And least they should place the foundation of so great a building upon unfirme ground they strewed it over with coales trodden downe and on it they laid fleeces of wooll The length of the Temple was 425. feet the breadth 220. The Pillars in it were an hundred and seaven and twenty all made by severall Kings of which 36. were carved Ctesiphon was the overseer of the worke There was also a Monument which Artemesia Queene of Caria did erect in memory of her deceased husband which is to bee counted among the wonders of the World it being 25. Cubits high and compassed about with thirty Pillars it was sixe and thirty foote wide Northward and Southward Lastly there was that magnificent Temple which Salomon began to build in the fourth yeare of his raigne not unfit to be reckoned with the seaven wonders of the World First of all thirty thousand men were set to cut trees as Cedars and Cypresse in Lebanon and there were fourescore thousand stone-cutters The bredth of the Temple was twenty Cubits the length sixtie and the height an hundred and twenty The matter of the nethermost building was of white stone the largenesse of the Porch was ten Cubits there were twenty secret chambers passing one into another and others placed under these The beames were of Cedar the roofes of Cedar guilded over and the walls in like manner The Sanctuary of the Holy place was distinguished from the body of the Temple with a wall in which were carved gates with drawing Curtaines enterwoven with many flowers and winding borders besides two Cherubins of pure gold the pavement under foot was beset with studdes of gold the gates were twenty Cubits in height and twelve in compasse There was a brazen vessell of so great a bignesse that it was fitly called the Sea round about which stood twelve Calves three together and looking severally toward the foure corners of the World This vessell did hold three thousand measures containing 72. Sextaries There were also other figures which it would be too long to rehearse There was a brazen Altar of ten foot height double as much in length Also one golden Table and ten thousand golden Pots and Dishes c. But let these things suffice which have beene spoken of this part of the Word I come now to America the fourth part of the World AMERICA WHen Christophorus Columbus had found out this fourth part of the World unknowne to the Ancients some call it India others for the largenesse of it Novus Orbis or the new World for it is as great and bigge as all our World that is Europe Africke and Asia being joyned together as it may appeare by viewing our generall Table It is called also America from Americus Vesputius a Florentine who next after Columbus discovered the Easterne part of the Southerne America in which are the Countries of Paria and Brasilia but it is uncertaine when America began first to be inhabited certaine it is that for many ages it lay unknowne AMERICA AMERICAE DESCRIP for that which some suppose concerning the Romans is more easily said then proved and that fiction is accurately refuted by Gasparus Varrerius Some suppose that Seneca by Poeticall inspiration did sing some raptures concerning it in his Medea but it is madnesse to suppose that these parts in that age were knowne either to him or any other Christophorus Columbus of Genoa after it had beene many ages unknown unto us did first finde it out being employed by the King of Castile after hee had learnt it out as some beleeve that would detract from the glory of so famous an enterprise from a certain Spanish Marriner who had long endured foule weather on the Atlanticke Sea it was performed in the yeare 1492. After him Americus Vesputius did attempt the same for the King of Portugall and brought backe the reward of his enterprise because as we said the whole Continent is called from his name America The whole Country from the North to the South is stretched out in the forme of two great Peninsulaes which are joyned together by a slender Isthmus the one of them is called Northerne America the other Southerne America The Longitude thereof is extended betweene the Meridionall degree 190 and the Meridionall degree 67. The terme of its Latitude towards the South is the Straits of Magellane that is under the degree 52. and towards the North it is not knowne higher then 67. It hath therefore on the East the Atlanticke Sea which they commonly call Del Nort on the South the Southerne Land of Magellane disjoyned from it by a narrow Sea flowing betweene on the West Mare Pacificum or the Peaceable Sea called Mare Del Zur and on the North it is doubtfull whether there bee Land or Sea The whole compasse in sayling round about it is about 32000 miles as the most approved thinke For it hath beene sayled round about except that Country which lyeth Northward whose coasts are not yet discovered The whole Country is changeable and full of varietie at first it wanted both Corne and Wine but instead thereof it bringeth forth Maiz. a kinde of pulse for so they call it as they call Wine Chichia boates Canoas their Princes Cacicos They do not plough the ground to reape but having digged trenches of a small depth they put three or foure granes in one of them and so cover them with earth The severall stalkes doe beare three or foure eares and every one of the eares doe beare three or foure hundred graines and more The stalke of Mayz doth exceed the height of a man and in some Countries it is gathered twice in a yeare They have also another kinde of bread beside that which they make of Maiz which they call Cazabi This is made of Iucca which is a roote of the bignesse of a Turnep which sendeth forth no seed but certaine knottie hard stalkes cloathed with greene leaves like Hempe Those stalkes when they are ripe they cut into peeces of two hands length which they bury in heapes under the earth and as oft as they would make that kinde of bread they digge up of them as much as they thinke good because they will soone be corrupted and grow naught Moreover there are two other kindes of rootes the one they call the Battata the other the Haia almost alike in shape but that the Haiae are lesse and more savory they eaâ—e the fruite of them within sixe Moneths after they are planted which though they have a kinde of sweet taste yet such as will soone cloy one beside they have but little juyce and doe procure winde in the stomacke Those Countries have also a great number of trees which doe bring forth wilde Grapes Their Grapes are like Sloes which grow upon thornes and bushes and are covered with blacke leaves but because they are more woody then juycie therefore the inhabitants doe not make wine of them There are
and strong and adorned with many faire aedifices and buildings the inhabitants whereof are almost all Tarraconians Sardinia hath also other Citties and Townes which for brevitie sake wee omit It hath many pleasant Rivers which are not deepe so that in sommer time you may passe over the bards There are many Magistrates in Sardinia The chiefe is the Viceroy who hath al the Kings authority and according to their ancient lawes none but a Spaniard can beare this office The King doth assigne and appoint him one assistant who is Doctor of both Lawes whom they call there the Regent Moreover hee hath other Counsellors who dispose and order all matters and this Court is called the Kings audience Heretofore it was a priviledge of the Kingdome that no man could beare this office longer than three yeres and then another succeedeth in his place But now one continueth in that office as long as the King pleaseth Concerning the manners and dispositions of the Sadinians they are strong of body and inured to labour except it be some few who are given to effeminacy and wantonesse Many of them doe keepe Cattell and are contented with poore fare and water Those that dwell in the Townes and Villages doe live peaceably and quietly together They love strangers and doe use them kindly They live from hand to mouth and goe in a poore habbit And which is strange there is not one Artificer in all the Iland that can make either Swords Daggers or other weapons so that they fetch them out of Spaine and Italy Mercator mentioneth these Bishops The Archbishop Claritanensis under whom are these Bishops Sulcitanus or Sulciensis Doliensis Suellensis The Archbishop Turitanus under whome are these Bishops Sorrensis Plotanensis Ampuriensis Gifacensis or Girardensis Castrensis Othanensis or Othricensis Bosanensis or Bossa The Archbishop Alborensis under whom are the Bishops of Vssellensis S. Iustia Terra Alba Civitatensis and Gastelliensis are excepted THE KINGDOME OF SICILIE· SICILIE is next to bee described which excelleth all the Ilands of the Mediterranean Sea Thucidides calleth it Sicania from Sicanus who as Solinus and Capella doe write came with a band of Iberians into that Country before the Trojan warres Many doe call it Trinacria and especially the Poets in regard it hath 3. Promontories Or else because it resembleth a Triangle or three cornerd figure for it runneth forth divers wayes with three Promontories and so is like the greeke letter Delta which beareth this shape Δ. These three Promontories are Pelorus Pachynus and Lilybaum The Graecians did call it Sicelia But some suppose Trinacria quondam Mutavere situm rupit confinia Nereus Italiae pars una fuit sed pontus aestus Victor abscissos interluit aequore monteis Trimacria hath her situation chang'd And now the Sea their borders hath estrang'd Heretofore it was a part of Italie From whence 't is now divided by the Sea And hence Rhegium is so called in Italie because Sicilie is there divided from Italie On the North it hath the Tyrrhene Sea on the East the Hadriatick and Ionian Sea on the South the Affrick Sea and on the West the Sardinian Sea Thycydides writeth Lib. 6. that the compasse of Sicile is about 8. dayes journey and yet it lyeth but 20. furlongs from the maine land or continent of Italy Moreover this Iland doth excell for the wholesomenesse of the ayre the fruitfullnesse of the soyle and plenty of all fruite and other things which are necessary for the use of man For it lyeth in the 4. Climate which for the gentlenesse and temperatenesse of the ayre doth exceede the sixe others So that Sicilie produceth the best fruites So that Marcus Cato calleth it the Stoarehouse of the Commonwealth and the Nurse of the Romane People and Strabo the Barne of Rome In the Sunensian fields where the ancients doe faine that Proserpine was tooke away violently which they call the Navell of Italie the Corne yeeldeth so great an increase insomuch that one bushell of Wheate sowed yeeldeth an hundred which field they call therefore Campe dallo cento Salme The Leontine fielde is not inferiour unto this concerning which Cicero saith in his third Oration against Verres Quid Vina commorabo optimi saporis adorisque What should I mention the fragrant pleasant Wines Pliny who was most diligent and curious in reckoning the best sorts of Wines doth affirme that there is excellent good Wine made in Sicilie And hee saith that there is the Balincian Wine in Sicilie which tasteth like Methegling or Wine mingled with honey So that they suppose the Balincian Wine is that which they call Muskadine which is very sweete For both Alpes Muskadine whence so called that is Bees and Muscae that is flies doe haunt these Grapes which are therefore called Muskadine Grapes out of which a sweet pleasant wine is pressed which they call Muskadine though some suppose that it was so called because it smelleth like Muske So that the Wine of Sicilie may be rightly esteemed the best for it is as good as the Italian Wine and as pleasing to the Pallat and will keepe as long Moreover Sicilie hath great store of Oyle Suger Saffron Honey Salt all sorts of fruites and excellent Silke Besides Sicilie is rich in Mettalls for it hath Gold Silver Iron and Allom. It produceth also Pretious stones as the Emerald the Achates the Berill the red Marble stone the Iasper and it hath great heards and flocks of Oxen and Cattell There is excellent hunting of Does and Boares and Hauking at Partridges and Quailes which they commonly call Francolinas And Falcons who are enimies to all flying fowle are taken heere The fierce Lestrigonians did first possesse this Country afterward the Sieanians a Colonie of Spaniards and lastly the Trojans and Cretensians came hither Afterward the Graecians did invade it then the Romanes and after the division of the Easterne and Westerne Empire it was subject to Constantinople almost 200. yeares But in the raigne of the Emperour Iustinian the Gothes invaded this Iland who 17. yeares afterward were expelled and droven out by Belisarius Afterward the Saracens did possesse it under Michael Balbus and held it 400. yeares The Normans succeeded them and afterward the Langbards Suevians and Germanes but they being droven out by Clement the 4. the Frenchmen possessed it 16. yeares Afterward it was subject to the Aragonians untill the raigne of King Ferdinand after whose decease the Kings of Spaine were also Kings of Aragon and Sicilie Pliny reckoneth that there are 72. Citties in it But now there are 173. Citties and Townes as Maginus witnesseth The Metropolis or mother Citty of the Kingdome is Panormus which Ptolomy and others doe call Palernum it is now called Palermo It is an ancient Citty and a Colony of the Phoenicians as appeareth by some Epitaphs written in Caldean letters It is thought that it was built in Abrahams time being seated in a pleasant fruitfull soyle It looketh Northward and is washed
second is called Ximo and it hath 9. Lordships the chiefe whereof are Bungi and Figen The third is Xicoum which containeth 4. Kingdomes The length of the whole Iland as some doe report is almost 200. leagues but breadth is not so much for it is no where above 30. leagues broad and in some places but 10. There is no certainty concerning the compasse of it It lyeth Northward from the Aequinoctiall from the 30. degree almost to the 38. degree On the East it hath new Spaine on the North Scythia or Tartary on the West China and on the South a great Sea betweene it and undiscover'd Lands It hath a wholesome Climate but it hath much cold and Snow neither is it very fruitfull In the moneth of September they doe reape their Rice and in some places they doe reape Wheate in May neither doe make Bread of it but a kinde of Pudding The Inhabitants doe digge divers sorts of Mettals out of bowels of the Earth which maketh other remote Nations come to trade with them And this Iland hath such store of Gold that as Marcus Paulus Venetus witnesseth the Kings Royall Palace was cover'd with streets of Gold as we cover Houses with Lead or Brasse They have Trees for delight and bearing of fruit like ours And in many places there is great store of Cedar Trees which are so tall and thick that Carpenters make Pillars of Churches of them and Masts for Ships of great burthen The Japonians doe not keep Sheepe Hogs Hens nor Geese about their Houses But in the Fields and Meddowes there are whole Droves of Oxen and Horses and the Forrests and Thickets are full of Wolves Connyes Boares and Harts And it hath divers sorts of Fowle as Pheasants Duckes Ring-Doves Turtle-Doves Starlings and Moorehens Iapan was heretofore subject to one Emperour or Governour who was called Vo or Dair untill he growing â—ffeminate with long peace and addicting himselfe to pleasure and idlenesse began to bee contemned and despised of his owne Nobles and especially the Cubi for so the two chiefe Noblemen were call'd who afterward slew one another But he is counted the chiefe of the THE ILAND OF IAPAN IAPAN I. Japonians who governeth Meacum and the Lordships neere unto it which Country they call by one common name Tensa The Tyrant Nobunurga did sometime possesse these parts He being kill'd in his Throne by Conspirators and his Children either expulsed or murdred by faction and force Faxiba one of the chiefe Dukes succeeded after him But now Taicosana or Taico is the Monarke of Iapan The chiefe Citty of Iapan is Meacum which is a great Citty being 21. miles in compasse but now a third part is decayd by the Ilanders civil Warres Here the chiefe Magistrates of Iapan dwell There are besides the famous Citty Ossacaia which is potent free and the richest Citty as some suppose in all the East Heere are a great many Merchants which resort hither from every place of which the meanest is worth 30 thousand Crownes and the other are incredible rich Bungum is is a chiefe Citty and well seated in which there is a great number of Christians There is also the Citty Coya sacred to one Bontius whom they call Combodassi All the Princes are buryed in this Citty or if otherwheres yet they send one of their teeth at least to be buryed here so much do they reverence this place Fiongo is a Citty 18 leagues distant from Meacum This Citty in Nobunungas time was for the most part wasted And an Earthquake in the yeare 1596. ouerthrew a great part of it and afterward the greatest part of that which remained was burnt There is also the Citty Amangasaqui fiue leagues from the Sea over against Sacai It hath also Vosuquin Funaium and Tosa which are all faire Citties and others which for brevity sake I omit Here are many Havens among which Ochinofamanus in which a great number of Ships doe lie at Roade And it hath many Mountaines but especially two which are very high the one of which doth daily cast forth flames of fire on the top whereof the Devill though a cleere transparent cloud doth appeare to men the other is called Figenojama which is very high so that it is some leagues above the clouds They doe build magnificent Temples and sumptuous Friaries and Nunneries and proud Palaces We have formerly out of Paulus Venetus mentioned the royall Palace which was coverd with sheetes of Gold And it is reported also that the Halls and Parlors were coverd in the same manner Neither are they now lesse sumptuous and magnificent in such kinde of workes Taico or Taicosama who was Monarke hereof did build a Court here which he coverd with a thousand rich Carpets with silke Fringes and every one of these Carpets were 8. lands breadth long and 4. broad It was built with very precious wood and so gilded within that it may seeme incredible Before this Court in a faire Plaine he commanded that a Theater should be raised for acting of Comoedies I passe by other matters for brevity sake The most have woodden houses in regard they have frequent Earthquakes and some have houses built from the ground of stone very neately and curiously At Meacum those three men live who have the chiefe power thorow the Iland and are the prime men of all the Kingdome The first who is called Zazo is like the chiefe Priest to looke to Church matters The second is called Voo who looketh to the conferring and bestowing of dignities and honours The third call'd Cubacama looketh to matters of peace of warre But the people of this I le are devided into five Orders the first are the Magistrates and Governours which they call by a common name Toni although the Toni there are severall degrees of dignity as wee have Kings Dukes Marquesses and Earles The next Order is the Clergie whose heads are shaven and doe live a single life There are divers sects of them And there are some who like the Knights of the Rhodes are both Souldiers and Churchmen But they are called by one common appellation or name Bonzij The third order consists of the Citizens and the other Nobility The next are the Merchants and Tradsmen and the last are the Husbandmen All kindes of Delinquents and Malefactors are punished either with banishment or death They are commonly executed with a Sword but in some places these Theeves that are taken are carried thorow the Citty on a Hurdle and so executed out of the Citty In matters of religion they do miserably erre for those aforesaid Bonzij are their Tutors in religion and their two Gods are Amida and Xoca And they have other Gods also to whom they pray for future blessings which they call Fotoques And they have other inferiour Gods which have power to give them health children wealth and those things which appertaine to the body these they call Camis Here are divers Schooles in many places which we
or of any rare and unusuall Creature or of the continuall burning of the Mountaine Aetna also of divers Islands lying here and there in the great Ocean and also of Salvage Nations some whereof goe naked without cloathes others feede on mans flesh and the like matters or doe reade the wonderfull histories of the East and West Indies in which there are many things which doe rather seeme fabulous than true doe apprehend them with such great admiration and give such earnest attention thereunto out of the desire which they have to heare such novelties how much more may the curious Readers delight in this worke which as we said before doth containe and represent the whole Globe of the Earth with all the Countries Kingdomes Dominions Woods Mountaines Valleys Rivers Lakes People Citties and innumerable Townes thereof with the Seas flowing about it all which any one may here view on dry land without endangering his body or goods and in this travell his friends shall not be sollicitous or take care for him in his absence or earnestly desire his returne Besides in this peregrination or travell he shall want no delight that may drive away the tediousnesse of the journey for while he fixeth his eyes on severall Countries and places he shall straight way behold the speciall gifts and peculiar excellencie of every Country and observe a wonderfull variety therein which are very delightfull to the mind for as the Proverbe saith A good merry companion is as a Coach upon the way But they shall chiefely discerne the great and manifold benefits of this Art of Geography who in their eye-travell and viewing of severall Countryes shall consider the scituation and disposition of Countries the Customes observations lawes and manners of the Inhabitants and shall afterwards traffique and send commodities to severall places or resolve to study the liberall Arts seeing no Poet nor Historian can be well read with profit nor be conveniently expounded or declared by any Interpreter or Commentator without the helpe and knowledge of this most Noble Science I omit here to mention how absurd and unfit it is that he who hath no skill nor knowledge in these matters should give his opinion and judgement in the publicke assembly or councell of the Common-wealth when consultation is held about the discovery of some unknowne Country or in time of warre concerning the bounds and confines of any Province But Princes and Noble men ought chiefely to bestow great paines in studdying this most excellent Art in regard it may be very usefull unto them in undertaking journies and voyages when occasion requireth as also at home for fortifying the Frontiers of their owne Territories or the directing and conducting of any warlike expedition For that irrecoverable dangers have ensued when an army hath beene led through places unknowne both to the souldiers and Captaine both Livy and many other Historiographers have abundantly testified by cleere and manifest examples And moreover as it is very necessary profitable and pleasant to know all Countries Kingdomes Dominions and Provinces with their scituation disposition and qualities so in like manner the severall Seas Rivers Lakes and memorable waters thereof ought to be considered exactly in these times when voyages are so frequently made unto knowne and unknowne Countries so that not any one will continually reside at home and abstaine from making discoveries both by Sea and Land So that Polidore Virgils complaint is now vaine who in the fifteenth chapter of the third Booke concerning the Invention of Matters doth condemne mankind of too much rashnesse and madnesse in regard he cannot bridle his affections and desires with reason and though God hath given him the Earth being a firme and immovable element abundantly producing all things necessary and convenient for mans life yet he being not content therewith hath made a Scrutiny and search into the starres the heavens and the vaste Seas To the same purpose Horace sung formerly in his first Booke and third Ode He had a heart of Oake or Brasse Who did lanch forth a brittle ship to passe At first through the rough Seas And did not feare when he set forth The Affrick wind striving with the North wind c. And a little after in the same place No sort of death he sure did feare That saw the Monsters swimming there And could behold them with drye eyes With the swelling Sea and rockes which in it lyes And afterward he addeth In vaine did God divide the land from the unsociable Seas If impious ships can sayle unto forbidden Ports when they doe please But mankind bold still to adventure doth on forbidden mischiefe enter c. And hereunto Propertius in his third Booke doth allude in that Elegie wherein he be wayleth Petus his Shipwracke where he singeth thus Goe crooked shippes of death the fatall cause Which on himselfe man with his owne hand drawes Vnto the earth wee added have the Seas That the miseries of misfortunes may increase And a little after Nature to ensnare the covetous man Doth let him sayle upon the Ocean But these reasons are not able to discourage any one but rather to quicken their industry greedily to take any occasion to know view and discover divers Countries both neerehand and remote partly by undertaking long voyages and those that cannot conveniently travell may gather the knowledge of all Countries out of Bookes and exact descriptions And truely that studdy is irreproveable so that it ought rather to be accounted laudible profitable pleasant and necessary For Strabo in the first Book of his Geography saith rightly that man ought to live on the Sea as well as on the land and that God made him equally an Inhabitant and Lord thereof Therefore they deserve great praise who have laboured in this Art as Abraham Orâ—elius Daniel Cellarius Anthony Maginus Paul Merula Peter Bertius and others but especially that most learned Mathematician Gerard Mercator although he were prevented by death so that he could not finish his Geographicall worke intituled Atlas But Iodocus Hondy did supply this defect adding not onely those Tables which were wanting to make the worke perfect but also accurate descriptions thereof by the labour and studdy of Peter Montane This worke we doe publish againe in this new Edition being accurately reuised and purged from many grosse errours and the studious Reader shall finde that the enlargement of this Booke is not to be contemn'd being set forth with divers additions and some new Tables added as he may see in the descriptions of England Ireland Spaine Friesland Groonland Vltrajectum and other Countries that shall compare this Edition with the former Therefore Curteous Reader enjoy these our new labours favour them and Farewell TO The vertuous and learned Gentlemen of Innes of Court Mercator dedicateth his Atlas or Cosmographicall Meditations TO you that are the Ornament of the Temples And by your actions give such faire Examples Vnto the Vulgar that their Iudgements can Discerne that Vertue makes a Gentleman
but Europe scarce 35. Beside Europe is full of windings but Africke is uniforme and continued Europe as I said before in the description thereof is every where inhabited but this is full of Deserrs and inhabitable places That was formerly knowne but not this where it is inhabited Africke doth excell in fruitfulnesse But for the most part it is not inhabited but full of barren Sands and Desarts and troubled with many kindes of living Creatures It is reported that the fruitfulnesse of the fields is very wonderfull and doth give the tillers such a harvest as doth requite the labour with a hundred-fold increase for that which is sowne That is wonderfull which is spoken of the fertilitie of Mauritania viz. that there are Vines which two men cannot fadome about and bunches of Grapes a cubit long There are very high trees neare to the Mountaine Atlas plaine and smooth without knots and leaved like the Cypresse tree Africke doth bring forth Elephants and Dragons which lie in waite for beasts and kill them with winding about them besides it hath a great number of Lyons Buffs or wilde Oxen Libbards wilde Goates and Apes Herodotus reporteth that Asses with hornes bred here besides Dragons Hyenaes rough Wolves begotten of the Wolfe and Hiena Panthers and Ostriches roughtd besides many kinds of Serpents as Aspes Crocondiles to which nature hath made the Ichneumon an enemie c. But as the same Author witnesseth there is neither Stagge nor Boare in it Africke bringeth forth the Basiliske and although many things are thought to be fabulous which are reported of him Yet it is certaine that Leo being Pope there was a Basiliske which infected Rome with a great plague by his noysome breath There are also divers kindes of Monsters whose diversitie and multitude they ascribe to the want of water whereby the wild beasts are enforced to come together at a few Rivers and Springs The Romanes divided Africke into sixe Provinces The Proconsularie Province wherein was Carthage Numidia under the jurisdictin of a Consull Bizacchius Tripolitana Mauritania Caesariensis and Mauritania Sitiphensis Ptolomie in the beginning of his fourth Booke doth reckon twelve Provinces or Countries Mauritania Tingitana Mauritania Caesariensis Numidia Africa properly so called Cyrenaica or Pentapolis for so Ptolomie calls it Marmarica Lybia properly so called the Higher and Lower Egypt the Innermost Lybia Aethiopia under Egypt the Innermost Aethiopia Leo Africanus doth divide all Africke into foure parts Barbarie Numidia Lybia and the Countrie of Black-Mores But in this Leo is deceived because hee hath not made the Red Sea the bound of Africke but Nilus whereby it comes to passe that hee joynes Egypt and the Easterne part to Asia Let us therefore besides those foure parts reckoned up of Leo place in Africke Egypt the Higher Aethiopia the Lower and outermost Aethiopia and the Islands Egypt is stretched forth in a long tract of Land from the South unto the North. The bounds thereof on the West side are the Desarts of Barca Lybia and Numidia beyond Nilus together with the Kingdome of Nubia On the South it is bounded with the Country of Bugia and Nilus where it runneth a little from the West Eastward On the Eastside there are the Desarts of Arabia which lye betweene Egypt and the Red Sea and on the North side it is enclosed with the Mediterranean Sea Other things concerning Egypt wee will unfold in the particular Description thereof At this day they call all that part of Africke which reacheth from Egypt to the Straits of Gibraltar and is included with the Mediterranean Sea and the Mountaine Atlas Barbaria and it containes the Kingdomes of Morocco Fesse Tremisen Tunis and Barca of which wee will speake more largely in the Description of Barbarie At this time it shall be sufficient to shew the Reader the division and bounds thereof The Kingdome therefore of Morocco is divided into these Provinces Hea Susa Guzala the Land of Morocco Ducala Hoscora and Tedletes it is bounded with the Atlantick Ocean with the Mountaine Atlas it selfe and the Kingdome of Fesse The Kingdome of Fesse hath on the West the Atlanticke Sea on the North the Straits of Hercules on the East the River Mulvia on the South the Kingdome of Morocco The Countries therein are Temesna the Territory of Fesse Asgara Elhabata Errifa Garetum and Elchausum The Kingdome of Tremisen is bounded on the South with the Desart of Numidia on the East with the great River on the North with the Mediterranean Sea The Kingdome of Tunis doth containe the whole tract of Land from the great River to the River of the Countrie of Mestata The Countries thereof are five Bugia Constantina the Territorie of Tunis Tripolis and Ezzaba Barca or Barcha is stretched forth from the borders of Mestata to the confines of Egypt Numidia is called at this day Biledulgerid the bounds thereof are the Atlanticke Sea on the West side the Mountaine Atlas on the North the confines of Egypt on the East the Desarts of Libya on the South The Regions thereof are Tesset Tegelmessa Seb Biledulgerid Dara and Fezzen Lybia was called by the Ancients Sarra because it is a Desart It beginneth from the Kingdome of Gagoa neere Nilus and is extended toward the West even to the Kingdome of Gualata which lyeth neere to the Atlantick Sea on the North the Kingdome of Numidia doth border on it on the South the Kingdome of the Nigritans or Blackmoores The Nigritans are so called either from the blacke colour of the inhabitants or frō the black river which glideth through their Country They have on the East the Confines or the Borders of Nilus on the West the Westerne Ocean on the South partly the Aethiopian Sea and partly the Kingdome of Manicongus but on the North the desarts of Libya The Kingdomes therof are five and twentie namely Galata Gumea Melli Tombutum Gago Guber Agadez Cano Caseva Zegzeg Zanfara Gunangara Boruum Goago Nubia Biro Temiamo Dauma Medra Gora the Territorie of Anterot the Territorie of Giolosa the Coast of Guinea the Territorie of Meligens and the Kingdome of Benin The Abyssines do inhabit the higher or innermost Aethiopia whose Prince is called Prester Iohn His Country is large doth almost touch either Tropicke and it is extended betweene the Aethiopian and the Red Sea on the North it hath the people of Nubia and Bugia that borders on Egypt on the East the Red Sea on the South the Mountaines of the Moone on the VVest the Kingdome of Manicongus the River Niger the Kingdome of Nubia the River Nilus These Kingdomes are subject to him Barnagnes Tigremaum Tigraim in which is the Cittie Caxumo Angote Amara Xoa Goyami Bagamedrum Gueguere Fatiagar Damar Dancali and Dobas The lower or outermost Aethiopia is the Southerne part of Africke unknowne unto Ptolomie The beginning thereof on the East side is above the River Zaire not farre from the Aequinoctiall and it doth
cornerd and it runneth forth into three severall Angles The first Promontorie towards the West the Englishmen doe call the Cape of Cornewall The second in Kent which looketh towards the East the English call it North-forland The third is Orcas or Tarvisium which lyeth farre North the Scots call it Dâ—ngisbehead Livius and Fabius Rusticus have likened it to a Cheesell On the West side whereon Ireland lyeth the Vergivian Sea breaketh in on the North it is beaten with the wide and great Northerne Ocean on the East where it lyeth against Germany with the Germane Sea on the South where it butteth upon France it is beaten with the Brittish Sea Diodorus in his sixt booke writeth that the compasse of it is two and forty thousand furlongs Martian saith that Brittaine is eight hundred miles long and three hundred broad and in compasse 6000. miles The learned and accurate Writer Camden doth thus account it from the Promontorie Tarvisium to Belerium following the winding of the shoare is eight hundred and twelve miles from thence to Kent 320. miles Lastly from Kent to Tarvisium seaven hundred and foure miles the whole summe is 1836. miles This Iland formerly was divided into two parts as Ptolomie witnesseth in his second Booke where he parts the whole Iland into Great Brittaine and Little Brittaine The Great he calls the Hither part towards the South the Lesser the Farther toward the North. But the Romans neglecting the farther part because as Appian saith it could not be commodious to them the hither part being reduced into a Province they at first divided into the Lower and Higher as it is gathered out of Dion For the hither part of England with Wales he calleth the Higher the farther and Northerne he calleth the Lower Afterward they divided it into three parts as appeares by Sextus Rufus into Maxima Caesariensis Brittania Prima and Brittania Secunda Afterward when the forme of the Common-wealth was daily changed they divided Brittaine in five parts the First Second Maxima Caesariensis Valentia and Flavia Caesariensis And these were divisions of Brittaine when it was under the Romans Some have written that the whole Iland was heretofore divided into three parts Leogria Cambria and Albania but Camden beleeveth that this was a later division which seemeth to arise from those three People the Englishmen Welch and Scots who last of all divided this Iland among themselves Afterward the Iland was divided into two Kingdomes namely England and Scotland but at last under the happy raigne of Iames the sixt King of Scotland these two Kingdomes were united and the whole Iland called Great Brittaine Brittaine as we said before is every where environed with the great and wide Ocean which S. Basil saith is a great Sea and very terrible for those that sayle on it Now it floweth farre into the Land and then it returneth backe againe and leaveth the Sands naked it feeleth the efficacy of the encreasing Moone very powerfully and doth flow in with so great a force that it doth not only drive backe Rivers but it sometimes sweepes off cattle from the Land casts forth the fishes on the shoare and at the ebbe leaveth them there In a word so great a matter it was held to sayle upon this Sea that Iulius Firmicus in his Booke concerning the errours of prophane Religions cryeth out thus to Constantine the Emperour In Winter which was never heretofore done nor shall bee done you have passed over the swelling raging waters of the Brittish Ocean the waves of a Sea almost unknowne to us have trembled under our Oares and the Brittaines have beene afraid at the unlookt-for presence of the Emperour What would you more The Elements themselves were conquered by your valour It doth not belong unto us to speake here of the commodities which this Sea yeeldeth of the time when it cherishes the Earth of the vapours with which it nourishes the Aire and bedewes the fields of the divers kindes of Fish as Salmons Playces Crabfishes Codfishes Herrings c. of which it bringeth forth infinite numbers Yet the Pearles are not to bee passed over in silence which in a round shape doe swimme in great shoales as it were following one Leader like Bees so that Iubas calleth it the Sea of Bees and also Marcellus makes mention of it Suetonius doth report that Caesar did first attempt Brittaine in hope of getting these Pearles and so much concerning Albion or England now let us passe over to the rost Among all of them Ireland doth farre excell of which wee will speake nothing here intending to speake of it in particular Tables The Orcades doe follow now called the Iles of Orkney which are about thirty in number and doe lie a little way distant one from another which a certaine ancient record doth so call as if it were Argath which is there expounded as much as supra Getas above the Getes Camden would rather have it above Cath for it lyeth over against Cath a Country of Scotland which in regard of the Promontorie they now call Cathnesse whose Inhabitants Ptolomy though wrongfully doth call Carini instead of Cathini In the time of Solinus they were not inhabited being overgrowne with Reedes and Bullrushes but now they are tilled and bring forth Barley enough though they want both wheat and trees there is no Serpent or poysonous Creature in them They have great numbers of living Creatures in them as Hares Cunnies Cranes and many Swans There is good fishing in them of which the inhabitants make great profit Iulius Agricola first sayling in a Shippe round about Brittaine did finde out and conquer the Orcades at that time unknowne and therefore it is unlikely that Claudius did first overcome them as Hierom affirmeth in his Chronicle Afterward when the Romans were Commanders over Brittaine they were the seats of the Picts and after that they came under the power of the Norwegians and Danes whence the Inhabitants doe speake the Gothicke tongue Last of all Christiernus King of Denmarke in consideration of a summe of money in the yeare 1474. did passe over all his right unto the King of Scotland The chiefe of these is Pomonia famous in regard it is the seate of a Bishop which was called by Solinus for the continuall length of the day Pomona diutina now it is called by the Inhabitants Mainland as if it were a Continent It hath abundance of Tinne and Lead and is adorned with a Bishops See in the Towne Kirkwale and with two Castles Among these Ptolomie also reckoneth Ocetis which Camden supposes should now be called Hethy And saith the same Camden I am not yet resolved whether I should call Hey which is among these Plinies Dumna If it bee not so I had rather thinke Faire I le which hath onely one Towne called Dume to bee that Dumna than with Becanus to thinke that it is Wardhuys in Lappland Iohn Major doth also call one of these
on the West the Sea on the East Sweth-land and it is bounded on the North with Lapland from which it is parted with high and rugged Mountaines covered over with continuall snow All the Countrie toward the West is unpassable by reason of rocks and sharpe cliffes and it is also stony toward the South especially in that part which lyeth against the Cimbrick Chersonesus from whence it is 250 miles distant But all the Countrie both toward the West and South hath a gentle Ayre for the Sea is not frozen neither doe the Snowes lye long And though the Countrie it selfe bee not so fertile that it is able to furnish the Inhabitants with foode yet it aboundeth with cattell and wilde beasts as white Beares of an unusuall bignesse Beavers and innumerable other Norwey was somtime a very flourishing Kingdome under the jurisdiction whereof were Denmarke and the Isles of the Sea untill it came to be govern'd by hereditarie succession Afterward in the Interregnum it was agreed upon by the consent of the Nobles that the Kings should bee chosen by election From Suthdager the second to Christierne the last there were 45 Kings Now it is under the command of Denmarke There are at this time in it five royall Castles and so many speciall Provinces whereof the first and farthest toward the South is Bahusia or Bay The Townes subject unto it are Marstand seated on a rocky Peninsula and famous for herring-fishing and the Townes of lesser note are Koengeef or Congel neere Bahus and Oddewold otherwise called Odwad The second Castle is Aggerhusia out of the Province whereof high Masts of ships oaken and maple plankes and wood fit for building houses is yearely carried into Spaine and other Countries The Townes subject unto it are Astoia the Seat of a Bishop to which strangers doe chiefly resort because there is held the Court whither causes are brought for triall out of all parts of Norwey Also Tonsberg or Konningsberg Fridrichstad Saltzburgh and Schin or Schon where there are Mynes of Coppresse and Iron also Hammaria the Greater and the Lesser heretofore being Bishopricks but now committed to the care of the Asloian Bishop and divided by the Bay of Mosian gliding betweene them The third is the Castle Bergerhusia under which are the Cities of Bergen or Berga and Staffanger But Berga is the most famous Citie of all Norwey for traffique and as it were the Barne thereof heere resideth the Kings Lievtenant and a Bishop and heere that delicate fish is sold which being taken neere the shore of Norwey is called the fish of Bergen being transported from hence by Merchants into divers Countries Heere lye the Factors of the Vandals the Sea Townes who continuing heere all the yeare for traffique sake doe take up one part of the Citie which the Inhabitants call the Bridge Heere is also an excellent and safe Haven The Citie Staffanger although it have the same Governour with Bergen yet it hath a Bishop peculiar to it selfe and living therein The fourth Castle is Nidrosia called so from the River Nideros Rosa which is the name of a Temple commonly called Trundtheim and heretofore Trondon it is the Metropolis of all Norwey and now reduced into the forme of a Towne It was the chiefe seat heretofore of the Archbishop and of the whole Kingdome It hath a large Jurisdiction in which much fish and pretious skins are gotten and afterward carried to Bergen to be sold And heere is at this day a Cathedrall Church and such a one as there is scarce an other like it in the Christian world both for the largenesse of the stones and for the carved worke The Border and ground-worke about the Altar in this Church was burnt with fire in the yeare 1530 and the losse redounding thereby was valued at seven thousand Crownes The fifth and last Towre toward the North of Norwey is Wardbuise standing on the little Island Ward it is now very small and almost decayed having neither castle nor munition yet hath it a little Towne adjoyning unto it which consists all of fisher-mens houses In this Towre or rather Cottage the Kings Praefect liveth in Summer and governeth this cold Northerne part of Norwey even to the borders of Russia Moreover the Westerne shore of Norwey because it is of an unsearchable depth in the Spring time is much troubled with Whales to prevent whose violence the ship-men use a kinde of Oyle made of Beavers stone which is a present remedie for assoone as it is cast into the Sea and mingled with the water straight-way that great Sea-monster maketh away and hideth himselfe in the deepe Heere is good fishing in the neighbouring seas especially of Stock-fish which being dried and hardened in the cold and hung up upon poles they send into other Kingdomes of Europe The best taking of them is in the Moneth of Ianuary for as then in regard of the cold they are more easily dried so the sea doth yeeld more plenty of them and fatter The commodities of this countrie in generall are pretious Skins Tallow Butter Hides the fat of Whales Tarre Oake timber Masts and Planks and Boards of all sort to the great commoditie of those who sell them The Inhabitants are honest loving and hospitable to strangers neither NORWEY AND SWETHLAND SVECIA ET Norwegia etc have they robbers theeves or Pirates among them The Kingdome of Swethland is an ancient Kingdome as Pliny witnesseth It hath on the West Norwey on the North Lapland and Botnia on the East â—â—â—â—â—â—land seperated from it by the Botnian Bay or Finnish Sea Lâ—â—onia 〈◊〉 Lâ—sland disjoyned from it by the Baltick Sea called by Taâ—â—â—us Marâ— pâ—grum by the Sucâ—ians Mare Suâ—vicum and on the South Gothia It is a comâ—â—â— the most fruitfull of all the North parts it hath a plentifull soyle and seas lakes and rivers abounding with fish of divers â—â—ndes it hath also Mettals as Lead Iron Brasse and Silver which is digged up in very pâ—â—e oaâ—e neere Slâ—burg and likewise woods full of wilde beasts and honey It is thought that it doth doubly exceede Norwey both in largenesse fruitfulnesse and goodnesse of soyle yet in some places it is â—ugged and moorish This Countrie being for some ages valiantly and happily defended enlarged by the native Kings thereof afterward came to the Kings of Denmarke and having beene subject to them more than an hundred yeares at last did shake them off under colour that the Lawes wh\ich they were sworne unto at their Coronation were not observ'd and hence it stood a while in a very uncertaine condition But now it is returned againe to the natives out of which it chooseth it selfe a King There are divers Provinces of this â—ingdome some belonging to the Gothes as Ostgothia whereof Lincop is the Metropolis Westgothia seperated with an ancient Lake from Ostgothia whereof Scara is the Bishops seate Also Southerne Gothia or Sâ—â—alandia
did refuse to acknowledge obedience to the Kings of Denmarke though of late they have beene compell'd thereunto The chiefest River of note which watereth this Countrey is Egidora or the Eidera there are also some others the most whereof may rather be called Brookes or Rivulets than Rivers but the Bâ—ltick Sea in that part where it washeth the Dukedomes of Holsatia and Sleswick hath safe and pleasant Bayes which are safe harbours for Merchants and weather-beaten ships In some places also it affordeth great store of fish and especially of Salmons It is a plaine Countrey seldome raised with any mountaines yet one it hath betweene Lubeck and Hamburg of a pleasant situation and famous for the ornaments of peace and warre with which Henry Rantzovius did adorne it It hath an ancient Castle seated on it famous for the antiquitie and first builder thereof and at the foote of the hill a Towne adjoyning to it Heere are many woods with which the Countrey of Holsatia is beset replenished but especially Dithmars as the woods of Borcholt Burgholt Alverdorpenholt Resenwalde and many others The Holsatians had heretofore 48 men who were Presidents and Governours of the whole Countrie to these they made their appeale out of the severall Parishes and they did judge all matters But they being subdued and the Countrie now divided into two parts in each of them there are twelve speciall and principall men together with a Prefect who for the most part is a Doctor or Licentiate at Law These have all yearely pensions from the Princes and they have a Clerke joyned to them as also an Overseer or President out of the Holsatian Nobilitie The one of these Prefects which is for the King is called the Prefect of Steinburg and the other being for the Duke the Prefect of Gottorpe Yet the Subjects have leave to appeale or make suite to the Princes and Senators of either Dukedome as well of Sleswick as Holsatia but not further They had heretofore a written Law which now by degrees is changed and reformed according to the Common Law compiled by Henry Rantzovius the Kings Substitute by Sigefrid Rantzovius heretofore Lord of Nienhs the Lord Adam Trazigeriu and the Lord Erasmus Kirslemius according to which Law all causes are decided and punishments pronounced against delinquents offenders Holsatia hath foure Orders or degrees of people The Nobles the Clergie the Citizens and the Countrie-men whereof there are two kindes for some possesse goods of their owne being hereditarie and free others hired goods or lands for which they pay rent and doe certaine services The Nobles have Castles and Lands together with the royalty of hunting fishing and hawking which for the most part are hereditarie unto them The whole Countrie hath not above 24 Families whose names are mentioned in the Holsatian Chorographie but divers Families there are that are descended from the same stock as the Rantzovians doe at this time possesse an hundred and fiftie Castles and divers other possessions The Aleseldians and Powischians have almost as many Holsatia hath one Bishoprick namely Lubeck for the Bishoprick of Hamburg is subject to the Bishoprick of Breme The contentions which happen among the Nobles are judged by a Senate of Dukes the Princes for the most part sitting Presidents in judgement as it is provided by their priviledges and Lawes From the order of Senators any one putting in a sufficient caution may appeale to the Imperiall Chamber The Citizens enjoy priviledges peculiar to themselves and use the Roman Law or else the Lubeck The Subjects may appeale from the judgement of the Senate of their owne Citie to the judgement of foure Cities appointed to judge and determine of all speciall matters From them againe they are permitted to appeale to the Princes and Senators of Holsatia and also further even to the Imperiall Chamber so that fit securitie be put in Countri-mens cases or suites are pleaded by their Lawyers even in the open fields where are present the Noble-men thereabout the Prefects and two Assistants There they come forth doe make their appearance who have any suit one against an other the Defendant and Plaintiffe being both heard the whole company or assemblie of Countrie-men are bidden to goe forth and then their causes being diligently weigh'd on both sides they returne againe and the suiters being called in they give sentence in their case according to Law and right THE FOVRTH TABLE OF DENMARKE CONTAINING FIONIA WITH THE ISLANDS LYING ROUND ABOUT IT SO much according to our Method concerning the Dukedome of Sleswicke and Holsatia Fionia followes with the Isles lying round about it Fionia commonly called Fuynen is the chiefe of all other Isles lying in the Bay of Codonus from Zeland It taketh its name from the beautie thereof both in regard of the forme and situation It is separated from the Continent of Denmarke by so small and narrow a Sea flowing between them called Middlesar that it seemeth almost to cleave unto the Continent This Iland as it looketh on the West toward Iutia so on the East toward Zeland It is 48 miles in length and 16 in breadth The Land that I may omit the Sea which is full of fish is a fruitfull soyle and very profitable to the husbandman For it aboundeth with such plentie of corne that it sends store thereof yearly to other farre Countries especially Wheate and Barley And the ground albeit it be very fruitfull and endowed with the gifts of Ceres yet it is never dunged Whence the Cities and Townes thereof are annoyed with filthy smells of the dung of cattle which is cast out being thereof no use as Munster writeth This Countrie aboundeth with so many Droves of Oxen and breedeth such a number of Cowes and Horses that it sends yearly into Germany great Heards and Droves of them And in regard of the many woods which are in the Island there is great store of game for hunting as Harts Hares and Foxes In the middle of it is the Metropolis or mother Citie called Ottania or Ottonium commonly called Ottensel being a Bishops Seat built as it appeares by many testimonies by Otto the first about the time when he compeld King Herald to receive the Christian faith This Citie is a famous Mart for the whole Island in which about Epiphanie or Twelfetide there is a great meeting of the Islanders and especially the Nobles as there is at Kile in Holsatia Fionia is divided into five and twentie Prefectures sixteene Cities and six royall Castles The other cities are in a manner equally distant from Ottonia which is as it were the Center and are so built of the Sea shoare that in regard of the conveniencie of the Havens they traffique not onely in the Balticke Sea but also exercise their negotiations throughout all Swethland and Norwey Russia the Low-countries and Germany the chiefe amongst them are Niburch Swynburch Foborch Assens Bowens Middlefart or Milvart and Kettemynde
that whereas Writers doe onely name other Provinces of France and doe not mention from whence the people of the Cities were so called heere the contrary happeneth for Caesar maketh mention of the Lemovicians and their Citie and writeth that they were the first that yeelded unto him for they were lovers of peace and haters of discord But after that the Lemovicians had made a league with Caesar they obeyed a Prince who was joyned in confederacie with the Romans to whom they were subject untill the Gothes did repell them and possessed all Aquitania They write that the French-men afterward having driven out the Gothes did governe the Lemovicians and did set Earles and Dukes to rule over them the one to manage their Battels the other to administer Justice The most doe divide Lemovicium into two parts the Higher and the Lower Le Haut bas Limosin The Higher which is properly called Limosin is plainer than the lower part and the Metropolis thereof is Lemovicum So many doe thinke that A. Hirtius did call it lib. 8. de Bello Gallico but now it is called Limoges Fulvius Vrsinus calleth it Limonum by the authoritie of ancient Bookes Ptolemie cals it Ratiaston in Aquitania as Ioseph Scaliger writing to Merula supposeth Villonovanus also assenting to him But Bertrandus thinketh that it is called Rahastum in stead of Raiz by the affinitie LEMOVICIVM TOTIUS Lemouici ct and likenesse of names This Citie is seated partly in a Vale and partly on the top of a litle Hill being well fortified with a Castle and strong Wals it hath abundance of water which springeth from a cleare Fountaine in the higher part of the Citie This Citie is the Nurserie of diligence and industrie and the prison-house of sloth and idlenesse The women doe honour and much esteeme of chastitie and mercifulnesse It is the Seate of a Bishop Heere are also other Townes which in the Language of the Inhabitants are called La Soubsterraine Le Bâ—â—sson Barat Dorat Consolat and others which for brevities sake I omit Amongst them Chassusio is not to be forgotten as being famous for the yearely Faires of Cattell and horses which are kept there on Saint Georges day There are also Abbies in this hither part of the Countrie amongst the which are the Abbies of Grandimont and S. Leonard The lower part of Lemosin being more mountainous than the higher is properly called La Marche de Limosin limited with Avernia and Perigort The chiefe Citie thereof is Tutela or Tulla commonly called Tulle being situated in a rugged mountainous place and being the Seate not onely of a Bailiffe but of a new Bishop built out of the ruines of an old Monasterie In Latine hee is called Tutelensis Episcopus There is also Vsarcha or Vsarche a pleasant Towne having a sweete Ayre and seated neere the River Vezer Fame boasteth that this Towne is impregnable and that it cannot be taken whence there is a Proverbe Cui Vsarchae est domus arcem eum possidere in Lemovicum ditione i. Hee that hath an house in Vsarcha hath as it were a Castle in the Countrie of Lemosin Histories doe speake much of the vertue of the Citizens and doe report that they resisted the English even when they conquered all Aquitania and that they remained constant and faithfull to their Prince the King of France There is the Towne Briva seated on the pleasant and fertile Plaine environed with woods and having many Vineyards It is the Seate of a Chancellour Heretofore it is thought it belonged to the Countrie of Perigort and that Charles the sixth King of France did joyne it to Limosin There are also other Townes as Treignac Donzenac Alassac Bellus-locus Meissac Vsset and Bello-mon There are many illustrious Families in this Countrie in the Higher there are the Families of Pierre-Bussire Chasteau-neuf and Carsic which are honoured with Vicountships also Roche-Covart which is one of the ancientest Families in Aquitania Maygnac and others In the lower part is Pampadoura Aumont Roffignac San-Iala Gemma and infinite others The Inhabitants of Lemovicium are very sparing in their meate drinke being content with a litle they hate dainty meates but are great eaters of bread so that the Proverb saith A Lemovician is a Bread-devourer In the Villages they doe not use to drinke Wine They are industrious ingenious and warie as being very provident in all things The Common-people are covetous and sluttish in their houses the Nobility are magnificent of a high spirit and liberall The most of them doe live untill they be very old for there are those which doe see their Grandchildrens Children They say that heere neere Cousins without any dispensation from the Pope doe marry amongst themselves and do not part their goods Belleforestius writeth that hee saw Families in which a hundred linkt together by the affinity of marriage did live together so that they seemed to be like Colledges I will heere adde for conclusion that which Iohannes Puncteius writeth concerning the originall of the Lemovicians Ecce Lemoviculae sedes gratissima genti c. Behold the Lemovicians pleasant Seate In fortie five degrees and halfe compleate Of Latitude which doth it selfe stretch forth To take a view of the cold frozen North. The Longitude even from the setting Sunne Stretching it selfe toward the East doth runne As farre as the Avernian Mountaines and Toucheth beside the Biturigian Land But where that Phoebus dips his horses in The Sea till they to plunge therein begin Angolmum it doth view and doth behold Part of Pictavia as towards the cold North on the Biturigians it confines And Southward to the Petragorians joynes With whom in manners they doe more agree Than with the others that their neighbours bee Faire Aquitania doth containe this Land Which for good manners comes behinde none and Vienna that doth from the Mountaines flowe Watereth the upper grounds as it doth goe With winding streames which runne out many wayes While thousands of faire kine doe by them graze This the Inhabitants in their speech doe call Vigana which from thence doth headlong fall By Lemovicium's Citie which doth lye Part in a Vale part on a Hill so high Where Saints doe glorie in its Churches state Which unto holy Stephen's consecrate Fame doth report that French-men of the line Of Gomer held this Countrey at that time Nohemus offâ—spring troupes of men did leade Which into divers Countries they did spread From thence the true originall then came Of Lemovicians who ne're chang'd their name Vnlesse you 'le have the Phrygians for to change Their Seates while they did with Alvernus range And Limovices for to finde new land And ease their griefe which they at home sustain'd The Soyle is barren whence no fruite doth grow And no faire swelling Rivers in it flow It flourisheth with men that in it are And is enrich't with many kindes of ware The Land is strong in Armes and heretofore The valiant English could not passe it o're But were
whereof is in the Mountaine Oderberg and so being encreased by the addition of many Rivers it glideth by Frankford a famous Vniversity and from thence it runneth by Stetinum the seate of the Sidinonians which is a Sea towne of Traffiques and from thence it windeth to the Episcopall Citties of Carminum and there making a great Lake it emptieth it selfe into the Germaine Ocean For they are in an error who suppose that Sprea or de Spree is the River Suevus although the aforesaid Sprea is accounted a famous River which flowing by Brandenburg doth runne into Albis neere to Haneloburg of which opinion is Bilibaldus who writeth that the River Sprea runneth into the Ocean neere to the Cittie Sunda The River Visurgis followeth commonly called de Weser Dionysius Lib. 55. calls it Ousiourgos Ovid calls it Iturgum in that verse Decolor infesta testis Iturgus aqua Ptolemie calls it Visurigis and Strabo Bisurgis and Adamus in his Ecclesiasticall history Visuris and Sidonius Vesatis It ariseth out of Hassia and having watered the Citties Werdensis Mindensis Gotingensis and Bremensis it rowleth it selfe into the Ocean and is there called Vesera The last river is Vâ—stula or Istula which Bilibaldus calleth Vandalum This River bounders Germany because Ptolemie doth place the European Sarmatia beyond it Iornandes calls it Scythia which running by the Sarmatian rockes doth water Cracovia which is the Metropolis of the Kingdome of Poland and being growne greater by the receipt of Rivers it doth discharge it selfe into the Sea with three inletts or mouthes from hence it floweth by Dantzick and afterward by Elbinga an Vniversity of the Borussians and thirdly by the Towne Loctetum and so doth poure it selfe into the Venedician Bay There are also many other famous Rivers which doe either runne into the Sea or into some greater River which I passe over least I should be tedious Now I come to the Germaine Sea For seeing we purpose to describe al Germanie we must add somthing concerning the Sea which washeth the shore thereof But in regard we have entreated otherwhere more largely concerning the Sea and especially in the generall description of Belgia we will speake first concerning the tide of the Sea and afterward we will reckon up the properties of the Germaine Sea It is manifest that the Moone is the cause of the tides of the Ocean But as the Moone hath divers changes in her motion so the tides doe also change For they following the Moone doe flow twice betweene the rising thereof and doe ebbe twice in foure and twentie houres so that the Seas doe flow twice and ebbe twice every day they flow when the Moone ascendeth above the Easterne Horizon and do ebb when it declineth from the Meridian westward and it floweth againe when the Moone goeth downe under the earth and commeth to the contrary part of the Meridian and so likewise it ebbeth untill it rise againe But as the Moone does not alwayes rise at one time and in one place but every day riseth in another place than it did before so the tides doe not flow at certaine houres but at that time when the Moone passeth through the Poles of the heavens Moreover it is to bee noted that the full Moone doth move the Sea in another manner than the halfe Moone For this Luminarie hath greater force when it is at the full than when it is weake and in the waine We use to call those tides which are at the full of the Moone Sprinckuloedt that is a Spring-tide Which Agel Lib. 14. concerning the Ocean doth elegantly call the Moones companion seeing it followeth the age and increase thereof and also he noteth some aspects and configurations As for example sake if the Moone have a fit aspect unto Venus and doe run through moist houses it doth wonderfully increase the tides of the sea but if it be aspected with Mars or dry Planets it doth lessen the tides Here also the ascention of the signes is to be noted But if the Moon be in signes of a right ascension it maketh the tides longer than if it were in signes of oblique ascension for it is observed that the tides are never equall to the ebbes in continuance of time but when the Moone is in the Equinoctiall signes and hath no Latitude Besides some parts of the water doe finde a greater influence proceeding from the beames of the bodie of the Moone either in regard of the rectitude and straightnesse of the beames or some other hidden qualitie But the Moone hath a different influence when it is Northward and another when it is Southward for when it is heere it encreases the tides on the Southerne shoares and when it is there on the Northerne shoares Moreover the Tides of the Sea are greater in some places and in other places very small or none at all For as concerning this our Germaine Sea it is certaine that there are scarce any tides which can be perceived but as the Sea is carried with the windes it floweth now here and now there for when it is an East wind the Sea goeth very high and driveth backe Rivers neither doth it flow onely to the Sea side but it overflowes the Land And whereas the Spanish and Atlanticke Ocean is of an unsearchable deapth so that a line of three hundred or foure hundred fathom cannot found the bottome of it yet the Germaine Sea in the most parts is but 60. Cubits deepe and never above an hundred Cubits except on some shoares of Norway which are thought to be of an insearchable depth Moreover it is worthy to be mentioned that whereas all other Seas are bitter and salt our Sea hath sweete waters and not unpleasant to drinke and that in regard that many great fresh Rivers doe runne into it out of the Sarmatian Mountaines and because the Sunne is too weake in those places to exhale and draw up the lighter and thinner parts of the water which some make to bee the chiefe cause of the saltnesse of the Sea Which reason if it were good and probable then the Amalchian Sea also and the Chronian Sea should not be salt which is otherwise Wherefore it is rather to be held that the melted snow and the aforesayd Rivers flowing downe out of the Sarmatian Mountaines doe make this Sea cleere and sweete Whereby it comes to passe that other Seas doe more easily carry vessells of great burden than this And the reason is because the water of the salt Sea is of a thicker substance while the thinner waters doe yeeld to the least waight It is easier also to swim in this Sea than in others Yet it maketh Sea men more sicke in regard the waves goe very high so that sometimes they seeme to touch the Clouds and then fall againe and breake into deepe valleyes This Sea in divers places hath divers appellations or names For sometimes it is called the Germaine Ocean from Germanie which is neere unto it and it reacheth from the French and
County of Tridentum together with a faire Valley and the Towne Bâ—lzanius And the Earle of Tirolis was made Defender and Protector thereof And from that time the Bishop had Jurisdiction over both The Citizens doe speake partly the Germane language and partly the Italians and which is seldome seene in Frontiere Citties they speake as pure language as in the middle of Germany or in the middle of Italy In this Citty that famous Counsell was celebrated in the yeere 1546. under Pope Paul the third This Country is watered with two speciall Rivers Oenus and Athesis The other may rather be called Rivulets than Rivers Here are no particular Mountaines for they are all called by one generall name the Rhetian Alpes although they are afterward distinguished by their proper names Here are also many woods as Grinwald Hosgarten In der Aich Milrinald Forrest Vnser Frawen Holtz c. Marca Tarvisina I Have spoke of the County of Tirolis it remaineth now that wee should speake of Marca Tarvisina It was so named from the Citty Tarvisium where the Marquesses of Lombardy kept their residence who were Governours of this Country Cassiodorus and others doe call it Tarvisinum It is called also Venetia from the Venetian people But now in the Country speech it is called Marca Trevigiana Concerning the bounds thereof Leander writeth that Mincius Benacus and the River Sarca doe enclose it on the West on the North the Tarvisanian Mountaines which devide Italy from Germany on the East the mouth of the River Timavus and part of the Hadriatick Sea on the South the mouth of Athesis and the Melarianian and Brigantinian Marshes and the same Leander affirmeth that these were the bounds of ancient Venetia and not of Marca Tarvisina which was far straighter and lay lengthwaies betweene the Rivers Mincius and Alsa and that beyond Alsa they were joyned to Forum Iulium and besides that which is now called Marca Tarvisiâ—a did containe some places of the Cenomanians c. The Country is fruitfull the ayre wholsome pleasant and temperate It hath pleasant Fields which yeeld great store of Corne and Wine and other fruits It hath plenty of Mettals and good store of Cattell And it is adorned and enriched with so many gifts of nature that it is worthy to bee accounted one of the principall Countries of Italy Heretofore the Euganeans dwelt here the derivation of whose name if wee seeke it from the Greeke may THE SECOND TABLE OF LOMBARDY Tarvisina Marchia et Tirolis Comitatus be derived from their noble generous birth The Venetians as Livie noteth Lib. 1. did drive the Euganeans from home from whom the whole Country was called Venetia The Citties of Marca Tarvisina are Verona Vincentia Patavium Venetia Tarvisium Of the former of which namely Verona Vincentia and Patavium we will speake in their proper Table Venice is a Citty which containeth about 60. small Ilands it is seated in the innermost part of the Hadriatick Bay in the middest of the Lakes which the Tyde filleth every 6. houres the Sea floweth on the East side which that the violence and rage thereof may doe no harme some other Ilands doe lye before it to restraine the fury of the Sea And although it be not fortified with walls Bulwarks or Towers yet it is strong by the naturall situation It is devided with many Channels There are Rivers in all the streets which are joyned together by 450. stone and woodden Bridges The chiefest Channell is that which is called Canal grande three miles long which devideth the whole Citty into two parts So that you may either goe on foote or by Boate of which there are 8000. thorow the Citty they commonly call these Boates Gondelas The compasse of this Citty is about 8. miles which is famous for populousnesse wealth and store of Merchandise it hath produced excellent wits and most learned men and it is adorned with good Lawes and laudable Statutes It doth abound with Corne which is brought thither out of divers parts of the World as also with divers sorts of Wine among which is that generous sort of Wine which is commonly called Malmesy and with other things necessary to mans life so that it may be rightly call'd the Paradise of Delight There are in it 64. Parishes There are also magnificent and sumptuous publike and private buildings The chiefest Church is that which is dedicated to Saint Marke the Evangelist which is gilded in many places And to omit other matters there is an Armory within the Citty commonly call'd the Arsenale which is about two miles in compasse Here are made of Wood Iron Brasse Hempe and Flaxe all kindes of provision for Ships as Anchors Guns Cables Ropes Tackles and Sailes Here are also some Ensignes kept which were taken from the Turke or Pirates or Enemies and those Trophies which were taken at Naupactum in the yeere 1581. And also there are the Praetorian Barges and the Ship Bucentaurus in which the Prince accompanied with the Senate and chiefe men of the Citty is carryed every yeere to the entrance of the Sea where the Castle standeth and there after some Ceremonies performed by the Bishop he marrieth the Sea and puts a Ring upon it to shew his perpetuall dominion over it There is also a publike Library together with the Library of Bessarion Cardinall of Nicen which at his death he gave to the Common-wealth of Venice Venice is very populous so that there are thought to be in it about 300000. Citizens They are of three sorts or rankes the Patricians who governe the Empire and Common-wealth the Citizens who doe beare under Offices and the Artificers who use Mechanick Arts. And besides these there are great store of Merchants and Strangers which come thither in divers habits out of all parts of the World to trafficke as Turkes Aethiopians Slavonians Arabians Syrians Cretensians Cyprians Macedonians Germanes Hungarians Spaniards Frenchmen and others The Venetian Common-wealth was governed at the first by Consuls afterward by Tribunes for 252. yeeres afterward in the yeere 707. it began to be a Dukedome The Duke commonly call'd Doge is the head of the Common-wealth and the Prince of the Senate and he can doe nothing neither in time of peace or warre without the consent of the Senate for he consulteth with them The Senate make Decrees which yet are published in the Dukes name The Duke hath certaine stipends paid him out of the publike stock and after his decease another is chosen by suffrages and voyces out of the Senate The Senate which is commonly call'd Gran Coâ—siglio is the Basis and Foundation of the whole State the Members of it are all Nobles of 25. yeeres of age or above who have free liberty to speake very faithfull in Counsell and very carefull to preserve their liberty and enlarge their Empire and very constant in adversity There are many other Magistrates besides the Duke which here for brevity sake I omit This Citty is held to bee the fairest and
former Seria But wee reade in Marius that the Inhabitants doe call it Macyn or Magin others that follow Mercator doe call it Mangi and China Iohn Barrius affirmeth that the Inhabitants doe call the former â—ndostan It is the largest Country of all the world Pomponius writeth that a ship may sayle 60. dayes and nights along the coast of it But it is bounderd according to Pliny and Strabo on the West with the River Indus which divideth Persia from India on the North is the Mountaine Taurus on the East it is encompassed with the Easterne Ocean on the South with the Indian Ocean The Country hath a wholsome gentle ayre yet it is so great that it hath a different climate in many places for in some places it is hott namely toward the Aequator and in other places temperate enough and rather cold towards the North. But the Countrey it selfe in generall both for the Situation the ayre and the fertility of the Soyle doth farre exceede other parts of the world Here new Starres doe rise and set and here are two Harvests in a yeare and two Summers and the Winter is in the middle betweene them and the Estesian or East windes doe coole and qualifie the heate Although this Countrey for the most part hath no Wheate yet it yeeldeth plenty of Pulse and other graines and especially of Barley and Rice It doth also bring forth divers other fruits as Pepper Franckincense Myrrhe Ginger and in the most Southerne parts Cinnamon Spicknard and other Aromaticks and sweet spices as Arabia and AEthiopia There are also Honey or Sugar Canes Besides it hath many Druggs and rootes of trees some of which are wholsome and some hurtfull What should I speake of their Mettalls stones and Mineralls For there is great store of gold and silver in the Countrey as also of Brasse Iron and Copper as Diadorus witnesseth But Plinny saith that it hath neither Brasse nor Leade but instead thereof Precious stones and Pearles which the Sea casteth up upon the shoare For it hath abundance of Berills Adamants Carbuncles and Pearles Here is silke enough to furnish all the world Here are greater beasts than in others parts of the world as Oxen Cammels Lions Dogs and Elephants There are great store of Elephants And great Dragons in the Wildernesse that are as bigge as Elephants and doe fight continually with them And Dogs as fierce as Lions And great store of Serpents which the Inhabitants doe roast and eate and a kind of THE EAST INDIES· INDIA Orientalis Ants which they eate with Pepper as we doe Crabfishes Here are white Apes and Cameleons which were heretofore thought to live by aire Moreover there are divers sorts of Birds not knowne to other Nations besides great store of Hens Pheasants and Partridges and also Parrets of divers colours Plinny writeth thus of the Indies The Indians alone of all nations were never droven out of their Countrey they had from Bacchus to Alexander the great 153. Kings in 6402. yeares and 3. monethes And Strabo writeth that never any but Bacchus Hercules and Alexander got the victory against them although Cirus and Sâ—miramiâ— assailed them often But leaving these matters let us passe to the Citties The companions of Alexander the great doe write that there were 5000. Townes in that part of India which they conquer'd and every one as bigge as Co whence you may easily collect the vast largenesse of this Countrey The chiefe Citty is Calechut which is the famous Mart of all the East There are also other Citttes as Cambaja Decâ—n Batticalla Canonor and many others There are also many great Lakes In the history of Alexander there is a mention made of a Lake which hath great old wood in it here Alexanders army was like to perish for thirst But the greatest Lake of all is Chiamy which is 400. Miles in compasse and is 600 Miles distant from the Sea Hence many chiefe Rivers doe issue the next unto this Lake is â—incuthay and others Here are many great Rivers It is reported that Alexander the great did sayle every day 600. Furlongs in the River Indus yet he could but sayle over it in 5. moneths and odde dayes and yet it is lesser than Ganges It riseth out of the Mountaine Caâ—sasus which is called Paropamissus and now Naugocrot and so having runne 900. miles it dischargeth it selfe into the Southerne or Indian Ocean In which compasse of ground it receiveth 20. Rivers but the famousest are Hydaspes which bringeth 4. others with it and Cantabra which bringeth three with it Some say that the Rivers Ganges doe issue from unknowne Springs as Nilus and that it watereth the Country round about as Nilus doth some say that it riseth out of the Scythian Mountaines and that 19. Rivers doe runne into it Some say that the Springs thereof doe breake forth with great violence and so rowling down thorow the Rocks it runneth first thorow the Plaines and from thence glideth gently forward and that it is 8. miles broad in the narrowest part of it and in other places 100. Furlongs broad and is no where lesse then 20. yards deepe This River in the Scriptures is called Phison But now Geographers doe seeke for it For some suppose it is that River which floweth into the Bay of Bengala perhaps in regard of the affinity betweene their names for the Inhabitants doe call it Guengua But our Mercator sheweth by good probable reasons that Ganges is that River which is called Rio de Cantaon Next to these Rivers there are the Rivers Mandona Chaberis Ava Campumo Menam Menon and many others Megasthenes reporteth that there are 60. Rivers in the Indies many of which doe overflow their bankes in the Summer like Nilus which is the chiefe cause of the fruitfulnesse and fertility of this Country It is said that Ganges hath Crocodiles as well as Nilus also Dolphins and Eeles 30. foote long as Pliny witnesseth Moreover the chiefest part of the East-Indies lieth over against the Southerne or Indian Ocean by the Shore or Sea Coast which although for the most part it hath Havens yet in many places it is so environd with Ilands Rocks and Sands that it is dangerous sayling that way Solinus saith that the Indian Seas have Whales as bigge as 4. Acres of ground There is also a kinde of Fish called a Whirle-poole which are very great and will lift themselves above the Hatches of a Ship and will so spout Sea-water out of their spouts that the waight of it falling downe againe is ready to overset Ships Here are many Mountaines so that it would bee troublesome to reckon them many of which have no greene things on them Imaus Emodus Parâ—pamissus doe joyne together being parts of Caucasus The Woods in the Indies as Solinus writeth are so thick that you cannot shoote an Arrow into them their Orchards have Figge-trees which are 60. yards about And the shadow of their boughs doe reach two Furlongs Their
Children that their Cattell may prosper and the Earth may be fruitfull and such other matters But they reverence Piety and Justice and especially they love Peace and Quietnesse and doe hate Warres These Molucco Ilands were discover'd by CHARLES the fifth concerning which I will discourse because it is worthy of memory When there arose a dissention betweene the Portugals in the East and the Castellanians in the West both striving to enlarge their Princes Territories that the one might not hinder the other the new world by the authority of Pope Alexander the sixth and others was devided into two parts and Articles and Conditions drawne betweene them that whatsoever should bee discoverd by any voyage made from the Ilands of the Atlantick Sea which are commonly call'd the Hesperides toward the East should belong to the Portugals and whatsoever was discover'd Westward should belong to the Castellanians so the latter discover'd America and the former the most parts of the East and in processe of time the desire of gaine drew them on so farre that it is said they encroached on the part which was adjudged to the Castellanians which controversie cannot be decided unlesse Ferdinando Magellanus be made Judge thereof For he being a Portugall and hating his Prince Emanuel because he had not rewarded him for the service he had done him shewing that the Moluccoes by the former division did belong to the Castellanians and being sent in the yeere 1519. by Charles the fifth to discover the aforesaid Ilands by a new way he so cast and framed his voyage that having sayled from Spaine 52. degrees Southward and then bending his course Westward hee sayld round about by the lower Hemisphere and so at last his Ships arrived in the East at the Molucco Ilands which he sought And so his companions sayling along the upper Hemisphere by the Coasts of Asia and Affrick returned into Spaine having sayled round about the World But Magellane himselfe was slaine as he was fighting against the Barbarians before the discovery of the Moluccoes and after some of his company had THE ILANDS OF THE EAST-INDIES INSULAE INDIAE orientalis found out the Moluccoes the other Ships being dispersed abroad and tooke there was but one Ship onely that returned safe into Spaine loaded with sweet Spices and great Pearles which are found in some of the Ilands some as bigge as a Turtles Egge or a Hens Egge or a Goose Egge Truely these Mariners are more worthy of eternall memory than those Argonauts who sayled with Iason of Thâ—ssaly Prince of the Argonauts to Colchis And the Ship it selfe which returned safe and well home after so many perils and dangers is more worthy to be placed among the Starres than that old Ship Argo For this sayled onely from Greece by Pontus But Magellanes Ship sayled from Spaine Southward and then by the lower Hemisphere Westward and so having sayled round about the world returned Westward thorow the upper Hemisphere into Spaine So much concerning this let us now proceed to other matters The MOLUCCO Ilands GILOLO or Gilolum which is also called Batochina is one of the Ilands which they commonly call Del Moro. The Climate here is intemperate and the Ayre hott It hath abundance of Rice and of the pith of a kinde of Tree which is called Sagu of which they make bread and out of the same Tree they get out a kinde of juyce which they drinke in stead of wine It hath great store of wilde Hens And the Sea neere unto it hath great store of Crabs which taste like Mutton The Inhabitants are Barbarous and cruell and as heretofore so now they will eate mans flesh The Iland Celebes with some others which are comprehended under the same name doe lye Westward from the Moluccoes There is the I le Ambon which nameth the Ilands neere unto it It is 500. miles in compasse But it is rugged and barren and the Inhabitants thereof are Anthropophagi or Men-eaters and Pirates Bandan are about 7. small Ilands which are situate on the South side of the Molucco Ilands in the seventh degree of Southerne Latitude others doe place them in 6. degrees and â— They are called Bandan which is the greatest Iland and doth name all the rest also Mira Rosolargium Ay Rom Netra and Gunuape the least of them all which burneth continually and is unhabitable These Ilands have Nutmegs and Mastick growing upon one Tree The Nutmegge Tree is a tall spreading Tree like to our Oake The Nut hath a threefold shell or covering The first is thick to defend it against the weather The other is a thin skin like a Nut which encompasses a third shell this thin skin is the blossome of the Nutmeg which the Spaniards call Macis and we Mace being an excellent and wholesome kinde of Spice There is Ginger in all these Ilands of which there are two sorts wilde and planted Ginger which is better than the other it hath a leafe like Saffron the roote hath a sweet smell but being tasted biteth like Pepper and hotter then Pepper Cinamon which Herodotus reporteth is sometimes found in Birds Nests and especially in the Phoenix Nest is the Barke of a Shrub which is like a Pomegranate Tree This Barke when it gapeth and cleaveth with the heat of the Sunne is tooke off from the Tree and so being hardned in the Sunne it becomes Cinamon and because it is long like a Reede or Cane it is commonly call'd Canella or Cinamon rinde The Iland Timor is situate in the 10. degree of Southerne Latitude It hath great store of yellow and white Saunders with which the Ilanders doe trade for Iron Hatchets Swords and Knives Mercator calleth the Iland Borneo which Ptolemy calleth the Iland of good Fortune It lyeth betweene Cambaja and Celebes and Calamianes is next unto it The Southerne part of it is under the Aequinoctiall Line the rest lyeth Northward It is the greatest Iland in that Ocean and some doe report that the compasse of it is three moneths sayle others report that the circumference of it is 2200. mile It aboundeth with all things necessary and it yeeldeth Camphire Mushroms Adamants and little Horses There are many Havens in this Iland and faire Citties as Cabura Trajaopura Tamoarates Malano and Borneo which is the chiefe of them all in which there are 25000. Inhabitants It is situate in a Moorish Fennish place by the Sea side like Venice The Turke is their King unto whom they must not speak but by an Interpreter THE ILAND OF IAPAN THIS Iland Marcus Paulus calleth Ziprangri Maginus heretofore call'd it Ghryse and Mercator the golden Chersonesus but they call it commonly Iapan There are three chiefe Ilands as Peter Maffejus witnesseth some other scattering Ilands which lye by them and are separated from them by armes of the Sea which flow betweene them The first and the greatest is call'd Iapan which is devided into three and fifty Signiories or Lordships the chiefe whereof are Meaci and Amaguncij The
And besides the aforesaid Lakes there is a great salt River which runneth into the Sea although it receiveth many Rivers and Fountaines of fresh water IAMAICA· IAMAICA which they call now the Iland of St. Iames lyeth 15. leagues Eastward from Hispaniola and 16. degrees from the Aequinoctiall Line On the North it is neere to Cuba On the South it looketh to St. Bernards Ilands and Carthagena on the West it hath Fordura The compasse of it is 600. miles This Country hath a pleasant temperate ayre also it hath Gold and great store of Sugar and Cotton and also divers kindes of living Creatures It had heretofore great store of Inhabitants but now the Natives are either killed or dead so that there are two Citties onely inhabited the chiefe whereof is Sevill or Hispalis in which there is a Church and an Abbey of which Peter Martyr Anglerius of Mediolanum was Primate a man very diligent in handling the affaires of India The other is called Oristan here are many Rivers and Fishfull Lakes The people doe differ in nothing neither in Lawes Rites nor Customes from those of Hispaniola and Cuba but onely it is reported that they were more cruell St. IOHNS Iland SAint Iohns Iland commonly so called from the rich Haven and heretofore called Borichena or Borica hath on the East the Iland of the holy Crosse and many small Ilands On the West and the North the Iland of S. Dominico on the South the Promontory of the maine Land from whence it is distant 136. miles The Iland lyeth length-wayes and is 12. or 17. mile broad and the greatest breadth of it is 48. Germane Miles It hath abundance of Fruit Cattell and Gold Moreover this Iland is devided into two parts namely the Northerne and Southerne part The Northerne hath great store of Gold the Southerne hath plenty of fruit and Fowle The chiefe Citty in it is St. Iohns Citty which hath a very good Haven Here are some Rivers among which Cairabonus is the greatest which runneth Northward and though they have all golden Sands yet the Northerne side thereof as we said before hath the best Mines The Southerne part hath better Havens and more fruit it produceth Maiz and other things necessary to life MARGARITA THe Iland Margarita or the Iland of Pearles is called by another name Cubagua it is 10. miles in compasse and it lyeth 10. degrees and from the Aequinoctiall Line being every where plaine and barren having neither trees nor water So that they want water so much especially when the winde standeth contrary so that nothing can be brought from Cumana that sometimes a Hogshead of Wine is exchanged for a Hogshead of Water It hath great store of Connies Salt and Fish But especially it hath great store of Pearles The Inhabitants are of a Swart colour thinne hayred and without Beards fierce and cruell They feed on Oysters out of which Pearles are gotten VIRGINIA AND FLORIDA VIRGINIA and Florida doe follow in our method Virginia as some suppose was so called from the Earle Viguinus but hee that sett forth a Journall or Commentary of Sir Francis Drakes Voyage in the West-Indies in the yeere 1584. saith that it was so called from Elizabeth Queene of England The Inhabitants doe call it Wingandocoa It is very fruitfull and beareth plentifully whatsoever is necessary for the sustation and delectation of mans life as Wine Oyle Beanes which the Inhabitants call Okindgere and Pease which they call Wickanzenr also Pompions and Melons which they call Macocquer also divers Hearbes besides Chesnuts Walnuts Straberies and other excellent Fruits also Allome Pitch and Tarre Turpentine Iron Copper Silke Flaxe Cotton Pearles and many other things But especially it hath great store of Virginy Wheate which the Inhabitants doe call Pagatowr and the West-Indians Maiz which is to bee wondred at because they use a meane kinde of Husbandry For they know neither Plough nor Harrow neither doe they make Furrow or plough the ground nor breake the clods after they have sowne the seed as we doe but they turne up the earth with a woodden Shovell or Spade and so in the little Furrowes they set the Graine with a setting sticke as we doe Beanes which being coverd with earth will sprout forth wonderfully In some parts it hath divers kindes of Beasts as Beares Lions Wolves Conies and those which the Inhabitants call Saquenuckot Maquowoc and Squirrels It hath moreover divers Birds as Indian Cocks and Hens Doves Partridges Cranes Swans Geese Parrots Falkons and Hawkes The Townes here are very small containing onely 10. or 12. Houses they build them round with Stakes and Poles set in the Earth with a narrow comming in Princes and Noblemens Houses have a Court-yard and some few Houses round about them The Citties by the Shore side are these Pyshokonnock or the Womens Citty also Chipanum Weopomiock Muscamunge and Mattaquen and Oanoke which the English call'd the blind Citty also Pemeoke Phycoake a great Citty Chowanaoke Sequotam and others The Rivers which water it are Occam Cipo Nomopano Neus and others In foure Moneths of the yeere February March Aprill and May here is good fishing for Sturgeons and Herrings Here are also good Trouts Scate Mullets and Plaise and many other kindes of Fish It hath also Woods which are full of Connies Hares and Fowle But the Woods are not such as be in Bohemia Moscovy or Hyrcania VIRGINIA VIRGINIA et FLORIDA which are barren and doe yeeld nothing but they are full of high tall Cedars Pines Cypresse Trees Mastick Trees and many other odoriferous Trees The Inhabitants are of a middle stature just in their dealing they beleeve the Immortality of the Soule but they delight in dancing and immoderate drinking as the other Americans doe but yet they abstaine from mans flesh They doe hunt wilde beasts every day And their Armes are Bowes and Arrowes They beleeve that there are many Gods whom they call Mantâ—aâ— but of divers kindes and degrees and that there is onely one chiefe God that was before all ages who they say when he purposed to create the whole world did first create the other speciall Gods that he might use them as assistants and helpers both in creating and governing the whole World And then hee made the Sunne the Moone and the Statres as the lesser Gods to be assisting to the chiefe Cods They say the waters were first created out of which the Gods did create all kindes of creatures visible and invisible Concerning mankinde they affirme that the woman was first created which by the helpe of one of the Gods did conceive and bring forth children and this they say was the first originall of all mankinde But concerning the manners and nature of the Inhabitants and the other commodities and wonders of Virginia you may see more which Iohn Wytts Description and Thomas Harriotts Relation Theodore Brius hath written of them in a particular Booke and hath cut them forth in Brasse
time being not vexed so much with windes and high Seas as the civell dissentions of the Castellanians and Portugals After hee sayled some dayes Southward hee came to the Promontory of the holy Crosse Here one of his Ships runne a shore but the Men Ordnance and fraight was saved Afterward when he observed that the shore did bend a little from the South Eastward hee began to bee in hope of reaching the Straites And on the 26. of November this narrow passage was discover'd into which Magellan with foure other Ships entred Here they thought good to stay in a certaine Bay and to send 3. Ships before to â—ound the passage and to make discovery One of the Ships in which was Alvarus Meschita having past thorow stood out to Sea againe and so directing their course Northward it was brought first to Aethiopia and afterward to Spaine and 8. moneths after they had left their company Alvarus was brought before Charles King of Castile as a Captive The third Ship made report that it was a straite narrow Sea by observing the flowing and ebbing of the Sea It was the Moneth of November and the night was five houres long the shore on the right hand and the left or the Starbord and Larbord shore was very solitary and no creature to be seene but that on the left side they saw a great fire And this was the cause why they called that Country Terra del Fuego and they supposed that the Inhabitants had discoverd them Magellan having left 2. Ships in this manner he furnished the other according as was fitt for the present occasion and discovering all as he went two and twenty dayes after he entred the Bay or Straite he was brought into another Sea which for the quiet peaceablenesse thereof he called Mar del Zur or Mare Pâ—cificum that is the peaceable Sea But this Straite being environd on every side with high Rocks is 120. miles long or according to others 76. miles the breadth of it is not equall and very different for sometimes it is 2. or 3. miles broad and sometimes 10. or 5. and where it is narrowest it is a mile broad The Northerne Sea on the East side is carried betweene the Straites of either land 70. miles and more where it mingleth with the Southerne Sea on the West side winding thorow those Promontories it meeteth with the Northerne Sea where their Waves meete very violently and with a great noise so that all the Sea is coverd with froth The Southerne Sea doth flow and ebbe more gently for the Westerne part of the Bay being very deepe and broaderâ— affordeth a quieter passage to the Sea when it floweth But the Easterne part of the Straites is full of Flats and Sands and many Ilands which causeth the raging and troublesomenesse of the Seas on either Shore there are high trees Moreover when Magellan had layne halfe a yeere in these Southerne parts hee viewed and discoverd nothing but the shoares but the innermost parts of the Country remained unknowne but yet it is manifest that that part which lyeth Southward is most of it a Mountainous Woodly Country and hath Snow continuall upon it Some say blue Snow hath beene found here which I leave to others judgement Magellan called this Southerne Land del Fugo from the fire or fires for when he discoverd these Straites he saw no mortall creature but he often beheld in the night time many great fires as we said before on the left hand But the Southerne Land on the West side doth looke toward both the Iavas Summatra and the Molucco's on the East it hath Affrick and the Aethiopian Ocean on the North it hath the Straites of the Magellan Bay and the Land of the Patagons The Country on either shore is barren and unfruitful but yet it hath great strange unknowne Trees Here are at all times great store of Pinguines Cormorants and Sea-calfes For the Pinguines come hither in the moneth of September and doe hatch their young ones in October In the Moneth of Aprill they flie to the Sea and after they are gone there commeth great store of Cormorants They are called Pinguines apirguedine from their fatnesse the old one doe weigh 13.14 or 16. pounds the younger 8. or 12. pound They are black on the backe and white on the belly and they have a Milke white circle round about their neck Their backs are like the Sea Calves and as thicke as a Hogge which you cannot pierce with a Speare Their Bill is bigger than a Crowes bill but not crooked Their necke is thicke and short Their bodies are as bigge as a fat Goose but not so broad They have no wings in stead whereof they have two pinnions coverd with feathers which hang downe like wings which doe make them swim wonderfull fast They live by Fish for they are Water-Fowle They goe straite upright with those pinnions hanging downe They have black feete like Geese but not so broad If any pursue them they will cry with a voyce like a man Mergus or the Cormorant is so called by Varro Lib. 4. concerning the Latine tongue because mergendo se in aquam captat escam he getteth his food by diving into the water unto whom Ovid in his Metamor Lib. 11. concerning Aesacus the sonne of Priam doth assent where he singeth thus THE STRAITES OF MAGELLAN· FRETUM Magellani Aequor amaâ— nomenque manet quia mergitur illi Hee loves the Sea and keepes that name Because he dives into the same And though divers kindes of Water-fowle doe the same yet the ancient Latines did call this kinde of Bird onely Mergus or a Cormorant which the Greekes doe call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Italians Corvo Marino the Germanes Tuâ—her and the English doe call a Cormorant Turner an Englishman saith that this Bird is as bigge as a Goose of a browne colour having a long Bill and crooked in the end flat footed heavie bodyed the shape of her body when she standeth upright is like a Bird sitting Pliny writeth that she buildeth her Nest in Trees but Aristotle saith upon the Sea Rocks Ovid calleth that Bird which hath long legges and a great throat a Cormorant for he saith Longa internodia crurum Longa manet cervix caput est a corpore longe His Thighs and Neck both long are His Head is from his body farre The Cormorants contrary to all other Birds have their feete under their tayle so that when they stand on the ground they beare their breasts strait upright as men doe as the Author of the Booke of naturall matters writeth Pliny calleth Phoca Phooke and the Sea-calfe Albertus also calleth it the Sea Wolfe and otherwhiles the Sea Dog the Germanes call Ein meer Kalb and the English call it a Seale It doth Bay like a Calfe his tongue is cloven into two parts his teeth are like Sawes and his hinder feete like the tayles of Fishes it hath a small tayle which is coverd
North and South every one lengthens the day halfe an houre afterward they encrease by Weekes and Moneths till it comes to the length of halfe a yeare u See Ortelius in his Theatrum orbis terrarum The temperatenesse of the Aire The fertility of the Soyle The governmeÌ„t of the Ancients and their successours w See Ortelius in his booke before cited The Lakes and Rivers The Seas The publique private workes The Lawes Institutions x It is observable that there is no part of Europe whether Continent or Island that hath not long since beene Christened The company of Senators The Vniversities y Who number it no lesse then â—8 The manners of the people The name by whom why given z And a privativum a The Tropicks are two nominate Circles that be Parallel to the Aequator froÌ„ which the Northerne Tropicke called the Tropicke of Cancer is distant 23. degrees â— 2 and the Southerne called the Tropick of Capricorne as much b So called from Cham the sonne of Noah who inhabited this Country See Psal 105.23 c So stiled because when the Sunne is under that Aequinoctiall Circle in the Heaven which answers to this on the Earth the daies and nights be of one length 〈…〉 d 〈◊〉 Habassia 〈◊〉 the higher Aethiopia The 〈◊〉 e O RIâ—e of India who stealeth into the Crocodiles mouth when he gâ—p thâ— and aâ—â—ng his bowels killeth him f Hence came the old proverbe Africa semper aliquid apportat monstâ—i The Division g Barcha now called but that it was anâ—ly called Barca is evident â—on of Virgil when hee saith Lateque 〈…〉 h Abusively so called but rightly Preste Iohan or Gyam which in the Aethiopian tongue signifies Great or Mightie Prince i So called froÌ„ the rednesse of the sands The Lakes Rivers Mountaines k So called froÌ„ Atlas in times past â— K. of the Moores whom the Poets same to have beene Metamorphosed into this Mountaine this hill is now called Anchisa the inhabitants that dwell about it name it Adiris Solinus Duris others call it Astrixis or Astreâ—xis but Dioscorider calleth it Tmolus l This Mountaine is called by Ptolomie Pliny and others Deorum cursus m So named either froÌ„ tâ—â—n fruitfulness or goodnesse of Aâ—e as Stephanus thinketh The name by whom why â—â—â—n n Daughter to â—â—â—anus and Tethâ—â— o 〈…〉 p From the Greeke woâ—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whaâ—h signifieth the East because it lyeth Eastward of Asia the Great q From â—â—m the â—â—me of Noah The Situation The temperatenesse of the Aire The fertilitie of the Soâ—le The various kindes of liâ—ing Creatures The government of thâ— Ancients r Cap. 10. vers 8.9.10 Å¿ Seâ— Iustâ—n lib. 1. and Diodoâ—us Siculus lib. 2. cap. 7. t Whom Iunius saith the Scripture calles Ahasuerus Either 1.4 u This is meant of Darius the son of Histaspiâ— w Herodotus reckons all his forces by Sea and Land to be 2641610 men besides Conâ—uoines Eunuchs women bakers 〈…〉 an 〈…〉 The Cities Lakes Rivers Mountaines x Eustathius affirmeth that this Mountain was so called by the reason of its magnitude for saith he among the Ancients all great strong things were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as it is called Taurus many other names by humane Writers so the Scripture calleth it Ararath if we shall beleeve Aâ—â—aâ— Montanus and Becanus y Heylin saith that reckoning its severall bendings in out it is 6250. miles long 375. miles broad p. 519. The publicke workes z See Iustin Hist lib. 1. a Read 1. King chap. 5. and 6. America whence so called b In the yeare 1492. c But improperly for the true India is a part of Asia deriveth its name from the River Indus which this Country canâ—ot * Venient anâ—â— sâ—â—â—la seris quibus occanus vinâ—ula rerum laxet ingens pateat tellus nec sit terris ultima â—hule d Borne at Nervi in the Countrie of Genoa The Situation e Read Heylin pag 770. f Or Cassader g Or Potatoes The Lakes Rivers The Mountaines h So called for its nearnesse to a constellation in the North Hemisphere called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Beare i So called because it is opposite to the Articke Pole Greenland whence so called k The London Marchants call this Island K. Iames his new Land The qualitie of the Aire and Soyle Freezland n Heyling saies almost as bigge as Ireland p And therefore now subject to the King of Denmarke Nova Zembla q Pigmies are here supposed to inhabit r Iason and his Companions who sayled to Colcheâ— to fetch the golden fleece of whom reade Valerius Flaâ—cuâ— Lib. 1 The name by whom and why given See Heylin p 8 The Situation Å¿ Which is a great circle rounding the Earth from Pole to Pole and passeth through the Islands called Azores See marg pag. 10. The quality of the Soyle and Ayre The varietie of living Crâ—â—tures The Fountaines The Sea The Mountaines t The Papists thinke that here is thâ—â—â— feined Purgatorie The mannerâ— of the Inhabitants Their foode Thâ—â— Trâ—â—fick o◠〈◊〉 The name by whom why given x If this bee true then did it not receive its denomination from Brutus See Heylin pag. 455. The temper of the Aire The fertilitie of the Soyle The varietie of living Creatures The I le of Albion y Verstegan affirmeth it was so called ab albis rupibus the white rocks towards France The figure z Which the English and French call the channell of S. George a This division was made by Severus the Emperor saith Camden p. 98. b The Romans saith Camden called those Provinces of any Country they conquered which were next unto theÌ„ Primas superiore the more remote secundas â—â—seâ— oâ—es p 99. c What Countries these five parts contained and why they were so denominated See in Camden pag. 98. 99. d They were first united in in the yeare of grace 1603. The Sea The commodities e See Camden pag. 640 and 595. The Orcades f Hâ—yler saith they are 3â— pag 51â— The fertility of the Soyle The names of the Hebrides g Stephanus calleth them the Hebrides others Ebonia â—nsulae h This Iland is 24. miles long and 16. miles broad The new and ancient names by whom and why given i Isacius calleth this Kingdome Britannia Occidentalis or Westerne Brittaine and Isidorus and others call it Scotia because the Scots coming from Spaine dwelt here the Irish Baâ—di call it Baâ—â— whence Festus Avâ—enus calleth it Insula sacra See Camden pag. 643. k pag. 642. The Situation The temper of the Ayre The Government l Camden saith it was in the yeare 1172. p 649. The Cities m This Town was built by Harald Harfager the first King of Norway Lakes The Rivers n or the River Liffie o or Shennin is some interpret it tho ancient River p It runneth saith Heylin a course of 200 miles to the Vergician Sea and