Gastro arriued at the Island of Mindanao sixe kings receiued the water of Baptisme with their wiues children and subiects and the most of them Antonie Galuano gaue commandement to be called by the name of Iohn in remembrance that king Iohn the third raigned then in Portugall The Portugals and Spaniards which haue béene in these Islands affirme that there be certaine hogs in them which besides the téeth which they haue in their mouthes haue other two growing out of their snouts and as many behinde their eares of a large span and an halfe in length Likewise they say there is a tree the one halfe whereof which standeth towards the east is a good medicine against all poyson the other side of the trée which standeth toward the west is very poison and the fruite on that side is like a bigge pease and there is made of it the strongest poyson that is in all the world Also they report that there is there another trée the fruite whereof whosoeuer doth eate shall be twelue houres besides himselfe and when he commeth againe vnto himselfe he shall not remember what he did in the time of his madnes Moreouer there are certaine crabs of the land whereof whosoeuer doth eate shall be a certaine space out of his wits Likewise the countrey people declare that there is a stone in these Islands whereon whosoeuer sitteth shall be broken in his bodie It is farther to be noted that the people of these Islands do gild their téeth In the yéere 1539. Cortes sent thrée ships with Francis Vlloa to discouer the coast of Coludean northward They vient from Acapulco and touched at S. Iago de buqna sperança and entred into the gulfe that Cortes had discouered and sailed till they came in 32. degrées which is almost the farthest end of that gulfe which place they named Ancon de Sane Andres because they came thither on that saints daie Then they came out a long the coast on the other side and doubled the point of California and entred in betwéene certaine Islands and the point and so sailed along by it till they came to 32. degrées from whence they returned to newe Spaine enforced thereunto by contrarie windes and want of victuals hauing béene out about a yéere Cortes according to his account spent 200000. ducates in these discoueries From Cabo del Enganno to another cape called Cabo de Liampo in China there are 1000. or 1200. leagues sayling Cortes and his captaines discouered new Spaine from 12. degrées to 32. from south to the north being 700. leagues finding it more warme then cold although snow do lie vpon certaine mountaines most part of the yéere In new Spaine there be many trées flowers and fruits of diuers sorts and profitable for many things The principall trée is named Metl It groweth not very high nor thicke They plant and dresse it as we do our vines They say it hath fortie kinde of leaues like wouen clothes which serue for many vses When they be tender they make conserues of them paper and a thing like vnto flaxe they make of it mantles mats shooes girdles and cordage These trées haue certaine prickles so strong and sharpe that they sewe with them The roots make fire and ashes which ashes make excellent good lie They open the earth from the roote and scrape it and the iuice which commeth out is like a sirrupe If you do féeth it it will become honie if you purifie it it will be sugar Also you may make wine and vineger thereof It beareth the Coco The rinde rosted and crushed vpon sores and hurts healeth and cureth The iuice of the tops and roots mingled with incense are good against poyson and the biting of a viper For these manifold benefits it is the most profitable trée knowne to growe in those parts Also there be there certaine small birds named Vicmalim Their bill is small and long They liue of the dewe and the iuice of flowers and roses Their feathers be verie small and of diuers colours They be greatly estéemed to worke golde with They die or sléepe euerie yéere in the moneth of October fitting vpon a little bough in a warme and close place they reuiue or wake againe in the moneth of Aprill after that the flowers be sprung and therefore they call them the reuiued birds Likewise there be snakes in these parts which sound as though they had bels when they créepe There be other which engender at the mouth euen as they report of the viper There be hogges which haue a nauell on the ridge of their backs which assoone as they be killed and cut out will by and by corrupt and stinke Besides these there be certaine fishes which make a noyse like vnto hogs and will snort for which cause they be named snorters In the yéere 1538. and 1539. after that Diego de Almagro was beheaded the Marques Francis Pisarro was not idle For he sent straight one Peter de Baldiuia with a good companie of men to discouer and conquere the countrey of Chili He was wel receiued of those of the countrey but afterwards they rose against him and would haue killed him by treason Yet for all the warre that he had with them he discouered much land and the coast of the sea toward the southeast till he came into 40. degrées and more in latitude While he was in these discoueries he heard newes of a king called Leucengolma which commonly brought to the field two hundred thousand fighting men against another king his neighbour and that this Leucengolma had an Island and a temple therein with two thousand priestes and that beyond them were the Amazones whose Quéene was called Guanomilla that is to say The goldeu heauen But as yet there are none of these things discouered About this time Gomez de Aluarado went to conquer the prouince of Guanuco and Francis de Chauez went to subdue the Conchincos which troubled the towne of Truxillo and the countreyes adioyning Peter de Vergara went to the Bracamores a people dwelling toward the north from Quito Iohn Perez de Vergara went against the Ciaciapoians Alfonsus de Mercadiglio went vnto Mulubamba Ferdinando and Gonzaluo Pisarros went to subdue Collao a countrey very rich in gold Peter de Candia went to the lower part of Collao Peranzures also went to conquer the said countrey And thus the Spanyards dispersed themselues and conquered aboue seuen hundred leagues of countrey in a very short space though not without great trauailes and losse of men The countreyes of Brasill and Peru stand east and west almost 800. leagues distant The néerest is from the Cape of Saint Augustine vnto the hauen of Truxillo for they stand both almost in one parallele and latitude And the farthest is 950. leagues reckoning from the riuer of Peru to the streits of Magellan which places lie directly north south through which countrey passe certaine mountaines named the
of the Canaries and went to Brasill where they found an Island in two degrées and named it S. Matthew and it seemed to be inhabited because they found in it orenge trées hogs and hennes in caues and vpon the rindes of most of the trées there were grauen Portugall letters shewing that the Portugals had béene there 17. yéeres before that time A patache or pinnesse of theirs passed the streight of Magellane hauing in her one Iohn de Resaga and ran all along the coast of Peru and Noua Spagna They declared all their successe vnto Cortes and told him that frier Garsia de Loaisa was passed to the islands of cloues But of this fléete the Admirall onely came thither wherein was captaine one Martine Mingues de Carâ—houa for Loaisa and the other captaines died by the way All the Moores of Maluco were found well affectioned to the Spaniards In the same yéere 1525. the pilot Stephen Gomes went from the port of the Groine toward the north to discouer the streight vnto the Malucos by the north to whom they would giue no charge in the fléete of frier Garsia de Loaisa But yet the Earle Don Fernando de Andrada and the Doctor Beltram and the marchant Christopher de Sarro furnished a gallion for him and he went from the Groine in Galicia to the Island of Cuba and to the point of Florida sailing by day because he knew not the land He passed the bay Angra and the riuer Enseada and so went ouer to the other side It is also reported that he came to Cape Razo in 46. degrées to the north from whence he came backe againe to the Groine laden with slaues The newes hereof ran by and by through Spaine that he was come home laden with cloues as mistaking the word and it was carried to the Court of Spaine but when the truth was knowne it turned to a pleasant iest In this voiage Gomes was ten monethes In this yéere 1525. Don George de Meneses captaine of Maluco and with him Don Garcia Henriques sent a foyst to discouer land towards the north wherein went as captaine one Diego de Rocha and Gomes de Sequeira for pilot In 9. or 10. degrées they found certaine Islands standing close together and they called them the Islands of Gomes de Sequeira he being the first pilot that discouered them And they came backe againe by the Island of Batochina In the yéere 1526. there went out of Siuill one Sebastian Cabota a Venetian by his father but borne at Bristol in England being chiefe pilote to the Emperour with fower ships toward Maluco They came to Pernambuco and staied there thrée monethes for a winde to double the Cape of Saint Augustine In the Bay of Patos or of ducks the Admirall ship perished and being without hope to get to the Isles of Maluco they there made a pinnesse to enter vp the riuer of Plate and to search it They ran 60. leagues vp before they came to the barre where they left their great ships and with their small pinnesses passed vp the riuer Parana which the inhabitants count to be the principall riuer Hauing rowed vp 120. leagues they made a fortresse and staied there aboue a yéere and then rowed further till they came to the mouth of another riuer called Paragioa and perceiuing that the countrey yéelded gold and siluer they kept on their course and sent a brigandine before but those of the countrey tooke it and Cabote vnderstanding of it thought it best to turne backe vnto their forte and there tooke in his men which he had left there and so went downe the riuer where his ships did ride and from thence he sailed home to Siuill in the yéere 1530. leauing discouered about two hundred leagues within this riuer reporting it to be very nauigable and that it springeth out of a lake named Bombo It standeth in the firme land of the kingdome of Peru running through the vallies of Xauxa and méeteth with the riuers Parso Bulcasban Cay Parima Hiucax with others which make it very broad and great It is said also that out of this lake runneth the riuer called Rio de San Francesco and by this meane the riuers come to be so great For the riuers that come out of lakes are bigger then those which procéede from a spring In the yéere 1517. one Pamphilus de Naruaez went out of S. Lucar de Barameda to be generall of the coast and land of Florida as farre as Rio de las Palmas and had with him fiue ships 600. soldiers 100. horses besides a great summe and quantitie of victuailes armour clothing and other things He could not goe on land where his desire was but went on land somewhat néere to Florida with thrée hundred of his companie some horses and some victuailes commanding the ships to goe to Rio de las Palmas in which voiage they were almost all lost and those which escaped passed great dangers hunger and thirst in an Island called Xamo and by the Spaniards Malhada being very drie and barren where the Spaniards killed one another and the people also of the countrey did the like Naruaez and those which went with him sawe some golde with certaine Indians and he demanded of them where they gathered it and they answered that they had it at Apalachen They therefore searched this gold and in searching came to the said towne where they found no gold nor siluer they saw many Bay trées and almost all other kinde of trées with beasts birds and such like The men and women of this place are high and strong very light and so swift runners that they will take déere at their pleasure and will not grow wearie though they run a whole day From Apalachen they went to a towne called Aute and from thence to Xamo a poore countrey with small sustinance These people bring vp their children very tenderly and make great lamentation when any of them dieth they neither wéepe nor lament at the death of any olde bodie Here the people desired the Spanyards to cure their sicke folks for they had many diseased and certaine of the Spanyards being in extreme pouertie assaied it and vsed praier and it pleased God that they did indéede recouer as well those that were hurt as those which were otherwise diseased in so much that one which was thought verily to be dead was by them restored to life as they themselues reporte They affirme that they passed through many countreies and many strange people differing in language apparell and customes And because they plaied the physitions they were as they passed greatly estéemed and held for Gods and the people did no hurt vnto them but would giue them part of such things as they had Therefore they passed quietly and trauailed so farre till they came to a people that vse continually to liue in heards with their cattel as the Arabians doe They be
in 20. degrées and informed Don Henry of the state of that couÌ„trey by the Moores which they brought from thence Whereupon he sent one Fernan Lopez de Sauado to giue knowledge thereof to Pope Martine trusting to make these things commodious to Holy Church Vpon which knowledge the Pope granted indulgences and euerlasting pardon and all other things demanded of him vnto those which should die in this enterprise After this in the yéere 1443. Don Henry commanded Antonie Gonsales to carrie backe the slaues which he had brought and to ransome them in their countrey Which he did and the Moores gaue them in trucke for them againe blacke Moores with curled haire and some gold so that now that place is called Rio de Oro that is the Golden Riuer whereby the desire of the discouerie might be the more increased Not long after he sent out another named Nunnez Tristan who came vnto the Islands of Arguin where he tooke more slaues and brought them to Portugall in the yéere 1444. Hereupon also one Lansarote a groome of Don Gilians chamber with others associated with him armed out certaine ships which went coasting til they came to the Islands of Garze where they tooke two hundred slaues which were the first that were brought from thence to Portugall In the yéere 1445. there went as captaine of a barke one Gonsalo de Syntra an esquire belonging to Don Henry into those parts and he went on land where he was taken with sixe or seuen more of his company which place was therefore called after his name Angra de Gonsaluo de Syntra This was the first losse which the Portugals receiued in their discoueries In the yéere following Don Henry sent out thrée carauels wherein went as captaines Antonie Gonsales Diego Aloizio and Gomes Perez who had their direction not to enter into Rio de Oro nor to beare themselues disorderly but to trauaile in peace and to conuert as many infidels as they could to Christianitie But none of these things were performed by them for they returned without doing any memorable act In the same yéere 1446. another esquire belonging to the king of Portugall called Denis Fernandes of the citie of Lisbon entred into these discoueries more to winne fame then to reape commoditie by them And he being in his voiage came to the riuer of Sanaga standing betwéene 15. and 16. degrées of latitude towards the north where he tooke certaine Negroes and not contented therewith he went forward and discouered Cape Verde standing in 14. degrees on the same side and there he set vp vpon the land a crosse of wood and then returned with great contentation In the yéere 1447. one Nunnez Tristan went foorth to discouer in a carauell and he passed the aforesaid Cape Verde and Rio Grande and went past it vnto another standing beyond it in 12. degrées where he was also taken with 18. Portugals more but the ship came home againe in safetie conducted by fower or fiue which escaped the hands of the Negroes In this yéere also 1447. it happened that there came a Portugall ship through the streight of Gibraltar and being taken with a great tempest was forced to runne westwards more then willingly the men would and at last they fell vpon an Island which had seuen cities and the people spake the Portugall toong and they demanded if the Moores did yet trouble Spaine whence they had fled for the losse which they receiued by the death of the king of Spaine Don Roderigo The boateswaine of the ship brought home a little of the sand and sold it vnto a goldsmith of Lisbon out of the which he had a good quantitie of gold Don Pedro vnderstanding this being then gouernour of the realme caused all the things thus brought home and made knowne to be recorded in the house of Iustice There be some that thinke that those Islands whereunto the Portugals were thus driuen were the Antiles or Newe Spaine alleaging good reasons for their opinion which here I omit because they serue not to my purpose But all their reasons séeme to agrée that they should be that countrey which is called Noua Spagna In the yéere 1449. the king Don Alfonso gaue licence vnto his vncle Don Henry to inhabit the Islands of the Açores which were long before discouered And in the yéere 1458. this king went into Africa and there he tooke the towne called Alcaçer And in the yéere 1461. he commanded Signior Mendez a gentleman of his house to build the castle of Arguin whereof he gaue vnto him the gouernment as to his lieutenant In the yéere 1462. there came into the realme of Portugall thrée Genowais of good parentage the chiefe of whom was called Antonie de Noli and of the other two the one was his brother the other was his nepâ—ew and each of these had his seuerall ship crauing libertie of Don Henry to discouer the Islands of Cape Verde which was granted them Others say that the places which they discouered were those which Antiquitie called the Gorgades Hesperides and Dorcades but they named them Mayo Sainct Iago and Sainct Philip because they discouered them on those Saints daies but they are also called by some the Islands of Antonio In the yéere following 1463. this good noble man Don Henry died leaning from Cape De Non discouered vnto the mountaine called Sierra Leona standing on this side the line in 8. degrées of latitude where no man had béene before that time In the yéere 1469. the king of Portugall did let out for yéerely rent the trade of Guiney vnto one called Fernan Gomez which countrey afterwards was called The Mine He let it out for fiue yéeres for two hundred thousand Reyes by the yéere which is of our English money 138. l. 17. â— 9. d. ob and added vnto his lease this condition that euery yéere he should discouer an hundred leagues In the yéere following which was 1470. this king went into Africa with his sonne Prince Iohn where they tooke the towne of Arzila and the people of the citie of Tanger fled out for feare and that he tooke also It séemeth that good fortune followeth a couragious attempt In the yéere 1471. Fernan Gomes gaue commandement that the coast should be discouered as it lay Which was vndertaken by Iohn de S. Aren and Iohn de Scouar and they went and found the Mine in 5. degrées of latitude And the next yéere which was 1472. one Fernando da Poo discouered the Island now called after his name Also about this time the Islands of Sainct Thomas and Del Principe were discouered standing vnder the line with the firme land also wherein is the kingdome of Benin reaching to the Cape de Santa Catarina standing on the south side of the line in 3. degrées The man
the mouth which they name Bocca de Dragone or the Dragons mouth and they tooke their course hard by the coast where they found thrée small Islands which they named Los Testigos that is to say The Witnesses beyond which standeth the Island of Cubagua where is great fishing of muscle pearles where also as they say there springeth a Well of aile and beyond that Island they came to the Isles of Frailes Roques Aruba and Curaçao with other small ones all along the Bay and they came to the point of Cabo de Vela and discouered along the coast almost 200. leagues from whence they crossed ouer to Hispaniola hauing had also sight of the Island called Beata In this same yéere 1497. on the 20. day of the moneth of Iune one Vasques de Gama sailed from Lisbon by the king Emmanuels commandement to India with 3. ships wherein there went for captaines Vasques de Gama Paulus de Gama his brother and Nicolas Coello with 120. men with whom also there went one ship laden only with vittailes and in 14. daies they came vnto Cape Verde vnto the Island of Saint Iago where they refreshed themselues and from thence they went along the coast beyond the Cape of Bona Sperança whereupon they erected certaine pillers of stone and so came vnto Mosambique standing in 15. degrées to the south of the line where they staied not long but went from thence to Mombaza and vnto Melinde where the king of that place gaue them pilots which conducted them into India in which discouerie they found out Los Baxos do Padua that is to say the flats of Padua In the yéere 1498. in the moneth of May they came to an anker before the citie of Calicut and Panana where they remained all the winter and the first day of September they set saile towards the north discouering the coast all along till they came to the Island of Angediua which standeth on that side in 15. degrées of latitude where they came to an anker in the beginning of October and so they departed from Angediua in Februarie in the yéere 1499. and came in sight of the coast of Africa about Melinde towards the north 3. or 4. degrées from thence they sailed vnto the said citie and so vnto Mosambique againe and to the Cape of Bona Sperança sailing along by the coast and then they came to the Islands of Cape Verde and last of al to the citie of Lisbon in the moneth of September hauing béene in the voiage 26. monethes In the yéere 1499 on the 13. day of the moneth of Nouember there departed frō Palos one Vincent Yannez Pinson and his nephew Aries Pinson with fower ships well appointed at their owne coast and charges to discouer the new world vnder the licence of the king of Castile and with commandement not to touch there where the Admirall Columbus had béene And so they went to the Islands of Cape Verde and passed the line to the southward and discouered the Cape of Saint Augustine standing on that side in 8. degrées of latitude and there they wrote on the rindes of pine trées the names of the king and of the Quéene also the yéere and day when they arriued there They fought with the people of Brasil but got nothing they tooke their course all along the coast towards the west vnto the riuer Maria Tambal and at that time they had taken thirty and odde prisoners The chiefe places where they touched were the Cape of S. Augustine and the angle or point of S. Luke and Tierra de los Humos the Riuers of Marannon and of the Amazones and Rio dolce or the Swéete riuer and other places along the coast and they came to ten degrées of latitude on the north side where they lost two ships and their companie and remained in that voiage of discouery ten moneths and 15. daies In the yéere 1500. and in the moneth of March one Pedro Aluarez Cabral sailed out of Lisbon with 13. ships with commandement not to come néere the coast of Africa to shorten his way and he losing the sight of one of his ships went to séeke her and in séeking of her lost his course and sailed till he came within sight of the land The Generall was so long in séeking his ship that the companie were wearie of it and entreated him to leaue his enterprise The next day they fell in sight of the coast of Brasil whereupon the Generall commanded a barke to goe to land and séeke an hauen which they did and found a good and safe hauen and they named it Puerto Seguro that is to say The Safe hauen standing on the south side in 17. degrées of latitude From thence they sailed towardes the Cape of Bona Sperança and Melinde and crossed ouer to the riuer of Cochin which before was not knowne where they laded themselues with pepper and at their returne Sancho de Thouar discouered the citie of Sofala vpon the coast of Africa In this same yéere 1500. it is reported that Gaspar Cortereal craued a generall licence of the king Emmanuel to discouer the New found land He went from the Island Terçera with two ships well appointed at his owne cost and he sailed vnto that climate which standeth vnder the north in 50. degrées of latitude which is a land nowe called after his name and he came home in safetie vnto the citie of Lisbon And making another time this voiage the ship was lost wherein he went and the other came backe into Portugall Wherefore his brother Michael Cortereal went to séeke him with thrée ships well appointed at his owne cost and when they came vnto that coast and found so many entrances of riuers and hauens euery ship went into her seuerall riuer with this rule and order that they all thrée should meete againe the 20. day of August The two other ships did so and they séeing that Michael Cortereal was not come at the day appointed nor yet afterwards in a certaine time returned backe into the realme of Portugall and neuer heard any more newes of him nor yet any other memorie But that countrey is called The land of Cortereall vnto this day In the yéere 1501. in the moneth of March Iohn de Noua departed from the citie of Lisbon with fower ships and passed the line on the south side into 8. degrees of latitude and he discouered an Island which he called the Isle de Ascension And he went vnto Mosambique and to Melinde and from thence he crossed ouer vnto the other side where they tooke lading and so came back and doubled the Cape and found an Island called Santa Helena being but a small thing but yet of great importance in respect of the situation thereof In this same yéere 1501. and in the moneth of May there departed out of Lisbon thrée
ships vpon the commandement of Emmanuel the king to discouer the coast of Brasil and they sailed in the sight of the Canaries and from thence to Cape Verde where they refreshed themselues in the towne of Bezequiche and passed from thence beyond the line southward and fell with the land of Brasill in fiue degrées of latitude and so went forward till they came in 32. degrées little more or lesse according as they accounted it and from thence they came backe in the moneth of Aprill because it was there at that time cold and tempestuous They were in that voiage fifteene monethes and came to Lisbon againe in the beginning of September 1502. In the yâ—ere 1502. one Alfonso Hoieda went to discouer Terra firma and followed his course till he came to his prouince of Vraba The next yéere following also one Roderigo Bastidas of Siuill went out with two carauels at his owne cost and the first land of the Antiles that he saw was an Island which he named Isla Verde that is the Gréene Island standing fast by the Island of Guadalupe towards the land and from thence they tooke their course towards the west to Santa Martha and Cape De la Vela and to Rio Grande or the Great riuer and they discouered the hauen of Zamba the Coradas Carthagena and the Islands of S. Barnard of Baru and Islas de Arenas and went forward vnto Isla fuerte and to the point of Caribana standing at the end of the Gulfe of Vraba where they had sight of the Farrallones standing on the other side hard by the riuer of Darien and from Cape De la Vela vnto this place are two hundred leagues and it standeth in 9. degrées and two parts of latitude From thence they crossed ouer vnto the Island of Iamaica where they refreshed themselues In Hispaniola they graued their ships because of the holes which certaine wormes of the water had eaten in the planks In that countrey they got fower hundred markes of golde although the people there be more warlike then in Noua Spania for they poison their arrowes which they shoote In this same yéere 1502. Christopher Columbus entred the fourth time into his discouerie with fower ships at the commandement of Don Fernando to séeke the Streight which as they said did diuide the land from the other side and he carried with him Ferdinando his sonne They went first to the Island of Hispaniola to Iamaica to the riuer Azua to the Cape of Higueras and vnto the Islands Gamares and to the Cape of Hunduras that is to say the Cape of the Depthes from thence they sailed towards the east vnto the Cape Gracias a Dios and discouered the prouince and riuer of Veragua and Rio Grande and others which the Indians call Hienra And from thence he went to the riuer of Crocodiles which now is called Rio de Chagres which hath his springs néere the South Sea within fower leagues of Panama and runneth into the North Sea and so he went vnto the Island which he called Isla de Bastimentos that is the Isle of Victuailes and then to Puerto Bello that is the Faire hauen and so vnto Nombre de Dios and to Rio Francisco and so to the hauen of Retrete and then to the Gulfe of Cabesa Cattiua and to the Islands of Caperosa and lastly to the Cape of Marble which is two hundred leagues vpon the coast from whence they began to turne againe vnto the Island of Cuba and from thence to Iamaica where he grounded his ships being much spoiled and eaten with wormes In this yéere also 1502 Don Vasques de Gama being now Admirall went againe into India with 19. or 20. Carauels He departed from Lisbon the tenth day of Februarie and by the last day of that moneth he came to an anker at Cape Verde and from thence he went vnto Mosambique and was the first that crost from that Island into India and he discouered another in 4. degrées of latitude which he called the Island of the Admirall and there he tooke his lading of pepper and drugs and left there one Vincent Sodre to kéepe the coast of India with fiue ships These were the first Portugals that with an armie did run along the coast of Arabia Foelix It is there so barren that their cattell and camels are onely maintained with drie fish brought from the sea whereof there is such plenty and abundance that the cats of the countrey doe vse to take them In the yeere following as it is reported one Antonie de Saldanta discouered the Island which in old time was called Coradis and now Socotora and the Cape of Guardafu which adioineth vnto that countrey In the yéere 1504. Roderigo de Bastidas obtained licence of king Ferdinando and by the meanes of Iohn de Lodesma and others of Siuill armed and furnished out two ships hauing for his pilot one Iohn de Cosa of Saint Marie Port and he went to discouer that part of Tierra firma where now standeth Carthagena being in ten degrées and a halfe of northerly latitude And it is said that they found the captaine Luis de la Guerra and they together tooke land in the Isle of Codego where they tooke sixe hundred persons of the Sauages And going farther along the coast they entred into the Gulfe of Vraba where they found sand mingled with gold being the first that was brought to the king Don Ferdinando from thence they returned to the citie of Santo Domingo laden with slaues without victuailes because they of the countrey would not bargaine with them which grew to their great trouble and griefe In the later end of this yéere died Ladie Isabella Quéene of Castile Which Quéene while she liued would not suffer any man of Arragon Catalunia Valencia nor any borne in the countrey of Don Fernando her husband to enter into these discoueries saue those which were their seruants or by speciall commandement but only the Castillians Biscaines those which were of her owne Signiories by whom all the lands aforesaid were discouered In the yéere 1505. vpon our Lady day in March Francisco de Almeida Viceroy of India tooke his course with 22. sailes towards India as now is accustomed He came vnto the citie of Quiloa where he built a fort appointing one Peter Fereira to be captaine thereof and beyond Melinde he trauersed to the Island of Angediua where he placed as captaine one Emmanuell Passauia In Cananor also he built another fort giuing the captainship of it to Laurence de Brito In Cochin he did the like where Don Alfonso de Noronia was made captaine This yéere one Peter de Anhaya did build the fortresse of Sofala whereof also himselfe was made captaine In the later end of this yéere the Viceroy commanded his sonne whose name was Don Laurenço to make some
entrie vpon the Islands of Maldiua and with contrarie weather he arriued at the Islands which of ancient time were called Traganae but the Moores called them Ytterubenero and we call them Ceilan where he went on land and made peace with the people there and afterward came backe vnto Cochin sailing along the coast and fully discouering it In the middest of this Island there stands a rocke of stone very high hauing the signe of the foote of a man vpon the top of it which they say to be the footestep of Adam when he went vp into the heauens and the Indians haue it in great reuerence In the yéere 1506. after the death of the Quéene of Spaine king Philip and Quéene Ioan his wife came into Spaine to take possession thereof and king Don Fernando went into Arragon being his owne patrimonie In this same yeere the said king Philip died and then Fernando came againe to gouerne Spaine and he gaue licence vnto all Spanyards to goe vnto the New land and to the Aâ—tiles but not to the Portugals In this yéere and in the moneth of May Christopher Columbus died and his sonne Don Diego Columbus succeeded in his roome In the yéere 1506. and entring into the moneth of March Tristan de Acunna and Alfonso de Albuquerque went into India with 14. ships in their companie and sailed till they came to an anker at the towne of Bezequiche where they refreshed themselues and before they came to the Cape of Bona Sperança in 37. degrées they found certaine Islands which now are named the Isles of Tristan de Acunna where they had such a tempest that therewithall the fléete was dispersed Tristan de AcunÌ„a and Alfonso de Albuquerque went vnto Mosambique and Aluaro Telez ran so far that he came to the Island of Samatra and so backe againe vnto the Cape of Guardatu hauing discouered many Islands sea and land neuer séene before that time of any Portugall Emmanuel Telez de Meneses was also driuen without the great Island of S. Laurence and he ran along the coast thereof and arriued at last at Mosambique and there met with Tristan de AcunÌ„a who was the first captaine that wintred there and by them it was told that in this Island was much Ginger Cloues and siluer whereupon he went and discouered much of it within the land but finding nothing he came backe againe vnto Mosambique from whence he sailed vnto Melinde and ran along that coast and entred into Braua and from thence they crost ouer to the Island of Socotora where they built a fortresse and made one Don Antonio de Noronia captaine thereof In the yéere 1507. in the moneth of August Tristan de AcunÌ„a tooke shipping for India and Alfonso de Albuquerque remained there with fiue or sixe ships to kéepe the coast and entrie of the Streight but being not therewith satisfied he tooke his course ouer vnto Arabia and running along that coast he doubled the Cape of Rosalgate standing vnder the Tropicke of Cancer In the yeere 1509. one Diego Lopez de Sequeira went out of Lisbon with fower sailes vnto the Island of Saint Laurence and continued in his voiage almost a yéere and in the moneth of May the same yéere he arriued in Cochin where the Viceroy gaue him one ship more and in the beginning of the moneth of September he tooke his course vnto Malacca passing betwéene the Islands of Nicubar and many others He went also to the land of Samatra to the cities of Pedir and Pacem and all along by all that coast vnto the Island of A Poluoreira and the flats of Capacia and from thence he went ouer vnto Malacca standing in 2. degrées of latitude towards the north but in that citie the people killed and tooke as prisoners some of his men and thereupon he turned backe againe into India hauing discouered in this voiage fiue hundred leagues This Island of Samatra is the first land wherein we knew mans flesh to be eaten by certaine people which liue in the mountaines called Bacas who vse to gilde their téeth They hold opinion that the flesh of the blacke people is swéeter then the flesh of the white The buffes kine and hennes which are in that countrey are in their flesh as blacke as any inke They say that there are certaine people there called Daraqui Dara which haue tailes like vnto shéepe and some of their welles yéeld oile The king of Pedir is reported to haue a riuer in his land running with oile which is a thing not to be maruelled at séeing it is found written that in Bactria there is also a well of oile it is farther said that there groweth here a trée the iuice whereof is strong poison and if it touch the blood of a man he dieth immediately but if a man doe drinke of it it is a soueraigne remedie against poison so seruing both for life and death Here also they doe coine péeces of gold which they call Drachmas brought into the land as they say by the Romanes which séemeth to haue some resemblance of truth because that from that place forward there is no coined gold but that which is thus coined doth run currant in the buying of marchandise and other things In the yéere 1508. one Alfonso de Hoieda with the fauour of Don Fernando purposed to goe vnto Tierra firma to conquer the prouince of Darien He went foorth at his owne charges discouered The Firme land where it is called Vraba which he named Castilia del Oro that is Golden Castilia bicause of the gold which they found among the sand along the coast And they were the first Spanyards that did this Alfonso de Hoieda went first from the Island of Hispaniola and the citie of San Domingo with fower ships and thrée hundred soldiers leauing behinde him the bachiler Anciso who afterwards compiled a booke of these discoueries And after him there went also one ship with victuals munition and 150. Spanyards He went on land at Carthagena but there the people of the countrey tooke slew and eate 70. of his soldiers whereupon he grew very weake In this yéere 1508. one Drego de Niquesa prepared seuen ships in the port of Beata to goe vnto Veragua and carried in them almost 800. men When he came to Carthagena he found there Alfonso de Hoieda sore spoiled with his former losse but then they both ioined together and went on land and auenged themselues of the people And in this voiage Diego de Niquesa went and discouered the coast called Nombre de Dios and went vnto the sound of Darien and called it Puerto de Misas which is vpon the riuer of Pito When they were come vnto Veragua he went on shore with his armie his soldiers being out of hope to returne to Hispaniola Alfonso de Hoieda began a
them and the villages round about became his friends He went vnto the citie of Zempoallan there he heard newes that Francis Garay was on the coast with fower ships to come on land And by subtiltie he got nine of his men of whom he vnderstood that Garay had béene in Florida and came vnto the riuer Panuco where he got some golde determining to stay there in a towne which is now called Almeria Cortos ouerthrew the idols in Zempoallan the tombes of their kings whome they worshipped as Gods and tolde them that they were to worship the true God From thence he went toward Mexico the 16. day of August 1519. and trauailed thrée daies iourney and came to the citie of Zalapan and to another beyond it named Sicuchimatl where they were well receiued and offered to be conducted to Mexico because Muteçuma had giuen such commandement Beyond this place he passed with his companie a certaine hill of thrée leagues high wherein there were vines In another place they found aboue a thousand loades of wood ready cut and beyond they met with a plaine countrey and in going through the same he named it Nombre de Dios. At the bottome of the mountaine he rested in a towne called Teâ—hixuacan and from thence they went through a desolate countrey and so came to another mountaine that was very colde and full of snow and they lay in a towne named Zaclotan And so from towne to towne they were well receiued and feasted till they came into another realme named Tlaxcallan which waged warre against Muteçuma and being valiant they skirmished with Cortes but in the end they agréed and entred into league with him against the Mexicans and so they went from countrey to countrey till they came within fight of Mexico The king Muteçuma fearing them gaue them good entertainment with lodging and all things necessarie and they were with this for a time contented but mistrusting that he and his should be slaine he tooke Muteçuma prisoner and brought him to his lodging with good garde Cortes demanded how farre his realme did extend and sought to know the mines of gold and siluer that were in it and how many kings neighbours to Muteçuma dwelled therein requiring certaine Indians to be informed thereof whereof he had eight prouided and he ioined to them eight Spanyards and sent them two and two into fower countreyes namely into Zuçolla Malinaltepec Tenich Tututepec They which went vnto Zuçolla went 80. leagues for so much it was from Mexico thither They which went to Mahnaltepec went 70. leagues séeing goodly countries and brought examples of gold which the naturals of the countrey tooke out of great riuers and all this prouince belonged vnto Muteçuma The countrey of Tenich and vp the riuer were not subiect to Muteçuma but had warre with him and would not suffeâ— the Mexicans to enter into their territorie They sent ambassadors vnto Cortes with presents offering him their estate and amitie whereof Muteçuma was nothing glad They which went to Tututepec standing néere the South sea did also bring with them examples of gold and praised the pleasantnes of the countrey and the multitude of good harbours vpon that coast shewing to Cortes a cloth of cotton wooll all wouen with goodly workes wherein all the coast with the hauens and créekes were set foorth But this thing then could not be prosecuted by reason of the comming of Pamphilus de Naruaez into the countrey who set all the kingdome of Mexico in an vprore In this yéere 1519. the tenth day of August one Fernande de Magallanes departed from Siuill with fiue ships toward the Islands of Maluco he went along the coast of Brasill till he came vnto the riuer of Plate which the Castillians had before discouered From thence therefore he began his discouerie and came vnto an hauen which he called The Porte of Saint Iulian standing in 49. degrées and there he entred and wintred they endured much cold by reason of snow and ice the people of that countrey they found to be of great stature and of great strength taking men by the legs and renting them in the middest as easily as one of vs will rent an hen they liue by fruits and hunting They called them Patagones but the Brasilians doe call them Morcas In the yéere 1520. in the beginning of the moneth of September growing then somewhat temperate they went out of the port and riuer of Saint Iulian hauing lost in it one of their ships and with the other fâ—wer he came vnto the Streights named after the name of Magâ—llanes standing in 52. degrées and a halfe From thence one of the ships returned backe vnto Castile whereof was captaine and pilot one Stephen de Porto a Portugall and the other thrée went forward entring into a mightie sea called Pacificum without séeing any inhabited land till they came in 13. degrées towards the north of the Equinoctiall in which latitude they came vnto Islands which they called Los Iardines and from thence they sailed to the Archipelagus of S. Lazarus and in one of the Islands called Matan Magallanes was slaine and his ship was burnt and the other two went vnto Borneo and so from place to place they went backe vntill they came to the Islands of Malâ—cos leauing many others discouered which I rehearse not because I finde not this voiage exactly written About this time Pope Leo the tenth sent one Paulus Centurio as ambassadour to the greot Duke of Moscouie to wish him to send into India an armie along the coast of Tartarie And by the reasons of this ambassadour the said Duke was almost persuaded vnto that action if other inconueniences had not letted him In this same yéere 1520. in Februarie Diego Lopes de Sequeira gouernour of India went towards the Streight of Mecha and carried with him the ambassadour of Presbyter Iohn and Roderigo de Lima who also went as ambassadour to him They came vnto the Island of Maçua standing in the Red sea on the side of Africa in 17. degrées towards the north where he set the ambassadours on land with the Portugals that should goe with them Peter de Couillan had béene there before being sent thither by king Iohn the second of Portugall but yet Francis Aluarez gaue principall light and knowledge of that countrey In the yeere 1520. the licenciate Lucas Vasques de Aillon and other inhabitants of S. Domingo furnished two ships and sent them to the Isles of Lucayos to get slaues and finding none they passed along by the firme land beyond Florida vnto certaine countreyes called Chicora and Gualdapé vnto the riuer Iordan and the Cape of Saint Helena standing in 32. degrées toward the north They of the countrey came downe to the sea side to see the ships as hauing neuer before séene the like The Spanyards went on
at Acapulco messengers came vnto him from Don Antonio de Mendoça the Viceroy to certifie him of his arriuall and also he sent him the coppie of a letter wherein Francis Pisarro wrote that Mango Ynga was risen against him and was come to the citie of Cusco with an hundred thousand fighting men and that they had killed his brother Iohn Pisarro and aboue 400. Spaniards and 200. horses and he himselfe was in danger so that he demanded succour and aide Cortes being informed of the state of Pisarro and of the arriuall of Don Antonio de Mendoça because he would not as yet be at obedieÌ„ce First he determined to sende to Maluco to discouer that way a long vnder the Equinoctial line because The Islands of Cloues stand vnder that paralele And for that purpose he prepared 2. ships with prouision victuals men besides all other things necessarie He gaue the charge of one of these ships to Ferdinando de Grijalua and of the other vnto one Aluarado a Gentleman They went first to Saint Michael de Tangarara in Peru to succour Francis Pisarro and from thence to Maluco all along néere the line as they were commanded And it is declared that they sailed aboue a thousand leagues without fight of land on she one side nor yet on the other of the Equinoctiall And in two degrées toward the north they discouered one Island named Asea which séemeth to be one of the Islands of Cloues 500. leagues little more or lesse as they sailed they came to the sight of another which they named Isla de los Pescadores Going still in this course they sawe another Island called Hayme towards the south and another named Apia and then they came to the fight of Seri turning towards the north one degrée they came to anker at another Island named Coroa and from thence they came to another vnder the liue 〈…〉 and from thence vnto Bufu standing in the same course The people of all these Islands are blacke and haue their haire frisled whom the people of Maluco do call Papuas The most of them eate mans flesh and are witches so giuen to diuilishnes that the diuels walk among them as coÌ„panions If these wicked spirits do finde one alone they kill him with cruell blowes or smoother him Therefore they vse not to goe but when two or thrée may be in a companie There is héere a bird as bigge as a Crane he flieth not nor hath any wings wherewith to flée he runneth on the ground like a Déere of their small feathers they do make haire for their idols There is also an herbe which being washed in warme water if the leafe thereof be laide on any member and licked with the toong it will draw out all the blood of a mans body and with this leafe they vse to let themselues blood From these Islands they came vnto others named the Guelles standing one degree towards the north east and west from the Isle Terenate wherein the Portugals haue a fortresse these men are haired like the people of the Malucoes These Islands stande 124. leagues from the Island named Moro and from Terenate betwéene 40. and 50. From whence they went to the Isle of Moro the IslaÌ„ds of Cloues going from the one vnto the other But the people of the countrey would not suffer them to come on lande saying vnto them Go vnto the fortresse where the captain Antonie Galuano is and we will receiue you with a good will for they would not suffer them to come on land without his licence for he was factor of the countrey as they named him A thing woorthie to be noted that those of the countrey were so affectioned to the Portugals that they would venter for them their liues wiues children and goods In the yéere 1537. the licenciate Iohn de Vadillo gouernour of Cartagena went out with a good armie from a porte of Vraba called Saint Sebastian de buena Vista being in the gulfe of Vraba and from thence to Rio verde from thence by land without knowing any way nor yet hauing any carriages they went to the end of the countrey of Peru and to the towne La plata by the space of 1200. leagues a thing woorthie of memorie For from this riuer to the mountaines of Abibe the countrey is full of hils thicke forests of trées and many riuers and for lacke of a beaten way they had pierced sides The mountaines of Abibe as it is recorded haue 20. leagues in bredth They must be passed ouer in Ianuarie Februarie March and Aprill And from that time forward it raineth much and the riuers will be so greatly encreased that you cannot passe for them There are in those mountaines many heards of swine many dantes lyons tygers beares ounses and great cats and monkeis and mightie snakes and other such vermine Also there be in these mountaines abundance of partridges quailes turtle doues pigeons and other birdes and foules of sundrie sorts Likewise in the riuers is such plentie of fish that they did kill of them with their staues and carrying canes and nets they affirme that a great army might be sustained that way without being distressed for want of victuals Moreouer they declared the diuersities of the people toongs and apparell that they obserued in the countries kingdomes and prouinces which they went through and the great trauels and dangers that they were in till they came to the towne called Villa de la Plata and vnto the sea there unto adioyning This was the greatest discouerie that hath béene heard of by land and in so short a time And if it had not béene done in our daies the credite thereof would haue béene doubtfull In the yéere 1538. there went out of Mexico certaine friers of the order of Saint Francis towards the north to preach to the Indians the Catholicke faith He that went farthest was one frier Marke de Nizza who passed through Culâ—acan and came to the prouince of Sibola where he found seuen cities and the farther he went the richer he found the countrie of gold siluer precious stones and shéepe bearing very fine wool Vpon the fame of this welth the viceroy don Antonio de Mendoça and Cortes determined to send a power thither But when they could not agrée thereupon Cortes went ouer into Spaine in the yéere 1540. where afterward he died In this yéere 1538. began the ciuil warre betweene Pisarro and Alonagro wherein at the last Alinagro was taken and beheaded In the same yéere 1538. Antonie Galuano being chiefe captaine in the isles of Maluco sent a ship towards the north whereof one Francis de Castro was captaine hauing commandement to conuert as many as he could to the faith He himselfe christened many as the lords of the Celebes Macasares Amboynos Moros Moratax and diuers other places When Francis de