deuise certifying them of the purpose of my comming into this countrey which is in the name of his Maiestie and by the commandement of your Lordship that they and all the rest of the people of this prouince should become Christians and should knowe the true God for their Lorde and receiue his Maiestie for their King and earthly Soueraigne And herewithall they returned to their houses and suddenly the next day they see in order all their goods and substance their women and children and fled to the hilles leauing their townes as it were abandoned wherein remained very fewe of them When I sawe this within eight or tenne dayes after being recouered of my woundes I went to the citie which I sayde to bee greater then this where I am and found there some fewe of them to whom I sayde that they should not bee afrayd and that they should call their gouernour vnto mee howbeit forasmuch as I can learne or gather none of them hath any gouernour for I sawe not there any chiefe house whereby any preeminence of one ouer another might bee gathered Aftâ—r this an olde man came which sayd that hâ—e was their lord with a piece of a mantle made of many pieces with whom I reasoned that small while that hee stayed with mee and hee sayd that within three dayes after hee and the rest of the chiefe of that towne would come and visite mee and giue order what course should bee taken with them Which they did for they brought mee certaine mantles and some Turqueses I aduised them to come downe from their holdes and to returne with their wiues and children to their houses and to become Christians and that they would acknowledge the Emperours maiestie for their King and lorde And euen to this present they keepe in those strong holdes their women and children and all the goods which they haue I commaunded them that they should paint mee out a cloth of all the beastes which they knowe in their countrey And such badde painters as they are foorth with they painted mee two clothes one of their beastes another of their birdes and fishes They say that they will bring their children that our religious men may instruct them and that they desire to knowe our lawe And they assure vs that aboue fiftie yeeres past it was prophecied among them that a certaine people like vs should come and from that part that wee came from and that they should subdue all that countrey That which these Indians worship as farre as hitherto wee can learne is the water for they say it causeth their corne to growe and maintaineth their life and that they know none other reason but that their ancesters did so I haue sought by all meanes possible to learne of the inhabitants of these townes whether they haue any knowledge of other people countreys and cities And they tell mee of seuen cities which are farre distant from this place which are like vnto these though they haue not houses like vnto these but they are of earth and small and that among them much cotton is gathered The chiefe of these townes whereof they haue knowledge they say is called Tucano and they gaue mee no perfect knowledge of the rest And I thinke they doe not tell me the trueth imagining that of nâ—cessitie I must speedily depart from them and returne home But herein they shall soone finde themselues decâ—iued I sent Don Pedro de Touar with his companie of footemen and with certaine other horsemen to see this towne And I would not haue dispatched this packet vnto your lordship vntill I had knowen what this towne was if I had thought that within twelue or fifteene dayes I might haue had newes from him for hee will stay in this iourney thirtie dayes at least And hauing â—xamined that thâ— knowledge hereof is of small importance and that the colde and the waters approch I thought it my duety to doe according as your lordship gaue mee charge in your instructions which is that immediatly vpon mine arriuall here I should signifie so much vnto your lordship and so I doe sending withall the bare râ—lation of that which I haue seene I haue determined â—o send round about the countrey from hence to haue knowledge of all things and rather to suffer all extremitie then to leaue this enterprise to serue his maiestie if I may find any thing wherein I may performe it and not to omit any diligence therein vntill your lordship send mee order what I shall doe Wee haue great want of pasture and your lordship also shal vnderstand that among all those which are here there is not one pound of raisins nor suger nor oyle nor any wine saue only one pinte which is saued to say MaÌ„sse for all is spent spilt by the way Now your lordship may prouide vs what you thinke needefull And if your honour meane to send vs cattell your lordship must vnderstand that they will bee a sommer in comming vnto vs for they will not be able to come vnto vs any sooner I would haue sent your lordshippe with this dispatch many musters of things which are in this countrey but the way is so long and rough that it is hard for me to doe so neuerthelesse I send you twelue small mantles such as the people of the countrey are woont to weare and a certaine garment also which seemeth vnto me to bee well made I kept the same because it seemed to mee to bee excellent well wrought because I beleeue that no man euer sawe any needle worke in these Indies except it were since the Spaniards inhabited the same I send your Lordshippe alâ—o two clothes painted with the beasts of this countrey although as I haue sayde the picture bee very rudâ—ly done because the painter spent but one day in drawing of the lâ—me I haue seâ—ne other pictures on the walles of the houses of this citie with faire better proportion and bettâ—r mâ—de I send your honour one Oâ—e-hide certaine Turqueses and two caterings of the sâ—me and fifteene combes of the Indians and certain tablets set with these Turqueses and two small baskets made of wicker whereof the Indians haue great store I send your lordship also two rollâ—s which the women in these parts are woont to weare on their heads when they fetch water from their wâ—lles as wee vse to doe in Spainâ— And one of these Indian women with one of these rolles on her head will carie a pitcher of water without touching the same with her hande vp a lather I send you also a muster of the weapons wherewith these people are wooâ—t to fight a tuckler a mace a bowe and certaine arrowes among which are two with points of bones the like whereof as these conquerours say haue neuer beene seene I can say nothing vnto your lordshippe touching the apparell of their women For the Indians keepe them so carefully from vs that
that she was called Guatuzaca and that thereabout were many lords which in their life death vsed the like orders which they of Ceuola did which had their dwelling in the summer with painted mantles and in the winter dwelt in houses of wood of 2. or 3. lofts hie and that he had seene all these things sauing the old woman And when againe I began to aske him more questions he would not answere me saying that he was weariâ— of me and many of those Indians comming aboue me they said among themselus Let vs marke him well that we may knowe him when he commeth backe againe The Monday following the riuer was beset with people like to them and I began to request the old man to tell me what people wâ—re in that countrey which told me he thought I would soone forget them and here he reckoned vp vnto me a great number of lords and people at the least 200. And discoursing with him of their armour he said that some of them had certaine very large targets of lether aboue two fingers thicke I asked him of what beasts skinne they made them and he described vnto me a very great beast like vnto an Oxe but longer by a great handfull with broad feete the legs as bigge as the thigh of a man and the head seuen handfuls long the forehead of three spannes and the eyes bigger then ones fiâ—t and the hornes of the length of a mans leg out of which grew sharpe poynts an hand full long the forfeete and hinderfecte aboue seuen handfuls bigge with a wreâ—hâ—d tayle but very great and holding vp his armes aboue his head he said the beast was higher then that After this hee gaue mee information of another olde woman which dwelt towaâ—d the sea side I spent this day in giuing crosses to those people as I had done vnto the former This old man that was with me leapâ— on â—hore fell in conference with another which that day had often called him and here both of them vsed many gestures in their speach moouing their armes and poynting at me Therefore I sent mine interpreter out willing him to drawe neere vnto them and listen wâ—â—t they said and within a while I called him and asked him whereof they talked and he sayd that he which made those gestures said vnto the other that in Ceuola there were othâ—rs like vnto vs with beards and that they said they were Christians and that both of them sayd that we were all of one companyâ— and that it were a good deede to kill vs that those others might haue no knowledge of vs lest they might come to doe them harme and that the old man answered him this is the sonne of the Sunne our lord he doth vs good and wil not enter into our houses although we request him therevnto he will take away nothing of ours he wil meddle with none of our women and that to be short he had spoken many other things in my commendation and fauour and for all thâ—s the other stedfastly affirmed that we were all one and that the old man said Let vs goe vnto him and aske him whether he be a Christian as the other be or els the sonne of the Sunne and thâ— old man came vnto me and sayd In the countrey of Ceuola whereof you spake vnto me doe other men like vnto you â—well Then I began to make as though I wondred and answered him that it was impossible and they assured me that it was true and that two men had seene them whâ—ch came from thence which reported that they had things which did shoote fire and swords as we had I asked them whether they had seene them with their owne eyes and they answered no but that certaine of their companions had seene them Then he asked mee â—hether I were the sonne oâ— the Sunne I answered him yea They said that those Christians of Ceuola said so likewise And I answered them that it might well be Then they asked mee if those Christians of Ceuola came ioyne themselues with me whether I would ioyne with them and I answered them thaâ— they needed not to feare any whit at all for if they were the sonnes of the Sunne as they said they must needes be my brethren and would vse towards all men the like loue and courtesie which I vsâ—d whereupon hereat they seemed to be somewhat satisfied Chap. 7. It is tolde him that they are ten dayes iourney distant from Ceuola and that there be Christians there which make warre against the lords of that countrey Of the Sodomie which those Indians vse with foure yong men appoynted for that seruice which weare womens appâ—rel Seeing they could not send newes of their being there to them of Ceuola they went backe againe downe the riuer to their ships THen I prâ—yed them to tel me how many dayes that kingdom of Ceuola which they spake of was diâ—tant from that riuer and that man answered that there was the space of tenne dayes iourney withâ—ut hâ—ritation and that he made none accompt of the rest of the way because there wâ—re people 〈…〉 found Upon this aduertisement I was desirous to certifie Captaine Francis Vazquez of my being there and imparted my mind with my souldiers among whom I found none that was willing to goe thither although I offered them many rewards in your lordships name onely one Negro slaue though with an euil wil offred himselfe vnto me to go thither but I looked for the comming of those two Indians which they told me of and herewithall we went on our way vp the riuer against the streame in such sort as we had done before Here that olde man shewed me as a strange thing a sonne of his clad in womans apparel exercising their office I asked him how many there were of these among them and he told me there were foure that when any of them died there was a search made of all the women with child which were in the country and that the first sonne which was borne of them was appoynted to doe that duetie belonging vnto women and that the women clad him in their apparell saying that seeing he was to doe that which belonged to them he should weare their apparel these yong men may not hauâ— carnall copulation with any woman but all the yong men of the countrey which are to marrie may company with thâ—m These men receiue no kind of reward for this incestous act of the people of that countrâ—â— because they haue libertie to take whatsoeuer they find in any house for their food I saw likewise certaine women whâ—ch liued dishonestly among men and I asked the old man whether they were married who answered me noe but they were common women which liued aparâ— from the married women I came at length after these discourses to pray them to sâ—nd for those Indians which they said had bin at Ceuola they told me that they were
taste like the taste of almon milke and goeth downe very pleasantly intoxicating weake braines also it causeth vrine to be auoided in great measure Likewise Caracosmos that is to say black Cosmos for great lords to drink they make on this maner First they beat the said milke so long till the thickest part thereof descend right downe to the bottome like the lees of white wine and that which is thin and pure remaineth aboue being like vnto whay or white must The said lees or dregs being very white are giuen to seruants aâ—d will cause them to sleepe exceedingly That which is thinne and cleare their masters drinke â— and in very deed it is marueilous sweete and holesome liquor Duke Baatu hath thirty cottages or granges within a daies iourney of his abiding place euery one of which serueth him dayly with the Caracosmos of an hundreth mares milk and so all of them together euery day with the milke of 3000. mares besides white milke which other of his subiects bring For euen as the husbandmen of Syria bestow the third part of their fruicts and carie it vnto the courts of their lords euen so doe they their mares milke euery third day Out of their cowes milke they first churne butter boyling the which butter vnto a perfect decoction they put it into rams skinnes which they reserue for the same purpose Neither doe they salte their butter and yet by reason of the long seething it putrifieth not and they keepe it in store for winter The churnmilke which remaineth of the butter they let alone till it be as sowre as possibly it may be then they boile it and in boiling it is turned all into curdes which curds they drie in the sun making them as hard as the drosse of iron and this kind of food also they store vp in sachels against winter In the winter season when milke faileth them they put the foresaid curds which they cal Gry-vt into a bladder and powring hot water thereinto they beat it lustily till they haue resolued it into the said water which is thereby made exceedingly sowre and that they drinke in stead of milke They are very scrupulous and take diligent heed that they drinke not fayre water by it selfe Of the beastes which they eat of their garments and of their maner of hunting Chap. 7. GReat lords haue cottages or granges towards the South from whence their tenants bring them Millet and meale against winter The poorer sort prouide themselues of such necessaries for y e exchange of rams of other beasts skins The Tartars slaues fil their bellies with thick water are therewithall contented They wil neither eaâ—e mise with long tailes nor any kinde of mise with short tailes They haue also certaine litle beasts called by theÌ„ Sogur which lie in a caue twenty or thirty of them together al the whole winter â—â—eeping there for the space of sixe moneths and these they take in great abundance There are also a kind of conies hauing long tayles like vnto cats on the outside of their tailes grow blacke white haires They haue many other small beasts good to eat which they know and discerne right well I saw no Decre there but a fewe hares but a great nuÌ„ber of Roes I saw wild asses in great abundance which be like vnto Mules Also I saw another kind of beast called Artak hauing in al resemblance the body of a ram crooked hornes which are of such bignes that I could scarce lift vp a paire of them with one hand of these hornes they make great drinking cups They haue Falcons Girfalcons other haukes in great plenty all which they cary vpon their right hands they put alwaies about their Falcons necks a string of leather which hangeth down to y e midst of their gorges by the which string wheÌ„ they cast them off the fist at their game with their left hand they bow downe the heads breasts of the sayd haukes least they should be tossed vp downe beaten with the wind or least they should soare too high Wherefore they get a great part of their victuals by hunting hauking Concerning their garments and attire be it knowen vnto your Maiestie that out of Cataya other regions of the East out of Persia also and other countries of the South there are brought vnto them stuffes of silke cloth of gold cotton cloth which they weare in time of summer But out of Russia Moxel Bulgaria the greater Pascatâ—r that is Hungaria the greater and out of Kersis all which are Northerne regions full of woods also out of many other countries of the North which are subiect vnto them the inhabitants bring them rich and costly skins of diuers sortes which I neuer saw in our countries where withal they are clad in winter And alwaies against winter they make themselues two gownes one with the fur inward to their skin another with the furre outward to defend them from wind snow which for the most part are made of woolues skins or Fox skins or els of Papions And wheÌ„ they sit within the house they haue a finer gowne to weare The poorer sort make their vpper gowne of dogs or of goats skins When they goe to hunt for wild beasts there meets a great company of them together inuironing the place round about where they are sure to find some game by litle litle they approch on al sides til they haue gotten the wild beasts into the midst as it were into a circle then they discharge their arrowes at them Also they make theÌ„selues breeches of skins The rich Tartars somtimes fur their gowns with pelluce or silke shag which is exceeding soft light warme The poorer sort do line their clothes with cottoÌ„ cloth which is made of the finest wooll they can pick out of the courser part of the said wool they make felt to couer their houses and their chests and for their bedding also Of the same wool being mixed with one third part of horse haire they make all their cordage They make also of the said felt couerings for their stooles and caps to defende their heads from the weather for all which purposes they spend a great quantity of their wooll And thus much concerning the attyre of the men Of the fashion which the Tartars vse in cutting their haire and of the attire of their women Chap. 8. THe men shaue a plot foure square vpon the crownes of their heads and from the two formost corners they shaue as it were two seames downe to their temples they shaue also their temples and the hinder part of their head euen vnto the nape of the necke likewise they shaue the forepart of their scalp downe to their foreheads vpon their foreheads they leaue a locke of hayre reaching downe vnto their eye browes vpon the two hindermost corners of of their heads they haue two lockes also
which they twine and braid into knots and so bind and knit them vnder each eare one Moreouer their womens garments differ not from their mens sauing that they are somwhat longer But on the morrowe after one of their women is maried shee shaues her scalpe from the middest of her head down to her forehead weares a wide garment like vnto the hood of a Nunne yea larger and longer in all parts then a Nuns hood being open before and girt vâ—to them vnder the right side For herein doe the Tartars differ from the Turkes because the Turkes fasten their garments to their bodies on the left side but the Tartars alwaies on the right side They haue also an ornament for their heads which they call Botta being made of the barke of a trée or of some such other lighter matter as they can find which by reason of the thicknes roundnes therof cannot be holden but in both hands together it hath a square sharp spire rising froÌ„ the top therof being more then a cubite in length fashioned like vnto a pinacle The said Botta they couer al ouer with a piece of rich silke it is hollow within vpon the midst of the sayd spire or square toppe they put a bunch of quils or of slender canes a cubite long and more the sayd bunch on the top thereof they beautifie with Peacocks feathers round about al y e length therof with the feathers of a Malards taile with precious stones also Great ladies weare this kind of ornament vpon their heads binding it strongly with a certain hat or coyfe which hath an hole in the crowne fit for the spire to come through it vnder the foresaid ornament they couer the haires of their heads which they gather vp round together froÌ„ the hinder part therof to the crowne so lap them vp in a knot of bundel within the said Botta which afterward they bind strongly vnder their throtes Hereupon when a great company of such gentlewomen ride together and are beheld a far off they seem to be souldiers with helmets on their heads carrying their launces vpright for the said Botta appeareth like an helmet with a launce ouer it Al their women sit on horsebacke bestriding their horses like men they bind their hoods or gownes about their wastes with a skie coloured silke skarfe with another skarfe they girde it aboue their breasts they bind also a piece of white silke like a mufler or maske vnder their eyeâ— reaching down vnto their breast These gentlewomen are exceeding fat the lesser their noses be the fairer are they esteemed they daube ouer their sweet faces with grease too shamefully and they neuer lie in bed for their trauel of childbirth Of the dueties inioined vnto the Tartarian women and of their labours and also of their mariages Chap. 9. THe duties of women are to driue carts to lay their houses vpon carts to take them downe again to milke kine to make butter Gry-vt to dresse skins to sow them which they vsually sowe with thread made of sinewes for they diuide sinewes into slender threads then twine theÌ„ into one long thread They make sandals socks other garments Howbeit they never wash any apparel for they say that God is then angry that dreadful thunder wil ensue if washed garmeÌ„ts be hanged forth to drie yea they beat such as wash take their garments froÌ„ them They are wonderfully afraid of thunder for in the time of thunder they thrust all strangers out of their houses then wrapping theÌ„selues in black felt they lie hidden therein til the thunder be ouerpast They neuer wash their dishes or bowles yea when their flesh is sodden they wash the platter wherein it must be put with scalding hot broth out of the pot then powre the said broth into the pot againe They make felte also couer their houses therewith The duties of the men are to make bowes arrowes stirrops bridles and saddles to build houses carts to keepe horses to milke mares to churne Cosmos and mares milke to make bags wherein to put it they keepe camels also lay burthens vpon them As for sheepe goates they tend and milke them aswell the men as the women With sheeps milke thicked salted they dresse and tan their hides When they wil wash their hands or their heads they fil their mouthes full of water spouting it into their hands by little and little they sprinckle their haire wash their heades therwith As touching mariages your Highnes is to vnderstand that no man can haue a wife among them till he hath bought her whereupon somtimes their maids are very stale before they be maried for their parents alwaies keepe theÌ„ till they can sel them They keepe the first and second degrees of consanguinitie inuiolable as we do but they haue no regard of the degrees of affinity for they wil marrie together or by succession two sisters Their widowes marie not at al for this reason because they beleeue that al who haue serued them in this life shall do them seruice in the life to come also Whereupon they are perswaded that euery widow after death shal returne vnto her own husband And herehence ariseth an abominable filthy custome among them namely that the sonne marieth somtimes all his fathers wiues except his own mother For the court or house of the father or mother falleth by inheritance alwaies to the yonger son Wherupon he is to prouide for all his fathers wiues because they are part of his inheritance aswel as his fathers possessions And then if he will he vseth them for his owne wiues for he thinks it no iniurie or disparagement vnto himselfe although they returne vnto his father after death Therfore wheÌ„ any man hath bargained with another for a maid the father of the said damosel makes him a feast in the meane while she fleeth vnto some of her kinsfolks to hide her selfe Then saith her father vnto the bridegrome Loe my daughter is yours take her wheresoeuer you can find her Then he and his friends seek for her till they can find her and hauing found her hee must take her by force and cary her as it were violently vnto his owne house Of their execution of iustice and iudgement and of their deaths and burials Chap. 10. COncerning their lawes or their execution of iustice your Maiesty is to be aduertised that when two men fight no third man dare intrude himself to part them Yea the father dare not help his owne sonne But he that goes by the worst must appeale vnto the court of his lord And whosoeuer els offereth him any violence after appeale is put to death But he must go presâ—ntly without all delay and he that hath suffered the iniury carieth him as it were captiue They punish no man with sentence of death vnles hee bee taken in the deede doing
to ease themselues the filthy lozels had not the maners to withdrawe themselues farther from vs then a beane can bee cast Yea like vile slouens they would lay their tailes in our presence while they were yet talking with vs many other things they committed which were most tedious and loathsome vnto vs. But abâ—ue all things it grieued me to the very heart that when I would vtter ought vnto them which might tend to their edification my foolish interpreter would say you shall not make me become a Preacher now I tell you I cannot nor I will not rehearse any such wordes And true it was which he saide For I perceiued afterward when I began to haue a litle smattering in the laâ—guage that when I spake one thing he would say quite another whatsoeuer came next vnto his witlesse tongues end Then seeing the danger I might incurre in speaking by such an interpreter I resolued much rather to holde my peace and thus we traueiled with great toile from lodging to lodging till at the length a fewe dayes before the feast of Saint Marie Magdalene we arriued at the banke of the mightie riuer Tanais which diuideth Asia from Europa euen as the riuer Nilus of AEgypt disioyneth Asia from Africa At the same place where wee arriued Baatu and Sartach did cause a certaine cottage to be built vpon the Easterne banke of the riuer for a companie of Russians to dwell in f to the ende they might transport Ambassadours and merchants in ferrie-boates ouer that part oâ— the riuer First they ferried vs ouer and then our carts putting one wheele into one lyter and the other wheele into another lyter hauing bounde both the lyters together and so they rowe them ouer In this place our guide played the foole most extreamely For hee imagining that th e said Russians dwelling in the cottage should haue prouided vs horses sent home the beasts which we brought with vs in another cart y t they might returne vnto their owne masters And when we demanded to haue some beasts of theÌ„ they answered that they had a priuiledge from Baatu wherby they were bound to none other seruice but only to ferry ouer goers commers and that they receiued great tribute of marchants in regard therof We staied therfore by the said riuers side three daies The first day they gaue vnto vs a great fresh turbut the second day they bestowed rye bread and a litle flesh vpon vs which the purueyer of the village had taken vp at euerie house for vs and the third day dried fishes which they haue there in great abundance The saide riuer was euen as broad in that place as the riuer of Sein is at Paris And before we came there we passed ouer many goodly waters and full of fish howbeit the barbarous and rude Tartars know not how to take them neither do they make any reckoning of any fish except it be so great that they may pray vpon the flesh therof as vpon the flesh of a ram This riuer is the limite of the East part of Russia and it springeth out of the fennes of Maeotis which fennes stretch vnto the North Ocean And it runneth Southward into a certain great sea 700. miles about before it falleth into the sea called PoÌ„tus Euxinus And al the riuers which we passed ouer ran with ful stream into those quarters The foresaid riuer hath great store of wood also growing vpon the West side thereof Beyond this place the Tartars ascend no farther vnto the North for at that season of the yeere about the first of August they begin to returne backe vnto the South And therfore there is another cottage somwhat lower where passengers are ferried ouer in Winter time And in this place wee were driuen to great extremitie by reason that we could get neither horses nor oxen for any money At length after I had declared vnto them that my comming was to labour for the common good of all Christians they sent vs oxen men howbeit we our selues were faine to trauel on foote At this time they were reaping their rye Wheat prospereth not wel in that soile They haue the seed of Millium in great abundance The Russian women attire their heads like vnto our women They imbroder their safegards or gowns on the outside from their feet vnto their knees with particoloured or grey sâ—uffe The Russian men weare caps like vnto the Dutch men Also they weare vpon their heads certain sharpe high-crowned hats made of felt much like vnto a sugar loafe Then traueiled we 3. daies together not finding any people And when our selues and our oxen were exceeding weary and faint not knowing how far off we should find any Tartars on the sudden there came two horses running towards vs which we tooke with great ioy and our guide and interpreter mounted vpon their backes to see how far off they could descry any people At length vpon the fourth day of our iourney hauing found some inhabitants we reioyced like sea-faring men which had escaped out of a dangerous tempest and had newly recouered the hauen Then hauing taken fresh horses and oxen we passed on from lodging to lodging till at the last vpon the second of the Kalends of August we arriued at the habitation of Duke Sartach himselfe Of the dominion of Sartach and of his Subiects Chap. 16. THe region lying beyond Tanais is a very goodly countrey hauing store of riuers and woods toward the North part thereof There be mighty huge woods which two sorts of people do inhabite One of them is called Moxel being meere Pagans and without law They haue neither townes nor cities but only cottages in y e woods Their lord a great part of themselues were put to the sword in high Germanie Whereupon they highly commend the braue courage of the Almans hoping as yet to be deliuered out of the bondage of the Tartars by their meanes If any merchant come vnto them he must prouide things necessary for him with whom he is first of all enterteined all the time of his abode among them If any lieth with another mans wife her husband vnles he be an eiewitnes therof regardeth it not for they are not ielous ouer their wiues They haue abundance of hogs and great store of hony waxe and diuers sorts of rich costly skins and plentie of falcons Next vnto them are other people called Merclas which the Latines cal Merdui and they are Saracens Beyond them is the riuer of Etilia or Volga which is y e mightiest riuer that euer I saw And it issueth from the North part of Bulgaria the greater so trending along Southward disimboqueth into a certain lake coÌ„taining in circuit the space of 4. moneths trauel whereof I will speak hereafter The two foresaid riuers namely Tanais Etilia otherwise called Volga towards the Northren regions through the which we traueiled are not distaÌ„t asunder aboue x. daies iourney
woman be not beaten with the whip once a weeke she will not be good and therefore they looke for it orderly the women say that if their husbands did not beate them they should not loue them They vse to marry there very yong their sonnes at 16. and 18. yeeres olde and the daughters at 12. or 13. yeeres or yonger they vse to keepe their wiues very closely I meane those that be of any reputation so that a man shall not see one of them but at a chance when she goeth to church at Christmas or at Easter or els going to visite some of her friends The most part of the women vse to ride a sleide in saddles with styrrops as men do and some of them on sleds which in summer is not commendable The husband is bound to finde the wife colours to paint her withall for they vse ordinarily to paynt themselues it is such a common practise among them that it is counted for no shame they grease their faces with such colours that a man may discerne them hanging on their faces almost a flight shoote off I cannot so well liken them as to a millers wife for they looke as though they were beaten about the face with a bagge of meale but their eye browes they colour as blacke as ieat The best propertie that the women haue is that they can sowe well and imbroder with silke and golde excellently Of their buriall VVHen any man or woman dieth they stretch him out and put a new paire of shooes on his feete because he hath a great iourney to goe then doe they winde him in a sheet as we doe but they forget not to put a testimonie in his right hand which the priest giueth him to testifie vnto S. Nicholas that he died a Christian man or woman And they put the coarse alwayes in a coffin of wood although the partie be very poore and when they goe towards the Church the friends and kinsemen of the partie departed carrie in their hands small waxe candles and they weepe and howle and make much lamentation They that be hanged or beheaded or such like haue no testimonie with them how they are receiued into heauen it is a wonder without their pasport There are a great number of poore people among them which die daily for lacke of sustenance which is a pitifull case to beholde for there hath beene buried in a small time within these two yeeres aboue 80. persons young and old which haue died onely for lacke of sustenance for if they had had straw and water enough they would make shift to liue for a great many are forced in the winter to drie straw and stampe it and to make bread thereof or at the least they eate it in stead of bread In the summer they make good shift with grasse herbes and rootes barks of trees are good meat with them at all times There is no people in the world as I suppose that liue so miserably as do the pouerty in those parts and the most part of them that haue sufficient for themselues and also to relieue others that need are so vnmerciful that they care not how many they see die of famine or hunger in the streets It is a countrey full of diseases diuers and euill and the best remedie is for anie of them as they holde opinion to goe often vnto the hote houses as in a maner euery man hath one of his owne which hee heateth commonly twise euery weeke and all the housholde sweate and wash themselues therein The names of certaine sortes of drinkes vsed in Russia aud commonly drunke in the Emperours Court. THe first and principall meade is made of the iuice or liecour taken from a berrie called in Russia Malieno which is of a marueilous sweete taste and of a carmosant colour which berry I haue seene in Paris The second meade is called Visnoua because it is made of a berry so called and is like a black gooseberrie but it is like in colour and taste to the red wine of France The third meade is called Amarodina or Smorodina short of a small berry much like to the small rezin and groweth in great plentie in Russia The fourth meade is called Chereunikyna which is made of the wilde blacke cherry The fift meade is made of hony and water with other mixtures There is also a delicate drinke drawn from the root of the birch tree called in the Russe tongue Berozeuites which drinke the noble men and others vse in Aprill May and Iune which are the three moneths of the spring time for after those moneths the sapp of the tree dryeth and then they cannot haue it The voyage of Master Anthony Ienkinson made from the citie of Mosco in Russia to the citie of Boghar in Bactria in the yeere 1558 written by himselfe to the Merchants of London of the Moscouie companie THe 23. day of April in the yeere 1558. hauing obtained the Emperor of Russia his letters directed vnto sundry kings and princes by whose dominions I should passe I departed from Mosco by water hauing with mee two of your seruants namely Richard Iohnson Robert Iohnson and a Tartar Tolmach with diuers parcels of wares as by the inuentory appeareth and the 28. day we came to a town called Collom distant from the Mosco 20. leagues passing one league beyond the saide Collom we came vnto a riuer called Occa into the which the riuer Mosco falleth and looseth his name and passing downe the said riuer Occa 8. leagues we came vnto a castle called Terreuettisko which we left vpon our right hand and proceeding forward the second day of May we came vnto another castle called Peroslaue distant 8. leagues leauing it also on our right hand The third day we came vnto the place where olde Rezan was situate beeing now most of it ruined and ouergrowen and distant from the said Peroslaue 6. leagues the 4. day we passed by a castle called Terrecouia from Rezan 12. leagues the 6. day we came to another castle called Cassim vnder the gouernment of a Tartar prince named Vtzar Zegoline sometime Emperour of the worthy citie of Cazan and now subiect vnto the Emperour of Russia But leauing Cassim on our left hand the 8. day we came vnto a faire town called Morom from Cassim 20. leagues where we took the sonne and found the latitude 56. degrees and proceeding forward the 11. day we came vnto another faire town castle called Nyse Nouogrod situated at the falling of the foresaid riuer Occa into the worthie riuer of Volga distant from the saide Moron 25. leagues in the latitude of 56. degrees 18. minutes Frō Rezan to this Nyse Nouogrod on both sides the said riuer of Occa is raised the greatest store of ware and hony in all the land of Russia We carried at the foresaid Nyse Nouogrod vntil the 19. day for the comming of a captain which was sent by the
twise a weeke yet leaue they a tuft of haire vpon their heads about 2. foote long I haue enquired why they leaue the tuft of haire vpon their heads They answer that thereby they may easâ—â—er be caried vp into heauen when they are dead For their religion they haue certaine priests who are apparelled like vnto other men They vse euery morning and afternoone to go vp to the tops of their churches and tell there a great tale of Mahumet and Mortus Ali and other preaching haue they none Their Lent is after Christmas not in abstinence from flesh onely but from all meats and drinks vntill the day be off the skie but then they eate somtimes the whole night And although it be against their religion to drinke wine yet at night they will take great excesse thereof and be drunken Their Lent beginneth at the new Moone and they do not enter into it vntill they haue seene the same neither yet doeth their Lent end vntill they haue seen the next new Moone although the same through close weather should not be seen in long time They haue among them certaine holy men whom they call Setes counted holy for that they or any of their ancestors haue bene on pilgrimage at Mecha in Arabia for whosoeuer goeth thither on pilgrimage to visite the sepulchre of Mahumet both he and all his posteritie are euer after called Setes and counted for holy men and haue no lesse opinion of themselues And if a man contrary one of these he will say that he is a Saint and therefore ought to be beleeued and that hee cannot lie although he lie neuer so shamefully Thus a man may be too holy and no pride is greater then spirituall pride of a mind puffed vp with his owne opinion of holinesse These Setes do vse to shaue their heads all ouer sauing on the sides a litle aboue the temples the which they leaue vnshauen and vse to braid the same as women do their haire and to weare it as long as it will grow Euery morning they vse to worship God Mahumet and Mortus Ali in praying turne themselues toward the South because Mecha lieth that way from them When they be in trauell on the way many of them will as soone as the Sunne riseth light from their horses turning themselues to the South and will lay their gownes before them with their swords and beads and so standing vpright worship to the South and many times in their prayers kneele downe and kisse their beads or somwhat els that lieth before them The men or women doe neuer goe to make water but they vse to take with them a pot with a spout and after they haue made water they flash some water vpon their priuy parts and thus doe the women as well as the men and this is a matter of great religion among them and in making of water the men do cowre downe as well as the women When they earnestly affirme a matter they will sweare by God Mahumet or Mortus Ali and sometimes by all at ones as thus in their owne language saying Olla Mahumet Ali. But if he will sweare by the Shaughs head in saying Shaugham basshe you may then beleeue him if you will The Shaugh keepeth a great magnificence in his court and although sometimes in a moneth or six weekes none of his nobilitie or counsaile can see him yet goe they daily to the court and tary there a certaine time vntill they haue knowen his pleasure whether hee will commaund them any thing or not Hee is watched euery night with a thousand of his men which are called his Curshes whâ— are they that hee vseth to send into the Countreis about his greatest affaires When he sendeth any of them if it be to the greatest of any of his nobilitie he will obey them although the messenger should beat any of them to death The Shaugh occupieth himselfe alwayes two dayes in the weeke in his Bathstoâ—e and when he is disposed to goe thither he taketh with him fiue or sixe of his concubines more or lesse and one day they consume in washing rubbing and bathing him and the other day in paring his nailes and other matters The greatest part of his life hee spendeth amongst his wiues and concubines Hee hath now reigned about fiftie and foure yeeres and is therefore counted a very holy man as they euer esteeme their kings if they haue reigned fiftie yeeres or more for they measure the fauour of God by a mans prosperitie or his displeasure by a mans misfortune or aduersitie The great Turke hath this Shaugh in great reuerence because he hath reigned king so long time I haue sayd before that hee hath foure wiues and as many concubines as him listeth and if he chance to haue any children by any of his concubines and be minded that any of those children shall inherite after him then when one of his wiues dieth the concubine whom hee so fauoureth hee maketh one of his wiues and the childe whom he so loueth best he ordaineth to bee king after him What I heard of the maner of their mariages for offending of honest consciences and chaste eares I may not commit to writing their fasting I haue declared before They vse circumcision vnto children of seuen yeeres of age as do the Turkes Their houses as I haue said are for the most part made of bricke not burned but only dried in the Sunne In their houses they haue but litle furniture of houshold stuffe except it be their carpets and some copper worke for all their kettles dishes wherein they eate are of copper They eate on the ground sitting on carpets crosse legged as do Tailors There is no man so simple but he sitteth on a carpet better or worse and the whole house or roume wherein he sitteth is wholy couered with carpets Their houses are all with flat roofes couered with earth and in the Sommer time they lie vpon them all night They haue many bond seruaunts both men and women Bondmen and bondwomen is one of the best kind of merchandise that any man may bring When they buy any maydes or yong women they vse to feele them in all partes as with vs men doe horses when one hath bought a yong woman if he like her he will keepe her for his owne vse as long as him listeth and then selleth her to an other who doeth the like with her So that one woman is sometimes sold in the space of foure or fiue yeeres twelue or twentie times If a man keepe a bondwoman for his owne vse and if hee find her to be false to him and giue her body to any other he may kill her if he will When a merchant or traueller commeth to any towne where he entendeth to tary any time he hireth a woman or somtimes 2. or 3. during his abode there And when he commeth to an
would breede in them many diseases but that they vse bathstoues or hote houses in steade of all Phisicke commonly twise or thrise euery weeke All the winter time and almost the whole Sommer they heat their Peaches which are made like the Germane bathstoues and their Poclads like ouens that so warme the house that a stranger at the first shall hardly like of it These two extremities specially in the winter of heat within their houses and of extreame colde without together with their diet make them of a darke and sallow complexion their skinnes being tanned and parched both with cold and with heate specially the women that for the greater part are of farre worse complexions then the men Whereof the cause I take to be their keeping within the hote houses and busying themselues about the hearing and vsing of their bath-stoues and peaches The Russe because that he is vsed to both these extremities of heat and of cold can beare them both a great deale more patiently then strangers can doe You shall see them sometimes to season their bodies come out of their bathstoues all on a froth and fuming as hoat almost as a pigge at a spit and presently to leape into the riuer starke naked or to powre cold water all ouer their bodies and that in the coldest of all the winter time The women to mende the bad hue of their skinnes vse to paint their faces with white and red colours so visibly that euery man may perceiue it Which is made no matter because it is common and liked well by their husbands who make their wiues and daughters an ordinarie allowance to buy them colours to paint their faces withall and delight themselues much to see them of fowle women to become such faire images This parcheth the skinne and helpeth to deforme them when their painting is of They apparell themselues after the Greeke manner The Noblemans attire is on this fashion First a Taffia or little night cappe on his head that couereth litle more then his crowne commonly verie rich wrought of silke and golde threede and set with pearle and precious stone His head he keepeth shauen close to the very skinne except he be in some displeasure with the Emperour Then hee suffereth his haire to growe and hang downe vpon his shoulders couering his face as vgly and deformedly as he can Ouer the Taffia hee weareth a wide cappe of blacke Fore which they account for the best furre with a Tiara or long bonnet put within it standing vp like a Persian or Babilonian hatte About his necke which is seene all bare is a coller set with peaâ—le and precious stone about three or foure fingers broad Next ouer his shirt which is curiously wrought because hee strippeth himselfe into it in the Sommer time while he is within the house is a Shepon or light garment of silke made downe to the knees buttoned before and then a Caftan or a close coat buttoned and girt to him with a Persian girdle whereat he hangs his kniues and spoone This commonly is of cloth of gold and hangeth downe as low as his ancles Ouer that hee weareth a lose garment of some rich silke furred and faced about with some golde lace called a Ferris An other ouer that of thamlet or like stuffe called an Alkaben sleeued and hanging lowe and the cape commonly brooched and set all with pearle When hee goeth abroad he casteth ouer all these which are but sleight though they seeme to be many an other garment called an Honoratkey like to the Alkaben saue that it is made without a coller for the necke And this is commonly of fine cloth or Camels haire His buskins which he weareth in stead of hose with linnen folles vnder them in stead of boot hose are made of a Persian leather called Saphian embrodered with pearle His vpper stockes commonly are of cloth of golde When he goeth abroad hee mounteth on horsebacke though it be but to the next doore which is the maner also of the Boiarskey or Gentlemen The Boiarskey or Gentlemans attire is of the same fashion but differeth in stuffe and yet he will haue his Caâ—tan or vndercoat sometimes of cloth of golde the rest of cloth or silke The Noble woman called Chyna Boiarshena weareth on her head first a caull of some soft silke which is commonly redde and ouer it a fruntlet called Obrosa of white colour Ouer that her cappe made after the coife fashion of cloth of gold called Shapka Zempska edged with some rich furre and set with pearle and stone Though they haue of late begunne to disdaine embrodering with pearle aboue their cappes because the Diacks and some Marchants wiues haue taken vp the fashion In their eares they weare earerings which they call Sargee of two inches or more compasso the matter of gold set with Rubies or Saphires or some like precious stone In Sommer they goe often with kerchieffes of fine white lawne or cambricke fastned vnder the â—hinne with two long â—assels pendent The kerchiefe spotted and set thicke with rich pearle When they ride or goe abroad in raynie weather they weare white hattes with coloured bandes called Stapa Zemskoy About their neckes they weare collers of three or foure fingers broad set with rich pearle and precious stone Their vpper garment is a loose gowne called Oposhen commonly of scarlet with wide loose sleeues hanging downe to the ground buttened before with great golde buttons or at least siluer and guilt nigh as bigge as a walnut Which hath hanging ouer it fastned vnder the cappe a large broad cape of some rich furre that hangeth downe almost to the middes of their backes Next vnder the Oposken or vpper garment they weare another called a Leitnick that is made close before with great wide sleeues the cuffe or halfe sleeue vp to the elbowes commonly of cloth of golde and vnder that a Ferris Zemskoy which hangeth loose buttoned throughout to the very foote On the hande wrests they weare very faire braselets about two fingers broad of pearle and precious stone They goe all in buskins of white yellow blew or some other coloured leather embrodered with pearle This is the attire of the Noblewoman of Russia when she maketh the best shewe of her selfe The Gentlewomans apparell may differ in the stuffe but is all one for the making or fashion As for the poore Mousick and his wife they goe poorely cladde The man with his Honoratkey or loose gowne to the small of the legge tyed together with a lace before of course white or blew cloth with some Shube or long wastcoate of furre or of sheepeskinne vnder it and his furred cappe and buskins The poorer sort of them haue their Honoratkey or vpper garment made of Rowes haire This is their winter habite In the sommer time commonly they weare nothing but their shirts on their backes and buskins on their legges The woman goeth in a red or blew gowne when she maketh the
best shewe and with some warme Shube of furre vnder it in the winter time But in the sommer nothing but her two shirts for so they call them one ouer the other whether they be within doores or without On their heads they weare caps of some coloured stuffe many of veluet or of cloth of gold but for the most part kerchiefs Without earings of siluer or some other mettall and her crosse about her necke you shall see no Russe woman be she wife or maide The Lord Boris Pheodorowich his letter to the Right Honorable William Burghley Lord high Treasurer of England c. BY the grace of God the great Lord Emperor and great Duke Theodore Iuanowich great Lord King and great Duke of all Russia of Volodemer Mosco and Nouogorod king of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsko and great Duke of Smolensco Tuer Vghori Permi Viatsko Bolgorie and other places Lorde and great Duke of Nouogrod in the Lowe Countrey of Chernigo Rezan Polotsky Rostoue Yeroslaue Bealozera and Lâ—efland of Oudorski Obdorski Condinski and commander of all Sibierland and the North coasts great Lorde ouer the Countrey of Iuerski Grisinski Emperor of Kabardinski and of the Countrey Charchaski and the Countrey of Gorsky and Lord of many other regions From Boris Pheodorowich his Maiesties brother in law master of his horses gouernour of the territories of Cazan and Astracan to William Lord Burghley Lord high Treasurer to the most vertuous Ladie Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland and other dominions I receiued your Lordships letters wherein you write that you haue receiued very ioyfully my letters sent vnto you and aduisedly read them and imparted the same vnto her Maiestie and that your Merchants finde themselues agreeued that when they approch these parts and are arriued here they are not permitted to enter into a free and liberall course of barter traffike and exchange of their commodities as heretofore they haue done but are compelled before they can enter into any traffike to accept the Emperours waxe and other goods at high rates farre aboue their value to their great losse and that they are by reason of this restraint long holden vpon these coasts to the danger of wintering by the way Hereafter there shal be no cause of offence giuen to the Marchants of the Queenes Maiestie Queene Elizabeth they shall not be forced to any thing neither are there or shall be any demands made of custome or debts Such things as haue beene heretofore demaunded all such things haue beene already vpon their petition and supplication commaunded to be discharged I haue sollicited his Maiestie for them that they be not troubled hereafter for those matters and that a fauourable hand be caried ouer them And according to your request I will be a meane to the Emperour for them in all their occasions and will my selfe shew them my fauorable countenance And I pray you William Burghley to signifie to her Maiesties Merchants that I promise to haue a care of them and for the Queenes Maiestie of Englands sake I will take her Merchants into my protection and will defend them as the Emperours selected people vnder the Emperors commission and by mine appointment all his Maiesties officers and authorized people shall be carefull ouer them The Emperors gracious fauor towards them was neuer such as it is now And where you write that at the port the Emperors Officers sell their waxe by commission at a set rate giuen them farre aboue the value and that they enforce your Marchants to accept it they deny that they take any such course but say they barter their waxe for other wares and also put their waxe to sale for readie money to your Merchants according to the worth thereof and as the price goeth in the custome house here It hath beene heretofore deare and now is sold as good cheape as in any other place and as they can best agree they enforce no man to buy it but rather kepe it therefore your Marchants haue no iust cause to make any such report I haue expressely giuen order that there shall be no such course vsed to enforce them but to buy according to their owne willes and to tarrie at the port or to depart at their pleasure And as touching the customes alreadie past and debts demanded at your Merchants hands whereof you write Our Lord great Emperour and great Duke Theodore Iuanowich of all Russia of famous memory hath shewed his Maiesties especial fauour and loue for the great loue of his welbeloued sister Queene of England and by my petition and mediation whereas there was commandement giuen to take Marshes whole debt of your Merchants and factors it is moderated to the halfe and for the other halfe commandement giuen it should not be taken and the Merchants billes to be deliuered them And to the end hereafter that her Maiesties Marchants moue no contention betwixt our Lord the Emperor and great Duke of Russia and his welbeloued sister Queene Elizabeth his Maiestie desireth order to be giuen that your Marchants doe deale iustly in their traffike and plainely without fraud or guile And I will be a fauourer of them aboue all others vnder his Maiesties authoritie themselues shall see it Written in our great Lorde the Emperours citie of Mosco in the moneth of Iuly 7099. The Queenes Maiesties letter to Theodore Iuanouich Emperour of Russia 1591. ELizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England France and Ireland defender of the faith c. to the right high mighty and right noble prince Theodore Iuanouich great Lord King and great Duke of all Russia Volodemer Mosco Nouogrod King of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsko and great Duke of Smolensko Otuer Vghory Perme Viatski Bolgory and other places Lord and great Duke of Nouogrod in the low countrey of Chernigo Rezan Polotsky Rostoue Yeraslaue Bealozero and Lifland of Oudorsky Obdorsky Condinsky and commander of all Sibierland and the North coasts great Lord ouer the countrey of Iuersky Grisinsky Emperor of Kabardinsky and of the countrey of Charkasky and of the countrey of Gorsky and Lord of many other countreys our most deare and louing brother greeting Right noble and excellent prince we haue receiued your Maiesties letters brought ouer by our merchants in their returne of their last voyage from your port of S. Nicholas which letters we haue aduisedly read and considered and thereby perceiue that your Maiesty doth greatly mislike of our late imployment of Ierome Horsey into your dominions as our messenger with our Highnesse letters and also that your Maiesty doth thinke that we in our letters sent by the sayd messenger haue not obserued that due order or respect which apperteined to your princely maiesty in the forme of the same letter aswel touching the inlargement of your Maiesties stile and titles of honor which your Maiesty expected to haue bene therein more particularly expressed as also in the adding of our greatest seale or
many of them as he pleased and the rest the saide man carried vnto the place from whence he came In this citie lyeth the body of Athanasius vpon the gate of the citie And then I passed on further vnto Armenia maior to a certaine citie called Azaron which had bene very rich in olde time but nowe the Tartars haue almost layed it waste In the saide citie there was abundance of bread and flesh and of all other victuals except wine and fruites This citie also is very colde and is reported to be higher situated then any other city in the world It hath most holesome and sweete waters about it for the veines of the said waters seeme to spring and flow from the mighty riuer of Euphrates which is but a dayes iourney from the saide city Also the said citie stands directly in the way to Tauris And I passed on vnto a certaine mountaine called Sobissacalo In the foresaide countrey there is the very same mountaine whereupon the Arke of Noah rested vnto the which I would willingly haue ascended if my company would haue stayed for me Howbeit the people of that countrey report that no man could euer ascend the said mountaine because say they it pleaseth not the highest God And I trauailed on further vnto Tauris that great and royal city which was in old time called Susis This city is accompted for traffique of marchandize the chiefe city of the world for there is no kinde of victuals nor any thing else belonging vnto marchandize which is not to be had there in great abundance This city stands very commodiously for vnto it all the nations of the whole worlde in a maner may resort for traffique Concerning the said citie the Christians in those parts are of opinion that the Persian Emperour receiues more tribute out of it then the King of France out of all his dominions Neare vnto the said city there is a salt-hill yeelding salt vnto the city and of that salt ech man may take what pleaseth him not paying ought to any man therefore In this city many Christians of all nations do inhabite ouer whom the Saracens beare rule in all things Then I traueiled on further vnto a city called Soldania wherein the Persian Emperour lieth all Sommer time but in winter hee takes his progresse vnto another city standing vpon the Sea called Baku Also the foresaid city is very great and colde hauing good and holesome waters therein vnto the which also store of marchandize is brought Moreouer I trauelled with a certaine company of Carauans toward vpper India and in the way after many dayes iourney I came vnto the citie of the the three wisemen called Cassan which is a noble and renowmed city sauing that the Tartars haue destroyed a great part thereof and it aboundeth with bread wine and many other commodities From this city vnto Ierusalem whither the three foresaid wisemen were miraculously led it is fiftie dayes iourney There be many wonders in this citie also which for breuities sake I omit From thence I departed vnto a certaine city called Geste whence the Sea of Sand is distant one dayes iourney which is a most wonderfull and dangerous thing In this city there is abundance of all kinds of victuals and especially of figs reisins and grapes more as I suppose then in any part of the whole world besides This is one of the three principall cities in all the Persian Empire Of this city the Saracens report that no Christian can by any meanes liue therein aboue a yeere Then passing many dayes iourney on forward I came vnto a certaine citie called Comum which was an huge and mightie city in olde time conteyning well nigh fiftie miles in circuite and hath done in times past great damage vnto the Romanes In it there are stately palaces altogether destitute of inhabitants notwithstanding it aboundeth with great store of victuals From hence traueiling through many countreys at length I came vnto the land of Iob named Hus which is full of all kinde of victuals and very pleasantly situated Thereabouts are certaine mountaines hauing good pastures for cattell vpon them Here also Manna is found in great aboundance Foure partriges are here solde for lesse then a groat In this countrey there are most comely olde men Here also the men spin and card and not the women This land bordereth vpon the North part of Chaldea Of the maners of the Chaldaeans and of India FRom thence I traueled into Chaldea which is a great kingdome and I passed by the tower of Babel This region hath a language peculiar vnto it selfe and there are beautifull men and deformed women The men of the same countrey vse to haue their haire kempt and trimmed like vnto our women and they weare golden turbants vpon their heades richly set with pearle and pretious stones The women are clad in a course smock onely reaching to their knees and hauing long sleeues hanging downe to the ground And they got bare-footed wearing breeches which reach to the ground also They weare no attire vpon their heads but their haire hangs disheaueled about their â—â—res and there be many other strange things alâ—o From thence I came into the lower India which the Tartars ouerran and wasted And in this countrey the people eat dates for the most part whereof 42. li. are there sold for lesse then a groat I passed further also many dayes iourney vnto then Ocean sea and the first land where I arriued is called Ormes being well fortified and hauing great store of marchandize and treasure therein Such and so extreme is the heat in that countrey that the priuities of men come out of their bodies and hang downe euen vnto their mid-legs And therefore the inhabitants of the same place to preserue their owne liues do make a certaine ointment and anointing their priuie members therewith do lap them vp in certaine bags fastened vnto their bodies for otherwise they must needs die Here also they vse a kinde of Bark or shippe called Iase being compact together onely with hempe And I went on bourd into one of them wherein I could not finde any yron at all and in the space of 28. dayes I arriued at the city of Thana wherein foure of our Friers where martyred for the faith of Christ. This countrey is well situate hauing abundance of bread and wine and of other victuals therein This kingdome in olde time was very large and vnder the dominion of king Porus who fought a great battel with Alexander the great The people of this countrey are idolaters worshipping fire serpents and trees And ouer all this land the Saracens do beare rule who tooke it by maine force and they themselues are in subiection vnto king Daldilus There be diuers kinds of beasts as namely blacke lyons in great abundance and apes also and monkeis and battes as bigge as our doues Also there are mise as bigge as our
for then his soule should suffer great torments neither could I by any meanes remooue them from that errour Many other nouelties and strange things there bee in this countrey which no man would credite vnles he saw them with his owne eyes Howbeit I before almighty God do here make relation of nothing but of that only whereof I am as sure as a man may be sure Concerning the foresaid islands I inquired of diuers wel-experienced persons who al of them as it were with one consent answered me saying That this India contained 4400. islands vnder it or within it in which islands there are sixtie and foure crowned kings and they say moreouer that the greater part of those islands are wel inhabited And here I conclude coÌ„cerning that part of India Of the vpper India and of the prouince of Mancy FIrst of al therefore hauing traueled many dayes iourney vpoÌ„ the Ocean-sea toward the East at length I arriued at a certaine great prouince called Mancy being in Latine named India Concerning this India I inquired of Christians of Saracens of Idolaters and of al such as bare any office vnder the great Can. Who all of them with one consent answered that this prouince of Mancy hath mo then 2000. great cities within the precincts thereof that if aboundeth with all plenty of victuals as namely with bread wine rise flesh and fish All the men of this prouince be artificers marchants who though they be in neuer so extreme penurie so long as they can helpe themselues by the labor of their hands wil neuer beg almes of any man The men of this prouince are of a faire and comely personage but somewhat pale hauing their heads shauen but a litle but the women are the most beautiful vnder the sunne The first city of y e said India which I came vnto is called Ceuskalon which being a daies iourney distant froÌ„ the sea stands vpon a riuer the water whereof nere vnto the mouth where it exonerateth it selfe into the sea doth ouâ—rflow the land for the space of 12. daies iourney All the inhabitants of this India are worshippers of idols The foresaid city of Ceuskalon hath such an huge nauy belonging thereunto that no man whould beleeue it vnlesse he should see it In this city I saw 300. li. of good new ginger sold for lesse then a groat There are the greatest and the fairest greese most plenty of them to be sold in al the whole world as I suppose they are as white as milke and haue a bone vpon the crowne of their heads as bigge as an egge being of the colour of blood vnder their throat they haue a skin or bag hanging downe halfe a foot They are exceeding fat wel sold. Also they haue ducks and hens in that country one as big as two of ours There be moÌ„strous great serpents likewise which are taken by the inhabitants eaten whereupon a solemne feast among them without serpents is nought set by and to be briefe in this city there are al kinds of victuals in great abundance From thence I passed by many cities at length I came vnto a city named Caitan wherin y e friers Minorites haue two places of aboad vnto the which I transported the bones of the dead friers which suffred martyrdom for the faith of Christ as it is aboue mentioned In this city there is abundance of al kind of victuals very cheap The said city is as big as two of Bononia in it are many monasteries of religious persons al which do worship idols I my selfe was in one of those Monasteries it was told me that there were in it iii. M. religious men hauing xi M. idols and one of y e said idols which seemed vnto me but litle in regard of the rest was as big as our Christopher These religious men euery day do feed their idol-gods wherupon at a certaine time I went to behold the banquet and indeed those things which they brought vnto them were good to eat fuming hote insomuch that the steame of the smoke thereof ascended vp vnto their idols they said that their gods were refreshed with the smoke howbeit all the meat they conueyed away eating it vp their owne selues and so they fed their dumb gods with the smoke onâ—ly Of the citie Fuco TRaueling more eastward I came vnto a city named Fuco which conteineth 30. miles in circuit wherin be exceeding great faire cocks and al their hens are as white as the very snow hauing wol in stead of feathers like vnto sheep It is a most stately beautiful city standeth vpon the sea Then I went 18. daies iourney on further passed by many prouinces cities and in the way I went ouer a certain great mountaine vpon y e one side whereof I beheld al liuing creatures to be as black as a cole the men and women on that side differed somwhat in maner of liuing froÌ„ others howbeit on the other side of the said hil euery liuing thing was snow-white the inhabitants in their maner of liuing were altogether vnlike vnto others There all maried women cary in token that they haue husbands a great trunke of horne vpon their heads From thence I traueiled 18. dayes iourney further and came vnto a certaine great riuer and entered also into a city whereunto belongeth a mighty bridge to passe the said riuer And mine hoste with whom I soiourned being desirous to shew me some sport said vnto me Sir if you will see any fish taken goe with me Then hee led me vnto the foresaid bridge carying in his armes with him certaine diue-doppers or water-foules bound vnto a company of poles and about euery one of their necks he tied a threed least they should eat the fish as fast as they tooke them and he caried 3. great baskets with him also then loosed he the diue-doppers from the poles which presently went into the water within lesse then the space of one houre caught as many fishes as filled the 3. baskets which being full mine hoste vntyed the threeds from about their neckes and entering the second time into the riuer they fed themselues with fish and being satisfied they returned and suffered themselues to be bound vnto the saide poles as they were before And when I did eate of those fishes me thought they were exceeding good Trauailing thence many dayes iourneys at length I arriued at another city called Canasia which signifieth in our language the city of heauen Neuer in all my life did I see so great a citie for it conteineth in circuit an hundreth miles nâ—ithâ—â— sawe I any plot thereof which was not throughly inhabited yea I sawe many houses of tenne or twelue stories high one aboue another It hath mightie large suburbs containing more people then the citie it selfe Also it hath twelue principall gates and about the distance of eight miles in the high
of another city as I my selfe saw in diuers of them The breadth of the sayd prouince is fifty dayes iourney the length aboue sixty In it there is great plenty of all victuals and especially of chesnuts and it is one of the twelue prouinces of the great Can. Going on further I came vnto a certaine kingdome called Tebek which is in subiection vnto the great Can also wherein I thinke there is more plenty of bread wine then in any other part of the world besides The people of the sayd countrey do for the most part inhabit in tents made of blacke felt Their principall city is inuironed with faire and beautifull walles being built of most white and blacke stones which are disposed checkerwise one by another and curiously compiled together likewise all the high wayes in this countrey are exceâ—dingly well paued In the sayd countrey none dare shed the bloud of a man or of any beast for the reuerence of a certaine idole In the foresayd city their Abassi that is to say their Pope is resident being the head and prince of all idolaters vpon whom he bestoweth and distributeth gifts after his maner euen as our pope of Rome accounts himselfe to be the head of all Christians The women of this countrey weare aboue an hundreth tricks and trifles about them and they haue two teeth in their mouthes as long as the tushes of a boare When any mans father deceaseth among them his sonne assembleth together all the priests and musicians that he can get saying that he is determined to honour his father then causeth he him to be caried into the field all his kinssolks friends and neighbours accompanying him in the sayd action where the priests with great solemnity cut off the fathers head giuing it vnto his sonne which being done they diuide the whole body into morsels and so leaue it behinde them returning home with prayers in the company of the sayd sonne So soone as they are departed certaine vultures which are accustomed to such bankets come flying from the mountaines and cary away all the sayd morsels of flesh and from thenceforth a fame is spread abroad that the sayd party deceased was holy because the angels of God carried him into paradise And this is the greatest and highest honour that the sonne can deuise to performe vnto his deceased father Then the sayd sonne taketh his fathers head seething it and eating the flesh thereof but of the skull he makes a drinking cup wherein himselfe with all his family and kinred do drinke with great solemnity and mirth in the remembrance of his dead and deuoured father Many other vâ—le and abominable things doth the sayd nation commit which I meane not to write because men neither can nor will beleeue except they should haue the sighâ— of them Of a certaine rich man who is fed and nourished by fiftie virgins VVHile I was in the prouince of Mancy I passed by the palace of a certaine famous man which hath fifty virgin damosels continually attending vpon him feeding him euery meale as a bird feeds her yoong ones Also he hath sundry kindes of meat serued in at his table and three dishes of ech kinde and when the sayd virgins feed him they sing most sweetly This man hath in yeerely reuenues thirty thuman of tagars of rise euery of which thuman yeeldeth tenne thousand tagars and one tagar is the burthen of an asse His palace is two miles in circuit the pauement whereof is one plate of golde and another of siluer Neere vnto the wall of the sayd palace there is a mount artificially wrought with golde and siluer whereupon stand turrets and steeples and other delectable things for the solace and recreation of the foresayd great man And it was tolde me that there were foure such men in the sayd kingdome It is accounted a great grace for the men of that countrey to haue long nailes vpon their fingers and especially vpon their thumbes which nailes they may folde about their hands but the grace and beauty of their women is to haue small and slender feet and therefore the mothers when their daughters are yoong do binde vp their feet that they may not grow great Trauelling on further towards the South I arriued at a certaine countrey called Melistorte which is a very pleasant and fertile place And in this countrey there was a certeine aged man called Senex de monte who round about two mountaines had built a wall to inclose the sayd mountaines Within this wall there were the fairest and most chrystall fountaines in the whole world and about the sayd fountaines there were most beautifull virgins in great number and goodly horses also and in a word euery thing that could be deuised for bodily solace and delight and therefore the inhabitants of the countrey call the same place by the name of Paradise The sayd olde Senex when he saw any proper and valiant yoong man he would admit him into his paradise Moreouer by certaine conducts he makes wine and milke to flow abundantly This Senex when he hath a minde to reuenge himselfe or to slay any king or baron commandeth him that is gouernor of the sayd paradise to bring thereunto some of the acquaintance of the sayd king or baron pâ—rmitting him a while to take his pleasure therein and then to giue him a certaine potion being of force to cast him into such a slumber as should make him quite voide of all sense and so being in a profound sleepe to conuey him out of his paradise who being awaked seeing himselfe thrust out of the paradise would become so sorowfull that he could not in the world deuise what to do or whither to turne him Then would he go vnto the foresaid old man beseeching him that he might be admitted againe into his paradise who saith vnto him You cannot be admitted thither vnlesse you will slay such or such a man for my sake and if you will giue the attempt onely whether you kill him or no I wil place you againe in paradise that there you may remaine alwayes then would the party without faile put the same in execution indeuouring to murther all those against whom the sayd olde man had conceiued any hatred And therefore all the kings of the east stood in awe of the sayd olde man and gaue vnto him great tribute Of the death of Senex de monte ANd when the Tartars had subdued a great part of the world they came vnto the sayd olde man and tooke from him the custody of his paradise who being incensed thereat sent abroad diuers desperate and resolute persons out of his forenamed paradise and caused many of the Tartarian nobles to be slaine The Tartars seeing this went and besieged the city wherein the said olde man was tooke him and put him to a most cruell and ignominious death The friers in that place haue this speciall gift and prerogatiue namely that by the vertue
or fourescore thousand men These two captaines being of one religion with the foure kings which were Moores wrought meanes with them to betray their owne king into their hands The king of Bezeneger esteemed not the force of the foure kings his enemies but went out of his city to wage battell with them in the fieldes and when the armies were ioyned the battell lasted but a while not the space of foure houres because the two traitourous captaines in the chiefest of the fight with their compaines turned their faces against their king and made such disorder in his army that as astonied they set themselues to flight Thirty yeeres was this kingdome gouerned by three brethren which were tyrants the which keeping the rightfull king in prison it was their vse euery yeere once to shew him to the people and they at their pleasures ruled as they listed These brethren were three captaines belonging to the father of the king they kept in prison which when he died left his sonne very yong and then they tooke the gouernment to themselues The chiefest of these three was called Ramaragio and sate in the royall throne and was called the king the second was called Temiragio and he tooke the gouernment on him the third was called Bengatre and he was captaine generall of the army These three brethren were in this battell in the which the chiefest and the last were neuer heard of quicke nor dead Onely Temiragio fled in the battel hauing lost one of his eyes when the newes came to the city of the ouerthrow in the battell the wiues and children of these three tyrants with their lawfull king kept prisoner fâ—ed away spoiled as they were the foure kings of the Moores entred the city Bezeneger with great triumph there they remained sixe moneths searching vnder houses in all places for money other things that were hidden and then they departed to their owne kingdomes because they were not able to maintaine such a kingdome as that was so farre distant from their owne countrey When the kings were departed from Bezeneger this Temiragio returned to the city and then beganne for to repopulate it and sent word to Goa to the Merchants if they had any horses to bring them to him and he would pay well for them and for this cause the aforesayd two Merchants that I went in company withall carried those horses that they had to Bezeneger Also this Tyrant made an order or lawe that if any Merchant had any of the horses that were taken in the aforesayd battell or warres although they were of his owne marke that he would giue as much for them as they would and beside he gaue generall safe conduct to all that should bring them When by this meanes he saw that there were great store of horses brought thither vnto him hee gaue the Merchants faire wordes vntill such time as he saw they could bring no more Then he licenced the Merchants to depart without giuing them any thing for their horses which when the poore men saw they were desperate and as it were mad with sorrow and griefe I rested in Bezeneger seuen moneths although in one moneth I might haue discharged all my businesse for it was necessary to rest there vntill the wayes were cleere of theeues which at that time ranged vp and downe And in the time I rested there I saw many strange and beastly dâ—eds done by the Gentiles First when there is any Noble man or woman dead they burne their bodies and if a married man die his wife must burne herselfe aliue for the loue of her husband and with the body of her husband so that when any man dieth his wife will take a moneths leaue two or three or as shee will to burne her selfe in and that day being come wherein shee ought to be burnt that morning shee goeth out of her house very earely either on horsebacke or on an eliphant or else is borne by eight men on a smal stage in one of these orders she goeth being apparelled like to a Bride carried round about the City with her haire downe about her shoulders garnished with iewels and flowers according to the estate of the party and they goe with as great ioy as Brides doe in Venice to their nuptials shee carrieth in her left hand a looking glasse and in her right hand an arrow and singeth thorow the City as she passeth and sayth that she goeth to sleepe with her deere spowse and husband She is accompanied with her kindred and friends vntill it be one or two of the clocke in the afternoone then they goe out of the City and going along the riuers side called Nigondin which runneth vnder the walles of the City vntill they come vnto a place where they vse to make this burning of women being widdowes there is prepared in this place a great square caue with a little pinnacle hard by it foure or fiue steppes vp the foresayd caue is full of dried wood The woman being come thither accompanied with a great number of people which come to see the thing then they make ready a great banquet and she that shall be burned eateth with as great ioy and gladnesse as though it were her wedding day and the feast being ended then they goe to dancing and singing a certeine time according as she will After this the woman of her owne accord commandeth them to make the fire in the square caue where the drie wood is and when it is kindled they come and certifie her thereof then presently she leaueth the feast and taketh the neerest kinseman of her husband by the hand and they both goe together to the banke of the foresayd riuer where shee putteth off all her iewels and all her clothes and giueth them to her parents or kinsefolke and couering herselfe with a cloth because she will not be seene of the people being naked she throweth herselfe into the riuer saying O wretches wash away your â—innes Comming out of the water she rowleth herselfe into a yellow cloth of foureteene braces long and againe she taketh her husbands kinseman by the hand and they go both together vp to the pinnacle of the square caue wherein the fire is made When she is on the pinnacle shee talketh and reasoneth with the people recommending vnto them her children and kindred Before the pinnacle they vse to set a mat because they shall not see the fiercenesse of the fire yet there are many that will haue them plucked away shewing therein an heart not fearefull and that they are not affrayd of that sight When this silly woman hath reasoned with the people a good while to her content there is another woman that taketh a pot with oile and sprinckleth it ouer her head and with the same she anoynteth all her body and afterwards throweth the pot into the fornace and both the woman and the pot goe together into the fire and presently the people that are
round about the fornace throw after her into the caue great pieces of wood so by this meanes with the fire and with the blowes that she hath with the wood throwen after her she is quickly dead and after this there groweth such sorrow and such lamentation among the people that all their mirth is turned into howling and weeping in such wise that a man could scarse beare the hearing of it I haue seene many burnt in this maner because my house was neere to the gate where they goe out to the place of burning and when there dieth any great man his wife with all his slaues with whom hee hath had carnall copulation burne themselues together with him Also in this kingdome I haue seene amongst the base sort of people this vse and order that the man being dead hee is carried to the place where they will make his sepulchre and setting him as it were vpright then commeth his wife before him on her knees casting her armes about his necke with imbracing and clasping him vntill such time as the Masons haue made a wall round about them and when the wall is as high as their neckes there commeth a man behinde the woman and strangleth her then when she is dead the workemen finish the wall ouer their heads and so they lie buried both together Besides these there are an infinite number of beastly qualities amongst them of which I haue no desire to write I was desirous to know the cause why these women would so wilfully burne themselues against nature and law and it was tolde mee that this law was of an ancient time to make prouision against the slaughters which women made of their husbands For in those dayes before this law was made the women for euery little displeasure that their husbands had done vnto them would presently poison their husbands and take other men and now by reason of this law thâ—y are more faithfull vnto their husbands and count their liues as deare as their owne because that after his death her owne followeth presently In the yeere of our Lord God 1567 for the ill successe that the people of Bezeneger had in that their City was sacked by the foure kings the king with his Court went to dwell in a castle eight dayes iourney vp in the land from Bezeneger called Penegonde Also sixe dayes iourney from Bezeneger is the place where they get Diamants I was not there but it was tolde me that it is a grâ—at place compassed with a wall and that they sâ—ll the earth within the wall for so much a squadron and the limits are set how deepe or how low they shall digge Those Diamants that are of a certeine sise and bigger then that sise are all for the king it is many yeeres agone since they got any there for the troubles that haue beene in that kingdome The first cause of this trouble was because the sonne of this Temeragio had put to death the lawfull king which he had in prison for which cause the Barons and Noblemen in that kingdome would not acknowledge him to be their King and by this meanes there are many kings and great diuision in that kingdome and the city of Bezeneger is not altogether destroyed yet the houses stand still but empty and there is dwelling in them nothing as is reported but Tygers and other wilde beasts The circuit of this city is foure twentie miles about and within the walles are certeine mountaines The houses stand walled with earth and plaine all sauing the three palaces of the three tyrant brethren and the Pagodes which are idole houses these are made with lime and fine marble I haue seene many kings Courts and yet haue I seene none in greatnesse like to this of Bezeneger I say for the order of his palace for it hath nine gates or ports First when you goe into the place where the king did lodge there are fiue great ports or gates these are kept with Captaines and souldiers then within these there are foure lesser gates which are kept with Porters Without the first gate there is a little porch where there is a Captaine with fiue and twenty souldiers that keepeth watch and ward night and day and within that another with the like guard where thorow they come to a very faire Court and at the end of that Court there is another porch as the first with the like guard and within that another Court And in this wise are the first fiue gates guarded and kept with those Captaines and then the lesser gates within are kept with a guard of Porters which gates stand open the greatest part of the night because the custome of the Gentiles is to doe their businesse and make their feasts in the night rather then by day The city is very safe from theeues for the Portugall merchants sleepe in the streets or vnder porches for the great heat which is there and yet they neuer had any harme in the night At the end of two moneths I determined to go for Goa in the company of two other Portugall Marchants which were making ready to depart with two palanchines or little litters which are very commodious for the way with eight Falchines which are men hired to cary the palanchines eight for a palanchine foure at a time they carry them as we vse to carry barrowes And I bought me two bullocks one of them to ride on and the other to carry my victuals and prouision for in that countrey they ride on bullocks with pannels as we terme them girts and bridles and they haue a very good commodious pace From Bezeneger to Goa in Summer it is eight dayes iourney but we went in the midst of Winter in the moneth of Iuly and were fifteene dayes comming to Ancola on the sea coast so in eight dayes I had lost my two bullocks for he that carried my victuals was weake and could not goe the other when I came vnto a riuer where was a little bridge to passe ouer I put my bullocke to swimming and in the middest of the riuer there was a little Iland vnto the which my bullocke went and finding pasture there he remained still and in no wise we could come to him and so perforce I was forced to leaue him and at that time there was much raine and I was forced to go seuen dayes a foot with great paines and by great chance I met with Falchines by the way whom I hired to carry my clothes and victuals We had great trouble in our iourney for that euery day wee were taken prisoners by reason of the great dissension in that kingdome and euery morning at our departure we must pay rescat foure or fiue pagies a man And another trouble wee had as bad as this that when as wee came into a new gouernours countrey as euery day we did although they were al tributary to the king of Bezeneger yet euery one of them stamped a seueral
these thieues part the spoyles that they take on the Sea with the king of Calicut for hee giueth leaue vnto all that will goe a rouing liberally to goe in such wise that all along that coast there is such a number of thieues that there is no saillng in those Seas but with great ships and very well armed or els they must go in company with the army of the Portugals From Cranganor to Cochin is 15. miles Cochin COchin is next vnto Goa the chiefest place that the Portugales haue in the Indies and there is great trade of Spices brugges and all other sortes of merchandize for the kingdome of Portugale and there within the land is the kingdome of Pepper which Pepper the Portugales lade in their shippes by bulke and not in sackes the Pepper that goeth for Portugale is not so good as that which goeth for Mecca because that in times past the officers of the king of Portugale made a contract with the king of Cochin in the name of the king of Portugale for the prizes of Pepper and by reason of that agreâ—ment betweene them at that time made the price can neither rise nor fall which is a very lowe and base price and for this cause the villaines bring it to the Portugales greene and full of filthe The Moores of Mecca that giue a better price haue it cleane and drie and better conditioned All the Spices and drugs that are brought to Mecca are stollen from thence as Contrabanda Cochin is two cities one of the Portugales and another of the king of Cochin that of the Portugales is situate neerest vnto the Sea and that of the king of Cochin is a mile and a halfe vp higher in the land but they are both set on the bankes of one riuer which is very great and of a good depth of water which riuer commeth out of the mountaines of the king of the Pepper which is a king of the Gentiles in whose kingdome are many Christians of saint Thomas order the king of Cochin is also a king of the Gentiles and a great faithfull friend to the king of Portugale and to those Portugales which are married and are Citizens in the Citie Cochin of the Portugales And by this name of Portugales throughout all the Indies they call all the Christians that come out of the West whether they bee Italians Frenchmen or Almaines and all they that marrie in Cochin do get an office according to the trade he is of this they haue by the great priuileges which the Citizens haue of that city because there are two principal commodities that they deale withal in that place which are these The great store of Silke that commeth from China and the great store of Sugar which commeth from Bengala the married Citizens pay not any custome for these two commodities for all other commodities they pay 4. per cento custome to the king of Cochin rating their goods at their owne pleasure Those which are not married and strangers pay in Cochin to the king of Portugale eight per cento of all maner of merchandise I was in Cochin when the Uiceroy of the king of Portugale wrought what hee coulde to breake the priuilege of the Citizens and to make them to pay custome as other did at which time the Citizens were glad to waigh their Pepper in the night that they laded the ships withall that went to Portugale and stole the custome in the night The king of Cochin hauing vnderstanding of this would not suffer any more Pepper to bee weighed Then presently after this the marchants were licensed to doe as they did before and there was no more speach of this matter nor any wrong done This king of Cochin is of a small power in respect of the other kings of the Indies for hee can make but seuentie thousand men of armes in his campe hee hath a great number of Gentlemen which hee calleth Amochi and some are called Nairi these two sorts of men esteeme not their liues any thing so that it may be for the honour of their king they will thrust themselues forward in euery danger although they know they shall die These men goe naked from the girdle vpwardes with a clothe rolled about their thighs going barefooted and hauing their haire very long and rolled vp together on the toppe of their heads and alwayes they carrie their Bucklers or Targets with them and their swordes naked these Nairi haue their wiues common amongst themselues and when any of them goe into the house of any of these women hee leaueth his sworde and target at the doore and the time that hee is there there dare not any bee so hardie as to come into that house The kings children shall not inherite the kingdome after their father because they hold this opinion that perchance they were not begotten of the king their father but of some other man therefore they accept for their king one of the sonnes of the kings sisters or of some other woman of the blood roial for that they be sure they are of the blood roiall The Nairi and their wiues vse for a brauerie to make great holes in their eares and so bigge and wide that it is incredible holding this opinion that the greater the holes bee the more noble they esteeme themselues I had leaue of one of them to measure the circumference of one of them with a threed and within that circumference I put my arme vp to the shoulder clothed as it was so that in effect they are monstrous great Thus they doe make them when they be litle for then they open the eare hang a piece of gold or lead thereat within the opening in the hole they put a certaine leafe that they haue for that purpose which maketh the hole so great They lade ships in Cochin for Portugale and for Ormus but they that goe for Ormus carrie no Pepper but by Contrabanda as for Sinamome they easilie get leaue to carrie that away for all other Spices and drugs they may liberally carie them to Ormus or Cambaia and so all other merchandize which come from other places but out of the kingdom of Cochin properly they cary away with them into Portugale great abundance of Pepper great quantitie of Ginger dried and conserued wild Sinamom good quantitie of Arecca great store of Cordage of Cairo made of the barke of the tree of the great Nut and better then that of Hempe of which they carrie great store into Portugale The shippes euery yeere depart from Cochin to goe for Portugall on the fift day of December or the fift day of Ianuary Nowe to follow my voyage for the Indies from Cochin I went to Coulam distant from Cochin seuentie and two miles which Coulam is a small Fort of the king of Portugales situate in the kingdom of Coulam which is a king of the Gentiles and of small trade at that place they lade onely halfe a ship
We found it here very hote The winter beginneth here about the last of May. In these partes is a porte or hauen called Masulipatan which standeth eight dayes iourney from hence toward the gulfe of Bengala whether come many shippes out of India Pegu and Sumatra very richly laden with Pepper spices and other commodities The countrie is very good and fruitfull From thence I went to Seruidore which is a fine countrey and the king is called the king of Bread The houses here bee all thâ—tched and made of lome Here be many Moores and Gentiles but there is small religion among them From thence I went to Bellapore and so to Barrampore which is in the country of Zelabdim Echebar In this place their money is made of a kind of siluer round and thicke to the value of twentie pence which is very good siluer It is marueilous great and a populous countrey In their winter which is in Iune Iuly and August there is no passing in the streetes but with horses the waters be so high The houses are made of lome and thatched Here is great store of cotton cloth made and painted clothes of cotton wooll here groweth great store of corne and Rice We found mariages great store both in townes and villages in many places where wee passed of boyes of eight or ten yeeres and girles of fiue or six yeeres old They both do ride vpon one horse very trimly decked and are caried through the towne with great piping and playing and so returne home and eate of a banket made of Rice and fruits and there they daunce the most part of the night and so make an ende of the marriage They lie not together vntill they be ten yeeres old They say they marry their children so yoong because it is an order that when the man dieth the woman must be burned with him so that if the father die yet they may haue a father in lawe to helpe to bring vp the children which bee maried and also that they will not leaue their sonnes without wiues nor their daughters without husbands From thence we went to Mandoway which is a very strong towne It was besieged twelue yeeres by Zelabdim Echebar before hee could winne it It standeth vpon a very great high rocke as the most part of of their castles doe and was of a very great circuite From hence wee went to Vgini and Serringe where wee ouertooke the ambassadour of Zelabdim Echebar with a marueilous great company of men elephants and camels Here is great trade of cotton and cloth made of cotton and great store of drugs From thence we went to Agra passing many riuers which by reason of the raine were so swollen that wee waded and swamme oftentimes for our liues Agra is a very great citie and populous built with stone hauing faire and large streetes with a faire riuer running by it which falleth into the gulfe of Bengala It hath a faire castle and a strong with a very faire ditch Here bee many Moores and Gentiles the king is called Zelabdim Echebar the people for the most part call him The great Mogor From thence wee went for Fatepore which is the place where the king kept his court The towne is greater then Agra but the houses and streetes be not so faire Here dwell many people both Moores and Gentiles The king hath in Agra and Fatepore as they doe crâ—dibly report 1000. elephants thirtie thousand horses 1400. tame Deere 800. concubines such store of Ounces Tigera Buffles Cocks Haukes that is very strange to see He keepeth a great court which they call Dericcan Agra and Fatepore are two very great cities either of them much greater then London and very populous Betweene Agra and Fatepore are 12. miles and all the way is a market of victuals other things as full as though a man were still in a towne and so many people as if a man were in a market They haue many fine cartes and many of them carued and gilded with gold with two wheeles which be drawen with two litle Buls about the bignesse of our great dogs in England and they will runne with any horse and carie two or three men in one of these cartes they are couerâ—d with silke or very fine cloth and be vsed here as our Coches be in England Hither is great resort of marchants from Persia and out of India and very much marchandise of silke and cloth and of precious stones both Rubies Diamants and Pearles The king is apparelled in a white Cabie made like a shirt tied with strings on the one side and a litle cloth on his head coloured oftentimes with red or yealow None come into his house but his eunuches â—hich keepe his women Here in Fatepore we staied all three vntill the 28. of September 1585. and then master Iohn Newberie tooke his iourney toward the citie of Lahor determining from thence to goe for Persia and then for Aleppo or Constantinople whether hee could get soonest passage vnto and directed me to goe for Bengala and for Pegu and did promise me if it pleased God to meete me in Bengala within two yeeres with a shippe out of England I left William Leades the ieweller in seruice with the king Zelabdim Echebar in Fatepore who did entertaine him very well and gaue him an house and fiue slaues an horse and euery day sixe S. S. in money I went from Agra to Satagam in Bengala in the companie of one hundred and fourescore boates laden with Salt Opium Hinge Lead Carpets and diuers other commodities downe the riuer Iemena The chiefe marchants are Moores and Gentiles In these countries they haue many strange ceremonies The Bramanes which are their priests come to the water and haue a string about their necks made with great ceremonies and lade vp water with both their hands and turne the string first with both their hands within and then one arme after the other out Though it be neuer so cold they will wash themselues in cold water or in warme These Gentiles will eate no flesh nor kill any thing They liue with rice butter milke and fruits They pray in the water naked and dresse their meat eate it naked and for their penance they lie flat vpon the earth and rise vp and turne themselues about 30. or 40. times and vse to heaue vp their hands to the sunne to kisse the earth with their armes and legs stretched along out and their right leg alwayes before the left Euery time they lie downe they make a score on the ground with their finger to know when their stint is finished The Bramanes marke themselues in the foreheads eares and throates with a kind of yellow geare which they grind euery morning they do it And they haue some old men which go in the streetes with a boxe of yellow pouder and marke men on their heads necks as they meet them And
their wiues do come by 10.20 30. together to the water side singing there do wash themselues then vse their ceremonies marke themselues in their foreheds and faces and cary some with them and so depart singing Their daughters be maried at or before the age of 10. yeres The men may haue 7. wiues They be a kind of craftie people worse then the Iewes When they salute one another they heaue vp their hands to their heads and say Rame Rame Frō Agra I came to Prage where the riuer Iemena entreth into the mightie riuer Ganges and Iemena looseth his name Ganges commeth out of the Northwest runneth East into the gulfe of Bengala In those parts there are many Tigers and many partriges turtle-doues and much other foule Here be many beggers in these countries which goe naked and the people make great account of them they call them Schesche Here I sawe one which was a monster among the rest He would haue nothing vpon him his beard was very long and with the haire of his head he couered his priuities The nailes of some of his fingers were two inches long for he would cut nothing from him neither would he speake He was accompanied with eight or tenne and they spake for him When any man spake to him he would lay his hand vpon his brest and bowe himselfe but would not speake Hee would not speake to the king We went from Prage downe Ganges the which is here very broad Here is great store of fish of sundry sorts of wild foule as of swannes geese cranes and many other things The countrey is very fruitfull and populous The men for the most part haue their faces shauen and their heads very long except some which bee all shauen saue the crowne and some of them are as though a man should set a dish on their heads and shaue them round all but the crowne In this riuer of Ganges are many Ilands His water is very sweete and pleasant and the countrey adioyning very fruitfull From thence wee went to Bannaras which is a great towne and great store of cloth is made there of cotton and Shashes for the Moores In this place they be all Gentiles and be the greatest idolaters that euer I sawe To this towne come the Gentiles on pilgrimage out of farre countreys Here alongst the waters side bee very many faire houses and in all of them or for the most part they haue their images standing which be euill fauoured made of stone and wood some like lions leopards and monkeis some like men women and pecocks and some like the deuil with foure armes and 4. hands They sit crosse legged some with one thing in their hands some another by breake of day and before there are men women which come out of the towne and wash thēselues in Ganges And there are diuers old men which vpon places of earth made for the purpose sit praying and they giue the people three or foure strawes which they take hold them betweene their fingers when they wash themselues and some sit to marke them in the foreheads and they haue in a cloth a litle Rice Barlie or money which when they haue washed themselues they giue to the old men which sit there praying Afterwards they go to diuers of their images giue them of their sacrifices And when they giue the old men say certaine prayers and then is all holy And in diuers places there standeth a kind of image which in their language they call Ada. And they haue diuers great stones carued whereon they poure water throw thereupon some rice wheate barly and some other things This Ada hath foure hands with clawes Moreouer they haue a great place made of stone like to a well with steppes to goe downe wherein the water standeth very foule and stinketh for the great quantitie of flowers which continually they throwe into it doe make it stinke There be alwayes many people in it for they say when they wash themselues in it that their sinnes be forgiuen them because God as they say did wash himselfe in that place They gather vp the sand in the bottome of it and say it is holy They neuer pray but in the water and they wash themselues ouerhead and lade vp water with both their handes and turne themselues about and then they drinke a litle of the water three times and so goe to their gods which stand in those houses Some of them will wash a place which is their length and then will pray vpon the earth with their armes and legs at length out and will rise vp and lie downe and kisse the ground twentie or thirtie times but they will not stirre their right foote And some of them will make their ceremonies with fifteene or sixteene pots litle and great and ring a litle bel when they make their mixtures tenne or twelue times and they make a circle of water round about their pots and pray and diuers sit by them and one that reacheth them their pots and they say diuers things ouer their pots many times and when they haue done they goe to their gods and strowe their sacrifices which they thinke are very holy and marke many of them which sit by in the foreheads which they take as a great gift There come fiftie and sometime an hundred together to wash them in this well and to offer to these idols They haue in some of these houses their idoles standing and one sitteth by them in warme weather with a fanne to blowe winde vpon them And when they see any company comming they ring a litle bell which hangeth by them and many giue them their almes but especially those which come out of the countrey Many of them are blacke and haue clawes of brasse with long nayles and some ride vpon peacockes and other foules which be euill fauoured with long haukes bils and some like one thing and some another but none with a good face Among the rest there is one which they make great account of for they say hee giueth them all things both foode and apparell and one sitteth alwayes by him with a fanne to make wind towards him Here some bee burned to ashes some scorched in the fire and throwen into the water and dogges and fores doe presently eate them The wiues here doe burne with their husbands when they die if they will not their heads be shauen and neuer any account is made of them afterward The people goe all naked saue a litle cloth bound about their middle Their women haue their necks armes and eares decked with rings of siluer copper tinne and with round hoopes made of Iuorie adorned with amber stones and with many agats and they are marked with a great spot of red in their foreheads and a stroke of red vp to the crowne and so it runneth three maner of wayes In their Winter which is our May the men weare
ship and thereby iudged it to be the riuer de Sestos which light as soone as we espied we came to an anker armed our tops and made all things ready to fight because we doubted that it might be some Portugal or French man this night we remained at an anker but in the morning we saw no man only we espied 4. rockes about 2. English miles from vs one great rocke and the 3. other smal ones which when we sawe we supposed that the light came from the shore and so wayed and set saile East Southeast along the shoare because the Master did not well know the place but thought that we were not so farre to the East as the riuer de Sestos This land all along is a low land and full of very high trees all along the shoare so that it is not possible to know the place that a man doth fall withall except it be by the latitude In these 24. houres I thinke we ran 16. leagues for all the night we had a great gale as we were vnder saile and had withall store of thunder and lightnings The 13. day for the most part we ran East Southeast all along the shoare within two leagues alwayes of the same and found the land all as at the first ful of woods and great rocks hard aboord the shoare and the billow beating so sore that the seas brake vpon the shoare as white as snow and the water mounted so high that a man might easily discerne it 4. leagues off in such wise that no boate could land there Thus we ran vntil 12. of the clocke and then they tooke the Sunne and after iudged themselues to be 24. leagues past the riuer de Sestos to the Eastwards by reason whereof we halled into the shoare within two English miles and there anexed and found fifteene fadom water and all off from the shoare the sea so smooth that we might wel haue rid by an Hawser All that after-noone we trimmed our boate and made her a saile to the ende that she might go along by the shoore to seeke some place to water in for wee could not goe backe againe to the riuer de Sestos because the winde blowes alwayes contrary and the Currant runneth alwayes to the Eastwards which was also against vs. The 14. day we set saile went back againe along the coast and sent our boats hard aboord the shoare to seeke a watering place which they found about 12. of the clock and we being farre into the sea met with diuers boats of the Countrey small long and narrow in euery boate one man and no more we gaue them bread which they did eat were very glad of it About 4 of the clocke our boats came to vs with fresh water and this night we ankered against a Riuer The 15. day we wayed and set saile to goe neere the shoare and with our leade wee sounded all the way and found sometimes rockes and sometimes faire ground and at the shallowest found 7. fadoms alwayes at the least So in fine we found 7. fadom and a halfe within an English mile of the shoare and there we ankered in a maner before the mouth of the Riuer and then wee sent our boats into the Riuer for water which went about a mile within the Riuer where they had very good water This Riuer lieth by estimation 8. leagues beyond the Riuer de Sestos and is called in the Carde Riuer S. Vincent but it is so hard to finde that a boat being within halfe a mile of it shall not be able to discerne that it is a Riuer by reason that directly before the mouth of it there lyeth a ledge of rockes which is much broader then the Riuer so that a boate must runne in along the shoare a good way betwixt the rockes and the shoare before it come to the mouth of the Riuer and being within it it is a great Riuer and diuers other Riuers fall into it The going into it is somewhat ill because that at the entring the seas do goe somewhat high but being once within it it is as calme as the Thames There are neere to the Sea vpon this Riuer diuers inhabitants which are mighty bigge men and go al naked except some thing before their priuie parts which is like a clout about a quarter of a yard long made of the barke of trees and yet it is like a cloth for the barke is of that nature that it will spin small after the maner of linnen Some of them also weare the like vpon their heades being painted with diuers colours but the most part of them go bare headed and their heads are clipped and shorne of diuers â—orts and the most part of them haue their skin of their bodies raced with diuers workes in maner of a leather Ierkin The men and women goe so alike that one cannot know a man from a woman but by their breastes which in the most part be very foule and long hanging downe low like the vâ—der of a goate The same morning we went into the Riuer with our Skiffe and caried certaine basons manels c. And there we tooke that day one hogs-head and 100. li. waight of Graines and two Elephants teeth at a reasonable good reckoning Wee solde them both basons and Manellios and Margarits but they desired most to haue basons For the most part of our basons wee had by estimation about 30. li. for a piece and for an Elephants tooth of 30. li. waight we gaue them 6. The 16. day in the morning we went into the riuer with our Skiffe and tooke some of euery sort of our marchandize with vs and shewed it to the Negroes but they esteemed it not but made light of it and also of the basons Manellios and Margarits which yesterday they did buy howbeit for the basons they would haue giuen vs some graines but to no purpose so that this day wee tooke not by estimation aboue one hundreth pound waight of Graines by meanes of their Captaine who would suffer no man to sell any thing but through his hands and at his price he was so subtile that for a bason hee would not giue 15. pound waight of Graines and sometimes would offer vs small dishfuls whereas before wee had baskets full and when he saw that wee would not take them in contentment the Captaine departed and caused all the rest of the boates to depart thinking belike that wee would haue followed them and haue giuen them their owne askings But after that wee perceiued their fetch wee wayed our Grapnel and went away and then wee went on land into a small Towne to see the fashions of the Countrey and there came a threescore of them about vs and at the first they were afraid of vs but in the ende perceiuing that wee did no hurt they would come to vs and take vs by the hand and be familiar with vs and then we went into
that both their blessings and their curses they sell vnto the people The nouices of this order before they be admitted goe together two or three thousand in a company vp a certaine high mountaine to doe pennance there three score dayes voluntarily punishing themselues In this time the deuill sheweth himselfe vnto them in sundry shapes and they like young graduals admitted as it were fellowes into some certaine companie are set foorth with white â—assels hanging about their neckes and blacke Bonnets that scarcely couer any more then the crowne of their heads Thus attyred they range abroade in all Iapan to set out themselues and their cunning to sale each one beating his bason which he carieth alwayes about with him to giue notice of their comming in al townes where they passe There is also an other sort called Genguis that make profession to shewe by soothsaying where stollen things are and who were the theeues These dwell in the toppe of an high mountaine blacke in the face for the continuall heate of the sunne for the cold windes and raines they doe continually endure They marry but in their owne tribe and line the report goeth that they be horned beasts They climbe vp most high rockes and hilles and go ouer very great riuers by the onely arte of the deuill who to bring those wreâ—ches the more into errour biddeth them to goe vp a certaine high mountaine where they stande miserably gazing and earnestly looking for him as long as the deuill appointeth them At the length at nonetide or in the euening commeth that deuil whom they call Amida among them to shew himselfe vnto them this shew breedeth in the braines and hearts of men such a kinde of superstition that it can by no meanes be rooted out of them afterward The deuill was wont also in another mountaine to shew himselfe vnto the Iapanish Nation Who so was more desirous than other to go to heauen and to enioy Paradise thither went he to see that sight and hauing seene the deuill followed him so by the deuill perswaded into a denne vntill he came to a deepe pit Into this pit the deuill was wont to leape and to take with him his worshipper whom he there murdred This deceit was thus perceiued An old man blinded with this superstition was by his sonne disswaded from thence but all in vaine Wherefore his sonne followed him priuily into that denne with his bow arrows where the deuill gallantly appeared vnto him in the shape of a man Whilest the old man falleth downe to worshippe the deuill his sonne speedily shooting an arrow at the spirit so appearing strooke a Foxe in stead of a man so suddenly was that shape altered This olde man his sonne tracking the Foxe so running away came to that pit whereof I spake and in the bottome thereof he found many bones of dead men deceiued by the deuill after that sort in time past Thus deliuered he his father from present death and all other from so pestilent an opinion There is furthermore a place bearing name Coia very famous for y e multitude of Abbyes which the Bonzii haue therein The beginner and founder whereof is thought to be one Combendaxis a suttle craftie fellowe that got the name of holinesse by cunning speech although the lawes and ordinances he made were altogether deuillish he is said to haue found out the Iapanish letters vsed at this day In his latter yeeres this Sim suttle buried himselfe in a foure square graue foure cubites deepe seuerely forbidding it to be opened for that then he died not but rested his bodie wearied with continuall businesse vntill many thousand thousands of yeeres were passed after the which time a great learned man named Mirozu should come into Iapan and then would he rise vp out of his graue againe About his tombe many lampes are lighted sent thither out of diuerse prouinces for that the people are perswaded that whosoeuer is liberall and beneficiall towardes the beautifying of that monument shall not onely increase in wealth in this world but in the life to come be safe through Combendaxis helpe Such as giue themselues to worship him liue in those Monasteries or Abbyes with shauen heads as though they had forsaken all secular matters whereas in deede they wallow in all sortes of wickednesse and lust In these houses the which are many as I sayd in number doe remaine 6000 Bonzii or thereabout besides the multitude of lay men women be restrained from thence vpon paine of death Another company of Bonzii dwelleth at Fatonochaiti They teach a great multitude of children all tricks sleights of guile theft whom they do find to be of great towardnes those do they instruct in al the petigrues of princes and fashions of the nobilitie in chiualrie and eloquence and so send them abroad into other prouinces attired like yong princes to this ende that faining themselues to be nobly borne they may with great summes of money borowed vnder the colour and pretence of nobilitie returne againe Wherefore this place is so infamous in all Iapan that if any scholer of that order be happily taken abroad he incontinently dieth for it Neuerthelesse these cousiners leaue not daily to vse their woonted wickednesse and knauerie North from Iapan three hundred leagues out of Meaco lieth a great countrey of sauage men clothed in beasts skinnes rough bodied with huge beards and monstrous muchaches the which they hold vp with litle forkes as they drinke These people are great drinkers of wine fierce in warres and much feared of the Iapans being hurt in fight they wash their wounds with salt water other Surgerie haue they none In their breasts they are sayd to cary looking glasses their swordes they tie to their heads in such wise that the handle doe rest vpon their shoulders Seruice and ceremonies haue they none at all onely they are woont to worship heauen To Aquita a great towne in that Iaponish kingdom which we call Geuano they much resort for marchandise and the Aquitanes likewise doe trauell into their countrey howbeit not often for that there many of them are slaine by the inhabiters Much more concerning this matter I had to write but to auoyd tediousnesse I will come to speake of the Iapans madnesse againe who most desirous of vaine glory doe thinke then specially to get immortall fame when they procure themselues to be most sumptuously and solemnly buried their burials and obsequies in the citie Meaco are done after this maner About one houre before the dead body be brought foorth a great multitude of his friends apparelled in their best aray goe before vnto the fire with them goe their kinswomen and such as bee of their acquaintance clothed in white for that is the mourning colour there with a changeable coloured vaile on their heads Each woman hath with her also according to her abilitie all her familie trimmed vp in white mockado the better sort and wealthier women goe
They all of them do weare long haire vpon their heads and after the maner of women do curiously keame their dainty locks hanging downe to the ground and hauing twined and bound them vp they couer them with calles wearing sundry caps thereupon according to their age and condition It seemeth that in olde time one language was common to all the prouinces notwithstanding by reason of variety of pronunciation it is very much altered and is diuided into sundry idiomes or proprieties of speech according to the diuers prouinces howbeit among the magistrates and in publike assemblies of iudgement there is one and the very same kinde of language vsed thorowout the whole realme from the which as I haue sayd the speech of ech prouince differeth not a little Moreouer this people is most loyall and obedient vnto the king and his magistrates which is the principall cause of their tranquillity peace For whereas the common sort doe apply themselues vnto the discretion and becke of inferiour magistrates and the inferiour magistrates of the superiour and the superiour magistrates of the king himselfe framing and composing all their actions and affaires vnto that leuell a world it is to see in what equability and indifferency of iustice all of them do leade their liues and how orderly the publike lawes are administred Which thing not withstanding shall be handled more at large when we come to intreat of the gouernment Linus Tell vs now Michael of the industry of that people whereof we haue heard great reports Michael Their industry is especially to be discerned in manuary artes and occupations and therein the Chinians do surpasse most of these Easterly nations For there are such a number of artificers ingeniously and cunningly framing sundry deuices out of golde siluer and other mettals as like wise of stone wood and other matters conuenient for mans vse that the streets of cities being replenished with their shops and fine workemanship are very wonderfull to beholde Besides whom also there are very many Painters vsing either the pensill or the needle of which the last sort are called Embrotherers and others also that curiously worke golde-twine vpon cloth either of linnen or of cotton whose operations of all kinds are diligently conueyed by the Portugals into India Their industry doth no lesse appeare in founding of gunnes and in making of gun-powder whereof are made many rare and artificiall fire-works To these may be added the arte of Printing albeit their letters be in maner infinite and most difficult the portraitures whereof they cut in wood or in brasse and with maruellous facilitie they dayly publish huge multitudes of books Unto these mechanicall illiberall crafts you may adde two more that is to say nauigation and discipline of warre both of which haue bene in ancient times most diligently practised by the inhabitants of China for as we haue before signified in the third dialogue the Chinians sailing euen as farre as India subdued some part therof vnto their owne dominion howbeit afterward least they should diminish the forces of their realme by dispersing them into many prouinces altering their counsell they determined to containe themselues within their owne limits within which limits as I haue sayd there were in olde time vehement and cruell warres both betweene the people of China themselues and also against the Tartarian king who inuaded their kingdome and by himselfe and his successours for a long season vsurped the gouernment thereof Howbeit the kings of the Tartarian race being worne out and their stocke and family being vtterly abolished the Chinians began to lift vp their heads and to aduance themselues inioying for these 200 yeeres last past exceeding peace and tranquillity and at this day the posterity of the same king that expelled the Tartars with great dignity weareth the crowne and wieldeth the royall scepter Albeit therefore the people of China especially they that inhabit Southerly from the prouince of Paquin are for the most part by reason of continuall ease and quiet growen effeminate and their courage is abated notwithstanding they would prooue notable and braue souldiers if they ioyned vse and exercise vnto their naturall fortitude As a man may easily obserue in them that maintaine continuall warres against the most barbarous and cruel Tartars Howbeit in this kingdome of China there is so great regard of military discipline that no city nor towne there is destitute of a garison the captaines and gouernours keeping ech man his order which all of them in euery prouince are subiect vnto the kings lieutenant generall for the warres whom they call Chumpin and yet he himselfe is subiect vnto the Tuâ—an or viceroy Let vs now come vnto that arte which the Chinians do most of all professe and which we may not vnfitly call literature or learning For although it be commonly reported that many liberall sciences and especially naturall and morall phylosophy are studied in China and that they haue Uniuersities there wherein such ingenuous artes are deliuered and caught yet for the most part this opinion is to be esteemed more popular then true but I will declare vpon what occasion this conceit first grew The people of China doe aboue all things professe the arte of literature and learning it most diligently they imploy themselues a long time and the better part of their age therein For this cause in all cities and townes yea and in pety villages also there are certaine schole-masters hired for stipends to instruct children and their literature being as ours in Iapon is also in maner infinite their children are put to schole euen from their infancy and tender yeeres from whence notwithstanding such are taken away as are iudged to be vnfit for the same purpose and are trained vp to marchandise or to manuary sciences but the residue do so dedicate themselues to the study of learning that a strange thing it is to consider being conuersant in the principall books they will easily tel you if they be asked the question how many letters be conteined in euery page and where ech letter is placed Now for the greater progresse and increase of learning they as the maner is in Europe do appoint three degrees to the attaining of noble sciences that is to say the lowest the middle degree and the highest Graduates of the first degree are called Siusai of the second Quiugin and of the the third Chinzu And in ech city or walled towne there is a publique house called the Schoole and vnto that all they doe resort from all priuate and peâ—y-schooles that are minded to obtaine the first degree where they do amplifie a sentence or theame propounded vnto them by some magistrate and they whose stile is more elegant and refined are in ech city graced with the first degree Of such as aspire vnto the second degree triall is made onely in the metropolitan or principall city of the prouince whereunto they
short time They haue boates made of leather and couered cleane ouer sauing one place in the middle to sit in planked within with timber and they vse to row therein with one Ore more swiftly a great deale then we in our boates can doe with twentie They haue one sort of greater boates wherein they can carrie aboue twentie persons and haue a Mast with a saile thereon which saile is made of thinne skinnes or bladders sowed togither with the sinewes of fishes They are good Fishermen and in their small Boates being disguised with their coates of Sâ—ales skinnes they deceiue the fish who take them rather for their fellow Seales then for deceiuing men They are good marke-men With their dart or arrow they will commonly kill a Ducke or any other foule in the head and commonly in the eye When they shoote at a great fish with any of their darts they vse to tye a bladder thereunto whereby they may the better find them againe and the fish not able to cary it so easily away for that the bladder doth boy the dart will at length be wearie and dye therewith They vse to traffike and exchange their commodities with some other people of whom they haue such things as their miserable Countrey and ignorance of Art to make denieth them to haue as barres of yron heads of yron for their darts needles made foure square certaine buttons of copper which they vse to weare vpon their forehads for ornament as our Ladies in the Court of England doe vse great pearle Also they haue made signes vnto vs that they haue seene gold and such bright plates of mettals which are vsed for ornaments amongst some people with whom they haue conference We found also in their tents a Guiny Beane of redde colour the which doth vsually grow in they hote Countreys whereby it appeareth they trade with other nations which dwell farre off or else themselues are great trauellers They haue nothing in vse among them to make fire withall sauing a kinde of Heath and Mosse which groweth there And they kindle their fire with continuall rubbing and fretting one sticke against another as we doe with flints They drawe with dogges in sleads vpon the yce and remooue their tents therewithall wherein they dwell in Sommer when they goe a hunting for their praye and prouision against Winter They doe sometime parboyle their meat a little and seeth the same in kettles made of beasts skins they haue also pannes cut and made of stone very artificially they vse prety ginnes wherewith they take foule The women carry their sucking children at their backes and doe feede them with raw flesh which first they do a little chaw in their owne mouths The women haue their faces marked or painted ouer with small blewe spots they haue blacke and long haire on their heads and trimme the same in a decent order The men haue but little haire on their faces and very thinne beards For their common drinâ—e they eate yce to quench their thirst withall Their â—arth yeeldeth no graine or fruit of sustenance for man or almost for beast to liue vpon and the people will eate grasse and shrubs of the ground euen as our kine doe They haue no wood growing in their Countrey thereabouts and yet wee find they haue some timber among them which we thinke doth grow farre off to the Southwards of tâ—is place about Canada or some other part of New found land for there belike the trees standing on the cliffes of the sea side by the waight of yce and snow in Winter ouercharging them with waight when the Sommers thaw commeth aboue and also the Sea vnderfretting them beneath which winneth dayly of the land they are vndermined and fall downe from those cliffes into the Sea and with the tydes and currents are driuen to and fro vpon the coastes further off and by coniecture are taken vp here by these Countrey people to serue them to planke and strengâ—hen their boates withall and to make dartes bowes and arrowes and such other things necessarie for their vse And of this kind of drift wood we find all the Seas ouer great store which being cut or sawed asunder by reason of long driuing in the Sea is eaten of wormes and full of holes of which sort theirs is found to be We haue not yet found any venemous Serpent or other hurtful thing in these parts but there is a kind of small flie or gnat that stingeth and offendeth sorely leauing many red spots in the face and other places where she stingeth They haue snow and haile in the best time of their Sommer and the ground frosen three fadome deepe These people are great inchanters and vse many charmes of witchcraft for when their heads doe ake they tye a great stone with a string vnto a sticke and with certaine prayers and wordes done to the sticke they lift vp the stone from ground which sometimes with all a mans force they cannot stirre and sometime againe they lift as easily as a fether and hope thereby with certaine ceremonious wordes to haue ease and helpe And they made vs by signes to vnderstand lying groueling with their faces vpon the ground and making a noise downeward that they worship the deuill vnder them They haue great store of Decre Beares Hares Foxes and innumerable numbers of sundry sorts of wild foule as Seawinewes Gulles Wilmotes Ducks c. wherof our men killed in one day fifteene hundred They haue also store of haukes as Falkons Tassels c. whereof two alighted vpon one of our ships at their returne and were brought into England which some thinke wil proue very good There are also great store of rauens larkes and partridges wherof the Countrey people feed All these foules are farre thicker clothed with downe and fethers and haue thicker skinnes then any in England haue for as that countrey is colder so nature hath prouided a remedie thereunâ—o Our men haue eaten of their Beares Hares Partridges Larkes and of their wild foule and find them reasonable good meat but not so delectable as ours Their wild foule must be all fleine their skins are so thicke and they tast best fryed in pannes The Countrey seemeth to be much subiect to Earthquakes The ayre is very subtile piercing and searching so that if any corrupted of infected body especially with the disease called Morbus Gallicus come there it will presently breake forth and shew it selfe and cannot thereby any kind of salue or medicine be cured Their longest Sommers day is of great length without any darke night so that in Iuly al the night long we might perfitly and easily write and reade whatsoeuer had pleased vs which lightsome nights were very beneficiall vnto vs being so distressed with abundance of yce as we were The Sunne setteth to them in the Euening at a quarter of an houre after tenne of the clocke and riseth againe in the morning at
a piece of the same about her forehead shee had a bande of wite Corall and so had her husband many times in her eares shee had bracelets of pearles hanging downâ— to her middle whereof wee deliuered your worship a little bracelet and those were of the bignes of good peasâ—â— The rest of her women of the better sort had pâ—ndâ—nts of câ—ppâ—r hanging in â—ither â—are and lâ—me of the children of the kings brother and other noble menâ— haue fiue or sâ—â—e in either eare hâ— himselfe had vpon his head a broad plate of golde or copper for being vnpolished we knâ—w not what metâ—al it should be neither would he by any meanes suffer vs to take it off his head but feeling it it would bow very easily His apparell was as his wiues onâ—ly the women weare their haire long on boâ—h sides and the men but on one They are of colour yellowish and their haire black for the most part and yet we saw children that had very fine aburne and chestnut coloured haire After that these women had bene there there came downe from all parts great store of people bringing with them leather corall diuers kindes of diâ—s very excellent and exchanged with vs but when Granganimco the kings brother was present none durst trade but himselfe except such as weare red pieces of copper on their heads like himselfe for that is the diffâ—reâ—ce betweene the noble men and the gouernours of countreys and the meaner sort And we both noted there and you haue vnderstood since by these men which we brought home that no people in the worlde cary more respect to their King Nobilitie and Gouernours then these doe The Kings brothers wife when she came to vs as she did many times was followed with forty or fifty women alwayes and when she came into the shippe she left them all on land sauing her two daughters her nurse and one or two more The Kings brother alwayes kept this order as many boates as he would come withall to the shippes so many fires would hee make on the shoare a farre off to the end we might vnderstand with what strength and company he approched Their boates are made of one tree either of Pine or of Pitch trees a wood not commonly knowen to our people nor found growing in England They haue no edge-tooles to make them withall if they haue any they are very fewe and those it seemes they had twentie yeres since which as those two men declared was out of a wrake which happened vpon their coast of some Christian ship being beaten that way by some storme and outragious weather whereof none of the people were saued but only the ship or some part of her being cast vpon the land out of whose sides they drew the nayles and the spikes and with those they made their best instruments The manner of making their boates is thus they burne downe some great tree or take such as are winde fallen and putting gumme and rosen vpon one side thereof they set fire into it and when it hath burnt it hollow they cut out the coale with their shels and euer where they would burne it deeper or wider they lay on gummes which burne away the timber and by this meanes they fashion very fine boates and such as will transport twentie men Their oares are like scoopes and many times they set with long poles as the depth serueth The Kings brother had great liking of our armour a sword and diuers other things which we had and offered to lay a great boxe of pearle in gage for them but we refused it for this time because we would not make them knowe that we esteemed thereof vntill we had vnderstoode in what places of the countrey the pearle grew which now your Worshippe doeth very well vnderstand He was very iust of his promise for many times we deliuered him merchandize vpon his word but euer he came within the day and performed his promise He sent vs euery day a brase or two of fat Bucks Conies Hares Fish the best of the world He sent vs diuers kindes of fruites Melons Walnuts Cucumbers Gourdes Pease and diuers rootes and fruites very excellent good and of their Countrey come which is very white faire and well tasâ—ed and groweth three times in fiue moneths in May they sow in Iuly they reape in Iune they sow in August they â—cape in Iuly they sow in September they reape onely they cast the corne into the ground breaking a little of the soft â—urfe with a with wodden mattock or pick eare our selues prooued the soile and put some of our Pease in the ground and in tenne dayes they were of fourteene ynches high they haue also Beanes very faire of diuers colours and wonderfull plentie some growing naturally and some in their gardens and so haue they both wheat and oates The soile is the most plentifull sweete fruitfull and wholsome of all the worlde there we â—boue foureteene seuerall sweete smelling timber trees and the most part of their vnderwoods are Bayes and such like they haue those Okes that we haue but farre greater and better 〈◊〉 they had bene diuers times aboord our shippes my selfe with seâ—â—◠〈◊〉 wâ—nt twâ—ntie 〈…〉 the Riuer that runneth towarde the Citie of Skicoak which Riuer they call Occam 〈◊〉 the euening following wee came to an Island which they call Raâ—â—oak distant from the hâ—â—â—bour by which we entred seuen leagues and at the North end thereof was a village of 〈◊〉 hoâ—ses built of Cedar and fortified round about with sharpe â—etces 〈◊〉 out 〈◊〉 and the entrance into it made like a turne piâ—e very artifiâ—â—ally whâ—n wee 〈…〉 staâ—ding neere vnto the waters side the wite of Granganimo the kings brother came running out to meete vs very cheerefully and friendly her husband was not then in the village some of her people shee commanded to drawe our boate on shore for the beating of the billoe others she appointed to cary vs on their backes to the dry ground and others to bring our oares into the house for feare of stealing When we were come into the vtter roome hauing â—iue roomes in her house she caused vs to sit downe by a great fire and after tooke off our clothes and washed them and dryed them againe some of the women plucked off our stockings and washed them some washed our feete in warme water and shee herselfe tooke great paines to see all things ordered in the best maner shee could making great haste to dresse some meate for vs to eate After we had thus dryed our selues she brought vs into the inner roome where shee set on the boord standing along the house some wheate like furmentie sodden Uenison and roasted fish sodden boyled and roasted Melons rawe and sodden rootes of diuers kindes and diuers fruites their drinke is commonly water but while the grape lasteth they drinke wine and for want of calkes to keepe it all the yere after they drink
the fairest conditions that we haue found in this our voyage They exceed vs in bignes they are of the colour of brasse some of them incline more to whitenesse others are of yellow colour of comely visage with long and blacke haire which they are very careful to trim and decke vp they are blacke and quicke eyed and of sweete and pleasant countenance imitating much the old fashion I write not to your Maiestie of the other parts of their body hauing al such proportion as apperteineth to any handsome man The women are of the like conformitie and beautie very handsome and well fauoured of pleasant countenance and comely to behold they are as wel manered and continent as any women and of good education they are all naked saue their priuy partes which they couer with a Deeres skin branched or embrodered as the men vse there are also of them which weare on their armes very rich skinnes of Luzernes they adorne their heads with diuers ornaments made of their owne haire which hang downe before on both sides their brestes others vse other kinde of dressing themselues like vnto the women of Egypt and Syria these are of the elder sort and when they are maried they weare diuers toyes according to the vsage of the people of the East aswell men as women Among whom we saw many plates of wrought copper which they esteeme more then golde which for the colour they make no account of for that among all other it is counted the basest they make most account of Azure and Red. The things that they esteeme most of all those which we gaue them were bels christal of Azure colour and other toyes to hang at their eares or about their necke They did not desire cloth of silke or of golde much lesse of any other sort neither cared they for things made of steele and yron which wee often shewed them in our armour which they made no wonder at and in beholding them they onely asked the arte of making them the like they did at our glasses which when they behâ—ld they suddenly laught and gaue them vs againe They are very liberall for they giue that which they haue wee became great friends with these and one day we entred into the Hauen with our ship whereas before we rode a league off at Sea by reason of the contrary weather They came in great companies of their small boats vnto the ship with their faces all be painted with diuers colours shewing vs that it was a signe of ioy bringing vs of their victuals they made signes vnto vs where we might safest ride in the Hauen for the safegard of our ship keeping still our company and after we were come to an anker wee bestowed 15 dayes in prouiding our selues many necessary things whither euery day the people repaired to see our ship bringing their wiues with them whereof they were very â—â—â—us and they themselues entring abord the ship staying there a good space caused their wiues to stay in their boats and for all the intreatie we could make ofâ—ring to giue them diuers things we could neuer obtaine that they would suffer them to come abord our ship And oftentimes one of the two kings comming with his queene and many gentlemen for their pleasure to see vs they all stayed on the shore 200 paces from vs sending a small boat to giue vs intelligence of their comming saying they would come to see our ship this they did in token of safety and assoone as they had answere from vs they came immediatly and hauing staied a while to behold it they woudred at hearing the cries and noyses of the mariâ—ers The queene and her maids stayed in a very light boat at an Iland a quarter of a league off while the king abode a long space in our ship vttering diuers conceits with gestures viewing with great admiration all the furniture of the ship demanding the property of euerything particularly He tooke likewise great pleasure in beholding our apparell and in tasting our meats so courteously taking his leaue departed And sometimes our men staying 2 or 3 daies on a litle Iland neere the ship for diuers necessaries as it is the vse of seamen he returned with 7 or 8 of his gentlemen to see what we did asked of vs oftentimes if we meant to make any long abode there offring vs of their prouision then the king drawing his bow and running vp and down with his gentlemen made much sport to gratifie our men we were oftentimes within the land 5 or 6 leagues which we found as pleasant as is possible to declare very apt for any kind of husbandry of corne wine and oyle for that there are plaines 25 or 30 leagues broad open and without any impediment of trees of such fruitfulnesse that any seed being sowen therein wil bring forth most excellent fruit We entred afterwards into the woods which we found so great and thicke that any army were it neuâ—r so great might haue hid it selfe therein the trees whereof are okes cipresse trees and other sortes vnknowen in Europe We found Pomi appii damson trees and nut trees and many other sorts of fruit differing from ours there are beasts in great abundance as harts deere luzerns other kinds which they take with their nets bowes which are their chiefe weapons the arrowes which they vse are made with great cunning and in stead of yron they head them with flint with iasper stone hard marble other sharp stones which they vse in stead of yron to cut trees to make their boates of one whole piece of wood making it hollow with great and wonderful art wherein 10. or 12. men may sit commodiously their cares are short and broad at the end and they vse them in the sea without any danger and by maine force of armes with as great speedines as they list themselues We saw their houses made in circular or round forme 10 or 12 paces in compasse made with halfe circles of timber separate one from another without any order of building couered with mattes of straw wrought cunningly together which saue them from the wind and raine and if they had the order of building and perfect skil of workmanship as we haue there were no doubt but that they would also make efâ—soones great stately buildings For all the sea coasts are ful of cleare and glistering stones al ablasters and therefore it is full of good hauens and harboroughs for ships They mooue the foresaid houses from one place to another according to the commodity of the place season wherin they wil make their abode and only taking off the mattes they haue other houses builded incontinent The father and the whole family dwell together in one house in great number in some of them we saw 25 or 30 persons They feed as the other doe aforesaid of pulse which grow in that Countrey with better order of husbandry then
of Canada whither Iaques Carthier sayled the yeere 1535. About the which there are many Ilands among which is that which is named Terra de Labrador stretching towarde Groenland In the Westerne part there are many knowen Countreys as the Regions of Quiuira Ciuola Astatlan and Terlichichimici The Southerne part is called Florida because it was discouered on Palme-sunday which the Spaniardes call Pascha Florida The Northerne part is altogether vnknowen The second part of all America is called newe Spaine It extendeth from the Tropicke of Cancer in twentie three degrees and a halfe vnto the ninth degree In the same is situated the Citie of Themistican and it hath many Regions and many Ilandes adioyned vnto it which are called the Antilles whereof the most famous and renoumed are Hispaniola and Isabella with an infinite number of others All this land together with the Bay of Mexico and all the Ilands aforesayd haue not in Longitude past seuentie degrees to wit from the two hundreth and fortie vnto three hundreth and ten it is also long and narrowe as Italie The third part of America is called Peru it is very great and extendeth it selfe in Latitude from the tenth degree vnto the three and fiftieth beyond Equator to wit as I haue sayde before vnto the streight of Magelan It is made in fashion like to an egge and is very well knowen vpon all sides The part where it is largest hath threescore degrees and from thence it waxeth narrower and narrower toward both the endes In one part of this lande Villegagnon planted right vnder the Tropicke of Capricorne and he called it France Antarctick because it draweth toward the pole Antarctick as our France doeth toward the Arctick New France is almost as great as all our Europe Howbeit the most knowen and inhabited part thereof is Florida whither many Frenchmen haue made diuers voyages at sundry times insomuch that nowe it is the best knowen Countrey which is in all this part of newe France The Cape thereof is as it were a long head of lande stretching out into the Sea an hundred leagues and runneth directly towarde the South it hath right ouer against it fiue and twentie leagues distant the Isle of Cuba otherwise called Isabella toward the East the Isles of Bahama and Lucaya and toward the West the Bay of Mexico The Countrey is flat and diuided with diuers riuers and therefore moyst and is sandie towards the Sea shore There groweth in those partes great quantitie of Pinetrees which haue no kernels in the apples which they beare Their woods are full of Oakes Walnutrees blacke Cherrietrees Mulberry trees Lentiskes and Chestnut trees which are more wilde then those in France There is great shore of Cedars Cypresses Bayes Palme trees Hollies and wilde Uines which climbe vp along the trees and beare good Grapes There is there a kinde of Medlers the fruite whereof is better then that of France and bigger There are also Plumtrees which beare very faire fruite but such as is not very good There are Raspasses and a little berrie which we call among vs Blues which are very good to eate There growe in that Countrey a kinde of Rootes which they call in their language Hasez whereof in necessitie they make bread There is also there the tree called Esquine which is very good against the Pockes and other contagious diseases The Beastes best knowen in this Countrey are Stagges Hindes Goates Deere Leopards Ounces Luseâ—ns diuers sortes of Wolues wilde Dogs Hares Cunnies and a certaine kinde of beast that differeth little from the Lyon of Africa The foules are Turkey cocks Partridges Parrots Pigions Ringdoues Turtles Blackbirdes Crowes Tarcels Faulcons Laynerds Herons Cranes Storkes wilde Geese Malards Cormorauts Herushawes white red blacke and gray and an infinite sort of all wilde foule There is such abundance of Crocodiles that oftentimes in swimming men are assayled by them of Serpents there are many sorts There is found among the Sauages good quantitie of Gold and Siluer which is gotten out of the shippes that are lost vpon the coast as I haue vnderstood by the Sauages themselues They vse traffique thereof one with another And that which maketh me the rather beleeue it is that on the coast towarde the Cape where commonly the shippes are cast away there is more store of Siluer then toward the North. Neuerthelesse they say that in the Mountaines of Appalaâ—cy there are Mines of Copper which I thinke to be Golde There is also in this Countrey great store of graynes and herbes whereof might be made exellent good dyes and paintings of all kind of colours And in trueth the Indians which take pleasure in painting of their skins know very well how to vse the same The men are of an Oliue colour of great stature faire without any deformitie and well proportioned They couer their priuities with the skinne of a Stagge well dressed The most part of them haue their bodies armes and thighes painted with very faire deuises the painting whereof can neuer bee taken away because the same is pricked into their flesh Their haire is very blacke and reacheth euen downe to their hips howbeit they trusse it vp after a fashion that becommeth them very well They are great dissemblers and traitours valiant of their persons fight very well They haue none other weapons but their bowes and arrowes They make the string of their bow of a gut of a Stag or of a Stags skin which they know how to dresse as well as any man in France and with as different sorts of colours They head their arrowes with the teeth of fishes and stone which they worke very finely and handsomly They exercise their youg men to runne well and they make a game among themselues which he winneth that hath the longest breath They also exercise themselues much in shooting They play at the ball in this maner they set vp a tree in the middest of a place which is eight or nine fathom high in the top whereof there is set a square mat made of reedes or Bulrushes which whosoeuer hitteth in playing thereat winneth the game They take great pleasure in hunting and fishing The kings of the Countrey make great warre one against the other which is not executed but by surprise and they kill all the men they can take afterward they cut of their heads to haue their haire which returning home they carry away to make thereof their triumph when they come to their houses They saue the women and children and nourish them and keepe them alwayes with them Being returned home from the warre they assemble all their subiects and for ioy three dayes and three nights they make good cheare they daunce sing likewise they make the most ancient women of the Countrey to dance holding the haires of their enemies in their hands and in dauncing they sing praises
to the Sunne ascribing vnto him the honour of the victory They haue no knowledge of God nor of any religion sauing of that which they see as the Sunne and the Moone They haue their Priests to whom they giue great credit because they are great magicians great soothsayers and callers vpon diuels These Priests serue them in stead of Physitions and Chirurgions They carry alwayes about them a bag full of herbes and drugs to cure the sicke diseased which for the most part are sick of the pocks for they loue women maidens exceedingly which they call the daughters of the Sunne and some of them are Sodemites They marry and euery one hath his wife and it is lawfull for the King to haue two or three yet none but the first is honoured and acknowledged for Queene and none but the children of the first wife inherite the goods and authoritie of the father The women doe all the businesse at home They keepe not house with them after they know they be with child And they eate not of that which they touch as long as they haue their flowers There are in all this Countrey many Hermaphrodites which take all the greatest paine and beare the victuals when they goe to warre They paint their faces much and sticke their haire full of feathers or downe that they may seeme more terrible The victuals which they carry with them are of bread of hony and of meale made of Maiz parched in the fire which they keepe without being marred a long while They carry also sometimes fish which they cause to be dressed in the smoke In necessitie they eat a thousand rifraffes euen to the swallowing downe of coales and putting sand into the pottage that they make with this meale When they goe to warre their King marcheth firstâ— with a clubbe in the one hand and his bowe in the other with his quiuer full of arrowes All his men follow him which haue likewise their bowes and arrowes While they fight they make great cries and exclamations They take no enterprise in hand but first they assemble oftentimes their Councell together and they take very good aduisement before they growe to a resolution They meete together euery morning in a great common house whither their King repaireth and setteth him downe vpon a seate which is higher then the seates of the other where all of them one after another come and salute him and the most ancient begin their salutations lifting vp both their handes twise as high as their face saying Ha he ya and the rest answer ha ha Assoone as they haue done their salutation euery man sitteth him downe vpon the seates which are round about in the house If there be any thing to intreate of the King calleth the Iawas that is to say their Priestes and the most ancient men and asketh them their aduise Afteâ—ward he commaundeth Cassine to be brewed which is a drinke made of the leaues of a certaine tree They drinke this Cassine very hotte he drinketh first then he causeth to be giuen thereof to all of them one after another in the same boule which holdeth well a quart measure of Paris They make so great account of this drinke that no man may taste thereof in this assembly vnlesse hee hath made proofe of his valure in the warre Moreouer this drinke hath such a vertue that assoone as they haue drunke it they become all in a sweate which sweate being past it taketh away hunger and thirst for foure and twenty houres after When a King dyeth they burie him very solemnly and vpon his graue they set the cuppe wherein he was woont to drinke and round about the sayde graue they sticke many arrowes and weepe and fast three dayes together without ceassing All the kings which were his friends make the like mourning and in token of the loue which they bare him they cut of more then the one halfe of their haire as well men as women During the space of sixe Moones so they reckon their moneths there are certaine women appoynted which bewaile the death of this King crying with a loude voyce thrise a day to wit in the Morning at Noone and at Euening All the goods of this King are put into his house and afterward they set it on fire so that nothing is euer more after to be seene The like is done with the goods of the Priestes and besides they burie the bodies of the Priests in their houses and then they set them on fire They sowe their Maiz twise a yere to wit in March and in Iune and all in one and the same soyle The sayd Maiz from the time that it is sowed vntill the time that it be ready to be gathered is but three moneths on the ground The other 6. moneths they let the earth rest They haue also faire Pumpions very good Beanes They neuer dung their land onely when they would sowe they set the weedes on fire which grewe vp the 6. moneths and burne them all They dig their ground with an instrument of wood which is fashioned like a broad mattocke wherewith they digge their Uines in France they put two graiues of Maiz together When the land is to be sowed the King commaundeth one of his men to assemble his subiects euery day to labour during which labour the King causeth store of that drinke to be made for them wherof we haue spoken At the time when the Maiz is gathered it is all carried into a common house where it is distributed to euery man according to his qualitie They sowe no more but that which they thinke will serue their turnes for sixe moneths that very scarcely For during the Winter they retire themselues for three or foure moneths in the yeere into the woods where they make little cotages of Palme boughes for their retraite and liue there of Maste of Fish which they take of Oisters of Stagges of Turkeycockes and other beastes which they take They eate all their meate broyled on the coales and dressed in the smoake which in their language they call Boucaned They eate willingly the flesh of the Crocodile and in deede it is faire and white and were it not that it sauoureth too much like Muske we would oftentimes haue eaten thereof They haue a custome among them that when they finde themselues sicke where they feele the paine whereas we cause our selues to be let blood their Physitions sucke them vntill they make the blood follow The women are likewise of good proportion and tall and of the same colour that the men be of painted as the men be Howbeit when they are borne they be not so much of an Oliue colour and are farre whiter For the chiefe cause that maketh them to be of this colour proceedes of annointings of oyle which they vse among them
to resolue with himselfe he referred it vntil the next day The morning being come he proposed to all the company what was best to be done to the end that with good aduisement euery man might deliuer his opinion Some made answere that according to their iudgement he had occasion fully to content himselfe considering that he could doe no more laying before his eyes that he had discouered more in sixe weekes then the Spaniards had done in two yeres in the conquest of their New Spaine and that he should do the king very great seruice if he did bring him newes in so short a time of his happy discouerie Other shewed vnto him the losse and spoile of his victuals and on the other side the inconuenience that might happen by the shallow water that they found continually along the coast Which things being well and at large debated we resolued to leaue the coast forsaking the North to take our way toward the East which is the right way and course to our France where we happily arriued the twentieth day of Iuly the yere 1562. The state and condition of those which were left behind in Charles-fort OUr men after our departure neuer rested but night and day did fortifie themselues being in good hope that after their fort was finished they would begin to discouer farther vp within the riuer It happened one day as certaine of them were in cutting of rootes in the groues that they espied on the sudden an Indian that hunted the Deere which finding himselfe so neere vpon them was much dismayed but our men began to draw neere vnto him and to vse him so courteously that he became assured and followed them to Charles-fort where euery man sought to doe him pleasure Captaine Albert was very ioyfull of his comming which after he had giuen him a shirt and some other trifles he asked him of his dwelling the Indian answered him that it was farther vp within the riuer and that he was vassal of king Audusta he also shewed him with his hand the limits of his habitation After much other talke the Indian desired leaue to depart because it drew toward night which Captaine Albert granted him very willingly Certaine dayes after the Captaine determined to saile toward Audusta where being arriued by reason of the honest entertaynment which he had giuen to the Indian he was so courteously receiued that the king talked with him of nothing else but of the desire which he had to become his friend giuing him besides to vnderstand that he being his friend and allie he should haue the amitie of foure other kings which in might authoritie were able to do much for his sake Besides all this in his necessitie they might be able to succour him with victuals One of thâ—se kings was called Mayoâ— another Hoya the third â—ouppa and the fourth Stalame He told him moreouer that they would be very glad when they should vnderstand the newes of his comming and therefore he prayed him to vouchsafe to visit them The Captaine willingly consented vnto him for the desire that he had to purchase friends in that place Therefore they departed the next morning very earely and first arriued at the house of king Touppa and afterward went into the other kings houses except the house of king Stalame He receiued of each of them all the amiable courtesies that might be they shewed themselues to be as affectioned friends vnto him as was possible and offered vnto him a thousand small presents After that he had remained by space of certaine daies with these strange kings he determined to take his leaue and being come backe to the house of Audusta he commanded al his men to goe aboord their Pinnesse for he was minded to goe towardes the countrey of king Stalame which dwelt toward the North the distance of 15 great leagues from Charles-fort Therefore as they sailed vp the riuer they entred into a great current which they followed so farre till they came at the last to the house of Stalame which brought him into his lodging where he â—ought to make them the best cheere he could deuise He presented immediatly vnto Captaine Albert his bow and arrowes which is a signe and confirmation of alliance betweene them He presented him with Chamoys skinnes The Captaine seeing the best part of the day was now past tooke his leaue of king Stalame to returne to Charles-fort where hee arriued the day following By this time the friendship was growne so great betweene our men and king Audusta that in a manner all things were common betweene him and them in such sort that this good Indian king did nothing of importance but he called our men thereunto For when the time drew neere of the celebrating their feasts of Toya which are ceremonies most strange to recite he sent Ambassadours to our men to request them on his behalfe to be there present Whereunto they agreed most willingly for the desire that they had to vnderstand what this might be They imbarked themselues therefore and sailed towards the kings house which was already come forth on the way towards theÌ„ to receiue them courteously to bid them welcome bring them to his house where he sought to untreat them the best he might In the meane while the Indians prepared themselues to celebrate the feast the morrow after and the king brought them to see the place wherein the feast should be kept where they saw many women round about which laboured by al meanes to make the place cleane neat This place was a great circuit of ground with open prospect and round in figure On the morrow therefore early in the morning all they which were chosen to celebrate the feast being painted and trimned with rich feathers of diuers colours put themselues on the way to go froÌ„ the kings house toward the place of â—oya whereunto when they were come they set themselues in order followed three Indians which in painting and in gesture were differing from the rest each of them bare a Tabret in their hand dancing singing in a lamentable tune when they began to enter into the middest of the round circuit being followed of others which answered them again After that they had sung danced and turned 3 times they set on running like vnbridled horses through the middest of the thickest woods And then the Indian women continued all the rest of the day in teares as sad woful as was possible in such rage they cut the armes of the yong girles which they lanced so cruelly with sharpe shels of Muskles that the blood followed which they flang into the ayre crying out three times He Toya The king Audusta had gathered all our men into his house while the feast was celebrated and was exceedingly offended when he saw them laugh This he did because the Indians are very angry when they are seene in their ceremonies
colde yet they weare mantels thâ—reof as your honour may see by the shewe thereof and true it is that there was found â—n their housâ—s certaine yarne made of cotton wooll They weare their haire on their heads like those of Mexico and they are well nurtured and condicioned And they haue Turquâ—ses I thinke good quantitie which with the rest of the goods which they had excâ—pt their corne they had conueyed away before I came thither for I found no women there nor no youth vndâ—r fifteâ—ne â—eâ—res olde nor no olde folkes aboue sixtie sauing two or three olde folkes who stayâ—d behinde â—o gouerne all the rest of the youâ—h and men of warre There were sound in a certaine paper two poynts of Emralds and certaine small stones broken which are in colour somewhat like Granates vâ—ry bad and other stones of Christall which I gaue one of my seruaunts to lay vp to send them to your lordship and hee hath lost them as hee tâ—lleth me Wee found heere Ginnie cockes but fâ—we The Indians tell mee in all these seuen cities that they eate them not but that they keâ—pe them onâ—ly for their feathers I beleeue them not for they are excellent good and greater then thoâ—e of Mexico The season which is in this countrey and the temperature of the ayre is like that of Mexico for sometime it is hotte and sometime it raineth but hitherto I neuer sawe it raine but once there fell a little showre with winde as they are woent to fall in Spaine The snow and cold are woont to be great for so say the inhabitants of the Countrey and it is very likely so to bee both in respect of the maner of the Countrey and by the fashion of their housâ—s and thâ—ir furres and other things which this people haue to defend them from colde Thâ—re is no kind of fruit nor trees of fruite The Countrey is all plaine and is on no side mountainous albeit there are some hillie and bad passages There are â—mall store of Foules the cause whereof is the colde and because the mountainâ—s are not neere Here is no great store of wood because they haue wood for their fuell sufficient foure leagues off from a wood of small Cedars There is most excellent grasse within a quarter of a league hence for our horses as well to feede them in pasture as to mowe and make hay whereof wee stoode in great neede because our horses came hither so weake and feeble The victuals which the people of this countrey haue is Maiz whereof they they haue great store and also small white Pease and Uenison which by all likelyhood they feede vpon though they say no for wee found many stunnes of Deere of Hares and Couies They eate the best cakes that euer I sawe and euery body generally eateth of them They haue the finest order and way to grinde that wee euer sawe in any place And one Indian woman of this countrâ—y will grinde as much as foure women of Mexico They haue most excellent salte in kernell which they fetch from a certaine lake a dayes iourney from hence They haue no knowledge among them of the North Sea nor of the Westerne Sea neither can I tâ—ll your lordship to which wee bee neerest But in reason they should seeme to bee neerest to the Westeâ—ne Sea and at the least I thinke I am an hundred and fiftie leagues from thence and the Northerne Sea should bee much further off Your lordship may see howe broad the land is here Here are many sorts of beasts as Beares Tigers Lions Porkespicks and certaine Sheep as bigge as an horse with very great hornes and little tailes I haue seene their hornes so bigge that it is a wonder to behold their greatnesse Here are also wilde goates whose heads likewise I haue seene and the pawes of Beares and the skins of wilde Bores There is gaine of Deere Ounces and very great Stagges and all men are of opinion that there are some bigger then that beast which your lordship bestowed vpon me which once belonged to Iohn Melaz They trauell eight dayes iourney vnto certaine plaines lying toward the North Sea In this countrey there are certaine skinnes well dressed and they dresse them and paint them where they kill their Oxen for so they say themselues Chap. 4. Of the state and qualities of the kingdomes of Totonteac Marata and Acus quite contrary to the relation of Frier Marcus The conference which they haue with the Indiâ—â—s of the citie of Granada which they had taken which had fiftie yeres past foreseene the comming of the Christians into their countrey The relation which they haue of other seuen cities whereof Tucano is the principall and how he sent to discouer them A present of diuers things had in these countreys sent vnto the Viceroy Mendoça by Vasques de Coronado THe kingdome of Totonteac so much extolled by the Father prouinciall which sayde that there were such wonderfull things there and such great matters and that they made cloth there the Indians say is an hotte lake about which are fiue or sixe houses and that there were certaine other but that they are ruinated by warre The kingdome of Marata is not to be found neither haue the Indians any knowledge thereof The kingdome of Acus is one onely small citie where they gather cotton which is caled Acucu And I say that this is a towne For Acus with an aspiration nor without is no word of the countrey And because I gesse that they would deriue Acucu of Acus I say that it is this towne whereinto the kingdom of Acus is conuerted Beyond this towne they say there are other small townes which are neere to a riuer which I haue seene and haue had report of by the relation of the Indians I would to God I had better newes to write vnto your lordship neuerthelesse I must say the trueth And as I wrote to your lordship from Culiacan I am nowe to aduertise your honour as wel of the good as of the bad Yet this I would haue you bee assured that if all the riches and the treasures of the world weâ—e heere I could haue done no more in the seruice of his Maiestie and of your lordshippe then I haue done in comming hither whither you haue sent mee my selfe and my companions carâ—ying our victuals vpon our shoulders and vpon our horses three hundred leagues and many dayes going on foote trauailing ouer hilles and rough mountaines with other troublâ—s which I câ—ase to mâ—ntion nâ—ither purpose I to depart vnto the death if it please his Maiestie and your lordship that it shall be so Three dayes after this citie was taken certaine Indians of these people came to offer mee peace and brought mee certaine Turqueses and badde mantles and I receiued them in his Maiesties name with all the good speaches that I could
hitherto I haue not seene any of them sauing onely two olde women and these had two long robes downe to the foote open before and girded to them and they are buttoned with certaine cordons of cotton I requested the Indians to giue me one of these robes which they ware to send your honour the the same seeing they would not shewe mee their women And they brought mee two mantles which aree these Which I send you as it were painted they haue two pâ—nâ—ents like the women of Spaine which hang somewhat ouer their shoulders The death of the Negro is most certaine for here are many of the things found which hee carried with him And the Indians tell me that they killed him here because the Indians of Chichilâ—â—cale tolde them that hee was a wicked villaine and not like vnto the Christians because the Christians kill no women and hee killed women and also he touched their women which the Indians â—ouâ— more then themselues therefore they determined to kill him But they did it not after such sort as was reported for they killed none of the rest of those that came with him neither stewe they the young lad which was with him of the prouince of Peratlan but they tooke him and kept him in safe custodie vntill nowe And when I sought to haue him they excused themâ—elues two or three dayes to giue him mee telling mee that hee was dead and sometimes that the Indians of Acucu had carried him away But in conclusion when I toldâ— them that I should bee very angry if they did not giue him mee they gaue him vnto me Hee is an interpreter for though hee cannot wâ—ll speake their language yet hee vnderstandeth the same very well In this place there is â—ound some quantitie of golde and siluer which thoâ—e which are skilâ—ull in minerall matters esteeme to be very good To this houre I could neuer learne of these people from whence they haue it And I see they refuse to tell mee the trueth in all things imagining as I haue sayde that in short time I would depart hence but I hope in God they shall no longer excuse themselues I vesceth your lordship â—o cerâ—ifie his Maiestie of the successe of this voyage For seeing wee haue â—o morâ— then that which is aforesayd and vntill such time as it please God that wâ—e finde that which wee desire I meane not to write my selfe Our Lorde God keepe and preserue your Excellencie From the Prouince of Cibola and from this citie of Granada the third of August 1540. Francis Vasquâ—s de Coronado kisseth the hands of your Excellencie The rest of this voyage to Acuco Tiquex Cicuio and Quiuira and vnto the Westerne Ocean is thus written in the generall historie of the West Indies by Francis Lopez de Gomara Chap. 214. BEcause they would not returne to Mexico without doing something nor with emptie hands they agreed to passe further into the countrey which was tâ—lde them to bee better and better So they came to Acuco a towne vpon an exceeding streng hill And from thence Don Garcias Lopez de Carcenas with this companie of horsemen went vnto the Sea and Francis Vasques went to Tiguex which standeth on the barke of a great riuer There they had newes of Axa and Quiuira There they sayde was a King whose name was Taâ—â—â—rax with a long beard horâ—e headed and rich which was giâ—ded with a Bracamaâ—â— which prâ—yâ—d vpon a payre of beades which worshipped a Crosse of goldeâ— and the image of a woman the Queene of heauen This newes did greatly reioyce and cheere â—p the armie altâ—oâ—g◠〈◊〉 to bee â—alleâ— and the report of the Friers They determined to goe thither with intention to winter in â—o â—ich a countrey as that was reported to bee One night the Indians ranne away and in the morning they found thirtie horses dead which put the armie in feare In their iourney they burnt a certaine towne And in another towne which they assaulted they killed certaine Spaniards and wounded fiftie horses and the inhabitants drewe into their towne Francis de Ouando wounded or dead to eate and sacrifice him as they thought or peraduenture to see more perfectly what maner of men the Spaniards were for there was not found there any signe of sacrificing men Our people layde siege vnto the towne but could not take it in more then fiue and fortie dayes space The townesmen that were besieged dranke snowe in stead of water and seeing themselues forlorne they made a fire wherein they cast their mantles feathers Turqueses and precious things that those strangers might not enioy them They issued out in a squadron with their women and children in the middest to make way by force and to saue themselues but fewe escaped the edge of our swordes and the horses and a certaine riuer which was neere the towne Seuen Spaniards were slaine in this conflict and fourescore were wounded and many horses whereby a man may see of what force resolution is in necessitie Many Indians returned to the towne with the women and children and defended themselues vntill our men set fire on the towne In this countrey there are melons and white and râ—dde cotton whereof they make farre larger maâ—tels then in other parts of the Indies From Tigues they went in foure dayes iourney to Cicuic which is a small towne and foure leagues from thence they met with a new kind of oxen wild and fierce whereof the first day they killed fourescore which sufficed the armie with flesh From Cicuic they went to Quiuira which after their accompt is almost three hundred leagues distant through mighty plames and sandie heathes so smooth and wearisome and bare of wood that they made heapes of oxe-dung for want of stones and trees that they might not lose themselues at their returne for three horses were lost on that plaine and onâ— Spaniard which went from his coÌ„panie on hunting All that way plaines are as full of crookebacked oxen as the mountaine Serena in Spaine is of sheepe but there is no people but such as keepe those cattell They were a great succour for the hunger and want of bread which our people stoode in One day it rayned in that plaine a great showre of haile as bigge as Orenges which caused many teares weakenesse and vowes At length they came to Quiuira and found Tatarrax whomâ— they sought an hoarie headed man naked and with a iewell of copper hanging at his necke which was all his riches The Spaniards seeing the false report of so famous riches returned to Tiguex without seeing either crosse or shewe of Christianitie and from thence to Mexico In the ende of March of the yeere 1542. Francis Vasquez fell from his horse in Tiguex and with the fall fell out of his wits and became madde Which some tooke to bee for griefe and others thought it to be but counterfeited
and dishonest actions and among the rest they set before him an Indian of grâ—at stature dyed wholly with black with certaine shels of the mother of pearle at his necke and on his head and speaking by signes to Francis Preciado touching the foresaid act of fornication thrusting their finger through a hole they said vnto him that if hee would haue a woman they would bring him one and he answered that he liked well of it and that therfore they should bring him one In the meane space on the other side where the Generall stood with his company another squadron of Indians shâ—wâ—d themselues whereupon the Generall and his company made a stirre and put themsâ—lues in battell array whereupon Francis Preciado was inforced to come downe from them to ioyne with the Generall his company and here the Indians which came last began to make signes that we should lay downe someâ—hing to truck and that they would giue vs some of their shels of mother of pearle which they brought vpon certaine small stickes and herewithall they came very neere vnto vs wherewith we wâ—re not well content And Francis Preciado said vnto the Captaine that if it pleased him heâ— would cause all the Indians to come together and to sâ—ay vpon that high hill and he answered that it was best to draw them all together for by this time our men had taken in all their water and stayed for the boat whereupon Francis taking a crowne of beades went toward the valley through which the water ran toward the Indians and made signes vnto them to call the rest and to come all together because hee would goe to the olde place to lay things on the ground for exchange as at the first and they answered that he should doe so and that they had called the others and that they would doe as he would haue them and so they did for they caused them to come vnto them which they did and Francis likewise went alone towards them in which meane space the Generall commanded his people to get into the boat Francis comming vnto the place bâ—ganne â—o lay downe his marchandise of traffique and afterwards made signes vnto them to stay there because hee would goe to the ships to bring them other things and so he returned to the place where the Captaine was and found them all got into the boates sauing the Generall and three or foure others and the Generall made as though he had giuen other trifles to Preciado to carry vnto the Indians and when he was gone a little from him he called him backe againe and all this while the Indians stood still and being come vnto him wee went faire and softly to our boates and got into them at our ease without any chronging and thence we came aboord our ship The Indians seing vs thus gone aboord came downe to the strand where the brooke of water was and called vnto vs to come foorth with our boates and to come on shore and to bring our beades and that they would giue vs of their mother of pearles but we being now set at dinner made no account of them whereupon they beganne to shoot arrowes at the ship and although they fell neere vs yet they did not reach vs. In the meane season certaine mariners went out in the boat to wey the anker whereupon the Indians seeing them comming towards them bringing them nothing they beganne in scorne to shew them their buttockes making signes that they should kisse their bums and these seemed to be those that came last The Generall seeing this commanded a musket to be once or twise shot off and that they should take their iust ayme They seeing these shot to be made readie some of them rose and went to shoot their arrowes at our mariners which were gone to weigh the ankers then the Generall commanded the great ordinanâ—e speedily to be shot off whereupon three or foure bullets were discharged and we perceiued that we had slaine one of them for we assuredly saw him lye dead vpon the shore and I thinke some of the rest were wounded They hearing this noyse and seeing him dead ranne away as fast as euer they could some along the shore and some through the vallies dragging the dead Indian with them after which time none of them appeared saue ten or twelue which peeped vp with their heads among those rocks whereupon another piece of ordinance was discharged aloft against the place where they were after which time we neuer saw any more of them Chap. 11. At the point of the Trinitie they spend three dayes in fishing and in other pastime after which setting sayle they discouer pleasant countries and mountaines voide of grasse and an Iland afterward called Isla de los Cedros or the I le of Cedars neere which they suffer sharpe colde and raine and to saue themselues they returne thither IMmediatly we set saile to ioyne with the ship Santa Agueda which was aboue halfe a league in the high sea from vs and this was on the Wednesday the seuenteenth of December Being come together because the windes were contrary we drew neere to a headland which wee called Punta de la Trinidad and here wee stayed fishing and solacing our sâ—luâ—s two or three dayes although we had alwayes great store of raine Afterward we beganne to sayle very slowly and at night we rode ouer against those mountaines where we had left our ankers and vpon knowledge of the place we receiued great contentment seeing we had sailed some fiue and thirtie leagues from the place where we had taken in water neither was it any maruell that wee so reioyced because that the feare which we had of contrary windes caused vs to be so well appayd of the way which we had made The day of the holy Natiuitie of our Lord which was on the Thursday the fiue and twentieth of the said moneth God of his mercy beganne to shewe vs fauour in giuing vs a fresh winde almost in the poope which carried vs beyond those mountaines for the space of tenne or twelue leagues finding the coast alwayes plaine and two leagues within the land which we coasted along and betweene these mountaines there was a great space of plaine ground which we might easily discerne with our eyes although others were of another opinion We beganne from Christmas day to saile slowly with certaine small land-windes and sayled from morning to night about sâ—uen or eight leagues which wâ—e esteemed no small matter alwayes praying to God to continue this his fauour toward vs and thanking him for his holy Natiuitie and all the dayes of this feast the Frier sayd masse in the Admirall and the father Frier Raimund preached vnto vs which gaue vs no small comfort by incouraging vs in the seruice of God On Saturday at night being the 27 of the said moneth we ankored neere vnto a point which seemed to be plaine land all along the shore and within the countrey were
of the powder of a certaine herbe whereof they make a certaine beuerage They haue their bodies traced with coles their haire cut before and behind it hangs downe to their wast The women goe naked and weare a great wreath of fethers behind them and before painted and glued together and their haire like the men There were among these Indians three or foure men in womens apparell Nowe the next day being Saturday very early I went forward on my way by the riuer setting on shore two men for eache boate to drawe them with the rope and about breaking foorth of the Sunneâ— wee heard a mightie crie of Indians on both sides of the riuer with their weapons but without any banner I thought good to attend their comming aswell to see what they woulde haue as also to try whether our interpreter could vnderstand them When they came ouer against vs they leapt into the riuer on both sides with their bowes and arrowes and when they spake our interpreter vnderstoode them not whereupon I beganne to make a signe vnto them that they should lay away their weapons as the other had done Some did as I willed them and some did not and those which did I willed to come neere me and gaue them some things which we had to trucke withall which when the others perceiued that they might likewise haue their part they layd away their weapons likewise I iudging my selfe to be in securitie leaped on shore with them and stoode in the the middest of them who vnderstanding that I came not to fight with them began to giue some of those shels and beades and some brought me certaine skinnes well dressed and others Maiz and a roll of the same naughtily grinded so that none of them came vnto me that brought mee not something and before they gaue it me going a little way from mee they began to cry our amayne and made a signe with their bodies and armes and afterward they approched to giue me that which they brought And now that the Sunne beganne to set I put off from the shore and rode in the middest of the riuer The next morning before breake of day on both sides of the riuer wee heard greater cryes and of more Indians which leaped into the riuer to swimme and they came to bring mee certaine gourdes full of Maiz and of those wrethes which I spake of before I shewed vnto them Wheate and Beanes and other seedes to see whether they had any of those kindes but they shewed mee that they had no knowledge of them and wondred at all of them and by signes I came to vnderstand that the thing which they most esteemed and reuerenced was the Sunne and I signified vnto them that I came from the Sunne Whereat they marueiled and then they began to beholde me from the toppe to the toe and shewed me more fauour then they did before and when I asked them for food they brought me such abundance that I was inforced twise to call for the boates to put it into them and from that time forward of all the things which they brought me they flang vp into the ayre one part vnto the Sunne and afterward turned towards me to giue mee the other part and so I was alwayes better serued and esteemed of them as well in drawing of the boats vp the riuer as also in giuing me food to eat and they shewed me so great loue that when I stâ—yed they would haue carried vs in their armes vnto their houses and in no kind of thing they would breake my commandement and for my suretie I willed them not to carry any weapons in my sight and they were so carefull to doe so that if any man came newly thither with them suddenly they would goe and meete him to cause him to lay them downe farre from mee and I shewed them that I tooke great pleasure in their so doing and to some of the chiefe of them I gaue certaine little napkins and other trifles for if I should haue giuen somewhat to euery one of them in particular all the small wares in New Spayne would not haue sufficed Sometimes it fell out such was the great loue and good wil which they shewed me that if any Indians came thither by chance with their weapons and if any one being warned to leaue them behind him if by negligence or because he vnderstood them not at the first warning he had not layd them away they would runne vnto him and take them from him by force and would breake them in pieces in my presence Afterward they tooke the rope so louingly and with striuing one with another for itâ— that we had no need to pray them to doe it Wherefore if we had not had this helpe the current of the riuer being exceeding great and our men that drew the rope being not well acquainted with that occupation it would haue beene impossible for vs to haue gotten vp the riuer so against the streame When I perceiued that they vnderstood mee in all things and that I likewise vnderstoode them I thought good to try by some way or other to make a good entrance to find some good issue to obtaine my desire And I caused certaine crosses to be made of certaine small sticks and paper and among others when I gaue any thing I gaue them these as things of most price and kissed them making signes vnto them that they should honour them and make great account of them and that they should weare them at their necks giuing them to vnderstand that this signe was from heauen and they tooke them and kissed them and lifted them vp aloft and seemed greatly to reioyce thereat when they did so and sometime I tooke them into my boate shewing them great good will and sometime I gaue them of those trifles which I caried with me And at length the matter grew to such issue that I had not paper and stickes ynough to make crosses In this maner that day I was very well accompanied vntill that when night approched I sought to lanch out into the riuer and went to ride in the middest of the streame and they came to aske leaue of me to depart saying that they would returne the next day with victuals to visite me and so by litle and little they departed so that there stayed not aboue fiftie which made fires ouer against vs and stayed there al night calling vs and before the day was perfectly broken they leapt into the water and swamme vnto vs asking for the rope and we gaue it them with a good will thanking God for the good prouision which hee gaue vs to go vp the riuer for the Indians were so many that if they had gone about to let our passage although we had bene many more then wee were they might haue done it Chap. 3. One of the Indians vnderstanding the language of the interpreter asketh many questions of the originall of the Spaniards he
vndertakers nor Berreo himselfe discouer the countrey till now latâ—ly by conference with an ancient king called Carapana he got the true light thereof for Berreo came about 1500 miles yer he vnderstood ought or could finde any passage or entrance into any part thereof yet he had experience of al these forenamed and diuers others and was perswaded of their errors and mistakings Berreo sought it by the riuer Cassamar which falleth into a great riuer called Pato Pato falleth into Meta and Meta into Baraquan which is also called Orenoque He tooke his iourney from Nueuo reyno de Granada where he dwelt hauing the inheritance of Gonzales Ximenes in those parts he was followed with 700 horse he draue with him 1000 head of cattell he had also many women Indians and slaues How all these riuers crosse and encounter how the countrey lieth and is bordered the passage of Ximenes and Berreo mine owne discouery and the way that I entred with all the rest of the nations and riuers your lordship shall receiue in a large Chart or Map which I haue not yet finished and which I shall most humbly pray your lordship to secret and not to suffer it to passe your owne hands for by a draught thereof all may be preuented by other nations for I know it is this very yeere sought by the French although by the way that they now take I feare it not much It was also tolde me yer I departed England that Villiers the admirall was in preparation for the planting of Amazones to which riuer the French haue made diuers voyages and returned much golde and other rarities I spake with a captaine of a French ship that came from thence his ship riding in Falmouth the same yere that my ships came first from Virginia There was another this yeere in Helford that also came from thence and had bene foureteene moneths at an anker in Amazones which were both very rich Although as I am perswaded Guiana cannot be entred that way yet no doubt the trade of gold from thence passeth by branches of riuers into the riuer of Amazones and so it doth on euery hand far from the countrey it selfe for those Indians of Trinidad haue plates of golde from Guiana and those câ—mbals of Dominica which dwell in the Islands by which our ships passe yerely to the West Indies also the Indians of Paâ—ia those Indians called Tucaris Chochi Apotomios Câ—â—anagotos and all those other nations inhabiting nere about the mountaines that run from Paria thorow the prouince of Venesuela and in Maracapana and the cambals of Guanipa the Indians called Assawai Coaca Aiai and the rest all which shall be described in my description as they are situate haue plates of golde of Guiana And vpon the riuer of Amazones Theuet writeth that the people weare croissants of golde for of that forme the Guiâ—nians most commonly make them so as from Dominica to Amazones which is aboue 250 leagues all the chiefe Indians in all paris weare of those plates of Guiana Undoubtâ—dly those that trade Amazones returne much golde which as is aforesayd commeth by trade from Guiana by some branch of a riuer that falleth from the countrey into Amazones and either it is by the riuer which passeth by the nations called Tisnados or by Caâ—epuna I made inquiry amongst the most ancient and best trauelled of the Orenoquepoâ—i and Iâ— had knowledge of all the riuers betweene Orenoque Amazones and was very desirâ—us to vnderstand the tâ—uth of those warlike women because of some it is beleeued of others not And though I digresse from my purpose yet I will set downe that which hath bene deliuered me for trueth of those women I spake with a casique or lord of people that told me he had bene in the riuer and beyond it also The nations of these women are on the South side of the riuer in the prouinces of Topago and their chiefest strengths and retracts are in the Islands situate on the South side of the entrance some 60 leagues within the mouth of the sayd riuer The memories of the like women are very ancient as well in Africa as in Asia In Africa those that had Medusa for queene others in Seithia nere the riuers of Tanais and Thermadon we finde also that Lampedo Marthesia were queenes of the Amazones in many histories they are verified to haue bene and in diuers ages and prouinces but they which are not far from Guiana doe accompany with men but once in a yere and for the time of one moneth which I gather by their relation to be in April and that time all kings of the borders assemble and queenes of the Amazones and after the queenes haue chosen the rest cast lots for their Ualentines This one moneth they feast dance and drinke of their wines in abundance and the Moone being done they all depart to their owne prouinces If they conceiue and be deliuered of a sonne they returne him to the father if of a daughter they nourish it and reteine it and as many as haue daughters send vnto the begetters a present all being desirous to increase their owne ser and kind but that they cut off the right dug of the brest I doe not finde to be true It was farther tolde me that if in these warres they tooke any prisoners that they vsed to accompany with those also at what time soeuer but in the end for certeine they put them to death for they are sayd to be very cruell and bloodthirsty especially to such as offâ—r to inuade their territories These Amazones haue likewise great store of these plates of golde which they recouer by exchange chiefly for a kinde of greene stones which the Spanyards call Pâ—edrashijodas we vse spleene stones and for the disease of the stone we also esteeme them Of these I saw diuers in Guiana and commonly euery king or casique hath one which their wiues for the most part weare and they esteeme them as great iewels But to returne to the enterprise of Bereo who as I haue sayd departed from Nueuo reyno with 700 horse besides the prouisions aboue rehearsed he descended by the riuer called Cassanar which riseth in Nueuo reyno out of the mountaines by the city of Tuuia from which mountaine also springeth Paâ—o both which fall into the great riuer of Meta and Meta riseth from a mountaine ioyning to Pamplon in the same Nueuo reynode Granada These as also Guaiare which issueth out of the mountaines by Timana fall all into Baraquan and are but of his heads for aâ— their comming together theâ— lose their names and Baraquan farther downe is also rebaptized by the name of Orenoque On the other side of the city and hilles of Timana riseth Rio grande which falleth in the sea by Sancta Marta By Cassonar first and so into Meta Berreo passed keeping his horsemen on the banks where the countrey serued them for to march and where otherwise he was driuen to
his right hand stood a page with a fanne in his hand breathing and gathering the ayre to the King The fanne was in length two foote and in bredth one foote set with 8. saphyres richly imbrodered and knit to a staffe 3. foote in length by the which the Page did hold and mooue it Our Gentlemen hauing deliuered their message and receiued order accordingly were licensed to depart being safely conducted backe againe by one of the kings Counsell This Island is the chiefest of all the Islands of Maluco and the King hereof is King of 70. Islands besides The king with his people are Moores in religion obseruing certaine new Moones with fastings during which fasts they neither eat nor drinke in the day but in the night After that our Gâ—ntlemen were returned and that we had heere by the fauour of the king receiued all necessary things that the place could yeeld vs our General considering the great distance and how farre he was yet off from his Countrey thought it not best here to linger the time any longer but waying his anchors set out of the Island and sayled to a certaine litle Island to the Southwards of Celebes where we graued our ship and continued there in that and other businesses 26. dayes This Island is throughly growen with wood of a large and high growth very straight and without boughes saue onely in the head or top whose leaues are not much differing from our broome in England Amongst these trees night by night through the whole land did shew themselues an infinite swarme of fiery wormes flying in the ayre whose bodies beeing no bigger then our common English flies make such a shew and light as if euery twigge or tree had bene a burning candle In this place breedeth also wonderfull store of Bats as bigge as large hennes of Crayfishes also heere wanted no plentie and they of exceeding bignesse one whereof was sufficient for 4. hungry stomacks at a dinner beeing also very good and restoring meate whereof we had experience and they bigge themselues holes in the earth like Conies When wee had ended our businesse here we waied and set saile to runne for the Malucos but hauing at that time a bad winde and being amongst the Islands with much difficultie wee recouered to the Northward of the Island of Celebes where by reason of contrary winds not able to continue our course to runne Westwards we were inforced to alter the sâ—me to the Southward againe finding that course also to be very hard and dangerous for vs by reason of infinite shoalds which lie off and among the Islands whereof wee had too much triall to the hazard and danger of our shippe and liues For of all other dayes vpon the 9. of Ianuarie in the yeere 1579. wee ranne suddenly vpon a rocke where we stucke fast from 8. of the clocke at night til 4. of the clocke in the afternoone the next day being indeede out of all hope to escape the danger but our Generall as hee had alwayes hitherto shewed himselfe couragious and of a good confidence in the mercie and protection of God so now he continued in the same and lest he should seeme to perish wilfully both he and we did our best indeuour to saue our selues which it pleased God so to blesse that in the ende we cleared our selues most happily of the danger We lighted our ship vpon the rockes of 3. tunne of cloues 8. peeces of ordinance and certaine meale and beanes and then the winde as it were in a moment by the speciall grace of God changing from the starreboord to the larboord of the ship we hoised our sailes and the happy gale droue our ship off the rocke into the sea againe to the no litle comfort of all our hearts for which we gaue God such prayse and thanks as so great a benefite required The 8. of Februarie following wee fell with the fruitfull Island of Barateue hauing in the meane time suffered many dangers by windes and shoalds The people of this Island are comely in body and stature and of a ciuill behauiour iust in dealing and courteous to strangers whereof we had the experience sundry wayes they being most glad of our presence and very ready to releeue our wants in those things which their Countrey did yeelde The men goe naked sauing their heads and priuities euery man hauing something or other hanging at their eares Their women are couered from the middle downe to the foote wearing a great number of bracelets vpon their armes for some had 8. vpon each arme being made some of bone some of horne and some of brasse the lightest whereof by our estimation waied two ounces apeece With this people linnen-cloth is good marchandize and of good request whereof they make rols for their heads and girdles to weare about them Their Island is both rich and fruitfull rich in golde siluer copper and sulphur wherein they seeme skilfull and expert not onely to trie the same but in working it also artificially into any forme and fashion that pleaseth them Their fruits be diuers and plentiful as nutmegs ginger long pepper lemmons cucumbers cocos figu sagu with diuers other sorts and among all the rest wee had one fruite in bignesse forme and huske like a Bay berry hard of substance and pleasant of taste which being sodden becommeth soft and is a most good and wholsome victuall whereof we tooke reasonable store as we did also of the other fruits and spices so that to confesse a trueth since the time that we first set out of our owne Countrey of England we happened vpon no place Ternate onely excepted wherein we found more comforts and better meanes of refreshing At our departure from Barateue we set our course for Iaua maior where arriuing we found great courtesie and honourable entertainment This Island is gouerned by 5. Kings whom they call Raiah as Raiah Donaw and Raiah Mang Bange and Raiah Cabuccapollo which liue as hauing one spirite and one minde Of these fiuâ— we had foure a shipboord atonce and two or three often They are wonderfully delighted in coloured clothes as red and greene their vpper parts of their bodies are naked saue their heads whereupon they weare a Turkish roll as do the Maluccians from the middle downward they weare a pintado of silke trailing vpon the ground in colour as they best like The Maluccians hate that their women should bee seene of strangers but these offer them of high courtesie yea the kings themselues The people are of goodly stature and warlike well prouided of swords and targets with daggers all being of their owne worke and most artificially done both in tempering their mettall as also in the forme whereof we bought reasonable store They haue an house in euery village for their common assembly euery day they meete twise men women and children bringing with them such victuals as
Sedgewick at Noâ—ogrode Masts of 30. yards An Arshine is 3. quarters of a yard or more A rope house â—râ—ted at Colmogro A tarre house Robert Austen 1558 Lampas a great mate for the Samoeds in the North. What quantitie of â—empe workmen will worke in a peere White hawks white beares prohibited without licence Master Grayes iourney to Lampas 1558 Doctor Standish the Emperours Phisition An attempt to hinder our trade to Moscouia by the Hans townes Easterlings 1559 Master Ienkensons voyage intended for Cathay The discouery of its Caspian sea Passage to and from Moscouia by Sweden This was a yong Tartar girle which he gaue to the Queene afterward Tallowe Waxe Traine oyles Sables Woluerings Luserns Lett es Ermines Squirels Flaxe Cables and ropes A proclamion against soâ—rnâ— Furres 3000. podes of Tallow a yere 500. Losh hides Note Hope of trade to be found by master Antonie Ienkinson Seale skinnes tawed Small cables best besidible Masts of all sorts to be prepared Astracan no great good marte Christopher Hodson and Thomas Glouer appointed Agents 1560. Stockholme Iohn Luck taken prisoner in Lieflando The Swallow The Philip and Marie The Iesus Nicholas Chancelour The salt of Russia is not so good as Bay salte Fore skinnes white blacke and russet vendible in England May 5. 1560. Triall by combat or loâ— Iune Heilick IslaÌ„ds in 66 degrees 40 minutes Rost Islands Malestrand a strange whirle poole Zenam Island Kettelwike Island Inger sound The North Cape Wardhouse Cattell fed with fish The Monastery of Pechinchow Arzina reca the riuer where sir Hugh Willoughbie was frozen The Lappians couered all sauing their eies The current at Cape Grace The entering of the Bay of S. Nicholas is seuen leagues broad at the least August Pinego riuer The towne of Yemps Vstiug The description of their Nassades Good counsell for trauellers December Presents vsed in Russia are all for the most part of victualâ— The citie of Boghar They arriued at Mosco M. Standish doctor of Phisicke Long dinners Ordinance in Russia A yerely triumph The hallowing of the riuer of Mosco The Russes Lent The Emperor leadeth y e Metropolitanâ— horse in procession Kissing vsed in the Greeke church With these letters M. Ienkinson tooke his voyage the same Apâ—il to Boghar The Emperours wardrobe “ Or Basilius Note The hospitalitie of their monasteries Want of preachers cause of great ignoâ—aÌ„ce and idolaâ—â—y Al their seruice to in their mother tonguâ— The women of Russia paint their faces Bâ—â—ad made of straw The vnmercifulnesse of the Russeâ— toward the poore Stooues 〈◊〉 baths vsuall with the Mascouites Reported by Thomas Bulley Cazan The Island of marchants The riuer of Cama Nagay Tartars Hords The Crimme Tartars The riuer of Samar Licoris in great plentie Astracan Store of Sturgions The length of the Island of Astracan They enter into the Caspian sea Baughleata being 74. leagues from Volga Iaic riuer Serachick The Countrie of Colmack The port of Manguslaue They goe on land The countrey of Manguslaue 20. dayes trauaile in the wildernesse with scarcitie of water Another gulfe of the Caspian sea Will de Rubricis describeth this riuer of Ardok cap. 4. Sellizure or Shayzure Letters of safe-conduct Vrgence The countrey of Turkeman The riuer of Ardock falleth into the lake of Kitay The castle of Kait Diutuation by forcerie Handguns very profitable Bussarmans Caphar The riuer of Oxus A wildernes of sande Boghar a citie of Bactria A strange worme in mens legs The coyne of Boghar Marchandise of India Marchandise of Persia. Marchandise of Russia Marchandise of Cathay Taskent Cascar He returneth the eight of March 1552. Vrgence The king of Baâ—ke oâ— Balgâ— The English flag in the Caspian sea A notable description of the Caspian sea His arriual at Mosco the 2. of September * â—râ— Vrgeâ—â—â— Angrim Mandeuille speaketh hereof Oâ—â—itay Small people Pechora but six dayes iourney by land or water from Ob. Trauelling on dogs harts 1559 The trade to Narue forbidden by the â—â— of Poland The ancient couenants of trafficke betweene England Prussia The olde libertie of trafficke The meanes of increase of the power of the Moscouite This letter was also written in Hebrew and Italian The passage of Noua Zembla Waights and drugs deliuered to M. Ienkinson The maine sea within thirtie dayes Eastward of Colmogro 1561 The Queâ—nes letters to the Emperour of Russia Request to passe into Persia thorow Moscouie Osep Napea Ambassadour from the Emperor of Russia to Q. Mary An ambassador of Persia. Astracan M. Ienkinsons voyage to Boghar He passeth the Caspian sea The countreâ— of Tumen The Island of Chatalet The land of Shiâ—uansha Derbent A mighty wall Or Tiphlis Fortie one degrees Shabran Alcan Murcy the gouernour King Obdolowcan The maiesty attire of king Obdolowcan The Queenes letters to the Sophy Casbin Multitude of concubines The description of Hircania Danger by diuersâ—tie in religion Barbarous crueltie The citie of Arrash or Erex The commodities of thiâ— countreâ— The strong castle of Gullistone defaced The towne of Yauate The city of Ardouil The city Tebâ—iâ— or Tauris M. Ienkinsons arriuall at the Sophies court 2. Nouember 1562. The Turkes Ambassadour to the Sophy The Turkes merchauntâ— withstand M. Ienkinson Shaw Thomas the Sophies name The Queeneâ— letters deliuered The Sophies questions The curtesâ—e of Shally Murzey Warres intended against the Portingalsâ— The king of Hircans sâ—cond letters in M. Ienkinsonâ— behalfe Conference with Indian Merchants M. Ienkinsons returne Priuiledges obtained of Obdolowcan which are hereafter annexed An Armenian sent to M. Ienkinson from the king of Georgia Teneruk king of Chircassi The description of Persia. The chiefe Cities of Persia. The difference of religion The 30. of May 1563. New priuileges obtained hereafter following 28. Sâ—ptemb 1564. A rubble is a marke English Casbin Leuuacta A Boserman to a Renegado Thomas Alcocke slaine in the way betweene Leuuacta and Shammaki Keselbash or Ieselbash Gillan in Persia 1565. Ieraslaue a towne vpon the riuer of Volga Richard Iohnson chiefe of the third voyage into Persia. A barke of 30. tunnes made at Ieraslaue 1564. to passe the Caspian seas 1566 They departed from Astracan the 30. of Iuly 1565. September Presents to the king Obdolowcan A hoâ—se giuen our men in Shamaki by the king The death of Abdollocan the 2. of October 1565. Mursay the new king of Media The death of Alexander Kitchin the 23. of October 1565. The Caspiaâ— sea very shoald in diuers places The murthering of Thomas Alcock Cozamomet a noble man that fauoured our nation The value of a tumen What a batman is Varas a great mart for silke Gilan 7. dayes sailing from Astracanâ— Alom Gilan 4. dayes iourney from Casbin From Casbin to Ormus a moneths trauel with camels The secret doings of the Moscouie company Orient reds of Venice die A shaugh is 6. d. English His arriual at Casbin the 25. of May. Conference demands of the Shaugh All sorts of cloth to be sent specially Westerne