Part 19

Of these euils they haue committed an infinite number, and haue at this day with them many Spaniardes both men and women, whose liues they pardoned for to serue their vses or euilles, because they were verie young, of the which they say that some haue fled away. They go naked like vnto the Indians, and doo speake their language, and are almost conuerted vnto their nature. This great inconuenience might be remedied, if that it did please his maiestie to command some generall that were bound vnto the firme land, or vnto the New Spaine, to make abode there a fewe dayes, and to roote out and make cleane that ilande of so euill and wicked people, which were a good deede, and they doo well deserue it, and to giue libertie vnto the poore Christians that are there captiue, a great companie of them. And it is saide of a truth that some of them be of good calling. There can none goe a lande on this ilande, but straightwayes they are discouered by such ordinarie spyes as they doo put to watch. And if they do see that those which doo come a land are many in number, and that they can not hurt them, they doo remaine in the highest part of the mountayne, or else amongest the thickest of woods and bushes, till such time as the shippes do depart, which is so soone as they haue taken fresh water or fire wood. They are great traytors, and when they see oportunitie they giue the assalt, in the manner as hath beene tolde you, and doo very much harme.

[Sidenote: Much kine, sugar, and ginger: wheat and gold.]

Nigh vnto this Ilande Dominica, towardes the northwest, is the Ilande of S. John de Puerto Rico, the which is in eighteene degrees: it is fortie and sixe leagues long and fiue and twentie leagues brode, and in compasse about an hundred and fiftie leagues. There is in it great store of kyne, verie much sugar and ginger, and yeeldeth very much wheate. It is a lande of verie much golde, and is not laboured nor taken out of the earth for lacke of people; it hath verie good hauens and portes towardes the south, and towardes the north onely one, the which is sure and good, in respect whereof the Spaniardes did giue the name vnto the whole ilande, Puerto Rico, taking the name of the port or hauen. In it there is foure townes of Spaniardes, a bishoppe and a cathedrall church, and he that is prelat at this day is the reuerend father Don fryer Diego de Salamanca, of the order of S. Austin.

[Sidenote: Of sixe hundreth thousand Indians there remaineth none.]

When the Spaniardes went first vnto this ilande, according vnto the report of the reuerende father de Las Casas, bishop of Chiapa, was in the year 1509. This iland was so full of trees and fruite that they gaue it the name of the Guertas;[49] and there were in it sixe hundredth thousande Indios, of the which at this day there remaineth not one.

[49] Orchards.

From this ilande vnto the ilande of Santo Domingo, is foure score leagues; I say, from one port vnto an other, and from poynt to point, but twelue leagues. They doo ordinarilie go from one port to an other in three dayes; but to returne they are more than a moneth, for because the winde is contrarie.

CHAP. III.

_Of the Iland of Santo Domingo, called Hispaniola, and of their properties._

[Sidenote: The Iland Hispaniola or Santo Domingo.]

[Sidenote: Mightie riuers in Spain.]

[Sidenote: A peece of virgin gold so bigge as a twopennie wheaten loaf.]

[Sidenote: Cannafistola.]

[Sidenote: Gold and pearles.]

[Sidenote: Bread of a roote called Casaue.]

The Iland Hispaniola, which by an other name is called Santo Domingo, by reason that it was discouered as that day, it is in eighteene degrees, and was the first that way discouered in the Indias, by the captaine Christopher Colon, worthie of immortall memorie; it was inhabited in the yeare of 1492. This iland is in compasse more than sixe hundredth leagues; it is diuided into fiue kingdomes, the one of them is now called the Vega, which, at the time that it was discouered was called Neagua; it hath foure score leagues in compasse, and stretcheth all of them from the north vnto the south; out of the which sea, as doth testifie the reuerende of Ciapa in his booke, doth enter onely into the kingdome, thirtie thousand riuers and running brookes, twelue of them as great as Ebro, Duero, and Guadalquiuer in Spaine. The foresaide bishop doth also speake of an other maruaile, which is, that the most part of these riuers, those which do distil and run from the mountaines, which is towardes the west, are very rich of gold, and some of it very fine, as is that which is taken out of the mynes of Cibao, which is very well knowen in that kingdome, and also in Spaine, by reason of the great perfection thereof: out of the which myne hath been taken out a piece of virgin golde, so bigge as a twopennie wheaten loafe, and did weigh three thousand and sixe hundred castillianos,[50] the which was sonke and lost in the sea, in carrying of it into Spaine, as doth testifie the aforesaid reuerend bishop. In this Ilande there is greater quantitie of cattell than in the other Ilande of Puerto Rico; and there is made much sugar, and gathered much ginger and cannafistula, and also manie sortes of fruits, such as is in Spaine, as others different of the countrie, and that in abundance: there are also great store of hogs, whose fleshe is as holesome and as sauorie as is mutton in Spaine, and is verie good cheape: a heyfor is bought for eight ryalles of plate, and all other thinges of that countrie after the rate, although that the marchandice of Spaine is verie deere. It is a countrie of very much golde, if there were people for to take it out: and manie pearles. In all this ilande they gather no wheate, but in the bishopricke of Palensuela; although in many other places the ground would yeeld it very well if they would sowe it. But nature, which was woont to supplie necessities, dooth accomplish the lacke of wheate to giue them in steede thereof a roote, which dooth growe in that iland in great quantitie and abundance, and dooth serve them for bread, as it did vnto the naturall people of that countrie, when the Spaniards went thither. It is white, and is called casaue, the which being grinded and brought into meale, they doo make bread thereof for their sustinence, the which, although it is not so goode as that which is made of wheat meale, yet may they passe therewith and sustaine themselues.

[50] The castellano, which is still used in Spain and its dependencies as a weight for gold, is equivalent to 71 grains English.

This countrie is verie hoat, by reason whereof their victuals are of small substance. The principall citie of that iland is called Santo Domingo, (for the reason abouesaid), in the which is an archbishop and a royall audience, or chaunoerie. This citie is built on the sea side, and hath to it a great riuer, the which dooth serue them for their port or hauen, and is verie secure. There is in it three monasteries of religious friers, and two of nunnes.

[Sidenote: Of three millions of men not two hundred left.]

[Sidenote: Tiburones.]

In this ilande (as saith the reuerende bishop of Chiapa in his booke) there were, when as the Spaniards came first thether, three millions of men naturall Indians, of the which at this day there is not two hundred left, and yet the most part of them be sonnes vnto Spaniardes, and blacke mores borne of the Indians women. All their sugar milles and other places are inhabited with negros, of the which there may be in that ilande about twelue thousand. It is a holsome countrie vnto them that dwell therein. The sea is ful of whales, and that in abundance, which are seene by such as do come in their ships, and many times they are in feare of them. But aboue all other, there is an infinite number of great fishes called tiburones,[51] and are in great skuls:[52] they are marueilously affected vnto humaine flesh, and wil folow a shippe fiue hundred leagues, without leauing of it one day. Many times they haue taken of the fishes, and do finde in their bellies all such filth as hath beene throwne out of their shippe in many dayes sailing, and whole sheepes heads with hornes and all. If they chance to finde a man in the waters side he wil eat him all: if not, all that he doth fasten on he doth sheare it cleane away, be it a legge or an arme, or half his body, as many times it hath beene seene, and they doo it very quickly, for that they haue many rowes of teeth in their heads, which be as sharpe as rasers.

[51] Sharks.

[52] Schools.

CHAP. IV.

_Of the way and the Ilandes that are betwixt this Iland of Santo Domingo and the kingdome of Mexico._

[Sidenote: The Ilande of Nauala.]

[Sidenote: The Iland of Iamayca.]

[Sidenote: Vracans.]

[Sidenote: The Iland of Cuba and the Port Hauana.]

The first ilande, that is after you are departed from Santo Domingo, is that which ordinarily is called Nauala,[53] the which is one hundred and twelue leagues from the cittie of Santo Domingo, and is seuenteene degrees, and is but a small iland: and nigh vnto that is another, which is called Jamayca, of fiftie leagues in longitude, and fourteene in latitude: there was wont to be about them many vracanes,[54] which are spowts of water, with many blustering winds. This word _vracan_, in the Indian tongue of those ilands, is as much to say, as the ioyning of all the foure principall winds togither, the one forcing against the other: the which ordinarily dooth blow vppon this coste, in the monethes of August, September, and October, by reason whereof such fleetes as are bound vnto the Indies doo procure to passe that coast, before these three monethes or after, for that by experience they haue lost many ships in those times. From this iland they go vnto the ilande of Cuba, which is in twenty degrees, in the which is the port of Hauana, which is called the Cape of San Anton: they doo put two hundreth and fiue and twentie leagues of longitude, and of latitude sixe and thirty; it is inhabited with Spaniards, who conuerted all the rest vnto the faith of Christ: there is in it a bishop, and monasteries of religious friers.

[53] More properly Navaza.

[54] Hurricanes.

When that any ships do go vnto Noua Espania, they haue sight of them, and likewise when they doo returne: all those which do come from the Peru do enter into the foresaid port of the Hauana, which is a very good port and sure, and there is to be had all kind of prouision necessary and belonging vnto the fleetes and ships, some which the ilande dooth yeeld it selfe, and other some brought from other places: but in particular, there is great store of very good timber, as wel for the repairing of ships as for other thinges, with the which they do ordinarily balest their ships that come for Spaine. The kinges maiesty hath in this a gouernor and a captaine, with very good souldiers for the defence thereof, and of a fort which is in the same harbor, the best that is in all the ilands.

This iland of Cuba was discouered in the yeare 1511, and was in it (being of the bignesse aforesaid) a great number of naturall people, and now but a very fewe: it hath a riuer wherein is very much gold, according vnto the opinion of the natural people, and was tolde by the fathers vnto their children, the which was cast into that riuer by the natural people, in this order following.

[Sidenote: The Spaniards god is gold.]

[Sidenote: The Indians throwe all their gold and iewels into the riuer.]

There was a casique, called Hatuey, who, for feare that hee had of the Spaniards, came from the Iland Hispaniola, vnto this iland with many of his people, and brought al their riches, with much golde amongst them, who by the relation of other Indians of Santo Domingo (wheras he had been king), vnderstood that the Spanyardes were comming vnto that iland, whereupon he gathered togither all his people, and many of that iland, and made a parley vnto them, saying: It is said of a certeintie, that the Christians doo come into this iland, and you doo well vnderstand by experience, what they haue done by the people of the kingdome of Aytim (which was the Ilande Hispaniola), the like will they doo here by vs; but do you know wherfore they doo it? They answered and saide, because they were of their owne nature cruel. The casique saide No, that they did it not therefore; but because they had a God whom they did worship, and because they will haue him from vs, they doo kil vs: and in saying these words he tooke forth a basket with golde and iewels which he brought thither in secret, and shewed it vnto them saying, This is their God that I spake off; let vs make vnto them areytos, the which are sports and dances, and possible we shall please them, and then wil they command their people not to do vs any harme. For the accomplishing and furnishing of the same, euery one of them brought that which they had in their houses, and made therof a great mountaine of wheate, and danced rounde about the same till they were werie: when the casique saide, I haue thought with myselfe whilst we were dancing, that howsoeuer it be, these that do come wil kil vs: for whether we do keep our treasure or giue it vnto them, with couetousnes to seek more from vs, we shall die; therefore let vs throw it into this riuer. The which they did with a common consent and good will.

[Sidenote: The Port of Saint Iohn de Lua.]

[Sidenote: The Iland of Campeche.]

[Sidenote: Honey and waxe.]

[Sidenote: The citie of Vera Cruz.]

From this point or cape of Sant Anton, they saile to the port of San Juan de Lua, which is on the firme land of Mexico, two hundreth and thirtie leagues from the said point: in all that bay there is great fishing, but in especial of one kind of fish which is called _mero_, the which are so easie to be taken, that in one day they may lade not shippes but whole fleetes; and many times it happeneth that they bring so many to their ships that they throw them again into the sea for lack of salt to salt them with. They passe in sight of an iland, called Campeche, the which is a gallant and fresh country, and nigh vnto the kingdom of Mexico: in it is great store of victuals, but specially hony and waxe, and is three hundreth leagues compasse; al the people of that iland are conuerted unto the law of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is in it a bishop and a cathedrall church, a gouernor for his maiestie, and monasteries of friers. Within few dayes after they depart from this ilande, and come unto the port of Saint John de Lua, in the which, by reason that it hath many flats, it is requisite to be carefull for to enter into it: his maiestie hath in it a fort which is good and strong. Fiue leagues from this port is the cittie of the Vera Cruz, whereas is the whole trade and traficke, and there is resident the king's officers: it is a hot country by reason that it is in the nineteene degrees, but well replenished of all kinde of victuals: it was wont to be vnwholesome, but now they say it is not so much; they know not what shoulde bee the occasion, whether it bee by the moouings of the heauens, or by the good gouernement and discretion of them that do dwel in it. This cittie is from the citie of Mexico, the which is metropolitan of al that kingdom, and by whom al the rest is gouerned, seuentie leagues, al the way inhabited and ful of townes, both of Indians, Spaniards, and so great store of prouision that it seemeth to be the land of promision. It is maruellous temperate, in such sort that almost throughout al the whole yeare it is neither whot nor cold, neither dooth night exceede the day, nor the day the night, but a very little, by reason that it is almost under the equinoctiall line. The mightinesse of this kingdome, and some particularities, you shall vnderstand of in the chapter following.

CHAP. V.

_Of the bignesse of the kingdome of Mexico, and of some particular and notable things that are in it._

[Sidenote: The kingdome of Mexico.]

[Sidenote: New Mexico.]

This kingdome of Mexico is the firme land: on the one side it hath the north sea, and on the other side the south sea: it is not possible to declare the bredth and length thereof, for that vnto this day it is not all discouered. Euery day they doo finde and discouer new countries, as in the yeare of fourescore and three, you may perceiue by the entry which was made by Antonio de Espeio, who, with his companions, did discouer a countrie, in the which they found fifteene prouinces, al ful of townes, which were full of houses of foure and fiue stories high, the which they did name Nuevo Mexico, for that it doth resemble the Old Mexico in many thinges. It is towards the north, and they do beleeue that that way, by inhabited place, they may come vnto that country which is called of the Labrador (of which shal be spoken more at large hereafter).

[Sidenote: Peru.]

[Sidenote: Nombre de Dios.]

[Sidenote: Acapulco.]

[Sidenote: Panama.]

[Sidenote: The Straites of Magellanes.]

This kingdome towards the orient dooth ioyne vnto the country of Peru, and so running by the north sea, and reacheth vnto Nombre de Dios, which is a port of the saide kingdome, and from thence vnto Acapulco, which is a port in the kingdome of Mexico: and in the south sea it reacheth vnto Panama, a port of the said Peru; and in the same sea it extendeth nigh vnto the Straights of Magellanes, and not farre from the river of Plata and Brasill.

To conclude, this kingdome is so great that vnto this day they cannot find the end thereof: but euery day doth discouer new countries, whereas all the Indians that they do finde are verie easie to bee reduced vnto the Catholike faith, for that they are people very docible, ingenious, and of a good vnderstanding. There is amongst them diuers languages, and verie different climes; although all generally doo vnderstande the Mexican tongue, which is most common. There are many prouinces inhabited by Indians and Spaniards, that euery one of them is as bigge as a reasonable kingdome; yet the greatest and most principall is that of Mexico, whereas are many Indians and Spaniards, which doo exceed all the rest in number: the names of them are Honduras, Guatimala, Campeche, Chiapa, Guaiaca, Mechuacan, Nueua Galicia, Nueua Viscaya, Guadiana, and others more, which I leaue out because I woulde not be tedious: in all the which, they haue either a royall audience and gouernors, or other justices, all Spaniards.

The naturall people whereof, neuer since they were conuerted haue beene found in any heresie, nor in any thing contrarie vnto the Romish faith. All these prouinces are subject and doo acknowledge that of Mexico as the principall: there whereas his maiestie hath his vizroy, an inquisition, an archbishop, and a royall audience or court of Chancerie.

[Sidenote: It rayneth almost euery day.]

This cittie of Mexico is one of the best that is in all the whole world, and is situated vpon water after the manner and fashion of Venice in Italie: in all this kingdome almost you cannot know when it is winter, or when it is summer, for that in al the whole yeare, there is smal difference betwixt the daies and the nights, by reason of the temperature of the countrie; the fieldes are greene almost all the whole yeare, and trees beare fruit also almost all the whole yeare: for when it is winter in Europa, then doo there fall dewes from heauen which dooth cause all things to budde and floure; and in the summer it doth ordinarily raine, but especially in the monethes of June, July, August, and September, in the which monethes it is a maruel when it raineth not euery day; and it is to bee wondred at, for that almost it neuer rayneth but from noone forwards, and neuer passeth midnight, so that it neuer troubleth them that doo trauell by the way, for that they may beginne their iourney at midnight, and trauell vntill the next day at noone. It raineth vnreasonably, and with so great furie and force, that the time that it dooth indure, it is requisite to flie from the showers; for that many times they are so hurtfull, that one sole shower taketh away the life of a man.

[Sidenote: The best horses in all the world.]

[Sidenote: An infinite number of siluer mines.]

Almost all the whole yeare in this kingdome they do sowe and gather as wel wheate (wherof they haue great abundance) as maiz, which is the ordinary sustentation of al the Indians, blacke moores and horse, of the which they haue great abundance very gallant and good, both to the eye, and indeed, as in any kingdom in al the whole world that is knowne vnto this day. The brood of them was carried out of Spaine thither, when first they did discouer that country, and for that effect were chosen the best that could bee found: and for that they doo eate all the whole yeare greene grasse and maiz, which is wheat of the Indians, is the occasion that they do deserue to haue the praise aboue all other. In fine, this kingdome is one of the fertilest of victuals of al that ever we haue heard off, and of riches, for that there is in it an infinite number of siluer mines, out of the which is taken great abundance, as it is to be seene euery yeare when as the shippes doo come vnto Syuell. It is vnder the Torrida Zona, yet notwithstanding it is of the temperature as I haue said, contrarie vnto the opinion of ancient philosophers, who said that it was not inhabited. But now to excuse them, it shal not be from our purpose to declare the cause wherefore they were deceiued, and is, that in the foure monethes aforesaide, wherein the sunne hath his most force, it doth continually rayne, which is the occasion that the country is so temperate: and besides this, God doth prouide that it is visited with fresh windes, which come both out from the South and North Sea, and is so ordinarie a thing, that it is a maruell to see it calme, by reason whereof the whole kingdome is of that propertie; and although the sunne be very strong and causeth great heate, yet putting himselfe vnder any shadowe, although it bee but little, they straightwayes feele a fresh and comfortable winde, by reason of the temperature of the heauen in the manner aforesaid.

The inhabitants of this kingdome throughout al the whole yeare, neede not to augment nor diminish their apparell, neither their beddes. Also the aire and clime is so holesome, that you may lie and sleepe in the fieldes without any thing vppon you, as in any house, be it neuer so well hanged and close.

[Sidenote: An universitie in Mexico.]