue seene them as wel as I can beare witnes of my saying they make their nestes of flockes and heare of cotton wherof there is great plentie in these regions and serueth wel for theyr purpose But as touchyng the byrdes foules and beastes of these Indies because they are innumerable both litle and great I intende not to speake muche heere because I haue spoken more largely hereof in my generall hystorye of the Indies There is an other kynde of beastes seene in the firme lande whiche seemeth very strange and marueylous to the Christian men to beholde and much
in Affrik and the beare in Sarmatia are fierce as in theyr present strength and vigoure but translated into a contrary heauen are of lesse strength and courage The foule called Ciconia which some thynke to be the Storke doth not tary the wynter yet do the Cranes come at that tyme. The Scythian wyll accuse the Romane heauen as inducyng feuers whereas neuerthelesse there is none more holsome Such as haue been tenderly brought vp if they come suddeynely into the campe can not away with hunger watchyng heate passages through ryuers battayles sieges and assaultes But the olde souldier exercised in the warres vseth these as meditations of the fielde as hardened therto by long experience He that hath been accustomed to the shadowe of the citie and wyll attempte the saying of the poet Uirgil Nudus ara sero nudus that is naked and bare without house and home shal to his peryl make an end of the verse Habebis frigora febram that is he shal haue the colde ague Suche thynges therfore as seeme hard vnto vs beyng accustomed by litle and litle become more tollerable Insomuch that this exercise of sufferaunce by such degrees doth oftentimes growe to prodigious effectes farre beyond our expectation And thus we seeme to haue made sufficient demonstration by heauen nature and art wherby it may appeare that no part of the land or sea is denied to liuing creatures The reader may also perceiue howe large matter of reasons and examples may be opened for the declaryng of our opinion wherin we rest Let therfore thauctoritie of the auntient auctours geue place and the consent of the newe writers agree to this history not as nowe at the length comprehended wheras before many hundred yeeres Germanie and Scondia had entercouse of merchandies not seuered by the large gulfe of Gothia but as nowe by our commentaries brought to lyght and hauyng sayde thus muche in maner of a preface we wyll nowe proceede to wryte of the North regions Schondia SCondia Schondania or Schondenmarchia is as muche to saye as fayre Dania or fayre Denmarke Plinie in one place nameth it Scandia and in an other Scandinauia if there be no faute in thexemples It was named Schondia by reason of the fayrenesse and fruitefulnesse thereof And this aswell for that in beneficiall heauen fertilitie of grounde commoditie of hauens and marte townes abundaunce of ryuers and fyshe plentie of beastes great quantitie of metall as golde syluer copper and leade diligent culturyng the grounde with townes and cities well â—nhabited and gouerned by ciuile lawes it geueth place to none other fortunate region This was in maner vnknowen to the olde Greekes and Latins as may appeare by this argument that with one consent they affirmed that in these north regions the colde Zone or clime was condemned to perpetuall snowe intollerable to al lyuyng creatures For fewe of them haue made mention hereof as to be inhabited Among whom Plinie as one of the chiefe saith in his fourth booke that Schondania is of vnknowen biggenesse and onely that portion thereof to be knowen which is inhabited with the nation of the Hilleuiones in fiftie villages Neither yet is Eningia lesse in opinion Other more auncient then Plinie haue placed most fortunate regions with men of long lyfe which the Greekes call Macrobios and of most innocent behauour vnder the tracte of those landes and that there came from thence to Delphos certayne religious virgines with vowes and giftes consecrated to Apollo And furthermore that that nation obserued this institution vntyll the saide virgins were violated of them of whom they were receiued as straungers These are most cleare testimonies of Antiquitie both of the greatnesse of Schondia and the people that inhabite the same although they were since vnknowen as lykewyse the Gothes departyng from these North landes although they obteyned Thempire of the regions about the maryshes of Meotis and the coastes of the sea Euxinus with the realme of Denmarke wherof that is thought to be a portion whiche is nowe called Transiluania and the bankes of the ryuer of Danubius and in fine inuaded the Romane Empire yet were not the regions well knowen from whence they tooke theyr originall Therefore lyke as part of the olde wryters are vnsufficient witnesses to testifie of our narrations as touchyng these landes vnknowen to them Euen so the other parte whiche excluded the same as vnhabitable are to be conuinced leaste theyr authoritie beyng admitted shoulde engender opinions not agreeable or conuenient to the nature of places Sigismundus Liberus in his commentaries of Moscouia writeth thus Scandia or Scondia is no Ilande as some haue thought but part of the continent or firme land of Suetia which by a long tract reacheth to Cothland and that nowe the kyng of Denmarke possesseth a great part thereof But whereas the writers of these thynges haue made Scondia greater then Suetia and that the Gothes and Lumbardes came from thence they seeme in my opinion to comprehend these three kyngdomes as it were in one bodie only vnder the name of Scondia forasmuch as then that part of land that lyeth betweene the sea Baltheun which floweth by the coastes of Finlandia and the frosen sea was vnknowen and that by reason of so manye maryshes innumerable riuers and intemperatenesse of heauen it is yet rude vncultured and litle knowen Which thyng hath been the cause that some iudged al that was called by the name of Scondia to be one great Iland Gronelande GRonelande is interpreted greene land so called for the great encrease and fruitfulnesse of pasture By reason whereof what great plentie of cat-cattaile there is it may hereby appere that at such time as shippes may passe thither they set foorth great heapes of Cheese and Butter to be solde whereby we coniecture that the lande is not rough with barren mountaynes It hath two Cathedrall Churches vnder the Ordination of Nidrosia To one of these was of late yeeres a Byshop appoynted only by the title of a Suffragane in consideration that while the Metropolitane doth neglect the direction of religion for the distance of the place and difficult nauigation the people is in maner falne to gentilitie being of them selues of moueable wittes geuen to magicall artes For it is sayd that they as also the people of Laponia do rayse tempestes on the sea with magicall inchauntmentes and bryng such shyps into daunger as they entend to spoyle They vse litle ships made of Leather and safe agaynst the brusing of the sea and rockes and with them assaile other shyps Peter Martir of Angleria writeth in his Decades of the Spanysh nauigations that Sebastian Cabot saylyng from England continually towarde the North folowed that course so farre that he chaunced vpon great flakes of yse in the Mooneth of Iuly and that diuertyng from thence he folowed the coast by the shore bendyng toward the South vntyll he came to the clyme
three Ilands is called Muscostrom that is boyling At the flowing of the sea it is swalowed into the Caues and is blowne out agayne at the reflowing with no lesse violence then the streames of ryuers fall from mountaines This sea is nauigable vntyl it be lower then the mouthes of the rockes Such as chaunce into it out of due time are caried headlong into Whyrpooles The fragmentes of the lost shyps are seldome cast vp agayne But when they are cast vp they are so brused and fretted against the rockes that they seeme to be ouergrowne with hoare This is the power of nature passing the fabilous Simpleiades the fearful Malea with the dangerous places of Silla and Caribdis and all other miracles that nature hath wrought in any other sea hytherto knowen to man The Ilands about Norway are of such fruitful pasture that they bryng not theyr beastes into the stables before the moneth of Nouember and do in many places wynter them abrode Suecia or Suethlande SVecia is a kyngdome ryche in Golde Syluer Copper Leade Iron fruite cat-cattayle and exceedyng increase of fyshe of the ryuers lakes and the sea and hath no lesse plentie of such wylde beastes as are taken with huntyng Towarde the West it is ended with the mountaynes of Norway from the Castel of Wardhus vnto th ende .51.63.40 Towarde the South with the line from this ende vnto the degrees 53.30.61 And from thence vnto the degrees 61.60.30 Aboue the gulfe of Suecia towarde the north with the south end of Lapponia from the castel of Wardhus vnto the ende .62.70 Towarde the East it is ended with the line from this ende vnto the degree .63.69 c. Stokholme the chiefe citie .64.61 This is the chiefe mart towne of Suecia and is strongly defended by art and nature It is situate in maryshes after the maner of Uenice and was therfore called Stokholme forasmuch as beyng placed in the water the fundation is fortified with stockes or piles The sea entreth inâ—o it with two armes or branches of such largenesse and depth that shyps of great burden and with maine sayles may enter by the same with theyr ful fraight This suffered of late yeeres greeuous spoile and destruction to the singular exemple of cruel hostilitie and such as the lyke hath not been lyghtly shewed to any other citie receiued by league and composion In al the tract from Stokholme to the lake aboue the ryuer of Dalekarle whiche is in the degree .56 30 63 50. are mountaynes fruiteful of good syluer copper and lead They get great ryches by the salmons and plentie of other fyshes whiche they take in certayne great lakes The dukedome of Agermannia occupieth the north syde to the confines of Laponia This tract is ful of wods in the which they hunt the beastes called Vros or Bisontes which in theyr tongue they call Elg that is wylde Asses These are of such heyght that the hyghest part of theyr backes are equal with the measure of a man holdyng vp his armes as hygh as he may reach c. Vpsalia the chiefe citie .62.62.30 here is buryed the body of saint Henricus kyng and martyr Copperdalia that is the copper valley is a Dukedome southwarde from the Dukedom of Iemptia Under this is the valyant nation of the people called Dalekarly Oplandia is a Dukedome and the nauil or myddest of Scondia The citie of Pircho on the North syde of the lake of Meler â–ª was once a great citie and able to arme .xiiii. thousande men to the warres but is nowe brought to a vyllage All the tracte of Oplandia hath mynes of Syluer Copper and Steele Of the Ilandes and rockes that lye about Suecia the myddest is .67.30.61.30 These were called of the olde writers Done the reason of which name remayneth vnto this daye For there are in these innumerable multitudes of byrdes insomuch that thinhabitauntes of the next coast sayle thyther in the moneth of May whyle the byrdes syt on theyr egges which they steale and reserue them in salt for a long tyme. Bothnia BOthnia is so named of the pretious furres of all sortes that are caryed from thence into foraigne regions For by these and theyr fyshyng they haue great commoditie Salmons of the best sort are taken in these seas are great riches among these nations Bothnia is diuided into two partes as Northbothnia South Bothnia called Ostrobothhia Northbothnia is termined with the South ende of the Lapones vnto the ende .78.30.69 Towarde the East it is termined with this ende and vnto the degree .78.30.68.20 Towarde the West with the line terminyng the East syde of Suecia And towarde the South with the residue of the gulfe of Suecia from th ende that hath degrees .63.69 Ostrobothnia towarde the East is termined from the sayde ende of the most East coast And towarde the South with a line extended by the mountaynes from this ende vnto the degree .71 66 Towarde the North and West with part of the gulfe of Suecia c. Gothia or Gothlande GOthia is by interpretation good For the holy name of God is in the Germane tongue Goth that is Good At what tyme the Gothes vpon a generall consent sent foorth theyr ofspring or sucession to seeke new seates or countreys to inhabite and when they possessed the coastes of Meotis and Asia none of the olde wryters haue made mention as farre as I know But they haue been knowen since the tyme that the Romanes dilated theyr Empire by Illirium now called Slauonie vnto the ryuer of Danubius and were also famous from the time of Cesar Dictator and Octauianus Augustus by reason of their great warres at Danubius being the vtermost bound of Thempire Neuerthelesse in that renowme what Gothia was vnder what part of heauen it was scituate or of whom the Gothes tooke their original it hath been vnknowen almost to this age This is termined toward the North with the South ende of Suetia and towarde the West with the other mountaynes of Norway whiche continue from the boundes of Suetia to the mouthes of the ryuers of Trolheta c. It hath many goodly Townes Cities Castles Mines c. The citie of Visba being in the degree .61.30.54.15 was an ancient and famous mart Towne as is Genua in Italie at this day but afterward being afflicted by y e incursions of the Pirates of the Danes and Moscouites it was left desolate There remayne to this day certayne ruines whiche testifie the auncient nobilitie In this place were the firste stations of the Gothes that possessed Meotis It is at this day of fruiteful soyle and famous by many goodly and strong Castles Monasteries There is among other a Monasterie of the order of Saint Benedict in the whiche is a librarie of about two thousande bookes of old auctors About the yeere of Christe fourescore and eyght the Gothes vnto whom resorted
which were youngest and beste made He tooke them by a deceite in this maner that giuing them knyues sheares looking glasses belles beades of Crystall suche other trifles he so filled theyr handes that they coulde holde no more then caused two payre of shackels of Iron to be put on theyr legges makyng signes that he would also giue them those chaynes which they lyked very wel bycause they were made of bright and shining metall And wheras they could not carry them bycause theyr handes were full the other Giantes would haue caryed them but the captaine would not suffer them When they felte the shackels faste about theyr legges they began to doubt but the Captayne dyd put them in comfort and bad them stande still In fine when they sawe howe they were deceiued they roared lyke bulles cryed vppon theyr great deuill Setebos to helpe them Being thus taken they were immediately seperate and put in sundry shippes They could neuer bynde the handes of the other two yet was one of them with much difficultie ouerthrowen by .ix. of our men his hands boūd but he sodeinly loosed him selfe and fled as did also the other that came with them In their fleeing they shot of their arrowes and slue one of our men They say that when any of them dye there appeare x. or .xii deuils leaping and daunsing about the bodie of the dead and seeme to haue their bodies paynted with diuers colours and that among other there is one seene bigger then the residue who maketh great mirth reioysing This great deuyll they call Setebos and call the lesse Cheleule One of these Giantes which they tooke declared by signes that he had seene deuylles with two hornes aboue their heades with long heare downe to theyr feete and that they caste foorth fyre at theyr throates both before and behynde The Captayne named these people Patagoni The most parte of them weare the skynnes of such beastes whereof I haue spoken before and haue no houses of continuance but make certayne cotages which they couer with the sayd skynnes and carry them from place to place They lyue of raw fleshe and a certayne sweete roote which they call Capar One of these whiche they had in theyr shyppes dyd eate at one meale a baskette of Bysket and droonke a bowle of water at a draught They remayned fyue monethes in this porte of Sainct Iulian where certayne of the vnder captaynes conspiryng the death of theyr Generall were hanged and quartered among whom the Treasurer Luigo of Mendozza was one Certayne of the other conspiratours he lefte in the sayde lande of Patogoni Departyng from hence to the .52 degree towarde the pole Antartike lackyng a thirde parte they founde a ryuer of freshe water and good fyshe Theyr shyppes were here in great daunger They remayned two monethes in this porte where they made newe prouision of freshe water fuell and fyshe Here the Captayne caused all his men to bee confessed Approching to the .52 degrees they found the straight now called the straight of Magellanus beyng in some place a hundred and ten leagues in length and in breadth somewhere very large and in other places little more then halfe a league in breadth On both the sides of this straight are great and hygh mountaynes couered with snowe beyonde the which is the enteraunce into the sea of Sur. This enteraunce the Captayne named Mare Pacificum Heere one of the shippes stole away priuilie and returned into Spaine In this was one of the Giantes who dyed assoone as he felte the heate that is about the Equinoctiall lyne When the Captaine Magalianes was paste the straight and sawe the way open to the other mayne sea he was so glad thereof that for ioye the teares fell from his eyes and named the poynt of the lande from whence he first sawe that sea Capo Desiderato Supposing that the shyppe which stole away had been lost they erected a crosse vpon the top of a hygh hil to directe their course in the straight if it were theyr chaunce to come that way They founde that in this straight in the moneth of October the nyght was not past foure houres long They founde in this straight at euery three myles a safe hauen and excellent water to drynke wood also and fyshe and great plentie of good hearbes They thinke that there is not a fayrer straight in the worlde Here also they sawe certaine fleeing fyshes The other Giant which remayned with them in the shyppe named breade Capar water Oli redde cloth Cherecai red colour Cheiche blacke colour Amel And spoke all his wordes in the throate On a tyme as one made a crosse before him and kyssed it shewyng it vnto him he sodaynely cryed Setebos and declared by signes that if they made any more crosses Setebos would enter into his bodie and make him brust But when in fine he sawe no hurte come thereof he tooke the crosse and imbrased and kyssed it oftentymes desiryng that he myght be a Christian before his death He was therefore baptysed and named Paule Departyng out of this straight into the sea called Mare Pac ficum the .xxviii. day of Nouember in the yeere .1520 they sayled three monethes and twentie dayes before they sawe any land and hauyng in this tyme consumed all theyr Bysket and other victualles they fell into suche necessitie that they were inforced to eate the pouder that remayned thereof beyng nowe full of woormes and stynkyng lyke pysse by reason of the salte water Theyr freshe water was also putrified and become yelowe They dyd eate skynnes and peeces of leather whiche were foulded about certayne great ropes of the shyppes but these skynnes beyng made very harde by reason of the Sunne rayne and wynde they hung them by a corde in the sea for the space of foure or fiue dayes to mollifie them and sodde them and ate them By reason of this famyne and vncleane feedyng some of their gummes grewe so ouer theyr teethe that they dyed miserably for hunger And by this occasion dyed menetiene men and also the Giaunt with an Indian of the lande of Brasile otherwyse called Terra de papagalli that is the lande of Popingayes Beside these that dyed .xxv or .xxx. were so sicke that they were not able to doe any seruice with theyr handes or armes for feeblenesse So that there was in maner none without some disease In these three monethes and xx dayes they sayled foure thousande leagues in one gulfe by the sayde sea called Pacificum that is peaceable which may well be so called forasmuch as in all this tyme hauyng no sight of any lande they had no misfortune of wynde or any other tempest During this tyme also they discouered only two little Ilandes vnhabited where they sawe nothing but birdes trees and therefore named them infortunate Ilandes being one from the other about two
Mare pacificum The Giants died for heate Capo Desiderato Short nightes in the moneth of October Fleeing fyshes The Giantes language The Giant is baptised Three moneths saylyng without the sight of lande Extreme famyne Diseases of famyne Vnfortunate Ilandes What they sayled dayly The starres about the South pole The needle of the compase The lode stone The Equinoctiall line The Ilands of Cipanghu and Sumbdit Insulae Latronum People with long heare The Ilande of zamall Wyne of Date trees The maruilous fruite Cocus The Iland of zuluan The sea called Archipelago di san Lazaro Gentiles Foure Ilands The Iland of Buthuan The Ilande of Caleghan Plenty of gold The kyng of Buthuan A combatte Moores and Gentiles Mani Ilands The Iland of Messana Battes as byg as Eagles Fowles with hornes Egges hatched in sande The Ilande of zubut A shyppe laden with gold and slaues Calecut Malacha Sheaddyng of blood is a token of frendshyp The kyng of zubut is baptised The kyng of Zabut his apparell Well fauoured women Barteryng Pesus what it is They breake theyr Idolles and erecte the Crosse. Fyue hundred men baptised The Queene of Zabut The Queenes apparell A miracle The Ilande of Mathan The Captayne Magellanus is slayne The Ilande of Bohol They burnt one of theyr shyppes Blacke men The Ilande of Chippit The Ilande of Caghaian The Ilande of Pulaoan The Ilande of Burnei or Porne A great citie Elephantes The Ilande of Cimbulon Leaues of trees which seeme to lyue A sea full of weedes Pearles Men ouergrowen with heare The Ilandes of Molucca The Portugales are reproued Tidore one of the Ilandes of Molucca A vision in the Planettes The fyue Ilandes of Molucca Tarenate The Ilande of Gilolo Moores and Gentyles Golde Water in Reedes Theyr maner of barteryng Water of a straunge qualitie Byrdes of a straunge fourme They leaue one of theyr shippes behinde them The Ilandes of Molucca Hony of flyes Popingayes The Ilande of Tidore Terenate Mutir Macchian Bacchian Many Ilands The Iland of Mallua Pepper Litle men with long eares The Ilande of Timor White Saunders and Gynger The dyuell appeareth Saint Iob his disease Cinamome The Ilandes of Giana Malaccha The great gulfe of China The cape of Malacha The names of many regions Rubarbe The great kyng of China The greater India The beast called Linx The punishment of rebels The kyng is not seene but at a glasse A thyng of strange workemanshyp The kyng marieth his syster His palace A marueylous garde Women serue the kyng Foure maruelous haulles The people of China The great kyng of Mien Cathay The sea of Lantchidol Malacha The Iland of Sumetra Pegu. Bangala Calecut Canonor Coa Cambala Ormus East India Cap. de Buona Speranza The port of Monzambique The ingratitude of the Portugales The port of S. Lucar neere vnto Siuile What became of the other shyppe Dariena The Cape of Cattigara The voyage hardly performed They bye slaues for lacke of helpe Maryners woorthy immortal fame Iohn Sebastian The trade of spices parteineth to Themperour Iohn kyng of Portugale The trade of Spices The controuersie determined by Cosmographers and Pilots The arbytrers on the Emperours syde Sebastian Cabote Instruments of Cosmographie The Ilandes of Maluca The Arbitrers on the Portugales syde The place where they mette The order of theyr proces The Portugales Contention for drawyng the lyne of the diuision Howe the Portugales were deceyued The Spanyardes allegations Samatra Malacha China Magallanes Buena Vista The Ilandes of Cabo Verde The Portugales cauillations The lyne of diuision The sentence The Portugales threaten death to the Castilians The line of the last diuision The great Ilande of Samotra The lande of Brasile parteyneth to the Portugales A mery tale The gold mine of Guinea Alonso kyng of Portugale Golde for thinges of small value Contention for the kingdome of Castile Warre against the Moores of Granada The conquests of the Portugales in Affrike Pope Alexander The Pope maâ—keth the diuision The kyng of Portugale refuseth to stande to the Popes Bull. The agreement of the last diuision Wherein the Portugales were deceyued Sebastian Cabote The Emperour and the kyng of Portugale ioyned in aliance by maryage The Portugales robbe the Castilians The coronation of the Emperour The gagyng of â—he Ilandes of Malucas Zamatra and Malaca Tascalteca Churultecal Kyng Metuzuma his oration to the Spanyards A note A note Mexico Themestitan The Courtiers The kynges houses The seruice of the kyng Corteâ—ius returneth to Themistitan Muteezuma slayne A Parle Cortesius fleeeth out of Themistitan Cortesius returneth to the siege of Themistitan Themistitan conquered agayne The fyrst part The second part The third part
differyng from al other beastes whiche haue ben seene in other partes of the world these beastes are called Bardati and are foure footed hauyng their tayle and al the rest of theyr bodyes couered onely with a skynne lyke the coperture of a barbed horse or the checkered skinne of a Lisarte or Crocodile of coloure betwene white and russet inclynyng somwhat more to whyte This beast is of fourme and shape muche lyke to a barbed horse with his barbes and flankets in al poynts and from vnder that which is the barbe and coperture the taile commeth forth and the feete in theyr place the necke also the eares in theyr partes and in fyne al thynges in lyke sorte as in a barbed courser they are of the bygnesse of one of these common dogges they are not hurtfull they are fylthy and haue theyr habitation in certaine hillockes of earth where dygging with their feete they make theyr dens very deepe the hoâ—es thereof in like maner as do Connies they are very excellent to be eaten are taken with nettes and some also kylled with Crosbowes they are likewise taken oftentymes when the husbandmen burne the stubble in sowyng tyme or to renue the herbage for Kyne and other beastes I haue oftentymes eaten of theyr flesh which seemeth to me of better tast then Kyddes fleshe and holsome to be eaten And if these beastes had euer been seene in these partes of the worlde where the fyrst barbed horses had theyr originall no man woulde iudge but that the fourme and fashyon of the coperture of horses furnyshed for the warres was fyrst deuised by the syght of these beastes There is also in the fyrme lande an other beast called Orso Formigaro that is the Ante beare This beast in heare and coloure is much lyke to the Beare of Spaine and in maner of the same makyng saue that he hath a muche longer snout and is of euyll syght they are oftentymes taken only with staues without any other weapon and are not hurtful they are also taken with dogges because they are not naturally armed although they byte somewhat they are founde for the most part about and neare to the hyllockes where are great abundaunce of Antes For in these regions is engendred a certayne kynde of Antes very litle and blacke in the feeldes and playnes where as growe no trees where by the instinct of nature these Antes separate them selues to engender farre from the wooddes for feare of these Beares the which because they are fearefull vyle and vnarmed as I haue sayde they keepe euer in places full of trees vntyll very famine and necessitie or the great desire that they haue to feede on these Antes cause them to come out of the woods to hunt for them these Antes make a hillocke of earth to the heyght of a man or somewhat more or lesse and as byg as a great chest sometymes as byg as a Butte or a Hogshead as hard as a stone so that they seeme as though they were stones set vp to limit the endes confines of certaine lands Within these hillocks made of most harde earth are innumerable and infinite litle Antes the whiche may be geathered by bushelles when the hyllocke is broken the whiche when it is sometymes moysted by rayne and then dryed agayne by the heate of the Sonne it breaketh and hath certayne small ryftes as litle and subtyle as the edge of a knyfe and it seemeth that nature hath geuen sense to these Antes to fynde suche a matter of earth wherewith they may make the sayde hyllocke of suche hardnesse that it may seeme a strong pauement made of lyme and stone and whereas I haue proued and caused some of them to be broken I haue founde them of such hardnesse as yf I had not seene I could not haue beleeued insomuch that they coulde scarcely be broken with pykes of Iron so strong fortresses doo these litle beastes make for theyr sauegard against theyr aduersarie the Beare who is chiefely nouryshed by them and geuen them as an enimie accordyng to the common prouerbe whiche sayeth Non e alcuna persona si libera a chimanchi il suo Bargello that is there is no man so free that hath not his persecutor or priuie enimie And here when I consyder the marueilous prouidence whiche nature hath geuen to these litle bodies I cal to remembrance the wittie sentence of Plinie where speakyng of such litle beastes he sayeth thus Why do we marueile at the Towrebearyng shoulders of Elephantes and not rather where nature hath placed so many senses such industrye in such litle bodies Where is hearing smelling seeing and feelyng yea where are the vaynes and arteries without which no beast can lyue or moue in these so litle bodies whereof some are so small that theyr whole bodies can scarsly be seene of our eyes What shall we then saye of the partes of the same Yet euen among these there are many of such sagasitie and industry as the like is not seene in beastes of greater quantitie no nor yet in man c. But to returne to the history This enimie whiche nature hath geuen to these litle beastes vseth this maner to assayle them When he resorteth to the hyllocke where the Antes lie hid as in theyr fortresse he putteth his tongue to one of the ryftes whereof we haue spoken being as subtile as the edge of a sword and therewith contynuall lickyng maketh the place moyst the fome and froth of his mouth beyng of suche propertie that by contynuall lickyng the place it enlargeth the ryft in such sort by litle and litle that at the length he easely putteth in his tongue whiche he hath very long and thynne and muche disproportionate to his bodie and when he hath thus made free passage for his tongue into the hyllocke to put it easely in and out at his pleasure then he thrusteth it into the hole as farre as he can reache and so letteth it rest a good space vntyll a great quantitie of the Antes whose nature reioyceth in heate and moyster haue laden his tongue and as many as he can conteyne in the holownesse thereof at which tyme hee sodeynly draweth it into his mouth and eateth them and returneth agayne to the same practise immediatly vntyll he haue eaten as many as him lysteth or as long as he can reache any with his tongue The fleshe of this beast is filthy and vnsauery but by reason of the extreme shyftes and necessitie that the Christian men were put to at theyr fyrst commyng into these partes they were inforced to proue all thinges and so fell to the eatyng of these beastes but when they had found more delycate meates they fel into hatred with this These Antes haue thappearance of the place of theyr entraunce into the hyllocke vnder the grounde and this at so litle a hole that it coulde hardely be founde if certayne of them were not seene to passe in and out but by this