not to hinder the exceptions which Nature hath giuen to this Rule making some Regions of the burning Zone extremely drie The which is reported of Ethiopia and wee haue seene it in a great part of Peru where all that Land or Coast which they call Playnes wants raine yea land waters except some Vallies where Riuers fall from the Mountaines the rest is a sandie and barren soile where you shall hardly finde any Springs but some deepe Wells But with the helpe of God we will shew the reason why it rayneth not in these Playnes the which many demand for now I onely pretend to shew that there are many exceptions to naturall Rules whereby it may happen that in some part of the burning Zone it raines not when the Sunne is neerest but being farthest off although vnto this day I haue neither seene nor heard of it but if it be so we must attribute it to the particular qualitie of the Earth and also if sometimes the contrarie doth chance we must haue regard that in naturall things there happens many contrarieties and lets whereby they change and dissolue one another For example it may be the Sunne will cause raine and that the windes will hinder it or else cause more abundance then hath beene vsuall When I passed to the Indies I will tell what chanced vnto mee hauing read what Poets and Philosophers write of the burning Zone I perswaded my selfe that comming to the Equinoctiall I should not indure the violent heate but it fell out otherwise for when I passed which was when the Sunne was there for Zenith being entred into Aries in the moneth of March I felt so great cold as I was forced to goe into the Sunne to warme me what could I else doe then but laugh at Aristotles Meteors and his philosophie seeing that in that place and at that season when as all should be scortched with heat according to his rules I and all my companions were a cold In truth there is no Region in the world more pleasant and temperate then vnder the Equinoctiall although it be not in all parts of an equall temperature but haue great diuersities The burning Zone in some parts is very temperate as in Quitto and on the playnes of Peru in some parts very cold as at Potozi and in some very hot as in Ethiopia Bresil and the Molucques This diuersitie being knowne and certaine vnto vs wee must of force seeke out another cause of cold and heat then the Sunne beames seeing that in one season of the yeere and in places of one height and distance from the Pole and Equinoctiall we finde so great diuersitie that some are inuironed with heat some with cold and others tempered with a moderate heat Considering this matter generally I finde two generall causes which maketh this Region temperate the one is that before mentioned for that this Region is very moist and subiect to raine and there is no doubt but the raine doth refresh it for that the water is by nature cold and although by the force of the fire it be made hot yet doth it temper this heat proceeding onely from the Sunne beames The which wee see by experience in the inner Arabia the which is burnt with the Sunne hauing no showres to temper the violence thereof The cloudes and mists are the cause that the Sunne offends not so much and the showres that fall from them refresh both the Aire and the Earth and moisten likewise how hot soeuer it be They drinke raine water and it quencheth the thirst as our men haue well tried hauing no other to drinke So as reason and experience doth teach vs that raine of it selfe doth temper the heat and hauing by this meanes shewed that the burning Zone is much subiect vnto raine it appeares that there is matter in it to temper the violence of the heat To this I will adde an other reason which deserues to be knowne not onely for this matter but for many others for although the Sunne be very hot and burning vnder the Equinoctiall yet is it not long so as the heat of the day being there shorter and of lesse continuance it causeth not so violent a heate the which it behooues to specifie more particularly Such as are practised in the knowledge of the Spheare teach very well that the more the Zodiake is oblique and trauersing our Hemisphere the more vnequall are the dayes and nights and contrariwise where the Spheare is straight and the signes mount directly there the dayes and nights are equall And therefore in all that Region which is betweene the two Tropicks there is lesse inequalitie then without them and the more wee approch the Line the lesse inequalitie we finde the which wee haue tried in those parts Those of Quitto for that they are vnder the Line haue not throughout the whole yeere the dayes and nights more short at one season then at an other but are continually equall Those of Lima being distant almost twelue degrees finde some difference betwixt the dayes and the nights but very little for that in December and Ianuarie the dayes increase an houre or little lesse Those of Potozi finde much more difference both in Winter and in Summer being almost vnder the Tropicke But those that liue without the Tropicks finde the dayes in Winter shorter and in Summer longer the more remote they are from the Equinoctiall and come neere the Pole as wee see in Germanie and in England the dayes are longer in Summer then in Italie and in Spaine It is a thing which the Spheare doth teach and experience doth plainly shew vs. Wee must adde an other Proposition which is likewise true and very considerable for all the effects of Nature to vnderstand the perseuerance and continuation of the efficient cause to worke and mooue This presupposed if any one demand of me why vnder the Equinoctiall Line the heat is not so violent in Summer as in some other Regions as in Andelousia in the moneths of Iuly and August I will answere that in Andelousia the dayes are longer and the nights shorter and as the day being hot inflames and causeth heat so the nights being cold and moist giue a refreshing According to the which at Peru there is no such great heat for that the dayes in Summer are not long nor the nights short so as the heat of the day is much tempered by the freshnesse of the night Being a thing concluded that the two fore-named properties are common and vniuersall to all the Region of the burning Zone and yet in the same there are found some places very hot and other exceeding cold Also that the temperature is not there equall in all places but vnder one climate one part is hot another cold and the third temperate all at one season wee are forced to seeke out other reasons whence this great diuersitie should proceede in the burning Zone Discoursing therefore vpon this question I doe finde
from out of the Ocean which in those parts is very great and spacious and hauing drawne vnto it this great abundance of vapours doth suddenly dissolue them into raine and it is approued by many tried experiences that the raine and great stormes from Heauen proceed from the violent heate of the Sunne first as we haue said before it raines in those Countries when as the Sunne casts his beames directly vpon the earth at which time he hath most force but when the Sunne retires the heate is moderate and then there falls no raine whereby wee may conclude that the force and heate of the Sunne is the cause of raine in those Countries Moreouer we obserue both in Peru new Spaine and in all the burning Zone that the raine doth vsually fal in the afternoone when as the Sunne beames are in their greatest force being strange to see it raine in the morning And therefore Trauellers foreseeing it begin their iourneys early that they may end and rest before noone for they hold that commonly it raines after noone Such as haue frequented and trauelled those Countries can sufficiently speake thereof And there are that hauing made some abode there say that the greatest abundance of raine is when the Moone is at the full but to say the truth I could neuer make sufficient proofe thereof although I haue obserued it Moreouer the dayes the yeere and the moneths shew the truth hereof that the violent heaâ—e of the Sunne causeth the raine in the burning Zone experience teacheth vs the like in artificiall things as in a Limbecke wherein they draw waters from herbs and flowers for the vehemency of the fire forceth and driueth vp an abundance of vapours which being pressed and finding no issue are conuerted into liquor and water The like wee see in gold and siluer which we refine with quick-siluer the fire being small and slow we draw out almost nothing of the quick-siluer but if it be quick and violent it doth greatly euaporate the quick-siluer which encountring the head aboue doth presently turne into liquor and begins to drop downe Euen so the violent heate of the Sunne produceth these two effects when it findes matter disposed that is to draw vp the vapours on high and to dissolue them presently and turne them into raine when there is any obstacle to consume them And although these things seeme contrarie that one Sunne within the burning Zone being neere should cause raine and without the Zone afarre off should breed the like effect so it is that all well considered there is no contrarietie A thousand effects in naturall causes proceed of contrarie things by diuers meanes we drie linnen by the fire and in the aire and yet the one heats and the other cooles Pastures are dried and hardened by the Sunne and with the Frost moderate exercise prouokes sleepe being too violent it hindereth if you lay no wood on the fire it dyeth if you lay on too much it likewise quencheth for the onely proportion entertaines and makes it to continue To well discerne a thing it must not be too neere the eye nor too farre off but in a reasonable distance proportionable being too farre off from any thing we lose the sight and too neere likewise we cannot see it If the Sunne beams be weake they draw vp no fogge from the Riuers if they be violent hauing drawne vp the vapours they presently dissolue and consume them but if the heat be moderate it drawes vp and preserues it for this reason the vapours rise not commonly in the night nor at noone but in the morning when as the Sunne begins to enter into his force There are a thousand examples of naturall causes vpon this subiect which wee see doe often grow from contrarie things whereby we must not wonder if the Sunne being neere engenders raine and being farre off works the like effect but being of a moderate and proportionable distance causeth none at all Yet there remaines one doubt why the neernesse of the Sunne causeth the raine vnder the burning Zone and without when it is farthest off In my opinion the reason is that in Winter without the Tropicks the Sunne hath not force sâ—fficient to consume the vapours which rise from the Land and Sea for these vapours grow in great abundance in the cold Region of the aire where they are congealed and thickned by the extremitie of the cold and after being pressed they dissolue and turne into water Therefore in Winter when the Sunne is farthest off the dayes short and the nights long his heat hath small force but when the Sunne approcheth which is in the Summer time his force is such as it drawes vp the vapours and suddenly consumes and disperseth them for the heat and the length of the dayes grow through the neernesse of the Sunne But within the Tropicks vnder the burning Zone the farre distance of the Sunne workes the same effects that the neernesse doth without the Tropicks by reason whereof it raines no more vnder the burning Zone when the Sunne is farre off then without the Tropicks when it is neerest for that in this approching and retyring the Sunne remayns alwayes in one distance whence proceedes this effect of cleernesse But when the Sunne is in the period of his force in the burning Zone and that he cast his beames directly vpon the Inhabitants heads there is neither cleernesse nor drynesse as it seemes there should be but rather great and strange showers for that by this violent heat he drawes vp suddenly a great abundance of vapours from the Earth and Ocean which are so thicke as the winde not able easily to disperse them they melt into water which breedeth the cold raine in so great abundance for the excessiue heat may soone draw vp many vapours the which are not so soone dissolued and being gathered together through their great abundance they melt and dissolue into water The which wee may easily discerne by this familiar example roast a piece of Porke Mutton or Veale if the fire be violent and the meate neere wee see the fat melts suddenly and drops away the reason is that the violent heat drawes forth the humour and fat from the meat and being in great abundance cannot dissolue it and so it distils more away But when the fire is moderate and the meat in an equall distance wee see that it roasts handsomly and the fat drops not too suddenly for that the moderate heat drawes out the moistnesse which it consumes suddenly And therefore Cookes make a moderate fire and lay not their meate too neere nor too farre off lest it melt away The like may bee seene in anoother experience in candles of tallow or waxe if the wike bee great it melts the tallow or the waxe for that the heat cannot consume the moistnesse which riseth but if the flame bee proportionable the wax melts nor drops not for that the flame doth waste it by little and little as it riseth But this is
hundred and sixtie Mariners each of them In these ships the Embassadours the Queene and Nicolo Maffio and Marco set sayle hauing first taken leaue of the Great Chan who gaue them many Rubies and other precious gems and expenses for two yeeres After three moneths they came vnto a certaine Iland named Iaua and from thence sayling through the Indian Sea after eighteene moneths they come vnto the Countrey of King Argon sixe hundred men of the Mariners and others and but one of the Women and Damsels died in the iourney and onely Coza of the three Embassadours was liuing When they came to the Countrey of King Argon they found that hee was dead and that one Chiacato gouerned the Kingdome for his sonne being young They sent to acquaint him with their businesse who answered that they should giue her to Casan the Kings sonne then in the parts of Arbor secco in the Confines of Persia with sixtie thousand persons for the guard of certaine passages against the enemie Hauing done so Nicolo Maffio and Marco returned to Chiacato and stayed there nine moneths After this taking leaue Chiacato gaue them foure Tables of Gold each a cupit long fiue fingers broad of the weight of three or foure Markes in which was written that in the power of the eternall God the name of the Great Chan should bee honoured and praised many yeeres and euery one which should not obey should be put to death and his goods confiscate It was further contayned that these three Embassadours should be honoured and seruice done them in all Lands and Countries as to his owne person and that Horses Conuoyes expenses and necessaries should be giuen them All which was duly put in execution that sometimes they had two hundred Horses for their safeguard In this their trauell they heard that the Great Chan was dead which tooke from them all hope of returning thither They rode till they came to Trabesonde and from thence to Constantinople and after to Negroponte and at last came with great riches safe to Venice Anno 1295. And thus much may serue for a Preface to the following worke whereby might appeare how Marco Polo could come to the knowledge of the things therein contayned To supply a little more deliuered by Tradition and recorded by Ramusio he sayth that these three being comne to Venice like Vlysses in Ithaca none knew them all esteeming them long since dead Besides their voyage had so altered them that they seemed rather Tartarians then Venetians hauing in manner forgotten their natiue Language their habite also was of thicke Cloth like Tartars They went to their house in Saint Iohn Chrysostomes Street and is there still to be seene then a faire Palace and now called The Court of millions which name it had by reason of Marcos relations of so many millions in this worke and in his dâ—scourses of the Great Chans incredible wealth They found there inhabiting some of their kindred nor knew how to make themselues knowne Therefore as I haue often heard of Magnifico Messer Gasparo Malipiero a very old Gentleman of singular integritie from the report of his Father and Grandfather c. they agreed to inuite many of their kindred to a feast prepared in honourable manner with much Magnificence in which at first all three came forth in Crimson Sattin sutes and after the Guests were set stripped themselues and gaue them to the Seruitors comming forth in Crimson Damaske and at the next seruice in Crimson Veluet and after in the common habit giuing still the former to the seruitors Dinner ended and the Seruitors put foorth Marco brought forth their three habits of thicke Cloath in which they had comne home and thence tooke and set on the Table an incredible quantitie of Iewels artificially sewed therein which was no lesse maruell to the beholders then euidence of their being of the Polo family as they pretended Maffio was made a Magistrate in Venice Marco was daily frequented with the youth and all wanne great reputation In few moneths after Lampa Doria Generall of a fleet of Genois being come to the I le Curzola with seauentie Galleyes Andrea Dandolo was sent against them and in that Fleet Marco was made Captaine of a Galley which by disaduenture of Warre was taken and he carryed prisoner to Genoa Where his strange trauels being made knowne a certaine Gentleman daily resorting to him as did the whole Citie in admiration caused and helped him to write this storie hauing sent to Venice for his Notes The booke was first written in Latine and thence translated into Italian One of which Latine Copies very ancient and haply copied out of Marcos originall I haue seene and compared with this which I heere Publish lent me by a Gentleman of this Citie of the house of the Ghisi my speciall friend which holds it in speciall esteeme No price might ransome him insomuch that his Father wanting an heyre to his wealth marryed againe and had by his wife three Children Marcos worthinesse obtained that which no moneys worth could doe and being at libertie hee returned and marryed and had two Daughters but no sonne Moretta and Fautina c. That Gentleman of Genoa made a Preface to the Booke and Francisco Pipino a Frier Preacher which translated the same Anno 1320. out of the Vulgar the Latine being rare as well it might before Printing and perhaps neuer seene of him into Latine Both those Prefaces are in Ramusio the latter commends M. Polo for a deuout and honest man and saith his Father confirmed the truth of this Booke and his vncle Maffio on his Death-bed to his Confessor Pipino abbreuiated the Booke and perhaps gaue occasion to that corruption which was after increased by others §. II. Obseruations of M. POLO of Armenia Turkie Zorzania Baldach Persia Chirmain Cobniam Ormus Knaue-fooles Paradise and other Easterne parts in Asia and Armenia the lesse THere are two Armenia's the greater and the lesse In the lesse the King abides in a Citie called Sebastoz which in all his Countrey obserueth Iustice and good Gouernment The Kingdome it selfe hath many Cities Fortresses and Castles the soyle also is fertile and the Countrey lacketh no necessary thing nor doth it want game of Beasts and fowle the ayre is not very good The Gentlemen of Armenia in times past were stout warriours but become now effeminate and nice giue themselues to drunkennes and ryot There is a certaine Citie in this Kingdome seated neere the Sea named Giazza hauing an excellent Hauen whither many Merchants resort from diuers Countries euen from Venice and Genua by reason of the diuers marchandises brought thither especially Spices of sundry sorts and certaine other precious riches brought thither out of the East Countries for trading for this place is as it were a certaine part of all the East Countries In Turchomania are three sorts of Nations to wit the Turchomans or Turke-men which obserue the law of Mahumet They are men vnlearned rude
that afterward they both seeing the confessions of the one and the other they might see if they did agree And first they examined euery one by himselfe Afterward they examined them altogeter for to see if the one did contrary the other or did contend and reprehend one another that so by little and little they might gather the truth of the case In these Examinations the two were contrary to wit the Pilot and the Christian China youth and had many stripes because they agreed in some things The Louthias did alwayes shew themselues glad to heare the Portugals in their defence who alleadged in their defence that if they would know who they were and how they were Merchants and not Theeues they should send to enquire of them along the Coast of Chincheo that there they should know the truth which they might know of the Merchants of the Countrey with whom a great many yeares agoe they had dealt and that they might know that they were no Kings for Kings do not abase themselues so much as to come with so few men to play the Marchants and if before they said the contrary it was by the deceit of the Luthisi and to receiue better vsage of him in their persons Hauing this information of the Portugals presently with the opinion of the Quinchay and the other Officers they went to Chincheo both of them to enquire of the trueth of that which the Portugals had told them and discouering there the truth of the Portugals matter and the lies of the Luthissi and of the Aitao they dispatched presently a Post wherein they commanded to put the Luthissi and the Aitao in Prison and in good safeguard Wherefore from thence forward all men began to fauour them very much If notwithstanding this examination had bin made in Liampoo as it was in Chincheo the Portugals could not haue chosen but haue past it ill according to the greatnesse of the euils they had done there After the Louthias returned from Chincheo they commanded to bring the Portugals before them and comforted them very much shewing them great good-will and saying to them that they knew already they were no theeues but were honest men and they examined againe as well they as their aduersaries to see if they contradicted themselues in any thing of that which before they had spoken In these later re-examinations the Pilot of China which before had shewed himselfe against the Portugals and had beene on the Louthias side seeing that the Louthias were already in Prison and that now they could doe them no good and that the Portugals were already fauoured and that the trueth was already knowne he gainsaid himselfe of all that he had said and said that it was true that the Portugals were no theeues nor Kings but Merchants and very good men and discouered the goods which the Luthissi had taken when he surprised the Portugals And that till then he had said to the contrary was for the great promises which the Louthias promised him and for the great threats they vsed to him if he did it not But seeing they were already in Prison and he knew they could doe him no hurt he would now speake the truth They then commanded to torment him and whip him very sore to see if he would gainsay himselfe but he still continued in the same confession All the examinations and diligences necessarie in this business ended the Quinchay willing to depart for the Court with his companie would first see the Portugals and giue a sight of himselfe to the Citie The sight was of great Maiestie in the manner hee went abroad in the Citie for he went accompanied with all the great men of it and with many men in Armes and many Ancients displayed and very faire and with many Trumpets and Kettle-drummes and many other things which in such pompes are vsed And accompanied in this manner hee went to certaine noble and gallant houses And all the great men taking their leaue of him hee commanded the Portugals to come neere him and after a few words he dismissed them for this was not but onely to see them Before these Louthias departed they commanded the Louthias of the Countrey and the Iaylors that all of them should fauour the Portugals and giue them good entertaynment and should command to giue them all things necessarie for their persons And commanded euery one to set his name in a piece of Paper because that while they were at the Court and their matters were dispatching they should not craftily make some missing And they commanded to keepe the Luthissi in good safety and the Aitao and that they should not let them communicate with any person Being gone from the Citie they lodged in a small Towne where they set in order all the Papers and ingrossing onely that which was necessarie And because the Papers were many and were much to write they helped themselues with three men And hauing ingrossed all that they were to carrie to the Court they burned all the rest And because these three men which they tooke for helpers should not spread abroad any thing of that which they had seene or heard or written they left them shut vp with great vigilancie that none should speake with them commanding to giue them all things necessarie very abundantly vntill the Kings Sentence came from Court and were declared The Papers being presented in Court and all seene by the King and by his Officers he pronounced the Sentence in manner and forme following Pimpu by commandement of the King Because Chaipuu Huchin Tutan without my commandement or making mee priuie thereto after the taking of so much people commanded them to bee slayne I being willing to prouide therein with Iustice sent first to know the trueth by Quinsituam my Quinchei who taking with him the Louthias which I sent to examine the trueth of the Portugals and also of the Aitao and Luthissi which had informed mee that the Portugals were theeues and that they came to all the coast of my Dominion to robbe and to murther And the trueth of all being knowne they are come from doing that which I commanded them And the Papers being seene by my Pimpu and by the great Louthias of my Court and well examined by them they came to giue mee account of all And likewise I commanded them to be perused by Ahimpu and Altu Chaen and by Athaylissi Chuquin whom I commanded to ouersee those Papers very well because the matters were of great weight wherein I would prouide with Iustice. Which thus being seene and perused by them all it was manifest that the Portugals came many yeeres before to the coast of Chincheo to doe their affaires which was not conuenient they should doe in the manner they did it but in my Markets as was alwaies the custome in all my Ports These men of whom hitherto I knew not I know now that the people of Chincheo went to their ships about their
affaires whereby I know already that they are Merchants and not theeues as they had written to me they were And I doe not blame Merchants to helpe Merchants but I put great fault in my Louthias of Chincheo because that when any ship came to my Ports they should haue knowne if they were Merchants and if they would pay their duties and if they would pay them to write presently vnto mee If they had done so so much euill had not beene done Or when they were taken if they had let mee know it I had commanded to set them at libertie And although it bee a custome in my Ports the ships that come vnto them to be measured by cubits for to pay their duties these being very farre off it was not necessarie but to let them doe their businesses and goe for their Countries Besides this my Pontoos which knew these men to be Merchants did not tell it mee but concealed it from mee whereby they were the cause of many people being taken and slaine And those that remayned aliue as they could not speake did looke toward Heauen and demanded from their hearts iustice of Heauen they know no other God supreme out the Heauen Besides these things I know that the Aitao and the Luthissi did so much euill for couetousnesse of the many goods which they tooke from the Portugals hauing no regard whether those which they tooke and tooke the goods from were good or euill men Likewise the Louthias along the Sea coast knew these men to be Merchants and certified mee not And all of them as disloyall were the cause of so much euill I knew more by my Quinchey that the Aitao and the Luthissi had Letters by the which they knew that the Portugals were no theeues but Merchants and knowing this they were not contented with the taking of them but they wrote many lyes vnto mee and were not contented with killing of the men but killed children also cutting off the feet of some of others the hands and at last the heads of them all writing vnto mee they had taken and slayne Kings of Mallaca Which case I beleeuing to be true grieue in my heart And because hitherto so many cruelties haue beene vsed without my commandement from hence forward I command they be not done Besides this the Portugals resisted my Armie being better to haue let themselues beene taken then to kill my people Moreouer it is long since they came to the coast of our Dominion about their affaires in manner of theeues and not as Merchants wherefore if they had beene naturall as they are strangers they had incurred paine of death losse of goods wherfore they are not without fault The Tutan by whose commandement those men were slaâ—ne said that by this deed I should make him greater and the people that he commanded to be slayne after they had no heads their hearts that is their soules and their bloud required iustice of Heauen I seeing so great euils to be done my eyes could not indure the sight of the Papers without teares and great griefe of my heart I know not my Louthias seeing they tooke this people wherefore they let it not goe that I might not come to know so many cruelties and so great Wherefore seeing all these things I doe create Senfuu chiefe Louthia because hee did his dutie in his charge and told mee trueth I create also chiefe Louthia Quinchio because hee wrote the trueth to mee of the Pontoos which went to doe their merchandise in secret with the Portugals to the Sea Those which are euill I will make them baser then they which sowe Rice Likewise because Pachou did trafficke with the Portugals and for bribes did permit the Merchants of the Countrey to trafficke with the Portugals and yet doing these things wrote vnto mee that the Portugals were theeues and that they came to my Dominions onely to steale And the same hee said also to my Louthias which presently answered that he lyed for they knew already the contrarie And therefore such a one and such a one he nameth ten Louthias It is nothing that all you be banished to red Caps to the which I condemne you but you deserue to be made baser as I doe make you Chaen for taking these men thou sayedst thou shouldest be greater and being in the doing of so much euill thou sayedst thou didst not feare mee such a one and such a one he nameth nine for the taking of these men yee say I would make you great and without any feare of mee yee all lyed such a one and such a one he nameth many I know also yee tooke bribes But because you did so I make you base he depriueth them of the dignitie of Lothias Such a one and such a one he nameth many If the Aitao and the Luthissi would kill so many people wherefore did you suffer it But seeing that in consenting you were accessarie with them in their death all are in the same fault Chifuu and Chanchifuu were also agreeing to the will of the Aitao and the Luthissi and were with them in the slaughter as well those that were as those that were not in fault Wherefore I condemne you all to red Caps Lupuu let him haue a good heart because the Tutan being willing to kill this people he said that he should let mee first know it To him I will doe no harme but good as he deserueth and I command that he remayne Louthia Sanchi I make my Anchassi of the Citie of Cansi The Antexio I command to be deposed of his honour Assaon seeing hee can speake with the Portugals let him haue honour and ordinarie and he shall be carried to Chaquean where hee was borne This is the youth with whom the Portugals did defend themselues seruing them for Interpreter they gaue him title of Louthia and mayntenance Chinque Head of the Merchants that went to the Sea to trafficke with the Portugals and deceiued them bringing great store of goods a land it shall be demanded of him and set in good safeguard for the mayntenance and expences of the Portugals and I condemne him and his foure Companions to red Caps and they shall bee banished whither my Louthias shall thinke good To the rest guilty and imprisoned for this matter I command my Louthias to giue to euery one the punishment he deserueth I command the Chaen to bring me hither the Tutan that his faults being perused by the great men of my Court I may command to doe iustice on him as I shall thinke good This Tutan was also a consenter in the wickednesse of the Aitao and the Luthissi for the Luthissi and the Aitao made him partaker and gaue him part of the booties which they tooke from the Portugals that as the head he should hold for good that which they did for in truth they durst not haue done that which they did if he had not giuen consent and agreed with their
their strength no man were able to make match with them for they that dwell neere them should haue any rest of them But I thinke it is not Gods will For I may compare them to a young Horse that knoweth not his strength whom a little Child ruleth and guideth with a bridle for all his great strength for if he did neither Child nor man could rule him Their Warres are holden against the Crimme Tartarians and the Nagayans I will stand no longer in the rehearsall of their power and Warres For it were to tedious to the Reader But I will in part declare their Lawes and Punishments and the execution of Iustice. And first I will begin with the Commons of the Countrey which the Gentlemen haue rule on And that is that euery Gentleman hath Rule and Iustice vpon his owne Tenants And if it so fall out that two Gentlemens Seruants or Tenants doe disagree the two Gentlemen examine the matter and haue the parties before them and so giue the Sentence And yet cannot they make the end betwixt them of the Controuersie but eâ—ther of the Gentlemen must bring his Seruant or Tenant before the high Iudge or Iustice of that Countrey and there present them and declare the matter and case The Plaintiffe saith I require the Law which is granted then commeth an Officer and arresteth the partie Defendant and vseth him contrary to the Lawes of England For when they attach any man they heate him about the legs vntill such time as he findeth Sureties to answere the matter And if not his hands and necke are bound together and hee is led about the Towne and beaten about the legs with other extreme punishments till he come to his Answere And the Iustice demandeth if it bee for Debt and sayth Owest thou this man any such Debt He will perhaps say nay Then saith the Iudge Art thou able to deny it Let vs heare how By Oath saith the Defendant Then he commandeth to leaue beating him till further tryall be had Their order in one point is commendable They haue no man of Law to plead their Causes in any Court but euery man pleadeth his owne Cause and giueth Bill and Answere in writing contrary to the order in England The Complaint is in manner of a Supplication and made to the Dukes Grace and deliuered him into his owne hand requiring to haue Iustice as in his Complaint is alleaged The Duke giueth sentence himselfe vpon all matters in the Law Which is very commendable that such a Prince will take paines to see ministration of Iustice. Yet notwithstanding it is wonderfully abused and thereby the Duke is much deceiued But if it fall out that the Officers be espied in cloking the truth they haue most condigne punishment And if the Plaintiffe can nothing proue then the Defendant must take his Oath vpon the Crucifixe whether he be in the right or no. Then is demanded if the Plaintiffe bee any thing able further to make proofe if he be not then sometimes he will say I am able to proue it by my body and hands or by my Champions body so requiring the Campe. After the other hath his Oath it is granted as well to the one as to the other So when they goe to the field they sweare vpon the Crucifixe that they bee both in the right and that the one shall make the other to confesse the truth before they depart foorth of the field and so they goe both to the battell armed with such weapons as they vse in that Countrey they fight all on foot and seldome the parties themselues doe fight except they bee Gentlemen for they stand much vpon their reputation for they will not fight but with such as are come of as good an house as themselues So that if either partie require the combate it is granted vnto them and no Champion is to serue in their roome wherein is no deceit but otherwise by champions there is For although they take great oathes vpon them to doe the battell truely yet is the contrary often seene because the common Champions haue no other liuing And assoone as the one partie hath gotten the victorie hee demandeth the debt and the other is carryed to Prison and there is shamefully vsed till hee take order There is also another order in the Law that the plaintiffe may sweare in some causes of debt And if the partie defendant bee poore hee shall be set vnder the Crucifixe and the partie plaintiffe must sweare ouer his head and when hee hath taken his oath the Duke taketh the partie defendant home to his house and vseth him as his bond-man and putteth him to labour or letteth him for hire to any such as neede him vntill such time as his friends make prouision for his redemption or else hee remayneth in bondage all the dayes of his life Againe there are many that will sell themselues to Gentlemen or Merchants to bee their bond men to haue during their life meate drinke and cloath and at their comming to haue a piece of money yea and some will sell their wiues and children to be bawds and drudges to the buyer Also they haue a Law for Fellons and pickers contrary to the Lawes of England For by their Law they can hang no man for his first offence but may keepe him long in Prison and oftentimes beate him with whips and other punishment and there hee shall remaine vntill his friends bee able to bayle him If hee be a picker or a cut-purse as there bee very many the second time he is taken hee hath a piece of his Nose cut off and is burned in the fore-head and kept in prison till he finde sureties for his good behauiour And if hee be taken the third time he is hanged And at the first time hee is extreamely punished and not released except he haue very good friends or that some Gentleman require to haue him to the warres And in so doing hee shall enter into great bonds for him by which meanes the Countrey is brought into good quietnesse But they bee naturally giuen to great deceit except extreame beating did bridle them They bee naturally giuen to hard liuing as well in fare as in lodging I heard a Russian say that it was a great deale merrier liuing in Prison then foorth but for the great beating For they haue meate and drinke without any labour and get the charitie of well disposed people But being at libertie they get nothing The poore is very innumerable and liue most miserably for I haue seene them eate the pickle of Herring and other stinking Fish nor the Fish cannot bee so stinking nor rotten but they will eate it and praise it to bee more wholesome then other fish or fresh meate In mine opinion there bee no such people vnder the Sunne for their hardnesse of liuing Well I will leaue them in this point and will in part declare their Religion
Printed 1620. at Madrid and small credit it had beene to the House of the Farias that one of them should publish in Portugall and in Castile to another should be dedicated a friuolous tale and deuised foolerie I adde also the Authours stile so religious and his often protestations his credit as Herrera reporteth with King Philip the Second who spent much time in discourse with him about these things I might adde the Spanish Translators Apologie at large and out of him Fr. Andrada the Portugall Chroniclers testimonie If this moue thee not to beleeue yet beleeue thus much that I haue no minde to deceiue thee but giue thee what I found onely much contracted and not going all the way with our Authour whose originall Booke is aboue one hundred and fiftie sheets of paper in folio but contented with his China and Tartaria Relations that also too much if not true And yet I would not haue an Authour reiected for fit speeches framed by the Writer in which many Historians haue taken libertie no if sometimes he doth mendacia dicere so as he doth not mentiri that is if he be so credulous to beleeue or so improuident to proffer to others faith probable falshoods related by others as I will not sweare but of himselfe hee might mistake and by others be mis-led the Chinois here might in relating these rarities to him enlarge and de magnis maiora loqui so as he still be religious in a iust and true deliuerie of what himselfe hath seene and belye not his owne eyes the former is rashnesse and distastfull the later is dishonest and detestable Once the Sunne Rising hath found many worshippers but the Westerne Sunne is neerer night and neerer obscuritie and meannesse are our Westerne affaires then those China Raies of the East and wee were Backes and Owles not to beleeue a greater light then our selues see and vse All China Authours how diuersified soeuer in their lines yet concurre in a centre of Admiranda Sinarum which if others haue not so largely related as this they may thanke God they payed not so deare a price to see them and for mee I will rather beleeue where reason euicts not an â—â—ectione firma then seeke to see at the Authours rate and if he hath robbed the Altars of Truth as he did those of the Calempluy Idols yet in Pequin equity we will not cut off the thumbs according to Nanquin rigour vpon bare surmise without any euidence against him Howeuer cheaper I am sure he is by farre to thee then to mee who would haue beene loth to be so true a labourer in a lying Authour willingly or commonly in my conceit falsifying his owne sight though perhaps not seldome deceiued in things taken vp on China mens trust or entred into their China Bookes such as he here often citeth Men refuse not Siluer for the Oare gather the Rose notwithstanding the prickles neglect not Haruest mixed with weeds Wheat with the chaffe Fruit for the shells and hate not Honie for the Bees sting nor will I either in prodigalitie of faith beleeue all or be so penurious as to reiect the most of that which here I present Vse thou thy freedome and him at thy pleasure I say not mee and if thou wilt not pardon such a briefe collection thou wouldst hardly giue Castilian entertainement to all and more then all often yeelding brauadoes and enlarging flourishes of stile beyond a translation as if his Authour had not said enough The variety if it had beene meerly deuised presents I know not how many entercourses as interludes of Comicke and Tragicke euents more worthie the reading then most in this kinde and as fit to recreate how much more where veritie is as I suppose the ground and substance though perhaps inlayed with other phantasies among That the Iesuites in some things differ is their authoritie against his who as more learned and iudicious and longer experienced might finde out some truths better then hee as his various fortunes and that time might let him see many particularities which they could not writing sixtie yeeres after In many things they both agree and Gaspar de Cruz hath many the same things and that his strange Relation of the Crosse in China and the Hungarian of the Mount Sinai is deliuered by Lucena perhaps learned by some of His companie and these exceptions by mee mentioned are rather praeoccupations of censorious iudging my iudgement then my iudiciall sentence which the iudicious will suspend and leaue to better experience Iudicent posteri veritas Temporis filia CHAP. II. Obseruations of China Tartaria and other Easterne parts of the World taken out of FERNAM MENDEZ PINTO his Peregrination §. I. MENDEZ his many miserable aduentures his strange expedition with ANTONIO DE FARIA diuers coasts visited Pirats tamed miseries suffered glorie recouered FErnam Mendez Pinto borne at old Montemor in the Kingdome of Portugall was placed in seruice at ten or twelue yeeres of age in Lisbon the thirteenth of December An. 1521. on the day of breaking the Scutchions or publike mourning for King Emanuel A yeere and halfe after he fled vpon occasion of a sudden accident and got aboord a Caruile which was taken by a French Pirat which would haue made sale of them at Larache to the Moores But a fortnight after taking another Portugall ship comming from Saint Thome worth 40000. Duckets they returned for France carrying some with them for Sea seruice the rest they set on shoare by night on the shoare of Melides naked which came to Santiago de Cacem where they were relieued Thence he went to Setuual and serued Francisco de Faria a Gentleman belonging to the Master of Santiago and after that was Page to the Master himselfe But his meanes being short hee left his seruice An. 1537. he went for Indiae in a Fleet of fiue ships the Admirall was Don Pedro de Sylua sonne of Vasco da Gama first Discouerer of the Indies whose bones he carried with him in the ship at his returne which were receiued by King Iohns appointment in greater Funerall pompe then had beene seene done to a Subiect They arriued at Diu the fifth of September Thence after seuenteene dayes he went with two Foists for the Straight of Mecca and came in sight of Curia Muria and Abedalcuria almost wracked with foule weather and comming to Sacotora watered neere the Fortresse which Francisco d' Almeida first Vice-roy of India had built 1507. Hauing receiued some refreshing of the Christians there they departed and in the heighth of Masua tooke a ship but fiue men being therein left of eightie one of which was the Captaine a Renegado of Malorquy who for loue of a Moorish woman had denyed his Faith and refusing to returne to Christianitie notwithstanding all perswasions wee bound him hand and foot and threw him into Sea with a great stone tyed about his necke The ship also sunke and little was saued They went to Arquico
matters of China which wee saw in our two moneths libertie were infinite The King of China most resideth at Pequin for so he sweareth at his Coronation There are certaine streets seuered in this Citie by themselues wherein are houses called Lag nampur that is The Schoole of the poore in which Orphans which know no father are taught to write and reade and mechanike trades to earne their liuings Of these Houses they haue aboue two hundred and as many more of poore Nurses which giue sucke to Children exposed or cast foorth by their Parents which are punished if they bee knowne and after they are weaned are committed to the former houses And if any by naturall defect are vnable to learne a Trade they apply him to that whereto he is able as those that are blind to Mills two to grind and one to â—ift and so in other cases Besides no Trades-man may keepe shop without licence which is not granted but with imposing on them some of these poorer The Miller is to giue meate and drinke to each of those blinde persons and clothes and fifteene shillings yeerely which when hee dieth he may giue for his soule that no poore should perish according to the fourth precept of Amida For Creeples which cannot goe they place them with makers of Frailes Baskets and other handiworkes and those which cannot vse their hands haue great Hampers giuen them and Baskets to serue for Porters to carrie what men buy from the Markets to their houses such as haue neither hands nor feet to vse are placed in great houses like Monasteries where are many mercenary women which pray for the dead halfe of the Offerings remayning to them the other halfe to the Priests If they be dumbe they place them in a house like an Hospitall where they are sustayned with the Fines imposed on Regraters and scolding women For common women which are diseased they haue other houses where they are cured and prouided for at the costs of other common women each paying a monethly fee. The Dowries or Ioynters of conuicted Adulteresses are bestowed on the Hospitals of female Orphans that honestie may gaine by dishonesties losse Other honest poore men are maintayned in other streets at the charges of Sollicitors and Lawyers which maintayne vniust Suits and of partiall bribed Iudges For the prouision of the poore I haue further heard read out of their Chronicles that Chansiran Punagor Great Grandfather of the King now reigning desiring to doe God seruice being blinde after a sicknesse which he had ordayned that in euery Citie there should be store-houses of Wheat and Rice that if any dearth should happen there might be a yeeres prouision and the poore should not perish and to this purpose he applyed the tenth part of the Kings Customes They say that God recompenced this his charitie with restitution of his sight which continued fourteene yeeres after till his death This is still obserued and the number of those Store-houses is said to be fourteene thousand At Haruest the old is diuided to the Inhabitants as they haue need which after two moneths are to lay in as much new and sixe in the hundred more that the store be not diminished But if the yeere proue barren it is diuided to them without gaine and that which is giuen to the poore which haue not to satisfie is paid out of the Kings Rents of that place as the Kings Almes And all the rest of the Royall reuenues are diuided into three parts one for maintenance of the Kings estate and for the gouernment of the Kingdome the second for the defence of the Countrey for Ports Fleets and the like the third is put vp in the Treasurie at Pequin with which the King by ordinary power may not meddle being deputed for defence of the Kingdome against the Tartars and other warres with confining Kings this part of the treasure is called Chidampur that is The wall of the Kingdome For they say that if such occasions happen the King shall not lay tribute whiles that lasteth not shall the people be vexed as in other Countries where such prouidence is not vsed Indeed I feare to particularize all that we saw in this Citie lest the Reader should doubt or mutter at the raritie measuring things by that little they haue seene and iudging by their owne curtalled conceits the truth of those things which mine eyes haue seene But high capacities haughtie spirits and large vnderstandings that measure not other states by the miseries and meannesse before their eyes will perhaps be willing to heare things so rare which I hold the more pardonable in others to doubt of forasmuch as I verily confesse that I my selfe which beheld them with mine eyes am often amazed when with my selfe I recount the greatnesses of Pequim in the admirable estate of that Gentile King in the splendor of the Chaens of Iustice and of the Anchacys of gouernment in the terror and dread caused in all by their Officers in the sumptuousnesse of the Houses and Temples of their Idols and of all the rest therein For only in the Citie Minapau which stands within the wall of the Kings Palace are 100000. Eunuchs and 30000. women 12000. men for his Guard and 12. Tutans which is the greatest dignitie and commonly called the Sun-beames as the King is called the Sonne of the Sunne whose person they represent Beneath these 12. are 40. Chaens as Vice-royes besides the inferiour dignities as Anchacys Aytaos Ponchacys Lauteaas and Chumbins all which in the Court are aboue 500. and none of them haue lesse then 200. men depending the greater part of which are Mogores Persians Coraçons Moens Calaminhans Tartars Cauchins and some Bramaas the Naturals being little esteemed as effeminate and wanting valour how wittie soeuer in Arts and husbandrie The women are white chaste more giuen to labour then the men The earth is fertile which their ingratitude rather ascribes to the merit of their King then the prouidence of God Some Priests also barter with them vpon Bills of exchange to bee repayed an hundred for one in Heauen which Letters they call Cuchimiocos Other Priests are of another Sect called Naustolins which denye the Soules immortalitie and therefore teach to take their pleasures in this life Another Sect is called Trimecau which holds that a man shall so long lie in his Graue as hee hath liued aboue ground after which by the prayers of their Priests the Soule shall returne into another creature seuen dayes and then seeke for the old bodie left in the Graue to carrie it to the Heauen of the Moone where it shall sleepe many yeeres till it be conuerted into a Starre and there remayne fixed for euer Another beastly Sect called Gizom holds that Beasts onely shall enioy Heauen in recompence of their penance and trauels here sustayned and not Men which follow their lusts except they leaue to Priests at their death to pray for
Language Holgoi that were had in as great estimation amongst them as be the Priests amongst Christians These did talke ordinarily with the Deuill and many times in publike and doe Deuillish Witch-crafts both in wordes and deedes into whom it is to bee beleeued that that the Deuill did enter for that straight-wayes they did answere vnto all things that were demanded of them although for the most part they would tell a Lye or else such words that might be giuen diuers interpretations of and of diuers vnderstandings They did also vse to cast Lots they were great Agorismers or obseruers of times in so much that if they beginne any Iourney and at the beginning they meete with a Cayman or Lizard or any other sauage Worme they know it to be a signe of euill fortune whereupon they would straight-wayes leaue off their Iourney although it did import them very much and returne vnto their Houses saying that the Heauen will not that they should goe forwarde on that Iourney but all these lyes and falsenesse haue beene taught them and they perswaded to by the Deuill are ouerthrowne and taken away by the Law of the Gospel as aforesaid and haue now amongst them many Monasteries full of Religious men of the Order of Saint Austine Saint Francis and of Iesuits According vnto the common opinion at this day there is conuerted and baptized more then foure hundred thousand soules which is a great number yet in respect of the quantitie that are not as yet conuerted there are but a few It is left vndone as aforesaid for want of Ministers for that although his Majestie doth ordinarily send thither without any respect of the great charge in doing the same yet by reason that there are so many Iland and euery day they doe discouer more and more and being so farre off they cannot come vnto them all as necessitie requireth Such as are baptized doe receiue the faith with great firmenesse and are good Christians and would be better if that they were holpen with good ensamples as those which haue beene there so long time are bound to doe that the lacke thereof doth cause some of the Inhabitants so much to abhorre them that they would not see them once painted vpon a wall For proofe whereof and for to mooue such as haue power and authoritie to put remedie in the same I will declare vnto you here a strange case the which royally did passe of a truth in one of these Ilands and is very well knowne amongst them that is there chanced to dye an Ilander a principall man amongst them a few dayes after that he was baptized beeing very contrite for his sinnes the which he had done against God before he was baptized and after hee dyed So after by the Diuine permission of God he appeared vnto many of that Iland whom hee did perswade forthwith to receiue the Baptisme with reasons of great efficacie and declared vnto them as one that had experienced the same the reward of that good deed which without all doubt should be giuen vnto them if they would receiue the same and liue after conformable and according vnto the Commandements of Christ for the which he told them and said that forth-with so soone as he was dead he was carried by the Angels into glory there whereas all things were of delight pleasure and content and did communicate onely in the sight of God and that there was none that entred therein neither could enter except he were baptized according vnto the preaching of the Spaniards of whom and of others that were like vnto them there was an infinite number Therefore if so be that they would goe and enjoy of those benefits and delights it is necessary that first they should be baptized and afterwards to obserue and keepe the Commandements that be preached vnto them by the Fathers that are amongst the Castillas and therewith he vanished away and they remayned treating amongst themselues concerning that which they had heard and was the occasion that some of them forth-with receiued the Baptisme and that others did delay it saying that because there were Spaniard Souldiers in glorie they would not goe thither because they would not be in their company All this hurt is done by one peruerse or impious man and with one euill ensample the which amongst many good as you haue in those parts but especiall amongst them in particular it ought to bee reprehended and punished seuerely with rigour These Ilands at the first discouery of them had the fame to be Mal Sauos or vnwholesome but since experience hath shewed and proued it to the contrary It is a Countrey maruellous fertill and yeeldeth very much Rice Wheate Goates Hennes Deere Buffes Kine and great store of Hogges whose flesh is so sauourie as the Mutton they haue in Spaine there be also many Cats that yeeld Ciuet great store of fruits which be very good and sauourie great abundance of Honey and Fish and all sold at so small a price that almost it is sold for nothing Also there is great store of Cinamom but no Oyle of Oliues but that which is carried thither out of the Nuoua Espania they haue much Oyle of Algongoli and of Flaxe-seed the which they doe spend ordinarily in that Countrey so that the Oyle of Oliues is not missed with them There is great store of Cloues Saffron Pepper Nutmegs and many other Drugges great store of Cotton and Silke of all colours the which is brought vnto them by Merchants of China euery yeare a great quantitie from whence commeth more then twentie ships laden with pieces of Silkes of all colours and with Earthen Vessell Powder Salt-peter Iron Steele and much Quick-siluer Brasse Copper Wheate Flowre Walnuts Bisket Dates Linnen Cloth Counting Chests very gallantly wrought Calls of Net-worke Buratos Espumillas Basons and Ewres made of Tinne Parchment Lace Silke Fringe and also of Gold the which is spunne and twisted after a fashion neuer seene in all Christendome and many other things of great curiositie and all this aforesaid is sold very good cheape Likewise such things as the Ilands doe yeeld are sold very good cheape for you shall haue foure Roues of Wine which commeth of the Palme-tree for foure Rials of Plate the which for lacke of that made of Grapes is very good twelue Haneges of Rice for eight Rials of Plate three Hens for one Riall a whole Hogge for eighteene Rials a whole Buffe for foure Rials a Deere for two Rials and yet it must bee both great and good foure Roues of Sugar for sixe Rials and the like §. II. First Plantation of the Philippinas by MICHAEL LOPEZ DE LEGASPI MIchael Lopez de Legaspe Generall of the Spanish Armada on Tuesday the one and twentieth of Nouember Anno Dom. 1565. set forth of the Hauen of Natiuitie in New Spaine and sayled betwixt the South and the West and after West-ward till he came in nine degrees in that height seeking the
on the way and what our intent was and what things we brought Wee were very honourably entertayned in his iourney and in all the Townes and Cities of his Iurisdiction whereby we passed he commanded them to giue vs without delay refreshing of Flesh-meate Fish much Fruit and Wine Wee trauelled eight dayes and came to the last place of his Iurisdiction which is three dayes iourney from the Court of the King We stayed there with company that did waite vpon vs watching day and night about the Barke with their Centinels and Bells as they are wont to doe with the great Mandarines and especially because there were there things belonging to the King and the rest of the seruants of the Eunuch went to Paquin to deliuer the Petition to the King and to know his pleasure They deliuered the Petition and we looked for an answer thereof within three or foure dayes as he had told vs. But God had disposed otherwise for the exercise of our patience and hope in him and that was that the King made no answer as we looked for whereupon he was somewhat ashamed of the great brags that he had made to vs without performance of any thing and hee and wee were all in suspense when we saw the King returned no answer which is wont to bee a token that he liketh not the Petition that is made vnto him Fifteene dayes after wee arriued in this place the Eunuch came thither to send from thence to the King a third part of the tribute which he had gathered He came accompanied with great store of Vessels and that wherein he was was such as assuredly your Worship hath not seene the like in all your life The forme is very much different from ours for it is like vnto an high House wholly diuided into chambers and halls very high full of carued workes round about with hangings of Silke of many figures and round about full of galleries to walke vp and downe without being driuen to enter in And on the outside it was all couered ouer with a kind of Oyle like Varnish which runneth out of certaine trees which they make with tempering of all sorts of colours whereof in Iapon and here there is great abundance and the Portugals call it Charan it is a very faire shining and durable thing and the things that are coloured with it doe shine like Glasses if it be of the finest and besides though it be not costly yet it is as faire and fairer because it is more naturall and very neate and fine wherewith they paint diuers figures trees and flowers and if it be of the right it doth not decay and loseth no whit of his lustre Herewith was the Barge trimmed without with diuers figures painted on the hull of the Barge from the hull vpward the windowes and the walls of the Halls and Chambers was full of carued workes knots and carued flowers some gilded others of diuers colours agreeable to their natures which made a very pleasant shew within it was of the same worke with more excellency and the most part was gilded and the floore of boords was painted with very shining Charan or Oyle It was as long as a good Gallie little more or lesse and somewhat broader but farre higher and in such sort that when wind fayleth they vse very great Oares after the manner of China which serue and are managed as Fishes vse their tayle to swimme And because they bee of this fashion they vse them with much facilitie in euery Vessell how high soeuer it be This was the fashion of the Vessell wherein the Eunuch came with much Musike of Trumpets Drummes and Fifes and other Instruments which I omit for breuities sake When he was come to this place seeing the King sent no answere to his first petition he sent another to put him in remembrance and to solicite an answere to the first wherein hee answered nothing to this point although he answered to other things And though it bee true that sometimes the King maketh no answer through forgetfulnesse and confusion because the petitions be infinite which are daily giuen him from all the Kingdome yet most ordinarily when he giueth no answer it serueth for an answer either that hee will not doe or liketh not of that suit that is made vnto him And therefore because there came no answer the Eunuch was much grieued that he had meddled in this matter out of which he could not withdraw his hand because he had giuen a Petition to the King vntill he had seene some answer of his fearing some damage or displeasure of the King that hereof might ensue and hereupon hee beganne to estrange himselfe from vs and sought not to see vs not to haue to doe with vs and sent sixe men alwaies to stay in our Barge vnder colour to serue vs but in very truth to watch vs day and night In this suspence wee continued three moneths in the extreme heate in a Barge not knowing what would become of vs. At the end thereof newes was brought vs that the King had sent to the Eunuch that he should see what things they were for vntill then he had not written to him but in generall and signifie it vnto him and if he thought them worthie he should send him a Petition touching that matter Wee were somwhat more ioyfull with this message which was so indeed And Father Matthew Riccio went to the Eunuchs lodging to receiue the Kings answer with such ceremonies and reuerences as they are wont to receiue the messages that come from the King And to put this commandement in execution he came to our Barge accompanied with many inferiour Mandarines as witnesses and in the Kings name hee tooke all these things into his hands which he sent vnto his house There he fell to reason with vs perswading vs that wee should conceale none of the precious things that wee had brought whereof his minde did so greatly runne because the King would be greatly displeased if hee knew that wee had any good things and would not giue them him Wee told him plainely the truth putting him in plaine words out of that imagination which we knew he had conceiued And after many complements on both parts he returned to his lodging He wrote to the King what things they were which we had brought looking that he would straight haue sent for them But it fell out as it did at the first that he returned no answer and the cause thereof seemed to be that they were things that he made none account of Wee were now the second time in like case as wee were at the first not being able to goe backe nor forward for they would not suffer vs to goe to Paquin nor to returne backe The Eunuch being readie to returne to the Citie of Lincin where we first met him hauing need of the Barge wherein wee were commanded vs to bee remoued vnto an house
spoken of the situation and heigth of China I will note for their sakes which would bee glad to learne and also it may serue to mend two notable errours which our newest Maps haue The one is That they make China a third part bigger then it is placing this Citie of Paquin in fifty degrees being in very deed but in forty onely as we saw which twice tooke the heigth thereof with a very good Astrolabe And the limits and end of this Kingdome which are three dayes iourney or lesse distant from this City of Paquin are at the most but two degrees more And so those great walls so famous in our Europe are in two and forty degrees and this is the greatest heigth of the Kingdome of China The second errour is that our Maps make a Kingdome aboue China which they call Catayo whereas indeed it is none other but this selfe same Kingdome of China and the Citie of Cambalu which they put for the head thereof is this Citie of Paquin wherein wee are Wee finde this here to be true very plainely by occasion of certaine newes which lately were spred ouer diuers parts by the way of Mogor which gaue out many things and great matters of Catayo which seemed to be so peculiar and proper to this Kingdome of China that they made vs doubt that it was not a seuerall Kingdome After wee were come to this Citie of Paquin wee met with two Cafilas or Carauans one of Moores of certaine small Kingdomes bordering vpon China another of Turkes with their Turbants of the Countries of Mogâ—r and of the great Ismael Sophi for with this very name they call him and of other parts which had knowledge by fame of Spaine Italie Venice India and Portugall These Turkes and Moores are wont to come hither euery fiue yeeres by Land in the name of their King to acknowledge and pay Tribute to the King of China for which purpose they counterfeit certaine Letters wherewith they easily deceiue the Chinois which thinke and hold that all the Kings of the World doe acknowledge obedience vnto theirs But the trueth is that they come to vse their trafficke and merchandise and therefore the Chinois admit them willingly howbeit many now doe know that their paying of Tribute is a fayned thing In which their trafficke they speed very well For the King doth maintayne them very plentifully from the time that they come into his Kingdome vntill their departure and they tooke all their Chists of them whereof this yeere they brought a thousand The King tooke of them at an easie price a great part of the merchandise which they brought and afterward hee gaue them rewards The thing of greatest bulke of merchandise are a kinde of stones which themselues call Iasper stones which is white yet somewhat duskish so that it enclineth to grey which seemeth to bee that Iasper which so often times in the holy Scriptures is called Precious stone It commeth in pieces vnhewen but whole like peeble stones which stone for many ornaments the Chinois esteeme much especially the King and they buy euery pound of the best at eightie Duckets and of that which is worse at fiftie or sixtie Duckets whereby they gaine greatly I haue seene these stones of other colours in our Countrey but not of this which the Chinois esteeme When these men come to this Citie of Paquin they put them into a great house which there is for this purpose wherein wee were two moneths and suffer them not to come forth Wee asked these men certaine questions and one was this of Catayo enquiring of them How they called this Kingdome of China in their Countrey They answered Catayo and that in all the Countries of Mogor Persia and other parts it had none other name and that they knew none other Kingdome that was called so Wee asked them how they called this Citie of Paquin They said Cambalu which as I haue said is that which our men set downe for the head Citie of Catayo Whereby it appeareth that there can no doubt bee made but that wee are heere resident in the Countrey which must bee Catayo if there were no fault in the Maps and wee know that there is no such Countrey nor Cities but a few contemptible Moores and Gentiles Wee vnderstood also of their Ciuet or Muske whereof they brought some which is as it were the maw or stomacke of a Beast somewhat bigger then a Cat which they kill to cut away this maw They breed wilde in the field and in a Countrey very neere to China though not of this Kingdome I had read when I departed out of Spaine a Booke which is printed of the things of China which writeth of this Ciuet and of other things which I haue seene with mine eyes it reporteth many errours by halfe informations which hee which wrote it should haue beene better informed in although in many things hee tell the trueth They brought also great store of very good Rhubarbe which heere wee bought of them of the choice at ten Marauedis the pound it is a wilde root like vnto Nauewes whereof they say the fields are full These men say That there is a Sea of sand which our Maps doe place in Arabia neere vnto China which diuideth it from Mogor and other Kingdomes And this should seeme to bee the cause why these Kings which heare great fame of this Kingdome of the greatnesse thereof and of the weakenesse of the people doe not seeke to inuade the same being not very farre off because it would bee very difficult to passe ouer the same sandie Sea with a great Armie The Chinois diuide this Kingdome into thirteene Prouinces and two Courts which are as it were two Prouinces Euery one of them haue their Metropolitane Citie and euery Citie her diuision of so many Townes It is knowne very particularly by Chinish Bookes which are written of this argument how many Cities Townes and places there are in all the Kingdome how many houses euery one hath and commonly what numbers of people what euery Countrey seuerally yeeldeth and how much Tribute it payeth to the King and many other things but I doe not set it downe here because I could not get those Bookes these few dayes past to take a view thereof At some other time God granting mee life I will doe it more at large Onely I say in generall that all the way which wee trauelled wee met with so many Cities Townes and Villages that to beleeue their greatnesse it was necessarie to see them For your Worship will hardly beleeue that wee spent two or three houres in sayling still by the walls of one Citie After which there still followed many Townes and Villages one within sight of another And after this manner all this way continueth euen to Paquin Yea the Villages are very great and full of people and of much trafficke For though wee giue them this
oft published Decades of Epistles TRauell perfiteth wisedome and obseruation giues perfection to trauell without which a man may please his eyes not feede his braine and after much earth measured shall returne with a weary body and an empty minde Home is more safe more pleasant but lesse fruitfull of experience But to a minde not working and discursiue all heauens all earths are alike And as the end of trauell is obseruation so the end of obseruation is the informing of others for what is our knowledge if smothered in our selues so as it is not knowne to more Such secret delight can content none but an enuious nature You haue breathed many and cold aires gone farre seene much heard more obserued all These two yeares you haue spent in imitation of Nabuchadnezzars seuen conuersing with such creatures as Paul fought with at Ephesus Alas what a face yea what a backe of a Church haue you seene what manners what people Amongst whom ignorant Superstition striues with close Atheisme Treachery with Cruelty one Deuill with another while Truth and Vertue doe not so much as giue any challenge of resistance Returning once to our England after this experience I imagine you doubted whether you were on Earth or in Heauen Now then if you will heare mee whom you were wont as you haue obserued what you haue seene and written what you haue obserued so publish what you haue written It shall be a gratefull labour to vs to Posteritie I am deceiued if the ficklenesse of the Russian State haue not yeelded more memorable matter of Historie then any other in our Age or perhaps many Centuries of our Predecessors How shall I thinke but that God sent you thither before these broiles to bee the witnesse the Register of so famous mutations He loues to haue those iust euils which hee doth in one part of the World knowne to the whole and those euils which men doe in the night of their secresie brought forth into the Theater of the World that the euill of mens sinne being compared with the euill of his punishment may iustifie his proceedings and condemne theirs Your worke shall thus honour him besides your second seruice in the benefit of the Church For whiles you discourse of the open Tyraâ—nie of that Russian Nero Iohn Basilius the more secret no lesse bloudy plots of Boris the ill successe of a stolne Crowne though set vpon the head of an harmelesse Sonne the bold attempts and miserable end of a false yet aspiring challenge the perfidiousnesse of a seruile people vnworthy of better Gouernours the misse-carriage of wicked Gouernours vnworthy of better Subiects the vniust vsurpations of men iust though late reuenges of God crueltie rewarded with bloud wrong claimes with ouerthrow treachery with bondage the Reader with some secret horror shall draw-in delight and with delight instruction Neither knâ—w I any Relation whence hee shall take out a more easie Lesson of Iustice of Loyaltie of Thankefulnesse But aboue all let the World see and commiserate the hard estate of that worthy and noble Secretarie Buchinsky Poore Gentleman his distresse recalls euer to my thoughts Aesops Storke taken amongst the Cranes He now nourishes his haire vnder the displeasure of a forreigne Prince At once in durance and banishment Hee serued an ill Master but with an honest heart with cleane hands The Masters iniustice doth no more infect a good Seruant than the truth of the Seruant can iustifie his ill Master A bad Worke man may vse a good Instrument and oft-times a cleane Napkin wipeth a foule mouth It ioyes me yet to thinke that his pietie as it euer held friendship in Heauen so now it winnes him friends in this our other World Lo euen from our Iland vnexpected deliuerance takes a long flight and blesseth him beyond hope yea rather from Heauen by vs. That God whom hee serues will bee knowne to those rude and scarce humane Christians for a protector of innocence a fauourer of truth a rewarder of pietie The mercy of our gracious King the compassion of an honourable Counsellour the loue of a true friend and which wrought all and set all on worke the grace of our good God shall now lose those bonds and giue a glad welcome to his libertie and a willng farell to his distresse He shall I hope liue to acknowledge this in the meane time I doe for him Those Russian Affaires are not more worthy of your Records than your loue to this frend is worthy of mine For neither could this large Seâ drowne or quench it nor time and absence which are wâ—nt to breed a lingring consumption of friendship abate the heate of that affection which his kindnesse bred religion nourished Both rarenesse and worth shall commend this true loue which to say true hath beene now long out of fashion Neuer times yeelded more loue but not more subtle For euery man loues himselfe in another loues the estate in the person Hope of aduantage is the Load-stone that drawes the yron hearts of men not vertue not deseâ—t No Age affoorded more Parasites fewer friends The most are friendly in siâ—ht seruiceable in expectation hollow in loue trustlesse in experience Yet now Buchinsky see and confesse thou hâ—st found one friend which hath made thee many c. §. V. Of the miserable estate of Russia after SWISKEYS deportation their election of the King of Polands Sonne their Interregnum and popular estate and chusing at last of the present Emperour with some remarkabe accidents in his time THus haue we seene the Russian sinnes vtterly rooting vp so many Russian Imperiall Families and persons the whole Family of Iuan extirpate that of Boris succeeding annihilate two pretending Demetrij and Suiskie extinct and yet haue wee greater abhominations to shew you No Tyrant no Serpent no Dragon is so exorbitant and prodigious as that which hath many heads and therefore in diuine Visions Monarchies how euer excessiue and tyrannical haue beene resembled by simpler and more vniforme beasts but the Deuill in a great red Dragon with seuen heads and ten hornes and the Beast likewise to which hee gaue his power and his seat and great authoritie which opened his mouth in blasphemie against God c. On which sate the great Whore the Antichristian Babylon There was no King in Israel is both Alpha and Omega Preface and Conclusion Diuine Writ to some misery in Israel as if all Kings and no King were the Circumference of all the lines proceeding from Mischiefes Centre And now was Russia a Monster of many heads that is a bodie fallen into many pieces One man possessed of the Wife of that double Demetrius got to Astracan there seating himselfe to set vp an vsurped shop of Rule the Southerne parts chose Prince Vladislaus Son of K. Sigismund of Poland â—hose of the North thought of other Princes and at last when neither the Fig-trees sweetnesse nor Oliues fatnesse nor cheering Wine from the Vine could take place in their
see no speciall matter at the Indies which is not in other Regions vnlesse some will say that the manner to strike fire in rubbing two stones one against another as some Indians vse or to boile any thing in gourds casting a burning stone into it other such like things are remarkable whereof I haue written what might bee spoken But of those which are in the Vulcans and Mouthes of fire at the Indies worthy doubtlesse to be obserued I will speake in their order treating of the diuersitie of grounds whereas they finde these fires or Vulcans Therefore to begin with the windes I say that with good reason Salomon in the great iudgement which God had giuen him esteemes much the knowledge of the windes and their properties being very admirable for that some are moist others drie some vnwholsome others sound some hot others cold some calme and pleasant others rough and tempestuous some barren and others fertile with infinite other differences There are some windes which blow in certaine Regions and are as it were Lords thereof not admitting any entrie or communication of their contraries In some parts they blow in that sort as sometimes they are Conquerors sometimes conquered often there are diuers and contrarie windes which doe runne together at one instant diuiding the way betwixt them somtimes one blowing aboue of one sort and another below of an other sort somtimes they incounter violently one with another which puts them at Sea in great danger there are some windes which helpe to the generation of Creatures and others that hinder and are opposite There is a certaine winde of such a qualitie as when it blowes in some Countrie it causeth it to raine Fleas and in so great abundance as they trouble and darken the aire and couer all the Sea-shoare and in other places it raines Frogs These diuersities and others which are sufficiently knowne are commonly attributed to the place by the which these windes passe For they say that from these places they take their qualities to be cold hot drie or moist sickly or sound and so of the rest the which is partly true and cannot be denyed for that in a small distance you shall see in one winde many diuersities For example the Solaâ—â—â— or Easterne winde is commonly hot and troublesome in Spaine and in Murria it is the coolest and healthfullest that is for that it passeth by the Orchards and that large champaine which wee see very fresh In Carthageâ—e which is not farre from thence the same winde is troublesome and vnwholsome The Meridionall which they of the Ocean call South and those of the Mediterranean Sea Mezo giorâ—o commonly is raynie and boysterous and in the same Citie whereof I speake it is wholesome and pleasant Plinie reports that in Africke it raines with a Northerne winde and that the Southerne winde is cleere He then that shall well consider what I haue spoken of these windes he may conceiue that in a small distance of Land or Sea one winde hath many and diuers qualities yea sometimes quite contrarie whereby wee may inferre that hee draweth his propertie from the place where it passeth the which is in such sort true although we may not say infallibly as it is the onely and principall cause of the diuersitie of the windes It is a thing we easily find that in a Riuer contayning fiftie leagues in circuit I put it thus for an example that the winde which blowes of the one part is hot and moist and that which blowes on the other is cold and drie Notwithstanding this diuersitie is not found in places by which it passeth the which makes me rather to say that the windes bring these qualities with them whereby they giue vnto them the names of these qualities For example we attribute to the Northerne winde otherwise called Cierco the propertie to be cold and drie and to dissolue mists to the Southerne winde his contrarie called Leuasche we attribute the contrarie qualitie which is moist and hot and ingenders mists But it is needfull to seeke further to know the true and originall cause of these so strange differences which we see in the windes I cannot conceiue any other but that the same efficient cause which bringeth forth and maketh the winds to grow doth withall giue them this originall qualitie for in truth the matter whereon the winds are made which is no other thing according to Aristotle but the exhalation of the interior Elements may well cause in effect a great part of this diuersitie being more grosse more subtill more drie and more moist But yet this is no pertinent reason seeing that we see in one Region where the vapours and exhalations are of one sort and qualitie that there rise windes and effects quite contrarie We must therefore referre the cause to the higher and celestiall Efficient which must be the Sunne and to the motion and influence of the Heauens the which by their contrarie motions giue and cause diuers influences But the beginnings of these motions and influences are so obscure and hidden from men and on the other part so mightie and of so great force as the holy Prophet Dauid in his propheticall Spirit and the Prophet Ieremie admiring the greatnesse of the Lord speake thus Qui profert ventos de thesauris suis. Hee that drawes the windes out of his Treasures In truth these principles and beginnings are rich and hidden treasures for the Author of all things holds them in his hand and in his power and when it pleaseth him sendeth them forth for the good or chastisement of men and sends forth such windes as he pleaseth not as that Eolus whom the Poets doe foolishly feigne to haue charge of the windes keeping them in a Caue like vnto wilde beasts We see not the beginning of these windes neither doe we know how long they shall continue or whither they shall goe But wee see and know well the diuerse effects and operations they haue euen as the supreme Truth the Author of all things hath taught vs saying Spiritus vbi vult spirat vocem eius audis neseis vnde venit aut quò vadit It is true that the Northerne winde is not vsually cold and cleere there as here In some parts of Peru as at Lima and on the Playnes they finde the Northerne windes troublesome and vnwholsome and all along the Coast which runnes aboue fiue hundred leagues they hold the Southerne windes for healthfull and coole and which is more most cleere and pleasant yea it neuer raines contrarie to that wee see in Europe and of this side the Line Yet that which chanceth vpon the coast of Peru is no generall rule but rather an exception and a wonder of Nature neuer to raine vpon that coast and euer to haue one winde without giuing place to his contrarie whereof we will hereafter speake our minde It is no generall rule there that the Northerne winde is neither hot nor
Beasts and Men seeing that we see it visibly in Iron which is the hardest of all mettals I haue seene Grates of Iron in some parts of the Indies so rusted and consumed that pressing it betwixt your fingers it dissolued into powder as if it had beene hay or parched straw the which proceedes onely from the winde which doth corrupt it hauing no meanes to withstand it But leauing apart many other great and notable effects I will onely make mention of two The one although it causeth pangs greater then death it selfe yet doth it not breede any further inconuenience The other takes away life without feeling of it The sicknesse of the Sea wherewith such are troubled as first begin to goe to Sea is a matter very ordinary and yet if the nature thereof were vnknowne to men we should take it for the pangs of death seeing how it afflicts and torments while it doth last by the casting of the stomacke paine of the head and other troublesome accidents But in truth this sicknesse so common and ordinary happens vnto men by the change of the ayre and Sea For although it be true that the motion of the Ship helpes much in that it moues more or lesse and likewise the infections and ill sauours of things in the Ship yet the proper and naturall cause is the ayre and the vapours of the Sea the which doth so weaken and trouble the body and the stomacke which are not accustomed thereunto that they are wonderfully moued and changed for the ayre is the Element by which we liue and breath drawing it into our entrailes the which we â—athe therewithall And therefore there is nothing that so suddenly and with so great force doth alter vs as the change of the ayre we breathe as we see in those which dye of the plague It is approued by many experiences that the ayre of the Sea is the chiefe cause of this strange indisposition the one is that when there blowes from the Sea a strong breath we see them at the Land as it were Sea-â—â—cke as I my selfe haue often found Another is the farther wee goe into the Sea and retyre from Land the more wee are touched and dazeled with this sicknesse Another is that coasting along any Iland and after lanching into the maine we shall there finde the ayre more strong Yet will I not deny but the motion and agitation may cause this sicknesse seeing that we see some are taken therewith passing Riuers in Barkes others in like sort going in Coaches and Caroaches according to the diuers complexions of the Stomacke as contrariwise there are some how boisterous and troublesome soeuer the Sea be doe neuer feele it Wherefore it is a matter certaine and tried that the ayre of the Sea doth commonly cause this effect in such as newly goe to Sea I thought good to speake this to shew a strange effect which happens in some parts of the Indies where the ayre and the winde that raigns makes men dazle not lesse but more then at Sea Some hold it for a fable others say it is an addition for my part I will speake what I haue tried There is in Peru a high mountaine which they call Paâ—â—acaca and hauing heard speake of the alteration it bred I went as well prepared as I could according to the instructions which was giuen me by such as they call Vaguianâ—s or expert men but notwithstanding all my prouision when I came to mount the degrees as they called them which is the top of this mountaine I was suddenly surprized with so mortall and so strange a pang that I was ready to fall from the top to the ground and although we were many in company yet euery one made haste without any tarrying for his companion to free himselfe speedily from this ill passage Being then alone with one Indian whom I intreated to helpe to stay me I was surprized with such pangs of straining and casting as I thought to cast vp my heart too for hauing cast vp meate flegme and coller both yellow and greene in the end I cast vp blood with the straining of my stomacke To conclude if this had continued I should vndoubtedly haue dyed but this lasted not aboue three or foure houres that wee were come into a more conuenient and naturall temperature where all our companions being foureteene or fifteene were much wearied Some in the passage demanded confession thinking verily to dye others left the Ladders and went to the ground being ouercome with casting and going to the stoole and it was told me that some haue lost their liues there with this accident I beheld one that did beate himselfe against the earth crying out for the rage and griefe which this passage of Pariacaca had caused But commonly it doth no important harme onely this paine and troublesome distaste while it endures and not onely the passage of Pariacaca hath this propertie but also all this ridge of the Mountaine which runnes aboue fiue hundred leagues long and in what place soeuer you passe you shall finde strange intemperâ—â—ures yet more in some parts then in other and rather to those which mount from the Sea 〈◊〉 from the Plaines Besides Pariacaca I haue passed it by 〈◊〉 and Soras in another place by Collegâ—â—â— and by 〈◊〉 Finally by foure different places going and comming and alwayes in this passage I haue felt this alteration although in no place so strongly as at the first in Pariacaca which hath beene tried by all such as haue passed it And no doubt but the winde is the cause of this intemperature and strange alteration or the ayre that raignes there For the best remedy and all they finde is to stoppe their noses their eares and their mouthes as much as may be and to couer themselues with cloathes especially the stomacke for that the ayre is subtile and piercing going into the entrailes and not onely men feele this alteration but also beasts that sometimes stay there so as there is no spurre can make them goe forward For my part I hold this place to be one of the highest parts of land in the world for we mount a wonderfull space And in my opinion the Mountaine Neâ—ade of Spaine the Pirences and the Alpâ—s of Italie are as ordinary houses in regard of hiâ— Towers I therefore perswade my selfe that the element of the ayre is there so subtile and delicate as it is not proportionable with the breathing of man which requires a more grosse and temperate ayre and I beleeue it is the cause that doth so much alter the stomacke and trouble all the disposition The passages of the mountaines Neâ—ade and other of Europe which I haue seene although the ayre be cold there and doth force men to weare more cloathes yet this colde doth not take away the appetite from meate but contrariwise it prouokes neither doth it cause any casting of the stomacke but onely some paine in the feete
is the Realme of Chille which is without the generall rule of these other Prouinces being seated without the burning Zone and the Tropicke of Capricorne This Land of it selfe is coole and fertile and brings forth all kindes of fruits that bee in Spaine it yeelds great abundance of bread and wine and abounds in Pastures and Cattell The aire is wholsome and cleere temperate betwixt heat and cold Winter and Summer are very distinct and there they finde great store of very fine gold Yet this Land is poore and smally peopled by reason of their continuall warre with the Auricanos and their Associates being a rough people and friends to libertie There are great coniectures that in the temperate Zone at the Antartike Pole there are great and fertile Lands but to this day they are not discouered neither doe they know any other Land in this Zone but that of Chille and some part of that Land which runnes from Ethiopia to the Cape of Good Hope as hath beene said in the first Booke neither is it knowne if there bee any habitations in the other two Zones of the Poles and whether the Land continues and stretcheth to that which is towards the Antartike or South Pole Neither doe we know the Land that lyes beyond the Straight of Magellan for that the greatest height yet discouered is in fiftie sixe degrees as hath beene formerly said and toward the Artike or Northerne Pole it is not known how farre the Land extends which runnes beyond the Cape of Mendoçin and the Caliphornes nor the bounds and end of Florida neither yet how farre it extends to the West Of late they haue discouered a new Land which they call New Mexico where they say is much people that speake the Mexican tongue The Philippines and the following Ilands as some report that know it by experience ranne aboue nine hundred leagues But to intreat of China Cochinchina Siam and other Regions which are of the East Indies were contrarie to my purpose which is onely to discourse of the West nay they are ignorant of the greatest part of America which lyes betwixt Peru and Bresil although the bounds be knowne of all sides wherein there is diuersitie of opinions some say it is a drowned Land full of Lakes and waterie places others affirme there are great and flourishing Kingdomes imagining there be the Paytiti the Dorado and the Caesars where they say are wonderfull things I haue heard one of our companie say a man worthy of credit that he had seene great dwellings there and the wayes as much beaten as those betwixt Salamanca and Villadillit the which he did see when as Peter d'Orsua and after those that succeeded him made their entrie and discouerie by the great Riuer of Amazons who beleeuing that the Dorado which they sought was farther off cared not to inhabit there and after went both without the Dorado which they could not finde and this great Prouince which they left To speake the truth the habitations of America are to this day vnknowne except the extremities which are Peru Bresil and that part where the Land begins to straighten which is the Riuer of Siluer then Tucuman which makes the round to Chille and Charcas Of late we haue vnderstood by Letters from some of ours which goe to Saint Croix in the Sierre that they goe discouering of great Prouinces and dwellings betwixt Bresil and Peru. Time will reueile them for as at this day the care and courage of men is great to compasse the World from one part to another so we may beleeue that as they haue discouered that which is now knowne they may likewise lay open that which remaynes to the end the Gospell may bee preached to the whole World seeing the two Crownes of Portugal and Castile haue met by the East and West ioyning their discoueries together which in truth is a matter to be obserued that the one is come to China and Iapan by the East and the other to the Philippines which are neighbours and almost ioyning vnto China by the West for from the Ilands of Lusson which is the chiefe of the Philippines in the which is the Citie of Manille vnto Macaeo which is in the I le of Canton are but foure score or a hundred leagues and yet we finde it strange that notwithstanding this small distance from the one to the other yet according to their account there is a dayes difference betwixt them so as it is Sunday at Macao when as it is but Saturday at Manille and so of the rest Those of Macao and of China haue one day aduanced before the Philippines It happened to father Alonse Sanches of whom mention is made before that parting from the Philippines hee arriued at Macao the second day of May according to their computation and going to say the Masse of Saint Athanasim he found they did celebrate the feast of the Inuention of the holy Crosse for that they did then reckon the third of May. The like happened vnto him in another voyage beyond it Some haue found this alteration and diuersitie strange supposing that the fault proceedes from the one or the other the which is not so but it is a true and well obserued computation for according to the difference of wayes where they haue beene we must necessarily say that when they meet there must be difference of a day the reason is for that sayling from West to East they alwayes gaine of the day finding the Sunne rising sooner and contrariwise those that saile from East to West doe alwayes lose of the day for that the Sunne riseth later vnto them and as they approach neerer the East or the West they haue the day longer or shorter In Peru which is Westward in respect of Spaine they are aboue sixe houres behinde so as when it is noone in Spaine it is morning at Peru and when it is morning here it is mid-night there I haue made certaine proofe thereof by the computation of Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone Now that the Portugals haue made their nauigations from West to East and the Castillans from East to West when they came to ioyne and meet at the Philippines and Macao the one haue gayned twelue houres and the other hath lost as much so as at one instant and in one time they finde the difference of foure and twentie houres which is a whole day Although we finde vents of fire in other places as Mount Aetna and Vesunio which now they call Mount Soma yet is that notable which is found at the Indies Ordinarily these Volcans be Rocks or Pikes of most high Mountaines which raise themselues aboue the tops of all other Mountaines vpon their tops they haue a Playne and in the midst thereof a pit or great mouth which descends euen vnto the foote thereof a thing very terrible to behold Out of these mouthes there issues smoake and sometimes fire some cast little smoake and haue in a manner no force
their bodies are almost feathers They sit not vpon the ground but hang vpon boughs by strings or feathers which they haue and so rest themselues like Flies or ayrie things In Peru there are birds which they call Tomineios so small that often-times I haue doubted seeing them flie whether they were Bees or Butter-flies but in truth they are birds Contrariwise those which they call Condores be of an exceeding greatnesse and of such a force that not only they will open a sheep and eate it but also a whole calfe Those which they call Auras and others Poullazeâ— which in my opinion are of the kinde of Rauens are of a strange lightnesse and haue a very quicke sight being very fit to clense Cities for that they leaue no Carrion nor dead thing They passe the night on Trees or vpon Rocks and in the morning they come to the Cities and Townes sitting on the tops of the highest buildings where they attend their prey Their yong haue white feathers as they report of Rauens and so change into blacke The Guacamayac be birds bigger then Parrets and resemble them something they are esteemed for the varietie of their feathers which be very faire and pleasing In new Spaine there are abundance of birds with excellent feathers so as there bee not any found in Europe that comes neere them as wee may see by the Images of feathers they bring from thence the which are with great reason much valued and esteemed giuing cause of admiration that with the feathers of birds they should make so excellent a worke and so perfectly equall as they seeme properly to be the true colours of a Painter and haue so liuely and pleasing a regard as the Painter cannot exceede it with his pencill and colours Some Indians which are good and expert workmen in this Art will represent perfectly in feathers whatsoeuer they see drawne with the pencill so as the Painters of Spaine haue in this point no aduantage ouer them Don Philip the Prince of Spaine his Schoole-master did giue vnto him three figures or portraitures made of feathers as it were to put in a Breuiarie His Highnesse did shew them to King Philip his father the which his Maiestie beholding attentiuely said that he had neuer seene in so small a worke a thing of so great excellency and perfection One day as they presented to Pope Sixtus Quintus another square bigger then it wherein was the figure of Saint Francis and that they had told him it was made of feathers by the Indians he desired to make triall thereof touching the table with his fingers to see if it were of feathers for that it seemed strange to see them so properly fitted that the eye could not iudge nor discerne whether they were naturall colours of feathers or artificiall done with the pencill It is a goodly thing to see the â—ustre which a greene an orange tawnie like gold and other fine colours doe cast and beholding them another way they seeme dead colours They make the best and goodliest figures of feathers in the Prouince of Mechouacan and in the village of Pascaro The manner is with small delicate Pinsors they pull the feathers from the dead fowles and with a fine paste they cunningly ioyne them together They take the small and delicate feathers of those birds which in Peru they call Tomineyos or others like vnto them which haue the most perfect colours in their feathers The Indians besides these Images did vse feathers in many other most excellent workes especially for the ornament of Kings and Noblemen their Temples and Idols There are also other great birds which haue excellent and fine feathers whereof they make plumes of sundrie colours especially when they goe to warre inriching them with gold and siluer very artificially which was a matter of great price They haue the same birds still but they are not so curious neither doe they make so many gentill deuices as they were wont There are other birds at the Indies contrarie to these of so rich feathers the which besides that they are ill-fauoured serue to no other vse but for dung and yet perchance they are of no lesse profit I haue considered this wondering at the prouidence of the Creator who hath so appointed that all Creatures should serue Man In some Ilands or Phares which are ioyning to the coast of Peru we see the tops of the Mountaines all white and to sight you would take it for Snow or for some white Land but they are heapes of dung of Sea fowle which goe continually thither and there is so great abundance as it riseth many Elles yea many Lances in height which seemes but a fable They goe with boates to these Ilands onely for the dung for there is no other profit in them And this dung is so commodious and profitable as it makes the earth yeeld great abundance of fruit They call this dung Guano whereof the Valley hath taken the name which they call Limaguana in the valleys of Peru where they vse this dung and it is the most ferrile of all that Country The Quinces Pomegranets and other fruits there exceed all other in bountie and greatnesse and they say the reason is for that the water wherewith they water it passeth by a Land compassed with this dung Besides the Beasts of Chase whereof wee haue spoken There are beasts called Sainos made like small Hogs which haue this singular to themselues to haue their Nauill vpon the ridge of their backs these goe by troupes through the Woods they are cruell and nothing fearfull but contrariwise they assaile and haue their tallents sharpe as Rasors wherewith they make dangerous wounds and incisions if such as hunt them put not themselues in safetie Such as hunt them for the more safer killing of them climbe vp into Trees whither the Sainos or Hogs come presently in troupes biting the Tree when they cannot hurt the man and then with their Lances they kill what they will They are very good to eate but they must of necessitie cut off the round piece where the Nauill growes vpon the backe for otherwise within a day they corrupt There is another kinde of little beast like to sucking Pigges and they call them Guadatinaias I am in doubt whether there were any Swine at the Indies before the Spaniards came thither like to these in Spaine for that in the discouerie of the Ilands of Soloman it is said they found Hennes and Swine of Spaine But howsoeuer it be it is most certaine that this Cattell hath greatly multiplyed at the Indies They eate the flesh fresh and hold it to bee as wholesome and as good as if it were of Mutton as in Carthagene in some parts they are become wilde and cruell the which they hunt like wilde Boares as wee see in Saint Dominique and other Ilands where the beasts liue in the Forests In some places they feede them with the graine of Mays
neighbour people whom thou must striue to gratifie and giue them contentment seeing thou knowest we liue vpon their Lands and within their limits And ending he repeated these wordes Thou art welcome Thou and the Queene our Mistris to this your Realme This was the speech of the old man which with other Orations which the Mexican Histories doe celebrate the Children did vse to learne by heart and so they were kept by Tradition some of them deserue well to bee reported in their proper termes The King answering thanked them and offered them his care and diligence in their defence and aide in all he could After they gaue him the Oath and after their manner set the Royall Crowne vpon his head the which is like to the Crowne of the Dukes of Venice the name of Acamapixtli their first King signifies a handfull of Reedes and therefore they carry in their Armouries a hand holding many arrowes of Reedes The Mexicans hapned so well in the election of their new King that in short time they grew to haue some forme of a Commonweale and to bee famous among strangers whereupon their neighbours mooued with feare practised to subdue them especially the Tapanecans who had Azcapuzalco for their Metropolitane Citie to whom the Mexicans payed tribute as strangers dwelling in their Land For the King of Azcapuzalco fearing their power which increased sought to oppresse the Mexicans and hauing consulted with his subiects he sent to tell King Acamapixili that the ordinarie tribute they payed was too little and that from thenceforth they should bring Firre trees Sapines and Willowes for the building of the Citie and moreouer they should make him a Garden in the water planted with diuers kindes of Herbes and Pulses which they should bring vnto him yeerly by water dressed in this manner without fayling which if they did not he declared them his enemies and would roote them out The Mexicans were much troubled at this commandement holding it impossible and that this demand was to no other end but to seeke occasion to ruine them But their god Vitzliputzli comforted them appearing that night to an old man coÌ„manding him to say to the King his sonne in his name that he should make no difficultie to accept of this tribute he would helpe them and make the meanes easie which after happened for the time of tribute being come the Mexicans carried the Trees that were required and moreouer a Garden made and floating in the water and in it much Mays which is their Corne alreadie grayned and in the eare there was also Indian Pepper Beetes Tomates which is a great sappy and sauourie graine French Pease Figs Gourds and many other things all ripe and in their season Such as haue not seene the Gardens in the Lake of Mexico in the middest of the water will not beleeue it but will say it is an inchantment of the Deuill whom they worship But in truth it is a matter to bee done and there hath beene often seene of these Gardens floating in the water for they cast earth vpon Reeds and Grasse in such sort as it neuer wastes in the water they sow and plant this ground so as the graine growes and ripens very well and then they remoue it from place to place But it is true that to make this great Garden easily and to haue the fruits grow well is a thing that makes men iudge there was the worke of Vitzliputzli whom otherwise they call Patellas specially hauing neuer made nor seene the like The King of Azcapuzalco wondred much when he saw that accomplished which he held impossible saying vnto his subiects that this people had a great god that made all easie vnto them and he said vnto the Mexicans that seeing their god gaue them all things perfect he would the yeere following at the time of tribute they should bring in their Garden a wilde Ducke and a Heron sitting on their egges in such sort that they should hatch their young ones as they should arriue without fayling of a minute vpon paine of his indignation The Mexicans were much troubled and heauie with this proud and strict command but their god as he was accustomed comforted them in the night by one of his Priests saying that he would take all that charge vpon him willing them not to feare but beleeue that the day would come when as the Azcapuzalcos should pay with their liues this desire of new Tributes The time being come as the Mexicans carried all that was demanded of their Gardens among the Reedes and Weedes of the Garden they found a Ducke and a Heron hatching their egges and at the same instant when they arriued at Azcapuzalco their young ones were disclosed Whereat the King of Azcapuzalco wondring beyond measure hee said againe to his people that these were more then humane things and that the Mexicans began as if they would make themselues Lords ouer all those Prouinces Yet did hee not diminish the order of this tribute and the Mexicans finding not themselues mightie enough endured this subiection and slauerie the space of fiftie yeeres In this time the King Acamapixtli died hauing beautified the Citie of Mexico with many goodly buildings streets Conduits of water and great abundance of munition He raigned in peace and rest fortie yeeres hauing beene alwayes zealous for the good and increase of the Commonweale As he drew neere his end he did one memorable thing that hauing lawfull children to whom he might leaue the succession of the Realme yet would he not doe it but contrariwise hee spake freely to the Common-weale that as they had made a free Election of him so they should choose him that should seeme fittest for their good Gouernment aduising them therein to haue a care to the good of the Common-weale and seeming grieued that he left them not freed from Tribute and subiection he dyed hauing recommended his wife and children vnto them he left all his people sorrowfull for his death §. II. Of the second King VITZILOVITLI and of his Successours and their Acts vntill the Reigne of MOTEZVMA their last King THe Obsequies of the dead King performed the Ancients the chiefe of the Realme and some part of the people assembled together to choose a King where the Ancients propounded the necessitie wherein they were and that it was mâ—â—dfull to choose for chiefe of their Citie a man that had pitie of age of Widdowes and Orphans and to be a Father of the Common-weale for in very deed they should be the feathers of his wings the eye-browes of his eyes and the beard of his face that it was necessary hee were valiant being needfull shortly to vse their forces as their God had prophesied Their resolution in the end was to choose a sonne of the Predecessor vsing the like good office in accepting his sonne for Successor as hee had done to the Common-weale relying thereon This young man was called Vitzâ—louitli which signifieth a
hauing found such a King And thou noble young man and our most mightie Lord be confident and of a good courage that seeing the Lord of things created hath giuen thee this charge hee will also giue thee force and courage to manage it and thou mayest well hope that hee which in times past hath vsed so great bountie towards thee will â—pt now deny thee his greater giftâ— seeing he hath giuen thee so great a charge which I wish thee to enioy many yeeres King Moteçuma was very attentiue to this Discourse which being ended they say hee was so troubled that endeuouring thriâ—e to answere 〈◊〉 hee could not speake being ouercome with teares which joy and content doe vsually cause in signe of great humility In the end being come to himselfe he spake briefly I were too blind good King of Tescuco if I did not know that what thou hast spoken vnto me proceeded of meere fauour is pleaseth you to shew me seeing among so many noble and valiant men within this Realme you haue made choice of the least sufficient and in truth I find my selfe so incapeable of a charge of so great importance that I know not what to doe but to beseech the Creatour of all created things that hee will fauour mee and I intreate you all to pray vnto him for me These words vttered hee beganne againe to weepe He that in his election made such shew of humility and mildnesse seeing himselfe King began presently to discouer his aspiring thoughts The first was hee commanded that no plebeian should serue in his house nor beare any Royal Office as his Predecessors had vsed til then blaming them that would be serued by men of base condition commanding that all the noble and most famous men of his Realme should liue within his Palace and exercise the Offices of his Court and House Whereunto an old man of great authoritie who had somtimes bin his Schoolemaster opposed himselfe aduising him to be careful what he did and not to thrust himselfe into the danger of a great inconuenience in separating him selfe from the vulgar and common people so as they should not dare to looke him in the face seeing themselues so reiected by him He answered that it was his resolution and that he would not allow the Plebeians thus to goe mingled among the Nobles as they had done saying that the seruice they did was according to their condition so as the Kings got no reputation and thus he continued firâ—â— in his resolution Hee presently commanded his Counsell to dismisse all the Plebeians from their charges and offices as well those of his Houshold as of his Court and to prouide Knightâ— the which was done After hee went in person to an enterprize necessary for his Coronation At that time a Prouince lying farre off towards the North Ocean was reuolted from the Crown whither he led the flower of his people well appointed There he warred with such valour and dexteritie that in the end hee subdued all the Prouince and punished the Rebels seuerely returning with a great number of Captiues for the Sacrifices and many other spoyles All the Cities made him solemne receptions at his returne and the Lords thereof gaue him water to wash performing the offices of seruants a thing not vsed by any of his Predecessors Such was the feare and respect they bare him In Mexico they made the Feasts of his Coronation with great preparations of Dances Comedies Banquets Lights and other inuentions for many dayes And there came so great a wealth of Tributes from all his Countreyes that strangers vnknowne came to Mexico and their very enemies resorted in great numbers disguised to see these Feasts as those of Tlascalla and Mechonacan the which Moteçuma hauing discouered he commanded they should be lodged and gently intreated and honoured as his owne person He also made them goodly Galleries like vnto his owne where they might see and behold the Feasts So they entred by night to those Feasts as the King himselfe making their Sports and Maskes And for that I haue made mention of these Prouinces it shall not be from the purpose to vnderstand that the Inhabitants of Mechonacan Tlascalla and Tapeaca would neuer yeeld to the Mexicans but did alwayes fight valiantly against them yea sometimes the Mechoâ—acans did vanquish the Mexicans as also those of Tapeaca did In which place the Marquesse Don Ferrand Cortes after that hee and the Spaniards were expelled Mexico pretended to build their first Citie the which hee called as I well remember Segure dela Frontiere But this peopling continued little for hauing afterwards reconquered Mexico all the Spaniards went to inhabite there To conclude those of Tapeaca Tlascalla and Mechonacan haue beene alwayes enemies to the Mexicans although Moteçuma said vnto Cortes that hee did purposely forbearâ— to subdue them to haue occasion to exercise his men of warre and to take numbers of captiues This King laboured to bee respected yea to be worshipped as a God No Plebeian might looke him in the face if he did he was punished with death he did neuer let his foot on the ground but was alwayes carried on the shoulders of Noblemen and if he lighted they laid rich Tapistrie whereon hee did goe When hee made any Voyage hee and the Noblemen went as it were in a Parke compassed in for the nonce and the rest of the people went without the Parke enuironing it in on euery side hee neuer put on a garment twice nor did eate or drinke in one vessell or dish aboue once all must be new giuing to his attendants that which had once serued him so as commonly they were rich and sumptuous Hee was very carefull to haue his Lawes obserued And when he returned victor from any warre hee fained sometimes to goe and take his pleasure then would hee disguise himselfe to see if his people supposing hee were absent would omit any thing of the feast or reception If there were any excesse or defect hee then did punish it rigorously And also to discerne how his Ministers did execute their Offices hee often disguised himselfe offering gifts and presents to the Iudges prouoking them to doe in-justice If they offended they were presently punished with death without remission or respect were they Noblemen or his Kinsmen yea his owne Brethren Hee was little conuersant with his people and seldome seene retyring himselfe most commonly to care for the gouernment of his Realme Besides that he was a great Iusticier and very Noble he was very valiant and happy by meanes whereof hee obtayned great victories and came to this greatnesse as is written in the Spanish Histories whereon it seemes needlesse to write mere I will onely haue a care hereafter to write what the Books and Histories of the Indies make mention of the which the Spanish Writers haue not obserued hauing not sufficiently vnderstood the secrets of this Countrey the which are things very worthy to
that no people of the West Indies haue beene more apt to receiue the Gospell then those which were most subiect to their Lords and which haue beene charged with the heauiest burthens as well of Tributes and Seruices as of Customes and bloudie Practises All that which the Mexican Kings and those of Peru did possesse is at this day most planted with Christian Religion and where there is least difficultie in the Gouernment and Ecclesiasticall Discipline The Indians were so wearied with the heauy and insupportable yoke of Satans lawes his sacrifices and ceremonies whereof wee haue formerly spoken that they consulted among themselues to seeke out a new Law and an other God to serue And therefore the Law of Christ seemed vnto them and doth at this day seeme iust sweet cleane good and full of happinesse And that which is difficult in our Law to beleeue so high and soueraigne Mysteries hath beene easie among them for that the Deuill had made them comprehend things of greater difficultie and the selfe-same things which hee had stolen from our Euangelicall Law as their manner of Communion and Confession their adoration of Three in One and such other like the which against the will of the Enemie haue holpen for the easie receiuing of the Truth by those who before had embraced Lyes God is wise and admirable in all his workes vanquishing the Aduersarie euen with his owne weapon hee takes him in his owne snare and kills him with his owne sword Finally our God who had created this People and who seemed to haue thus long forgot them when the houre was come hee would haue the same Deuils enemies to mankinde whom they falsly held for gods should giue a testimonie against their will of the true Law the power of Christ and the triumph of the Crosse as it plainly appeares by the presages prophesies signes and prodigies here before mentioned with many others happened in diuers parts and that the same ministers of Satan Sorcerers Magicians and other Indians haue confessed it And wee cannot denie it being most euident and knowne to all the World that the Deuill dareth not hisse and that the Practises Oracles Answers and visible Apparitions which were so ordinarie throughout all this Infidelitie haue ceased whereas the Crosse of Christ hath beene planted where there are Churches and where the Name of Christ hath beene confessed And if there be at this day any cursed minister of his that doth participate thereof it is in Caues and on the tops of Mountaines and in secret places farre from the name and communion of Christians The Soueraigne Lord be blessed for his great mercies and for the glorie of his holy Name And in truth if they did gouerne this people temporally and spiritually in such sort as the Law of Iesus Christ hath set it downe with a milde yoke and light burthen and that they would impose no more vpon them then they can well beare as the Letters Patents of the good Emperour of happy memorie doe command and that they would imploy halfe the care they haue to make profit of these poore mens sweats and labours for the health of their soules it were the most peaceable and happy Christian part of all the World c. CHAP. V. Of the ancient superstitions of the Mexicans and Indians of America gathered out of the fifth Booke of IOSEPHVS ACOSTA FIrst although the darknesse of Infidelitie holdeth these Nations in blindnesse yet in many things the light of Truth and Reason workes somewhat in them And they commonly acknowledge a supreme Lord and Author of all things which they of Peru called Vnachocha and gaue him names of great excellence as Pachacamac or Pachayachachic which is the Creator of Heauen and Earth and Vsapu which is admirable and other like names Him they did worship as the chiefest of all whom they did honor in beholding the Heauen The like wee see amongst them of Mexico and China and all other Infidels Which accordeth well with that which is said of Saint Paul in the Acts of the Apostles where he did see the Inscription of an Altar Ignoto Deo to the vnknowne God Whereupon the Apostle tooke occasion to preach vnto them saying Hee whom you worship without knowing him doe I preach vnto you In like sort those which at this day doe preach the Gospell to the Indians finde no great difficultie to perswade them that there is a High God and Lord ouer all and that this is the Christians God and the true God And yet it hath caused great admiration in mee that although they had this knowledge yet had they no proper Name for God if wee shall seeke into the Indian tongue for a word to answere to this Name of God as in Latin Deâ—s in Greeke Theos in Hebrew El in Arabike Alla but we shall not finde any in the 〈◊〉 or Mexican tongues So as such as preach or write to the Indians vse our Spanish name Dios fitting it to the accent or pronunciation of the Indian tongues the which differ much whereby appeares the small knowledge they had of God seeing they cannot so much as name him if it be not by our very name yet in truth they had some little knowledge and therefore in Pâ—ru they made him a rich Temple which they called Pachacamac which was the principall Sanctuarie oâ— the Realme And as it hath beene said this word of Pachacamac is as much to say as the Creator yet in this Temple they vsed their Idolatries worshipping the Deuill and Figures They likewise made Sacrifices and Offerings to Viracocha which held the chiefe place amongst the worships which the Kiâ—gâ— Iuguâ—â— made Hereof they called the Spaniards Virâ—cochas for that they hold opinion they are the 〈◊〉 of Hâ—auen and diuiâ—e eâ—en as others did attribute a Deitie to Paul and 〈◊〉 calling the one Iupiter and the other Mercurie so would they offer sacrifices vnto them as vnto gods and as the Barbarians of Mâ—litâ— which is Maltè seeing that the Viper did not huâ—â— the Apostle they called him God NExt to Viracocha or their supreme God that which most commonly they haue and doe adore amongst the Infidels is the Sunne and after those things which are most remarkâ—able in the celestiall or â—lementarie nature as the Moâ—ne Starres Sea and Land The Guiâ—cas or Oratories which the Iâ—guas Lords of Peru had in greatest reuerence next to Viracocha and the Sunne was the Thunder which they called by three diuers names Châ—â—â—â—illa Catuillâ— and Iâ—tiillapa supposing it to be a man in heauen with a Sling and a Mace and that it is in his power to cause Raine Haile Thunder and all the rest that appertaines to the Region of the Aire where the Cloudes engender It was a Guacâ— for so they called their Oratories generall to all the Indians of Peru offering vnto him many sacrifices and in Câ—scâ— which is the Court and Metropolitan Citie they did sacrifice children vnto him
a King or Lord of some towne they offered him slaues to be put to death with him to the end they might serue him in the other world They likewise put to death his Priest or Chaplaine for euery Nobleman had a Priest which administred these ceremonies within his house and then they called him that he might execute his office with the dead They likewise killed his Cook his Butler his Dwarfes and deformed men by whom he was most serued neither did they spare the very brothers of the dead who had most serued them for it was a greatnesse amongst the Noblemen to be serued by their brethren and the rest Finally they put to death all of his traine for the entertaining of his house in the other world and lest pouerty should oppresse them they buried with them much wealth as Gold Siluer Stones Curtins of exquisite worke Bracelets of Gold and other rich peeces And if they burned the dead they vsed the like with all his Seruants and ornaments they gaue him for the other world Then tooke they all the ashes they buried with very great solemnity The obsequies continued tenne dayes with songs of plaints and lamentations and the Priests carried away the dead with so many ceremonies and in so great number as they could scarce accompt them To the Captaines and Noblemen they gaue trophees and markes of honour according to their enterprises and valor imployed in the wars and gouernments for this effect they had armes and particular blasons They carried these markes or blazons to the place where he desired to be buried or burnt marching before the body and accompanying it as it were in procession where the Priests and officers of the Temple went with diuers furnitures and ornaments some casting incense others singing and some sounding of mournfull Flutes and Drums which did much increase the sorrow of his kinsfolkes and subiects The Priest who did the office was decked with the markes of the Idoll which the Nobleman had represented for all Noblemen did represent Idols and carried the name of some one and for this occasion they were esteemed and honoured The order of Knighthood did commonly carry these foresaid markes He that should be burnt being brought to the place appointed they inuironed him with wood of Pine trees and all his baggage then set they fire vnto it increasing it still with goomie wood vntill that all were conuerted into ashes then came there forth a Priest attired like a Deuil hauing mouthes vpon euery ioynt of him and many eyes of glasse holding a great staffe with the which he did mingle all the ashes very boldly and with so terrible a gesture as he terrified all the assistants Sometimes this Minister had other different habits according to the quality of the dead There hath beene great curiosity at the Indies in making of Idols and Pictures of diuers formes and matters which they worshipped for Gods and in Peru they called them Guacas being commonly of foule and deformed beasts at the least such as I haue seene were so I beleeue verily that the Deuill in whose honour they made these Idols was pleased to cause himselfe to be worshipped in these deformities and in truth it was found so that the Deuill spake and answered many of these Guacas or Idols and his Priests and Ministers came to these Oracles of the father of lies and such as he is such were his Counsels and Prophesies In the Prouinces of New Spaine Mexico Tescuco Tlascalla Cholula and in the neighbour Countries to this Realme this kinde of Idolatry hath beene more practised than in any other Realme of the world And it is a prodigious thing to heare the superstitions rehearsed that they haue vsed in that point of the which it shall not be vnpleasant to speake something The chiefest Idoll of Mexico was as I haue said Vitâ—iliputzli It was an image of wood like to a man set vpon a stoole of the color of azure in a brankard or litter at euery corner was a piece of wood in forme of a Serpents head The stoole signified that he was set in heauen this Idoll had all the forehead Azure and had a band of Azure vnder the nose from one eare to another vpon his head he had a rich plume of Feathers like to the beake of a small Bird the which was couered on the top with Gold burnished very browne he had in his left hand a white Target with the figures of fiue pine Apples made of white Feathers set in a crosse and from aboue issued forth a crest of gold and at his sides he had foure darts which the Mexicans say had beene sent from heauen to doe those acts and prowesses which shall be spoken of In his right hand he had an Azured staffe cut in fashion of a wauing snake All these ornaments with the rest he had carried this sence as the Mexicans doe shew the name of Vitziliputzli signifies the left hand of a shining Feather I will speake hereafter of the proud Temple the Sacrifices Feasts and Ceremonies of this great Idoll being very notable things But at this present we will onely shew that this Idoll thus richly apparelled and deckt was set vpon an high Altar in a small peece or boxe well couered with linnen cloathes Iewels Feathers and ornaments of Gold with many runâ—les of Feathers the fairest and most exquisite that could be found he had alwaies a curtaine before him for the greater veneration Ioyning to the chamber or chappell of this Idoll there was a peece of lesse worke and not so well beautified where there was another Idoll they called Tlaloc These two Idols were alwaies together for that they held them as companions and of equall power There was another Idoll in Mexico much esteemed which was the god of repentance and of Iubilies and pardons for their sinnes They called this Idoll Tezcallipuca he was made of a blacke shining stone like to Iayel being attired with some Gentile deuises after their manner it had earerings of gold and siluer and through the nether lip a small canon of Christall in length halfe a foote in the which they sometimes put a greene feather and sometimes an azured which made it resemble sometimes an Emerald and sometimes a Turquois it had the haire broided and bound vp with a haire-lace of gold burnished at the end whereof did hang an â—aâ—e of gold with two firebrands of smoake painted therein which did signifie the praiers of the afflicted and sinners that he heard when they recommended themselues vnto him Betwixt the two eares hanged a number of small herons He had a Iewell hanging at his necke so great that it couered all his stomacke vpon his armes bracelets of Gold at his nauill a rich greene stone and in his left hand a â—aâ—ne of precious Feathers of Greene Azure and Yellow which came forth of a Looking-glasse of Gold shining and well burnished and that signified that within this Looking-glasse he saw
our men thinking that all was but Superstition haue lost many memorials of ancient and holy things which might haue profited much This proceedeth of a foolish and ignorant zeale who not knowing nor seeking to know what concerned the Indians say preiudicately that they are all but Witch-crafts and that all the Indians are but Drunkards incapable to know or learne any thing For such as would be curiously informed of them haue found many things worthy of consideration One of our company of Iesuits a man very wittie and well experienced did assemble in the Prouince of Mexico the Ancients of Tescuco of Talla and of Mexico conferring at large with them who shewed vnto him their Bookes Histories and Kalenders things very worthy the sight because they had their figures and Hierogliphicks whereby they represented things in this manner Such as had forme or figure were represented by their proper Images and such as had not any were represented by Characters that signified them and by this meanes they figured and writ what they would And to obserue the time when any thing did happen they had those painted Wheeles for euery one of them contayned an Age which was two and fiftie yeeres as hath beene said and of the side of those Wheeles they did paint with figures and Characters right against the yeere the memorable things that happensd therein As they noted the yeere when as the Spaniards entred their Countrey they painted a man with a Hat and a red Ierkin vpon the signe of a Reed which did rule then and so of other accidents But for that their Writings and Characters were not sufficient as our Letters and Writings be they could not so plainly expresse the words but onely the substance of their conceptions And forasmuch as they were accustomed to rehearse Discourses and Dialogues by heart compounded by their Oratours and ancient Rhethoricians and many Caphas made by their Poets which were impossible to learne by their Hierogliphickes and Characters the Mexicans were very curious to haue their Children learne those Dialogues and compositions by heart For the which cause they had Schooles and as it were Colledges or Seminaries where the Ancients taught Children these Orations and many other things which they preserued amongst them by tradition from one to another as perfectly as if they had beene written especially the most famous Nations had a care to haue their children which had any inclination to be Rhetoritians and to practise the Office of Orators to learne these Orations by heart So as when the Spaniards came into their Countrey and had taught them to reade and write our Letters many of the Indians then wrote these Orations as some graue men doe witnesse that had read them Which I say for that some which shall happily reade these long and eloquent Discourses in the Mexican History will easily beleeue they haue beene inuented by the Spaniards and not really taken and reported from the Indians But hauing knowne the certaine truth they will giue credit as reason is to their Histories They did also write these Discourses after their manner by Characters and Images and I haue seene for my better satisfaction the Pater noster Auie Maria and Symboll or generall Confession of our Faith written in this manner by the Indians And in truth whosoeuer shall see them will wonder thereat For to signifie these words I a Sinner doe confesse my selfe they painted an Indian vpon his knees at a religious mans feet as one that confesseth himselfe and for this To God most mightie they painted three faces with their Crownes like to the Trinitie and To the glorious Virgin Marie they painted the face of our Lady and halfe the bodie of a little childe and for Saint Peter and Saint Paul heads with crownes and a Key with a Sword and whereas Images failed they did set Characters as Wherein I haue sinned c. whereby we may conceiue the quicknesse of spirit of these Indians seeing this manner of writing of our Prayers and matters of Faith hath not beene taught them by the Spaniards neither could they haue done it if they had not had an excellent conception of that was taught them And I haue seene in Peru a confession of sinnes brought by an Indian written in the same sort with Pictures and Characters painting euery one of the tenne Commandements after a certayne manner where there were certayne markes like Ciphers which were the sinnes hee had committed against the Commandements I nothing doubt but if any of the most sufficient Spaniards were imployed to make memorials of the like things by by their Images and markes they would not attayne vnto it in a whole yeere no not in tenne BEfore the Spaniards came to the Indies they of Peru had no kind of writing either Letters Characters Ciphers or Figures like to those of China and Mexico yet preserued they the memory of their Antiquities and mayntaine an order in all their affaires of Peace Warre and Policie for that they were carefull obseruers of Traditions from one to another and the young ones learned and carefully kept as a holy thing what their Superiors had told them and taught it with the like care to their Posteritie Besides this diligence they supplied the want of Letters and Writings partly by painting as those of Mexico although they of Peru were very grosse and blockish and partly and most commonly by Quippos These Quippos are Memorials or Registers made of Bowes in the which there are diuers knots and colours which doe signifie diuers things and it is strange to see what they haue expressed and represented by this meanes for their Quippos serue them insteed of Bookes of Histories of Lawes Ceremonies and accounts of their affaires There were Officers appointed to keepe these Quippos the which at this day they call Quipocamayos the which were bound to giue an account of euery thing as Notaries and Registers doe heere Therefore they fully beleeued them in all things for according to the varietie of businesse as Warres Policies Tributes Ceremonies and Lands there were sundry Quippos or branches in euery one of the which there were so many knots little and great and strings tyed vnto them some Red some Greene some Blue some White and finally such diuersitie that euen as wee deriue an infinite number of words from the foure and twentie Letters applying them in diuers sorts so doe they draw innumerable words from their knots and diuersitie of colours Which thing they doe in such a manner that if at this day in Peru any Commissary come at the end of two or three yeeres to take information vpon the life of any Officer the Indians come with their small reckonings verified saying that in such a Village they giuen him so many Egges which he hath not payed for in such a house a Henne in another two burthens of grasse for his Horse and that he hath payed but so much mony and remaineth debtor so much The proofe
in China Ciaracar Paruam the extreme border of the Mogoll Aingharan Calcia Gialalabath Cheman Samarhan or Samarcand Bogbar Tengi Badascian Ciarciunar Serpanil Sarcil Snowie way Tangbetar Iaconich Hiarchan Catay-Carauan Precious Marble Mahamet Câ—â— King of Cascar Cialis * To vse as it seemes those words La illah illalah Mehumed resullalah the Characteristical note of Mahumetan profession * To Meccâ— ward Carauan Bassa See before in Chaggi Memet the like Iourney and the same places Voyage to Catay from Hiarchan Places in the way Goez danceth Caracathai the first place of the Tartars Conquest See before in F. Bacoâ— Rubâ— c. Acsir Cialis Musulmans that is right beleeuers Newes of F. M. Ricius and the Iesuits * In Pantoia and Ricius Names changed by the Iesuites Cambalu Pucian Turphan Aremuth Camul The wals of China Chiaicuon Sociâ—u in China Borderers theeuish Tartars customes in the borders * This 200. iâ— to bee vnderstood of the Westerne partâ— or perhaps all but so much is naturall of rockes or hils or Trigautius a Dutchman might meane Dutch miles The Map expresseth about 1000. miles The reports are diuers as from reports for who could see it all and what good would 200. miles doe which horsemen in few dayes might passe Diuers Embassages counterfeited Reports of trauellers to bee weighed Nouem 1606. Carauan commeth Singhan Goez dyeth Tartarean Tartars Isaacs iourney Chaul 1615. Ignatius and Francis canonized by Greg. 15. March 12. 1622. This happened in Capt. Saris his ship See to 1. l. 4. c. 1. p. 367. * See sup l. 9. c. 12. §. 5. and the last Chapter of my Pilgrimage 2. Cor. 10.4 See Sir T. Roe and M. Terry sup p. 1482. and 586. This Storie shewes that with Mogols Chinois gifts are best Conuertâ—rs * Adol Schulkenius Colon. A. 1622. Iun. 26. See before in Polo Conti c. the truth hereof Apoc. 18. Acts 20. Cit. pro Milâ—nâ— How little in comparison was Pauls from Ierusalem to Illyricum Letter of Xauier Deuill worshipped by the Chinois Canton Cangoxima in Iapon Paul had beene in India and was Baptised Seas tempestuous and Piraticall Xauiers zeale Sancian thirtie leagues from the China shoare Xauiers death See Vita Xauerij F. Pinto Eman. Acosta Mafferius Ricius c. * Since the Expedition of the Westerne Christians the chiefe of which were Franks to the conquest of Ierusalem A Peninsula is compasted with water except on one part Beginnings of Amacao Melchiâ—r Nuns Canton leâ—st Metropolitan Citie I take but a liâ—tle of his relation because you haue so much before Aiton Aitao or Haitao * So Pinto alâ—o but this is the Prouinces Armes not the Kings * Some Sects ackâ—owledge more others 〈◊〉 Valignanus Admiranda regni Sinensis extant with the Iesuites Epistles published by Io. Hayus Plaut Mich. Ruggerius Portugall trade at Canton by day and extrusion at night Rugg first entrance Ruggerius freed by the Hai-tao Ambassage of Siam Zumpim or Chumbim Mat. Ricius Fraternitie of Iesus Vice-roy of Canton Quamsi Sciauquin Bribe trickes Mat. Ricius Clocke-watch Iesuites first China station Three cornered Glasse Quam-cheu the true name of Canton Pasius dieth long after Iaponian Embassage to the Pope Edâ—dit Hen. Cuickius King of Bungos Letter * But that Hortus deâ—iciarum Anâ—lia was more worth then both Indies to the Pope See sup lib. 8. c. 6. c. This the most acceptable mysterie of Papall Faith Extract è literit Roma missis See the last chap. of my Pilg. l. 9. Popes presents Papall fauours with little cost buying much esteeme Pompe prescribed See of these Iaponian Kings and Rites my Pilg. l. 5. c. 15. Nabunanga Frenoiama The Bonzian Quanon and Popish Corpus Christi Playes like by Iesuites testimoniâ— Shauâ—lings Faxiba made Quabacondono Quabacu signifies the Chist of treasure Cos. Turrianus The 3. chiefe men in Iapon The Vo High Priest and Quingue A greater then they Meaco the chiefe Citie of Iapon Corai Organtinus Brixiensis Quiâ— tulerit Gracchos c. * The Dairi the titular King China inuasion Reckoning without his Host. Iaponian Theologie * The Iesuits Christian Religion alway by the Deuill and his accuâ—ed for a State-disturber Iesuites banished Iaponian workmanship Preparation for inuasion of Corai Corai described see my China Map * This is that Fâ—reisama of whom you reade in Capt. Saris and Master Cocke depriued by Ogoshosama 1592. Wide Riuer betwixt China and Corai 190. Iesuites China Embassage Huge Palace and preparation for entertainment of the Chinois Noximandono a Iaponian Pirat Prodigious raines Earth-quakes * Iaponian policy to keepe all the Lords about the Court for securitie seldome suffered to visite their Kingdomes China Presents and Letters * Chia an herb vsed in warme water in all entertaynments in Iapon and China Bish. of Iapon â—â—an Pastus Alex Vaâ—gnanus P. Pilo lib. 5. c. 1◠§. 4. See of his death tom 1. p. 407. Tâ—mâ—le of Scinfaciman Câ—pâ— Saris told mee hee saw it Sup. l. 7. in fines Ci-hien a Goueâ—nour of a Hien or Citie Iesuites supplication Ciai-yuen or Chaen Prouinciall Visitour Money brings the Iesuites to China and procures them residence Liuqueceo Viegas bountie Friars in China see cap. 3. Anno 1583. Sciauquin tower Temple and statue to Gouernours Ignoto Deo Wilde Christianitie Iesuites build a house at first meane after greater D. wanting to Chinois Images worshipped First Baptisme Fancies of the vulgar Tables of honour Chinois in Hospitall Portugals called Deuils Tenderdâ—n steeple Conspiracie False accuses truely rewarded Mathematicks and Map of the world introduction to the Gospell Chinois ignorant of the world Ricius his Map The world vshers the Iesuits Gospell Ruggers râ—turn Spheâ—res and Globes Linsitau Ruler of two or three Diuisions or Hundreds See that Bull. sup l. 2. c. 1. Gaine separates the subiects of one Crowne without separation of state Apply this to the quarrell twixt the English and Dutch in the Indies And hereby you see the Iesuites instruments of secular affaires Edw. Menese whose Booke you haue in the 9. booke tom 1. F. Edw Sande Antonie Almeida License for Cequian Strange course for names Iesuites change their names Almeidas Letter to Ed. Sande Rector at Xauchin or Sciauchin contracted Moilin The Linsitaus brother aforesayd Another riuer Way paued and populous Seats and Porters in the high-wayes Faquen Great Cities thicke Metropolitan Citie of Chiansi All this way is apparent in the new Map New Riuer Nine Tatis * These miles seeme to bee intended Spanâ—sh leagues Cold Region Papists and Paynims Ceremonies alike Ciquion Cuixion New Riuer Steâ—ilitie Sciaubin or Ciquion like Venice Prouincials Letter Fortie Chinois compared to 40000. Iaponian Conuerts Coellius first teacher to paint Vutan a holy place haunted by Pilgrimes New Conuert a false Knaue Martin whipped to death Manner of honouring good Magistrates R. goeth into Europe Priuiledged old men Their elegant Petition is whole in Ricius too long for this place Iesuites merit their exhibition by seruice to
wonderfull to see assuredly wee were amazed to behold the manner of their prouision Their Fish is chiefly nourished with the dung of Bufles and Oxen that greatly fatteth it Although I sayd their fishing to bee in March and Aprill at what time wee saw them doe it neuerthelesse they told vs that they fished at all times for that vsually they doe feed on Fish wherefore it behooueth them to make their prouision continually When wee had passed Fuquien we went into Quicen-shire where the fine Clay vessell is made as I sayd before and we came to a Citie the one side whereof is built vpon the foote of a hill whereby passeth a Riuer nauigable there we tooke Boate and went by water toward the Sea on each side of the Riuer we found many Cities Townes and Villages wherein we saw great store of Merchandise but specially of fine clay there did we land by the way to buy victuals and other necessaries Going downe this riuer Southward wee were glad that we drew neere vnto a warmer Countrey from whence we had beene farre distant this Countrey wee passed through in eight dayes for our iourney lay downe the streame Before that I doe say any thing of that Shire wee came into I will first speake of the great Citie of Quicin wherein alwayes remayneth a Tutan that is a Gouernour as you haue seene though some Tutans doe gouerne two or three Shires That Tutan that was condemned for our cause of whom I spake before was borne in this Countrey but hee gouerned Fuquien-Shire nothing it auayled him to bee so great an Officer This Countrey is so great that in many places where wee went there had beene as yet no talke of his death although he were executed a whole yeere before At the Citie Quanche whither wee came the riuer was so great that it seemed a sea though it were so little where we tooke water that wee needed small Boates. One day about nine of the clocke beginning to row neare the walls with the streame wee came at noone to a bridge made of many Barges ouer-linked all together with two mightie chaynes There stayed we vntill it was late but wee saw not one goe either vp thereon or downe except two Louthia's that about the going downe of the Sunne came and set them downe there the one in one side the other on the other side Then was the bridge opened in many places and Barges both great and small to the number of sixe hundred began to passe those that went vp the streame at one place such as came downe at an other When all had thus shot the Bridge then was it shut vp againe Wee heard say that euery day they take this order in all principall places of Merchandise for paying of the custome vnto the King specially for Salt whereof the greatest reuenues are made that the King hath in this Countrey The passages of the bridge where it is opened bee so neere the shore that nothing can passe without touching the same To stay the Barges at their pleasure that they goe no farther forward are vsed certaine yron instruments The Bridge consisteth of one hundred and twelue Barges there stayed we vntill the Eeuening that they were opened lothsomly oppressed by the multitude of people that came to see vs so many in number that we were enforced to goe aside from the banke vntill such time as the bridge was opened howbeit wee were neuerthelesse thronged about with many Boates full of people And though in other Cities and places where we went the people came so importunate vpon vs that it was needfull to withdraw our selues yet were wee heere much more molested for the number of people and this bridge the principall way out of the Citie vnto another place so well inhabited that were it walled about it might bee compared to the Citie When we had shot the bridge we kept along the Citie vntill that it was night then met wee with another riuer that ioyned with this we rowed vp that by the walls vntill we came to another bridge gallantly made of Barges but lesser a great deale then that other bridge ouer the greater streame heere stayed we that night and other two dayes with more quiet being out of the prease of the people These riuers doe meete without at one corner-point of the Citie In either of them were so many Barges great and small that wee all thought them at the least to bee aboue three thousand the greater number thereof was in the lesser riuer where we were Amongst the rest heere lay certaine greater vessels called in their language Parai that serue for the Tutan when hee taketh his voyage by other riuers that ioyne with this towards Pachin where the King maketh his abode Desirous to see those Parai we got into some of them where we found some chambers set foorth with gilded Beds very richly other furnished with tables and seates and all other things so neate and in perfection that it was wonderfull Quiacim-Shire as farre as I can perceiue lyeth vpon the South On that side we kept at our first entrie thereinto trauelling not farre from the high mountaines we saw there Asking what people dwelleth beyond those mountaines it was told me that they bee Theeues and men of a strange language And because that vnto sundry places neere this Riuer the mountaines doe approach whence the people issuing downe doe many times great harme this order is taken at the entrie into Quiacim-Shire To guard this Riuer whereon continually goe to and fro Parai great and small fraught with Salt Fish powdered with pepper and other necessaries for that Countrey they doe lay in diuers places certaine Parai and great Barges armed wherein watch and ward is kept day and night in both sides of the Riuer for the safetie of the passage and securitie of such Parai as doe remayne there though the trauellers neuer goe but many in company In euery rode there bee at the least thirtie in some two hundred men as the passage requireth This guard is kept vsually vntill you come to the Citie Onchio where continually the Tutan of this Shire and eke of Cantan maketh his abode From that Citie vpward where the riuer waxeth more narrow and the passage more dangerous there be alwayes armed one hundred and fiftie Parai to accompany other vessels fraught with merchandise and all this at the Kings charges This seemed vnto me one of the strangest things I did see in this Countrey When wee lay at Fuquien we did see certaine Moores who knew so little of their sect that they could say nothing else but that Mahomet was a Moore my father was a Moore and I am a Moore with some other words of their Alcoran wherewithall in abstinence from Swines flesh they liue vntill the Deuill take them all This when I saw and being sure that in many Chinish Cities the reliques of Mahomet are kept as soone as wee came to the
Citie where these fellowes bee I informed my selfe of them and learned the truth These Moores as they told me in times past came in great Ships fraught with merchandise from Pachin ward to a Port granted vnto them by the King as hee is wont to all them that trafficke into this Countrey where they being arriued at a little Towne standing in the hauens mouth in time conuerted vnto their Sect the greatest Loutea there When that Loutea with all his family was become Moorish the rest began likewise to doe the same In this part of China the people bee at libertie euery one to worship and follow what him liketh best Wherefore no bodie tooke heed thereto vntill such time as the Moores perceiuing that many followed them in superstition and that the Loutea fauoured them they began to forbid wholly the eating of Swines-flesh But all this Countrey men and women choosing rather to forsake Father and Mother then to leaue off eating of Porke by no meanes would yeeld to that proclamation For besides the great desire they all haue to eate that kind of meate many of them doe hue thereby and therefore the people complained vnto the Magistrates accusing the Moores of a conspiracie pretended betwixt them and the Loutea against their King In this Countrey as no suspition no not one trayterous word is long borne withall so was the King speedily aduertised thereof who gaue commandement out of hand that the aforesaid Loutea should bee put to death and with him the Moores of most importance the other to be layd first in Prison and afterward to bee sent abroad into certaine Cities where they remayned perpetuall slaues vnto the King To this Citie came by hap men and women threescore and odde who at this day are brought to fiue men and foure women for it is now twentie yeeres agoe this happened Their off-spring passeth the number of two hundred and they in this Citie as the rest in other Cities whither they were sent haue their Moscheas whereunto they all resort euery Friday to keepe their Holiday But as I thinke that will no longer endure then whiles they doe liue that came from thence for their posteritie is so confused that they haue nothing of a Moore in them but abstinence from Swines-flesh and yet many of them doe eate thereof priuily They tell me that their natiue Countrey hath name Camarian a firme land wherein bee many Kings and the Indish Countrey well knowne vnto them It may so be for as soone as they did see our seruants our seruants were Preuzaretes they iudged them to bee Indians many of their words sounded vpon the Persicke tongue but none of vs could vnderstand them I asked them whither they conuerted any of the Chinish Nation vnto their Sect they answered me that with much adoe they conuerted the women with whom they doe marrie yeelding me no other cause thereof but the difficultie they finde in them to bee brought from eating Swines-flesh and drinking of Wine I haue learned morâ—ouer that the Sea whereby these Moores that came to China were wont to trauell is a very great gulfe that falleth into this Countrey out from Tartaria and Persia leauing on the other side all the Countrey of China and land of the Mogorites drawing alwayes toward the South and of all likelyhood it is euen so because that these Moores the which wee haue seene bee rather browne then white whereby they shew themselues to come from some warmer Countrey then China is neere to Pachin where the Riuers are frozen in the winter for cold and many of them so vehemently that Carts may passe oâ—er them Wee did see in this Citie many Tartars Mogorites Bremes and Laoynes both men and women The Tartars are men very white good Horse-men and Archers confining with China on that side where Pachin standeth separated from thence by great Mountaines that are betwixt these Kingdomes Ouer them bee certaine wayes to passe and for both sides Castles continually kâ—pt with Souldiers in time past the Tartars were wont alwayes to haue warres with the Chineans but these fourescore yeeres past they were quiet vntill the second yeere of our Imprisonment The Mogores bee in like manner white and Heathen wee are aduertised that of one side they border vpon these Tartars and confine with the Persicke Tartares on the other side whereof wee saw in them some tokens as their manner of cloathes and that kinde of Hat the Saracens doe weare The Mooresâ—ffirmed â—ffirmed that where the King lyeth there bee many Tartars and Mogorites â—hat brought into China certaine Blewes of great value As for the Bremes wee haue seene â—n this Citie Chenchi certaine men and women amongst whom there was one that came not long since hauing as yet her hayre tyed vp after the Pegues fashion this woman and other moe with whom a blacke Moore damosell in our company had conference and did vnderstand them well enough had dwelt in Peghu This new come woman imagining that wee meant to make our abode in that Citie bid vs to bee of good comfort for that her Countrey was not distant from thence aboue fiue dayes iourney and that out of her Countrey there lay a high way for vs home into our owne Being asked the way shee answered that the first three dayes the way lyeth ouer certaine great mountaines and wildernesse afterward people to bee met withall againe Thence two dayes iourney more to the Bremes Countrey Wherefore I doe conclude that Chenchi is one of the confines of this Kingdome separated by certaine huge Mountaines as it hath beene already sayd that lye out towards the South In the residue of these mountaines standeth the Prouince Sian the Laoyns Countrey Cambaia Chinapa and Cochinchina This Citie chiefe of other sixteene is situated in a pleasant Playne abounding in things necessarie Sea-fish onely excepted for it standeth farre from the Sea of fresh Fish so much store that the Market-places are neuer emptie The walls of this Citie are very strong and high one day did I see the Louteas thereof goe vpon the walls to take the view thereof borne in their seates I spake of before accompanied with a troupe of Horse-men that went two and two It was told me they might haue gone three and three Wee haue seene moreouer that within this aforesaid Citie the King hath more than a thousand of his kindred lodged in great Palaces in diuers parts of the Citie their gates bee red and the entrie into their houses that they may be knowne for that is the Kings colour These Gentlemen according to their nearnesse in bloud vnto the King as soone as they bee married receiue their place in Honour this place neither encreaseth nor diminisheth in any respect as long as the King liueth the King appointeth them their Wiues and Familie allowing them by the moneth all things necessarie abundantly as hee doth to his Gouernours of Shires and Cities howbeit