that from one gate one may sée to the other without any let To be short this citie at this present is so fortified and compassed with strong walls and rampers lyke in forme and fashion to oures in Europe and it is one of the greatest fayrest and rychest that is in all the prouinces of y e west Indies taking from y e straight of Magellan which is beyond the lyne .52 degrees vnto the last furthest land of Abrador y e which holdeth .51 degrées of latitude on this syde y e lyne on y e North side Of Florida Cap. 74. SEing that in writing this discourse we haue made mention of this lande called Florida although that in our retorne we approched not so neare considering that our course lay not altogether so low neuerthelesse we sayled close by to take an easterly wynde It séemeth to me not out of the way to write thereof some thing Lykewise of the land of Canada that is next to it toward y e North being onely certaine mouÌ„taines betwene bothe Therefore keping our course of the height of new Spaine on y e right hande to attaine to Europe not so sone nor so right a course as we wished to haue gone we found the sea fauorable ynough But as by chaunce I put out my head for to beholde it I saw it as farre as I could extend my sight all couered with herbes and floures the which gaue me occasion to think that we were nere to y e land considering also y t in other places of y e sea I had not so much séene notwithstanding I found my selfe incontinently frustrate of my opinion knowing that they proceded of y e sea so y e we saw the sea strawed with those hearbs for y e space of .20 days The sea in y e part hath smal store of fish for thâ—se places séeme rather to be marishes than otherwise Shortly after appeared another signe and forshewing of a starre with a long tayle from y e East into the North the which forshewings I leaue to the iudgement of Astronomers and to the experience of those that haue knowledge therein After this which was worse we were troubled with a contrary wind the terme of nyne dayes euen to the heigth of our Florida That place is a poynt of lande entring into the full Sea a hundreth leagues being .25 leagues a shelfe or shallow .25 degrées and a half on this syde the lyne a hundreth leagues from Caape de Baxa Therfore this great land of Florida is very daungerous for those that sayle of the coast of Cataia Canibalu Panuca and Themistitan for to sight a farre of it would be iudged an Iland lying out in y e mayne Sea Furthermore this place is dangerous bicause of the running waters wyndes and tempests that are in that coast commonly As touching the mayne lande of Florida it hath on the east syde the prouince of Chicoma and the Ilands named Bahana and Lucaia On the west syde lyeth noua Espania the which diuideth in the land that is named Anauae of the which we haue before shewed The best and most fruitfullest countries that are in Florida is Panuae y t which bordereth Noua Espania The people of the countrey are naturally cruell and mightie men being all Idolaters who when that they haue néede either of water or sunne for their gardens and rootes with the which they dayly liue then they will fall doune before their Idolls that are maâ—â— to the similitude of men or of beastes Besides this these people are more and better practised in the feats of warre than the people of Perou When they go to the warrs they beare their king on foure mens shoulders in a beastes skinne and they that beare him are clad and garnished with riche feathers And when that they come to hande strokes they set their king in the middest of them clad with fine skinnes and he will neuer depart from thence vntill the battell be ended Also if that they feele them selues to bée the weaker sort and that their kyng beginneth to flée they wyll not fayle to kill hym the which order the Persians and other barbarous nations in the East parte obserue at this day their weapons of defence are bowes and arrowes made of wood enuenomed the whiche in stede of Iron heades are garnished at the ende with bones of fishes or wilde beasts the whiche is very sharpe Some of them will eate their enimies as the Americanes will doe of whom we haue spoken And although this people as we haue before shewed are Idolaters neuerthelesse they beléeue the soule to be immortall Also that there is a place appointed for the wicked the whiche is a very colde land and that the Gods permit that the sinnes of the wicked shall be punished Also they beleue that there is an infinite numbre of people in the skies and as many vnder the earth with many other folies the which may better be compared to the transformations of Ouide than to any other thyng Furthermore they beleue these things to be true as Turkes and Arabians do that which is writen in their Alcoran This countrey towarde the sea is not verie fruitfull the people are very rusticall more than those of Perou or of America for that they are traded wyth strangers This lande was named Florida in the yere 1512. by those that first dyd discouer it for bicause that by the sea side it was flourishing with gréene trées and with an infinite number of â—â—cures of diuers sundry colours Betwene this Florida and the riuer of Palme are to be seene diuers kinds of monstrous and strange beastes among which ther is a kind of great Bulles hauing hornes a foote long and on the backe a croupe like to a Camell the heare long all about the bodie hauing a dunnish colour Of these beasts there were once two that were broughte quicke into Spayne of one of the which I saw the skin and not otherwise and they liued there but a short time This beast as it is said is perpetual enimie to the horsse can not abide him to be by him In Florida toward the Caape of Baxe there are certaine litle riuers where as the wylde men gather oisters that haue pearles Now seing that we ar come to the gathering of oysters I will not forget by what meanes they get out these pearles as wel in the east Indians as in the West Ye must note that euery chiefe or head housholder hauyng a greate number of slaues knowing not to what labour to set them about they sende them to-gather oysters of the whiche they gather baskets full for their masters putting them into certain great vessells which being halfe full of water is an occasion that the oysters beyng conserued therin certaine dayes do open and the water clensing them leaueth these stones or perles within these vessels And to get them out they first take the oisters out of the vessell and
then they lette the water oute by a hole vnder the which they lay a linnen cloth least that with the water the stones or pearles that mighte be should runne out As touching the figure of these Oysters they differ much from ours as well in colour as in shell hauing eche of them certain litle holes which would be thought to haue ben made artificially in the which holes are these pearles Thus muche thought I good to speake of by the way the like also are found at Perou and certaine other stones in good number but the finest are founde in the Riuer of Palme and in the riuer of Panuco the which are distant the one from the other .32 leagues but the christians haue not libertie to get them bicause that the wilde men of that countrie are not yet conuerted to our christian faith Now therfore coasting Florida on the left hand the winde beyng to vs contrary we sayled very néere to Canada and to an other countrey that is called Baccalos which was against our wills and to our great displeasure bicause of the extreme colde that molested vs the terme of eightene dayes although that this lād of Baccalos entreth farre into the full sea in forme of a point welnigh two hundreth leagues on the north side distant from the line onely fortie eight degrées Thys pointe was named Baccales bicause of a certaine fishe that is found thereabout in the sea whiche they name Baccales betwene which and the Cape Delgado there is diuers Ilāds peopled very dāgerous to aboord bicause of the multitude of rocks that compasse the sayd Ilandes they are called the Ilands of Cortes Some iudge them not to be Ilands but mayne lande hangyng vpon the point of Baccalles These places were first discouered by an Englishman named Sebastian Babat who informed Kyng Henry the seuenth that by that waye he would sayle into the countrie of Catia towards the Northe and that by this meanes he woulde fynde spices and other thyngs as well as the Kyng of Portingal dyd in the east Indies Neuerthelesse his mynd was to go to Perou America for to people that cuntrie with Englishmē but his purpose toke no effect True it is y t he landed toward the coast of Irelād in y e north .300 mē where as bicause of the extreme colde the most part of his men dyed thoughe it were in the moneth of Iuly And since Iames Quartier a Briton made thither two voyages as he hym selfe shewed me in the yeare .1530 and .1535 Of the lande of Canada before named Baccalos being discouered in oure time and how the inhabitants liue Ca. 75. FOr bicause that this countrey lying in the Northe was discouered in oure time first by Sebastian Babat an Englisheman and then by Iames Quartier a Briton beyng well séene in nauigation who toke vpon him the voyage at the commaundemente of the kyng of France Francisce the first I think it good therfore somewhat to write the which semeth to me most worthie to be noted although that accordyng to the order of our voyage homewardes it ought to go before the next Chapter Moreouer that which moueth me so to doe is that I haue not séene any that hathe treated otherwise although to my iudgement the thyng doth merite it and that I haue surely learned it of the sayd Iames Quartier This lande being almoste vnder the Pole artike is ioyned towarde the Weast to Florida and to the Ilandes of Perou and since is coasted by the west toward Baccalles of which we haue spoken The which place I think be the same that those which lately haue discouered and named Canada as it happeneth many times that some will giue name to that whiche is out of others knowledge the which toward the east extendeth to the sea called Hyperbores on the other side to a mayne lande called Campestra de Berga to the Southeast ioyning to this countrey There is a Caape called Loraine otherwise by them that discouered it the lande of Britons being nere to new founde lande hauing not in distance aboue .x. or .xij leagues betwene them This new founde land bordreth this hie lād the which we haue named Caape Loraine and towards the northeast betweene both lieth an Iland which hath in compasse about foure leagues The said lād beginneth euen at the sayd Caape towards the Southe and extendeth east northeast and west Southwest the most part thereof extending to the lande of Florida lying like an halfe circle drawing towarde Themistitan Now to return to Caape Loraine of the which we haue spoken it lieth to the lande towards the north whiche is ranged with the sea Meditarium as Italy betweene the sea Adriatike and the sea Ligustike And from the sayd Caape going towards the West and west southwest the shore is to be séene about two hundreth leagues and all sandie and silte without any port or hauen This region is inhabited with many people of an indifferent gret stature very malicious hauing most cōmonly their faces disfigured couered with vizards of red and blew which colours they haue of certayne fruites This lande was discouered by Iames Quartier a Bryton borne at S. Maloes in the yeare .1535 At that time besides the number of shippes that he had for the performaunce of his voyage with certaine barkes some with .60 and 80. men a piece he fought out this vnknowne countrie vntill he came to a great brode riuer to the which they gaue a name in the whiche is founde very good fish chiefly Salmons and that great plentie then they traded into so many places adiacēt with kniues hatchets hookes and lynes to fishe with and such like for Hartes skinnes and skinnes of other wild beastes wherof there is great store The wilde men of the countrey gaue them good entertainement shewing them selues well affectioned towardes them and glad of their comming knowledge and amitie and with their practise in bargainyng with them After this they passyng further founde other people contrary to the first as well in their language as in their maner of liuyng the which people sayd that they came from the great riuer Chelogua for to make war against their neighbors which afterward was known of a truthe by Iames Quartier who toke one of their skiffes with seuen men wherof he reserued twaine which he brought into Fraunce and at his second voyage did carie them backe againe and also they returned againe and were made Christians ended their liues in Fraunce Moreouer the sayde Quartier coulde not learne the maner of liuing of the first Barbariens neither what commoditie is in their countrey and region bicause that it was not before frequented nor traded Of an other countrey of Canada Cap. 76. AS touching the other part of this Region of Canada where as remayne and inhabite the last wilde men It hath ben since discouered beyond the sayd riuer of Chelogua being more thā thrée or
doeth more increase Thus far touching Perou which in our retourne we coasted on y e left hand as in sayling thether we costed Africa Of the Ilands of Perou and chiefly of the Spanish Iland Cap. 71. NOw y t I haue shewed of y e lande of Perou seing y t in y e course we haue in oure returne costed certaine Ilands on the Weast Sea called the Ilands of Perou for that they border the lande I thinke it good in lyke case somewhat to write thereof for bicause we were some to the heigth of one of these Ilandes named the Spanish Iland by those that first did discouer it being before named Haiti which is as much to say as sharpe or sower land Also it was named Quisqueia the great and of a truthe it is so faire and great that from the east to the west it is .50 leagues long and of bredth from the North to the South .40 and in compasse or cyrcuit more than .400 and is beyond the Equinoctiall lyne .18 degrees hauing toward the East the Iland of Saint Iohn with many other small Ilands much to be feared and dangerous for Saylers and toward the West it hath the Ilands of Cuba and Iamaica on the North syde the Ilands of the Canibals and toward the South the Cape of Vela planted on the mayne land This Iland sheweth lyke to Sycilly in tymes past that first was named Trinacria for y t it had .3 promētaries very eminēt lyke vnto that of which we speake the which hath thrée standing very farre into the Sea of the which the first is named Tyburon the second Higney y e third Labos which is a syde of y e Iland which they haue named Beata almost full of y e wood Gaiac In this Spanish Iland are found many fayre Riuers among y e which y t chiefest named Orane passeth rounde aboute y e chiefest Citie named by y e Spaniards Sainst Dominick the others are Nequa Hatibonice Haqua full of very good fishe and pleasant to eate the which is bicause of the temperatnesse of the Ayre and goodnesse of the ground and of the water these Riuers runne about into the Sea almost all on the East syde y e which méeting together make a very large Riuer bancked on both sydes before that this Iland was discouered of y t Christiās it was inhabited with wilde men that were Idolaters worshipping the diuel who shewed him self to them in diuers similitudes lykenesse Also they made many sundry Idols according to the visions sights that they had as they do at this present in many Ilands maine land of that countrey the others worship many gods chiefly one aboue the rest the which they esteme to be a maker of all things and they represēt his figure in an Idoll of wood being set in some trée garnished with leaues and fethers Likewise they worship the Sunne the Moone other celestiall creatures the which now the inhabitāts that are there do not vse for that they are reformed to y t Christian faith and to all kynde of ciuilitie I know wel that in times paste there haue ben some y t haue not regarded it We reade of Caius Caligula an Emperor of Rome though he dispraised hated y t diuine power yet neuerthelesse he quaked trembled for feare when y t there appeared any shew or tokē of gods wrath But before y t this Iland of which we speake was brought to subiection vnder the Spaniards as I haue ben enformed of those that were at the conquest the wylde men killed aboue ten thousād Christians vntil y t the Spaniards had fortified thē selues in certain places after which time they killed a great multitude of y e inhabitants y e rest y t were left they led captiue into diuers countreys and made them slaues And after this sort they haue vsed them of y e Ilands of Cuba of S. Iohn Iamaique the holy crosse the Canibals with many other Ilands maine countrys For at the first the Spaniards Portingals for that they would haue the better dominion rule learned to liue after their maner alluring them by gifts and faire woordes always keping them in their fauor vntill that in proces of time they saw how that they were able to mate and ouercome them then they began to reuolte from their former vse taking this rude people and vsing them lyke slaues they prouoked them to labor the earth otherwise they had neuer come to the perfection of their enterprise The mightiest kings of this countrey are in Casco and Apina rich and famous Ilands aswell for the Golde and Siluer that there is founde as for the fruitfulnesse of the land The inhabitāts weare nothing but Golde about them as large bouckles of two or thrée pound waight y e péece hanging at their eares the weight whereof maketh their eares to hang halfe a foote long the which causeth the Spaniards to cal them greate eares This Iland is very rich in Mynes of Golde as are many others of that countrey for there are founde few or none but either hath Mynes of Gold or Siluer Furthermore it doeth abounde with horned beastes as Oxen Kyne Shéepe Goates and an infinit number of Hogs also very fayre Horses the which beastes for the most parte are become wylde as we haue shewed of the maine lande As touching Corne and wyne they haue none but that which is brought from other places and therefore in stede of bread they eate much Cassade made of the meale of Rootes and in sted of wyne they haue very good and swéete drynks made of diuerse fruites as the Syder of Normandy They haue an infinit number of good fish of the which some are very straunge among the which there is one named Manaty the which is taken in the ryuers and also in the Sea but the greatest store are in Ryuers This fish is lyke to a Bucke or Goats skynne being fylled wyth oyle or wine hauing two féete on both sydes of the shoulders with the which he swimmeth and from the brest to the tayle deminisheth of greatnesse his head is lyke to the head of an Oxe hauing a slender face the chyn ful great and very lyttle eyes this fish is ten foote broade twenty foote long hauing a graye skynne heary lyke to an Oxe hyde so that with his skynne the people of the coūtrey make showes according to their maner his féete are all rounde garnished eche one with foure long clawes lyke to the féete of an Oliphant This fish is more disformed and mishapen than any kynde of fish in that countrey Notwithstanding very good to eate hauing a tast more lyke to vele than fishe The inhabitans of that countrey do gather the grease of the sayde fishe for that it is very good for their Goate skyns of the which they make very good marokyns the black slaues or Neigers do anoynt their bodies there with to
is greatly subiect to earthquakes and to hayles and therefore these poore people being ignorāt of natural things yea much more of heauēly things are greatly afrayd although that these things are common they think that these things procede from their Gods for that they haue offended them Notwithstanding earthquakes commeth not but of windes that are shut in in certayn crasses of the earth the which by greate power causeth it to shake as in lyke manner it causeth many times great trées to shake yea and bloweth them vp by the rootes of the which Aristotle doth shewe As touching hayle it is not to be maruell though it be rife bicause of the vntemperatnesse and vnconstancie of the ayre being very colde in this Region bicause of the distāce of the Sunne the which commeth no néerer than when it commeth to our Tropicke And therefore the water that falleth from the Firmamēt is alwayes frosen bicause that the aire is alwayes colde and therefore it is alwayes haile or snow Now these Canadians when that they féele such incommodities for the affliction that they receiue they kepe thēselues in their houses with certaine domestical beasts that they nourish And there they make their mone to their Idols whose forme and lykenesse is not much vnlike to the fabulouse picture of Melusin of Lusignam being halfe a Serpent and halfe a Woman for the heade of their Idoll with hir haire representeth according to their brutish maner a woman And the rest of their body is lyke to a Serpent The which may cause Poets to fayne that Melusin was their Goddesse The earthquakes be dangerous although the case be euident Séeing that we are come to speake of earthquakes we will shewe thereof one word according to the opinion of naturall Philosophers with the inconueniences that folowe Thales Milesius one of the seuen wise men of Grecia sayde that water was the beginning of al things and that the earth floting in y e middest of this water was in a continuall quaking sometymes more and sometymes lesse Of this same opinion was Democrites and fayde furthermore that the water vnder the earth being burst out by rayne coulde not bicause of his excesse quantitie be contayned in the vaynes and compasse of the earth but caused these earthquakes and of this procedeth the Springs and Fountaynes that we haue Anaxagoras sayd it was fier the which coueting as it is his nature to rise hye and to ioyne with the fier Elementarie causeth not onely this quaking but certayne openings goulfes and such lyke in the earth as we may sée in certa yne places and confirmed his opinion in that the earth burneth in certayne places Anaximines doeth affirme the earth it selfe to be the cause of this quaking the whiche being opened bicause of the excessiue heate of the Sunne the ayre entereth in greate quantitie and with vyolence the whiche after that the earth is closed agayne hath no issue And by this meanes the belly of the earth beginneth to moue this causeth the earthquake The which semeth more to agrée with reason and trueth than the others according as we haue folowing Aristotle also that the winde is no other thing than an ayre that riseth rangingly But leauing these opinions of naturall causes and of earthquakes the which may come by other reasons only by the permission of the most highest vnknowen to vs. The inconueniens and mishaps that come thereby is ouerwhelming of Towns and Cities as happened in Asia of seuen Cities in the time of Tiberius Caesar and of the Metropolitane Citie of Bithinie during the raigne of Cōstantinus Many also haue ben swallowed vp by the earth and others drowned with waters as was Elicea and Aura at the ports of Corinth And for to be short this earthquake commeth sometimes with such vehemence that beside the inconueniences afore shewed it maketh Ilandes of mayne land as it hath done Sicily with certayne places in Siria and others it ioyneth sometymes Ilandes to mayne land as Plinie saith to be happened of those of Doromscia Parua in millites In Africa many playnes and valleys are at this day turned to lakes and riuers Also Seneca sheweth that a flocke aboue fiue hundreth Shepe and other beastes and foules were on a tyme swallowed vp and lost by an earthquake And for this reason the moste parte kepe them by the Riuers sides for to eschewe this earthquake being taught by experience and not by reason that marish grounde and wet places are not so subiect to earthquakes as the mayne and the hyelande and therefore this reason is very easy to those that vnderstād the occasion of the earthquakes before alleged And for this cause the riche and renomed temple of Diana in Ephesus the which continued more than two hundreth yeares being so strongly edified that it meriteth to be in the number of one of the spectacles of the world was set on piles of woode in a marishe place for bicause that it should not be subiect to Earthquakes vntil such time as one Heluidius or as some terme him Eratosthenes being foolishly minded for bicause that he would be knowne and that his memorial might be shewed did set it on fire and consumed it to ashes Also for this cause the Romains had edified a Temple to Hercules by the riuer of Tyber and there they did pray and offer sacrifices Nowe this earthquake is so vehement and contagious in Canada that within .v. or .vj. leagues of their houses within the Countrey there shall be found more than two thousand trées ouerthrowne to the earth as well on hils as on valeys rockes ouerthrowne one vpon an other the ground to sinke and to be swalowed vp and all this hapneth not but of mouing and stirring of the earth The like may happen to other Countreys that are subiecte to earthquakes Thus much thought I good to speake of earthquakes without straying farre from our matter Of the Countrey called New found land Cap. 82. AFter that we were departed from the heigth of the gulfe of Canada it behoued vs to passe further kéeping our course right North leauing the lande of Labrador and the Ilands called the Ilands of Deuils and the Cape of Marco distant from the line .56 degrées we coasted on the left hand the Countrey that is named Newe founde lande the which is very colde and therfore those that did first finde it out made there no long abiding nor those neither that goe thither oftentimes for fishe This new found land is a region that is one of the farthest partes of Canada and in the same land there is found a riuer the which bicause of his bredth and length séemeth to be almost a Sea and it is named the riuer of the thrée brethren being distant from the Ilands of Essores foure hundreth leagues and from Fraunce nine hundreth it separateth the Prouince of Canada from this New found land Some iudge it to be a narow Sea
Grecia by the Phenicians that then ruled on the sea being reputed to their great glory as the first finders out of that which they had learned of the Egyptians The men in this parte on the coaste of Europe vse to noynte their ioyntes with Oyle of the which they haue greate plenty before they take in hand any greate exercise for al softe and pliable things are not easy to breake they principallie make warre with the Spanyardes on their borders partly for religion partly for other causes It is true that the Portingals of late time haue ouercome certaine places in Barbaria and edified townes and Castels and planted our Religion specially one faire towne named the holy Crosse for that they ariued stayed there the same day it is at the foote of a faire mountayn But within this twoo yeres the wicked people of the countrey being assembled together haue throwne downe from the sayde mountayne so many greate stones that they had pulled out thereof that in the ende the poore Portingals were constrayned to forsake the place there is alwayes such enimitie or hatred among them that they trade and trafficke together their Suger Oyle Ryce Lether and other marchandise by leauing of pledges and hostages They haue quātitie of good fruts as Oranges Lemōds Citrons Pomegarneds the which they eat for wante of better meate and Ryce in stede of Wheate also they drinke Oyles as we do Wine They liue many yeares more to my iudgement bicause of the sobrietie they vse than otherwise Of the fortunate Ilandes novv called the Canaries Cap. 5. LEauing Barbaria on the left hande hauing alwayes the winde fauorable we knew by our compasse how néere we were to the fortunate Ilandes lying on the borders of Mauritania toward the west being so named by our elders bicause of the good tēperatnesse of the aire frutfulnesse of the same Nowe the first day of September in the foresayde yeare about sixe of the clocke in the morning we had sight of one of these Ilands bicause of the hyght of a great Hill of the which we wil speke more largely and particularly hereafter These Ilandes as some do affirme are .x. in number of which there are thrée that the Authors make no mention of for that they are vnhabited the other seuen which are named Tenerif the Ile of yron Gomeria and the great Iland properly called Canaria are distant from the Equinoctial .27 degrées the other thrée Forteuenturia Palma and Lencelota are .28 degrées so that by this ye may sée that from the first to the last is a degrée the which is .17 Leagues and a halfe reckening from the North to the South according to the opinion of Pillotes But without further talke he that wold finde out by the degrées of the firmament the quantitie of leagues and stades that the earth doth contayne and what proportion there is from league to degrée the which ought to be obserued of him that will write of coūtreys as a true Cosmographer let him reade Ptolomeus the which treateth therof at large in his Cosmography Among these Ilands there is none of them but the greatest that is named Canaria bicause of the multitude of greate Dogs that there are nourished as Plinie sheweth and many others after him that say as yet that Iuba bare away twayne But nowe they are all named the Canaries without any distinction for this onely reason before shewed But in my opinion I thinke they were named Canaries for the abundance of Canes and wild Réedes that growe on the sea brink as for the Canes or Réedes y t beare Suger the Spaniards haue planted a great many since the tyme that they haue there inhabited but ther did inhabite brutish Barbarous men before that there were any Dogs the which standeth by good reason for I knowe well by experience that in all the countreis and Indies y t haue ben discouered and founde out of late dayes they had neuer knowledge of dog or catte as hereafter shal be shewed Yet I knowe well that the Portingals haue brought thether some and kept them for to hunte after wild beastes Plinie therefore speaketh in this maner the first is called Ombrion whereas there is no signe of house nor building In the mountaines there is a fountaine trées like vnto that which is named Ferula both blacke and white out of the which may be wrong or writhen water Of the blacke ones the water is very bitter to the contrary the white ones the water is pleasant to drinke The other is called Iunonia whereas there is but one onely house builded of stone ther is sene another that is next to this but lesse of the sayd name another that is full of greate Lizardes Right ouer against these before shewed there is another named the Iland of Snowe for that it is alwayes couered with snowe The next to that is Canaria so called bicause of the multitud of great dogs y t it engendreth as we haue before shewed wherof Iuba King of Mauritania had two in the saide Ile ther are some apperāce of old buildings This coūtrey in times past hath ben inhabited with wild Barbarous people not knowing God but altogether Idolaters worshipping y e Sūne y e Moone certaine other planets as soueraigne deities of the which they thought they receiued al their benefits but in lesse thā .58 yeres y e Spaniards haue subdued and ouercome them and slayne part of them and the rest they hold and kepe as slaues and captiues and they inhabiting there haue established or set vp the Christian fayth so that at this present ther is none of the ancient dwellers left onely a fewe excepted that are hid in the mountaynes as in the mountayne of Pych of the which we will speake hereafter folowing True it is that that place is the refuge of all the banished of Spaine the which for punishement are sent thither into exile so that there is an infinite number also of slaues the which serue as well to labor the grounde as to do other labors I do much maruel how the inhabitantes of these Ilands and of Afrike for that they are néere neighbors haue so differed in language in colour Religion and in maners Also that many vnder the Romaine Empire haue conquered and subdued the greatest parte of Africa and neuer touched these Ilands as they haue done in the sea Meditareum knowing also that they are very fruitfull seruing as a victualer to y e Spaniards euē as Cicilie serueth to the Romaines and Geneuois This countrey of it selfe is good being so well tilled it bringeth greate profit and the most in Sugers For within these fewe yeares they haue planted many Canes that bring forth greate quantitie of Sugers maruelous good not only in these Ilands but in other places that they hold there Neuerthelesse it is not so good in any part as in
named Ialout by the inhabitants and since Caape verd by those that haue sayled thither discouered it being so named bicause of the multitude of trées bothe small and greate that are gréene at all tymes of the yere euen as the white Caape is so called bicause it is full of white sandes being as white as Snowe without any appearance of Herbes or trées distant from the Canaries .70 Leagues and there is founde a goulfe of the Sea called by the people of the countrey Dargin of the name of a little Ilande néere to the mayne lande Ptolomeus hath named this Caape verd the Promentorie of Ethiopia of the which he onely had knowledge without passinge further the which I iudge for my parte to be well termed of him for this countrey extendeth of a greate length and therefore many haue sayde that Ethiopia is diuided in Asia and in Africa Among the which Gemaphrisius saith that the mountains of Ethiopia did occupie the greatest parte of Afrike extending to y e brinkes or borders of y e west Occidental toward the South euen to the floud or riuer Nigritis This Caape is very fayre and greate lying farre into the sea edified on two fayre mountaynes All this countrey is inhabited with rude vnciuil people not so rude or wild as they of the Indies very black as they of Barbarie ye must also note that frō Gibaltar to Prestre Iohns land Calicute cōtaining more thā .3000 leagues the people is al blacke Also I haue sene in Ierusalem thrée Bishops on the parte of Prester Iohn that came thither to visite the holy Sepulcher that were much more blacker than those of Barbary and not without occasion for it is not to be thought that generally those of Africa are a like blacke or like in maners and conditions considering the varietie and difference of Regions that are some more hotter than others Those of Arabia and of Egypt are betwene blacke and white others browne coloured whom we call white Moores others are cleane blacke the moste parte goe all naked as the Indians acknowledging a King whō they name in their language Mahouat yet some of them as well men as women hyde their priuie parts with beasts skins Some among the others weare shirtes gownes of course hairy cloth the which they receiue in trading with the Portingals The people are familiar inough towardes strangers Before that they take their sustenance they washe their bodies and members but in another thing they doe greatly erre for they ordaine their meates very vnclenly also they eate stinking and rotten flesh fish the fish bicause of his moistnesse putrifieth and the fleshe for that it is tender and moyst is quickly changed bicause of the vehemēt heat as we sée here in Sommer For moystnesse is signe of putrifaction and the heate is as a cause efficient Their houses lodgings are alike all rounde in maner of our doue houses couered with réedes and Rushes of the which also they vse to lye on in steade of beds for to slepe and take their rest As touching their Religiō they hold diuers kinds of opinions strange inough and contrarie to the true Religion Some worship Idols others Mahomet chiefely in the realme of Camber some thinke that there is one God the Author of all things with other opinions not vnlike to the Turkes There are some amōg them that liue more hardly than the others hauing hanged at their necke a little boxe closely shut and glewed with gumme like to a little chest ful of certain letters or wrytings for to make their inuocations and prayers the which customably they vse certaine dayes without ceassing hauing an opinion that whilest they haue it about them they be out of daunger As for Matrimonie they ioyne together one with another by certaine promisses and agréementes without any other Ceremonie This Nation passeth the time in pleasure louing daunsing the which they exercise at euening in the Moone shine in their daunsing they turn their face as by some manner of reuerence and worship the which a very friend of mine hathe shewed me of a truthe who dwelled there a certaine time Nere adiacent are the Barbazins and Serrets with the which those of whome we haue spoken make continuall warre although that they be like only excepting that y e Barbazins are more wilde brutishe cruel and hardy The Serrets are vacabonds and despearsed euen as the Arabians by the deserts pilfering all that they may come by without law without King sauing only that they beare a certaine honoure to him among them that hath done some prowesse or valiant acte in the warre And this they alleage for reason that if they wer subiect vnder the obedience of a King he might take their children and vse them as slaues as doth the King of Senega They fight for the most part on the water in little boates made of the barke of a trée of foure fadome long the which they name in their language Almadies Their weapons are bowes and sharpe poynted arrowes enuenomed so that he is vncurable that therewith is stricken Furthermore they vse staues of Canes garnished at the end with some beastes téethe in steade of iron with the which they can well helpe them selues When they take their ennimies in the warre they kéepe them to sell to to straungers for to get other Marchandise for there is no vse of money they doe not kill them and eate them as the Canibals doe and they of Bressill I will not leaue out y e ioyning to this Countrey there is a faire riuer or floud named Nigritis and since named Senega the which is of the same nature as is Nylle from whence it procéedeth as many doe affirme the which passeth by hie Lybia and the kingdome of Orgunea running through the midst of that Countrey watering it as Nylle doeth Egipt And for this cause it was named Senega The Spanyardes many times haue assayed by this riuer to enter into the Countrey for to subdue them and sometimes they haue entred well foure score leagues but for that they could not at no time addulciate nor appease the inhabitauntes being straunge and stoute for auoiding of further inconueniences that might happen and fal they departed home again The trade of these brutishe men is Oxen and Goates specially their skins and they haue so great abundance that for a hundreth waight of yron you may haue a couple of Oxen of the best The Portingals make their vaunt that they were the first y t haue caried to this Caape verd Goates Cowes and Bulles the which haue since so multiplied also that they haue caried thither diuers Plantes and Séedes as of Rice Citrons Orenges As touching Nyll it groweth in the Countrey plentifully Neare to this Caape verde next to the maine land there are thrée litle Ilandes others than those that we call Ilandes of Caape verd of the which we wil speake héereafter being fair
commeth to purpose as the things that I haue séene for pleasure and contentation of my mind that the reader might thereby receiue some pleasure and profit Now this floude so famous among other things of the which the countrey and Kingdome that it watereth hath bene named Senega as our sea Meditarium hath or requireth diuers names according to the diuersitie of countreys where it passeth and in Libia comming to the Caape verd of the which we haue spoken here before from the which to the ryuer the countrey is very plaine sandie and barren for the which cause there are not so many deuouring beastes as in other places This floude or Riuer is the firste and moste celebrated of the lande towarde the Weaste side separating or deuiding the drie and barren countrie from the fruitfull and it extendeth euen to the high Libia and to many other countreys and Kingdomes that it watereth It contayneth in bredth about a league the which is very little in the respect of many riuers that are in America of the which we will treate hereafter more at large Before that it entereth into the Weaste it deuideth and entereth in by two mouthes or openings being separated the one from the other about half a league the which are of an indifferent depth so that smal ships may be brought in Some in the olde time as Solon in his booke named Pollycistor Iulius Caesar and others haue written that the great floude of Nill passing all ouer Egypt hath the like spring or Original as Senega procedeth out of the same mountaines the which semeth not true For the originall of Nill is far beyonde the Equator for it commeth from the high hills of Bede otherwise named of the Auncient Geographers hills of the Moone the which separateth the olde and newe Africa as the hills Pyrannes deuide Fraunce from Spaine And these hills are in Cerenaique the which is beyond the lyne .15 degrées The source or spring of Senega of the which we speake procedeth from two hills or mountaynes the one named Mandro and the other Thala being distant from the hills of Bede more than a 1000. leagues And by this may be sene how greately many haue erred for y t they haue not sought out things as we haue done of late dayes As for the hills of the Moone they lye in the lower Ethiopia those from whence commeth Senega into Libia of the which the chiefest hills are Vsergate from whence procedeth the Riuer of Darda the mounte Mandro being more spokē of than the others for bicause that all the riuers that runne from Salata to Massa being distant the one from the other about seuenty leagues take their originall out of this hill Furthermore the mounte Gyrgila from whence their falleth a riuer named Sympho and of Hagapole commeth the floude Subo being full of good fish and Cocodrils hurtful to their neighbors True it is that Ptolomeus hauing treated of many countreys and strange Nacions hath sayde that which semed hym good chiefely of Africa and Ethiopia And among all the Auncient writers I finde none that hath had so perfit knowledge to my minde as he when he speaketh of the Promentarie of Phraso hauing fiftene degrées of latitude that is the farthest lād of the which he hath had knowledge as also describeth Glarean in the end of the descriptiō of Africa In his time the inferior world hath bene discribed neuerthelesse he hath not wholy speken thereof for that he knewe not a greate parte of the land Meridionall which in our time hath ben since discouered And many things haue ben added to the writings of Ptolome that may be sene in the generall table that is properly of him Therefore the simple reader hauing not greatly turned in the Cosmography nor had experience of things shal note that al the inferior worlde is deuided by the elders in thrée partes vnequal that is to wit Asia Europa and Africa of the which some haue writen the truth other that which semed them good without making any mention of the west Indies that at this day make the fourth parte of the world discouered of late yeres as also hath bene the most greatest part of the Easte Indies Calicut and others As touching those of the Weaste as Fraunce Antariike Peru Mexica they are now commonly called the Newe Worlde yea to the .52 degrée and a halfe of the lyne where as is the straight of Magello and many other prouinces on the North side and of the South on the coast of Leuant to the lower tropicke of Capricorne in the Weast Meridionall and the North lande of the which Arian Plinie and others Historiographers haue made no mention that they haue ben discouered in their tyme. Some haue made mention of certayne Ilandes that were founde out or discouered by the Carthaginians but I iudge thē to be the Ilandes Hisperides or fortunate Plato also sayth that in tymes past there was in the sea Atlantike or Weast a great mayne lande or countrey and that there was in like case an Iland named Atlantike more greater than Africa or Asia together the which was swallowed vp with an earthquake the which I thinke rather to be a fable than otherwise for if it had ben true others beside him would haue written thereof knowing that the lande of which the elders haue had knowledge deuideth in this maner First of the Easte parte it is next vnto the vnknowen land the which is next to the great Asia and to the Easte Indies on the South side they haue had knowledge of a few that is to wit Ethiopia Meridionall named Agisimbra or the North side of the Ilandes of Englande Scotlande Ireland and the hills Hiperbores which are the Further partes of lande Northwarde as some do say Now to retourne to Senega on the one and on the other side of the floude euen as the grounde is diuers and differing so are the inhabitantes therof on the one side the people are very blacke of great stature and strong of body neuerthelesse the countrey flourisheth w c fayre trées bearing fruit on the other side you shal sée al contrary the mē of the colour of Asshes of little stature As touching the people of the countrey of Senega I can say no other thing than of those of Caape verd but that they are rather worse for that the Christians dare not so easily descende a lande for to trade or to haue refreshing as in other places vnlesse they wil be killed or taken for captiues and so to be made staues All things among them are wilde and contemptible sauing onely peace the which they doe somewhat esteme one towarde another In like case reste with some excercise sometimes in laboring the grounde for to saue Ryce as for corne and Wine there is none as touching corne it cannot prosper nor come vp as in other countreys for that there falleth very little and seldome rayne which is
Tabrobane Melinde Cannonor and others they take on the left hande costing the Ile of S. Laurence guiding the head of the ship to Weast or Southweast hauing the winde at Weaste Northweaste This countrey of the Easte Indies extendeth so farre that many iudge it to be the thirde parte of the worlde Mela and Diodorus writeth y t the sea compassing these Indies from the South to the Easte is of such a greatnesse that with much payne they can passe though the wind be fauorable in the space of fortie dayes but I dare affirme twice fortie This countrey therefore is on that side compassed with the sea which bicause of that is named the Indian sea or Indique confining towardes the North to the hill Cancasa and is named India of a Riuer named Indus as Tartaria of the Riuer Tartar passing by the countrey of the greate King Chan. Yt is inhabited with people of diuers kinds as well in manners as in Religion A great parte is vnder the ohedience of Prester Iohn the which holdeth the Christian Fayth the others are Mahometists as we haue before shewed speaking of Ethiopia and others are Idolaters The other way at the departing of this Caape that is on the right hand leadeth to America the which we folowed hauing the wind good and fauorable neuerthelesse we remayned a good long time on the water as well for the distaunce of the places as for the winde that afterwarde fell contrarie the which made vs to lynger euen to the eightene degrée of our lyne and then agayne it began to fauor vs. Before passing any farther I will shewe a thing that is worthy of memorie Aproching or drawing néere to America within fiftie leagues we began to smell the ayre of the lande otherwyse than the smell of the sea with such a swéete and pleasant smell of the Trées Herbes Fruits and Floures of the countrey that neuer balme were it the balme of Egypte that euer smell swéeter or pleasanter Therefore I leaue you to thinke or iudge what greate ioye the poore Nauigantes had although that of a long time before they had eaten no breade also being out of hope to recouer any for their retourne The next day which was the laste day of October about nine of the clocke in the morning we discried the high hills of Croistmouron although that was not the place whereas we pretended to goe wherefore costing the lande a thrée or foure Leagues not minding to descend a lande being well enformed that the inhabitantes there are allyed with the Portingals and therefore for nothing we woulde aborde or descende there keping on our way till the second of Nouember that we aryued to a certayne place named Maqueh for to enquire of things specially of the King of Portingals Armye whereas preparing our boates and barges for to come a shore and set foote on lande there appeared foure olde men of the countrey for that the yong men were gone to the warre the which olde men at the firste fled away thinking we had bene Portingals their enimies but shewing them a token of assurance in the ende they came néere vs. Neuerthelesse staying there not aboue foure and twentie houres we hoyssed sayle for to drawe towarde Caape de Frie distant from Maqueh twentie fiue leagues This countrey is maruellous fayre in tymes past inhabited by the Portingals the which gaue it that name which before was called Gekan and there they reared a tort minding there to remayne for bicause of the goodnesse of the place But within a shorte tyme after for what cause I knowe not but the Barbarous men of the countrey made them all to dye and eate them vp as they vse customably their enimies And at our ariuall they helde two Portingals that they had taken in a little boate and to them they though to doe the lyke to whom our comming was a pleasure for by vs they were recouered out of the handes of these cruell inhabitantes Pomponius Meleus calleth this Caape of which we speake the front of Africa for that beyonde it bendeth lyke an Angle and retourneth by little and little into the North and East there whereas is the ende of the mayne land and of Africa of the which Ptolomeus had neuer any knowlege This Caape also is the chiefe or heade of Newe Africa the which towarde Capricorne extendeth to the mountaynes of Habacia and Gaiacia the flat countrey is little inhabited it is very brutish and Barbarous yea monstrous not that the men are so disformed as many haue written as though that in their sléepe they had dreamed it being not afrayde to affirme that there are people of whome their eares hang to their héeles others with one eye in the foreheade as Arismases others without heade others hauing but one foote but of such a bredth that therewith they may shadowe them selues against the heate of the Sunne and they call them Monomeres Monosceles and Sciapodes certaine others being ignorant doe write yet more strangenesse yea late writers writing without iudgement reason or experience I will not altogether denye the monsters which are vnnaturall approued by the Philosophers and affirmed by experience But I doe impugne things that are so farre out of reason let vs returne to our Promentarie There is founde diuers kindes of dangerous beastes venomous among others the Basiliscus hurtfull to the inhabitants also to the strangers and to those that go to fish on the Borders This Basiliscus as euery man may know is a venomous beast that killeth a man with his onely looke the body about nine inches long the head like fier vpō y t which ther is a white spot in maner of a crowne the mouth red the rest of the face of blacke colour the which I knowe by the skinne that I dyd sée in the handes of an Arabian he chaseth away all other Serpentes with his hissing as Lucian sayth for to remayne alone master of the fielde To be short I may say with Salust that there dyeth more people by wilde beasts in Africa than by any other inconuenience This much thought I good to speake by the way Of the Iland Madagascar otherwise of S. Laurence Cap. 23. THE great desire that I haue to let slip nothing that is necessarie and profitable to the Readers bindeth me that I thinke it the office and duetie of a writer to treate of al things that partayne to his argument without leauing one word out the which thing hath stired me vp to set out in this place this Ilande so notable hauing seuenty eight degrées of longitude no minut and of latitude aleuen degrées and thirtie minutes very well peopled and inhabited with blacke wilde men within a certayne time the which kepe or holde the like maner of Religion as the Mahometists some being Idolaters but after another manner It was firste discouered by the Portingals and named S. Laurence and before Madagascar in their language
Indians or wilde men of the Countrey shewing according to their manner euident signes of ioy neuerthelesse we stayed ther but .iij. dayes they welcomed vs one after an other according to their custome with this word Carainbe which is as muche to say as welcome or ye are welcome And for to shew their good wils one of their great Morbicha Onassonb that is to say King feasted vs with a kinde of meale made of rootes and with their Cahonin which is a drinke made of Mill is named Auaty and it is great like a pease there is bothe white and blacke And for to make this drinke they let this Mill boile with other rootes the which after it is boyled hath a coloure like to Claret wine and these Indians finde it so good that therewith they will be dronken as men will be with wine in our Countrey It is thicke like to wine lées Héere I wil shew you a superstition that they vse to make this drink after the straungest maner in the world After that it hath boyled in carthen vessels made for that purpose there shall come certaine virgins or maidens that shall chawe or champe in their mouthes this Mill being so boyled or sodden then they shall put it into a nother vessel therunto appointed or if that a woman be called therto she must first abstain certaine dayes from hir husband otherwise they thinke that this Byuerige or drinke will neuer come to good perfection This being done they will make it boyle againe vntill that it be purged or cleansed as we sée the wine boyling in the tunne then within certaine dayes after they drinke thereof Now after that they had entertained vs after this sorte they brought vs afterwarde to sée a large stone of fiue féete long or there about in the which appeared certaine strokes of a rod or small wand and the print of two féete the which they affirme to be of their great Caraibe whome they haue in as great reuerence as the Turks haue Mahomet for bicause say they that he hath giuen them the vse and knowledge of fire likewise to plant rootes for before they liued but with leaues as doe the brute beastes Being thus guided and led about by their King we forgate not diligently to know and visite the place wheras among other commodities requisite and necessary we founde that there was no freshe water to be had but far from thence the which letted vs to stay ther any long time for y e which we were sorie considering the bounty of the countrey In this place there is a Riuer of salt water passing betwene two hills separated the one from the other about a stones throwe and entreth into the countrey about .36 leagues This Riuer hath great quantitie of good fish of diuers kindes chiefly greate moulets so that whilest we were there we sawe the Indians catche of these fishes aboue a thousand in a shorte space Furthermore there are many birdes of diuers kindes with strange fethers some as red as fine scarlet others white ashey and other colours And with these fethers the wilde men or Indians make hats and garments either for to couer them or for beauty When they goe a warfare or when they haue any skirmish with their enimies Others also make them Gownes and Caps after their maner and for a manifest truth it may be knowen by a gowne that I brought home with the which gowne I made present to Monsieur Troisteux a gentleman of the house of my Lorde the right reuerend Cardinall of Sens. Among these number of birdes al differing from those of our Himisperia there is one which they name in their language Arat the which is a very hearon in proportion sauing that his fethers are red as Dragons bloud Furthermore there are sene trées without number being gréene all the yeare long of the which the moste parte rendreth diuers kindes of gumme as well in coiour as otherwise Also there is growing on the sea bankes little vines which is a kinde of cockle of the greatnesse of a pease the which the wilde men beare or hang about their necke like pearles specially when they are sicke for they say it prouoketh the belly and serueth for a purgation some of them make powder thereof and eate it Moreouer they say that it is good to stay a bloudy flixe the which semeth to me contrary to his purging vertue Neuerthelesse it may haue bothe bicause of the diuersitie of his substances And therefore the women beare it more oftener at their neckes adn armes than the men Likewise there is found in that countrey and on the sea borders on the sande greate plenty and a kinde of fruite that the Spaniards name sea beanes being rounde lyke a Teston but more greater and more thicker of a ruddy colour so that if you sawe them you wold say they were Artificiall the people of the countrey set nought by them neuerthelesse the Spaniards cary them into their countrey and the Womē and Maydens commonly hang them about their necke being set in gold or siluer the which they say hath vertue against the collicke the payne in the head and others To be short this place is pleasant and fruitfull and they that enter farther into that countrey shall finde a flat countrey couered with strange kinde of trées the like are not in Europe being also beautified with fayre Riuers and springs and very cleare waters among the which there is a fish very monstrous for a freshe water fish this fish is of the largenesse and greatnesse of a herring armed from the head to the tayle like a little beaste of the earth named Taton the heade without comparison greater than the body hauing thrée bones in the chyne and very good to eate at the least the Indians eate of them and they name it in their language Tamonhata Of the Riuer of Ganabara otherwise called Ianaria and how that the countrey whereas we ariued was named Fraunce Antartike Cap. 25. HAuing no time to remaine any lōger at Cape de Fria for the reason before shewed it behoued vs to depart so the we wayed our ankers and hoised vp sailes to sail to some other place to the great displeasure of the Indians of that Countrey that thought we wold haue stayed a longer time folowing the promise that we had made them at our first arriuall Therfore we sailed the space of foure dayes vntil the tenth that we found this great riuer of Ganabara being so named of the inhabitaunts of the Countrey for that it is like to the lake or otherwise Ianaria by those that first did discouer it being distaunt from the place from whence we departed .30 leagues and by the way the winde became contrary Now therefore that we had passed many little Ilands on the sea coast and the straight of our riuer being about a gunne shotte brode we were determined to enter in at that place or straight and with
more than others And if there be any not content of this our witnessing or affirmation let him read Herodita which in his second boke maketh mention of a people in Affrica liuing only with herbs Apian reherseth that the Parthians being banished driuen out of their Countrey by Marcus Anthonius liued with a certaine herbe that toke away their memory neuerthelesse they had opinion that it did norish thē though y t in a short time after they died Therfore ought not y e story of our Petun be foūd straūge Of a tree named Paquouere Cap. 33. SEing that we are now come to the rehersal of trées of our America I think it good to set forth some not for the amplifying of this work but for the great vertue and secretenesse of things and for that there is found no such in our Europe neither in Asia nor in Affrica Therfore this trée that the wilde men name Paquouere is peraduenture the wonderfullest trée that euer was séene It is not more higher frō the ground to the braunches than a fadome or there about and of greatnesse as muche as a man may gripe with both his hāds when that it is come to his ful groweth And the trée is so tēder that it may be easily cut with a knife As touching the leaues they are in bredth two foote and of lengthe a fadome a foote and iiij fingers the which I affirme and assure of a truthe I haue séene almost of that kinde in Egipt and in Damasco returning from Ierusalem Notwithstanding the leaues are not halfe so great as those of America likewise ther is great difference in y e fruit for y e fruit is a good foote lōg I meane the longest sort great like a Cucumber much like vnto it as touching the proportion this fruit which they name in their language Pacoua is very good whē it is come to his ripenesse of a good relish The wilde men gather them before they be ripe which fruit being gathered they beare into their lodgings as we doe our fruit It groweth on the trée by clusters xxx or .xl. togither and close to another vpon litle branches neare to the trunck And that which is more to be maruelled at this trée neuer beareth fruite but once The greatest parte of these wilde men that dwel far within the countrey do norishe themselues with this fruit a good part of the yeare and of an other fruit that commeth vp in the fieldes which they name Hoyriri the which to loke on would be iudged to grow on some trée Notwithstāding it groweth in a certaine herbe that beareth leafe like to a Palme as wel in the length as in largenesse it groweth in the midst of the leaues very round within it be litle Nuts of the which the kernell is white good to eate sauing that ouermuch therof as wel as of other things hurteth the braine The which force strengthe is in the Coriander séede if it be not trimmed and dighted Likewise if the other were so dressed trimmed it wold take away this vice Notwithstanding the Americanes eat therof chiefly y e litle childrē The fields ar very ful within two leagues of Cap de Fria neare to the great marish grounds y t we passed after that we had set foote on land at our returne This much wil I say by the way that biside y e fruit that we saw by y e way we found a Cocodril dead of the greatnesse of a good calfe that was come out of the marishes had ben ther killed for they eat the flesh of them also of great Lizards of the which we haue before shewed they name thē in their language Iacareabson they are greater than those of Nyll The people of the Countrey say that there is a marishe being a.v. leagues compasse on the side of Pernomeri distant frō the line .x. degrées towards the Canibals wheras there are certaine Crocodrils as great as oxen that cast out a mortall smoke by their mouth in suche sort that if ye come neare them they will goe neare to kill you as they haue heard tell of their auncestors In the place whereas groweth this fruite of which we speake are a great number of Hares like to ours but not so great nor yet like in coloure There is also found another little beast named Agoutin as great as a Hare the haire like to a wilde Bore brisled the head like the head of a great Rat the eares and the moosel like to a Hare or Wat the féete clouen like to a Hogge and the taile not aboue a finger lengthe they liue with fruites also the wilde men norishe them for their pleasure their fleshe is very good for to eate Howe these Americanes or wilde men doe disforme them sleues esteming it a great glory Cap. 34. IT is not sufficient for these wilde men to be naked to paint their bodies to scratch and pluck of their haire but also for to make them selues more disformed they pearce their mouthes being yong with a sharp and pointed herbe so that the hole encreaseth groweth as their body for they put therin a certain kind of fish hauing the skin very hard of which fish the greater end is within the lesser without on the nether lippe When that they are great ready to be maried they put into these holes great stones being much like to the coloure of an Emerauld the which they doe so estéeme that it is not easy to recouer any of them without some great reward or present for they are very rare and scant in their Countrey Their neighbors nie friendes bring these stones from an hie Mountain that is in the countrey of the Canibals the which they pollish with an other stone for y e purpose so runningly that it is not possible for the best most expertest workman that is to do it better And I think ther might be found in this forsaid hil very Emeraulds for I haue séene of these stones that you could not discern from Emeraulds These Americanes as I say do disfigure thēselues after this sort do disforme mishape themselues w t these holes stones in their faces in which they take as great delite pleasure as a Lord or gentleman wil do in a rich precious chaine of gold or som other Iewel so that among them that beareth the most is estéemed their King or greatest Lord and not only on their lippes and mouth but also on both sides the chéeke these stones that the men cary are as broad as an Angel or soueraine of gold and as thicke as a finger bredth which letteth their speache so that one can skant vnderstand their speach for they speake as though their mouth wer ful of meat whē these stones are taken out if that they speake you shal sée them slauer at these holes the which is a filthy and vgly fight to behold Also when these
necessarie to cut their woodde the which before they were constrained to cutte with stones or to sette a fyre the trées for to beate them downe and for to make their bowes and arrowes they vse no other thing Moreouer they are very charitable and as much as their lawe of Nature dothe permit them Those things that they receyue of Christians they sette much store by but of suche commodities as groweth in their countrey as sustenance beastes fruites and fishe they are very liberall for they haue little other thyng not onely to vs and among them selues but also to any other nation prouided that they be not their enimies For so soone as they shal sée any a farre off enter into theyr countrey they will present vnto them victualls lodgyng and a mayde for his seruice as we haue before shewed Also agaynste thys pylgryme or straunger the women and maydens wyll come and then they wyll sytte downe and crie and wéepe for ioye the which if thou wylt endure casting out teares they wyl say in their language Thou art welcome thou arte of our best friendes thou hast taken great paines to come and visite vs and many other gréetings Also the father and chiefe of the familie shalbe in their beds wéeping euen as the women If they iorney thirtie or fortie leagues be it by water or land they liue common together if one haue and others want he shall distribute to the néedeful the like do they to strangers And moreouer this people are curious of new things and wondreth according to the prouerbe Ignorance is the mother of wonder but yet for to get from a stranger that thing that he fansieth they can so wel flatter that it is hard to say them nay First the men when any doth visite them in their lodgyngs or cabans after they haue saluted them they will drawe nere to you with such familiaritie and assurance that they will streight ways take your cappe or hatte and putting it on their heads one after an other they will beholde and wonder at them selues hauyng opinion to be the fairest others will take youre dagger sworde or other knife if ye haue any and therewith will with wordes and iestes threaten their ennimies And to be shorte they will rifle you and ye must refuse them nothing for if ye doe ye shall neither haue grace fauour seruice loue nor friendship in déede when they haue rifled ye they will restore and giue you againe youre trinkettes as much will the women and maidens doe being muche greater flatterers than the men and alwayes for to get to them some thyng this is of a truthe that they will be contented with a trifle they wil come to you euen with the like grace as doe the men with some fruites or other things of small value with the which they vse to make presentes saying in their language Agatouren which is as muche to say howe good thou arte by a manner of flatterie Fory asse pia shewe me suche thyngs as thou haste being very desirous of newe things as little glasses litle heades of glasse Also ye shal haue following of you a companie of yong children and they will aske in their language Hamaba pinda Giue vs some fishe hookes the which they vse to take litle fishe with And they are well instructed in this terme before sayde Agatouren Thou arte good if ye giue them that which they demaund otherwise with a frowarde looke they will saye to ye Hippochi goe thou arte naught Daganaiepa aionga thou muste be killed with other threatnings and iniuries but they wil not giue any thing vnlesse ye giue them besides this they will marke ye and knowe ye again for the deniall that you haue made them The description of a sicknesse named Pians to the which are subiect these people of America as well in the Ilandes as the maine land Ca. 45. KNowing wel y t there is nothing not frō the earth vnto y e first heauen what making or proportion so it hath but that is subiect to chaunging and alteration the aire then that compasseth vs béeing not simplie an aire but made and composed is not alwais like in all times nor in all places but nowe of one fashion incontinent of an other And for that all diseases as oure Phisitians shewe vs come or happen either of the aire or of the maner of mens liuing I am determined to write and set out here a sicknesse or disease verie rife and common in these countreys of America and of the West discouered in our time Now this sickenesse named pians by the people of the countrey cōmeth not of the corruption of the aire for it is there verie good tēperat which sheweth by expeence the fruites that the earth bringeth forth with the benefite of the aire without y e which nothing is made bee it of Nature or artificiall Also that the sycknesse procéedyng of the corruption of the ayre hurteth as aswell the yong as the olde the ryche as well as the poore notwithstandyng the internall or inwarde disposition Therefore it muste néedes bée that it procéedeth of some misgouernement as to much carnall and fleshely frequentation the man with the woman considering that thys people is very lecherous carnal and more than brutishe specially the women for they do seeke and practise all the meanes to moue man to lust This sickenesse is no other thyng than the pocks that raigneth and hath power ouer all Europe specially among the Frenchemen For of vs it is named the Frenche pockes the whych disease as the Frenchmen wright was first taken at a voyage into Naples and thether it was broughte by the Spanyardes from the West Indies For before it was discouered and made subiecte to the Spanyardes there was no mention therof It is not onely here in Europe but also in Grecia in Asia and in Affrica Well let vs returne vnto the wylde mens euyll and to the remedies that they doe vse therefore Nowe this euill taketh the parties as well wilde men as Christians that are there by contagion or touching euen as the pockes dothe in the realme of Fraunce Also it hath the like Symptomes and it is so daungerous that if it be waxen old it is harde and daungerous to heale for sometimes it dothe afflict them euen to the death As for the Christians whiche doe inhabite in the lande of America if they couple them selues with the women they shall neuer bée rid of the same but shall fall into the daunger thereof muche more sooner than they of the countrey For the curing of this disease likewise for a certain alteration that oftentymes commeth wyth this euill they make a certaine decoction of the barke of a trée named in their language Hiuourahe of the which they drincke more easier to cure than with our medicine and they are more easier to be healed than others to my iudgement for their temperatenesse and complection which are not
thing very necessary as they doe affirme against these wormes Also sometimes they anoynt therewithall their bodies when they be weary Bisides this the oyle is proper for woundes and sores as they haue knowne by experience Thus much as touching their infirmities and the remedies that these Americans vse The maner hovv to trade among these people of a birde named Toucan and of the spicerie of that Countrey Cap. 47. ALthough that in America there is diuers kindes of people neuerthelesse brutish and of diuers sorts and fashions accustomed alwayes to make warre one with another Notwithstanding they let not to trade trafike as wel among themselues as with the christians and straungers specially those that are néere to the Sea with such commodities as is to be had in the Countrey Their greatest trade is with Estridge fethers garnishings of swords made of fethers other fethers muche set by and estéemed the which are brought from the higher Countrey to the sea side aboue a hundreth or sixe score leagues also great quantitie of coloures white and blacke also of the gréene stones that they beare hanging in their lips as we haue before shewed The others that dwel on the sea coast where as the Christians to trafike receiue certain hatchets kniues daggers swordes and other iron tooles beades of glasse combes loking glasses and other little trifles of small value which they trucke with their neighbors hauing no other mean sauing only to giue one marchandise for an other and they vse after this maner giue me that and I will giue thée this without any further talk On the sea coast the most frequented Marchandise is the fethers of a birde that is named in their language Toucan the properties of which I wil describe séeing it commeth to purpose This birde is of the greatnesse of a Pigeon there is an other kinde like to a Pie of like fethers that the other haue that is to wit bothe twaine blacke sauing that about the taile there are some red fethers among the blacke Vnder the brest the fethers are yellow about foure fingers broade as well in bredth as in lengthe and it is not possible to finde yellow more excellent nor finer coloure than is the fethers of this birde at the ende of the taile there are little fethers as redde as bloud The wilde men take the skin of that parte that is yellow and they vse it to make garnishings of swordes after their maner and certaine garments hattes and other things I the author of this worke brought a hatte of fethers very riche and faire out of America the which was presented to the King of Fraunce Henry by name as a precious iewell And of these birdes there are none founde but in America beginning from the riuer of Platte vnto the riuer of Amazones Ther are some sene at Perou but they are not so great as the others At newe Spayne Florida Messique and newe found lande there is none to be séene bicause the countreis are to cold of the which they stande in great feare Moreouer this birde liueth with no other thing among the wooddes where he maketh his residence but with certaine fruites that the Countrey doeth bring forthe some might thinke that this were a water birde the which is not so for that I haue séene the contrary To the rest this birde is disformed and monsterous hauing the bill more greater and more longer than the rest of the body I haue also broughte one of them from thence that was giuen me with the skinnes of many of diuers couloures some as redde as fine scarlet others yelow blewe and others of diuers colours These fethers be much set by of y e Americans with the which they trafike and trade as we haue before shewed This also is of a truthe that before the vse of money they traded after this sorte ware for ware so that the wealth and richesse of men yea of Kings Princes and Magistrates did consist in beastes shepe goates and Camels of the which ye haue examples in Berosus and Diodorus the which shewe vs by wrytings the maner and vse that the elders before vs vsed to trade one with another the which vse I finde to differ very little from the Americanes order and other barbarous people So that in times past one thing was giuen for an other as shéepe for corne woolle for salte and suche like The trafike of one Countrey with an other if we cōsider it wel is maruellous profitable necessary for by it ciuil societie is kept also it is much estéemed throughout all nations Plinie in his seuenth booke doeth attribute the first inuention and vse thereof to be among the Venicians The trade that many of the Christians vse with the Americanes is brasell woode Popengayes cotten and other things in trucke and chaunge of those things before shewed they bring also from thence a kinde of spice which is the graine of an herbe or little trée of thrée or foure foote highe the fruit is like to our countrey strawberies as well in coloure as otherwise When it is ripe there is within it a séede like to fenell séede Our christian Marchants doe loade this kinde of spice being nothing so good as the spice that groweth on the coast of Ethiopia and in Ginney also it is not to compare to the spice that is had at Calicut or of Tabroban And this ye shall note by the way that though it be named Calicut spice ye must not thinke that it is all of Calicut but commeth a fiftie leagues off from Ilands vnknown and chiefly from an Iland named Corchell Notwithstanding Calicut is the chiefest place whether all the Marchaundise of the East countreys is broughte and there it is shipte and therefore it is called the spice of Calicut the which is better than the spice of America The King of Portingall as euery one knoweth hathe greate profite of the spices that he receiueth from thence but not so muche as in times past for bicause that since the Spanyardes haue discouered the Iland of Zebut riche and of a great compasse the whiche ye shall finde after ye haue passed the straight of Magellan This Ilande beareth a Mine of Golde Ginger and great aboundaunce of white Purselaine Afterwarde they found out Aborney fiue degrées from the Equinoctiall and many other Ilandes inhabited with Neigers vntill they came to Moloqus where as is Atidora Terenata Mata and Machian little Ilandes somewhat neare the one to the other as are the Canaries of the which we haue spoken These Ilandes are distant from Fraunce more than .180 degrées lying to the West they bring forthe many good spices muche better than those of America This much by the way of Moloquus hauing first treated of the trafike and trade that the wilde men vse of America Of birdes most common in America Cap. 48. AMong many kindes of birdes that nature diuersly bringeth forthe setting out
theyr countrey so that the Spaniards remained there Lordes and Maisters beside many other lands adiacent that since they haue conquered euen to Moluques in the Ocean to the West of the other coast of America so that at this day they haue in possession a great deale of lande about this fayre Riuer whereas they haue builded Townes holds And some of the wylde men adiacēt are reconciled with them and become Christians True it is that about a hūdreth leagues beyond there are other wylde men that make warre with them being stoute men and of great stature almost like Gyants And they liue with littell other foode than humaine fleshe as the Canibals This kinde of people go so swyftly on foote that they will easely take wilde beastes in their chase they liue longer than any of the other wilde men doe as a hundreth and fiftie yeares and the other lesse they are very prone and subiect to that damnable sinne of lechery haynous before God the which I omit not onely for the respect of this coūtrey of America but also many others These Giants make warre aswell with the Spaniards as the wilde men about them Now to our purpose This Riuer of Platte with the countrey adiacent is now very riche aswell in Siluer as in stones this Riuer swelleth or encreaseth certaine daies in the yeare as doeth Aurelana that is at Perou and Nyll in Egipt At the mouth of this Riuer there are many little Ilands of the which some are inhabited the others not this countrey is very full of Hylls and Mountaines from the Caape S. Mary vnto the white Caape specially that towardes Saint Helenes point distant from the Riuer .65 leagues and from thence to Arnes Govvrdes .30 leagues then from thence to Basseas to the other land so named bicause of the great valleis that there are And from Basseas to the Abbey of Fonda .75 leagues The rest of the countrey hath not ben frequented of christians extending to the Caape Saint Dominik or Caape Blanke and from thence to the Promentary of the eleuen thousand Virgins .52 degrées and a halfe beyond the Equinoctial and thereby is the straight of Magellan of the which we mynde hereafter to speake As touching the flatte countrey it is at this present very fayre by an infinit number of Gardens Fountaines and Riuers of swete fresh water in the which are great plenty of very good Fish And to the said Riuers there haunteth a kinde of beast that the wylde men name in there language Saricouiemia which is as much to say as fine or daintie beastes the which beast remaineth more in the water than on the land and is no bigger than a little Cat. The skynne of this beast which is intermedled with gray white and blacke is as fine and smooth as veluet his féete made like the féete of a water Foule And as for his flesh it is very pleasant and good for to eate More ouer in this countrey toward the straight there are many strange and monstrous beastes but not so cruell as in Africa And to conclude this countrey now is brought to so good a forme that it would not be taken for a strange countrey for the wylde men of the countrey haue inuented of late days by the meanes of Christians artes and sciences very ingeniously so that they may be a very spectacle to many people of Asia and of our Europe I meane of those that curiously obserue and kéepe the damnable law of Mahomet and other fonde and deuilish Doctrine Of the straight of Magellan and of Daryen Cap. 56. SEing that we are come so neare to this notable place it shall not be out of the way to write somewhat thereof Now this straight called in Greke Poeidinos as the West betwene two landes named in Greke Istmas a straight or a pointe of lande betwene two waters as that of Daryen confineth America toward the South and there seperateth with an other land discouered but not inhabited euen as Gebaltar doeth Europe with Africa and that of Constantinople doeth Europe with Asia being named the straight of Magellan by his name that first dyd discouer it lyeng fifty two degrées and a halfe beyonde the Equinoctiall contayning of bredth two leagues by one only height straight East and West two thousand two hundreth leagues from the North to the South furthermore from the Caape of Essead which is at the entring of the straight vnto the other South Sea seuenty foure leagues vntill the first Caape or Promentary which is fortie degrées This straight hath ben long time desired and sought more than two thousand eight hundreth leagues for to enter by this straight into the Sea of Magellan to attayne to the Ilandes of Moluques Americus Vestucia one of the best Pylots that euer was hath coasted almoste from Ireland vnto the Cape of Saint Augustin by the commaundement of the king of Portingale the yeare .1501 And since another Captaine the yeare .1534 sayled vnto the Region named of Gyants In this Region betwene the Riuer of Platte and this straight the inhabitaunts are very mightie named in their language Pategones Giants bicause of their high stature forme of bodies They which first discouered this countrey tooke one of them finely being twelue foote long who was so vneasie to holde that .25 men had inough to doe about him and for to kepe him it behoued them to bynde his féete and hands in their shippe notwithstanding they could not kepe him long aliue but for sorow thought as they saye he died for hunger This Region is of lyke temperatnesse as Canada and other countries néere to our Pole and therefore the inhabitants are clothed with the skynne of a certaine beast named in their speach Su which is as much to say as Water for bicause to my iudgement that this beast for the most part remaineth in the waters and flouds This beast is a rauenous beast made after a straunge maner besides this if she be chased or pursued as the people of the countrey vse to doe for to haue the skinne she taketh hir yong ones on hir backe and couering them with hir tayle that is thick and long saueth hir selfe with running Neuerthelesse the wild men of the countrey vse a policie for to take this beast making a déepe pit in the grounde néere to the place where she maketh hir most residence the which they couer ouer with gréene leaues so that in running knowing not of this pit the poore beaste falleth in with hir yong ones and she seing hir selfe thus taken in hir rage she kylleth hir yong ones and maketh such a terrible noyse that she maketh the wylde men afrayde But for all this in the ende they kill hir with darts and arrowes and then they take hir skinne Now to our purpose This captain Fernandus of Magellan a couragious man being informed of the riches that might be found in the Ilandes of Moluques as great quantitie of spice
the meane howe to grynde corne and to bake bread for before they dyd eate the fruites of the earth as Nature brought them forthe whether that the earth was laboured or no but that all men vniuersally on the earth haue liued like as do the brute beastes it is rather a fable than a true story fained by Poets and of suche as imitate them as Virgile sheweth in Georgicon But I beleue rather the holie Scripture that maketh mention of Abell and of his first fruites that he offered to God Well the Americanes make meale of those rootes that are called Manihot which are as great as my arme a foote and a halfe long and they are writhen or crooked most commonly And this roote is of a litle tree in height from y e grounde aboute foure foote the leaues are like to those which we call Patallionis which are in number sixe or seuen at the ende of euery trée and euery leafe halfe a foote long thrée fingers brode Their maner to make this sustenaunce or meate is this they bruse these rootes either drie or gréene with a large barke of a trée garnished aboute with very harde stones this beyng done they make it hot in some vessell of earth on the fire with a certaine quantitie of water so that it gathereth into small lumpes and it is very good when it is thus vsed and a good nourisher And ye shall vnderstande that from Perou Canada and Florida in all the landes and countreys betwene the Ocean and Magellan as America Caniball euen to the straight of Magellan they vse this kinde of foode the which is very cōmon and yet there is distant from the one end to the other more than two thousande leagues by lande and they vse it with their fleshe and fishe as we doe breade These wilde men vse a strange maner in their eating for they neuer bryng their handes to their mouthes but caste theyr meate into their mouthes more than a foote off to the whiche they are verie apte Also they mocke christians that vse otherwise All the labours aboute these rootes are remitted to the women thynking it not decent for mē to occupie them selues therin These Americans doe plant beanes the which are all white and flatte more large and longer than ours Also they haue a kynde of white gourdes not differing to those that grow in Turkey and Italy they boyle them and then eate them with salte the which salte is made with salt water boyled when it is consumed to halfe with an other thyng they make it tourne into salt Likewise with this salt and a kind of spice of graines they make loaues of bread as byg as a mans heade of the which many eate with fleshe and fishe chiefly the women Beside this they mingle many times spice with their meale not beaten to dust as we doe but as it is gathered Moreouer they make bread with dried fishe very good to eate with other things mingled with it whiche I do not knowe I will not forgette here a kinde of colewort leaues almost like to the brode leaues that growe on ryuers sides the whiche they call Nenuphar with an other kinde of herbe growing like our thistles Nowe there resteth to speake of a trée which they name in their language Peno absou This trée beareth a fruite of the greatnesse of a good bigge apple round like an egge the which is not good to eate but rather daungerous as poyson This fruite hath within sixe nuttes like our Almondes but somewhat more larger and flatte in the which is a kernel which as they say is good to heale woundes and sores when that they haue bene hurte in the warre with the Arrowes of their enimies or otherwise I haue brought of them into France which I haue giuen vnto my frends the meane to vse them is this First they draw out of this kernell certaine oyle the which they put vpon the wounde The barke of this trée hath a very straunge smell and the leafe always gréene of the thyckenesse of a testorne and made lyke the leaues of Pourslane In this trée frequenteth a byrde hauing a great bushe of feathers on hir head as yealowe as fyne golde the tayle blacke and the rest of hir feathers yealow and blacke with some strikes of dyuers other coloures redde aboute the chappes betwéene the byll and the eyes lyke scarlette and she kéepeth this trée onely for hir foode whyche is littell wormes that she fyndeth in the sayde trée To make shorte leauyng many kyndes of trées I wyll say thus muche that there are fiue or sixe kinde of palme trées bearynge fruite not as those of Aegypte that beare Dates for these beare none but other kynde of fruites some as great as an egge the others lesse Among the whiche palme trées is that whyche they calle Gerahuua a nother named Iry the whyche beareth a nother kynde of fruite differing there is also that dothe beare their fruite all rounde and as greate as a prune or damsyn beyng of the like coloure when it is rype the whiche before hath a taste lyke veriuyce it beareth a whyte kernell of the greatnesse of a hasyll nutte the which these wylde men doe eate Thus muche as touchyng oure America the whiche I haue thoughte good to sette oute after that I had knowne the secretes therof the whiche wée maye hereafter sette forth more at large Lykewise of many trées hearbes and other secretes with their propreties accordyng to the experience of the people of the cuntrey the which we haue left out to auoyde prolixitie Also we haue thoughte good by the way somewhat to speake as touchyng the lande of Brasile Howe and after what sorte the lande of America was discouered and Brasill wood founde with many other trees sene no where but in that countrey Cap. 59. THis we know of a truth that Americus Vesputia is the firste that discouered the mayne lande betwene the two seas though not all the lande but the moste parte And since the Portingals many tymes being not content with their limits haue alwayes hazarded themselues to discouer and fynd out countreis euen as they founde the cōmodities and as they were intertained of the people of the countrey They therfore visiting the countreys and séeking as the Troyans dyd in the lande of Carthage they sawe diuers fourmes and manners of feathers with the whiche they dyd trade and traffike specially redde ones whiche were coloured so that they were desirous to knowe the meane howe to make this coloure The people of the countrey shewed them the Brasille trée whyche they doe name in their language Oraboutan and is very fayre to looke on the barke therof is of a gray colour withoute and the woodde is redde within and chiefly the harte the whyche is more excellente than the reste whereof they do occupie moste so that then the Portingales broughte home their shyps laden therewyth And synce that
to the straight of Forna and DaryeÌ„ that they might passe more easier to Moluques without going to y e straight of Magellan And they sayling on that coast discouered this fayre Promentary whereas setting foote on lande they found the place so fayre and temperate although it be but .340 Degrées of longitude minute .0 and eight of latitude mynute .0 that they there stayed to the which place since are gone other Portingals with a number of ships and people and by succession of tyme hauinge allured the people of the countrey by giftes and pacified them they made a holde named Castell Marin since they haue edified another néere vnto this named Fermanbow trading there one with another The Portingals laade cotton wild beastes skynnes spices and among other things prisoners that the wild men of the countrey take in the warres of their enimies the which they carrie into Portingall for to sell Of the Canibals as well of the mayne lande as of the Ilands and of a tree named Acaion Cap. 61. THis greate Promentary being this doubled and affronted with greate difficultie it behoued vs to attempt fortune and to shorten our way as much as was possible not keping farre of from the mayne land chiefly ceasting somewhat néere to the Iland of S. Paule and other little Ilandes not inhabited neere to the main lande whereas are the Canibals the whiche countrey deuideth the King of Spayns lande from the King of Portingall as hereafter shalbe shewed Seing that we are come to these Canibals we will speake our worde This people from the Caape S. Augustine and beyond néere to Marignan is the moste cruellest and inhumayne people that are in America These imps eat most commonly humayne flesh as we do biefe or mutton haue therevnto more appetite and delight and this is of a truthe that when they haue any of their enimies in their hands it is hard to get them from them for the great desire that they haue to eate them like Rauening Lyons There is no beast in the wildernesse neither in the desartes of Africa or Arabia that longeth so sore or that is so gredie of humayne flesh as these wild and brutish people Also ther is no nation that can be acquaynted wâ—th them neither Christians nor others And none can trade into their countrey without leauing of pledges so mistrustfull they are thinking themselues of more credit than others For this cause the Spaniards and Portingals haue played them some ill tricks in memorial whereof wheÌ„ that they may get any of them God knoweth how they are handled for there is no other way but death and so to be eaten and deuoured of these imps Therefore there is continuall warre betwene them and these people and many Christians they haue deuoured These Canibals haue on their lips stones gréene and white as the other wild meÌ„ haue but without comparison more longer for they descende euen to their breast Moreouer the countrey is fruitefull ynough better than belongeth to such wicked beasts for it beareth great quantitie of fruits hearbes and wholsome rootes with a great nomber of trées named by them Acaion bearing a fruit as big as my fist fashioned lyke a Goose egge some of them therewith make a kind of beuerage although the fruite is not good to eate at the top of this fruite groweth a kynde of nuts made lyke a Cunneys tayle the kernel within is very good to eate after it hath had y e heat of the fier The shel is very ful of oyle hauing a sharpe taaste with the which the wilde men maye make more store and plenty than we can of our nuts the leafe of this trée is lyke to the leafe of a peare trée a little more pointed and red at the ende the barcke of this trée is tauney and bitter the wilde men put this woode to no vse for that it is somewhat tender and softe In the Ilandes of the Canibals whereas there is greate plenty of these trées they cut the woode to burne for that they haue little other wood and also Gaiac This much as touching this trée Acaion There are also other trées whereof the fruite is daungerous to eate among the which there is one named Haouay Furthermore this countrey is full of hills mountaynes with good mynes of golde There is a high and riche mountayne where these wilde men get their gréene stones that they beare at their lips and therefore it is not vnpossible but that there may be founde emerauldes and other riches if this obstinat people woulde permit that we might go in saâ—egarde lykewise there is founde white Marbell and blacke Iasper and Porphire And in al this countrey from the Caape S. Augustine vnto the Ryuer of Marignan they vse all one manner of liuing as the others doe at Caape de Fria the same Riuer separateth the lande of Perou from the Canibals and hath in bredth at the mouth fiftene leagues or thereabout with some Ilandes peopled and riche in golde for the wilde men haue founde a meane howe to trye it and to make broade rings lyke to buckles and others that they hang on their nostrels and on their chéekes the whiche they carrie for magnificence The Spaniardes say that the greate Ryuer that commeth from Perou named Aurelane and this do méete vpon this Riuer there is another Iland named the Trinitie distant ten degrées from the lyne hauing in length about .30 leagues in breadth about .8 leagues the which is the richest Ilande that may be found in any parte for that it beareth al kinde of mettals But for that the Spaniardes landing there many tymes for to bring it to their subiection and obedience haue cruelly handled the inhabitantes therefore they haue bene rudtly repulsed and the better parte destroyed This Ilande bringeth forth abundance of a certaine fruite the trée whereof is lyke to a Palme trée with the which they make drinke Furthermore there is founde good Frankinsence and Gaiac lykewise in many other Ilandes néere to the mayne lande Also there is betwene Perou and the Canibals many Ilandes named Canibals somewhat néere to Zamana of which the chiefest is distant from the Spanish Iland .30 leagues al the which Ilands are vnder the obedience of a King whome they call Sassique of his subiectes he is wel obeyed The greatest Iland hath in length .60 leagues and of bredth .48 rude and ful of mountaynes almost comparable to the Iland of Corsa in the which their King kepeth customably The wilde men of this Ilande are mortall enimies to the Spaniards after such a sorte that they can by no meanes trade Also these people are vglie to beholde hye minded and couragious very subiect to thefte there are many trées of Gaiac and another that beareth a fruite of the greatnesse of an Egge very fayre to behold neuerthelesse it is venemous therefore they temper therewith their arrowes that they vse to ayde them selues with
presentes as before and then for the continuance of their voyage it was nedefull to set sayle and to shorten waye From thence they sayled more than a hundreth leagues before they tooke lande beholding about the Riuer side diuers kindes and a multitude of wild people as before the which I wil not staye to describe for to auoide prolixitie but it shall suffice to vnderstand the place where as at the seconde time they aboorded Hovv certaine Spanyardes arriued into a countrey vvhere they found Amazones Cap. 63. THe saide Spanyardes did so much by their iourneys that they arriued in a Countrey where as were inhabiting Amazones the which would neuer haue bene thought for that Historiographers haue made therof no mention bicause they knew not this countrey late found out Some may say that they are not Amazonists but as for me I iudge them suche séeing that they liue euen so as we finde the Amazonists of Asia to haue liued And before passing further ye shall note that these Amazones of which we speake are retired inhabiting in certaine Ilands which are to them as strong holdes hauing alwayes perpetuall warre with certaine people without any other exercise euen as those of whom haue spoken the Historiographers Nowe then these warlike women of our America being fortified in Ilandes are most commonly assailed of their enimies that séeke them on the water with barkes and other vessels and there they fight with bowes and arrowes contrariwise the women defend them with the like couragiously with threatnings noise and countenaunces the most fearfull that is possible they make their bulwarkes of defence with mighty great shelles of Torterels And bicause it commeth to our purpose to speake of the Amazonists we will write somewhat in this place The poore people find no great comfort among these rude and sauage women I finde by the histories that there are .iij. sorts of Amazones all a like differing only in places dwellings The most anciest sort were in Affrica among y e which were Gorgonists that had Meduse for their Quéene The other were in Scythia néere to the riuer of Tanais which since haue raigned in a part of Asia néere to the riuer of Hermodoon and the third sort of Amazones are those which we do treat of Ther is diuers opinions why they were called Amazones The most common is for bicause that these women did burne their brests in their youth to be more apt in the warre The which I finde very straunge and reporte me to medicines whether they can burne those partes without death knowing that they are tender and also néere to y e heart neuerthelesse the most part are of this opinion If it were so I wold thinke that for one that escapeth death there dieth a hundreth Others take the Etymologie of this vowell A. priuatiue and of Maza that signifieth bread for that they liue not with bread but with other things which is as absurde as the others for in that time they might call many that liued without bread Amazones as the Troglodites and many others in like maner all the Indians The others of A. priuatiue Mazos as those that haue bene norished w tout womans milke the which is most likeliest to be true of which opinion is Philostratus or else of a nimphe named Amazoni or of an other named Amazone virgin to Diana and Quéene of Ephesus which I do better beleue thā burning of their paps or brests let them that list dispute of the contrary Wel how so euer it is these women are named warlike and moreouer ye shall note that the Scithians which we name Tartarians being driuen out of Egipt subdued the better parte of Asia and made it all tributary and vnder their obedience In the meane time whilest the Scythians remained in this long cōquest and expedition of Asia their wiues being wearied of their so long absence as the good Penelope of hir husband Vlixes did admonishe them by many gracious letters and messages to returne otherwise that this long vntollerable absence wold cōstraine them to make new aliances with their next neighbors considering that the auncient lignage of the Scithians began to decay Notwithstāding without hauing regarde to the swéete requestes of their wiues kept inhabited Asia with an obstinate corage yea vntil the time that Ninus did deliuer it from this miserable thraldome bondage During which time these women neuer made aliaunce of Matrimonie with their neighbors esteming and thinking that Matrimonie was not a meane of libertie but of thraldome But they with one accord vertuous enterprise consented to take their weapons begin warre thinking y t they were descended of that mighty Mars god of warres which they executed so vertuously vnder y e gouernement of Lampedo Marthesia their Quéenes y t gouerned one after another that they not only defended their coūtrey frō inuasion of their enimies in mainteining their liberty but also made many goodly conquests in Europe in Asia euen vnto y e riuer of which we shewed before In which place specially at Ephesus they caused to be made many castles and holds This being done they sent some of their bāds into their countrey with the riches bootie and spoile of their enimies and the rest remained in Asia Finally these good women for to kéepe their stocke and posteritie did willingly offer them selues to their neighbors without any other kind of mariage And of the fruit that procéeded they killed the male children kéeping alwayes the female for the warres the feat wherof they wold learne them with al diligence they exercise the feats of chiualry and hunting aboue al other things Their weapōs were bowes and arowes with certain bucklers of which Virgill speaketh of in his Aeneidos when that during the siege of Troy they went to helpe the Troyans against the Greekes Some say also that they were the first that begā to ride a horsse and to fight on horsebacke Well now it is time to returne to the Amazones of America and to y e Spanyards In that part they are seperated from men and frequent them very seldome but at sometime secrete in the night or at some appoynted time These women inhabite in litle lodgings and caues against the rockes liuing with fishe and wilde beasts with rootes some good fruits that this land bringeth forth They kil their male children incōtinently after they are deliuered or else they deliuer him to y e mā to whom they think it doth pertain If it be a female they retaine it to them selues euen so as did the first Amazones They make warre ordinarily against some other nation And those whom they take in the warre they vse most cruelly and inhumainely for to make them die they hang them by one leg on a trée and leauing them after this sort they goe their wayes and if it happen that they be not dead when they returne they will shoote at them
aboue ten thousande times but they eate them not as others doe but they burne them vntill they be consumed to ashes Furthermore these women when that they approche to fight they make maruellous cries shootes for to affray their enimies Of the originall of these Amazones in that countrey it is vncertain some thinke that after the warre of Troy for thither they went as we haue before shewed vnder the conducte of Pantasilla they scattered abrode and wandred héere and there Others think that they are come from certain places of Grecia iâ— Affrica from wheÌ„ce a cruell king chased them We haue many histories of their acts and feats of warre and of other women the which I will leaue for to continue our purpose for there are many Histories Greekes Latines and others that shewe thereof at large We haue begon to shewe how that the Spanyardes remained there but a while for to rest them onely and to get victuals for that these women as all amazed to sée suche an aray which vnto them was straunge came together aboue ten thousand of them in lesse space than thrée houres maids and women all naked sauing bowes and arrowes in their fastes beginning to make a great noise as though they had séene their enimies so that they began to loose of their arrowes the which the Spanyards séeing wold make no resistance but retiring wayed their ankers and hoised saile but at their departing saying Adew they saluted them with certaine gunshot among the thickest of them so that these women escaped not without some losse and detriment Hovv the Spanyardes continued their voyage to Morpion and of the riuer of Plate Cap. 64. FRom thence they continuing their way wel a Cxx. leagues they knew by their Astrolobia what height the place was where they were The which is so necessary for the good Nauigation that those that saile into farre Countreys can haue no assurance of their voyage if that this practise faile them wherfore this Arte of the height of the Sunne excéedeth all other artes And this cunning our elders haue greatly commended and practized also Ptolome and other great authors These Spaniardes leauing their skiffes and caruels they sunke them then euery man laded them selues with the rest of the victailes munitions and other marchaundise chiefly the slaues that were there for that purpose they went for the terme of .ix. dayes by and ouer mountaines and dales decked with all sortes of gréene trées herbes floures and fruites In so much that at the last by their iorneys they came to a great riuer procéeding from the highe Mountaines wheras they found other wilde men among the which some for feare fled their wayes others climed vpon trées and there remained in their lodgings none but a fewe olde men to the which in signe of friendship and fauor they made presents with certaine kniues and glasses the which to them were agréeable so that they went and called the others shewing them that these strangers newe arriued were some great Lordes that in no wise would hurt them but make to them presents of their riches The wilde men being moued with this liberalitie went to fetche them victails as fish venison and fruites according as the countrey brought forth The which the Spanyardes séeing were minded there to passe away the winter in the meane time to discouer the commodities of the countrey and to sée if that there might be fouÌ„d any Mine of golde or siluer or any other thing wherby they might gather any profit By this meanes they remained there .vij. months together and séeing things fell not out according to their mind they tooke their iorney forward hauing to guide them .viij. of these wild meÌ„ that brought them on their way about .lxxx. leagues passing alwayes through the midst of other wilde men more rude lesse tractable thaÌ„ they before for the which their guides wer vnto them as necessary as profitable Finally they knew of a truth that they were come to y e height of a place named Morpion then inhabited of Portingals some of them being weary of so long a voyage were determined to repaire to the place before named others to y e coÌ„trary said it were better to perseuer goe forwarde to the riuer of Plate distant farther by land .300 leagues In which for to make agréement according to thaduise of the captain the one part kept their way to Plate and the others drue toward Morpion Néere to which place these poore pilgrims beheld if they could espie any booty vntil that they found a riuer running at the foote of a hill in which they that dranke did perceiue certaine stones shining like siluer of the which they bare a certaine quantitie to Morpion distant froÌ„ theÌ„ce .18 leagues which place after proofe was found to bear good natural siluer And since y e king of Portingall hath had from thence an infinite deale of siluer after that he had souÌ„ded the Mine and brought it to good perfection After that these Spaniardes had rested theÌ„ selues at Morpion with the Portingall their neighbors they set forwarde to folow the others to kepe the way to Plate being distaÌ„t from Morpion by sea .250 leagues and by land .300 wheras the Spanyards haue found many Mines of golde and siluer and haue named it Plate which signifieth in our language siluer And for to inhabite there they haue edified certaine castles and holdes and since some of theÌ„ with other Spanyards newly come to that place not content with this fortune haue enterprised to saile euen to the straight of Magellan so named by him that first found it out which ioyneth with America toward the South And from thence entreth into the peaceable Sea on the other side of America where as they haue found many faire Ilands and in the end they came to Moluques which they kepe and inhabiteâ—t this day By the which meanes there cometh a great tribute of golde and siluer vnto the King of Spaine This muche in effect of this voyage the which I thought good to note by the way being shewed me in my Nauigation by those that of a truthe had bene in the voyage Hovve the landes of the king of Spaine and of Portingall are separated Cap. 65. THe kings of Spaine and of Portingall after that they had obtained many happy and fortunate victories as well in the East as in the West in places by sea and land not before knowne or discouered deliberated for the greater assurance to deuide and limit al the countrey that they had conquered and also to auoide quarels that héere after might rise as they did of the mine of gold that they had at the Cape of thrée points which is in Guiney as also the Ilands of Cape verd and many other places Also euery one may know y t one kingdome wil not haue two kings no more than the world wil receiue two Sunnes So it is
that from the riuer of Marignan betwene America and the Ilands of Antilles that ioyne at Perou vnto Terra Florida néere to newe found lande belongeth to the King of Spaine the which hath also great Lordship in America comming from Perou toward the South on the West side towarde Marignan as is before shewed To the King of Portingal did befall all that is from the said riuer of Marignan towards the South vnto the riuer of Plate which is .36 degrees from the Equinoctiall And the first place towarde Magellan is named Morpion the second Mahanhoc in the which place hath bene found many mines of golde and siluer The thirde Port Sigoura néere to Caape S. Augustine Fourthly the point of Cronest Monâ—ou castel Marin and Fernanbow bordering the Canibals of America To declare particularly the places from one riuer to an other as Curtana Caribes néere to the swéete or freshe riuer and royall Likewise their lyings with other things I wil forbeare at this time It shall suffice onely to know that in those places before named the Portingals are inhabited and caÌ„tel how to entertaine the wilde men of the countrey so that they liue togither in peace trade many riche marchandise And there they haue bartered and builded houses and castles to resist their enimies Now to retourne to the Prince of Spaine he hath done the like for his part the which is as we haue shewed from Marignan towards the West vnto Moluques as wel on this side as beyond in the West in the sea peaceable the Ilands of these two seas and Perou in the maine land so that altogether extendeth of a great compasse beside the countrey adioyning that in time may be found out as Cartagera Cata Palmaria Parisa great and little The which two nations specially the Portingals haue discouered muche land in the East countrey for their trade the which notwithstanding they enioy not as they do many places of America and Perou For to beare rule in that Countrey they must get the loue and fauor of the Indians otherwise if that they reuolt they will destroy all that they finde so y t they must frame themselues so to their wayes that they by no wise may be offeÌ„ded Now ye must note that their attempts and discouerings was not without great bloudshed specially of poore Christians that haue ieoperded their liues without hauing respect to the cruell inhumanitie of these people To be short there is no difficultie be it neuer so daungerous that withdraweth a mannes manly heart We sée in our Europe how muche the Romaines at the beginning minding to enlarge their Empire but with a litle land to the respect of that which hath bene gotten within this sixtie yeares haue shed the bloud as well of them selues as of their enimies What furious and horrible dissipations of lawes disciplines honest conuersation hath raigned throughout the world biside the ciuile warres of Sylla and Marius Cina and of Pompey of Brutus of Anthony Augustus more hurtfull than the rest also hath folowed the ruine and decay of Italy by the Gothes Hunns and Wandallians which also haue inuaded Asia and ouerthrowne the kingdome of Grece to the which purpose Ouid séemeth to haue spoken these woords We see hovv things doe chaunge and come to passe And novv a people raigne that nothing vvas And he the vvhich had might and poure Dothe them homage obey and eke honoure To conclude all humaine creatures are subiecte to chaunge more or lesse according as they be rich or poore high or lowe little or great The deuision of the West Indies in three partes Cap. 66. BEfore that I passe any farther to describe this countrey by good right as I thinke named Fraunce Antarctike or before America for the reasons that we haue alleaged bicause of his largenesse which is without comparison I am minded for that I would the reader should the better vnderstand it to deuide it in thrée parts for since the time that other Countreis haue bene discouered all the Countrey of America Perou Florida and Canada and other places adiacent to goe from the straight of Magellan haue bene coÌ„monly called the west Indies and is for bicause the people liue al naked barbarous and rude as those that are yet in the East Indies The which Countrey meriteth well the name of India of the floud or riuer Indus as we haue before shewed This fair riuer entring into the East sea called Indique by seuen mouthes or openings as Nyll doth into the sea Meditarium taketh his originall of the Mountaines Arbiciennes and Beciennes Also the riuer Gangis in like case entreth in by .v. openings into this sea deuiding India into two partes separating the one from the other Therfore this region being so farre from America for the one is in the East and the other compreheÌ„deth from the South vnto the west we cannot say that others thaÌ„ those that haue first discouered these landes haue added this name of India séeing the beastly behauior and crueltie of this people so brutish without faith without law and not vnlike to diuers people of the Indies of Asia and of Ethiopia of which Plinie maketh most ample mention in his natural history By this meanes hath America obtained the name of India to the likenesse of that which is in Asia for y t they agrée in maners beastly brutishnesse other things as we haue before shewed of the OccideÌ„tal people to those of the East parts Therefore the first part of this land containeth toward the South vnto the straight of Magellan which is .52 degrées .30 minutes of the Equinoctiall line I meane of the Austreall line comprehending no part of the other land that is beyond the straight the which was neuer knowne nor inhabited of vs sauing onely from that straight comming from the riuer of Plate From thence drawing towarde the West far betwéene these two Seas are the prouinces of Patalia Paranaguacu Margageas Patagones or region of Giaunts Morpion Tabaiares Toupinambou Amazones the countrey of Brasil vnto y e Cape of S. Augustin the which is .viij. degrées beyonde the line the Countrey of Canibals Anthropophages the which regions are comprehended in America compassed with the Ocean sea and on the other side toward the South of the peaceable sea which is otherwise the sea of Magellan We will therfore ende this Indian land at the riuer of Amazones the which euen as Ganges maketh the seperation of one Indies from another towards the East also this notable floud the which hath of bredth .50 leagues may make separation of India America and of Perou The seconde parte shall begin from the sayde riuer containing many kingdomes and Prouinces at Perou the straight of land containing Daryen Furna Popaian Anzerma Carapa Quimbaya Cali Pasta Quito Canares Cuzco Chila Patalia Parias Temistitan Mexica Cataia Panuco the Pigmeis eueÌ„ to Florida which lieth .25 degrées of latitude on this side the line I leaue the Ilands
and others but Ptolome did since inuente degrées for to measure bothe the Sea and the land which before was not a lyke measured and this is much more easy It is then Ptolome that hath compassed the whole worlde by Degrées as wel in length as in bredth finding 360. Leagues and in euery degrée .17 Leagues a half as I vnderstande of our Pilots that are expert in Nauigation So that the whole world hauing the Firmament and the Elementes in his conference contayneth .360 degrées equally by twelue signes whereof euery one hath 30. degrées for .12 tymes .30 make iust .360 A degrée contayneth .60 minutes a minut .60 thirdes a thirde .60 fourthes a fourth .60 fifthes vnto .60 tenthes For the proportions of the firmament may be parted in so many partes as we haue sayde Then by the degrées we find the longitude latitude and distance of places the latitude from the line to our Pole whereas there is .90 degrées and so much beyonde the longitude is taken from the fortunate Ilands to the Easte Wherefore I saye to conclude that the Pilot that woulde sayle ought to consider thre things the firste in what hight of degrées he findeth himselfe and in what hight the place is that he will goe to secondly the place where he findeth himselfe and the place whether he hopeth to goe that is to know what distance and length there is from one coaste to another Thirdly to knowe what winde or windes wil serue for Nauigation all the whiche he may knowe and sée by his compasse and other Instrumentes of the Sea Folowing alwayes our course sixe degrées at this side our lyne kéeping the Caape on the North of vs vntill the .15 day of Aprill at which tyme we knewe the Sunne to be directly vnder our Zenith the which was not without enduring great heat as ye may wel thinke if ye consider the heat y t is hetherwarde the Sunne being in Cancer whiche is far from our Zenith to vs that inhabit in Europe Nowe afore going any farther I wil speake of certayne flying fishes that I left out when I spake of fishes vnder the lyne It is therefore to be noted that vnder the lyne ten degrées on this side and beyonde there is founde aboundance of flying fish that flyeth hye in the ayre being folowed of another fish that woulde deuoure him So that by the quantitie of him that flyeth ye may easily coniecture the quantitie of the other lyuing by praye Among the which the Dorade of whom we haue before shewed doeth folowe hym aboue all others for that his flesh is very delicate and tender of the which also there are two kinds the one is lyke a herring the which is that which is so chased of others this fish hath foure wings two great ones lyke vnto the wings of a bat and two other little ones néere to the tayle the other is made lyke a Lampron of the which kindes there are fewe found but onely .15 degrées on this side and beyonde the lyne the which to my iudgement is the cause that those that haue set out bookes of fishes haue left them out beside many others The Americans name this fish Pirauena he flieth lyke a Partrige and the little one flyeth much better and higher than the other and sometymes they are so néere chased and folowed specially by night that many tymes they strike againste the ship sayles by heapes and there remayne There is another fish which is called by them Albacore much more greater than the Porpas the which is also a deuourer of the flying fish as wel as the Dorade and he is very good and excellent to eate aboue all other fishes in the sea as well of the Weast as of the Easte He is vneasy to be gotten and therefore they make a counterfet fish of white linnen the which they make to spring aboue water as doeth the flying fish and by this meanes he is most commonly taken Of Perou and of the principal places contayned in the same Cap. 70. NOw kéeping our course hauing the wind very faire we coasted the lande of Perou and the Ilandes being on the coaste of the Weast Sea called the Ilandes of Perou euen to the heigth of the Spanish Ilande of the which we will speake hereafter particularly This countrey as we haue deuided it is one of the thrée partes of the Weaste Indies hauing in length .700 Leagues taking from the North to the South and in bredth .100 Leagues from the Easte to the Weaste being a firme lande from Themestitan passing the straight of Daryen betwene the West and the sea which they name pacifik and it was so named of a Riuer called Perou which is in bredth about a little league as many other prouinces in Africa Asia and Europe haue takē their names of their most famous Riuers as also we haue shewed of Senega This Region is then inclosed with the Weast and the South Sea garnished with thicke forestes and mountaynes the which make the countrey in many places vnaccessible so that we cannot there driue our Cartes and Horses loden there as we do héere In this countrey of Perou there is many faire prouinces among the which the most chiefest towardes the North is Quito the which extendeth in length from the Easte to the Weast aboute 60. Leagues and in bredth .30 Next to Quito is the prouince of the Canaries hauing towardes the Easte the Riuer of Amazones with many mountaynes and hills and inhabited with a Barbarous and wilde people not yet conuerted besides this there is the prouince that the Spaniards haue named S. Iames of olde port beginning within a degrée beyond ▪ the lyne Equinoctiall The fourth which they call in their language Taxamilca extendeth to the greate Citie of Tongilla the which after that their King Atabalyba was poysoned Pizare seing the fruitfull commodities of the countrey caused there to be edified a Town and a Castel There is yet another named Cuzco in the which the Iugies haue long tyme raygned being a people so named whiche haue bene in tymes past mighty Lords And this worde Iugies is as much to say as Kings And in their time their Kingdome limits was so greate and large that it contayned aboue a .1000 Leagues from one end to another Also this countrey beareth the name of the chiefest Citie as doeth Rhodes Metelin Candia other countreys taking their names of the most renomed Townes and Cities as I haue shewed Furthermore being on a tyme at Caape Finistra in Spayne a Spaniarde shewed me that in this countrey of Cuzco there is founde a people that haue their eares hanging downe to their shoulders hauing hanging on their eares greate pieces of fine and pure shining Golde well pollished and better than any other Golde in Perou to whose wordes I will sooner giue credit than to many Historiographers in these daies that writ by heare say reporting to vs
things that they neuer sawe To this purpose I remember that they woulde perswade vs that in high Africa there was people that had eares hanging downe to there hales the which is nothing so but a manifest fable and lye The fifth prouince is Canar hauing on the west side the South Sea the which is a maruelous cold countrey for the Frost and Snowe lyeth there all the yeare long And although that in others Regions of Perou the colde be not so violent and that there commeth and procedeth great plenty of good fruites yet there is not such teÌ„peratnesse in Sommer for in Sommer in other places the ayre is extreme hot vntemperat the which causeth a corruption chiefly in the fruites Also that venemous beastes are not founde in colde countries as they are in hote regions Therefore al being considered it is harde to iudge which of these countries ought to be preferred before the other to this we may replie that there is no commoditie but that hath his incommoditie Moreouer there is yet another named Calao wherein is more trading and occupying than in any other countrey in Perou the which also is the cause that it is better peopled It extendeth from the Easte coast to the mountaynes of Andes and from the Weaste to the mountaynes of Nanades the people in this countrey is named Xuli Chilan Acos Pomata Cepita and Trianguauaco Although it be wilde and Barbarous yet it is neuerthelesse very tractable bicause of the marchandise and trade that there is vsed otherwise it woulde not be lesse confirmable than the rest of America In this countrey there is a great laake named in their language Titicata whiche is to say Iland of Fethers for that that in this Lake there are certaine lyttle Ilands in the which are founde a great number of byrds great and small and of such diuers kyndes as is almost vncredible Now the last couÌ„trey that is in Perou named Carcas next adiaceÌ„t to Chila in the which standeth the famous and rich Citie of Platte the countrey being very rych bicause of the fayre Riuers and Mynes of Golde and Siluer Therefore this great countrey containeth is called all that is comprehended from the Riuer of Platte vnto Quitto as we haue already shewed and of which we haue declared y e eight principall countries and prouinces This maine land being so long and broade is like to the fygure of a triangle although that many call it an Ilande the which cannot or else will not make a difference betwene an Iland that which we call almost an Iland By this meanes ye nede not to doute that from the straight of Magellan .50 degrees of latitude and .30 minuts and .303 degrées of longitude beyond the lyne being more than .68 degrées on this syde is the maine lande In dede if that this little lande betwene new Spaine Perou hauing in bredth but .17 leagues from the Ocean to the South were cut from the one Sea to the other then Perou might be called an Iland but Daryen a straight of lande so named of the Riuer of Daryen doth let it yet it behoueth somwhat to speake of Perou As touching the Religion of these wyld men of that countrey which are not yet reformed to our Fayth they holde a very straunge opinion of a great â—â—ttell that they kéepe secretly saying that the Sea in times past passed out thereof with all his Fishes and that out of a nother thing proceded the Sunne the Moone the first Man and the first Woman the which their false and deceitfull priestes haue persuaded and shewed them named Bohitis and they haue beleued and giuen credit thereto a long tyme vntil that the Spanyards haue dissuaded the most parte of these dreames and delusions Besides this these people are very idolatrous aboue others One worshippeth according to his minde what pleaseth him The fishers worship a fish named Lyburon and the rest worship certain beasts and byrds Those that labor the ground make gardens worship the Earth but they all in generall take the Sunne to be a great God lykewise y e Moone the earth thinking that by the Sunne the Moone all things are ruled and gouerned In swearing or taking an othe they will lay theyr hand on the Earthz beholde the Sunne they also holde opinion that there hath ben a Deluge as those of America saying that there came a Prophet from the North parts that dyd maruels the which after he was put to death had neuerthelesse power to lyue The Spanyards occupy all this mayne land from the Riuer of Marignan vnto Furna and Daryen and yet more further on the west coast which is the straightest or narowest place of the mayne lande by the which the way lyeth to Moluques Furthermore it exteÌ„deth to the Ryuer of Palme wheras they haue so well edified and peopled all the countrey that it is a maruellous thing to sée the riches that at this day that countrey bringeth forth lyke vnto a great kingdome First to begin almost thoroughout al the Ilands of Perou there are Mynes of Gold or siluer with certaine Emerauldes and Turkesses neuertheless e hauing not so lyuely a color as those y t come from Malaca and Calicut The most welthiest people of all the countrey of Perou are those y t they name Iugas valiant aboue other nations they worship cattell and all other kynde of domesticall beasts in greater number than we doe here for the countrey thereto is giuen in such sorte that beastes hydes and skyns of all sorts is their chief marchandise and they kill the beasts onely for theyr skynnes The greatest number of these domesticall beasts are become wylde bicause that there are so great multitude so y t they let them stray in the woods day night for that they haue no place to harbor theÌ„ in their houses And for to take theÌ„ they set snares and chase them as we doe Venison As for Corne as I vnderstand it cannot profit there nor grow in no part of Perou no more than in America Therefore aswell gentlemen as others lyue with a kynde of sustenance y t they name Cassade which is a kinde of cakes made of a roote named Manihot Furthermore they haue great plenty of Myll fish As touching wine there groweth none in stede whereof they make other kyndes of beuerege This much as touching the circuit of Perou the which with his Ilands of the which I wil treat hereafter is brought to such a forme that at this preseÌ„t ye shal finde townes castels cities bâ—â—oughes houses bishopricks coÌ„mon weales all kende of liuings so y t ye will iudge it to be a nother Europe By this we know how great the power goodnesse of our God is his prouidence to all people for euen as y e Turks Mores heathen people seke to destroy Christes religion so coÌ„trarily in other places it
Syluer The slaues do no other thing but worke fetch Syluer from the Myne they cary it to the principall and chief towne of that countrey the wich was edifyed at the bottome of the hyll by the Spaniards Synce this Myne was found out all the countries Ilands mayne lands be Inhabited with certaine wylde men all naked as in other places of America Thus much as touching Perou and of his Ilands A description of Noua Espania and of the great citie of Themistitan edified in the vvest Indies Cap. 73. FOr bicause that it is not possible for all men to sée seÌ„sibly all things during his age be it either bicause of the continuall alteration and changing of things that are here in this world or bicause of y e long distaÌ„ce of places countries God hath giuen the meane to represent them not onely by writing but also by picture by the industry labor of those that haue sene them I haue sene set out by figure many auncient as those of Iason of Acteon Eneas Hercules many other things y e which we may dayly sée in their proper forme without figure as are many kynds of wild beasts For this cause I mynd to set forth rehearse vnto you y e great large citie of Thimistitan as nere as is possible being sure certaine y t few among you haue sene it neither can ye well go sée it bicause of the long dangerous nauigation that it behoueth ye to make Themistitan is a citie edified in newe Spayne the which taketh his beginning at the straight of Ariana and endeth on the north side at the riuer of Canuca In times past it was named Anauak and since because it was discouered and inhabited of Spaniardes it hath receiued the name of newe Spaine Among the which landes the first inhabited was Iucathan the which hath a point of lande lying out into y e sea like vnto the lande of Florida notwithstanding that those which make the Cardes Marius haue forgotteÌ„ to make the best the which setteth out their shew or description Now this Noua Espania on the East West and South side is compassed with the west sea and on the North side to the new world the which being inhabited is séene beyond in the same North an other lande not known of the Modernes for the which I will not stand therein Themistitan which is a strong Citie great and very riche in the countrey before named is founded on a greate Lake the way that goeth to this Citie is not broader than the length of two speares being so named of him that laide the foundation named Tenuth sonne to the Kinge Iztacmixcoatz This citie hath onely two gates the one to enter in the other for to come out at And not farre from the Citie is a bridge of wood a tenne foote broad the which was made for the encreasing diminishing of the waters for that Lake riseth and falleth like vnto the Sea And for the defence of the citie there is yet many others like in maner to Venice edified in the sea That countrey is coÌ„passed with very high mountains the plaine cuntrey hath in circuit .150 leagues in the which is fouÌ„d .ij. lakes that occupy a great part therof for bicause y t these .ij. lakes haue of circuit .50 leagues of the which thone is fresh water in the which is many good small fishe and the other is salte water the which besyde his bitternesse is venemous and therefore it can nourish no fish the which is against the opinion of those that thinck it to be but one Laake The playne is separated from the sayd Laakes by certaine mountaynes and at their farthest parte they are ioyned with a straight or narow land by the which men are conducted with barkes and boates euen into the Citie the which is standing on the salt water from thence to the mayne land on the causy side it is foure leagues And I cannot compare the greatnesse thereof better than to Venise For to enter into the sayd Citie there is foure ways made of stones artificially wheras there are two cundits or fountaines of y e greatnesse of two paces and of a mans heigth from one of the which is conducted fresh water into the Citie y e which is of the heigth of fiue foote and the water runneth a long euen to the middest of the Citie of the which they drynke and vse it in their nedeful businesse The other Chanel they kéepe emptie for this reason when y t they will â—lense that same wherein the fresh water is they bring all the filth of the Citie with the other to y e land and bicause that the chanels passe by the bridges by the places whereas the salt water entereth goeth oute they conduct the sayd water by swéete and cleane chanells the heigth of a pace Vpon this Laake y t compasseth the Citie the Spaniards haue made many fayre houses places of pleasure some vpon little Rocks others vpon pyles of woode Moreouer Themistitan staÌ„deth a .xx. degrées of eleuation aboue the lyne Equinoctiall and hath .272 degrées of longitude It was taken by strength by Ferdinand of Cortes being captaine generall for the Emperor in those partes of the yeare of grace .1521 containing than .70000 houses little and great The kings palaice which was named Mutuezuma with those of the lords of y e towne was faire great and large The Indians that then did inhabit this Citie had a custome to kepe euery fyue daies the market in places thereto appointed their trade was fethers of byrds with the which they made diuers and sundry things as gounes fashioned after their maner Tapistry woorke and other things And to these sciences were the oldest sorte occupied When they would go worship their great Idoll the which was erected in the myddest of the Citie lyke vnto a theatre who when they had taken any of theyr enimies in the war did sacrifice them to their Idolls and then eate them holding this for a kynde of religion Furthermore their trade was beastes skynnes of the which they made gounes hose and a kynde of hoodes for to kepe them as well from the colde as from stynging flyes The inhabitans at this daye which before were cruel and vnhumaine by succession of time haue so well changed their maners and conditions that in stead of barbarous and cruell they are ciuill and gratious in such sort that they haue left all theyr former naughtie and wicked doings the which they were wont to vse as in killing one another eating humayne fleshe to haue company with the first woman y t they met without hauing regarde either to kindred or degrée with other lyke vices and imperfections Their houses are sumptuously buylded Among other things there is a fayre palaice where as the Armour of y e Citie is kept the streates and places of this Citie are so straight
or fruites after their maner their shoes are after the same sorte They obserue matrimonie faithfully eschuing adulterie and hating it aboue all things True it is that these men haue .iij. or .iiij. wiues as we haue before shewed the Kyng of that cuntrey may haue as many wiues as he wil they name him Agahanna the maidēs of that cuntry are not hated bicause they haue shewed pleasure to yong men before that they haue ben maried as they do in America and therfore they haue certaine houses in their villages where as the men and women mete being separated from the yong men maidens Women that are widowes do neuer marie again after the death of their husbands but liue in sorow the rest of their life and haue their face all blacked with the dust of coales mingled with trayne oyle with their haire hanging al about their face and not trussed vp behind as y e others vse and after this sort they go euen to their death As touching the vsage of their yong children they wrap them in .iiij. or .v. marterne skins being sowed together and then they haue a certain holow thing of wood which cōmeth betwene their legs without hurting thē in which the childe maketh water fileth so that he neuer fileth nor toucheth his body nor yet the skinnes that he is wrapped in And this thing or gutter that is betwene their legs is made of some tender and thinne barke of a trée If this people were néerer Turkey I wold thinke they had lerned this of the Turkes or else that they had taught it them I will neither saye nor iudge that these wilde men thinke it to be sinne that their children shold weat them with their vrine as the superstitious nation of the Turkes do but rather for a ciuilitie that they haue aboue others And by this may be knowne how much these poore brutish people do excell others in honestie They plante or set a planke of wood for the childe bicause of the inferiour extremitie pointed into the earth and the childe shall stand or lye vpright to sleape with his head hanging downe Howe these people make warre Cap. 79. AS these people séeme almost to haue like maners and vsage as other barbarous people haue also there is no nation more prompt readie to make warre one with a nother thā they are that vse their feates of warre most likest vnto them onely certaine things excepted The Toutaniens the Guadelphes and Chicorins make warre commonly against the Canadians and other straunge people that descende from the great riuer of Ochelagua and Saguena which Riuers are verie faire and great bearing very good fishe and that great plentie Also by these riuers ye may enter aboue three hundreth leagues into the countrey and also into the land of theyr enimies with small boates bicause of the rockes And the olde people of the countrey say that they which were minded to folow these two riuers they should in a fewe moones for so they do recken finde diuers kindes of people and abundance of gold and siluer besides this these two Riuers being separated the one from the other they mete and ioyne together in one place and being thus together thei enter farre into newe Spayne for they border one another as Fraunce doeth and Italie And therefore when that they haue warre in Canada theyr greate Agahanna which is as much to say their King or Lord doth commaunde all other Lords vnder his authoritie for euery village hath his superior that they make them readie to come before him in their best araye with men victuals and munitions of warre as their custome and maner is to doe and then euery one will make them selues readie to obey their lordes commandement and so they will come together on the water with their litle barkes and skiffes made of the barkes of trées as they doe in America and in other places Then the assemblie being made they goe to séeke their ennimies and when they knowe that they shal mete them they put them selues in aray to giue the onset in as good order as is possible with many feats and policies according to their custome If that they tarry at home for their enimies they fortifie their lodgings with certain pieces of woode fagots and braunches being daubed or smeared with the grease of a Seawoulf or with some other poyson to the ende that they may poyson their enimies if that they come néere the which they set on fier from the whiche procedeth such a thicke blacke and dangerous smoke to smel on bicause of the extreme stincke that it killeth those that smell it and besides this it so blindeth their enimies that they cannot sée one another And they vse such a policie with this smoke that what winde so euer bloweth they will cause it to flye towards their enimies Lykewise they vse to make fishes of the leaues of certayne trées and of hearbes the which being dried in the Sunne they mingle amongste these fagots and braunches then they set fire thereon when that they sée their enimies comming a farre of After this sorts they did defende themselues against the firste Christians that discouered their lande doing their good willes with certayne of the foresayde grease to set fire on their ships but they were enformed of this enterprise and therefore they gaue such order that the Canadians were preuented Neuerthelesse as I was enformed these poore wilde men had not conspired this enterprise but iustly and in a good quarrell considering the wrong that they had first receiued of others For our men being descended a land some yong men among them for their pleasure moste wicked and foolish vsing themselues more lyker Tyrantes than Christians dyd cut of bothe Armes and Legs of some of these poore people bicause that they woulde proue whether their swordes woulde cut well or no And yet the poore people receiued them gently And for this occasion they haue not permitted since any Christian there to aborde nor set foote on lande neither yet to trade or traffick as by experience hath ben knowen Now to our purpose these Canadians set forwarde in the warre foure and foure and when they are redy to ioyne battell they make a great noyse with exclamations and other fantasies euen like to the Amazones of which we haue spokē for to giue feare and dreade to their enimies they carry many standards made of braunches being decked with Penons and Swans fethers Their drummes are of certayne skins being borne of two men and one commeth behinde and layeth on with two stickes as harde as he can their flutes are made of the shanke bones of a bucke or some other wilde beaste And after this sorte the Canadians fight with Bowes and Arrowes rounde Clubs of woodde foure square Staues Launces Morispikes and others the which are headed with bones in stede of Irō stéele They vse also targets some
like that of Magellan by the which ye may enter from the West sea to the South sea Gemafrigius although he was expert in Mathematike hath herein failed erred for he maketh vs beleue that this Riuer of which we speake is a straight the which is named Septentrionall and so hath he sette it out in his Mappa Mundi If that which he hath written be true in vaine then haue the Portingals bene and Spanyards to séeke a new straight distant from this aboue .3000 leagues for to enter into the South sea to goe to the Ilands of Moluques where as the spices are This Countrey of New found land is inhabited with barbarous men being clothed in wilde beastes skinnes as are those of Canada this people is very frowarde and vntractable as our men can well testifie that goe thither euery yeare a fishing They that dwel by the Sea liue with little kinde of other meate than fishe which they take in the sea wherof they take a great multitude chiefly sea Wolues of which they eate the flesh which is very good With the fat of this fish they make a certaine Oyle that after it is come to his perfection hath a redde colour which they drink at their tables as we do wine or béere Of the skin of this fish which is strōg and thick as if it were of some wild beasts they make clokes garments according to their maner which is a meruellous thing that in a element so moist as that is which is moist of it self cā be norished a beast or fish that hath the skin hard and dry as beasts of the earth haue Likewise they haue other fishes that haue hard skins as y e Grampas the Dog fish and others with strong shels as Torterels Oysters Muscles suche like Besides this they haue great plenty of other good fish bothe smal and great of which they liue daily I maruell that the Iewes Turkes Grekes many other natiōs in the East eat no Dolphins nor of many other kinde of fishes that are without shell as wel in the sea as in fresh waters which maketh me to iudge that these people are more wiser better aduised to finde the tast in meats more delicate than wheras are Turks Arabians and other superstitious people In those parts there is also found Whales I meane in y e hie sea for such fish neuer cometh toward the shore to liue with such little fish Notwithstanding the fish that the Whale doth most commonly eate is no greater than a Carpe a thing almost vncredible considering hir greatnesse the reason therof as some say is for bicause y t the whale hath but a litle throte in cōparison of y e greatnesse of his body therfore he cannot deuour a greater fish The which is a wonderfull secrete vnknowne as well to our elders as to vs although that they haue treated of fishes the female hath but one yōg one at a time which she bringeth forth as a beast of y e earth without egge that which is more wōderful she giueth suck to hir yōg one after y t she hath brought it forth And therfore she hath .ij. rothers vnder hir belly vnder y e nauel which no other fish hath neither in the sea nor in fresh water but only y e sea Wolfe as witnesseth Plinie This whale is dangerous to méete on the sea as the Bayones cā wel tel by experiēce for they vse to take them To the purpose ye shall note when that we wer in America some Marchantes ship y t passed from one lād to another for marchādise was ouerthrown all y t was within hir lost by a whale y t touched hir w t hir tail In the same place wheras the Whale frequenteth there is found moste commonly a fishe that is his mortall enimie so that if she méete the Whale she will pricke the whale vnder the belly which is the softest and tenderest place with hir tong that cutteth like a Barbars raser so that he being thus hurt cannot saue himself but that he dieth as the inhabitants of New found land do shew and the common fisher men In this Sea of Newe found land there is a kinde of fishe that the people of the countrey call Hehec hauing a bil like a Popengay and other fishes with shell There is found in the same place great store of Dolphins that shewe themselues many times aboue water leaping and floting the which some iudge to be foreshewings of tempests and fowle weather from the part or coast that they come from as Plinie sheweth Isidorus in his Etymologies which I haue also knowne by experience the which is more surer than the witnessing either of Plinie or of any other Some haue written that there is fine kindes of signes and forthe wings of tēpests and stormes on the Sea as Polybius being with Scipio Aemilian in Affrica Furthermore there are great plenty of great muscles and as for beastes of the earth there are a great number very wilde and daungerous as great Beares the which are almost all white and bisides beastes there are foules of the aire of which the fethers are all white the which I thinke happeneth bicause of the extréeme coldnesse of the Countrey but these Beares which I spake of are day and night about the houses of this people for to deuoure their Oyle and Fishe As touching these Beares although that we haue treated thereof at large in our Cosmographie of Leuant yet notwithstanding we will speake somewhat thereof by the way howe the inhabitants of the Countrey take them being afflicted with y e importunitie that they make them Therfore they make certaine pittes in the ground very déepe néere to trees and rockes and then they couer them finely with leaues and braunches and this they vse where as are hiues or multitude of Hony Bées which these Beares séeke and follow with all diligence thereof they are very desirous not only so much for to fil them therewith but for to heale their eyes the whiche they haue naturally blemished and all their braine also that being stinged with these Hony Bées there falleth from them a bloud specially from the head wherby their paine is eased so that they are comforted thereby There is also séene a kinde of great beastes like to Buffles hauing hornes very great their skin is grayishe of which they make garments and of many other beasts whose skins are very riche This Countrey is full of hils and mountaines and very barraine as well for bicause of the vntemperatenesse of the aire as of the condition of y e lande smally inhabited and ill tilled As for birds there are not found suche quantitie as in America or at Perou nor yet so faire There are two kinde of Egles of which the one kinde kéepeth the waters and liueth onely with fishe chiefly with shell fishe the which she taketh vp and flieth into the