those we vse in Europe and that by them wee may write wordes and discourses and that they only differ from our letters and writings in the diversitie of caracters as the Greekes differ from the Latines and the Hebrews from the Chaldees But it is not so for they have no Alphabet neither write they any letters but all their writing is nothing else but painting and ciphering and their letters signifie no partes of distinctions as ours do but are figures and representations of things as of the Sunne of fire of a man of the sea and of other things The which appears plainely for that their writings and Chapas are vnderstood of them all although the languages the Chinois speake are many and very different in like sort as our numbers of ciphers are equally vnderstooode in the Spanish French and Arabian tongues for this figure 8. wheresoever it be signifies eight althogh the French call this number of one sort and the Spaniards of another So as things being of themselves innumerable the letters likewise or figures which the Chinois vse to signifie them by are in a maner infinite so as he that shall reade or write at China as the Mandarins doe must know and keepe in memory at the least fourescore and five thousand characters or letters and those which are perfect herein know above sixscore thousand Astrange and prodigious thing yea incredible if it were not testified by men worthy of credite as the fathers of our company who are there continually learning their language and writing wherein they have studied day and night above tenne yeares with a continuall labour for the charitie of Christ and the desire of salvation of soules prevailed in them above all this labour and difficultie For this reason learned men are so much esteemed in China for the difficultie there is to conceive them those only have the offices of Mandarins Governours Iudges and Captaines For this cause the fathers take great pains to instruct their children to reade and write There are many of these schooles where the children are taught where the masters teach them by day and the fathers at home by night so as they hurt their eyes much and they whippe them often with reedes although not so severely as they doe offenders They call it the Mandarin tongue which requires a mans age to be conceived And you must vnderstand that although the tongue which the Mandarins speake bee peculiar and different from the Vulgar which are many and that they studie it as they doe Latine Greeke heere and that the learned only throghout all China do vnderstand it so it is notwithstanding that all that is written in it is vnderstood in all tongues and although all the Provinces doe not vnderstand one another by speaking yet by writing they doe for there is but one sort of figures and characters for them all which signifie one thing but not the same word and prolation seeing as I have said they are onely to denote the things and not the worde as we may easily vnderstand by the examples of numbers in ciphering And they of Iappon the Chinois do reade and vnderstand well the writings one of another although they be divers Nations and different in tongue and language If they speake what they reade or write they should not bee vnderstood Such are the letters and bookes the Chinois vse being so famous in the world To make their impressions they grave a boord or plank with the figures they will print then do they stampe as many leaves of paper as they list of the same sort as they have made their pictures the which are graven in copper or wood But a man of iudgement may aske how they could signifie their conceptions by figures which approached neere or resemble the thing they would represent As to say the Sunne heats or that he hath beheld the Sunne or the day is of the Sunne Finally how it were possible to denote by the same figures the case the coniunction and the articles which are in many tongues and writings I answer therevnto that they distinguish and signifie this varietie by certaine points strikes and dispositions of the figure But it is difficult to vnderstand how they can write proper names in their tongue especially of strangers being things they have never seene and notable to invent figures proper vnto them I have made triall thereof being in Mexico with the Chinois willing them to write this proposition in their language Ioseph Acosta is come from Peru and such like wherevpon the Chinois was long pensive but in the end hee did write it the which other Chinois did after reade although they did vary a little in the pronountiation of the proper name For they vse this devise to write a proper name they seeke out something in their tongue that hath resemblance to that name and set downe the figure of this thing And as it is difficult among so many proper names to finde things to resemble them in the prolation so is it very difficult and troublesome to write such names Vpon this purpose father Allonso SancheZ told vs that when he was in China being led into divers Tribunall seates from Manderin to Manderin they were long in putting his name in writing in their Chapas yet in the end they did write it after their maner and so ridiculously that they scarce came neere to the name and this is the fashion of letters and writings which the Chinois vsed That of the Iapponois approched very neere although they affirme that the Noblemen of Iappon that came into Europe did write all things very easily in their language were they of our proper names yea I have had some of their writings shewed me whereby it seemes they should have some kinde of letters although the greatest part of their writings be by the characters and figures as hath bin saide of the Chinois Of the Schooles and Vniversities of China CHAP. 6. THe fathers of our company say that they have not seene in China any great schooles or vniversities of Philosophie and other naturall sciences beleeving there is not any but that all their studie is in the Mandarin tongue which is very ample and hard as I have said and what they studie bee things written in their owne tongue which be histories of sects and opinions of civill lawes of morall proverbes of fables and many other such compositions that depend thereon Of divine sciences they have no knowledge neither of naturall things but some small remainders of straied propositions without art or methode according to everie mans witte and studie As for the Mathematikes they have experience of the celestiall motions and of the starres And for Phisicke they have knowledge of herbs by means wherof they cure many diseases vse it much They write with pensils have many books writen with the hand and others printed but in a bad order They are great plaiers of come dies the which they perform with great
Discourse vpon the discoverie of Magellan by Sarmiento 154 Division of Peru into Lanos Sierres Andes 184 Division of the people 456 Division of the Cittie of Mâ—xico into foure quarters made by the commaundement of their God 512 Divinations practisâ—d by the Indians and how 406 Divorces practised amongst the Mexicaines and how 409 Death the punishment of Virgins that were incontinent 367 Death of Chimalpopoca the yoong king of Mexico slâ—ine treacherously by the Tapanecanâ— 526 Death of Moâ—esuma the lâ—st king of Mexico 576 Doctors of the holy church not to be reprooved differing in opinion of Philosophie 2 Dogges as dangerous as wolves 301 Dogges daungerous in the Ilands of Cuba Hispaniola and others 70 Drake an Englishman didde passe the straight of Magellan in our time others since 154 Duckes in great aboundaunce in the Lake of Titicaca and how they doe hunt them 171 Drought followes not the neerenesse of the Sunne 85 E. EAgle vppon a Tunall the Armes of Mexico and why 513 Earthquakes very strange and the cause 197 Earth how it is sustained 10 The Earth vnder the pole Antartike is not all covered with waters 18 The Earth in longitude is all of one temperature but not in latitude 29 The Earth with the water make one globe ibid. Eclipse of the Moone a certain proofe of the roundnesse of the heavens 6 Effectes naturall proceede from contrary causes 96 Elements participate with the motion of the first moover 138 Electours of the king of Mexico were commonly his kinsmen 485 Election of the kings of Mexico the feastes at their instalment ibid. Election of the first Kâ— of Mexico 515 Entry of the Spaniards into new Spain in the yeere 1518. 558 Entrie of Cortez into Mexico 574 Errour of imagination 23 Esaies passage expounded by the exemplification of the Gospel 208 Emerauldes more esteemed in former time then now 249 Exercises wherin they instructed their youth 487 Explication of a passage of saint Paule against the roundnes of the earth 14 Explication of the 110 Psalme vppon the same subiect 15 F. FAmiliar reasons to teach an Indian that the Sunne is no god â—42 Fasting of the Indians before the feaâ—â— of Ita not accompanying with their wives 374 A Father loosing his children was held for a great sinner hâ— would kil his childreÌ„ to save his own life 399 Fertâ—litie vnfruitefull in the Ilandes of new Spainâ— 187 Feasts of Merchants made with many sportes 424 Feast of the Idoll of Tlascalla 355 Feasts for to have raine 411 Feasts for every moneth 412 Fâ—re drawne out of two stickes rubbd one against another by the Indians 119 Fire in hell different from ours 195 Fire from heaven consumed for their sinnes 63 Fish flying 165 Fountaine casting vp hote water the which turnes into a rocke 173 Figge tree whereof the one halfe carries fruite at one season the other at another 297 â—loures of Europe grow best at the Indies 283 â—loridians had no knowledge of golde 207 Flowing and ebbing of the sea is no local motion but an alteration and fervâ—â— of the waters 162 Flowing and ebbing of the seas divers ibid. Fountaine of salt in Cuscâ— 174 Forrests wonderfull thicke at the Indies 291 Forrests of orange trees at the Indies 294 Forme of that which is discovered at Peru. 201 Frâ—â—ciâ— Hâ—â—nandes the Author of a rarâ— booke of plants rooteâ— and physicall hearbes at the Iâ—dies â—90 Fruites of Europe much incrâ—ased aâ— the Indies 294 G. GArlicke much esteemed aâ— thâ— Indieâ— 261 Gardinâ— vppon the water in the midst of a Lake 172 Gardins artificially made vppon the water tâ— remove where they please 519 Giantâ— came in anâ—ient time to Peru. 62 Golde found in three sortes 212 Gold of Caravana most famous at Pâ—ru 214 Gold and silver esteemed throughout the whole world 206 Golde silver served the Indians but for ornament 209 Gold why esteemd above other mettalles 212 Golde how refined into powlder 214 Goomes with physicall and odoâ—ifâ—rous oyles with their names 287 Gonzales Pziarre vanquished and defeated his crueltie against the Indians 475 Governors of provinces how estâ—blâ—shed by the Inguas 455 Guacas or Sanctuaries very well maintained 463 Guancos and Vicunaâ— wilde goates 70 Guayaquil an Indian oake and verie sweete 292 Guayavos an Indian fruite 277 Guaynacapa the great and valiant Ingua and his life he was worshipped as a god in his life 479 Guayras furnaces to refine gold 233 Gospel preached to the Indians when their Empire was at the hâ—ghest even aâ— to the Romans 583 H. HAtunâ—â—squi Ayâ—â—râ—y the sixâ— mâ—neth of the Indians which answereth vnto Maie 413 Harts of men pulld out and sacrificed how that ceremony beganne 509 Haire of the prieâ—â—s horribly long and annoynted with rozen 403 Heaven is round and turnâ—â— vppon two Poles prooved more by experience than demonstration 5 Heaven no farther from the earth of the one side than of the other 18 Hennes found at the Indies at the fâ—â—st discovery which they called Gualpa and their egges Ponto 306 Hercules Pillers the limites of the Roman Empire of the old world 27 Hipocrisie of Mâ—tesuma last King of Mâ—xico 554 Historie of the Indies not to bee contemned and why 495 Historie of Mâ—xico kept in the Librarie of Vatican 550 Historie of Mexico how framed 446 Horses goodly and strong at the Indies 301 Horse-shooes of silver for want of yâ—on 212 House admirably filled with all sortes of beasts like to another Noes Arke 484 Humor of the Iewes contrary to that of the Indians 76 I. IEalousie of the Indies one against an other for renowme of valour 472 Idlenesse bannished by the Inguas as dangerous for the subiects 457 Idoll carried by foure Priestes for a guide whenas the Mexicaines did seek a new land like to the children of Israel 504 Idolls of the kings Inguas reverenced as themselves 356 Iland of Suâ—atra now called Taprobaâ—a 37 Iland â—tlâ—nâ—ikâ— of Plaâ—â— a meere fabâ—e 72 Iland of fagots made with exceeding labour to passe an army vppon the sea 550 Ilandâ—s very farre from the firme land noâ— inhabiâ—ed â—9 Iâ—nmortalitie of the soule beleeved by the Indies 347 Indies what it signifieth and what we vnderstand by that word 47 Weast Indies most popular governements in the which there were but two kingdomes 453 Indians not greatly desirous of silver 76 Indians have lived in troups as those doe of Florida Brâ—sill and other places 80 Indians good swimmers 168 Indians had no proper word to signifie God 334 The Indians know all Artes necessarie for mans life without any need one of another 466 Infants sacrificed to the Sunne 336 Inguas kings of Peru worshipped after their deaths 344 The Inguas empery continued above 300. yeares 471 Inguas married their sisters 455 Inundation of Nile a naturall thing though it seeme supernaturall 88 Iustice by whome executed in Mexico 486 Indian bookes how they can be made without letters 440 Iustice severely executed by Motesuma the last king of Mexico
their gods They drunke no wine and slept little for that the greatest part of their exercises were by night committing great cruelties and martiring themselves for the Divell and all to bee reputed great fasters and penitents They did vse to discipline themselves with cordes full of knottes and not they onely but the people also vsed this punishment and whipping in the procession and feast they made to the idoll TeZcalipuca the which as I have said before is the god of penance for then they all carried in their hands new cordes of the threed of Manguey a fadome long with a knot at the end and therewith they whipped themselves giving great lashes over their shoulders The Priests did fast five daies together before this feast eating but once a day and they lived apart from their wives not going out of the Temple during those five daies they did whip themselves rigorously in the maner aforesaid The Iesuites which have written from the Indies treate amply of the penances and exceeding rigor the Boncos vse all which was but counterfait and more in shew then in trueth In Peru to solemnize the feast of the Yta which was great all the people fasted two daies during the which they did not accompany with their wives neyther did they eate any meate with salt or garlike nor drinke Chica They did much vse this kinde of fasting for some sinnes and did penance whipping themselves with sharpe stinging nettles and often they strooke themselves over the shoulders with certaine stones This blinde Nation by the perswasion of the Divell did transport themselves into craggy mountaines where sometimes they sacrificed themselves casting themselves downe from some high rocke All which are but snares and deceites of him that desires nothing more then the losse and ruine of man Of the Sacrifices the Indians made to the Divell and whereof CHAP. 18. IT hath beene in the aboundance and diversitie of Offrings and Sacrifices taught vnto the Infidells for their idolatrie that the enemy of God and man hath most shewed his subtiltie and wickednes And as it is a fit thing and proper to religion to consume the substance of the creatures for the service and honour of the Creator the which is by sacrifice even so the father of lies hath invented the meanes to cause the creatures of God to be offered vnto him as to the Author and Lord thereof The first kinde of sacrifices which men vsed was very simple for Caine offered the fruites of the earth and Abell the best of his cattell the which likewise Noe and Abraham did afterwardes and the other Patriarkes vntil that this ample ceremony of Levi was given by Moses wherein there are so many sortes and differences of sacrifices of divers things for divers affaires and with divers ceremonies In like sort among some Nations hee hath beene content to teach them to sacrifice of what they had but among others hee hath passed farre giving them a multitude of customes and ceremonies vpon sacrifices and so many observances as they are wonderfull And thereby it appeares plainely that he meanes to contend and equall himselfe to the ancient law and in many things vsurpe the same ceremonies Wee may draw all the sacrifices the Infidells vse into three kindes one of insensible things another of beasts and the third of men They did vse in Peru to sacrifice Coca which is an hearb they esteeme much of Mays which is their wheate of coloured feathers and of Chaquira which otherwise they call Mollo of shelles or oysters and sometime gold and silver being in figures of little beasts Also of the fine stuffe of Cumbi of carved and sweete wood and most commonly tallow burnt They made these offerings or sacrifices for a prosperous winde and faire weather or for their health and to be delivered from some dangers and mishappes Of the second kinde their ordinary sacrifice was of Cuyes which are small beasts like rabbets the which the Indians eate commonly And in matters of importance or when they were rich men they did offer Pacos or Indian sheepe bare or with wooll observing curiously the numbers colours and times The maner of killing their sacrifices great or small which the Indians did vse according to their ancient ceremonies is the same the Moores vse at this day the which they call Alquible hanging the beast by the right fore legge turning his eyes towards the Sun speaking certaine wordes according to the qualitie of the sacrifice they flew for if it were of colour their wordes were directed to Chuquilla and to the Thunder that they might want no water if it were white smoothe they did offer it to the Sunne with certaine wordes if it had a fleece they did likewise offer it him with some others that he might shine vpon them and favour their generation If it were a Guanaco which is gray they directed their sacrifice to Viracocha In Cusco they did every yeare kill and sacrifice with this ceremony a shorne sheepe to the Sunne and did burne it clad in a red waste-coate and when they did burne it they cast certaine small baskets of Coca into the fire which they call Vilcaronca for which sacrifice they have both men and beasts appointed which serve to no other vse They did likewise sacrifice small birdes although it were not so vsuall in Peru as in Mexico where the sacrificing of quailes was very ordinarie Those of Peru did sacrifice the birdes of Puna for so they call the desart when they should go to the warres for to weaken the forces of their adversaries Guacas They called these sacrifices Cuzcovicca or Contevicca or Huallavicca or Sophavicca and they did it in this maner they tooke many kindes of small birdes of the desart and gathered a great deale of a thornie wood which they call Yaâ—lli the which being kindled they gathered together these small birdes This assembly they called Quiâ—o then did they cast them into the fire about the which the officers of the sacrifice went with certaine round stones carved whereon were painted many snakes lions toades and tigres vttering this word Vsachum which signifies let the victorie be given vnto vs with other wordes whereby they sayed the forces of their enemies Guacas were confounded And they drew forth certaine blacke sheepe which had beene kept close some daies without meate the which they called Vrca and in killing them they spake these words As the hearts of these beasts be weakened so let our enemies be weakned And if they found in these sheep that a certaine peece of flesh behind the heart were not consumed by fasting and close keeping they then held it for an ill augure They brought certaine black dogs which they call Appuros and slew them casting them into a plaine with certaine ceremonies causing some kinde of men to eate this flesh the which sacrifices they did lest the Ingua should be hurt by poison and for this cause they fasted from morning vntill the stars were vp
preparation of theaters apparel bels drums and voices Some fathers report to have seene comedies which lasted ten or twelve dayes and nights without any want of comedians nor company to beholde them They doe make many different sceanes and whilst some act the others feede and sleep In these comedies they do commonly treate of morall things and of good examples intermingled with pleasant devises This is the summe of that which our men report of the letters and exercises of them of China wherein wee must confesse to be much wit and industrie But all this is of small substance for in effect all the knowledge of the Chinois tendes onely to reade and write no farther for they attaine to no high knowledge And their writing and reading is not properly reading and writing seeing their letters are no letters that can represent wordes but figures of innumerable things the which cannot be learned but in a long time and with infinite labour But in the end with all their knowledge an Indian of Peru or Mexico that hath learned to reade and write knowes more then the wisest Mandarin that is amongst them for that the Indian with foure and twentie letters which he hath learned will write all the wordes in the world and a Mandarin with his hundred thousand letters will be troubled to write some proper name as of Martin or Alonso with greater reason he shal be lesse able to write the names of things he knowes not So as the writing in China is no other thing but a maner of painting or ciphring Of the fashion of letters and writings which the Mexicaines vsed CHAP. 7. WE finde amongest the Nations of New Spaine a great knowledge and memorie of antiquitie and therefore searching by what meanes the Indians had preserved their Histories and so many particularities I learned that although they were not so subtill and curious as the Chinois and those of Iappon yet had they some kinde of letters and bookes amongest them whereby they preserved after their manner the deeds of their predecessors In the province of Yu-lataâ— where the Bishopricke is which they call de Honduras there were bookes of the leaves of trees folded and squared after their manner in the which the wise Indians contained the distribution of their times the knowledge of the planets of beasts and other naturall things with their antiquities a thing full of great curiositie and diligence It seemed to some Pedant that all this was an inchantment magicke arte who did obstinately maintaine that they ought to be burnt so as they were committed to the fire Which since not onely the Indians found to be ill done but also the curious Spaniards who desired to know the secrets of the countrey The like hath happened in other things for our men thinking that all was but superstition have lost many memorialls of an ancient and holy things which might have profited much This proceedeth of a foolish and ignorant zeale who not knowing nor seeking to knowe what concerned the Indians say preiudicately that they are all but witchcrafts and that all the Indians are but drunkards incapable to know or learne any thing For such as would be curiously informed of them have found many things worthy of consideration One of our company of Iesuites a man very witty and wel experienced did assemble in the province of Mexico the Antients of Tescuco of Talla and of Mexico conferring at large with them who shewed vnto him their books histories and kalenders things very woorthy the sight bicause they had their figures and hierogliphicks wherby they represented things in this maner Such as had forme or figure were represented by their proper images and such as had not any were represented by characters that signified them and by this meanes they figured and writ what they would And to observe the time when any thing did happen they had those painted wheeles for every one of them contained an age which was two and fifty yeares as hath beene said and of the side of those wheeles they did paint with figures and characters right against the yeare the memorable things that happened therein As they noted the yeare whenas the Spaniards entred their Countrey they painted a man with a hatte and a red ierkin vpon the signe of the reede which did rule then and so of other accidents But for that their writings and characters were not sufficient as our letters and writings be they could not so plainly expresse the words but onely the substance of their conceptions And forasmuch as they were accustomed to reherse Discourses and Dialogues by heart compounded by their Oratours and auntient Rhethoritians and many Chapas made by their Poets which were impossible to learne by their Hierogliphickes and Characters the Mexicaines were very curious to have their children learne those dialogues and compositions by heart For the which cause they had Schooles and as it were Colledges or Seminaries where the Auncients taught children these Orations and many other things which they preserved amongst them by tradition from one to another as perfectly as if they had beene written especially the most famous Nations had a care to have their children which had any inclination to be Rhetoritians and to practise the office of Orators to learne these Orations by heart So as when the Spaniardes came into their Country and had taught them reade and write our letters many of the Indians then wrote these Orations as some grave men doe witnes that had read them Which I say for that some which shall happly reade these long and eloquent discourses in the Mexicaine Historie will easilie beleeve they have beene invented by the Spaniardes and not really taken and reported from the Indians But having knowne the certaine trueth they will give credite as reason is to their Histories They did also write these Discourses after their manner by Characters and Images and I have seene for my better satisfaction the Pater noster Ave Maria and Simboll or generall confession of our faith written in this manner by the Indians And in trueth whosoever shall see them will wonder thereat For to signifie these wordes I a sinner do confesse my selfe they painted an Indian vppon his knees at a religious mans feete as one that confesseth himselfe and for this To God most mighty they painted three faces with their Crownes like to the Trinitie and To the glorious Virgine Marie they painted the face of our Lady and halfe the body of a little childe and for S. Peter and S. Paul heads with crowns and a key with a sword and whereas images failed they did set characters as Wherein I have sinned c. whereby wee may conceive the quickenesse of spirite of these Indians seeing this manner of writing of our prayers and matters of faith hath not beene taught them by the Spaniards neither could they have done it if they had not had an excellent conception of that was taught them And I have seene
in Peru a confession of sinnes brought by an Indian written in the same forte with pictures and characters painting every one of the tenne Commandementes after a certaine manner where there were certaine markes like ciphers which were the sinnes hee had committed against the Commaundements I nothing doubt but if any of the most sufficient Spaniards were imployed to make memorialles of the like things by their images and markes they would not attaine vnto it in a whole yeare no not in tenne Of Registers and the manner of reckoning which the Indians of Peru vsed CHAP. 8. BEfore the Spaniardes came to the Indies they of Peru had no kinde of writing either letters characters ciphers or figures like to those of China and Mexico yet preserved they the memory of their Antiquities and maintaine an order in all their affairs of peace warre and pollicie for that they were carefull observers of traditions from one to another and the yoong ones learned and carefully kept as a holy thing what their superiors had tolde them and taught it with the like care to their posteritie Besides this diligence they supplied the want of letters and writings partely by painting as those of Mexico although they of Peru were very grose and blockish and partely and most commonly by Quippos These Quippos are memorialls or registers made of bowes in the which there are diverse knottes and colours which do signifie diverse things and it is strange to see what they have expressed and represented by this meanes for their Quippos serve them insteede of Bookes of histories of lawes ceremonies and accounts of their affaires There were officers appointed to keepe these Quippos the which at this day they call Quipocamayos the which were bound to give an account of every thing as Notaries and Registers doe heere Therefore they fully beleeved them in all things for according to the varietie of businesse as warres pollicie tributes ceremonies and landes there were sundry Quippos or braunches in every one of the which there were so many knottes little and great and strings tied vnto them some red some greene some blew some white and finally such diversitie that even as wee derive an infinite number of woordes from the foure and twenty letters applying them in diverse sortes so doe they drawe innumerable woordes from their knottes and diversitie of colours Which thing they doe in such a manner that if at this day in Peru any Commissary come at the end of two or three yeares to take information vppon the life of any officer the Indians come with their small reckonings verified saying that in such a village they have given him so many egges which hee hath not payed for in such a house a henne in an other two burdens of grasse for his horse and that he hath paied but so much mony and remaineth debtor so much The proofe being presently made with these numbers of knottes and handfulls of cords it remaines for a certaine testimony and register I did see a handfull of these strings wherein an Indian woman carried written a generall confession of all her life and thereby confessed herselfe as well as I could have done it in written paper I asked her what those strings meant that differed from the rest she aunswered mee they were certaine circumstaunces which the sin required to be fully confessed Beside these Quippos of thred they have an other as it were a kinde of writing with small stones by meanes whereof they learne punctually the words they desire to know by heart It is a pleasant thing to see the olde and the impotent with a wheele made of small stones learne the Pater noster with another the Ave Maria with another the Creede and to remember what stone signifies Which was conceived by the holy-ghost and which Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate It is a pleasant thing to see them correct themselves when they doe erre for all their correction consisteth onely in beholding of their small stones One of these wheeles were sufficient to make mee forget all that I do knowe by heart There are a great number of these wheeles in the Church-yardes for this purpose But it seemes a kinde of witchcraft to see an other kinde of Quippos which they make of graines of Mays for to cast vp a hard account wherein a good Arithmetitian would be troubled with his penne to make a division to see how much every one must contribute they do drawe so many graines from one side and adde so many to another with a thousand other inventions These Indians wil take their graines and place five of one side three of another and eight of another and wil change one graine of one side and three of another So as they finish a certaine account without erring in any poynt and they sooner submitte themselves to reason by these Quippos what every one ought to pay then we can do with the penne Hereby we may iudge if they have any vnderstanding or be brutish for my parte I think they passe vs in those things wherevnto they do apply themselves Of the order the Indians holde in their writings CHAP. 9. IT shal be good to adde heerevnto what we have observed touching the Indians writings for their maner was not to write with a continued line but from the toppe to the bottome or in circle-wise The Latines and Greeks do write from the left hand vnto the right which is the vulgar and common manner we do vse The Hebrewes contrariwise beganne at the right to the left and therefore their bookes beganne where ours did end The Chinois write neither like the Greeks nor like the Hebrews but from the toppe to the bottome for as they be no letters but whole wordes and that every figure and character signifieth a thing they have no neede to assemble the parts one with an other and therefore they may well write from the toppe to the bottome Those of Mexico for the same cause did not write in line from one side to another but contrarie to the Chinois beginning below they mounted vpward They vsed this maner of writing in the account of their daies and other things which they observed Yet when they did write in their wheels or signes they beganne from the middest where the Sunne was figured and so mounted by their yeeres vnto the round and circumference of the wheele To conclude wee finde foure different kindes of writings some writte from the right to the left others from the left to the right some from the toppe to the bottome and others from the foote to the toppe wherein wee may discover the diversity of mans iudgement How the Indians dispatched their Messengers CHAP. 10. TO finish the maner they had of writing some may with reason doubt how the Kings of Mexico and Peru had intelligence from all those realmes that were so great or by what meanes they could dispatch their affaires in Court seeing they had no vse of any letters nor to write pacquets wherein
of the two fifty years which finished the wheele They vsed a pleasant ceremony which was the last night they didde breake all their vesselles and stuffe and put out their fire and all the lights saying that the worlde should end at the finishing of one of these wheeles and it might be at that time for said they seeing the worlde must then end what neede is there to provide meate to eate and therfore they had no further neede of vessel nor fire Vpon this conceit they passed the night in great feare saying it might happen there would be no more day and they watched very carefully for the day but when they saw the day beginne to breake they presently beat manie drummes and sounded cornets flutes and other instruments of ioy and gladnesse saying that God did yet prolong the time with another age which were fiftie two yeares And then beganne an other wheele The first day and beginning of this age they took new fire and bought new vesselles to dresse their meate and all went to the high Priest for this new fire having first made a solemne sacrifice and given thanks for the comming of the day and prolongation of an other age This was their manner of accounting their yeares moneths weekes and ages How the Kings Inguas accounted the yeares and moneths CHAP. 3. ALthough this supputation of times practised amongest the Mexicaines bee ingenious enough and certaine for men that had no learning yet in my opinion they wanted discourse and consideration having not grounded their computation according vnto the course of the moone nor distributed their months accordingly wherein those of Peru have far surpassed them for they divided their yeare into as many dayes perfectly accomplished as we do heere and into twelve moneths or moones in the which they imployed and consumed the eleven daies that remaind of the moone as Polo writes To make the computation of their yeare sure and certaine they vsed this industry vppon the mountaines which are about the citty of Cusco where the Kings Inguas held their court beeing the greatest sanctuary of those realmes and as we should say an other Rome there were twelve pillars set in order and in such distaunce the one from the other as every month one of these pillers did note the rising and setting of the sunne They called them Suceanga by meanes whereof they taught and shewed the feasts and the seasons fitte to sowe and reape and to do other things They did certaine sacrifices to these pillars of the sunne Every month had his proper name and pecular feasts They beganne the yeare by Ianuary as wee doe But since a king Ingua called Pachacuto which signifies a reformer of the Temple beganne their yeare by December by reason as I coniecture that then the Sunne returneth from the last poynt of Capricorne which is the tropike neerest vnto them I know not whether the one or the other have observed any Bisexte although some holde the contrary The weekes which the Mexicaines did reckon were not properly weekes being not of seaven dayes the Inguas likewise made no mention thereof which is no wonder seeing the account of the weeke is not grounded vpon the course of the sunne as that of the yeare nor of the moone as that of the month but among the Hebrewes iâ— is grounded vpon the creation of the world as Moyses reporteth and amongest the Greekes and Latins vpon the number of the seven planets of whose names the dayes of the weeke have taken their denomination yet was it much for those Indians being men without bookes and learning to have a yeare seasons and feasts so well appoynted as I have sayd That no nation of the Indies hath beene found to have had the vse of letters CHAP 4. LEtters were invented to signifie properly the words we do pronounce even as woordes according to the Philosopher are the signes and demonstrations of mans thoughtes and conceptions And both the one and the other I say the letters and words were ordained to make things knowne The voyce for such as are present and letters for the absent and such as are to come Signes and markes which are not properly to signifie wordes but things cannot be called neyther in trueth are they letters although they be written for wee can not say that the Picture of the sunne be a writing of the sunne but onely a picture the like may be saide of other signes and characters which have no resemblance to the thing but serve onely for memorie for he that invented them did not ordaine them to signifie wordes but onely to note the thing neyther do they call those characters letters or writings as indeede they are not but rather ciphers or remembraunces as those be which the Spherists or Astronomers do vse to signifie divers signes or planets of Mars Venus Iupiter c. Such characters are ciphers and no letters for what name soever Mars may have in Italian French or Spanish this character doth alwaies signifie it the which is not found in letters for although they siguify the thing yet is it by meanes of words So as they which know not the tongue vnderstand them not as for example the Greekes nor the Hebrews cannot conceive what this word Sol doth signifie although they see it written for that they vnderstand not the Latine word so as writing and letters are onely practiced by them which signifie words therewith For if they signifie things mediately they are no more letters nor writings but ciphers and pictures whereby we may observe two notable things The one that the memory of histories and antiquities may bee preserved by one of these three meanes either by letters and writings as hath beene vsed amongst the Latines Greekes Hebrews and many other Nations or by painting as hath beene vsed almost throughout all the world for it is said in the second Nicene Counsell Painting is a booke for fooles which cannot reade or by ciphers and characters as the cipher signifies the number of a hundred a thousand and others without noting the word of a hundred or a thousand The other thing we may observe thereby is that which is propounded in this chapter which is that no Nation of the Indies discovered in our time hath had the vse of letters and writings but of the other two sortes images and figures The which I observe not onely of the Indies of Peru and new Spaine but also of Iappon and China And although this may seeme false to some seeing it is testified by the discourses that have beene written that there are so great Libraries and Vniversities in China and Iappon and that mention is made of their Chapas letters and expeditions yet that which I say is true as you may vnderstand by the discourse following Of the fashion of Letters and Bookes the Chinois vsed CHAP. 5. THere are many which thinke and it is the most common opinion that the writings which the Chinois vsed are letters as