which they twine and braid into knots and so bind and knit them vnder each eare one Moreouer their womens garments differ not from their mens sauing that they are somwhat longer But on the morrowe after one of their women is maried shee shaues her scalpe from the middest of her head down to her forehead weares a wide garment like vnto the hood of a Nunne yea larger and longer in all parts then a Nuns hood being open before and girt vâ—to them vnder the right side For herein doe the Tartars differ from the Turkes because the Turkes fasten their garments to their bodies on the left side but the Tartars alwaies on the right side They haue also an ornament for their heads which they call Botta being made of the barke of a trée or of some such other lighter matter as they can find which by reason of the thicknes roundnes therof cannot be holden but in both hands together it hath a square sharp spire rising froÌ„ the top therof being more then a cubite in length fashioned like vnto a pinacle The said Botta they couer al ouer with a piece of rich silke it is hollow within vpon the midst of the sayd spire or square toppe they put a bunch of quils or of slender canes a cubite long and more the sayd bunch on the top thereof they beautifie with Peacocks feathers round about al y e length therof with the feathers of a Malards taile with precious stones also Great ladies weare this kind of ornament vpon their heads binding it strongly with a certain hat or coyfe which hath an hole in the crowne fit for the spire to come through it vnder the foresaid ornament they couer the haires of their heads which they gather vp round together froÌ„ the hinder part therof to the crowne so lap them vp in a knot of bundel within the said Botta which afterward they bind strongly vnder their throtes Hereupon when a great company of such gentlewomen ride together and are beheld a far off they seem to be souldiers with helmets on their heads carrying their launces vpright for the said Botta appeareth like an helmet with a launce ouer it Al their women sit on horsebacke bestriding their horses like men they bind their hoods or gownes about their wastes with a skie coloured silke skarfe with another skarfe they girde it aboue their breasts they bind also a piece of white silke like a mufler or maske vnder their eyeâ— reaching down vnto their breast These gentlewomen are exceeding fat the lesser their noses be the fairer are they esteemed they daube ouer their sweet faces with grease too shamefully and they neuer lie in bed for their trauel of childbirth Of the dueties inioined vnto the Tartarian women and of their labours and also of their mariages Chap. 9. THe duties of women are to driue carts to lay their houses vpon carts to take them downe again to milke kine to make butter Gry-vt to dresse skins to sow them which they vsually sowe with thread made of sinewes for they diuide sinewes into slender threads then twine theÌ„ into one long thread They make sandals socks other garments Howbeit they never wash any apparel for they say that God is then angry that dreadful thunder wil ensue if washed garmeÌ„ts be hanged forth to drie yea they beat such as wash take their garments froÌ„ them They are wonderfully afraid of thunder for in the time of thunder they thrust all strangers out of their houses then wrapping theÌ„selues in black felt they lie hidden therein til the thunder be ouerpast They neuer wash their dishes or bowles yea when their flesh is sodden they wash the platter wherein it must be put with scalding hot broth out of the pot then powre the said broth into the pot againe They make felte also couer their houses therewith The duties of the men are to make bowes arrowes stirrops bridles and saddles to build houses carts to keepe horses to milke mares to churne Cosmos and mares milke to make bags wherein to put it they keepe camels also lay burthens vpon them As for sheepe goates they tend and milke them aswell the men as the women With sheeps milke thicked salted they dresse and tan their hides When they wil wash their hands or their heads they fil their mouthes full of water spouting it into their hands by little and little they sprinckle their haire wash their heades therwith As touching mariages your Highnes is to vnderstand that no man can haue a wife among them till he hath bought her whereupon somtimes their maids are very stale before they be maried for their parents alwaies keepe theÌ„ till they can sel them They keepe the first and second degrees of consanguinitie inuiolable as we do but they haue no regard of the degrees of affinity for they wil marrie together or by succession two sisters Their widowes marie not at al for this reason because they beleeue that al who haue serued them in this life shall do them seruice in the life to come also Whereupon they are perswaded that euery widow after death shal returne vnto her own husband And herehence ariseth an abominable filthy custome among them namely that the sonne marieth somtimes all his fathers wiues except his own mother For the court or house of the father or mother falleth by inheritance alwaies to the yonger son Wherupon he is to prouide for all his fathers wiues because they are part of his inheritance aswel as his fathers possessions And then if he will he vseth them for his owne wiues for he thinks it no iniurie or disparagement vnto himselfe although they returne vnto his father after death Therfore wheÌ„ any man hath bargained with another for a maid the father of the said damosel makes him a feast in the meane while she fleeth vnto some of her kinsfolks to hide her selfe Then saith her father vnto the bridegrome Loe my daughter is yours take her wheresoeuer you can find her Then he and his friends seek for her till they can find her and hauing found her hee must take her by force and cary her as it were violently vnto his owne house Of their execution of iustice and iudgement and of their deaths and burials Chap. 10. COncerning their lawes or their execution of iustice your Maiesty is to be aduertised that when two men fight no third man dare intrude himself to part them Yea the father dare not help his owne sonne But he that goes by the worst must appeale vnto the court of his lord And whosoeuer els offereth him any violence after appeale is put to death But he must go presâ—ntly without all delay and he that hath suffered the iniury carieth him as it were captiue They punish no man with sentence of death vnles hee bee taken in the deede doing
sermon or doctrine But after we were freed from that mist it hath bene God be thanked farre otherwise with vs although we cannot altogether excuse the dulnesse slouth and preposterous care of certeine of our Pastours Which whether it agreeth to any of their countreymen or no let other nations iudge The twelfth section Secondly the trifler shamefully reporteth that adulteries and whoredomes are not onely publique and common vices amongst Islanders but that they are not accounted by them for vices ALthough indeed these most filthy abominations euen in our common wealth be not altogether vnusuall notwithstanding since all men know that they are farre more common in other nations where be greater multitudes of people he did vndeseruedly and maliciously note the Islanders rather with this reproch then other people and nations who are more infamous with this crime then our countreymen And albeit I wish with all mine heart that vices and enormities were much lesse wincked at in our countrey then we see they are yet notwithstanding this iugler by reason of his naturall inclination to backbiting hath added this in his last reproch namely that these vices by the Iselanders are not accounted for vice For in what common wealth dare the impudent companion affirme this to be true What in that common wealth which hath sworne to obserue the law contained in our statute booke vnder the title of Manhelge chap. 28 whereby it is enacted that whosoeuer committeth adultery with another mans wife the second time his goods being confiscate he shall be punished with death Or in that common wealth which not long since hath inflicted the penalty of 80 dallers vpon a seruant committing adultery with his masters wife Or in that common wealth which hath decreed that if he doth not pay nor lay in sureties at the day appointed he shal be banished the countrey Or in that common wealth the politike lawes whereof doe streightly command that whosoeuer be according to law found in adultery with another mans wife by her husband if he escape he shall vndergoe the punishment of manslaughter Or in that common wealth the politike lawes whereof do also enioyne a man that is taken in carnall copulation with the mother daughter or sister by the sonne father or brother to redeeme his life with the one halfe of that which he ought to haue payed if he had shed the innocent bloud of the sayd party Or in that common wealth the politike lawes whereof haue noted and condemned adultery vnder the name of a most heinous offence and do straightly command that he which is taken the third time in that beastly act shal be punished with death You see therefore friendly readers what an iniurious Notary we haue affirming that adultery and whoredome in Island deserueth not the name of sinne and wickednesse for although some officers let slip this or that vice vnpunished yet ought not the whole nation nor the lawes nor all good and godly men in that regard to be accused or euill spoken of The thirteenth section The third reproch is whereby he doth brand the Islanders with the marke of deceit and trechery toward the Germans DOubtles the author of this libell was some vagabond huckster or pedler and had gone particularly into many corners of Island to vtter his trumpery wares which he also testifieth of himselfe in his worthy rimes that he had trauailed thorow the greatest part of Island whereupon when he had played the cousining mate with others for often times deceit and lying are ioyned together and he hath sufficiently proued himselfe to be a liar by this triall of his wit peraduenture himselfe was beguiled by them whom he before time had defrauded From hence proceedeth this slander against our whole Nation dissembling in the meane time with what honestie certaine Germans making yerely voyages into Island deale with our men But seeing by this complaint I haue not determined to reproch others but to lay open the vndeserued reproches of others against our nation I do here of purpose surcease The foureteenth section Fourthly he sayth that in bankets none of the ghests vse to rise from the table but that the good wife of the house reacheth to euery one a chamber-pot so oft as need reqnireth Moreouer he noteth much vnmanerlinesse of eating and drinking at bankets Fiftly he obiecteth customes of lying in bed and of dining namely that ten persons more or lesse men and women lie altogether in the same bed and that they eat their meat lying in bed and that in the meane time they do nothing but play at dice or at tables Sixtly he reporteth that they wash their hands and their faces in pisse Seuenthly he despightfully abaseth our solemnizings of marriages spousals birth-dayes and our customes at burials THese and a number of such like reproches hath this impure slanderer spued foorth against an innocent nation yea and that nation which hath deserued right well of him and his countrimen Which are of the same kind with these in so much that we altogether disdeigne to make answere vnto them For that we may graunt which notwithstanding we will in no case yeelde vnto that this worthy Germane notarte obserued some such matter among base companions and the very of-scouring of the common people with whom he was much more conuersant then with good and honest persons for he had liued as his rimes testifie some what long vpon the coast of Island whither a confused rout of the meanest common people in fishing time do yerely resort who being naught aswell through their owne leudnesse as by the wicked behauiour of outlandish mariners often times doe leade a badde and dishonest life notwithstanding we are in this place more manifestly wronged through the knauery of this one varlet and desperate sycophant by his defaming of the whole nation as others also vsually do then that it should neede any refutation at all Of which thing strangers themselues who are not a little conuersant in our Iland may be most sufficient witnesses I could also gather together many such filthy vnmannerly and baudie fashions noted by others euen in his own countrey But I detest this dogged eloquence neither take I any pleasure to be witty in the disgracing of others and yet I will not shew my selfe such a milke-soppe as to be daunted with light words Onely let all honest and good men consider what disposition it argueth for one to obiect against a whole nation certaine misdemeanours committed by some one or other particular man If any man should trauell thorowout all the cities and townes of Germanie or any other nation and heaping together the offences and most leud maners the robberies manslaughters murthers whoredomes adulteries incests riots extortions and other prophane and filthy acts should affirme them to be common to all Germans or otherwise to any other whole nation and should exaggerate all these things with notorious lies is he to be accounted one that spends his time
nor other beasts Their Emperors Dukes other of their nobles doe abound with silk gold siluer and precious stones Their victuals are al things that may be eaten for we saw some of them eat lice They drinke milke in great quantitie but especially mares milke if they haue it They seeth Mill also in water making it so thinne that they may drinke thereof Euery one of them drinkes off a cupfull or two in a morning and sometime they eate nought else all the day long But in the euening each man hath a little flesh giuen him to eate and they drinke the broath thereof Howbeit in summer time when they haue mares milke enough they seldome eate flesh vnles perhaps it be giuen them or they take some beast or bird in hunting Of their manners both good and bad Chap. 5. THeir manners are partly prayse-worthie and partly detestable For they are more obedient vnto their lords and masters then any other either clergie or laie-people in the whole world For they doe highly reuerence them and will deceiue them neither in wordes nor deedes They seldome or neuer fall out among themselues and as for fightings or brawlings wounds or manslaughters they neuer happen among them There are neither theeues nor robbers of great riches to be found and therefore the tabernacles and cartes of them that haue any treasures are not strengthened with lockes or barres If any beast goe astray the finder thereof either lets it goe or driueth it to them that are put in office for the same purpose at whose handes the owner of the said beast demaundeth it and without any difficultie receiueth it againe One of them honoureth another exceedingly and bestoweth banquets very familiarly and liberallly notwithstanding that good victuals are daintie and scarce among them They are also very hardie and when they haue fasted a day or two without any maner of sustenance they sing and are merry as if they had eaten their bellies full In riding they endure much cold and and extreme heat There be in a maner no contentions among them and although they vse commonly to be drunken yet doe they not quarell in their drunkennes Noe one of them despiseth another but helpeth and furthereth him as much as conueniently he can Their women are chaste neither is there so much as a word vttered concerning their dishonestie Some of them will notwithstanding speake filthy and immodest words But towards other people the said Tartars be most insolent and they scorne and set nought by all other noble and and ignoble persons whatsoeuer For we saw in the Emperours court the great duke of Russia the kings sonne of Georgia and many great Soldanes receiuing no due honour and estimation among them So that euen the very Tartars assigned to giue attendance vnto them were they neuer so base would alwaies goe before them and take the vpper hand of them yea and sometimes would constraine them to sit behinde their backes Moreouer they are angrie and of a disdainefull nature vnto other people and beyond all measure deceitfull and treacherous towards them They speake fayre in the beginning but in conclusion they sting like scorpions For craftie they are and full of falshood circumuenting all men whom they are able by their sleights Whatsoeuer mischiefe they entend to practise against a man they keepe it wonderfully secrete so that he may by no meanes prouide for himselfe nor find a remedie against their conspiracies They are vnmanerly also and vncleanly in taking their meat and their drinke and in other actions Drunkennes is honourable among them and when any of them hath taken more drinke then his stomacke can well beare hee casteth it vp and falles to drinking againe They are most intollerable exacters most couetous possessours and most nigardly giuers The slaughter of other people is accompted a matter of nothing with them Of their lawes and customes Chap 6. MOreouer they haue this law or custome that whatsoeuer man or woman be manifestly taken in adultery they are punished with death A virgine likewise that hath committed fornication they stay together with her mate Whosoeuer be taken in robberie or theft is put to death without all pitie Also if any man disclose their secrets especially in time of warre he receiueth an hundreth blowes on the backe with a bastinado layd on by a tall fellow In like sort when any inferiours offend inought they finde no fauour at their superiours handes but are punished with grieuous stripes They are ioyned in matrimony to all in generall yea euen to their neare kinsfolkes except their mother daughter and sister by the mothers side For they vse to marrie their sister by the fathers side onely and also the wife of their father after his decease The yonger brother also or some other of his kindred is bound to marry the wife of his elder brother deceased For at the time of our aboad in the countrey a certaine duke of Russia named Andreas was accused before duke Baty for conueying the Tartars horses out of the land and for selling them to others and although it could not be prooued yet was he put to death His yonger brother and the wife of the party deceased hearing this came made their supplication vnto the forenamed duke that the dukedome of Russia might not be taken from them But he commanded the youth to marrie his deceased brothers wife and the woman also to take him vnto her husband according to the custome of the Tartars She answered that she had rather die then so haynously transgresse the law Howbeit hee deliuered her vnto him although they both refused as much as they could Wherefore carying them to bed they constrained the youth lamenting and weeping to lie downe and commit incest with his brothers wife To be short after the death of their husbands the Tartars wiues vse very seldome to marrie the second time vnlesse perhaps some man takes his brothers wife or his stepmother in mariage They make no difference betweene the sonne of their wife and of their concubine but the father giues what he pleaseth vnto each one For of late the king of Georgia hauing two sonnes one lawfully begotten called Melich but the other Dauid borne in adulterie at his death left part of his lande vnto his base sonne Hereupon Melich vnto whome the kingdome fell by right of his mother because it was gouerned before time by women went vnto the Emperour of the Tartars Dauid also hauing taken his iourney vnto him Nowe both of them comming to the court and proffering large giftes the sonne of the harlot made suite that he might haue iustice according to the custome of the Tartars Well sentence passed against Melich that Dauid being his elder brother should haue superioritie ouer him and should quietly and peaceably possesse the portion of land granted vnto him by his father Whensoeuer a Tartar hath many wiues each
sonnes and nephewes of the former Dukes as he could lay hold on and began to take vpon him the title of the great Duke of Vvlodimiria Moscouia and Nouogardia and to call himselfe the Monarch or Czar of all Russia He brought vnder his subiection two principall cities namely Plesco being the only walled citie in all Moscouie and Mouogrod both of them being in regard of traffike most riche and flourishing cities and hauing bin subiect vnto the Lithuanians for the space of 50. yeeres before The treasure of Nouogrod was so exceeding that the great Duke is reported to haue carried home from thence 300. carts laden with gold and siluer He also was the first man that waged warre against the Polonians and the Liuonians against Polonia he pretended a quarell alleaging that his daughter Helena whome hee had married vnto Alexander the great Duke of Lithuania which was afterward king of Polonia was euil intreated and was withdrawen from the Greekish religion vnto the ceremonies of the Church of Rome But against the Liuonians for none other cause but onely for an incredible desire of enlarging his dominions Howbeit what impulsiue causes of litle or no moment happened in the mean season we will in another place more plainely declare Notwithstanding he was very often and in diuers battels vanguished by Plettebergius the great master of the Dutch knights but it is not to the purpose to stand any longer vpon this discourse He was married first vnto Marie the Duke of Tyuersky his daughter and of her hee begate Iohn vnto whom in his life time he surrendred his Dukedome and married him vnto the daughter of Stephan the Palatine of Moldauia which Iohn after he had begotten his sonne Demetrius deceased before his father Afterward Iuan Vasilowich aforesaide married a wife called Sophia being daughter vnto Thomas Palaelogus which is reported to haue had her dowry out of the Popes treasury because the Moscouite had promised to conforme himselfe vnto the Romish Church This Sophia being a woman of a princely and aspiring minde and often complaining that she was married vnto the Tartars vassal at length by her instant intreatie and continual perswasions and by a notable stratageme she cast off that slauish yoke very much vnbeseeming so mighty a prince For whereas the Tartarian Duke had his procuratours and agents in the Moscouites court who dwelt iu their owne houses built within the very castle of Mosco and were eye witnesses of all affaires which were there performed Sophia said she was admonished from heauen to builde a Temple in the selfe same place where the Tartars house stoode and to consecrate it vnto Saint Nicholas Being therfore deliuered of a sonne she inuited the Tartarian Duke vnto the solemne baptizing of him and beeing come shee requested him to giue her his house and obtained it at his hands Which house being razed and those Tartarian espials beeing excluded the Tartars at length were quite bereaued and vtterly dispossessed of their authoritie which they had exercised ouer the Russians for many yeres and could neuer yet recouer it albeit they haue giuen sundry attempts Of his wife Sophia he begate sixe children namely a daughter called Helena fiue sonnes that is to say Gabriel Demetrius George Simeon and Andrew The Dukedome of right appertayned vnto Demetrius the sonne of Iohn which was the sonne of Vasilowich by his first marriage Howbeit Sophia preuailed so with her husband that neglecting his graund-childe Demetrius hee bestowed his Dukedome vpon Gabriel his sonne Andrew the younger had a sonne called Vvlodimir of whom Mary was borne which in the yeere of Christ 1573. was maried vnto Magnus the Duke of Holst Gabriel hauing obtained the great dukedome of Russia changed his name calling himselfe Basilius and applied his minde to the atchieuing of high and great enterprises For hee reduced a great part of the dukedome of Moscouie which Vitoldus the great Duke of Lithuania helde in possession vnder his owne iurisdiction and wonne vpon the riuer of Boristhenes which the Russians call Neiper many cities and especially Smolensco in the yeere of our Lord 1514. Hauing diuorced his first wife hee begate of Helena daughter vnto Duke Glinskie Iuan Vasilowich which now this present 1580. reigneth as great Duke Hee was borne in the yeere of our Lorde 1528. the 25. of August sixe houres after the rising of the sonne The great dukedome of Russia fell vnto the said Iuan Vasilowich in the fifth yeere of his age hauing his vncle George for his great protector being 25. yeeres of age and being of a strong body and of a couragious mind he subdued the Tartars of Cazan and Astracan vpon the riuer of Volgha carrying their Dukes and chieftaines into captiuitie But by what wayes and meanes after the league which by the inâ—erecession of the most sacred Roman Emperour continued from the yeere 1503. for the space of fifty yeeres was expired hauing renewed warres against Liuonia hee brought that most flourishing prouince into extreame miserie vsing for the same purpose a new pretense and alleadging that it belonged vnto him by right of inheritance I tremble to recount and it requireth a large historie which perhaps in time and place conuenient some more learned then my selfe will take vpon them to addresse He is exceedingly addicted vnto piety and deuotion and doth oftentimes obserue very strict fastings and abstinence with his monks and wheras the Russes in doing reuerence adoration vnto God doe beate their foreheads against the ground this Iuan Vasilowich with performing of the same ceremonie causeth his forehead to be ful of boines and swellings and sometimes to be black and blew and very often to bleed He is much delighted with building of Churches spareth no cost for that purpose Whether therfore by nature or which hee pretendeth to be the cause by reason of his subiects malice treacherie he be so addicted vnto all rigour and cruelty I dare not determine especially sithens he hath not an illiberal or mishapen countenance as Attila is reported to haue had Of his first wife which was sister vnto Mikita Romanowich beeing nowe great steward of his houshold he begate two sonnes namely Iuan and Theodore And albeit he was fiue times married yet had he not one childe more Whereas this Iuan Vasilowich vpon certaine friuolous reasons calleth himselfe the naturall lord of Liuonia I thought it not amisse to adde an Epistle hereunto which was written by a certaine honourable man concerning the same matter S. All wee which inhabite this Prouince with all seemely reuerence and submission of mind do offer most humble thanks vnto the Emperors most sacred and peerelesse maiesty our most gracious lord in that according to his fatherly affection which he beareth towards all Christendome and for the good commodity of this our distressed and afflicted countrey which these many yeres hath bin in stead of a bulwarke against the inuasion of barbarous nations he hath
woman be not beaten with the whip once a weeke she will not be good and therefore they looke for it orderly the women say that if their husbands did not beate them they should not loue them They vse to marry there very yong their sonnes at 16. and 18. yeeres olde and the daughters at 12. or 13. yeeres or yonger they vse to keepe their wiues very closely I meane those that be of any reputation so that a man shall not see one of them but at a chance when she goeth to church at Christmas or at Easter or els going to visite some of her friends The most part of the women vse to ride a sleide in saddles with styrrops as men do and some of them on sleds which in summer is not commendable The husband is bound to finde the wife colours to paint her withall for they vse ordinarily to paynt themselues it is such a common practise among them that it is counted for no shame they grease their faces with such colours that a man may discerne them hanging on their faces almost a flight shoote off I cannot so well liken them as to a millers wife for they looke as though they were beaten about the face with a bagge of meale but their eye browes they colour as blacke as ieat The best propertie that the women haue is that they can sowe well and imbroder with silke and golde excellently Of their buriall VVHen any man or woman dieth they stretch him out and put a new paire of shooes on his feete because he hath a great iourney to goe then doe they winde him in a sheet as we doe but they forget not to put a testimonie in his right hand which the priest giueth him to testifie vnto S. Nicholas that he died a Christian man or woman And they put the coarse alwayes in a coffin of wood although the partie be very poore and when they goe towards the Church the friends and kinsemen of the partie departed carrie in their hands small waxe candles and they weepe and howle and make much lamentation They that be hanged or beheaded or such like haue no testimonie with them how they are receiued into heauen it is a wonder without their pasport There are a great number of poore people among them which die daily for lacke of sustenance which is a pitifull case to beholde for there hath beene buried in a small time within these two yeeres aboue 80. persons young and old which haue died onely for lacke of sustenance for if they had had straw and water enough they would make shift to liue for a great many are forced in the winter to drie straw and stampe it and to make bread thereof or at the least they eate it in stead of bread In the summer they make good shift with grasse herbes and rootes barks of trees are good meat with them at all times There is no people in the world as I suppose that liue so miserably as do the pouerty in those parts and the most part of them that haue sufficient for themselues and also to relieue others that need are so vnmerciful that they care not how many they see die of famine or hunger in the streets It is a countrey full of diseases diuers and euill and the best remedie is for anie of them as they holde opinion to goe often vnto the hote houses as in a maner euery man hath one of his owne which hee heateth commonly twise euery weeke and all the housholde sweate and wash themselues therein The names of certaine sortes of drinkes vsed in Russia aud commonly drunke in the Emperours Court. THe first and principall meade is made of the iuice or liecour taken from a berrie called in Russia Malieno which is of a marueilous sweete taste and of a carmosant colour which berry I haue seene in Paris The second meade is called Visnoua because it is made of a berry so called and is like a black gooseberrie but it is like in colour and taste to the red wine of France The third meade is called Amarodina or Smorodina short of a small berry much like to the small rezin and groweth in great plentie in Russia The fourth meade is called Chereunikyna which is made of the wilde blacke cherry The fift meade is made of hony and water with other mixtures There is also a delicate drinke drawn from the root of the birch tree called in the Russe tongue Berozeuites which drinke the noble men and others vse in Aprill May and Iune which are the three moneths of the spring time for after those moneths the sapp of the tree dryeth and then they cannot haue it The voyage of Master Anthony Ienkinson made from the citie of Mosco in Russia to the citie of Boghar in Bactria in the yeere 1558 written by himselfe to the Merchants of London of the Moscouie companie THe 23. day of April in the yeere 1558. hauing obtained the Emperor of Russia his letters directed vnto sundry kings and princes by whose dominions I should passe I departed from Mosco by water hauing with mee two of your seruants namely Richard Iohnson Robert Iohnson and a Tartar Tolmach with diuers parcels of wares as by the inuentory appeareth and the 28. day we came to a town called Collom distant from the Mosco 20. leagues passing one league beyond the saide Collom we came vnto a riuer called Occa into the which the riuer Mosco falleth and looseth his name and passing downe the said riuer Occa 8. leagues we came vnto a castle called Terreuettisko which we left vpon our right hand and proceeding forward the second day of May we came vnto another castle called Peroslaue distant 8. leagues leauing it also on our right hand The third day we came vnto the place where olde Rezan was situate beeing now most of it ruined and ouergrowen and distant from the said Peroslaue 6. leagues the 4. day we passed by a castle called Terrecouia from Rezan 12. leagues the 6. day we came to another castle called Cassim vnder the gouernment of a Tartar prince named Vtzar Zegoline sometime Emperour of the worthy citie of Cazan and now subiect vnto the Emperour of Russia But leauing Cassim on our left hand the 8. day we came vnto a faire town called Morom from Cassim 20. leagues where we took the sonne and found the latitude 56. degrees and proceeding forward the 11. day we came vnto another faire town castle called Nyse Nouogrod situated at the falling of the foresaid riuer Occa into the worthie riuer of Volga distant from the saide Moron 25. leagues in the latitude of 56. degrees 18. minutes Frō Rezan to this Nyse Nouogrod on both sides the said riuer of Occa is raised the greatest store of ware and hony in all the land of Russia We carried at the foresaid Nyse Nouogrod vntil the 19. day for the comming of a captain which was sent by the
sayles for their ships and litle houses and many other necessaries From thence after many dayes trauell I arriued at another kingdome called Campa a most beautiful and rich countrey abounding with all kind of victuals the king wherof at my being there had so many wiues concubines that he had 300 sonnes daughters by theÌ„ This king hath 10004 tame Elephants which are kept euen as we keepe droues of oxâ—n or flocks of sheepe in pasture Of the abundance of fishes which cast theÌ„selues vpon the shore IN this countrey there is one strange thing to be obserued y t euery seueral kind of fishes in those seas come swimming towards the said countrey in such abundance that for a great distance into the sea nothing can be seene by y e backs of fishes which casting theÌ„selues vpon the shore when they come neere vnto it do suffer men for the space of 3. daies to come to take as many of theÌ„ as they please then they returne againe vnto the sea After that kind of fishes comes another kind offering it selfe after the same maner and so in like sort all other kinds whatsoeuer notwithstanding they do this but once in a yere And I demaunded of the inhabitants there how or by what meanes this strange accident could come to passe They answered that fishes were taught euen by nature to come to do homage vnto their Emperour There be Tortoises also as bigge as an ouen Many other things I saw which are incredible vnlesse a man should see them with his own eies In this country also dead men are burned their wiues are burned aliue with them as in the city of Polumbrum aboue mentioned for the men of that country say that she goeth to accompany him in another world that he should take none other wife in mariage Moreouer I traueled on further by the ocean-sea towards the south passed through many countries and islands wherof one is called Moumoran it coÌ„taineth in compasse ii M. miles wherin men women haue dogs faces and worship an oxe for their god and therefore euery one of them cary the image of an oxe of gold or siluer vpon their foreheads The men and the women of this country go all naked sauing that they hang a linen cloth before their priuities The men of the said country are very tall and mighty and by reason that they goe naked when they are to make battell they cary yron or steele-targets before them which do couer and defend their bodies from top to toe and whomsoeuer of their foes they take in battel not being able to ransom himselfe for money they presently deuoure him but if he be able to redeeme himselfe for money they let him go free Their king weareth about his necke 300. great and most beautifull vnions and saith euery day 300. prayers vnto his god He weareth vpon his finger also a stone of a span long which seemeth to be a flame of fire and therefore when he weareth it no man dare once approch vnto him and they say that there is not any stone in the whole world of more value then it Neither could at any time the great Tartarian Emperour of Katay either by force money or poliâ—ie obtaine it at his hands notwithstanding that he hath done the vemost of his indeuour for this purpose Of the island of Sylan and of the mountaine where Adam mourned for his sonne Abel I Passed also by another island called Sylan which contâ—ineth in coÌ„passe aboue ii M. miles wherin are an infinit number of sâ—rpents great store of lions beares al kinds of rauening wild beasts and especially of elephants In the said country there is an huge mountaine whereupon the inhabitants of that regioÌ„ do report that Adam mourned for his son Abel y e space of 500. yeres In the midst of this mouÌ„tain there is a most beautiful plain wherin is a litle lake coÌ„teining great pleÌ„ty of water which water y t inhabitants report to haue procâ—edâ—d froÌ„ the teares of Adam Eue howbeit I proued that to be false because I saw the water flow in the lake This water is ful of hors-leeches blood-suckers of precious stones also which precious stones the king taketh not vnto his owne vse buâ— once or twise euery yere he permitteth certaine poore people to diue vnder the water for y e said stones al that they can get he bestoweth vpon them to the end they may pray for his soule But y t they may with lesse danger diue vnder the water they take limons which they pil anointing themselues throughly with the iuice therof so they may diue naked vnder y e water the hors-leâ—ches not being able to hurt them From this lake the water runneth â—uâ—n vnto the sea and at a low ebbe the inhabitants dig rubies diamonds pearls other precious stones out of the shore wherupon it is thought that y e king of this island hath greater abuÌ„dance of pretious stones then any other monarch in the whole earth besids In the said country there be al kinds of beasts and foules the people told me that those beasts would not inuade nor hurt any stranger but only the natural inhabitants I saw in this island fouls as big as our country geese hauing two heads and other miraculous things which I will not here write off Traueling on further toward the south I arriued at a certain island called Bodin which signifieth in our language vnclean In this island there do inhabit most wicked persons who deuour eat raw flesh coÌ„mitting al kinds of vncleannes abominations in such sort as it is incredible For the father eateth his son the son his father the husband his owne wife the wife her husband and that after this maner If any mans father be sick the son straight goes vnto the sooth-saying or prognosticating priest râ—questing him to demand of his god whether his father shall recouer of that infirmity or no Then both of them go vnto an idol of gold or of siluer making their praiers vnto it in maner folowing Lord thou art our god thee we do adore beseeching thee to resolue vs whether such a man must die or recouer of such an infirmity or no Then the diuel answereth out of y e foresaid idol if he saith he shal liue then returneth his son and ministreth things necessary vnto him til he hath attained vnto his former health but if he saith he shal die then goes y e priest vnto him putting a cloth into his mouth doth strangle him therewith which being done he cuts his dead body into morsels al his friends and kinsfolks are inuited vnto the eating thereof with musique and all kinde of mirth howbeit his bones are solemnely buried And when I found fault with that custome demanding a reason thereof one of them gaue me this answere this we doe least the wormes should eat his flesh
these thieues part the spoyles that they take on the Sea with the king of Calicut for hee giueth leaue vnto all that will goe a rouing liberally to goe in such wise that all along that coast there is such a number of thieues that there is no saillng in those Seas but with great ships and very well armed or els they must go in company with the army of the Portugals From Cranganor to Cochin is 15. miles Cochin COchin is next vnto Goa the chiefest place that the Portugales haue in the Indies and there is great trade of Spices brugges and all other sortes of merchandize for the kingdome of Portugale and there within the land is the kingdome of Pepper which Pepper the Portugales lade in their shippes by bulke and not in sackes the Pepper that goeth for Portugale is not so good as that which goeth for Mecca because that in times past the officers of the king of Portugale made a contract with the king of Cochin in the name of the king of Portugale for the prizes of Pepper and by reason of that agreâ—ment betweene them at that time made the price can neither rise nor fall which is a very lowe and base price and for this cause the villaines bring it to the Portugales greene and full of filthe The Moores of Mecca that giue a better price haue it cleane and drie and better conditioned All the Spices and drugs that are brought to Mecca are stollen from thence as Contrabanda Cochin is two cities one of the Portugales and another of the king of Cochin that of the Portugales is situate neerest vnto the Sea and that of the king of Cochin is a mile and a halfe vp higher in the land but they are both set on the bankes of one riuer which is very great and of a good depth of water which riuer commeth out of the mountaines of the king of the Pepper which is a king of the Gentiles in whose kingdome are many Christians of saint Thomas order the king of Cochin is also a king of the Gentiles and a great faithfull friend to the king of Portugale and to those Portugales which are married and are Citizens in the Citie Cochin of the Portugales And by this name of Portugales throughout all the Indies they call all the Christians that come out of the West whether they bee Italians Frenchmen or Almaines and all they that marrie in Cochin do get an office according to the trade he is of this they haue by the great priuileges which the Citizens haue of that city because there are two principal commodities that they deale withal in that place which are these The great store of Silke that commeth from China and the great store of Sugar which commeth from Bengala the married Citizens pay not any custome for these two commodities for all other commodities they pay 4. per cento custome to the king of Cochin rating their goods at their owne pleasure Those which are not married and strangers pay in Cochin to the king of Portugale eight per cento of all maner of merchandise I was in Cochin when the Uiceroy of the king of Portugale wrought what hee coulde to breake the priuilege of the Citizens and to make them to pay custome as other did at which time the Citizens were glad to waigh their Pepper in the night that they laded the ships withall that went to Portugale and stole the custome in the night The king of Cochin hauing vnderstanding of this would not suffer any more Pepper to bee weighed Then presently after this the marchants were licensed to doe as they did before and there was no more speach of this matter nor any wrong done This king of Cochin is of a small power in respect of the other kings of the Indies for hee can make but seuentie thousand men of armes in his campe hee hath a great number of Gentlemen which hee calleth Amochi and some are called Nairi these two sorts of men esteeme not their liues any thing so that it may be for the honour of their king they will thrust themselues forward in euery danger although they know they shall die These men goe naked from the girdle vpwardes with a clothe rolled about their thighs going barefooted and hauing their haire very long and rolled vp together on the toppe of their heads and alwayes they carrie their Bucklers or Targets with them and their swordes naked these Nairi haue their wiues common amongst themselues and when any of them goe into the house of any of these women hee leaueth his sworde and target at the doore and the time that hee is there there dare not any bee so hardie as to come into that house The kings children shall not inherite the kingdome after their father because they hold this opinion that perchance they were not begotten of the king their father but of some other man therefore they accept for their king one of the sonnes of the kings sisters or of some other woman of the blood roial for that they be sure they are of the blood roiall The Nairi and their wiues vse for a brauerie to make great holes in their eares and so bigge and wide that it is incredible holding this opinion that the greater the holes bee the more noble they esteeme themselues I had leaue of one of them to measure the circumference of one of them with a threed and within that circumference I put my arme vp to the shoulder clothed as it was so that in effect they are monstrous great Thus they doe make them when they be litle for then they open the eare hang a piece of gold or lead thereat within the opening in the hole they put a certaine leafe that they haue for that purpose which maketh the hole so great They lade ships in Cochin for Portugale and for Ormus but they that goe for Ormus carrie no Pepper but by Contrabanda as for Sinamome they easilie get leaue to carrie that away for all other Spices and drugs they may liberally carie them to Ormus or Cambaia and so all other merchandize which come from other places but out of the kingdom of Cochin properly they cary away with them into Portugale great abundance of Pepper great quantitie of Ginger dried and conserued wild Sinamom good quantitie of Arecca great store of Cordage of Cairo made of the barke of the tree of the great Nut and better then that of Hempe of which they carrie great store into Portugale The shippes euery yeere depart from Cochin to goe for Portugall on the fift day of December or the fift day of Ianuary Nowe to follow my voyage for the Indies from Cochin I went to Coulam distant from Cochin seuentie and two miles which Coulam is a small Fort of the king of Portugales situate in the kingdom of Coulam which is a king of the Gentiles and of small trade at that place they lade onely halfe a ship
Yle He left behinde him three sonnes Lagman Harald and Olauus Lagman being the eldest chalenged the kingdome and reigned seuen yeeres Howbeit Harald his brother rebelled against him a long time but being at length taken by Lagman hee was gelt and had his eyes put out Afterward Lagman repenting him that he had put out the eyes of his brother did of his owne accord relinquish his kingdome and taking vpon him the badge of the crosse he went on pilgrimage to Ierusalem in which iourney also he died In the yeere 1075. all the principall men of the Islands hauing intelligence of the death of Lagman sent messengers vnto Murecardus O-Brien King of Irland requesting him that hee would send some wel-disposed person of his owne kinred and blood royall vntill Olauus sonne of Godred were come to full age The king most willingly condescended vnto their request and sent vnto them one Dopnald the sonne of Tade charging and commaunding him that with all meekenesse and modestie hee should gouerne that kingdome which of right belonged not vnto him Howbeit he after he had once attained vnto the kingdome neglecting the commaundement of his lord vsurped the gouernment with great tyrannie committing many heinous crimes and so he reigned very disorderly for the space of three yeeres Then all the princes of the Islands making a generall conspiracie banded themselues against him and expelled him out of their dominions And he flying into Irland returned no more vnto them In the yeere 1077. one Ingemundus was sent from the king of Norway to take possession of the kingdome of the Islands And being come vnto the Island of Leodus hee sent messengers vnto all the princes of the Islands to come vnto him commaunding them to assemble themselues and to appoint him to be their King In the meane season he and his companions spent their time in robbing and rioting rauished women and virgines and addicted themselues to filthy pleasures and to the lustes of the flesh And when these things were reported vnto the princes of the Islands who had assembled themselues to chuse him king being mightely incensed thereat they made haste towards him and comming vpon him in the night they burnt the house wherein hee was and slue both him and the rest of his company partly with sword and partly with fire In the yeere 1098. the abbey of S. Maries at Cistertium was founded In the same yeere also Antiochia was taken by the Christians and a Comet appeared Moreouer the same yeere there was a battel fought betweene the inhabitants of Manâ— at Santwat and they of the North obtained the victory In which battell were slaine Earle Othor and Mac-Maras chieftaines of both parts The same yeere Magnus king of Norway sonne of Olauus sonne of Harald Harfagre being desirous to view the corps of S. Olauus king and Martyr gaue commaundement that his monument should be opened But the Bishop and the Clergie withstanding this his attempt the king went very boldly and by his kingly authoritie caused the cophin to be opened And when hee had seene with his eyes and handled with his hands the incorrupt body of the foresaid King and Martyr a sudden feare came vpon him and he departed with great haste The night following Olauus king and Martyr appeared vnto him in a vision saying Chuse I say vnto your selfe one of these two either within 30. dayes to lose your life with your kingdome or else to depart from Norway and neuer to see it againe The King so soone as he was awaked out of sleepe called his Princes and Senatours and expounded the foresaide vision vnto them And they also being astonished thereat gaue him this counsell that with all speed he should depart out of Norway Then he without any further delay caused a Nauie of 160. ships to be prouided and so sailed vnto the Islands of Orkney which hee presently subdued and passing along through all the Islands and conquering them at length he came vnto the Isle of Man where he was no sooner arriued but hee went vnto the Isle of S. Patric to see the place of battell where the inhabitants of Man had of late fought because many of the dead bodies were as yet vnburied And seeing that it was a most beautifull Island it pleased him exceeding well and therefore hee made choice to inhabite therein his owne selfe and built forts there which are at this day called by his owne name He had the people of Galway in such awe that he constrained them to cut downe their owne timber and to bring it vnto his shore for the building of his fortes Hee sailed on further vnto the Isle of Anglesey neere vnto Wales and finding two Earles therein either of them being called by the name of Hugo he slue the one and the other hee put to flight and so subdued the Island But the Welshmen presented many gifts vnto him and so bidding them farewell he returned vnto Man Unto Murecard king of Irland he sent his shooes commaunding him that he should cary them on his shoulders vpon the birth-day of our Lord through the midst of his Palace in the sight of his Embassadours that thereby it might appeare vnto them that he was subiect vnto king Magnus Which when the Irishmen heard they tooke it grieuously and disdeined much thereat But the King being better aduised I had rather said he not only beare his shooes but eate his shooes then that king Magnus should destroy any one prouince in Irland Wherefore he fulfilled his commaundement and honourably enterteined his Embassadours Many gifts also he sent vnto king Magnus by them and concluded a league But the messengers returning vnto their lord tolde him of the situation of Irland of the beautie thereof of the fruitfulnesse of the soile and of the holesonmesse of the aire Magnus hearing these things was fully resolued to conquer all Irland vnto himselfe And for the same purpose he commaunded that a Fleet should be made ready But he taking his voyage with sixteene ships being desirous to view the land when he had vndiscreetly departed from his Nauie he was suddenly inuironed by the Irish and was himselfe slaine together with all that were with him almost Hee was interred neere vnto the Church of S. Patric in Armagh Hee reigned sixe yeeres After his death the Princes of the Islands sent for Olauus the sonne of Godredus Crouan who liued in the Court of Henry King of England son vnto William the Conquerour In the yeere 1102. Olauus sonne of Godredus Crouan beganne his reigne and reigned fourtie yeeres he was a peaceable man being in league with all the Kings of Scotland and Irland in his time He tooke to wife Affrica the daughter of Fergusius of Galway of whom he begat Godredus Of his concubines he begat Regnaldus Lagmannus and Haraldus and many daughters whereof one married vnto Sumerledus king of Herergaidel which afterward occasioned the ouerthrow of the whole kingdome of the Islands He begat
at Fontanas and Nichoâ—as succeeded in his roome In the yere 1204. Hugo de Lacy inuaded Vlster with an armie and encountered with Iohn de Curcy tooke him prisoner subdued Vlster vnto himselfe Afterward he permitted the said Iohn to goe at libertie who comming vnto king Reginald was honourably enterteined by him because he was his sonne in lawe for Iohn de Curcy had taken to wife Affrica the daughter of Godredus which founded the abbey of S. Mary de iugo domini and was there buried In the yeere 1205. Iohn de Curcy Reginald king of the islands inuading Vlster with a hundreth ships at the port which is called Stranfeord did negligently besiege the castle of Rath but Walter de Lacy coÌ„ming vpoÌ„ them with his armie put them to flight from that time Curcy neuer recouered his land In the yere 1210. Eâ—gus the son of Sumerled his 3. sonnes were slaine At the same time Iohn king of England conducted a fleet of 500. ships into Irland and subdued it vnto himselfe and sending a certaine earle named Fulco vnto the isle of Man his souldiers almost vtterly wasted it in the space of 15. dayes and hauing taken pledges they returned home into their owne countrey King Reginald and his nobles were at this time absent from Man In the yere 1217. deceased Nicolas bishop of the islands and was buried in Vlster in the house of Benchor whom Reginald succeeded I thinke it not amisse to report somewhat more concerning the two foresaid brethren Reginaldus and Olauus REginald gaue vnto his brother Olauus the island called Lodhus or Lewes which is saide to be larger then the rest of the islands but almost destitute of inhabitants because it is so ful of mountaines quarreis being almost no where fit for tillage Howbeit the inhabitants thereof do liue for the most part vpon hunting and fishing Olauus therefore went to take possession of this Island and dwelt therein leading a poore life and when he saw that it would by no meanes suffice for the sustentation of himselfe his folowers hee went boldly vnto his brother Reginald who as then remained in the islands spake on this wise vnto him My brother said he and my lord and king you know that the kingdom of the islands pertained vnto me by right of inheritance howbeit because the Lord had chosen you to beare the scepter I doe not enuie that honour vnto you neither doeth it any whit grieue mee that you are exalted vnto this royall dignitie Nowe therefore I beseech you to prouide mee some portion of land in the islands whereby I may honestly liue For the Island of Lewis which you gaue me is not sufficient for my maintenance Which his brother Reginald hearing said that he would consult about the premisses And on the morow when Olauus was sent for to parle Reginald coÌ„manded him to be attached and to be caried vnto William king of Scotland and with him to remaine prisoner and Olauus remained in prison almost for the space of 7. yeres But at the 7. yeres end William king of Scots deceased and Alexander his sonne reigned in his stead The foresaid William before his death commanded that all prisoners should be set at libertie Olauus therefore being at libertie came vnto Man and immediatly with a great company of nobles tooke his iourney vnto S. Iames and his brother Reginald caused the said Olauus to take vnto wife the daughter of a certaine noble man of Kentyre cousine german vnto his owne wife by name being called Lauon and he granted vnto him the possession of Lewis After a few dayes Reginald the bishop of the Islands hauing gathered a Synod separated Olauus and Godred his sonne and Lauon his wife namely because shee was cousin german vnto his former wife Afterward Olauus maried Scristina daughter vnto Ferkarus earle of Rosse Hereupon the wife of Reginald Queene of the Islands being incensed sent letters vnto the Island of Sky in K. Reginald his name to her sonne Godred willing him to take Olauus Which coÌ„mandement Godred putting in practise entring the isle of Lewis for y e same purpose Olauus fled in a litle skiffe vnto his father in law the earle of Rosse in the meane time Godred wasted the isle of Lewis At the very same time Pol the son of Boke vicount of Sky being a man of power in al the Islands because he would not consent vnto Godred fled dwelt together with Olauus in the dominions of the earle of Rosse making a league with Olauus they went both in a ship vnto Sky To be short sending certaine spies they were informed that Godred remained secure with a smal company in a certaine Isle called y e isle of S. Columba And vniting vnto themselues their friends and acquaintance others that would goe voluntarily with them in the dead of the night hauing lanched 5. ships from the next sea-shore which was distant about the space of 2. furlongs from the foresaid Island they enuironed the said Island on all sides Now Godred and his company rising early in the morning and seeing themselues beset with their enemies on all sides they were vtterly astonied Howbeit arming themselues they began stoutly to make resistance but altogether in vaine For about 9. of the clocke in the morning Olauus and the foresaid vicount Pol with al their souldiers entred the Island and hauing slaine all whom they found without the precincts of the Church they apprehended Godred gelding him and putting out his eyes Unto which action Olauus gaue not his coÌ„sent neither could he withstand it by reason of the forenamed vicount the son of Boke This was done in the yere of Christ 1223. The next sommer folowing Olauus hauing receiued pledges from all the chiefe men of the Islands with a fleet of 32. ships sailed vnto Man and arriued at Rognolfwaht At the same time Reginald and Olauus diuided the kingdome of the Islands betweene themselues Man being granted vnto Reginald besides his portion the name of a king also Olauus hauing receiued certaine victuals of the people of Man returned together with his company vnto his owne portion of Islands The yeere folowing Reginald taking vnto him Alanus lord of Galway together with his subiects of Man sailed vnto the Islands that hee might take away that portion of ground from his brother Olauus which he had granted vnto him and subdue it vnto himselfe Howbeit by reason that the people of Man had no list to fight against Olauus or the Islanders because they bare good will towards them Reginald and Alanus lord of Galway being defeated of their purpose returned home vnto their owne Within a short space after Reginald vnder pretense of going vnto the Court of his lord the king of England receiued an 100. markes of the people of Man and tooke his iourney vnto Alanus lord of Galway Which the people of Man hearing tooke great indignation thereat insomuch that they sent for
but Southward they are diuided a great space one from another For Tanais desceÌ„deth into the sea of Pontus Etilia maketh the foresaid sea or lake with the help of many other riuers which fal therinto out of Persia. And we had to the South of vs huge high mountains vpon the sides wherof towards the said desert doe the people called Cergis and the Alani or Acas inhabit who are as yet Christians wage warre against the Tartars Beyond theÌ„ next vnto the sea or lake of Etilia there are certaine Saracens called Lesgi who are in subiection vnto the Tartars Beyond these is Porta ferrea or the yron gate nowe called Derbent which Alexander built to exclude the barbarous nations out of Persia. Concerning the situation whereof your maiestie shall vnderstand more about the end of this Treatise for I trauailed in my returne by the very same place Betweene the two foresaid riuers in the regions through the which we passed did the Comanians of olde time inhabite before they were ouerrun by the Tartars Of the Court of Sartach and of the magnificence thereof Chap. 17. ANd we found Sartach lying within three daies iourney of the riuer Etilia whose Court seemed vnto vs to be very great For he himselfe had sixe wiues and his eldest sonne also had three wiues euery one of which women hath a great house they haue ech one of them about 200. cartes Our guide went vnto a certaine Nestorian named Coiat who is a man of great authoritie in Sartachs Court He made vs to goe very farre vnto the Lordes gate For so they call him who hath the office of enterteining Ambassadours In the euening Coiac commanded vs to come vnto him Then our guide began to enquire what we would present him withal was eâ—ceedingly offended when he saw that we had nothing ready to present We stoode before him and he sate maiestically hauing musicke and dauncing in his presence Then I spake vnto him in the wordes before recited telling him for what purpose I was come vnto his lorde and requesting so much fauour at his hands as to bring our letters vnto the sight of his Lord. I excused my selfe also that I was a Monke not hauing nor receiuing nor vsing any golde or siluer or any other precious thing saue onely our bookes and the vestiments wherein wee serued God and that this was the cause why I brought no present vnto him nor vnto his Lord. For I that had abandoned mine owne goods could not be a transporter of things for other men Then hee answered very courteously that being a Monke and so doing I did well for so I should obserue my vowe neither did himselfe stand in neede of ought that we had but rather was readie to bestow vpon vs such things as we our selues stood in neede of and he caused vs to sit downe and to drinke of his milke And presently after he requested vs to say our deuotions for him and we did so He enquired also who was the greatest Prince among the Franckes And I saide the Emperour if he could inioy his owne dominions in quiet No quoth he but the king of France For he had heard of your Highnes by lord Baldwine of Henaâ—lt I found there also one of the Knights of the Temple who had bene in Cyprus and had made report of all things which he sawe there Then returned wee vnto our lodging And on the morow we sent him a â—lagon of Muscadel wine which had lasted very wel in so long a iourney and a boxe full of bisket which was most acceptable vnto him And he kept our seruants with him for that euening The next morning he commanded me to come vnto the Court and to bring the kings letters and my vestimentes and bookes with me because his Lorde was desirous to see them Which we did accordingly lading one cart with our bookes and vestiments and another with bisket wine and fruites Then he caused all our bookes and vestiments to bee laide forth And there stoode round about vs many Tartars Christians and Saracens on horseback At the sight whereof he demanded whether I would bestow all those things vpon his Lord or no Which saying made me to tremble and grieued me full sore Howbeit dissembling our griefe as well as we could we shaped him this answere Sir our humble request is that our Lorde your master would vouchsafe to accept our bread wine and fruits not as a present because it is too meane but as a benediction least we should come with an emptie hand before him And he shall see the letters of my souereigne Lord the king and by them he shall vnderstand for what cause we are come vnto him and then both our selues and all that we haue shall stand to his curtesie for our vestiments be holy and it is vnlawfull for any but Priests to touch them Then he commaunded vs to inuest our selues in the saide garments that we might goe before his Lord and wee did so Then I my selfe putting on our most precious ornaments tooke in mine armes a very faire cushion and the Bible which your Maiesty gaue me and a most beautifull Psalter which the Queenes Grace bestowed vpon me wherein there were goodly pictures Mine associate tooke a missal and a crosse anâ— the clearke hauing put on his surplesse tooke a censer in his hand And so wee came vnto the presence of his Lord and they lifted vp the felt hanging before his doore that hee might behold vs. Then they caused the clearke and the interpreter thrise to bow the knee but of vs they required no such submission And they diligently admonished vs to take heed that in going in and in comming out we touched not the threshold of the house and requested vs to sing a benediction for him Then we entred in singing Salue Regina And within the entrance of the doore stood a bench with cosmos and drinking cups thereupon And all his wines were there assembled Also the Moals or rich Tartars thrusting in with vs pressed vs sore Then Coiat caried vnto his lord the censer with incense which he beheld very diligently holding it in his hand Afterward hee caried the Psalter vnto him which he looked earnestly vpon and his wife also that sate beside him After that he caried the Bible then Sartach asked if the Gospel were contained therein Yea saw I and all the holy scriptures besides He tooke the crosse also in his hand and demanded concerning the image whether it were the image of Christ or no I said it was The Nestorians the Armenians do neuer make the figure of Christ vpoÌ„ their crosses Wherfore either they seem not to think wel of his passion or els they are ashamed of it Then he caused them that stood about vs to stand aside that he might more fully behold our ornaments Afterward I deliuered vnto him your Maiesties letters with the translation therof into the Arabike Syriake
goe They are alwaies in their saffron coloured iackets which be very straight being laced or buttened from the bosome right downe after the French fashion And they haue a cloake vpon their left shoulder descending before and behind vnder their right arme like vnto a deacon carying the houssel-boxe in tâ—ne of lent Their letters or kind of writing the Tartars did â—eceiue They begin to write at the top of their paper drawing their lines right downe and so they reade and multiply their lines from the left hand to the right They doe vse certaine papers and characters in their magical practises Whereupon their temples are full of such short scroules hanged round about them Also Mangu-Can hath sent letters vnto your Maiestie written in the language of the Moals or Tartars and in the foresayd hand or letter of the Iugures They burne their dead according to the anncient custome and lay vp the ashes in the top of a Pyramis Now after I had sit a while by the foresaid priests and entred into their temple and seene many of their images both great and small I demanded of them what they beleeued concerning God And they answered We beleeue that there is onely one God And I demaunded farther Whether do you beleue that he is a spirit or some bodily substance They saide We beleeue that he is a spirite Then said I Doe you beleeue that God euer tooke mans nature vpon him They answered Noe. And againe I said Sithence ye beleeue that he is a spirit to what end doe you make so many bodily images to represent him Sithence also you beleeue not that hee was made man why doe you resemble him rather vnto the image of a man then of any other creature Then they answered saying we frame not those images whereby to represent God But when any rich man amongst vs or his sonne or his wife or any of his friends deceaseth hee causeth the image of the dead party to be made and to be placed here and we in remembrance of him doe reuerence thereunto Then I replyed you doe these things onely for the friendship and flatterie of men Noe said they but for their memory Then they demanded of me as it were in scoffing wise Where is God To whom I answered where is your soule They said in our bodies Then saide I is it not in euery part of your bodie ruling and guiding the whole bodie and yet notwithstanding is not seene or perceiued Euen so God is euery where and ruleth all things and yet is he inuisible being vnderstanding and wisedome it selfe Then being desirous to haue had some more conference with them by reason that mine interpreter was weary and not able to expresse my meaning I was constrained to keepe silence The Moals or Tartars are in this regard of their sect namely they beleeue that there is but one God howbeit they make images of felt in remeÌ„brance of their deceased friends couering them with fiue most rich and costly garments and putting them into one or two carts which carts no man dare once touch and they are in the custody of their soothsayers who are their priests concerning whom I will giue your Highnesse more at large to vnderstand hereafter These soothsayers or diuiners do alwaies attend vpon the court of Mangu and of other great personages As for the poorer or meaner sorte they haue them not but such onely as are of the stocke and kindred of Chingis And when they are to remoue or to take any iourney the said diuiners goe before them euen as the cloudie piller went before the children of Israel And they appoint ground where the tents must be pitched and first of al they take down their owne houses after them the whole court doth the like Also vpon their festiual daies or kalends they take forth the foresayd images and place them in order round or circle wise within the house Then come the Moals or Tartars and enter into the same house bowing themselues before the said images and worship them Moreouer it is not lawfull for any stranger to enter into that house For vpon a certaine time I my selfe would haue gone in but I was chidden full well for my labour Of diuers and sundry nations and of certaine people which were wont to eate their owne parents Chap. 28. BUt the foresayd Iugures who liue among the Christians and the Saracens by their sundry disputations as I suppose haue bene brought vnto this to beleeue that there is but one onely God And they dwelt in certaine cities which afterward were brought in subiâ—ction vnto Chingis Can whereupon he gaue his daughter in mariage vnto their king Also the citie of Caracarum it selfe is in a manner within their territory and the whole countrey of king or Presbyter Iohn of his brother Vut lyeth neere vnto their dominions sauing that they inhabite in certaine pastures Northward and the sayde Iugures betweene the mountaines towardes the South Whereupon it came to passe that the Moals receiued letters from them And they are the Tartars principall scribes al the Nestorians almost can skill of their letters Next vnto them between the foresaid mountaines Eastward inhabiteth the nation of Tangut who are a most valiant people and tooke Chingis in battell But after the conclusion of a league hee was set at libertie by them and afterward subdued them These people of Tangutâ— haue oxen of great strength with tailes like vnto horses and with long shagge haire vpon their backes and bellyes They haue legges greater then other oxen haue and they are exceedingly fierce These oxen drawe the great houses of the Moals and their hornes are slender long streight and most sharpe pointed insomuch that their owners are fame to cut off the endes of them A cowe will not suffer her selfe to be coupled vnto one of them vnles they whistle or sing vnto her They haue also the qualities of a Buffe for if they see a man clothed in red they run vpon him immediately to kill him Next vnto them are the people of Tebet men which were wont to eate the carkases of their deceased parents that for pities sake they might make no other sepulchre for them then their owne bowels Howbeit of late they haue left off this custome because that thereby they became abominable and odious vnto al other nations Notwithstanding vnto this day they make fine cups of the skuls of their parents to the ende that when they drinke out of them they may amidst all their iollities and delights call their dead parents to remembrance This was tolde mee by one that saw it The sayd people of Tebet haue great plentie of golde in their land Whosoeuer therefore wanteth golde diggeth till he hath found some quantitie and then taking so much thereof as will serue his turne he layeth vp the residue within the earth because if he should put it into his chest or storehouse hee is of opinion that God
season it may please God to send our two Englishmen that are gone to the Spicerie which may also bring more plaine declaration of that which in this case might be desired Also I knowe I needed not to haue beene to prolixe in the declaration of this Carde to your Lordship if the sayd Carde had bene very well made after the rules of Cosmographie For your Lordship would soone vnderstand it better then I or any other that could haue made it and so it should appeare that I shewed DelphinuÌ„ natare But for that I haue made it after my rude maner it is necessary that I be the declarer or gloser of mine own worke or els your Lordship should haue had much labour to vnderstand it which now with it also cannot be excused it is so grossely done But I knew you looked for no curious things of mee and therefore I trust your Lordship will accept this and hold me for excused In other mens letters that they write they craue pardon that at this present they write no larger but I must finish asking pardon that at this present I write so largely Iesus preserue your Lordship with augmentation of dignities Your seruant Robert Thorne 1527 Epitaphium M. Roberti Thorni sepulti in Ecclesia Templariorum Londini RObertus iacei hic Thorne quem Bristolia quondam Praetoris meritò legit ad officium Huic etenim semper magnae Respublica cure Charior cunctis patria diuitijs Ferre inopi auxilium tristes componere lites Dulce huic consilio quósque iuuare suit Qui pius exaudis miserorum vota precésque Christe huic coeli des regione locum A briefe Treatise of the great Duke of Muscouia his genealogie being taken out of the Moscouites manuscript Chronicles written by a Polacke IT hath almost euer bene the custome of nations in searching out the infancie and first beginnings of their estate to ascribe the same vnto such authors as liued among men in great honour and endued mankinde with some one or other excellent benefite Nowe this inbred desire of all nations to blaze and set foorth their owne petigree hath so much preuayled with the greater part that leauing the vndoubted trueth they haue be taken themselues vnto meere fables and fictions Yea and the Chronicles of many nations written in diuers and sundrie ages doe testifie the same Euen so the Grecians boasted that they were either Autocthones that is earthbredde or els lineally descended from the Gods And the Romans affirme that Mars was father vnto their first founder Romulus Right well therefore and iudicially sayth Titus Liuius Neither meane I to auouch quoth he ne to disable or confute those thinges which before the building and foundation of the Citie haue beene reported being more adorned and fraught with Poeticall fables then with incorrupt and sacred monuments of trueth antiquitie is to be pardoned in this behalfe namely in ioyning together matters historicall and poeticall to make the beginnings of cities to seeme the more honourable For sith antiquity it selfe is accompted such a notable argument of true nobility euen priuate men in all ages haue contended thereabout Wherefore citizens of Rome being desirous to make demonstration of their Gentrie vse to haue their aâ—ncestours armes painted along the walles of their houses in which regarde they were to puffed vp that oftentimes they would arrogantly disdaine those men which by their owne vertue had attained vnto honour In like sorte Poets when the originall of their worthines and braue champions was either vtterly vnknowen or somewhat obscure would ofte referre it vnto their Gods themselues So in these our dayes to lette passe others the Turkish Emperour with grert presumption boasteth himselfe to bee descended of the Troian blood Likewise the great duke of Moscouie to make himselfe and his predecessours seeme the more souereigne deriueth the beginnings of his parentage from the Romane Emperours yea euen from Augustus Cesar. Albeit therefore no man is so fonde as to accept of this report for trueth yet will wee briefly set downe what the Moscouites haue written in their Chronicles as touching this matter Augustus beleeue it who lifteth had certaine brethren or kinsfolkes which were appoynted gouernours ouer diuers prouinces Amongst the rest one Prussus of whome Prussia was named had his place of gouernment assigned vnto him vpon the shore of the eastern or Baltick sea and vpon the famous riuer of Wixel This mans graund children or nephewes of the fourth generation were Rurek Sinaus and Truuor who likewise inhabited in the very same places Whereas therefore at the very same time the Russians or the Moscouites without any ciuill regiment possessed large and spacious territories towards the north the foresayd three brethren vpon the perswasion of one Gostomislius the chiefe citizen of Nouogrod in the yeare since the worldes creation according to the computation of the Greekes 6370 which was in the yeare of our Lord 572 were sent for to beare rule And so ioyning their kinsman Olechus vnto them and diuiding these huge countreys among themselues they laboured to reduce the barbarous and sauage people vnto a ciuill kinde of life Sinaus and Truuor deceasing without issue Rurek succeeded and lefte a sonne behinde him named Igor who not being of sufficient yeres to beare rule was committed vnto the protection of his kinsman Olechus The sayde Igor begate of Oâ—ha daughter vnto a citizen of Plesco who after her husbande was slaine by his enemies taking her iourney to Constantinople was there baptized by the name of Helena a sonne called Stoslaus who fought many battels with the neighbour countreys Howbeit at length Stoslaus was slayne by his foe who making a drinking cup of his skull engraued therupon in golden letters this sentence Seeking after other mens he lost his owne He left behind him three sonnes namely Teropolchus Olega and Vulodimir The which Vulodimir hauing slaine his two brethren became sole gouernour of Russia or as the Moscouites call it Rosseia his owne selfe This man beginning at length to loath and mislike the ethnik religion and the multitude of false gods applyed his minde vnto the religion of Christ and hauing taken to wife Anna sister vnto Basilius and Constantinus Emperours of Constantinople was together with his whole nation in the yeare of Christ 988. baptized and imbraced the Christian religion with the rites and ceremonies of the Greeke Church and his name being changed he was called Basilius Howbeit Zonaras reporteth that before the time of Vulodimir Basilius Emperour of Constantinople sent a bishop vnto the Russians by whose meanes they were conuerted vnto the Christian faith He reporteth moreouer that they would not be perswaded vnlesse they might see a miracle whereupon the said bishop hauing made his prayers vnto almighty God threwe the booke of the Euangelists into the fire which remained there vnconsumed And that by this miracle they were mooued to giue credite vnto the doctrine of Christ and to conforme themselues thereunto
bricke not hardened with fire but only dried at the sunne as is the most part of the building of all Persia. The king hath not come out of the compasse of his owne house in 33. or 34. yeeres whereof the cause is not knowen but as they say it is vpon a superstition of certaine prophesies to which they are greatly addicted he is now about 80. yeeres of age and very lusty And to keepe him the more lusty he hath 4. wiues alwayes and about 300. concubines and once in the yeere he hath all the faire maidens and wiues that may be found a great way about brought vnto him whom he diligently peruseth feeling them in all parts taking such as he liketh and putting away some of them which he hath kept before with them that he putteth away he gratifieth some such as hath done him the best seruice And if hee chance to take any mans wife her husband is very glad thereof and in recompense of her oftentimes he giueth the husband one of his old store whom he thankfully receiueth If any stranger being a Christian shall come before him he must put on a new paire of shooes made in that countrey and from the place where he entreth there is digged as it were a causey all the way vntil he come to the place where he shal talke with the kingâ— who standeth alwayes aboue in a gallerie when he talketh with any strangers and when the stranger is departed then is the causey cast downe and the ground made euen againe Of the religion of the Persians THeir religion is all one with the Turkes sauing that they differ who was â—he right successor of Mahumet The Turkes say that it was one Homer and his sonne Vsman But the Persians say that it was one Mortus Ali which they would prooue in this maner They say there was a counsell called to decide the matter who should be the successor and after they had called vpon Mahumet to reueale vnto them his will and pleasure therein there câ—me among them a litle Lizard who declared that it was Mahumets pleasure that Mortus Ali should be his successor This Mortus Ali was a valiant man and slew Homer the Turkes prophet He had a sword that hee fought withall with the which hee conquered all his enemies and killed as many as he stroke When Mortus Ali died there came a holy prophet who gaue them warning that shortly there would come a white Camell vpon the which he charged them to lay the body and sword of Mortus Ali and to suffer the Camel to cary it whither he would The which being performed the said white camell caried the sword body of Mortus Ali vnto the sea side and the camell going a good way into the sea was with the body sword of Mortus Ali taken vp into heauen for whose return they haue long looked in Persia. And for this cause the king alwayes keepeth a horse ready sadled for him and also of late kept for him one of his owne daughters to be his wife but she died in the yere of our Lord 1573. And they say furthermore y t if he come not shortly they shal be of our beliefe much like the Iewes looking for their Messias to come reigne â—mong them like a worldly king for euer and deliuer them from the captiuitie which they are now in among the Christians Turkes and Gentiles The Shaugh or king of Persia is nothing in strength power comparable vnto the Turke for although he hath a great Dominion yet is it nothing to be compared with the Turks neither hath he any great Ordinance or gunnes or harquebusses Notwithstanding his eldest sonne Ismael about 25. yeeres past fought a great battell with the Turke and slew of his armie about an hundreth thousand men who after his returne was by his father cast into prison and there continueth vntil this day for his father the Shaugh had him in suspicion that he would haue put him downe and haue taken the regiment vnto himselfe Their opinion of Christ is that he was an holy man and a great Prophet but not like vnto Mahumet saying that Mahumet was the last prophet by whom all things were finished was therefore the greatest To prooue that Christ was not Gods sonne they say that God had neuer wife and therefore could haue no sonne or children They go on pilgrimage from the furthest part of Persia vnto Mecha in Arabia and by the way they visite also the sepulchre of Christ at Ierusalem which they now call Couch Kaly The most part of spices which commeth into Persia is brought from the Island of Ormus situate in the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus betweene the maine land of Persia and Arabia c. The Portingals touch at Ormus both in their voyage to East India and homeward againe and from thence bring all such spices as are occupied in Persia and the regions thereabout for of pepper they bring very small quantitie and that at a very deare price The Turkes oftentimes bring pepper from Mecha in Arabia which they sell as good cheape as that which is brought from Ormus Silkes are brought from no place but are wrought all in their owne countrey Ormus is within two miles of the maine land of Persia and the Portingals fetch their fresh water there for the which they pay tribute to the Shaugh or king of Persia. Within Persia they haue neither gold nor siluer mines yet haue they coined money both of gold and siluer and also other small moneys of copper There is brought into Persia an incredible summe of Dutch dollars which for the most part are there imploied in raw silke They haue few bookes and lesse learning and are for the most part very brutish in all kind of good sciences sauing in some kind of silke works and in such things as pertaine to the furniture of horses in the which they are passing good Their lawes are as in their religion wicked and detestable And if any man offend the prince he punisheth it extremely not onely in the person that offendeth but also in his children and in as many as are of his kin Theft and murther are often punished yet none otherwise then pleaseth him that is ruler in the place where the offence is committed and as the partie offending is able to make friends or with money to redeeme his offence There is oftentimes great mutinie among the people in great Townes which of Mortus Ali his sonnes was greatest insomuch that sometimes in the towne two or three thousand people are together by the eares for the same as I haue seene in the towne of Shamaky and Ardouil and also in the great City of Teueris where I haue seene a man comming from fighting in a brauerie bringing in his hand foure or fiue mens heads carying them by the haire of the head for although they shaue their heads most commonly
lost of the Venetians the 15 of August last past 1571 the chiefe gouernors captaines of theÌ„ being hewen in sunder by the coÌ„mandement of that tyrant Mustafa Basha but all the whole Iland also to be conquered by those cruell Turks ancient professed enemies to all Christian religion In the which euill successe comming to vs as I take it for our offences as I lament the generall losse so I am surely pensiue to vnderstand by this too true a report of the vile death of two particular noble gentlemen of Venice Sig. M. Lorenzo Tiepolo and Sig. M. Giouanni Antonio Querint of both the which I in my trauaile was very courteously vsed the former of them being then as now also he was in this ouerthrow gouernour of Baffo in Cyprus the other captaine of one of the castels at Corcyra in Greece now called Corfu But things past are past amendment and they could neuer die more honourably then in the defence of their countrey Besides that the late blowes which the Turks haue receiued since this their fury in token of Gods wrath against them do much comfort euery Christian heart Moreouer this vniforme preparation which is certainly concluded and forthwith looked for by very many Christian Princes would God by all generally against these barbarous Mahometists whose cruelty and beastly behauiour I partly know and am able to iudge of hauing bene in Turky amongst them more then eight moneths together Whose vnfaithfulnesse also and breach of promise as the Venetians manly courage in defence of themselues and their fortresse your honour may easily reade in this short treatise and small handfull of leaues I hauing set downe also a short description of the Iland of Cyprus for the better vnderstanding of the whole matter The which I not onely most humbly beseech your honour now fauourably to accept as an earnest peny of more to come and of my present good will but with your accustomed goodnesse towards me to defend the same against such persons whose tongues too readily roule sometime against other mens painfull trauels perswading themselues to purchase the sooner some credit of learning with the ruder sort by controlling and ouerdaintie sifting of other mens laboured tasks For I know in all ages to be found as well Basilisks as Elephants Thus nothing doubting of your ready ayd heerein as I assuredly trust of your honours fauourable acceptation of this my poore present wishing long life with the increase of Gods holy spirit to your lordship and to all your most honourable familie vnto whom I haue wholly dedicated my selfe by mine owne choise and election for euer I crauing pardon for my former boldnesse most humbly thus take my leaue From Lambhith the 23 of March Ann. 1572. Your honours most humble and faithfull seruant for euer William Malim A briefe description of the Iland of Cyprus by the which not onely the Venetians title why they haue so long enioyed it but also the Turks whereby now he claimeth it may plainly appeare THe Iland of Cyprus is inuironed with diuers seas for Westward it is washed with the sea called Pamphilium Southward with the sea AEgyptium on the East part with the sea Syrium and Northward with the sea called Cilicium The which Iland in time past had diuers names called once Acamantis as Sabellicus witnesseth Philonides maketh mention that it was called sometime Cerasis Xenogoras writeth that is was named Aspelia Amathusa Macaria There were in times past fifteene cities or famous townes in it but now very few amongst the which Famagusta is the chiefest strongest situated by the sea side There is also Nicosia which was woont by the traffike of Marchants to be very wealthy besides the city of Baffo Arnica Saline Limisso Melipotamo Episcopia Timosthenes affirmeth that this Iland is in compasse 429 miles and Arthemidorus writeth the length of the same to be 162 miles measuring of it from the East to the West betwixt two promontories named Dinaretta and Acamanta This Iland is thought to be very rich abundant of Wine Oile Graine Pitch Rozin Allum Salt and of diuers precious stones pleasant profitable and necessary for mans vse and much frequented of Marchants of Syria vnto the which it lieth very nere It hath bene as Plinie writeth ioyned sometime with Syria as Sicilia hath beene also with Italy It was a long time subiect vnto the Romans after to the Persians and to the Soldan of AEgypt The selfesame Iland was sometime also English being conquered by king Richard the first in his voyage to Hierusalem in the yeere of our Lord 1192. Who as Polydore writeth in his fourteenth booke of our English historie being prohibited by the Cypriottes from arriuall there inuaded and conquered the same soone after by force and hauing left behinde him sufficient garrisons to keepe the same departed from thence to Ptolemayda who afterward exchanged the same with Guy of Lusignan that was the last christened king of Hierusalem for the same kingdome For the which cause the kings of England were long time after called kings of Hierusalem And last of all the Venetians haue enioyed it of late a long time in this order following In the yeere of our Lord 1470 Iohn king of the sayd Iland â—onne to Ianus of Lusignan had by Helen his wife which was of the Emperiall house of Paleologus one daughter only called Charlotta and a bastard called Iames the which Iames was afterward consecrated Bishop of Nicosia This Charlotta was married first to the king of Portingall of whom he had no issue so that he being dead Lewes Duke of Sauoy to whom shee was the second time married sonne to Lewes the second of that name vnto whom the said Iland by the right of this his wife Charlotta did appertaine had the possession of the same Iames the bastard assoone as his father was dead of a Bishop became a souldiour and with an army wanne the Iland making it his owne by force This Duke of Sauoy hearing these newes with a number of well appointed souldiers arriued shortly after in Cyprus and recouering againe the Iland compelled the bastard to flie foorthwith ouer to the Soldan of AEgypt Who making himselfe his subiect in time so wrought and tempered the matter that the Soldan in person at his request passed ouer into Cyprus besieged Duke Lewes in the castle of Nicosia and at length compelled him to depart leauing his kingdome So that this Bishop became againe King of this Iland who shortly after cleauing to the Venetians hauing made a league of friendship with them married by their consent one Catherina the daughter of Marco Cornaro which Catherin the Senate of Venice adopted vnto them soone after as their daughter This Bishop not long after sickened and died leauing this his wife with child who liued not long after his fathers death By the which meanes the Venetians making themselues the next heires to Catherina by the law of adoption tooke vnto them the possession of
thereof all his sâ—â—â—es are forgiuen Also they take away the old doore setting in the place the new doore and the old by custome they giue vnto the Serifo After hauing made their praiers with certaine ordinarie and woonted ceremonies the Serifo remaineth in the citie and the captaine of the pilgrimage returneth vnto his pauillion Of the Serifo the king of Mecca THe Serifo is descended of the prophet Mahomet by Fatma daughter of that good prophet and Alli husband to her and sonne in lawe to Mahumet who had no issue male saue this stocke of the Serifo to the eldest sonne whereof the realme commeth by succession This realme hath of reuenues royall euery yeere halfe a million of golde or litle more and all such as are of the prophets kinred or descended of that blood which are almost innumerable are called Emyri that is to say lordes These all goe clothed in greene or at the least haue their turbant greene to bee knowen from the other Neither is it permitted that any of those Christians which dwell or traffique in their Countrey goe clothed in greene neither may they haue any thing of greene about them for they say it is not lawfull for misbeleeuers to weare that colour wherein that great friend and prophet of god Mahomet was woont to be apparelled Of the citie of Mecca THe Citie of Mecca in the Arabian tongue is called Macca that is to say an habitation This citie is inuironed about with exceeding high and barren mountaines and in the plaine betweene the sayde mountaines and the citie are many pleasaunt gardens where groweth great abundaunce of figges grapes apples and melons There is also great abundance of good water and fleshe but not of bread This citie hath no walles about it and containeth in circuite fiue miles The houses are very handsome and commodious and are built like to the houses in Italie The palace of the Serifo is sumptuous and gorgeously adorned The women of the place are courteous â—ocund and louely faire with alluring eyes being hote and libidinous and the most of them naughtie packes The men of this place are giuen to that abhominable cursed and opprobrious vice whereof both men and women make but small account by reason of the pond Zun Zun wherein hauing washed themselues their opinion is that although like the dog they returne to their vomite yet they are clensed from all sinne whatsoeuer of which sin we will hereafter more largely discourse In the midst of the city is y e great Mosquita with the house of Abraham standing in the very middest thereof which Mosquita was built in the time when their prophet liued It is foure square and so great that it containeth two miles in circuit that is to say halfe a mile each side Also it is made in maner of a cloister for that in the midst thereof separate from the rest is the abouesayd house of Abraham also the galleries round about are in maner of 4. streetes and the partitions which diuide the one street from the other are pillars whereof some are of marble and others of lime and stone This famous and sumptuous Mosquita hath 99. gates and 5. steeples from whence the Talismani call the people to the Mosquita And the pilgrimes which are not prouided of tents resort hither and for more deuotion the men and women lie together aloft and beneath one vpoÌ„ another so that their house of praier becommeth worse sometimes then a den of thieues Of the house of Abraham THe house of Abraham is also foure square and made of speckled stone 20. paces high and 40 in circuit And vpon one side of this house within the wall there is a stone of a span long and halfe a span broad which stone as they say before this house was builded fell downe from heauen at the fall whereof was heard a voyce that wheresoeuer this stone fell there should be built the house of God where in God will heare sinners Moreouer they say that when this stone feâ—l from heauen it was not blacke as now but as white as the whitest snow and by reason it hath bene so oft kissed by sinners it is there with become blacke for all the pilgrimes are bound to kisse this stone otherwise they cary their sinnes home with them again The entrance into this house is very small made in maner of a window and as high from the ground as a man can reach so that it is painful to enter This house hath without 31. pillars of brasse set vpon cubike or square stoues being red and greene the which pillars sustaine not ought els saue a threed of copper which reacheth from one to another whereunto are fastened many burning lampes These pillars of brasse were caused to be made by Sultan Soliman grandfather to Sultan Amurath now Emperor After this hauing entred with the difficultie aboue sayd there stand at the entrance two pillars of marble to wit on each side one In the midst there are three of Aloes-wood not very thicke and couered with tiles of India of 1000. colours which serue to vnderproppe the Terratza It is so darke that they can hardly see within for want of light not without an euill smell Without the gate fiue pases is the aboue sayd pond Zun Zun which is that blessed pond that the angell of the lord shewed vnto Agar whiles she went seeking water for her sonne Ismael to drinke Of the ceremonies of the pilgrimes IN the beginning we haue sayd how the Mahumetans haue two feasts in the yeere The one they call Pascha di Ramazaco that is to say The feast of fasting and this feast of fasting is holden thirtie dayes after the feast wherein the Carouan traueileth to Mecca The other is called the feast of the Ramme wherein all they which are of abilitie are bound to sacrifice a Ramme and this they call Bine Bairam that is to say The great feast And as the Carouan departeth from Cairo thirtie dayes after the little feast so like wise they come hither fiue or sixe dayes before the great feast to the ende the pilgrimes may haue time before the feast to finish their rites and ceremonies which are these Departing from the Carouan and being guided by such as are experienced in the way they goe vnto the citie twentie or thirtie in a company as they thinke good walking through a streete which ascendeth by litle and litle till they come vnto a certaine gate whereupon is written on each side in marble stone Babel Salema which in the Arabian tongue signifieth the gate of health And from this place is descried the great Mosquita which enuironeth the house of Abraham which being descried they reuerently salute twise saying Salem Aleâ—h lara sul Alla that is to say Peace to thee ambassadour of God This salutation being ended proceeding on the way they finde an arche vpon their right hand whereon they ascend fiue steps vpon the which is a great voyd place made of
We found it here very hote The winter beginneth here about the last of May. In these partes is a porte or hauen called Masulipatan which standeth eight dayes iourney from hence toward the gulfe of Bengala whether come many shippes out of India Pegu and Sumatra very richly laden with Pepper spices and other commodities The countrie is very good and fruitfull From thence I went to Seruidore which is a fine countrey and the king is called the king of Bread The houses here bee all thâ—tched and made of lome Here be many Moores and Gentiles but there is small religion among them From thence I went to Bellapore and so to Barrampore which is in the country of Zelabdim Echebar In this place their money is made of a kind of siluer round and thicke to the value of twentie pence which is very good siluer It is marueilous great and a populous countrey In their winter which is in Iune Iuly and August there is no passing in the streetes but with horses the waters be so high The houses are made of lome and thatched Here is great store of cotton cloth made and painted clothes of cotton wooll here groweth great store of corne and Rice We found mariages great store both in townes and villages in many places where wee passed of boyes of eight or ten yeeres and girles of fiue or six yeeres old They both do ride vpon one horse very trimly decked and are caried through the towne with great piping and playing and so returne home and eate of a banket made of Rice and fruits and there they daunce the most part of the night and so make an ende of the marriage They lie not together vntill they be ten yeeres old They say they marry their children so yoong because it is an order that when the man dieth the woman must be burned with him so that if the father die yet they may haue a father in lawe to helpe to bring vp the children which bee maried and also that they will not leaue their sonnes without wiues nor their daughters without husbands From thence we went to Mandoway which is a very strong towne It was besieged twelue yeeres by Zelabdim Echebar before hee could winne it It standeth vpon a very great high rocke as the most part of of their castles doe and was of a very great circuite From hence wee went to Vgini and Serringe where wee ouertooke the ambassadour of Zelabdim Echebar with a marueilous great company of men elephants and camels Here is great trade of cotton and cloth made of cotton and great store of drugs From thence we went to Agra passing many riuers which by reason of the raine were so swollen that wee waded and swamme oftentimes for our liues Agra is a very great citie and populous built with stone hauing faire and large streetes with a faire riuer running by it which falleth into the gulfe of Bengala It hath a faire castle and a strong with a very faire ditch Here bee many Moores and Gentiles the king is called Zelabdim Echebar the people for the most part call him The great Mogor From thence wee went for Fatepore which is the place where the king kept his court The towne is greater then Agra but the houses and streetes be not so faire Here dwell many people both Moores and Gentiles The king hath in Agra and Fatepore as they doe crâ—dibly report 1000. elephants thirtie thousand horses 1400. tame Deere 800. concubines such store of Ounces Tigera Buffles Cocks Haukes that is very strange to see He keepeth a great court which they call Dericcan Agra and Fatepore are two very great cities either of them much greater then London and very populous Betweene Agra and Fatepore are 12. miles and all the way is a market of victuals other things as full as though a man were still in a towne and so many people as if a man were in a market They haue many fine cartes and many of them carued and gilded with gold with two wheeles which be drawen with two litle Buls about the bignesse of our great dogs in England and they will runne with any horse and carie two or three men in one of these cartes they are couerâ—d with silke or very fine cloth and be vsed here as our Coches be in England Hither is great resort of marchants from Persia and out of India and very much marchandise of silke and cloth and of precious stones both Rubies Diamants and Pearles The king is apparelled in a white Cabie made like a shirt tied with strings on the one side and a litle cloth on his head coloured oftentimes with red or yealow None come into his house but his eunuches â—hich keepe his women Here in Fatepore we staied all three vntill the 28. of September 1585. and then master Iohn Newberie tooke his iourney toward the citie of Lahor determining from thence to goe for Persia and then for Aleppo or Constantinople whether hee could get soonest passage vnto and directed me to goe for Bengala and for Pegu and did promise me if it pleased God to meete me in Bengala within two yeeres with a shippe out of England I left William Leades the ieweller in seruice with the king Zelabdim Echebar in Fatepore who did entertaine him very well and gaue him an house and fiue slaues an horse and euery day sixe S. S. in money I went from Agra to Satagam in Bengala in the companie of one hundred and fourescore boates laden with Salt Opium Hinge Lead Carpets and diuers other commodities downe the riuer Iemena The chiefe marchants are Moores and Gentiles In these countries they haue many strange ceremonies The Bramanes which are their priests come to the water and haue a string about their necks made with great ceremonies and lade vp water with both their hands and turne the string first with both their hands within and then one arme after the other out Though it be neuer so cold they will wash themselues in cold water or in warme These Gentiles will eate no flesh nor kill any thing They liue with rice butter milke and fruits They pray in the water naked and dresse their meat eate it naked and for their penance they lie flat vpon the earth and rise vp and turne themselues about 30. or 40. times and vse to heaue vp their hands to the sunne to kisse the earth with their armes and legs stretched along out and their right leg alwayes before the left Euery time they lie downe they make a score on the ground with their finger to know when their stint is finished The Bramanes marke themselues in the foreheads eares and throates with a kind of yellow geare which they grind euery morning they do it And they haue some old men which go in the streetes with a boxe of yellow pouder and marke men on their heads necks as they meet them And
of the city they must enter their names in a booke and when they goe out at night they must put out their names They may not lie in the towne all night but must lie in their boats without the towne And their dayes being expired if any man remaine there they are euill vsed and imprisoned The Chinians are very suspicious and doe not trust strangers It is thought that the king doth not know that any strangers come into his countrey And further it is credibly reported that the common people see their king very seldome or not at all nor may not looke vp to that place where he sitteth And when he rideth abroad he is caried vpon a great chaire or serrion gilded very faire wherein there is made a little house with a latise to looke out at so that he may sâ—e them but they may not looke vp at him and all the time that he passeth by them they heaue vp their hands to their heads lay their heads on the ground and looke not vp vntill he be passed The order of China is when they mourne that they weare white thread shâ—es and haâ—s of straw The man doth mourne for his wife two yeeres the wife for her husband three yeeres the sonne for his father a yeere and for his mother two yeres And all the time which they mourne they keepe the dead in the house the bowels being taken out and filled with chownam or lime and cosfined and when the time is expired they carry them out playing and piping and burne them And when they returne they pull off their mourning weeds and marry at their pleasure A man may keepe as many concubines as he will but one wife onely All the Chineans Iaponians and Cauchin Chineans do write right downwards and they do write with a fine pensill made of dogs or cats haire Laban is an Iland among the Iauas from whence come the diamants of the New water And they finde them in the riuers for the king will not suffer them to digge the rocke Iamba is an Iland among the Iauas also from whence come diamants And the king hath a masse of earth which is golde it groweth in the middle of a riuer and when the king doth lacke gold they cut part of the earth and melt it where of commeth golde This masse of earth doth appeare but once in a yere which is when the water is low and this is in the moneth of April Bima is another Iland among the Iauas where the women trauell and labour as our men do in England and the men keepe house and go where they will The 29 of March 1588 I returned from Malacca to Martauan and so to Pegu where I remained the second time vntill the 17 of September and then I went to Cosmin and there tooke shipping and passing many dangers by reason of contrary windes it pleased God that we arriued in Bengala in Nouember following where I stayed for want of passage vntill the third of February 1589 and then I shipped my selfe for Cochin In which voyage we endured great extremity for lacke of fresh water for the weather was extreme hote and we were many marchants and passengers and we had very many calmes and hote weather Yet it pleased God that we arriued in Ceylon the sixth of March where we stayed fiue dayes to water and to furnish our selues with other necessary prouision This Ceylon is a braue Iland very fruitfull faire but by reason of continuall warres with the king thereof all things are very deare for he will not suffer any thing to be brought to the castle where the Portugals be wherefore often times they haue great want of victuals Their prouision of victuals commeth out of Bengala euery yere The king is called Raia and is of great force for he commeth to Columbo which is the place where the Portugals haue their fort with an hundred thousand men and many elephants But they be naked people all of them yet many of them be good with their pieces which be muskets When the king talketh with any man be standeth vpon one legge and setteth the other foot vpon his knee with his sword in his hand it is not their order for the king to sit but to stand His apparell is a fine painted cloth made of cotton wooll about his middle his haire is long and bound vp with a little fine cloth about his head all the rest of his body is naked His guard are a thousand men which stand round about him and he in the middle and when he marcheth many of them goe before him and the rest come after him They are of the race of the Chingalayes which they say are the best kinde of all the Malabars Their eares are very large for the greater they are the more honourable they are accounted Some of them are a spanne long The wood which they burne is Cinamem wood and it smelleth very sweet There is great store of rubies sâ—phires and spinelles in this Iland the best kinde of all be here but the king will not suffer the inhabitants to digge for them left his enemies should know of them and make warres against him and so driue him out of his countrey for them They haue no horses in all the countrey The elephants be not so great as those of Pegu which be monstrous huge but they say all other elephants do feare them and none dare fight with them though they be very small Their wâ—men haue a cloth bound about them from their middle to their knee and all the rest is bare All of them be blacke and but little both men and women Their houses are very little made of the branches of the palmer or coco-tree and couered with the leaues of the same tree The eleuenth of March we sailed from Ceylon and so doubled the cape of Comori Not far from thence betweene Ceylon and the maine land of Negapatan they fish for pearles And there is fished euery yere very much which doth serue all India Cambaia and Bengala it is not so orient as the pearle of Baharim in the gulfe of Persia. From cape de Comori we passed by Coulam which is a fort of the Portugals from whence commeth great store of pepper which commeth for Portugall for oftentimes there ladeth one of the caracks of Portugall Thus passing the coast we arriued in Cochin the 22 of March where we found the weather warme but scarsity of victuals for here groweth neither corne nor rice and the greatest part commeth from Bengala They haue here very bad water for the riuer is farre off This bad water causâ—th many of the people to be like lepers and many of them haue their legs swollen as bigge as a man in the waste many of them are scant able to go These people here be Malabars and of the race of the Naires of Calicut and they differ much
a certaine kinde of reede wherewith malefactours are punished in their hands and two there are that carry inclosed in a case the Kings seale peculiar for ech office and many others also that shew sundry spectacles vnto the people whereunto may be added the horrible out-cries and showtes which betweene whiles they vtter to strike a terrour into the hearts of all men and at length come the Magistrates themselues being carried in a throne vpon the backs of foure men sixe men or eight men according to the dignity of their office Now as concerning their houses they are very large and stately being built and furnished with all necessary stuffe at the Kings owne cost in the which so long as their magistracy lasteth they leade a braue and an honourable life The sayd houses are without variety of stories one aboue another which in the kingdome of China and in our Iles of Iapon also are not ordinarily vsed for habitation but either to keepe watch and ward or els for solace and recreations sake for the which purposes eight most lofty â—urrets of nine stories high are built or els for the defence of Cities Howbeit in other regardes these buildings doe shew foorth no small magnificence for they haue their cisternes for the receit of raine-water which are adorned with beautifull trees set in order round about them and they haue also their places designed for the administration of iustice and diuers other conuenient roomes to bestow their wiues and families in Within the doores of the foresayd habitations a certaine number of Sergeants and officers hauing cabbins or little houses allotted them on both sides doe alwayes giue their attendance and so long as matters of iudgement are in deciding they be alwayes ready at hand that at the direction of the Magistrates they may either beat malefactours or by torments constraine them to tell the trueth The sayd Magistrates also haue their peculiar barges wherein to take the water being in breadth and length not much vnlike to the galleys of Europe but for swiftnesse and multitude of oares farre inferiour vnto them The rowers sitting vpon galleries without the hatches or compasse of the barge doe mooue it on forward with their oares whereupon it commeth to passe that the middle part of the barge affoordeth sufficient roome for the Magistrates themselues to abide in containing chambers therein almost as conuenient and handsome as in any of their foresayd publique houses together with butteries and kitchins and such other places necessary for the prouision and stowage of victuals Leo. All these things agree right well with the reports which we haue heard of the stately and renowmed kingdome of China I would now right gladly know somewhat concerning the order which is obserued in the obtaining of magistracies Michael You haue enquired of a matter most woorthy to be knowen which I had almost omitted to entreat of The Chinians therefore doe vse a kinde of gradation in aduancing men vnto sundry places of authority which for the most part is performed by the Senatours of Paquin For first they are made Iudges of Townes then of Cities afterward they are elected to be of that order which decreeth punishments in cases criminall without further appeale or of their order that are the kings fosterers And in both of these Orders which are very honourable there are many places and degrees so that from the inferiour place they must ascend vnto the superiour vntill they haue attained vnto the highest dignity of all and immediatly after that they come to be Uice-royes Howbeit this gradation is not alwayes accomplished in one and the same prouince but in changing their offices they change places and prouinces also Moreouer next after the office of Uice-roy they are capable to be chosen Senatours of Nanquin and last of all to be elected into the Senate of Paquin Now there is such an order and methode obserued in the ascending vnto these dignities that all men may easily coniecture what office any one is to vndertake And there is so great diligence and celerity vsed for the substitution of one into the roome of another that for the same purpose messengers are dispatched by land vpon swift post-horses vnto diuers prouinces almost twenty dayes iourney from the Kings Court And to be short there is such district seuerity in degrading those that vniustly or negligently demeane themselues from an honourable vnto an inferiour and base office or altogether in depriuing them of the kings authority that all Magistrates doe stand in feare of nothing in the world more then of that The same order almost is obserued among the Captaines and Lieu-tenants generall for the warres except onely in them that their birth and ofspring is respected for many there be who descending by parentage from such men as haue in times past atchieued braue exploits in warfare so soone as they come to sufficient yeeres are created Centurions Colonels and Gouernours vntill at lasâ— they attaine to be Lieu-tenants generall and Protectours of some whole prouince who notwithstanding as I haue sayd are in all things subiect vnto the Uice-roy All the foresayd Magistrates both of warre and of peace haue a set number of attendants allotted vnto them enioying a stipend and carying certaine ensignes and peculiar badges of their office and besides the ordinary watch which souldiers appointed for the same purpose doe in the night season after the City gates be shut keepe in their forts wheresoeuer any Magistrate is either at his house or in his barge the sayd attendants striking vpon a cymball of brasse at certaine appointed times do keepe most circumspect and continuall watch and ward about his person Linus You haue Michael sufficiently discoursed of the Magistrates informe vs now of the king himselfe whose name is so renowmed and spread abroad Michael Concerning this matter I will say so much onely as by certaine rumours hath come to my knowledge for of matters appertaining vnto the kings Court we haue no eye-witnesses sithens the fathers of the society haue not as yet proceeded vnto Paquin who so soone as by Gods assistance they shall there be arriued will by their letters more fully aduertise vs. The king of China therefore is honoured with woonderfull reuerence and submission thorowout his whole Realme and whensoeuer any of his chiefe Magistrates speaketh vnto him he calleth him VAN-SVI signifying thereby that he wisheth tenne thousands of yeeres vnto him The succession of the kingdome dependeth vpon the bloud royall for the eldest sonne borne of the kings first and lawfull wife obtaineth the kingdome after his fathers decease neither doe they depriue themselues of the kinglyâ—authority in their life time as the maner is in our Ilands of Iapon but the custome of Europe is there obserued Now that the safety and life of the king may stand in more security his yoonger brethren and the rest borne of concubines are not permitted to liue in
Angle of the Sunne beames heateth and what encrease the Sunnes continuance doeth adde thereunto it might expresly be set downe what force of heat and cold is in all regions Thus you partly see by comparing a Climate to vs well knowen and familiarly acquainted by like height of the Sunne in both places that vnder the Equinoctiall in Iune is no excessiue heat but a temperate aire rather tending to cold For as they haue there for the most part a continuall moderate heat so yet sometime they are a little pinched with colde and vse the benefite of fire as well as we especially in the euening when they goe to bed for as they lye in hanging beds tied fast in the vpper part of the house so will they haue fires made on both sides their bed of which two fires the one they deuise superstitiously to driue away spirits and the other to keepe away from them the coldnesse of the nights Also in many places of Torrida Zona especially in the higher landes somewhat mountainous the people a litle shrincke at the cold and are often forced to prouide themselues clothing so that the Spaniards haue found in the West Indies many people clothed especially in Winter whereby appeareth that with their heat there is colde intermingled else would they neuer prouide this remedy of clothing which to them is rather a griefe and trouble then otherwise For when they goe to warres they will put off all their apparell thinking it to be combersome and will alwayes goe naked that they thereby might be more nimble in their sight Some there be that thinke the middle zone extreme hot because the people of the countrey can and doe liue without clothing wherein they childishly are deceiued for our Clime rather tendeth to extremitie of colde because wee cannot liue without clothing for this our double lining furring and wearing so many clothes is a remedy against extremitie and argueth not the goodnesse of the habitation but inconuenience and iniury of colde and that is rather the moderate temperate and delectable habitation where none of these troublesome things are required but that we may liue naked and bare as nature bringeth vs foorth Others againe imagine the middle zone to be extreme hot because the people of Africa especially the Ethiopians are so cole blacke and their haire like wooll curled short which blacknesse and curled haire they suppose to come onely by the parching heat of the Sunne which how it should be possible I cannot see for euen vnder the Equinoctiall in America and in the East Indies and in the Ilands Moluccae the people are not blacke but tauney and white with long haire vncurled as wee haue so that if the Ethiopians blacknesse came by the heat of the Sunne why should not those Americans and Indians also be as blacke as they seeing the Sunne is equally distant from them both they abiding in one Parallel for the concaue and conuere Superficies of the Orbe of the Sunne is concentrike and equidistant to the earth except any man should imagine somewhat of Aux Solis and Oppositum which indifferently may be applied aswel to the one place as to the other But the Sunne is thought to giue no otherwise heat but by way of Angle in reflection and not by his neerenesse to the earth for throughout all Africa yea in the middest of the middle Zone and in all other places vpon the tops of mountaines there lyeth continuall snow which is neerer to the Orbe of the Sunne then the people are in the valley by so much as the height of these mountaines amount vnto and yet the Sunne notwithstanding his neerenesse can not melt the snow for want of conuenient place of reflections Also the middle region of the aire where all the haile frost and snow is engendred is neerer vnto the Sunne then the earth is and yet there continueth perpetuall cold because there is nothing that the Sunne beames may reflect against whereby appeareth that the neerenesse of the body of the Sunne worketh nothing Therefore to returne againe to the blacke Moores I my selfe haue seene an Ethiopian as blacke as a cole brought into England who taking a faire English woman to wife begat a sonne in all respects as blacke as the father was although England were his natiue countrey and an English woman his mother whereby it seemeth this blacknes procceedeth rather of some natural infection of that man which was so strong that neither the nature of the Clime neither the good complexion of the mother concurring coulde any thing alter and therefore wee cannot impute it to the nature of the Clime And for a more fresh example our people of Meta Incognita of whom and for whom this discourse is taken in hande that were brought this last yeere into England were all generally of the same colour that many nations be lying in the middest of the middle Zone And this their colour was not onely in the face which was subiect to Sunne and aire but also in their bodies which were stil couered with garments as ours are yea the very sucking childe of twelue moneths age had his skinne of the very same colour that most haue vnder the Equinoctiall which thing cannot proceed by reason of the Clime for that they are at least ten degrees more towardes the North then wee in England are No the Sunne neuer commeth neere their Zenith by fourtie degrees for in effect they are within three or foure degrees of that which they call the frosen Zone and as I saide fourtie degrees from the burning Zone whereby it followeth that there is some other cause then the Climate or the Sonnes perpendicular reflexion that should cause the Ethiopians great blacknesse And the most probable cause to my iudgement is that this blackenesse proceedeth of some naturall infection of the first inhabitants of that Countrey and so all the whole progenie of them descended are still polluted with the same blot of infection Therefore it shall not bee farre from our purpose to examine the first originall of these blacke men and howe by a lineall discent they haue hitherto continued thus blacke It manifestly and plainely appeareth by holy Scripture that after the generall inundation and ouerflowing of the earth there remained no moe men aliue but Noe and his three sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphet who onely were left to possesse and inhabite the whole face of the earth therefore all the sundry discents that vntil this present day haue inhabited the whole earth must needes come of the off-spring either of Sem Cham or Iaphet as the onely sonnes of Noe who all three being white and their wiues also by course of nature should haue begotten and brought foorth white children But the enuie of our great and continuall enemie the wicked Spirite is such that as hee coulde not suffer our olde father Adam to liue in the felicitie and Angelike state wherein hee
was first created but tempting him sought and procured his ruine and fall so againe finding at this flood none but a father and three sonnes liuing hee so caused one of them to transgresse and disobey his fathers commaundement that after him all his posteritie shoulde bee accursed The fact of disobedience was this When Noe at the commandement of God had made the Arke and entred therein and the floud-gates of heauen were opened so that the whole face of the earth euery tree and mountaine was couered with abundance of water hee straitely commaunded his sonnes and their wiues that they should with reuerence and feare beholde the iustice and mighty power of God and that during the time of the floud while they remained in the Arke they should vse continencie and abstaine from carnall copulation with their wiues and many other precepts hee gaue vnto them and admonitions touching the iustice of God in reuenging sinne and his mercie in deliuering them who nothing deserued it Which good instructions and exhortations notwithstanding his wicked sonne C ham disobeyed and being perswaded that the first childe borne after the flood by right and Lawe of nature should inherite and possesse all the dominions of the earth hee contrary to his fathers commandement while they were yet in the Arke vsed company with his wife and craftily went about thereby to dis-inherite the off-spring of his other two brethren for the which wicked and detestable fact as an example for contempt of Almightie God and disobedience of parents God would a sonne should bee borne whose name was Chus who not onely it selfe but all his posteritie after him should bee so blacke and lothsome that it might remaine a spectacle of disobedience to all the worlde And of this blacke and cursed Chus came all these blacke Moores which are in Africa for after the water was vanished from off the face of the earth and that the lande was dry Sem those that part of the land to inhabite in which nowe is called Asia and Iaphet had that which now is called Europa wherein wee dwell and Africa remained for Cham and his blacke sonne Chus and was called Chamesis after the fathers name being perhaps a cursed dry sandry and vnfruitfull ground fit for such a generation to inhabite in Thus you see that the cause of the Ethiopians blacknesse is the curse and naturall infection of blood and not the distemperature of the Climate Which also may bee prooued by this example that these blacke men are found in all parts of Africa as well without the Tropickes as within euen vnto Capo de buona Speranza Southward where by reason of the Sphere should be the same temperature that is in Sicilia Morea and Candie where al be of very good complexions Wherefore I conclude that the blacknesse proceedeth not of the hotenesse of the Clime but as I saide of the infection of blood and therefore this their argument gathered of the Africans blacknesse is not able to destroy the temperature of the middle Zone Wee may therefore very well bee assertained that vnder the Equinoctiall is the most pleasant and delectable place of the worlde to dwell in where although the Sunne for two houres in a yeere be direct ouer their heades and therefore the heate at that time somewhat of force yet because it commeth so seldome and continueth so small a time when it commeth it is not to bee wayed but rather the moderate heate of other times in all the yeere to be remembred And if the heate at any time should in the short day waxe somewhat vrgent the coldnesse of the long night there would easily refresh it according at Honterus sayeth speaking of the temperature vnder the Equinoctial Quódque die solis violento incanduit aestu Humida nox reficit paribusque refrigerat boris If the heate of the Sunne in the day time doe burne or parch any thing◠the moysture of the night doeth coole and refresh the same againe the Sunne being as long absent in the night as so was present in the day Also our Aucthour of the Sphere Iohannes de Sacro Bosco◠in the Chapter of the Zodiacke deriueth the Etymologie of Zodiacus of the Greeke word Zoe which in Latine signifieth Vita life for out of Aristotle hee alleadgeth that Secundum accessum recessum solis in Zodiaco fiunt generationes corruptiones in rebus inferioribus according to the Sunnes going to and fro in the Zodiake the inferiour bodies take their causes of generation and corruption Then it followeth that where there is most going too and fro there is most generation and corruption which must needes be betweene the two Tropickes for there the Sunne goeth too and fro most and no where else but there Therefore betweene the two Tropikes that is in the middle Zone is greatest increase multiplication generation and corruption of things which also wee finde by experience for there is Sommer twice in the yeere and twice Winter so that they haue two Haruests in the yeere and continuall Spring Seeing then the middle Zone falleth out so temperate it resteth to declare where the hottest part of the world should bee for we finde some places more hote then others To answere this doubt reason perswadeth the hotest place in the world to bee vnder and about the two Tropickes for there more then in any other place doe both the causes of heate concurre that is the perpendicular falling of the Sunne beames at right angles and a greater continuance of the Sunne aboue the Horizon the Pole there being eleuated three or foure and twentie degrees And as before I concluded that though the Sunne were perpendicular to them vnder the Equinoctiall yet because the same continued but a small time their dayes being short and their nights long and the speedie departure of the Sunne from their Zenith because of the suddeine crossing of the Zodiake with the Equinoctiall and that by such continuall course and recourse of hote and colde the temperature grew moderate and very well able to bee endured so nowe to them vnder the two Tropickes the Sunne hauing once by his proper motion declined twentie degrees from the Equinoctial beginneth to draw neere their Zenith which may bee as before about the eleuenth day of May and then beginneth to sende his beames almost at right Angles about which time the Sunne entreth into the first degree of Gemini and with this almost right Angle the Sunne beames will continue vntill it bee past Cancer that is the space of two moneths euery day at noone almost perpendicular ouer their heades being then the time of Solstitium Aestiuale which so long continuance of the Sunne about their Zenith may cause an extreeme heate if any be in the world but of necessitie farre more heate then can bee vnder the Equinoctiall where the Sunne hath no such long abode in the Zenith but passeth away there-hence very quickly Also vnder the Tropickes
lesse gratefull to you here then I know it to be acceptable to many great and worthie persons there And no maruaile though it were very welcome vnto you and that you liked of the translation thereof since no history hitherto set sorth hath more affinitie resemblance or conformitie with yours of Virginia then this of Florida But calling to minde that you had spent more yeeres in France then I and vnderstand the French better then my selfe I forthwith perceiued that you approoued mine endeuour not for any priuate ease or commoditie that thereby might redound vnto you but that it argued a singular and especiall care you had of those which are to be employed in your owne like enterprise whom by the reading of this my translation you would haue forewarned and admonished aswell to beware of the grosse negligence in prouiding of sufficiency of victuals the securitie disorders and mutinies that fell out among the French with the great inconueniences that thereupon ensued that by others mishaps they might learne to preuent and auoyde the like as also might be put in minde by the reading of the manifolde commodities and great fertilitie of the places herein at large described and so neere neighbours vnto our Colonies that they might generally bee awaked and stirred vp vnto the diligent obseruation of euery thing that might turne to the aduancement of the action whereinto they are so cheerefully entred Many speciall poynts concerning the commodities of these partes the accidents of the French mens gouernment therein the causes of their good or bad successe with the occasions of the abandoning one of their forts and the surprise of the other by the enemie are herein truely and faithfully recorded Which because they be quoted by me in the margents and reduced into a large alphabeticall table which I haue annexed to the ende of the worke it shall be needlesse to recken vp againe And that the rather because the â—ame with diuers other things of chiefest importance are liuely drawne in colours at your no smal charges by the skilfull painter Iames Morgues sometime liuing in the Black-fryers in London whom Monsieur Chastillion then Admirall of France sent thither with Laudonniere for that purpose which was an eye-witnesse of the goodnesse and fertility of those regions and hath put downe in writing many singularities which are not mentioned in this treatise which since he hath published together with the purtraitures These foure voyages I knew not to whom I might better offer then to your selfe and that for diuers iust considerations First for that as I haue sayd before they were dedicated vnto you in French secondly because now foure times also you haue attempted the like vpon the selfe same coast neere adioyning thirdly in that you haue peâ—sed as farre vp into the maine and discouered no lesse secrets in the partes of your aboad then the French did in the places of their inhabiting lastly considering you are now also ready vpon the late returne of Captaine Stafford and good newes which he brought you of the safe arriual of your last Colony in their wished hauen to prosecute this action more throughly then euer And here to speake somewhat of this your enterprise I affirme that if the same may speedily and effectually be pursued it will prooue farre more beneficiall in diuers respects vnto this our realme then the world yea many of the wiser sort haue hitherto imagined The particular coÌ„modities whereof are wel knowen vnto your selfe and some few others and are faithfully and with great iudgement coÌ„mitted to writing as you are not ignorant by one of your fellowers which remained there about a twelue month with your worshipful Lieutenant M. Ralph Lane in the diligent search of the secrets of those Countreys Touching the speedy and effectuall pursuing of your action though I wote well it would demaund a princes purse to haue it throughly followed without lingring yet am I of opinion that you shall drawe the same before it be long to be profitable and gainful aswel to those of our nation there remaining as to the merchants of England that shall trade hereafter thither partly by certaine secret commodities already discouered by your seruants partly by breeding of diuers sorts of beasts in those large and ample regions and planting of such things in that warme climat as wil best prosper there and our realme standeth most in need of And this I find to haue bin the course that both the Spaniards and Portugals tooke in the beginnings of their discoueries conquests For the Spaniards at their first entrance into Hispaniola fouÌ„d neither suger-canes nor ginger growing there nor any kind of our cattel But finding the place fit for pasture they sent kine buls and sundry sorts of other profitable beasts thither transported the plants of suger-canes and set the rootes of ginger the hides of which oxen with suger and ginger are now the chiefe merchandise of that Island The Portugals also at their first footing in Madera as Iohn Barros writes in his first Decade found nothing there but mighty woods for timber whereupon they called the Island by that name Howbeit the climate being fauourable they inriched it by their own industry with the best wines and sugers in the world The like maner of proceeding they vsed in the Isles of the Açores by sowing therin great quantity of Woad So dealt they in S. Thomas vnder the Equinoctial and in Brasil and sundry other places And if our men will follow their steps by your wise direction I doubt not but in due time they shall reape no lesse commoditie and benefit Moreouer there is none other likelihood but that her Maiesty which hath Christned and giuen the name to your Virginia if need require will deale after the maner of honorable godmothers which seeing their gossips not fully able to bring vp their children themselues are wont to contribute to their honest education the rather if they find any towardlines or reasonable hope of goodnesse in them And if Elizabeth Queene of Castile and Aragon after her husband Ferdinando and she had emptied their cofers and exhausted their treasures in subduing the kingdome of Granada and rooting the Mores a wicked weed out of Spayne was neuerthelesse so zealous of Gods honour that as Fernandus Columbus the sonne of Christopher Columbus recordeth in the history of the deedes of his father she layd part of her owne iewels which she had in great account to gage to furnish his father foorth vpon his first voyage before any foot of land of all the West Indies was discouered what may we expect of our most magnificent and gracious prince ELIZABETH of England into whose lappe the Lord hath most plentifully throwne his treasures what may wee I say hope of her forwardnesse and bounty in aduancing of this your most honourable enterprise being farre more certaine then that of Columbus at that time especially and tending no
Wherupon our souldiers vtterly impatient were oftentimes ready to cut them in pieces and to make them pay the price of their foolish arrogancie Notwithstanding considering the importance hereof I tooke paines to appease the impatient souldier for I would not by any meanes enter into question with the Sauages it suffâ—sed me to delay the time Wherefore I deuised to send vnto Vtina to pray him to deale so farre foorth with his subiects as to succour me with mast and maiz which he did very sparingly sending me 12 or 15 baskets of mast and two of pinocks which are a kind of little greene fruits which grow among the weedes in the riuer and are as big as cheries yea this was not but by giuing of them in exchange twise as much marchandise and apparell as they were worth For the subiectes of Vtina perceiued euidently the necessitie wherein we were began to vse the like speech vnto vs as the others did as it is commonly seene that neede altereth mens affections While these things were in doing a certain breathing space presented it selfe for Vtina gaue me to vnderstand that there was a king his subiect whose name was Astina which he determined to take prisoner and to chastise him for his disobedience that for this cause if I would giue him aide with a certaine number of my souldiers he would bring them to the village of Astina where there was meanes to recouer mast and maiz In the meane season he excused himselfe vnto me because he had sent me no more maiz and sent me word that the little store that he had left was scarsely sufficient for his seede-corne Now being somewhat relieued as I thought by the hope which I had of this offer I would not faile to send him the men which he desired of me which neuerthelesse were very euill intreated for he deceiued them and in stead of leading them against Astina he caused them to march against his other enemies My Lieutenant which had the charge of this enterprise with Captaine Vasseur and my Sergeant was determined to be reuenged of Vtina and to cut him in pieces his people and had it not bene that they feared to do any thing against my wil without all doubt they would haue put their enterprise in execution Therfore they would not passe any further without aduertising me thereof Wherefore being come backe againe vnto the Fort angry pricked deepely to the quicke for being so mocked they made their coÌ„plaints vnto me declaring vnto me that they were almost dead for hunger They told the whole matter to the rest of the souldiers which were very glad that they had not entred into that action resolued assembling themselues againe together to let me vnderstand that they did persist in their first deliberation which was to punish the boldnesse and maliciousnes of the Sauages which they could no longer endure were determined to take one of their kings prisoner which thing I was enforced to grant vnto them to y e end to auoid a greater mischiefe and the sedition which I foresaw would ensue if I had made refusall thereof For sayd they what occasion haue you to deny vs considering the necessitie wherein we are and the small account that they make of vs. Shall it not be lawfull for vs to punish them for the wrongs which they doe vnto vs besides that we know apparantly how little they respect vs Is not this sufficient although there were no necessitie at all since they thus delude vs and haue broken promise with vs After I had therefore resolued with them to seaze on the person of Vtina which besides that he had giuen vs occasion hereof was also most able to help vs to recouer victuals I departed with fiftie of my best souldiers all embarked in two Barkes we arriued in the dominions of Vtina distant from our Fort about 40 or 50 leagues then going on shore we drew towards his village situated 6 great leagues from the riuer where we tooke him prisoner howbeit not without great cries and alarmes and led him away in our barkes hauing first signified vnto his Father in law and his chiefe subiects that in that I had taken him it was not for any desire that I had to doe him any harme but onely to relieue my necessitie and want of victuals which oppressed me and that in case they would helpe me to some I would find meanes to set him againe at libertie that in the meane space I would retire my selfe into my Barkes for I feared least they would there assemble themselues together and that some mischiefe might thereof insue where I would stay for him two dayes to receiue his answere notwithstanding that my meaning was not to haue any thing without exchange of marchandise This they promised they would doe And in very deede the very same euening his wife accompanied with all the women of the village came vnto the Riuers brinke and cryed vnto me to enter into the barke to see her husband and her sonne which I held both prisoners I discouered the next day fiue or siâ—e hundred Indian archers which drew neere vnto the riuer side and came to me to signifie vnto me how that during the absence of their king their enemie Potanou bâ—ing thereof aduertised was entred into their village and had set all on fire They prayed me that I would succour them neuerthelesse in the meane while they had one part of their troope in ambush with intent to set vpon me if I had come on land which was easie for mee to discerne For seeing that I refused so to doe they greatly doubted that they were discouered and sought by all meanes to remooue out of my minde that euill opinion which I had conceiued of them They brought mee therefore fish in their little boates and of their meale of Mast they made also of their drinke which they call cassine which they sent to Vtina and me Now albeit I had gotten this point of them that I held their king prisoner yet neuerthelesse I could not get any great quantitie of victuals for the present the reason was because they thought that after I had drawen victuals from them I would put their king to death For they measured my will according to their custome whereby they put to death all the men prisoners that they take in warre And thus being out of all hope of his libertie they assembled themselues in the great house and hauing called all the people together they proposed the election of a new King at which time the Father in lawe of Vtina set one of the kings young sonnes vpon the Royall throne and tooke such paynes that euery man did him homage by the maior part of the voyces This election had like to haue bene the cause of great troubles among them For there was a kinsman of the kings neere adioyning which pretended a Title to the kingdome and in
that by this time we had almost driuen out the moneth of May two subiects of king Vtina came vnto me with an Hermaphrodite which shewed mee that by this time the maiz was ripe in the greatest part of their quarters Whereupon Vtina signified vnto me that in case I would carrie him home to his house he would take such good order that I should haue plentie of maiz beanes and withall that the field which he had caused to be sowen for me should be reserued to my vse I consulted with my men concerning this matter and found by the aduice of all my company that it was best to grant him his request saying that he had meanes to succour vs with food sufficient to serue our turnes for our embarkement and that therefore I might do well to carry him home Wherefore I caused the two barks forthwith to be made readie wherin I sailed to Patica a place distant from his village 8 or 9 leagues where I found no bodie for they were gotten into the woods and would not shew themselues albeit Vtina shewed himselfe vnto them for as much as they imagined that I should be constrained to let him go But seeing no body to shew themselues I was constrained to hazard one of my men which had bene acquainted with the state of the countrie to whom I deliuered the young sonne of Vtina and commanded him to goe with diligence to the village of Vtina vnto his father in law and his wife to aduertise them that if they would haue their king againe they should bring me victuals vnto the side of the little riuer whither I was gone At my mans comming euery one made much of the little thilde neither was there a man that thought not himselfe well appaide to touch him His father in law and his wife hearing of these newes came presently towards our barkes and brought bread which they gaue vnto my souldiers they held me there three dayes and in the meane while did all that they could to take me which presently I discouered and therefore stood diligently vpon my gard Wherefore perceiuing they could not haue their purpose and that they were already discouered they sent to aduertise me that as yet they could not helpe me to victuals and that the corne was not yet ripe Thus I was constrained to returne and to carry backe Vtina home where I had much adoe to saue him from the rage of my souldiers which perceiuing the maliciousnes of the Indians went about to haue murdered him Moreouer it seemed they were content that they had gotten the sonne that they cared not greatly for the father Now my hope fayling me on this side I deuised to send my men to the villages where I thought the maiz was by this time ripe I went to diuers places and cōtinued so doing 15 daies after when as Vtina besought me again to send him vnto his village assuring himselfe that his subiects would not sticke to giue me victuals and that in case they refused so to do he was content that I should do what I thought good with him I vndertooke this voyage the second time with the two barkes furnished as before At my comming vnto the little riuer we found his subiects there which failed not to come thither with some quantitie of bread beanes and fish to giue my souldiers Neuerthelesse againe to their former practise they sought all meanes to entrap me hoping to try quittance for the imprisonment of their king if they might haue gotten the victorie of me But after that they sawe the small meanes which they had to annoy me they returned to intreaties and offered that if I would giue them their king with certaine of my souldiers they would conduct them vnto the village and that the subiects seeing him would be more willing to giue vs victuals Which thing notwithstanding I would not grant vnto them mistrusting their subtiltie which was not so couert but that one might espie day at a little hole vntill they had first giuen me two men in pledge with charge that by the next day they should bring me victuals Which thing they granted and gaue mee two men which I put in chaines for feare they should escape away as I knew well they were instructed to doe Foure dayes were spent in these conferences at the end whereof they declared vnto me that they could not fully and wholly performe their promise and that the vttermost that they could doe for the present was to cause ech subiect to bring his burthen of mill To conclude they were content to doe so on condition that I would send them their two pledges within ten dayes As my Lieutenant was ready to depart I warned him aboue all things to take heede he fell not into the Indians hands because I knew them to be very subtill and craftie to enterprize and execute any thing to our disaduantage He departed therefore with his troope and came to the small riuer whereinto we were accustomed to enter to approch as neere as we could vnto the village of Vtina being sixe French leagues distant from thence There he went on shore put his men in good array and drew streight towards the great house that was the kings where the chiefe men of the countrey were assembled which caused very great store of victuals to be brought now one and then another in doing whereof they spent notwithstanding three or foure dayes in which meane white they gathered men together to set vpon vs in our retreit They vsed therefore many meanes to holde vs still in breath For one while they demanded their pledges another while seeing my Lieutenant would not yeeld to them vntill such time as they had brought the victuals vnto the boats according to the agreement passed betwene vs they signified vnto him that the women and young children were affraide out of all measure to see fire in their matches so neere their harquebuses and that therefore they most earnestly be sought them to put them out that they might more easily get people ynough to carry the victuals and that they for their partes would leaue their bowes and arrowes and would be contented that their seruants should carrie them This second request was as flatly denied them as the former For it was an easie matter to smel out their intention But while these things were thus in handling Vtina by no meanes was to be seene but hid and kept himselfe secret in a little house apart where certaine chosen men of mine went to see him shewing themselues agreeued with him for the long delayes of his subiects whereunto he answered that his subiects were so much incensed against vs that by no meanes possible he was able to keepe them in such obedience as he willingly would haue done and that he could not hold them from waging of warre against Monsieur de Ottigny That he also called to minde that euen while he was prisoner at what time
of wood of lentisque couered with mosse made of purpose like vnto his owne Then two of the eldest of the company pulled vp the brambles other weeds which were before them and after they had made the place very cleane they all sate round about them on the ground Afterward Gourgues bâ—ing about to speake Satourioua preuented him declaring at large vnto him the incredible wrongs and continuall outrages that all the Sauages their wiues and children had receiued of the Spanyards since their comming into the Countrey and massacring of the Frenchmen with their continuall desire if we would assist them throughly to reuenge so shamefull a treason aswell as their owne particular griefes for the firme good will they alwayes had borne vnto the Frenchmen Whereupon Gourgues giuing them his faith and making a league betweene them and him with an othe gaue them certaine presents of daggers kniues looking glasses hatchets rings belles and such other things trifles vnto vs but precious vnto these kings which moreouer seeing his great liberality demanded eche one a shirt of him to weare onely on their festiuall dayes and to be buried in at their death Which things after that they had receiued and Satourioua had giuen in recompense to Captaine Gourgues two chaines of siluer graines which hung about his necke and ech of the kings certaine deere skinnes dressed after their manner they retired themselues dansing and very iocond with promise to keep all things secret and to bring vnto the sayd place good companies of their subiâ—cts all well armed to be auenged throughly on the Spanyards In the meane space Gourgues very narrowly examined Peter de Bré borne in Newhauen which being but a yong stripling escaped out of the fort into the woods while the Spanyards murdered the rest of the French was afterward brought vp with Satourioua which at that time bestowed him on our generall whose aduise stoode him in great steade Whereupon he sent to discouer the fort and the estate of the enemies by certaine of his men being guided by Olotacara Satouriouaâ—s nephew which hee had giuen him for this purpose and for assurance of Estampes a gentleman of Cominges and others which he sent to discry the state of the enemies Moreouer he gaue him a sonne of his starke naked as all of them are and his wife which he loued best of all the rest of eighteene yeeres olde apparelled with the mosse of trees which for 3 dayes space were in the ships vntil our men returned from discrying the state of the enemie and the kings had furnished their preparation at their rende-uous Their marching being concluded and the Sauages rende-vous being appointed them beyond the riuer Salinacani of our men called Somme they all dranke with great solemnitie their drinke called Cassine made of the iuice of certaine hearbs as they are wont to do when they go to any place of danger which hath such force that it taketh from them hunger and thirst for 24 houres and Gourgues was faine to make as though he drank thereof for company Afterward they lift vp their handes and sware all that they would neuer forsake him Olotocara followed him with pike in hand Being all met at the riuer of Sarauahi not without great trouble by reason of the raine and places full of water which they must needes passe which hindred their passage they were distressed with famine â—inding nothing by the way to eat their Bark of prouision being not arriued which was to come vnto him from the ships the ouersight and charge whereof he had left vnto Burdelois with the rest of the Mariners Now he had learned that the Spanyards were foure hundred strong deuided into three â—orts builded and flanked and well fortified vpon the riuer of May the great fort especially begunne by the French and afterward repaired by them vpon the most dangerous and principall landing place whereof two leagues lower and neerer towarde the Riuers mouth they had made two smaller Forts which were defended the riuer passing betweene them with sixe score souldiers good store of artillery and other munition which they had in the same From Saracary vnto these smal forts was two leagues space which he found very painful because of the bad waies and continual raines Afterward he departed from the riuer Catacouru with 10 shot to view the first fort and to assault it the next day in the morning by the breake of day which hee could not doe because of the foule weather and darknesse of the night King Helicopile seeing him out of quiet in that he had failed of his purpose there assured him to guide him a more easie way though it were farther abouâ— Insomuch as leading him through the woods he brought him within sight of the fort where he discerned one quarter which was but begun to bee entrenched Thus after he had sounded the small riuer that falleth downe thereby hee stayed vntill ten of the clock in the morning for an ebbe water that his men might passe ouer there vnto a place where he had seene a litle groue between the riuer the fort that he might not be seene to passe and set his souldiers in array causing them to fasten their flasks to their Morions to hold vp their swords and kaliuers in their hands for feare least the water which reached vp to their girdles should not wet them where they found such abundance of great oysters and shels which were so sharpe that many had their legs cut with them and many others lost their shoes Notwithstanding assoone as they were passed ouâ—r with a French courage they prepared themsâ—lues to the assault on the sunday eue next after Easter day in Aprill 1568. Insomuch that Gourgues to employ the ardent heat of this good affection gaue twenty shot to his Lieutenant Cazenoue and ten Mariners laden with pots and balles of wild fire to burne the gate and then he assaulted the Fort on another side after he had made a short speech vnto his men of the strange treasons which the Spanyards had plaid their companions But being discried as they came holding downe their heads within two hundred paces from the Fort the Gunner being vpon the terrace of the Fort after he had cried Arme Arme these be French men discharged twise vpoÌ„ them a coluerine wheron the Armes of France were grauen which had bin taken from Laudonniere But as he went about to charge it the third time Olotocara which had not learned to keepe his ranke or rather moued with rage lept on the platforme and thrust him through the bodie with his pike and slew him Whereupon Gourgues aduanced forward and after he had heard Cazenoue cry that the Spaniards which issued out armed at the cry of the alarme were fled hee drew to that part and so hemmed them in betweene him and his Lieutenant that of threescore there escaped not a man sauing only fifteene
Morequito lord of that prouince so they had him seuenteene dayes in a chaine before hee was king of the countrey and ledde him like a dog from place to place vntill hee had payde an hundreth plates of golde and diuers chaines of Spleen-stones for his ransome and nowe since he became owner of that prouince that they had many times layd waite to take him and that they would bee nowe more vehement when they should vnderstand of his conference with the English and because sayd hee they would the better displant me if they cannot lay handes on mee they haue gotten a Nephew of mine called Eparacano whom they haue Christened Don Iuan and his sonne Don Pedro whom they haue also apparelled and armed by whom they seeke to make a partie against me in mine owne countrey hee also had taken to wife one Louiana of a strong familie which are borderers and neighbours and my selfe now being olde and in the handes of death am not able to trauell nor to shifte as when I was of yoonger yeeres hee therefore prayed vs to deferre it till the next yeere when he would vndertake to draw in all the borderâ—rs to serue vs and then also it would bee more seasonable to trauell for at this time of the yeere wee should not bee able to passe any riuer the waters were and would bee so growen ere our returne He farther told me that I could not desire so much to inuade Macureguari and the rest of Guiana but that the borderers would be more vehement then I for he yeelded for a chiefe cause that in the warres with the Epuremei they were spoyled of their women and that their wiues and daughters were taken from them so as for their owne parts they desired nothing of the golde or treasure for their labours but onely to recouer women from the Epuremei for hee farther complayned very sadly as it had beene a matter of great consequence that where as they were wont to haue tenne or twelue wiues they were now inforced to content themselues with three or foure and that the lords of the Epuremei had fifty or a hundreth And in truth they war more for women then either for gold or dominion For the lords of countreys desire many children of their owne bodies to increase their races and kinreds for in those consist their greatest trust and strength Diuers of his followers afterwards desired mee to make haste againe that they might sacke the Epuremei and I asked them of what They answered of their women for vs and their gold for you for the hope of those many of women they more desire the war then either for gold or for the recouery of their ancient territories For what betweene the subiects of Inga and the Spaniards those frontiers are growen thinne of people and also great numbers are fled to other nations farther off for feare of the Spaniards After I receiued this answere of the old man we fell into consideration whether it had bene of better aduice to haue entred Macureguarai and to haue begun a warre vpon Inga at this time yea or no if the time of the yeere and all things else had sorted For mine owne part as we were not able to march it for the riuers neither had any such strength as was requisite and durst not abide the comming of the Winter or to tarie any longer from our ships I though it were euill counsell to haue attempted it at that time although the desire of gold will answere many obiections but it would haue bin in mine opinion an vtter ouerthrow to the enterprize if the same should be hereafter by her Maiesty atteÌ„pted for then whereas now they haue heard we were enemies to the Spaniards were sent by her Maiesty to relieue them they would as good cheap haue ioyned with the Spaniards at our returne as to haue yeelded vnto vs wheÌ„ they had proued that we came both for one errant and that both sought but to sacke spoile them but as yet our desire of gold or our purpose of inuasion is not knowen to them of the empire and it is likely that if her Maiestie vndertake the enterprize they will rather submit themselues to her obedience then to the Spaniards of whose cruelty both themselues and the borderers haue already tasted and therefore till I had knowen her Maiesties pleasure I would rather haue lost the sacke of one or two townes although they might haue beene very profitable then to haue defaced or indangered the future hope of so many millions the great good rich trade which England may be possessed of thereby I am assured nowe that they will all die euen to the last man against the Spaniards in hope of our succour and returne whereas otherwise if I had either layd handes on the borderers or ransommed the lords as Berreo did or inuaded the subiects of Inga I know all had beene lost for hereafter After that I had resolued Topiawari lord of Aromaia that I could not at this time leaue with him the companies he desired and that I was contented to forbeare the enterprize against the Epuremei till the next yeare he freely gaue me his onely sonne to take with me into England and hoped that though hee himselfe had but a short time to liue yet that by our meanes his sonne should be established after his death and I left with him one Francis Sparrow a seruant of captaine Gifford who was desirous to tarie and could describe a countrey with his pen and a boy of mine called Hugh Goodwin to learne the language I after asked the maner how the Epuremei wrought those plates of golde and howe they could melt it out of the stone hee tolde mee that the most of the golde which they made in plates and images was not seuered from the stone but that on the lake of Manoa and in a multitude of other riuers they gathered it in graines of perfect gold and in peeces as bigge as small stones and that they put it to a part of copper otherwise they could not worke it and that they vsed a great earthen pot with holes round about it and when they had mingled the gold and copper together they fastened canes to the holes and so with the breath of men they increased the fire till the metall ran then they cast it into moulds of stone and clay and so make those plates and images I haue sent your Honors of two sortes such as I could by chance recouer more to shewe the maner of them then for the value For I did not in any sort make my desire of gold knowen because I had neither time nor power to haue a greater quantity I gaue among them manie more peeces of gold then I receiued of the new money of 20 shillings with her Maiesties picture to weare with promise that they would become her seruants thencefoorth I haue also sent your Honours of the ore whereof I know some
was the 12. of March according to their appointment came the Kings canoas but the winde being somewhat sâ—ant they could not get abord that night but put into a bay vnder the yland vntill the next day and presently after the breake of day there came to the number of 9. or 10. of the Kings canoas so deepely laden with victuals as they could swim with two great liue oâ—en halfe a skore of wonderfull great and fat hogges a number of hennes which were aliue drakes geese eggs plantans sugar canes sugar in plates cocos sweet oranges and sowre lymes great store of wine and aquauitae salt to season victuals withall and almost all maner of victuals else with diuers of the Kings officers which were there Among all the rest of the people in one of these canoas came two Portugales which were of middle stature and men of marueilous proper personage they were each of them in a loose ierkin and hose which came downe from the waste to the ancle because of the vse of the Countrey and partly because it was Lent and a time for doing of their penance for they accompt it as a thing of great dislike among these heathens to weare either hose or shoes on their feete they had on ech of them a very faire and a white lawne shirt with falling bands on the same very decently onely their bare legs excepted These Portugales were no small ioy vnto our Generall and all the rest of our company For we had not seene any Christian that was our friend of a yeere and an halfe before Our Generall vsed and intreated them singularly well with banquets and musicke They told vs that they were no lesse glad to see vs then wee to see them and enquired of the estate of their countrey and what was become of Don Antonio their King and wheâ—her hee were liuing or no for that they had not of long time bene in Portugall and that the Spaniards had alwayes brought them worde that hee was dead Then our Generall satisfied them in euery demaund Assuring them that their King was aliue and in England and had honourable allowance of our Queene and that there was warre betweene Spaine and England and that we were come vnder the King of Portugall into the South sea and had warred vpon the Spaniards there and had fired spoiled and sunke all the ships along the coast that we could meete withall to the number of eighteâ—ne or twentie sailes With this report they were sufficiently satâ—sfied On the other side they declared vnto vs the state of the yland of Iaua First the pâ—entifulnes and great choise and store of victuals of all sorts of all maner of fruits as before is set downe Theâ— the great and rich marchandize which are there to be had Then they described the properâ—ies and nature of the people as followeth The name of the King of that part of the yland was Raia Bolamboam who was a man had in great maiestie and feare among them The common people may not bargaine sell or exchange any thing with any other nation without speciall licence from their king and if any so doe it is present death for him The King himselfe is a man of great yeeres and hath an hundred wiues his sonne hath fiftie The custome of the countrey is that whensoeuer the king doeth die they take the body so dead and burne it and preserue the ashes of him and within fiue dayes next after the wiues of the said king so dead according to the custome and vse of their countrey euery one of them goe together to a place appoinâ—ed and the chiefe of the women which was neerâ—st vnto him in accompt hath a ball in her hand and throweth it from her and to the place where the ball râ—steth thither they goe all and turne their faces to the Eastward and euery one with a dagger in their hand which dagger they call a Crise and is as sharpe as a rasor stab themselues to the heart and with their hands all to bee-bath themselues in their owne blood and falling groueling on their faces so ende their dayes This thing is as true as it seemeth to any hearer to be strang The men of themselues be very politique and subtile and singularly valiant being naked men in any action they vndertake and wonderfully at commandement and feare of their king For example if their king command them to vndertake any exploit be it neuer so dangerous or desperate they dare not nor will not refuse it though they die euery man in the execution of the same For hee will cut off the heads of euery onâ— of them which returne aliue without bringing of their purpose to passe which is such a thing among them as it maketh them the most valiant people in all the Southeast parts of the worldâ— for they neuer feare any death For being in fight with any nation if any of them feeleth himselfe hurt with launce or sword he will willingly runne himselfe vpon the weapon quite through his body to procure his death the more speedily and in this desperate sort ende his dayes or ouercome his enemie Moreouer although the â—en â—e tawny of colour and go continually naked yet their women be faire of complexion and go more apparelled After they had thus described the state of the yland and the orders and facions of the people they tolde vs faâ—ther that if their king Don Antonio would come vnto them they would warrant him to haue all the Malucos at commandement besides China Sangles and the yles of the Philippinas and that hee might be assured to haue all the Indians on his side that are in the countrey After we had fully contented these Portugals and the people of Iaua which brought vs victuals in their Canoas they tooke their leaues of vs with promise of all good entertainâ—ment at our returnes and our Generall gaue them three great pieces of Ordinance at their departing Thus the next day being the 16. of March we set saile towards the Cape of good hope called by the Portugals Cabo de buena Esperancça on the Southermost coast of Africa The rest of March and all the moneth of April wee spent in â—rauersing that mightie and vastâ— Sea betweene the yle of Iaua and the maine of Africa obseruing the heauens thâ— Crosiers or South-pole the other starres the foules which are markes vnto the Sea men of faire weather foule weather approching of lands or ylands the winds the tempests the raines thunders with the alterations of tides and currents The 10. day of May we had a storme at the West and it blew so hard that it was as much as the ship could stirre close by vnder the wind and the storme continued al that day and al that night The next day being the 11. of May in the morning one of the company went into the top and espied land bearing Northâ— and