poore and eate snakes lisards spiders ants and al kinde of vermine and herewith they liue so well contented that commonly they sing and dance They buie the women of their enimies and kill their daughters because they would not haue them marrie with them whereby they might increase They trauailed through certaine places where the women gaue sucke vnto their children til they were ten or twelue yéeres of age and where certaine men being Hermaphrodites doe marrie one another These Spaniards trauailed aboue 800. leagues and there escaped aliue in this iourney not aboue seuen or eight of them They came vpon the coast of the South sea vnto a citie called Saint Michael of Culuacan standing in 23. degrées and vpward toward the north This yéere 1527. when Cortes vnderstood by the pinnesse aforesaide that Don Garcia de Loaisa was passed by the Streight of Magelan toward the Islands of cloues he prouided thrée ships to goe séeke him and to discouer by that way of New Spaine as farre as the Isles of Maluco There went as gouernour in those ships one Aluaro de Saavedra Ceron cosen vnto Cortes a man fit for that purpose He made saile from Ciuatlanejo now named S. Christopher standing in 20. degrées toward the north on All Saints day They arriued at the Islands which Magelan named The Pleasures and from thence sailed to the Islands which Gomes de Sequeira had discouered not knowing thereof they named thē Islas de los Reyes that is to say The Isles of the kings because they came vnto them on Twelfe day In the way Saavedra lost two ships of his company of which they neuer after heard newes But from Island to Island he still sailed and came to the Island of Candiga where he bought two Spanyards for 70. ducats which had béene of the companie of Frier Loaisa who was lost thereabout In the yéere 1528. in March Saavedra arriued at the Islands of Maluco and came to an anker before the Isle of Gilolo he found the sea calme and winde at will without any tempests and he tooke the distance from thence to Noua Spagna to be 2050. leagues At this time Martin Yn̄iguez de Carquiçano died and Fernando de la Torre was chosen their Generall who then was in the citie of Tidore who had there erected a gallows and had fierce warre with Don George de Meneses captaine of the Portugals and in a fight which they had the fourth day of May Saavedra tooke from him a galiotte and slew the captaine thereof called Fernando de Baldaya and in Iune he returned towards New Spaine hauing with him one Simon de Brito Patalin and other Portugals and hauing béene certaine monethes at sea he was forced backe vnto Tidore where Patalin was beheaded and quartered and his companions hanged In this yéere 1528. Cortes sent two hundred footemen and 60. horsemen and many Mexicans to discouer and plant the countrey of the Chichimecas for that it was reported to be rich of gold This being done he shipped himselfe and came into Castile with great pompe brought with him 250000. marks of gold and siluer and being come to Toledo where the Emperour then lay he was entertained according to his deserts and the Emperour made him Marques Del Valle and married him to the Lady Iane de Zuniga daughter vnto the Earle de Aguilar and then the Emperour sent him backe againe to be Generall of New Spaine In the yéere 1529. in May Saavedra returned back againe towards New Spaine and he had sight of a land toward the South in two degrées and he ran East along by it aboue fiue hundred leagues till the end of August The coast was cleane and of good ankerage but the people blacke and of curled haire from the girdle downward they did weare a certaine thing plaited to couer their lower parts The people of Maluco call them Papuas because they be blacke and friseled in their haire and so also doe the Portugals call them Saavedra hauing sailed 4. or 5. degrées to the South of the line returned vnto it and passed the Equinoctiall towards the north and discouered an Island which he called Isla de los Pintados that is to say The Isle of painted people for the people thereof be white and all of them marked with an iron and by the signes which they gaue he conceaued that they were of China There came vnto them from the shore a kinde of boate full of these men making tokens of threatnings to the Spanyards who séeing that the Spanyards would not obey them they began to skirmish with slinging of stones but Saavedra would suffer no shot to be shot at them because their stones were of no strength and did no harme A little beyond this Island in 10. or 12. degrées they found many small low Islands full of palme trées and grasse which they called Los Iardines and they came to an anker in the middest of them where they taried certaine daies The people séemed to descend from them of China but by reason of their long continuance there they are become so brutish that they haue neither law nor yet giue themselues to any honest labour They were white clothing which they make of grasse They stand in maruailous feare of fire because they neuer saw any They eate Cocos in stéede of bread breaking them before they be ripe and putting them vnder the sand and then after certaine daies they take them out and lay them in the sunne and then they will open They eate fish which they take in a kinde of boate called a Parao which they make of pine wood which is driuen thither at certaine times of the yéere they know not how nor from whence and the tooles wherewith they make their boates are of shels Saavedra perceiuing that the time and weather was then somewhat better for his purpose made saile towards the firme land and citie of Panama where he might vnlade the cloues and marchandise which he had that so in cartes it might be carried fower leagues to the riuer of Chagre which they say is nauigable running out into the North sea not far from Nombre de Dios where the ships ride which come out of Spaine by which way all kinde of goods might be brought vnto them in shorter time and with lesse danger then to saile about the Cape of Bona Sperança For from Maluco vnto Panama they saile continually betwéene the Tropickes and the line but they neuer found winde to serue that course and therefore they came backe againe to Maluco very sad because Saavedra died by the way who if he had liued meant to haue opened the land of Gastillia del Oro and New Spaine from sea to sea Which might haue béene done in fower places namely from the Gulfe of S. Michael to Vraba which is 25. leagues or from Panama to Nombre de Dios being 17. leagues distance or through Xaquator a riuer
lowe countreies but kept the hils And we reade of Nimrode who 130. yéeres after the flood built the Tower of Babell intending thereby to saue himselfe if there should come any more such floods Therefore it seemeth that they which first came to be sailers were those which dwell in the east in the prouince of China although others contrariwise hold them which dwell in the west as in Syria to haue vsed the trade of the sea soonest after the flood But this contention about the antiquitie of nauigation I leaue to the Scythians and Egyptians who were at great variance and difference in this matter for each of them chalenged vnto themselues the honour of the first sea trauaile But omitting all iars and differences thereabouts I will apply my selfe to my purposed discourse and speake of that which histories haue left in record THere be some wel séene in Antiquities which say that in the 143. yéere after the flood Tubal came by sea into Spaine whereby it séemeth that in those times nauigations were vsed into our parts out of Ethiopia And they also say farther that not long after this the Quéene Semyramis went against the Indians in that riuer wherof they tooke their name and therein gaue battaile vnto the king Stabrobates wherin he lost a thousand ships Which being credible by the ancient historie prooueth manifestly that in those parts in those times were many ships and the seas frequented in good numbers In the 650. yéere after the flood there was a king in Spaine named Hesperus who in his time as it is reported went and discouered as far as Cape Verde the Island of S. Thomas whereof he was prince And Gonsaluo Fernandes of Ouiedo the Chronicler of Antiquities affirmeth that in his time the Islands of the West Indies were discouered and called somewhat after his name Heâ—perides and he alleageth many reasons to prooue it reporting particularly that in 40. daies they sailed from Cape Verde vnto those Islands There are others that say that the like was done from this Cape vnto the Islands of S. Thomas and the Isle De Principe and that they be the Hesperides and not the Anâ—iles And they doe not differ far from reason seeing in those times and many yeeres after they did vse to saile onely along the coast not passing through the maine Ocean sea for they had neither altitude nor compasse then in vse nor any mariners so expert It cannot be denied but that there were many countries Islands Capes Isâ—hmos and points which now are grown out of knowledge because the names of them are found in histories But the age of the world and force of waters haue wâ—sted and consumed them and separated one countrey from another both in Europe Asia Afâ—ica New Spaine Peru and other places Plato saith in his dialogue of Timaeus that there were in ancient times in the Ocean sea Atlanticke certaine great Islands and countries named Atlantides greater then Afrike and Europe and that the kings of those parts were Lords of a great part of this our countrey but with certaine great tempests the sea did ouerflow it and it remained as mud and shingle so that in a long time after no ships could passe that way It is also recorded in histories that fast by the Island of Cadiz towards the Straights of Gibraltar there was a certaine Island which was called Aphrodisias well inhabited and planted with many gardens and orchards and yet at this day we haue no knowledge of this Aphrodisias but only a bare mention of it in ancient authors The said Island of Cadiz is further said to haue béen so large and big that it did ioine with the firme land of Spaine The Islands of the Açores were sometimes a point of the mountaines of Estrella which ioine vnto the sea ouer the towne of Syntra And also from Sierra Verde or the gréene mountaine which adioineth vnto the water hard by the citie of Sasin in the land of Cucu which is the selfe same Island of Mouchin where Algarbe is come the Islands of Porto Santo and Madera For it is held as a true and vndoubted veritie that all Islands haue their roots running from the firme land though they be neuer so farre from the continent for otherwise they could not stand firme There are other histories which say that from Spaine vnto Ceuta in Barbarie men sometimes trauailed on foote vpon drie land and that the Islands of Sardinia and Corsica did ioine the one with the other as also did Sicilia with Italie and Negroponto with Graecia We reade also that there were found hulles of ships ankers of iron and other memorials of shipping vpon the mountaines of Sussa farre within the land where as it seemeth now no salt water or sea euer came In India also and in the land of Malabar although now there be great store of people yet many writers affirme that it was once a maine sea vnto the foote of the mountaines and that the Cape of Comarim and the Island of Zeilan were all one thing As also that the Island of Samatra did ioine with the land of Malacca by the flats of Caypasia and not farre froÌ„ thence there stands now a little Island which few yéeres past was part of the firme land that is ouer against it Furthermore it is to be séene how Ptolemey in his tables dotâ— set the land of Malacca to the south of the line in thrée or fower degrées of latitude whereas now it is at the point thereof being called â—entana in one degrée on the north side as appéereth in the Straight of Cincapura where daily they doe passe through vnto the coast of Sian and China where the Island of Aynan standeth which also they say did ioine hard to the land of China and Ptolemey placeth it on the north side far from the line standing now aboue 20. degrées from it towards the north as Asia and Europe now stand Well it may be that in time past the land of Malacca and China did end beyond the line on the south side as Ptolemey doth set them foorth because it might ioine with the point of the land called â—entana with the Islands of Biâ—tan Banca Salitres being many that waies the land might be all slime oaze And so the point of China might ioine with the Islands of the Luçones Borneos Lequeos Mindanaos others which stand in this parallele they also as yet hauing in opinion that the Island of Samatra did ioine with Iaua by the chanell of Sunda and the Islands of Bali Aujaue çambaua Solor Hogaleao Maulua Vintara Rosalaguin and others that be in this parallele and altitude did all ioine with Iaua and so they séeme outwardly to those that descrie them For at this day the Islands stand so néere the one to the other that they séeme all but one firme land and whosoeuer passeth betwéene some of them
if they had not told him that the Red sea was higher then the land of Egypt and that by meanes of the salt sea comming into the riuer Nilus all the prouince would haue béen lost and vndone for hunger and thirst For the fresh water of the riuer Nilus doth ouerflowe the whole countrey and the inhabitants haue no other water then that for their drinke whereupon he left his first purpose of prosecuting that enterprise Now by the way I shall not swarue much from my matter if I speake a word or two of some things incident to this discourse The Egyptians say that they had in their countrey certaine vermine like vnto rats whereof many be halfe like earth and the other halfe like a vermine One kinde of them kéepe the water and another kinde the land For my part I thinke that these be they which breake the serpents egges whereof there are many in the riuer Nilus which also be called Crocodiles which in times past by report were so inchanted that thereby they could not hurt any person But when they were deliuered from their inchantment made by the Egyptians arte and letters then they endeuoured to kill people wilde beasts and cattell doing very much harme specially those which liue in the water which oftentimes come to the land and liuing altogether on land become very strong poison The people beyond the citie of Cairo vse to fish for them and eate them and they take their heads and set them vpon the walles of their citie Of these Crocodiles it is written that they lay themselues along by the riuer with their mouthes open and that there come vnto them certaine white birds litle bigger then thrusshes which flie into the mouth of the Crocodile and picke out the filthines which is betwéene his téeth and in his iawes wherewith he is greatly pleased but for all that the Crocodile would close his mouth and deuoure the bird if nature had not prouided the bird a sharpe pricke as it were growing out of his head wherewith he pricketh the Crocodile in the mouth which causeth him to gape wide and so the bird flieth away without harme yet there come by and by other of those birds which make an end of cleansing his mouth In the same riuer there are also many beastes like vnto horses and vpon the land certaine fowles like vnto cranes which warre continually with serpents that come thither from Arabia and kill many of them Which birds as also the vermine which eate the egges of the Crocodiles are greatly estéemed of the Egyptians But now to returne to my matter and to procéede in the discoueries In the yéere 485. before the incarnation of Christ Xerxes the king of Persia commanded Sataspis his nephew to goe and search and discouer India who according to the precept vndertooke the voyage and went through the straight of Gibraltar and passed the promontorie of Africa which now we call the Cape of Bona Sperança standing southward betwixt 34. and 35. degrées in latitude and being weary of so great a nauigation turned from thence backe againe as Bartholomew Diaz did in our daies Before the comming of Christ 443. yéeres Himilco and Hanno his brother Carthaginian captaines gouerning that part of Spaine which is now called Andaluzia departed from thence each one with his nauie Himilco sailing towards the north discouered the coasts of Spaine France England Flanders and Germanie And some write farther that he sailed vnto Gotland came to the Island of Thule or Island standing vnder the circle Arcticke in 24. degrées from the north pole and continued in his nauigation two yéeres til he came vnto this Island where the day hath in Iune 22. houres and in December the night also hath 22. houres whereby it is there woonderfully cold Now the other brother Hanno tooke his course towarde Africa and Guiney and he discouered the Fortunate Islands which we call the Canaries and besides these he discouered others as the Dorcades Hesperides the Gorgades which now be called the Isles of Cape Verde There he with his company went along the coast till they doubled the Cape of Bona Sperança and taking their course towards the land they went along by it vnto another Cape named Aromaticum which is now called Guardafu standing southeast from Cape Verde in 14. degrées toward the north and he came to the coast of Arabia standing in 16. and 17. degrées and was fiue yéeres in this voiage before he returned backe into Spaine There be others that say that he passed not beyond Sierra Leona but peopled it and afterwards discouered as far as the line But it séemeth he made a full nauigation because he spent so much time in his trauaile It is reported that the inhabitants of the Cape of Bona Sperança are great witches and inchanters of certaine snakes which they bring to such seruice and commandement that they kéepe their Churches and Churchyards gardens orchards barnes and cattel as well from wilde beasts as from théeues For if they see any to doe or to intend hurt the snake windes her selfe to him or them holding them as prisoners and commanding her yoong ones to call their masters vntill they be taken If the théeues be many or the wilde beastes of so much strength that they dare not meddle with them then they goe vnto the house of him with whom they doe liue and if it be in the night time they giue so many strokes that at the last they doe awake them to cause them to prouide for their defence A certaine Italian called Aloisius Cadamusta writeth that he being in the discouerie of Guiney in the kingdome of Budimol lay in the house of Bisborol his sonnes sonne and lying in his bed he heard a great noise and many blowes giuen about the house whereupon Bisborol rose and went out and when he came againe Cadamusta demanded of him where he had béen and he answered that he had béen with his Cobras or snakes which called him In the Indias there be many of these kinde of snakes and some full of poison which notwithstanding the Indian people vse to carrie about their necks and put them into their bosomes and vnder their armes which at some soundes that the people make will daunce and doe diuers things at commandement There was a Portugall that somtime told me that beyond the Cape of Bona Sperança towards Sofala Quiloa and Melinde where he had béen there were certaine birds which would come to the Black Moores at their call and according as the Moores did remooue so the birds would doe from one trée to another and they vsed to follow them till they did light vpon some trée from whence they could not remooue And as the Negros went vp the trée they should finde waxe and honie thereupon not knowing whether it grewe there naturally or not In the same countrey also vnder ground in Ant-holes they did finde much
in 20. degrées and informed Don Henry of the state of that couÌ„trey by the Moores which they brought from thence Whereupon he sent one Fernan Lopez de Sauado to giue knowledge thereof to Pope Martine trusting to make these things commodious to Holy Church Vpon which knowledge the Pope granted indulgences and euerlasting pardon and all other things demanded of him vnto those which should die in this enterprise After this in the yéere 1443. Don Henry commanded Antonie Gonsales to carrie backe the slaues which he had brought and to ransome them in their countrey Which he did and the Moores gaue them in trucke for them againe blacke Moores with curled haire and some gold so that now that place is called Rio de Oro that is the Golden Riuer whereby the desire of the discouerie might be the more increased Not long after he sent out another named Nunnez Tristan who came vnto the Islands of Arguin where he tooke more slaues and brought them to Portugall in the yéere 1444. Hereupon also one Lansarote a groome of Don Gilians chamber with others associated with him armed out certaine ships which went coasting til they came to the Islands of Garze where they tooke two hundred slaues which were the first that were brought from thence to Portugall In the yéere 1445. there went as captaine of a barke one Gonsalo de Syntra an esquire belonging to Don Henry into those parts and he went on land where he was taken with sixe or seuen more of his company which place was therefore called after his name Angra de Gonsaluo de Syntra This was the first losse which the Portugals receiued in their discoueries In the yéere following Don Henry sent out thrée carauels wherein went as captaines Antonie Gonsales Diego Aloizio and Gomes Perez who had their direction not to enter into Rio de Oro nor to beare themselues disorderly but to trauaile in peace and to conuert as many infidels as they could to Christianitie But none of these things were performed by them for they returned without doing any memorable act In the same yéere 1446. another esquire belonging to the king of Portugall called Denis Fernandes of the citie of Lisbon entred into these discoueries more to winne fame then to reape commoditie by them And he being in his voiage came to the riuer of Sanaga standing betwéene 15. and 16. degrées of latitude towards the north where he tooke certaine Negroes and not contented therewith he went forward and discouered Cape Verde standing in 14. degrees on the same side and there he set vp vpon the land a crosse of wood and then returned with great contentation In the yéere 1447. one Nunnez Tristan went foorth to discouer in a carauell and he passed the aforesaid Cape Verde and Rio Grande and went past it vnto another standing beyond it in 12. degrées where he was also taken with 18. Portugals more but the ship came home againe in safetie conducted by fower or fiue which escaped the hands of the Negroes In this yéere also 1447. it happened that there came a Portugall ship through the streight of Gibraltar and being taken with a great tempest was forced to runne westwards more then willingly the men would and at last they fell vpon an Island which had seuen cities and the people spake the Portugall toong and they demanded if the Moores did yet trouble Spaine whence they had fled for the losse which they receiued by the death of the king of Spaine Don Roderigo The boateswaine of the ship brought home a little of the sand and sold it vnto a goldsmith of Lisbon out of the which he had a good quantitie of gold Don Pedro vnderstanding this being then gouernour of the realme caused all the things thus brought home and made knowne to be recorded in the house of Iustice There be some that thinke that those Islands whereunto the Portugals were thus driuen were the Antiles or Newe Spaine alleaging good reasons for their opinion which here I omit because they serue not to my purpose But all their reasons séeme to agrée that they should be that countrey which is called Noua Spagna In the yéere 1449. the king Don Alfonso gaue licence vnto his vncle Don Henry to inhabit the Islands of the Açores which were long before discouered And in the yéere 1458. this king went into Africa and there he tooke the towne called Alcaçer And in the yéere 1461. he commanded Signior Mendez a gentleman of his house to build the castle of Arguin whereof he gaue vnto him the gouernment as to his lieutenant In the yéere 1462. there came into the realme of Portugall thrée Genowais of good parentage the chiefe of whom was called Antonie de Noli and of the other two the one was his brother the other was his nepâ—ew and each of these had his seuerall ship crauing libertie of Don Henry to discouer the Islands of Cape Verde which was granted them Others say that the places which they discouered were those which Antiquitie called the Gorgades Hesperides and Dorcades but they named them Mayo Sainct Iago and Sainct Philip because they discouered them on those Saints daies but they are also called by some the Islands of Antonio In the yéere following 1463. this good noble man Don Henry died leaning from Cape De Non discouered vnto the mountaine called Sierra Leona standing on this side the line in 8. degrées of latitude where no man had béene before that time In the yéere 1469. the king of Portugall did let out for yéerely rent the trade of Guiney vnto one called Fernan Gomez which countrey afterwards was called The Mine He let it out for fiue yéeres for two hundred thousand Reyes by the yéere which is of our English money 138. l. 17. â— 9. d. ob and added vnto his lease this condition that euery yéere he should discouer an hundred leagues In the yéere following which was 1470. this king went into Africa with his sonne Prince Iohn where they tooke the towne of Arzila and the people of the citie of Tanger fled out for feare and that he tooke also It séemeth that good fortune followeth a couragious attempt In the yéere 1471. Fernan Gomes gaue commandement that the coast should be discouered as it lay Which was vndertaken by Iohn de S. Aren and Iohn de Scouar and they went and found the Mine in 5. degrées of latitude And the next yéere which was 1472. one Fernando da Poo discouered the Island now called after his name Also about this time the Islands of Sainct Thomas and Del Principe were discouered standing vnder the line with the firme land also wherein is the kingdome of Benin reaching to the Cape de Santa Catarina standing on the south side of the line in 3. degrées The man
the mouth which they name Bocca de Dragone or the Dragons mouth and they tooke their course hard by the coast where they found thrée small Islands which they named Los Testigos that is to say The Witnesses beyond which standeth the Island of Cubagua where is great fishing of muscle pearles where also as they say there springeth a Well of aile and beyond that Island they came to the Isles of Frailes Roques Aruba and Curaçao with other small ones all along the Bay and they came to the point of Cabo de Vela and discouered along the coast almost 200. leagues from whence they crossed ouer to Hispaniola hauing had also sight of the Island called Beata In this same yéere 1497. on the 20. day of the moneth of Iune one Vasques de Gama sailed from Lisbon by the king Emmanuels commandement to India with 3. ships wherein there went for captaines Vasques de Gama Paulus de Gama his brother and Nicolas Coello with 120. men with whom also there went one ship laden only with vittailes and in 14. daies they came vnto Cape Verde vnto the Island of Saint Iago where they refreshed themselues and from thence they went along the coast beyond the Cape of Bona Sperança whereupon they erected certaine pillers of stone and so came vnto Mosambique standing in 15. degrées to the south of the line where they staied not long but went from thence to Mombaza and vnto Melinde where the king of that place gaue them pilots which conducted them into India in which discouerie they found out Los Baxos do Padua that is to say the flats of Padua In the yéere 1498. in the moneth of May they came to an anker before the citie of Calicut and Panana where they remained all the winter and the first day of September they set saile towards the north discouering the coast all along till they came to the Island of Angediua which standeth on that side in 15. degrées of latitude where they came to an anker in the beginning of October and so they departed from Angediua in Februarie in the yéere 1499. and came in sight of the coast of Africa about Melinde towards the north 3. or 4. degrées from thence they sailed vnto the said citie and so vnto Mosambique againe and to the Cape of Bona Sperança sailing along by the coast and then they came to the Islands of Cape Verde and last of al to the citie of Lisbon in the moneth of September hauing béene in the voiage 26. monethes In the yéere 1499 on the 13. day of the moneth of Nouember there departed frō Palos one Vincent Yannez Pinson and his nephew Aries Pinson with fower ships well appointed at their owne coast and charges to discouer the new world vnder the licence of the king of Castile and with commandement not to touch there where the Admirall Columbus had béene And so they went to the Islands of Cape Verde and passed the line to the southward and discouered the Cape of Saint Augustine standing on that side in 8. degrées of latitude and there they wrote on the rindes of pine trées the names of the king and of the Quéene also the yéere and day when they arriued there They fought with the people of Brasil but got nothing they tooke their course all along the coast towards the west vnto the riuer Maria Tambal and at that time they had taken thirty and odde prisoners The chiefe places where they touched were the Cape of S. Augustine and the angle or point of S. Luke and Tierra de los Humos the Riuers of Marannon and of the Amazones and Rio dolce or the Swéete riuer and other places along the coast and they came to ten degrées of latitude on the north side where they lost two ships and their companie and remained in that voiage of discouery ten moneths and 15. daies In the yéere 1500. and in the moneth of March one Pedro Aluarez Cabral sailed out of Lisbon with 13. ships with commandement not to come néere the coast of Africa to shorten his way and he losing the sight of one of his ships went to séeke her and in séeking of her lost his course and sailed till he came within sight of the land The Generall was so long in séeking his ship that the companie were wearie of it and entreated him to leaue his enterprise The next day they fell in sight of the coast of Brasil whereupon the Generall commanded a barke to goe to land and séeke an hauen which they did and found a good and safe hauen and they named it Puerto Seguro that is to say The Safe hauen standing on the south side in 17. degrées of latitude From thence they sailed towardes the Cape of Bona Sperança and Melinde and crossed ouer to the riuer of Cochin which before was not knowne where they laded themselues with pepper and at their returne Sancho de Thouar discouered the citie of Sofala vpon the coast of Africa In this same yéere 1500. it is reported that Gaspar Cortereal craued a generall licence of the king Emmanuel to discouer the New found land He went from the Island Terçera with two ships well appointed at his owne cost and he sailed vnto that climate which standeth vnder the north in 50. degrées of latitude which is a land nowe called after his name and he came home in safetie vnto the citie of Lisbon And making another time this voiage the ship was lost wherein he went and the other came backe into Portugall Wherefore his brother Michael Cortereal went to séeke him with thrée ships well appointed at his owne cost and when they came vnto that coast and found so many entrances of riuers and hauens euery ship went into her seuerall riuer with this rule and order that they all thrée should meete againe the 20. day of August The two other ships did so and they séeing that Michael Cortereal was not come at the day appointed nor yet afterwards in a certaine time returned backe into the realme of Portugall and neuer heard any more newes of him nor yet any other memorie But that countrey is called The land of Cortereall vnto this day In the yéere 1501. in the moneth of March Iohn de Noua departed from the citie of Lisbon with fower ships and passed the line on the south side into 8. degrees of latitude and he discouered an Island which he called the Isle de Ascension And he went vnto Mosambique and to Melinde and from thence he crossed ouer vnto the other side where they tooke lading and so came back and doubled the Cape and found an Island called Santa Helena being but a small thing but yet of great importance in respect of the situation thereof In this same yéere 1501. and in the moneth of May there departed out of Lisbon thrée
and came to an anker in an hauen of it called Guliguli where they went on land and tooke a village standing by the riuer where they found dead men hanging in the houses for the people there are eaters of mans flesh Here the Portugals burnt the ship wherein Francis Serrano was for she was old and rotten They went to a place on the other side standing in 8. degrées toward the south where they laded cloues nutmegs and mace in a Iunco or barke which Francis Serrano bought here They say that not farre from the Islands of Banda there is an Island where there bréedeth nothing else but snakes and the most are in one caue in the middest of the land This is a thing not much to be woondred at for as much as in the Leuant sea hard by the Isles of Maiorca and Minorca there is another Island of old named Ophiâ—sa and now Formentera wherein there is great abundance of these vermine and in the rest of the Islands lying by it there are none In the yéere 1512. they departed from Banda toward Malacea and on the baxos or flats of Luçapinho Francis Serrano perished in his Iunke or barke from whence escaped vnto the Isle of Mindanao nine or ten Portugals which were with him and the kings of Maluco sent for them These were the first Portugals that came to the Islands of Cloues which stand from the Equinoctiall line towardes the north in one degrée where they liued seuen or eight yeeres The Island of Gumnape now called Ternate is much to be admired for that it casteth out fire There were some princes of the Moores and couragious Portugals which determined to goe néere to the firie place to sée what it was but they could neuer come néere it But Antonie Galuano hearing of it vndertooke to goe vp to it and did so and found a riuer so extreme cold that he could not suffer his hand in it nor yet put any of the water in his mouth And yet this place standeth vnder the line where the sunne continually burneth In these Islands of Maluco there is a kinde of men that haue spurres on their ankles like vnto cocks And it was told me by the king of Tydore that in the Islands of Batochina there were people that had tailes and had a thing like vnto a dug betwéen their cods out of the which there came milke There are smal hennes also which lay their egges vnder the ground aboue a fathome and an halfe and the egges are bigger then ducks egges and many of these hennes are blacke in their flesh There are hogs also with hornes and parats which prattle much which they call Noris There is also a riuer of water so hot that whatsoeuer liuing creature coÌ„meth into it their skins will come off and yet fish bréede in it There are crabs which be very swéete and so strong in their clawes that they will breake the iron of a pikâ—axe There be others also in the sea little and hairie but whosoeuer eateth of them dieth immediately There be likewise certaine oisters which they doe call Bras the shels whereof haue so large a compasse that they doe Christen in them In the sea also there are liuely stones which doe grow and increase like vnto fish whereof very good lime is made and if they let it lie when it is taken out of the water it looseth the strength and it neuer burneth after There is also a certaine trée which beareth flowers at the sunne set which fall downe as soone as they be growne There is a fruit also as they say whereof if a woman that is conceaued of childe eateth the childe by by mooueth There is further a kinde of herbe there growing which followeth the sunne and remooueth after it which is a very strange and maruailous thing In the yéere 1512. in the moneth of Ianuarie Alfonsus de Albuquerque went backe from Malaca vnto Goa and the ship wherein he went was lost and the rest went from his companie Simon de Andrada and a few Portugals were driuen vnto the Islands of Maldiua being many full of palme trées and they stand lowe by the water which staied there till they knew what was become of their gouernour These were the first Portugals that had séene those Islands wherein there growe Cocos which are very good against all kinde of poison In this yéere 1512. there went out of Castile one Iohn de Solis borne in Lisbon and chiefe pilot vnto Don Fernando And he hauing licence went to discouer the coast of Brasill He tooke the like course that the Pinsons had done he went also to the Cape of S. Augustine and went forwards to the south coasting the shore and land and he came vnto The Port De Lagoa and in 35. degrées of southerly latitude he found a riuer which they of Brasill call Parana-guaçu that is The great Water He sawe there signes of siluer and therefore called it Rio de Plata that is The Riuer of siluer And it is said that at that time he went farther because he liked the countrey well but he returned backe againe into Spaine and made account of all things to Don Fernando demaunding of the king the gouernment thereof which the king granted him Whereupon he prouided thrée ships and with them in the yéere 1515. he went againe into that kingdome but he was there slaine These Solisses were great discouerers in those partes and spent therein their liues and goods In the same yéere 1512. Iohn Ponce of Leon which had béene goueruour of the Isle of S. Iohn armed two ships and went to séeke the Isle of Boyuca where the naturals of the countrey reported to be a Wel which maketh old men yoong Whereupon he laboured to finde it out and was in searching of it the space of sixe monethes but could finde no such thing He entred into the Isle of Bimini and discouered a point of the firme land standing in 25. degrées towards the north vpon Easter day and therefore he named it Florida And because the land séemed to yeeld gold and siluer and great riches he begged it of the king Don Fernando but he died in the discouerie of it as many more haue done In the yéere 1513. Vasco Nunnes de Valboa hearing spéech and newes of The south sea determined to goe thither although his companie dissuaded him from that action But being a man of good valure with those soldiers that he had being 290. he resolued to put himselfe into that ieoperdie He went therefore from Dariene the first day of September carrying some Indians of the countrey with him to be his guides and he marched ouerthwart the land sometimes quietly sometimes in war and in a certaine place called Careca he found Negroes captiues with curled haire This Valboa came to the sight of the South Sea on the 25. day of the said
moneth and on Saint Michaels day came vnto it where he imbarked himselfe against the will of Chiapes who was the Lord of that coast who wished him not to doe so because it was very dangerous for him But he desirous to haue it knowne that he had béene vpon those seas went forwards and came backe againe to land in safetie and with great contentment bringing with him good store of gold siluer and pearles which there they tooke For which good seruice of his Don Ferdinando the king greatly fauoured and honoured him This yéere 1513. in the moneth of Februarie Alfonsus de Albuquerque went froÌ„ the citie of Goa towards the streight of Mecha with twenty ships They arriued at the citie of Aden and battered it and passed forward and entred into the Streight They say that they saw a crosse in the element and worshipped it They wintered in the Island of Camaran This was the first Portugall captaine that gaue information of those seas and of that of Persia being things in the world of great account In the yéere 1514. and in the moneth of May there went out of Saint Luâ—ar one Pedro Arias de Auila at the commandement of Don Ferdinando He was the fourth gouernour of Castillia del Oro or Golden Castile for so they named the countreyes of Dariene Carthagena and Vraba and that countrey which was newly conquered He carried with him his wife the Lady Elizabeth and 1500. men in seuen ships and the king appointed Vasco Nunnez de Valboa gouernour of the South Sea and of that coast In the beginning of the yéere 1515. the gouernour Pedro Arias de Auila sent one Gaspar Morales with 150. men vnto the Gulfe of S. Michael to discouer the Islands of Tararequi Chiapes and Tumaccus There was a Casique Valboas friend which gaue him many Canoas or boates made of one trée to rowe in wherein they passed vnto The Island of pearles the Lord whereof resisted them at their comming on land But Chiapes and Tumaccus did pacifie him in such order that the captaine of the Isle had them home vnto his house and made much of them and receiued baptisme at their hands naming him Pedro Arias after the gouernours name and he gaue vnto them for this a basket full of pearles waying 110. pounds whereof some were as big as hasell nuts of 20. 25. 26. or 31. carats euery carat is fower graines There was giuen for one of them 1200. ducats This Island of Tararequi standeth in 5. degrées of latitude towards the north In this yéere 1515. in the moneth of March the gouernour sent one Gonsaluo de Badaios with 80. soldiers to discouer new lands and they went from Dariene to Nombre de Dios where came vnto them one Lewis de Mercado with fiftie men more which the gouernour sent to aide him They determined to discouer toward the South saying that that countrey was the richest They tooke with them Indians to be their guides and going along the coast they found slaues marked with irons as the Portugals doe vse and hauing marched a good way through the countreyes with great trauaile they gathered together much golde and fortie slaues to doe them seruice but one Casique named Pariza did set vpon them and slue and tooke the most part of them The gouernour hearing of these newes the same yéere 1515. sent foorth his sonne Iohn Arias de Auila to be reuenged and to discouer also by sea and by land They went westward to Cape De Guerra standing in little more then sixe degrées towards the north and from thence vnto Punta de Borica and to Cape Blanco or the White Cape standing in 8. degrées and an halfe they discouered 250. leagues as they affirme and peopled the citie of Panama In this very yéere 1515. in the moneth of May Alfonsus de Albuquerque gouernour of India sent from the citie of Ormuz one Fernando Gomes de Lemos as ambassadour vnto Xec or Shaugh Ismael king of Persia and it is declared that they trauailed in it 300. leagues and that it is a pleasant countrey like vnto France This Xeâ— or Shaugh Ismael went on hunting and fishing for troutes whereof there are many And there be the fairest women in all the world And so Alexander the great affirmed when he called them The women with golden eies And this yéere this woorthy Viceroy Alfonsus de Albuquerque died In the yéere 1416. and one hundred yéeres after the taking of Ceuta in Barbaâ—ie Lopez Suares being gouernour of India there was a dispatch made by the commandement of the kings highnes vnto one Fernando Perez de Andrada to passe to the great countrey and kingdome of China He went from the citie of Cochin in the moneth of Aprill They receiued pepper being the principal marchandise to be sold in all China of any value And he was farther commanded by the king Don Emmanuel to goe also to Bengala with his letter and dispatch to a knight called Iohn Coelo This was the first Portugall as farre as I know which drunke of the water of the riuer Ganges This yéere 1516. died Don Fernando king of Spaine In the yéere 1517. this Fernando Perez went vnto the citie of Malacha and in the moneth of Iune he departed from thence towards China with eight sailes fower Portugals and the others Malayans He arriued in China And because he could not come on land without an ambassage there was one Thomas Perez which had order for it and he went from the citie of Canton where they came to an anker They went by land fower hundred leagues and came vnto the citie of Pekin where the king was for this prouince and countrey is the biggest that is in the worlde It beginneth at Sailana in twentie degrées of latitude towards the north and it endeth almost in 50. degrées Which must be 500. leagues in length and they say that it containeth 300. leagues in bredth Fernando Perez was 14. moneths in the Isle Da Veniaga learning as much as he could of the countrey according as the king his master had commanded him And although one Raphael Perestrello had beene there in a Iunke or barke of certaine marchants of Malaca yet vnto Fernando Perez there ought to be giuen the praise of this discouerie as well for that he had commandement from the king as in discouering so much with Thomas Perez by land and George Mascarenhas by sea and for coasting vnto the citie of Foquiem standing in 24. degrees of latitude In this same yéere 1517. Charles which afterward was Emperour came into Spaine and tooke possession thereof And in the same yéere Francis Fernandes de Cordoua Christopher Morantes and Lopez Ochoa armed thrée ships at their owne proper charges from the Island of Cuba They had also with them a barke of Diego Velasques who then was gouernour They
they were resisted at the first but quickly put the people to the woorst and kept them for euer after in subiection In this same yéere 1524. one Roderigo de Bastidas was sent to discouer people and gouerne the countrey of Santa Martha where he lost his life because he would not suffer the soldiers to take the spoile of a certaine towne They ioined with Peter Villa-forte and he being sometimes his entire friend did helpe to kill him with daggers lying in his bed Afterward Don Pedro de Lugo and Don Alfonso his sonne were gouernours of that place which vsed themselues like couetous tyrants whereof grew much trouble In this same yéere also 1524. after that the Licenciate Lucas Vasques de Aillon had obtained of the Emperour the gouernment of Chicora he armed for that purpose certaine ships from the citie of Santo Domingo and went to discouer the countrey and to inhabite it but he was lost with all his companie leauing nothing done woorthy of memorie And I cannot tell how it commeth to passe except it be by the iust iudgement of God that of so much gold and precious stones as haue béene gotten in the Antiles by so many Spaniards little or none remaineth but the most part is spent and consumed and no good thing done In this yéere 1524. Cortes sent one Christopher de Olid with a fléete to the Island of Cuba to receiue the vitailes and munition which Alonso de Contreras had prepared and to discouer and people the countrey about Cape De Higueras and the Honduras and to send Diego Hurtado de Mendoça by sea to search the coast from thence euen to Darien to finde out the Streight which was thought to run into the South sea as the Emperour had commanded He sent also two ships from Panuco to search along the coast vnto Florida He commanded also certaine brigandines to search the coast from Zacatullan vnto Panama This Christopher de Olid came to the Island of Cuba and made a league with Diego Velasquez against Cortes and so set saile and went on land hard by Puerto de Cauallos standing in 10. degrées to the north and built a towne which he called Triumpho de la Cruz. He tooke Gil Gonzales de Auila prisoner and killed his nephew and the Spaniards that were with him all sauing one childe and shewed himselfe an enimie to Cortes who had spent in that expedition thirty thousand Castellans of gold to doe him pleasure withall Cortes vnderstanding hereof the same yéere 1524. and in the moneth of October he went out of the citie of Mexico to seeke Christopher de Olid to be reuenged of him and also to discouer carrying with him thrée hundred Spanish footemen and horsemen and Quahutimoc king of Mexico and other great Lords of the same citie And comming to the towne called La villa del Espiritu santo he required guides of the Lords of Tauasco and Xicalanco and they sent him ten of their principall men for guides who gaue him also a map of cotton wooll wherein was painted the situation of the whole countrey from Xicalanco vnto Naco and Nito and euen as farre as Nicaragua with their mountaines hils fields meadowes vallies riuers cities and townes And Cortes in the meane time sent for thrée ships which were at the hauen of Medellin to follow him along the coast In this yeere 1524. they came to the citie of Izancanac where he vnderstood that the king Quahutimoc and the Mexicans that were in his companie were conspired against him and the Spanyards for the which he hanged the king and two others of the chiefe and so came to the citie of Mazaclan and after that to Tiaca the head citie of a prouince so called standing in the middest of a lake and here about they began to finde the traine of the Spanyards which they went to seeke and so they went to Zuzullin and at length came to the towne of Nito from Nito Cortes with his owne companie and all the Spanyards that he found there departed to the shore or strand called La Baâ—a de Sant Andres and finding there a good hauen he builded a towne in that place and called it Natividad de nuestra SenÌ„ora From hence Cortes went to the towne of Truxillo standing in the hauen of the Honduras where the Spanyards dwelling there did entertaine him well and while he was there there arriued a ship which brought newes of the stirre in Mexico in Cortes his absence whereupon he sent word to Gonsalo de Sandoual to march with his companie from Naco to Mexico by land toward the South sea vnto Quahutemallan because that is the vsuall plaine and safest way and he left as captaine in Truxillo Fernando de Saavedra his cosen and he himselfe went by sea along the coast of Iucatan to Chalchicoeca now called Sant Iuan de Vllhua and so to Medellin and from thence to Mexico where he was well receiued hauing béene from thence 18. monethes and had gone fiue hundred leagues trauailing often out of his way and enduring much hardnes In the yéere 1525. Francis Pizarro and Diego de Almagro went from Panama to discouer Peru standing beyond the line towarde the South which they called Nueua Castillia The gouernour Pedro Arias would not entermeddle with this expedition because of the euill newes which his captaine Francis Vezerra had brought Francis Pizarro went first in a ship hauing with him 124. soldiers and Almagro went after him in another ship with 70. men He came to Rio de San Iuan standing in thrée degrées where he got two thousand pesoes of gold and not finding Pizarro he went to séeke him repenting his doings by reason of a mishap that he had But he went first to an Island called Isla del Gorgona and afterward to another called Isla del Gallo and to the riuer called Rio del Peru standing in two degrées northward whereof so many famous countreyes take their name From thence they went to Rio de San Francisco and to Cabo de Passaos where they passed the Equinoctiall line and came to Puerto Vejo standing in one degrée to the south of the line from whence they sailed to the riuers of Chinapanpa Tumbez and Payta standing in 4. or 5. degrées where they had knowledge of king Atabalipa and of the exceeding wealth and riches of his palace Which newes mooued Pizarro spéedily to returne home againe to Panama and so into Spaine and to request the gouernment of that countrey of the Emperour which he also obtained He had spent aboue thrée yéeres before in this discouerie not without enduring great trauaile and perils In the same yéere 1525. there was sent out of Spaine a fléete of seuen ships whereof was captaine generall Don Garsia de Loaisa to the Islands of Maluco They went from the citie of the Groine and passed by the Islands
Xalisco and told Nunnes de Gusman that they had found tokens of pearles he went into the ship and so went to séeke the pearles he discouered along the coast aboue 150. leagues They said that Ferdinando de Grijalua sailed thrée hundred leagues from Tecoantepec without seeing any land but onely one Island which he named The Isle of Saint Thomas because he came vnto it on that Saints day it standeth in 20. degrées of latitude In this yéere 1535. Pisarro builded the citie de los Reyes vpon the riuer of Lima. The inhabitants of Xauxa went to dwell there because it was a better countrey standing in 12. degrées of southerly latitude In this same yéere of 1535. he caused the citie of Truxillo to be builded on a riuers side vpon a fruitfull soile standing in 8. degrées on that side He built also the citie of Saint Iago in Porto Viejo besides many others along the sea coast and within the land where there bréede many horses asses mules kine hogs goates shéepe and other beasts also trées and plants but principally rosemary oranges limons citrons and other sower fruits vines wheate barlie and other graines radishes and other kinde of herbage and fruits brought out of Spaine thither to be sowne and planted In the same yéere 1535. one Diego de Almagro went from the citie of Culco to the prouinces of Arequipa and Chili reaching beyond Cusco towards the South vnto 30. degrées This voiage was long and he discouered much land suffering great hunger cold and other extremities by reason of the abundance of ice which stoppeth the running of the riuers so that men and horses die in those parts of the colde About this time Ferdinando Pilarro came out of Spaine to the citie de los Reyes and brought with him the title of Marquisate of Atanillos for his brother Francis Pisarro vnto Diego de Almagro he brought the gouernment of 100. leagues ouer and besides that which was discouered and named it The New kingdome of Toledo Ferdinando Pilarro went straight to the citie of Cusco and one Iohn de Rada went to Almagro into Chili with the Emperours patents Diego de Almagro hauing receiued the letters patents which the Emperour had sent him went straight from Chili vnto Cusco to haue it séeing it did appertaine vnto him Which was the cause of a ciuill warre They were mightily oppressed with want of victuailes and other things in this their returne and were enforced to eate the horses which had died fower moneths and a halfe before when they passed that way In this same yéere 1535. Nunnez DacunÌ„a being gouernour of India while he was making a fortresse at the citie of Diu he sent a fleete to the riuer of Indus being froÌ„ thence 90. or 100. leagues towards the north vnder the Tropicke of Cancer The captaines name was Vasques Perez de San Paio also he sent another armie against Badu the king of Cambaia the captaine whereof was Cosesofar a renegado They came to the barre of that mighty riuer in the moneth of December of the water whereof they found such trial as Quintus Curtius writeth of it when Alexander came thither In this yeere 1535. one Simon de Alcazaua went from Siuill with two ships and 240. Spaniards in them Some say they went to New Spaine others that they went to Maluco but others also say to China where they had béene with Ferdinando Perez de Andrada Howsoeuer it was they went first vnto the Canaries and from thence to the streight of Magelan without touching at the land of Brasill or any part at all of that coast They entred into the streight in the moneth of December with contrarie windes and cold weather The soldiers would haâ—â— had him turne backe againe but he would not He went into an hauen on the South side in 53. degrées There the captaine Simon of Alcazaua commanded Roderigo de Isla with 60. Spanyards to goe and discouer land but they rose vp against him and killed him and appointed such captaines and officers as pleased them and returned Comming thwart of Brasil they lost one of their ships vpon the coast and the Spanyards that escaped drowning were eaten by the Sauages The other ship went to Saint Iago in Hispaniola and from thence to Siuill in Spaine In this same yéere 1535. Don Pedro de Mendoça went from Cadiz towards the riuer of Plate with twelue ships and had with him two thousand men which was the greatest number of ships and men that euer any captaine carried into the Indies He died by the way returning homewards The most part of his men remained in that riuer and builded a great towne containing now two thousand houses wherein great store of Indians dwell with the Spanyards They discouered and conquered the countrey till they came to the mines of Potossi and to the towne La Plata which is 500. leagues distant from them In the yéere 1536. Cortes vnderstanding that his ship wherein Fortunio Ximenez was pilote was seased on by Nunnez de Guzman he sent foorth thrée ships to the place where Guzman was and he himselfe went by land well accompanied and found the ship which he sought all spoiled and rifled When his thrée other ships were come about he went aboord himselfe with the most part of his men and horses leauing for captaine of those which remained on land one Andrew de Tapia So he set saile and comming to a point the first day of May he called it Saint Philip and an Island that lieth fast by it he called Sant Iago Within three daies after he came into the bay where the pilot Fortunio Ximenez was killed which he called La plaia de Santa Cruz where he went on land and commanded Andrew de Tapia to discouer Cortes tooke shipping againe and came to the riuer now called Rio de San Pedro y San Paulo where by a tempest the ships were separated one was driuen to the bay de Santa Cruz another to the riuer of Guajaual and the third was driuen on shore hard by Xalisco and the men thereof went by land to Mexico Cortes long expected his two ships that he wanted but they not comming he hoised saile entred into the Gulfe now called Mar de Cortes Mar Vermejo or the Gulfe of California and shot himselfe 50. leagues within it where he espied a ship at anker sailing towards her he had béene lost if that ship had not succored him But hauing graued his ship he departed with both the ships from thence Hée bought victuals at a déere rate at Saint Michael of Culhuacan and from thence he went to the hauen of Santa Cruz where hée heard that Don Antonio de Mendoça was come out of Spaine to be Viceroy He therefore left to be captaine of his men one Francis de Vlloa to send him certaine ships to discouer that coast While he was
may touch with their hand the boughs of the trées on the one and on the other side also And to come néerer to the matter it is not long since that in the east the Islands of Banda were diuers of them ouerflowen and drowned by the sea And so likewise in China about nine score miles of firme ground is now become a lake as it is reported Which is not to be thought maruellous considering that which Ptolemey and others haue written in such cases which here I omit to returne to my purpose After the flood 800. yéeres we reade that the citie of Troy was builded by the Dardans and that before that time they brought out of the Indies into Europe by the Red sea spices drugs and many other kindes of marchandises which were there more abundant then now they be Whereunto if credit may be giuen we may conceaue that the sea was of old haunted and frequented séeing that then they of the East had so much and so great trafficke with them of the West that they brought their marchandise vnto an hauen which was named Arsinoe being that which at this day is called Suez standing in 30. degrées on the north part of the Arabian Gulfe It is also by authors farther written that from this hauen of Arsinoe or Suez these marchandises were carried by Carauans or great companies of carriers vpon camels asses and mules vnto the Leuant sea vnto a city called Cassou standing on the coast in 32. degrées of latitude yeelding vnto euery degrée 17. leagues and an halfe as the maner is And there are by account from the one sea to the other 35. leagues or 105. miles These carriers by reason of the heate of the countrey trauailed in the night onely directing themselues by stars and by marks of postes and canes which they vsed to sticke in the ground as they went But after that because this course and iourney had many inconueniences they changed and altered the same twise to finde out the most commodious way 900. yéeres or there about after the flood and before the destruction of Troy there was a king in Egypt called Sesostris who perceiuing that the former courses and passages for the carrying of marchandises by men beasts were chargeable to the one most painfull to the other prouided to haue a way or streame cut out of the land from the Red sea vnto an arme of the riuer Nilus which rūneth vnto the Citie Heroum that by the meanes thereof ships might passe and repasse with their marchandises from India into Europe and not be discharged till they came into Italie So that this Sesostris was the first king which built great caracks to trauaile this way But this enterprise for all that tooke little effect For if it had Africa had then béen made as an Island all compassed with water being no more ground betweene sea and sea then the space of 20. leagues or 60. miles About this time the Graecians gathered together an army or fléete which now is called Argonautica whereof Iason and Alceus were captains general Some say they went from the Isle of Creta others from Graecia But whence soeuer they departed they sailed through the Proponticke sea and Saint Georges Sleeue vnto the Euxine sea where some perished and Iason thereupon returned backe into Greece Alceus reported that he was driuen with a tempest to the lake Maeotis where he was forsaken of al his company and they which escaped with great trauaile passed through by land vnto the Ocean sea of Almaine where they tooke shipping passing the coasts of Saxonie Frisland Holland Flanders France Spaine Italie and so returned vnto Peloponesus and Greece discouering the most part of the coast of Europe Strabo alleaging Aristonicus the Grammarian sheweth that after the destruction of Troy Menelaus the king came out of the straights of the Leuant seas into the sea Atlanticke and coasted Africa and Guinea and doubled the Cape of Bona Sperança and so in time arriued in India Of which voyage of his there may be many more particulars gathered out of the histories This Mediterrane sea was also sometimes called The Adriaticke The Aegaean and the Herculean sea with other names according to the lands coasts Islands which it passeth by running into the great sea Atlanticke along the coast of Africa In the yéere 1300. after the flood Solomon caused a nauie to be prepared on the Red sea at an hauen called Ezeon Geber to saile to the East India where by opinion stande the Islands called Tharsis and Ophir This nauie was thrée yéeres on this voyage and then returned and brought with them gold siluer cypres c. Whereby it séemeth that those places and Islands were those which now be called the Luçones Lequeos and Chinaes For we know few other parts from whence some of those things are brought or wherein nauigation was so long since vsed It is left vs also in histories that a king of Egypt called Neco desiring greatly to ioyne the Red sea with the riuer Nilus commanded the Phoenicians to saile from the straight of Mecca to the farther end of the Mediterrane sea to sée if it did make any turne backe againe vnto Egypt Which commandement they obeied sailing towards the south all along the coast and countrey of Melinde Quiloa Sofala till they came to the Cape of Bona Esperança finding the sea continually on the left hand But when they had doubled the Cape and found the coast continually on the right hand they maruailed much at it Notwithstanding they continued their course forward toward the north al along the coast of Guiney and the Mediterrane sea till they came backe againe into Egypt whence they first went out In which discouerie they remained two yéeres And these are thought to be the first that compassed by sea all the coast of Afrike and sailed round about it In the yéere 590. before the incarnation of Christ there went out of Spaine a fléete of Carthaginian marchants vpon their owne proper costs and charges which sailed toward the west through the high seas to sée if they could finde any land and they sailed so farre that they found at last the Islands which we now call the Antiles and Noua Spagna which Gonzalo Fernandes de Quiedo saith were then discouered although Christopher Columbus afterwards by his trauaile got more exact knowledge of them and hath left vs an euident notice where they be But all these historians which wrote of these Antiles before as of doubtfull and vncertaine things and of places vndiscouered doe now plainly confesse the same to be the countrey of Noua Spagna In the yéere 520. before the incarnation and after the setting out of the aforesaid army Cambyses king of Persia tooke Egypt after whom succéeded Darius the sonne of Histaspis and he determined to make an end of the enterprise which king Sesostris had begun