i
GIFT OF
.. ... : ... ,
General Hiftory
6 F A L L
VOYAGES and TRAVELS
Throughout
The OL2> aiid
WORLD,
From the firft Ages to this prefect Time.
Hluftrating
Both the Ancient and Modern GEOGRAPHY.
CONTAINING
An Accurate Defcription of each Country, its
Natural Hiftory and Pr$4uft ; the jReligion, Cuftoms, Man-
ner s y Trade, &c. of the Inhabitants, and whatsoever is
Curious and Remarkable in any Kind. An Account oi
all Difcoveries hitherto made in the moft Remote Parts, and
the Great Ufefulneis of fuch Attempts, for Improving both
Natural and Experimental Philotophy ; with a Catalogue of
all Authors that have ever defcrib'd any Part of the World
an Impartial judgment and Criticifm on their Works for
difcerning between the l(epui*ble and Fabulous Relaters ; and
an Extract of the Lives of the moft ccniiderablc Travellers.
73 Z p/J Of V Ci-'Yl A 6- . : .' * ' --' ' ' :
MoHfr.DU PERlE&ofthe Roy *l Academy
Made Engltfo from the Paris Edition.
ADORN D WITH CUTS.
Printed for Edmund Cur II at the Peacock without
Temple-Bar , and Egbert Singer at the Tofl-Houfe in
the : Middle Temple-Gate^ Fieet-ftreet. 1708.
( &
TO
HIS
THE "
DUKE
OF
BURGUNDY.
Great SIR,
THE Book I prefume
to prefent your High-
nefs, and to which you
have been pleas'd to allow
your Auguft Name to be pre-
fix'd, is not a Work of that
Nature as to require along
Exercife and Application of
the moft refin'd Reafbn and
fublimeft Judgment ; it is
none of the Number of thofe
abftrufe Sciences, for the
taining whereof, to any
A -2 fe<5tion,
Tie .Mpiftk Dedicatory.
'. - '*'!? !* . ' . J
, : ;f^ion, .the. whole Life of
the ableft Geometricians
would fcarce fuffice, and the
Knowledge of which coft
your Highnefs but a few
Hours in your tender Years ;
I mean of thofe Sciences,
which as they enlighten the
Underftandirig, fa at the
fame Time they often puff
it up with Vanity and Pride,
by accuftoming it never to
fubmit to any thing lefs than
Demonftration.
This is a Piece, Great Sir,
which may be read, without
the Afliftance of thofe pro-
found Meditations, that have
taken up your Mind, ever
fince it was capable of form-
ing folid Idea's, and under-
ftanding
The Epijlle Dedicatory. ;
{landing the Language -*>f
O - >D *''.'', i^'j ',/ ;
Truth. It is nearer within
the Reach of the Generali-
ty of Mankind, and confe-
quently more Uleful to the
Publick, and yet I hope it
wiH not therefore the leis
deferve your Highnefs's At-
tention. You encourage and
protecl Arts, as well as the
nioft lofty Sciences, being
convinc'd that they not only
contribute towards Inftrucr-
ing the Mind 7 but forming
the Manners of Men ; and
roufe up the Affection to
them by your Generofity,
and by thole Moments you
devote to improve them.
The Variety of Accidents,
which occur in the Accounts
of
... : .The, : giftk Dedicatory.
.-. a?: : Twejs,' -eompofe one of
'tne moft fpritely Parts of
Hiftory, as is the Diveriity
of Cuftoms and Manners they
lay before us, in their feveral
Countries one of the moil
Ufeful .; but as remote and
different as the feveral Na-
tions, the World is compos'd
of, are in Behaviour and O-
pinions, a Diftance greater
than even that of the feve-
ral Parts of Heaven under
which they live ; yet they all
concenter and are united in
the Veneration they pay to
your Illuftrious Blood, and
they all join in Admiring
thoie Princes, who have de-
Icended from it. This Ad-
miration Daily increafes, as
thofe
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
thofe far disjoin'd Nations
hear the Fame of the migh-
ty Exploits, which are b fre-
quent in the Hiftory of the
moft Auguft Houfe of Bour-
don ; and it will ftill rife much
higher, when they ihall be
fully informed of your Mar-
tial Atchievements, and when
our Travellers ihall have gi-
ven them a faithful Relati-
on of your early Conquefts,
and thofe firft Warlike
Feats, which ipread a Terror
into the very Heart of the
Empire, and overthrew the
Walls of thofe Impregnable
Towns, before which the moft
formidable Enemy's Armies
had wafted themlelves. for f e-
veral Months.
It
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
It would be a Happinefs,
Great Sir, could I in fome
Meafure contribute towards
-' i. .. i>
tranfmitting the Glory you
have Ib juftly acquir'd to the
fartheft Parts of the Earth ;
that would prove themoft ac-
ceptable Reward to be wilh'd
for by me, on account of this
Work, which you have been
pleas'd I fhould dedicate to
you. Encourag'd by that hope,
and being fully afTur'd that it
cannot fail of Succefs, iince
you afford it your Powerful
Protection, I am with the
moft profound RefpecT:
Great Sir^
T6br mop Humble, mo/
Obedient and moft en-<
tirdy devoted Servant
DU PERIER.
(O
A N
Introductory Difcourfe,
To the General Hiftbry of all VOYAGES and
TRAVELS, from the Flood to this prefent
Time ; (htwing how excellently Ufeful they
are to Mankind^ and the great Eeneft and
Advantage that is to be reaped by reading
of them'
MAN has a Natural Propenfion to Motives
Travel. His innate Reftleffhefs, /' T
Avarice, the Defire of Knowing, *'
the Pleafure he takes in difcovering new
Countries and unknown Lands, and' in en-
quiring iiita the Behaviour, Manners and
Cuftoms of Nations inhabiting remote Cli-
mates, and feated in the far theft Parts
of the Earth ; all thefe Things ftir up his
Curiofity, and excite him to overcome the
greateft Difficulties, and expoifc himfelf to
all Sorts of Dangers.
When the Progeny of Noah had multiply'4 Tfc
aa^d repeopled the Earth,which God had made P^p
defert, by the Univerfal Deluge y their Succef-
fors travel'd about to fettle their Colonies ia
aU Parts of the Univerfe, as appears by thefe
\Vords vlGenefis. By thefe were the Jfles of the
Gentiles divided in their Lands , every one after hi*
Tongue^ and their Families in their Nations.' Chap,
ro. v. v B ; The
Introductory Difcourfe
Firft Tr& The leat&ed Expofitors, who have made
vsUsrs. man y ufeful Commentaries upon Genefis^ tell
us of fome Travels of thofe firft Reftorers
of Mankind. They inform us, according to
Jofephw and St. Jerome, that the Children of
Japhetb, the third Son of Noah, were the Firft
that Inhabited the Country of Galatia ; that
from Magog came the Gttes, the -Majjagetes
and the Scythians^ from JwaaAij the Medes^
or according to others, the Macedonians^
from Mofoch, the Mufcovites^ or the Cappa-
docians. Thira* was the Father of the Tkvz-
cians , Afcenez* of the Armenians , Riphath of
the Paphlwonians ^ and 'fhogorma of
, the fecond Son of IvJJiw, who fell
ander his Father's Curfe, went away to in-
habit Egypt j which Holy Writ calls the
Land of Chujh and Mifraim, th Names of
Ham's two Sons. From Canaan defcended
the Canaanites who inhabited Phenicia and the
Holy Land, till they were expell'd by the
Israelites. This Nation grew Famous by Trade
and Commerce, which fo much enrich'd Tyre
and Si don.
jtyjur, the Son of Shem departed from the
Country about Babylon^ and laid the Foun-
dation of the mightyy^nW?/ Monarchy, which
fiourilh'd for fo many Ages. Of Ludim came
the Nation of Lud in Afric^ mentron'd by
the Prophet fatah, C. 66. v. 19. The Cappa-
docians were a People inhabiting all the Traft
of Land between Ga^a and Egypt along the
Sea-Coafl. They Invaded the Hivites^ and
drove them out of their Country, where
they fetled themfelves. The Pbiliftines came
thither after them, and gave the Name of Pa-
lefiine to all that Country;
to tbe^Hiflory ^/VOYAGES, &a
Elam and his Race peopled the Land of
of the Elamites, from whom the Perfans de-
fcended. The Chaldeans and Country ofChal-
dea, in which Babylon the Capital of Mra-
>Ws Empire ftood, derive their Original
from Arphaxad^ as the Lydians, Neighbour-
ing on Perfidy do theirs from Ludlm. Aram
was the Progenitor of the Syrians. Vz~, who
defcended from him, made him felf Matter
of the Country of Dam a fc^ and gave Part
of that Territory the Name of Vz^ where
the Holy Job was born and lir'd. Hal was the
Founder of the Armenians.
Thus was the Earth fili'd with Inhab
tants by feveral Detatchments or Colonies t
fpreading themfeives through all Parts
after the Flood, or at! leaft after Mankind
was oblig'd to delift from that extrava-
gant undertaking they had gone upon, of
raifing a Tower above the Clouds, thinking
by that Means to fecure themfeives againit
a fecond Deluge. But God difappointed
their Vanity, by confounding their Lan-
guage 5 fo that they no longer underftood one
another, and then it was that they parted ^
every one taking the Way he thought fit,
as his Fancy or Inftinft led him, which was
340 Years after the Flood, according to the
Hebrews.
The Patriarch Abraham\m one of the firft Abraham
Travellers we find mentioned in Hiftory. His,
Forefathers dwelt in Mtfofetatoi*^ of which
Cbaldea was a Province feated beyond the
River Euphrates, towards the Tiff t is* God
appeared to that Holy Man, and'commaud-
ed him to for fake his Native Country, and
parting over the River Euphrates to go into
the Land Of Canaan. This is the fruitful and
B ?; deli-
Introductory Difcourfe
delicious Country, flowing with Milk and
Honey, which God afterwards gave to A-
brakanis Pofterity, that is, the Ifraelites^ who
weredefcended from the Race of Jacob, the
Grand (on oijibrthxm.
Adam All the whole Circumference of the Earth
Kwg of was given to Adam for his Refidence, with
tbe tror}d.fon Liberty to go where he pleas'd } for as
a Prince is not oblig'd always to fettle his
Abode in one Palace or City, but is free to
make Choice of what Place he pleafes to
refide in throughout his Dominions , fo A-
dam who was King and Lord of all the
World, might go where he pleas'd, as well
as his Defcendants. All the Space that is
betwixt the Eaft and Weft^ the North and
South, and in fhort all the Inhabitable Earth,
was but like one great City, through which
the Children of Adam had their Freedom to
range.
only Mm This feems to be a Priviledge peculiar to
* www ^Man, and raifes him above other Creatures,
which cannot live in all Sorts of Countries.
The feirceft of Beafts are rarely to be found
in Europe ; the Elephants and Camels brought
over thither are as itwereontof their Element,
and do not breed. None but Man can live
and multiply in all Parts of the Inhabita-
ble Earth. All Climates agree with him, and
he innures himfelf to endure Heat and Cold,
according to the Place he is in.
Socrates. It was on this Principle perhaps that So-
crates the Philofopher grounded his Anfwer,
when being ask'd what Countryman he was-,
he faid, An Inhabitant of the World. To fig-
nify that all the World was 'his Native
Country, that Man is no more confin'd to
one Nation tha-a another % and that he
may
to tie Hiftory ^VOYAGES, &i.
may choofe his Refidence throughout the
Face of the Earth ; for he every where
finds proper Food, and though at firft it be
ftrange to him, yet by Degrees the Body is acr
cuftom'd to, and nourilh'd by it.
It cannot be deny'd but that there
many Difficulties to be furmounted, and' f ?/fr*
great Dangers to be run in Travelling tQ w& *#
very Remote Parts } but the Rarities found
out, the new Difcoveries daily made, the
Pleafure of feeing ftrange People, and un-
known Nations, make fufficient Amends for
all the Hardlhips which long Voyages and
Journeys are liable to. By this means Coun-
tries far remote from one another, become
in fome meafure Neighbours, and, if we
may fo term it, draw nearer to themfelvcs,
Commerce makes a reciprocal Communicati-
on of all that is good among them, and
there is a mutual Intercourfe of their Pro-
dud, Manufactures, and all other Things
tending to render the Life of Man eafie and
pleafant. Every Climate being unfit to pro-
duce all Sorts of Fruits of the Earth, each
of them is in fome meafure improv'd and
made more fruitful, by the Tranfportingof
whatfoever the moll diftant Nations af-
ford.
It has not been always the Defire of Gain Z&onlefy
that has niov'd Men to venture
into ftrange Lands and Seas, to bring Home
Gold and precious Stones, or other rich Com-
modities, which are rather Supports of Lux-
ury and Vanity, than necelTary for the Fe-
licity of Humane Life. Many renown'd Phi-
lofophers have in all Ages been led by the
Curioflty of Travelling to enquire, upon the
Spot, into the Truth of thofe ftrange Ac-
B 3 counts
An Introductory Difcourfe
counts they receiv'd from others. They chofe
rather to'expofe themfelves to all forts of
Dangers, as of falling into the Hands of bar-
barous Nations, of being devour'd by wild
Beads, or of dying for Hunger or Third in
barren or favage Places, than to live always
at Home in their own Countries, and be de^-
priv'd of Abundance of Knowledge, which is
gcquir'd to much greater Perfe&ion, by feeing
Things with their own Eyes, than by the bare
Relations of others.
of The Scripture informs us, that the Queen
'rf-of Sheba, hearing of the mighty Reputation
?^-' Solomon had acquired, came herfelf to make
Tryal of his Wifdom, by propofmg to him
feveral knotty Queftions and intricate Enig^
ma's. This Queen's Kingdom was not in
Ethiopia^ as fome have fancy 'd } but in that
Country we'call Arabia Felix^ or the Happy }
as may be judg'd by the Prefents (he gave
to Solomon - 9 which were Gold and Perfumes,
Things very common in that Part of Arabia
we fpeak of. This Princefs met with a fuf-
ficient Recornpence for all the Hardfhips and
Fatigues me had endur'd upon 'her Journey }
for having feen the Wifdom of Solomon^ the
Magnificence of the Houfe he had built, the
plentiful Tables he kept, and the Sacrifices
he offer'd in the Houfe of the Lord, (he feem'd
to be tranfported quite belide her felf with
Admiration.
Solomon ^at w ^ e Prince from whom nq Science
trades by could be hid, was not ignorant of the Art
Sea. of Navigation } for it is exprefly mention'd,
in the p. chap, of the firft Book of Kings,
T)W he fitted out a fleet at EziOH-geber, which
is befide 'Elofh, on the Shore of the Red-Sea, in
the Land of Edom. And King Hiram, fext
to the Hijtory 0/ V o Y A G E s, &c. 7
in this. Navy his Servants, Shiymen that had Know-
ledge of the Sea, with the Servants of Solomon.
And they came to Ophir, find fent from thence
Cold^ four hundred and twenty Talents and brought
it to King Solomon.
How skilful foever Hiram's Subje&s might ignorance
be, in Navigation, it is to be fuppos'd that o
their Knowledge was very imperfect, as be- ^
ing utter Strangers to the Secret of the Load-
ftone and Mariners Compafs. The very Sight
of the Main Ocean made them quake ^ nor
durft they venture out to fail in the open Sea,
or depart from the Coafts. Some Authors,
I cannot imagine on what Grounds, have
fancy'd that Solomon had Knowledge of the
Needle for Sailing, which is very hard to be
believ'd, fince the Fleet he fent to Ophir and
Tharfoifl}, were three Years out upon their
Voyage. Now whether thefe Ships Went in-
to Ajrick, where then was the richeft Gold
Mine in all the World, or into India, to-
wards the Golden Cherfonefus and Malaca,
fince difcover'd by the Portuguefe^ or into
China, or Peru^ whence the Spaniards have
brought fuch immenfe Treafure in thefe lat-
ter Agesj certain it is that thofe Voyages
are now perform'd in a much morterTime.
Hence it is to be concluded, that in all
their Sea Voyages, they never in thofe Days
loft Sight of Land. Cicero's Expreifion fuf-
fkiently evinces it \ legebant littora, fays that
great Orator, fpeaking of Navigation in his
Time , that is, they crept along the Shore,
.without departing from the Coafts and Land,
but guiding themfelves by the Sun and the
Stars next about the Pole.
In thofe Voyages Solomon undertook by S
he employ'd not his own Subje&s, nor his
B 4 Ships,
8 'An Introductory Difcoarfe
Ships, but only made ufe of the Skill of the
Phenicians, who were the ableft Sailers in
thofeDays, and had began to range through-
put all the Mediterranean , on the Goafts where-
of, they built feveral famous Cities, as Car-
thage, Vtica, and others of great Note, to.
w.hich they fent Colonies at feveral Times.
They alfo made their Way into the Red Sea,
and to feveral Parts of Af* and Africk up-
on the Profpeft and Hope of gaining by the
Commodities they brought Home from fe-
veral Countries.
Solomons This is the Method we may gue(s v Solomon
fktts. took to enrich his Kingdom, by Trade with
forreign Nations, far remote from Judea. It
is likely, that after he came to the Know-
ledge of the Wealth there was to be found
in the other Parts of the World, he fent
out a Fleet every Year, which did not re-
turn till three Years after. This Fleet fet
Sail from the Port afterwards calFd Berenice,
and which the Scripture names E&on-geber,
feated on the Red-Sea. They fail'd together as
for as theStreight of BabelmandelfN\\\c\\ is the
Mouth of the Red Sea, where they parted *, the
6fie half of the Fkct coafted along Eaftward
as far as India, Malaca, and other more di-
ftant Parts j the other turn'd away cowards
Africk, and return'd Home through the Mt-
diterr r anean to the Port of Joppe.
Thefe Voyages were very gainful ; for they
ri brought Home Gold, Silver, precious Stones,
. 'Perfumes, Ivory, curious Sorts of Wood,
ftrange Creatures, and other rich Commo-
dities, which could only come from Afia and
Africk j .but never from the Weft-Indies, whi-
ther it was impofiible for them to fail with-
ouj the Help of the Compafs.
Tho'
f o the History of V o Y A G'E s,
' it muft be granted that the
ans, Carthaginians and Egyptians P e rfonnM
many Voyages in the Mediterranean, the Red
Sea, and even on the Ocean , yet it cannot
be deny'd but that they had Abundance of
Difficulties to encounter, and many Dangers
to 'run through for want of greater Light,
fleering their Courfe the beft they could in
the Day-Time by the Help of the Sun, and
in the ISJight by the Moon and Stars, with
much Uncertainty and Hazard, never daring
to lofe Sight of the Shore.
The Ancients for the greater Honour offrwels of
Hercules, magnify his Travels at an extra-*;f T c a u J e n s
i- ^.^ ,1. i t f it <M* IcUOIU
ordinary Rate , telling us that he viiited the
greateft Part of the Earth, to extirpate Rob-
bers, who every where committed inhumane
Murders without being called to any Ac-
count, to fubdue Giants, and to bring Ty-
rants to Reafon, who made Ufe of their
Power to opprefs the Weaker. Nor was the
Voyage of Jafon and the Argonauts lefs Famous
for the gaining of the Golden Fleece, or rather
to fetch Gold and Stiver from the Mines of
Colchis , whence they brought Home a conli-
derable Quantity at their Return-
If we may give Credit to Homer and his^/tUyHcs
Odyffee^ there never was a greater Travel-
ler than Vlyffes^ for the Space of Ten Years
after the Siege of Troy, the Definition of
which Place he haftned by his Subtility and
Stratagems. St rabo has grounded the great-
eft Part of his Geography om Vty$s\ Tra-
vels.
Virgil has given eternal Renown to thc^/ Eneas.
Travels of Eneas, Son to old Anckifes, and
Father to Afcaniiu^ whom the Romans look'd
upon as their Founders. After theSubver-
fion
t o -An Introductory Difcourfe
fion of 7V0y, Eneas fitted pat a Fleet, in or-
der to fave the poor Remains of his Coun-
try, and as many as were willing to fol-
low him into fome Foreign Land. Tho 5 the
PafFage from Troy to the Coafl of Italy be
not very long, yet that Voyage is rentfer'd
moft liluflrious by the lively Defcription
'firgil gives of the Storms, the Shipwrecks,
the Variety of Adventures, and the Anger
of the implacable Deities againft Eneas and
his Company. He coafted along Macedon^
crofs'd over to Sicily^ and came at laft into
the Country of Latlum^ where after feveral
Battels he defeated 7ra*, and took from
him Ltvinia, the Daughter of the King of the
Latins.
0/Pytha. Pythagoras departing Greece^ and the Ifland
goras. of Samos^ fpent feverai Years in Travelling
to all Parts ; but this upon a different and
much nobler Motive than other Men, who
aim'd at nothing but gathering of Worldly
Wealth j whereas that great Philofopher
made it his whole Bufinefs to adorn his
Soul with Variety of Knowledge. He crofs'd
the Seas to go over into Chaldea and Egyyt^
and went into Perfia to confer with the
Magi^ that he might learn the Myfteries
of their Profeflion, and impart them to his
Scholars.
of Socra- Socrates the Wife, took feveral Journeys
tes and into remote Countries to acquire more Wif-
Plato. dom, which was the only Treafure he va-
lu'd. Plato his Difciple, not fatisfy'd with
the Sciences which he might learn in Greece^
of thofe many Phik>fophers he could there
converfe with, went over into Egyj* to be
iaftrufted by them ia all the, Myfteries of
to the Hittory of V o Y A G E s, '&c. 1 1
Religion, and the Ceremonies they had learnt
from Mofes and the Hebrews.
The Conquefts of Alexander the Great, may f Alex -
be look'd upon as fo many Travels ^ be* ander '
catife he performed them with as great Ce-
lerity, as a Traveller might have done*
who were only led by Curiofity to take a
View in his Way of feveral Countries,
and diftinft Nations. After Conquering and
Overthrowing the Monarchy of the Perpans,
his Ambition carry'd him even into India ^
and not yet fatisfy'd with fuch immenfe
Conquefts, he gave the Command of his
Navy to NearchtM, one of his moft experi-
enc'd Officers - 7 who faiFd down the River
Indus, difcover'd the .Coafts of the Indian
Ocean, and returning to Alexander, gave him
a particular Relation of all he had found
out.
We may add to the Number of thofee/Hanno
who have rendered thcmfelves Famous by
their Travels, Hanno the renown'd Carthagi-
nian Commander, who having fitted out iixty
Sail by Order and at the Charge of his
Commonwealth, and putting Aboard 3000
Perfons of both Sexes, fail'd out of the Mouth
of the Streights, and direding his Courfe to
the Weftward, built fome Towns, and planted
Colonies.
We are beholding to Pliny's Travels forty" Pliny
that excellent Book he compos'd of Natural*" 4 Adri "
Hiftory. The Emperors, as well as the Phi- ar
lofophers have Travell'd to difcover Things
to them before unknown. The Emperor
Adrian viflted all Egyyt, to find out the Source
of the Nile, and at his Return to Rome caus'd
the Plans of all the Cities he had fcen in
his Travels, to te drawn to refrejh his own
Memory
li r An Introdu&ory Dijcourfe
Memory, and give others fome Notion of
them.
of Chrift xho' the Travels of our Lord and Savi-
our J ESU . S CHRIST were not long, nor in-
to Countries very remote from his own, yet
they were almoft without Intermiflion for the
laft Years of his Life. As foon as born he
was forc'd to fly into Egyft, with his Fa-
ther and Mother, to avoid the Perfecuti-
on of Herod. At Thirty Years oft Age he be-
gan to Preach the Kingdom of God in 7^7,
Galilee, a*nd Samaria, traverflng all Paleftine,
without ever going far from Jerufalem, which
was, as it were, the Center of all his Tra-
vels. The Apoftles following the Example
fet them by their Matter, divided the Uni-
verfe among them, to carry the Light of
the Gofpel into all Parts of it ; fo that fome
of them pierc'd even into India. St. PauPs
Travels have rendered him Famous, he ha-
ving perform'd very many both by Sea and
Land,with inexpreffable Labours and Dangers,
ranging throughout all Greece and Afla to
fulfill the Duty of his Apoftlefhip ^ he came
as far as Marseilles, and at length ended his
Courfe in the Metropolis of the World, un-
der the Emperor Nero.
Afollonius Thyaneus was a very great Tra-
Thyane- ve ^ er ? whilft yet very youi^g he left his
us. * Country, and all the Poffeflions he had-in it,
to give himfelf up more entirely to the Stu-
dy of Philofophy. He went to Alemphi* and
Cairo to fee the Table of the Sun. He pafs'd
over Mount Caucafa to go to confer with
the Brackmans, his Curioiity carry'd him e-
ytn into India, to Study under the Gymno-
fiMJlt,a&l themoft knowing Hiarchas^ Prince
pt all the Indiw Wife Mcfl. There it was
that
to the Hittcry of V o Y A G E s. i j
that he learnt Things beyond common Capa-
cities, and which made himbelook'd upon as
a Magician.
Among the Moderns Marcut Pttulw Vene-tf
tns lias obtain'd Renown by his Travels an
the Difcoveries he has made. He fpent feven- tU8t
teen Years in Tanary in viewing thofe Ea-
ftern Provinces, -and enquiring into the Man-
ners and Cuftoms of the Inhabitants, and the
Nature and Qualities of the many and ftrange
Sorts of Creatures that are to be found in
that Country.
What Advantages have we not reap'd from / Span!-
the Navigation and Voyages of the ^^po'nJ*^
guefes, who were the firft that difcover'd gue f es ".
India, the Kingdom of Calicut, and fo many
Wealthy Nations, from whom we daily re-
ceive all Sorts of Spice, and Drugs forPhy-
fical Ufes ? This Obligation we owe to the
Kings John and Emamtel of Portugal, to Fer-
dinand and Elizabeth of Caftile, and to the
Emperour Charles the Fifth. Divine Provi-
dence in their Days rais'd up feveral
able, bold and daring Men, who expos'd
themfelves to all Sorts of Dangers for the
making of Difcoveries hi the New World.
The moft Famous of thefe were Chriftopher
Columbia^ j4mericnt yefpucitu^ Ferdinand Aia-
gdhaenS) Ferdinand Cortes, Gonz*alo Pi&arro, and
James de Almagro.
The Kings of France have alfo engag'd ^/French
themfelves and launch'd out their Revenues in
promoting the Difcoveries in the new World.
Francis the I. Henry the II. Francis the II.
Charles the IX, and above ail, Lewi* the Great^
have fee out feveral Fleets and employ'd able
Mariners to found the Seas, take the exaft La-
titudes, andobfeive the Climates, the Ports,
the-
14 ' "dv Introductory Difcourfe
the Roads, and what ever elfe may contri-
bute to the Advancement of Navigation in
thofe unknown Countries. We have made
Way even to the Antipodes, to the Nations
neareft about the Pole, and to the Countries
rnoft remote from our Continent, before
thought inacceffible, and never to be come
near, by-reafon of the continual Ice and
exceffive Cold which ftill furrounds them ;
but what is it that Man cannot perform, when
Profit or Ambition leads him on.
0/PofteJ. Travelling would become much more eafie,
were there many Perfons of the Genius of
that famous Poftel, who liv'd in the Reign
of King Francis the I. for befides the European
Languages, he was well skill'd in the Hebrew,
Chaldaick) Syriack, Arabick and Greek, and he
was wont to boaft that he could travel ta
the End of the World without* an Inter-
preter. The King fent him into the Eaft,
whence he brought abundance of Manufcripts,
relating to Phyfick, Phylofophy, Mathema-
ticks, fome Books of Holy Writ in Arabick,
and other Oriental Languages.
of Peter In the fame King's Reign, Peter Gilius, un-
Gihus. dertook feveral Journeys for the fpace .of
nine or Ten Years into Greece, Turkey, Syria,
Jury, Paleftine, Egyft, Arabia, Armenia, and
even into Perfia. At his Return he gave the
Europeans confiderable Information, as to the
Situation, Strength and Riches of thefe Coun-
tries, then almoft unknown to them.
of Nice- TheTravelsof the&?-Mc0/^', of Daitphinee,
have gain'd him much Reputation ^ and been
very beneficial to the Nation. He in the
Space of fifteen or fixteen Years vifited the
Upper and Lower Germany, Denmark^ Pruf-
CM, Livonia, Swsdev, Zealand, England, Scotland,
Spain,
to the Hiftory of V o Y A G si 15
ISpaifij Barlary, Greece^ Tmly and Jtltijfi making
very excellent and curious Remarks upon all
thofe Countries he was in, as appears by the
Book he publifh'd, by the Name of the Eaftern
Travels of N. Nicolai of Dattphinee, Lord of
Arfeville, Valet de Chambre and Geographer
in ordinary to the King with the Guts both of
Men and Women drawn to the Life j ac-
cording to their feveral Nations. FoL 1568.
It may well be faid, without being thought 0/Taver-
guilty of Flattery, that the renouned Ta- nier -
vernier^ who liv'd in our Days, has equall'd
if not out-done the moft celebrated of Travel-
lers, , for he has been in moft Countries, and
made moft excellent Remarks on them , but
more particularly in Perfia and the MoguFs
Dominions, as may be feen in his Memoirs,
a Work both curious and inftrufting, as to
the Genins, Manners, Religion, Wealth and
Trade of very many Nations, and the Ad-
vantages that may be made by them.
A very great Number of other
might be brought upon the Stage, who have
been an Honour to France ^ whofe Motives
for travelling are as free from any Profpeft
of Intereft, as is that of the Miffibners \ and
yet the Difcoveries by them made in all Parts
of the World, have very much illuftrated
Geography, and added confiderble Perfection
to the Mathematics , rendring all Things
far eafier to thofe who have Occaflon, or
Defire to Travel. Among thefe Famous
Men are Meflieurs Cajfini, de la Hire, Petit
la Croix, Galland, Thevevot^ &C. who have
done all Europe confiderable Service, by the
judicious Remarks they have made in their
Travels, and the Accounts of them they have
publilh'd.
Nor
i 6 An Introdutfory Diftourfe
The $u Nor had it , been fufficient for Provident
Cwpafs. to ra jf e U p gj man y brave Men, as have
clear'd the Way to the utrnoft Bounds of
the Earth, in order to make new Difcove-
ries, unlefs it had pleas'd God to dired them
in the finding out a Thing fo excellent as
is the Sea Compafs, without which it had
been abfolutety irnpoflible to perform thofe
long Voyages. Whereas now by the Help
of the Needle touch'd to the Load-Stone,
we Sail with no lefs Eafe than Safety in all
Seafons, by Day and Night, and . even in
Tempefts. An able Sailor, who has been
for many Days drove up and down by the
furious Billows and ftormy Winds, and forc'd
to fteer feveral Courfes, compell'd to it by
outragious contrary Blafts, foon finds where-
abouts he is, as foon as , the Weather grows
Calm, and marks down the Place on the Sea-
Chart without any Error, if he underftanda
his Profeffion but indifferently.
When. It is about five hundred Years fince the
t.ijk of the Needle touch'd to the Load-
Stone was found out by one Flavius, whom
fome Authors call John Gioia^ who either
by Chance, or by fome Infpiration, obferv'd,
that a Needle rubb'd upon a Load-Stone,
always turns towards the Pole, and confe-
quently marks out the North and Soutfy
Line. At firfl they fet this Needle fo touch'd
to the Load-Stone into a very (lender Bit.
of Stick, like a Fefcue Children ufe to read
with, which they put into Water, that it
might have the full Liberty of Turning ta-
wards the Pole , at prefeat it is fhut up
into a round Box fet upon a very fine Brafs
Point T that it may have entire Freedom ta'
move.
Soms
to the Hiftory of V o Y A G s, &c. 17
Some Authors have thought that Afxrcusfte Ami-
Paulus Venetus brought the Needle out &****%;"
China; but it is a Miftake, lince Jacques 11
fie Vitri in the fecond Book of his Oriental
Hiftory, affirms, that the Needle was in
Ufe at Sea, ever fince the Year 1215. It
is a much grofTer Error to maintain, that
theTyriatis had any Knowledge of the Com-
pafs, as us'd at this Day. It is to be ob-
ferv'd, that there is another Quality peculiar
to the Load-ftone, that is its attracting of
Iron -, which Vertue was certainly known to
the Ancients long before the other of cau-
fing'a Bit of Iron, which has been touch'd to
it, to turn to the Pole.
The beft Load-ftones are found in the^-wAow
Mines of Bengala and China, whence they wttof'ft u *' d '
brought by the Moors and Arabs, who have
travell'd thither in all Ages. The Mariners
of Amtilfi, in the Kingdom of Naples^ were
the firft th'at made Ufe of it on the Medi-.
terranean, and therefore they are reputed
the Inventors of it. Certain it is,' that the
Venetians, the Genoefes, the Pi fans, and the
Catalonians, Were the firft Europeans that fail'd'
by the Gompafs. The French, the Portvguefes y
the Spaniards, the Englifli, the Danes and the"
Dutch have found it very Advantageous to,
them, for difcovering of all the remoteft
Lands and Seas, from North to South and
even under the Pole. So that it may, in
fome Meafure, be faid, that there is no ha-
bitable Part of the World, that has not been
gone to. We now fail with more fafety on
all the Seas from the North to the South,'
and from the Eaft to the Weft, than for-
merly they did in th AiediterrAueAn,^ Gulph
of Venue.
C TheTe'
An Introductory Difcourfe
Thefe long Voyages have been the Occa-
of difcovering Iflands and Continents
altogether unknown to our Anceftors. The
Light of the Gofpel has been convey'd to
fearbarous Nations, who had never heard fo
much as the Name of the true Religion.
The Commodities of Europe are exchang'd
for the Wealth of the new World, whence
many Things are brought, which contribute
much to the Conveniency, or at leaft the
t)elight of human Life ; and Experience has
(hown how Advantagious that Trade has
prov'd to Europe.
The general receiv'd Opinion is, that
of the Ca- America was altogether unknown to the An-
aaries. cients, and that we are beholding for that
Difcovery to the Voyages undertaken by
Chriftopker Columbus^ Americus Vefpufius and the
Spaniards. The Southern Coafts and the ex-
treme Parts of Africk and Afia^ were dif-
cover'd by the Portuguefes. The Sieur &
Betencour, a French Man conquer'd the Canary
Iflands, in the Year 1402. Antiquity had
fome confufe Knowledge of them, by the
Name of the Fortunate Iflands, whereof Poets
and Hiftorians have writ fo many Wonders.
The Grecian and Latin Geographers have
made Mention of them, but we knew no-
thing we could rely on of thofe plentiful
Countries till Betencour made his Voyage.
0/Made- Spaniards and Portuguefes afterwards made
ra. feveral Voyages thither, and by that Means
difcover'd the Ifland of Madera^ under the
Conduct of John Gon&ales, and Triftan Vaz.^
tho' the Engliflj pretend to that Difcovery
ilnce the Year -I344* Alvara Fernandez, dif-
Guinea, cover'd afl the Coaft of Guinea^ which put
the Ponuguefes in the Way of making other
mighty
to the Hiftory ^/"VOYAGES, &c. 19
mighty Difcoveries afterwards. In the Year k Ca P e
1495. Bartholomew Diaz, found the celebrated
Cafe of Good Hope and having doubled it,[ nc iia.
proceeded as far as the Coaft of the Anci-
ent Ethiopia. Three Years after Fafco de Gama,
made a farther Progrefs the fame7Way, and
went on fortunately, as far as India. Thofe
who follow'd after him pufh'd on fuccefsfully
the fame Courfe as far as the Molucco Iftands,
China and Japan ,w hence t\\zPortuguefes brought
immenfe Treafure into Europe.
Before they would attempt thefe mighty 0/Ethio-
Undertakings by Sea, the Kings of Portugal y\*.
fent fome able Men by Land; who took
the Way of Alexandria, Cairo and the Red
Sea, as far as Ethiopia. King John the fe-
Cond, mov'd to it by reading the Travels of
Marcus Paulas fanetits,i\\ the Year 1486, fent
two Portuguese s well skill'd in the Arabick
Tongue, with the Title of Embafiadors, to
the King of the Abyffines, but with a Defign to
view thofe Coafts, wherein they fucceeded to
their Content. Till that Time we had but
very dark Ideas concerning the Empire of
Prefler John, which has been fince well known
by feveral good Accounts we have received
from thence.
The Spaniards began to undertake their
long Voyages in the Year 1492, under the nca
Direction of the, renoun'd Chriftopher Columbus,
fent by King Ferdinand and Queen Elizabeth
of Spain into the new World. He was the
firft that difcover'd the Lucayo Iflands r
thofe of Cuba and Jamaica, and the vaft
Continent of America. He afterwards made
three other Voyages into that new World, and
drew Charts of it, wherein he was very much
aflifted by an able Mariner ; who was drov to
C t ther
20 An Introductory Difcourfe
the Place where he was by a Stormy
where he died and at his Death left him
all his Journals and Obfervations.
rrodigi* Chriftopher Columbus returning into Europe^
onsWealthwith fuch Advantageous Inftru&rons, made
brought Application to Ferdinand King of Caftile and
tbwt* Aragon, who laid out but 17000 Crowns, for
the fitting out of three fmall Ships, which
were the Occaflon of his gaining above fixty
Millions of Gold in a few Years. Since then
his Succeflbrs have found inexhauftable Mines
of Treafure in that new World, for it ap-
pears by the Regiftcr, or Entry Books of
Sevil that from the Year 1519 till that of
1617, there came into Spain 1536 Millions of
Gold, all brought from the Weft Indies.
T&Dutch The Dutch, who have apply'd themfelres
to Navagation with greater Eagernefs and
more Succefs, than any other European Na-
tion, are become formidable by their pro-
digious Wealth , fo that they now dare
prefume to cope with Crown'd Heads,
and oppofe the greateft Monarchies on the
Earth.
ihe Ro- ^is watery Nation has fucceeded the
mails. Phoenicians, the Syracufans, the Rhodians^ the
Carthaginians, the Alexandrians and the Peo-
ple ot Aiarfeilles in the nice underftanding
of Trade. The Romans fent mighty Fleets
into India and omitted Nothing that might
tend to the Advancement of Commerce \
but that was almofl loft entirely fince
the Innundation of the Barbarous Nations.
rte Eng- -phe Englifo have alfo perform'd many
Voyages, which have been Beneficial to their
Country. They have Vifited all the Iflands,
and all the Coafts of the Eaft and Weft
Indies^ of Africk and the North. They have
befides
to the Hiftory <jf V o Y A G E s, &i* 21
befides Travell'd by Land intpJMuftovf+Ptr?
fia, the Moguls Dominions, T^rtary, China,
and Ethiopia. They have difcover'd Virgi-
nia^ New England and New Scotland, bring-
ing Home very great Wealth from all thofe
Countries at federal Times.
No Nation has advanc'd its Trade
than the Englifi have done -, for they have fix
or feven feveral Companies to that End, which
help to enrich others not concern'd, and
employ abundance of Poor, who muft other-
therwife go a Begging.
About the Year 1524, King Francis
Firft of France fet out fome Ships which fail'd
from Cape Breton along the Coafts of Virgi-
nia and Florida, for near Seven Hundred
Leagues in Length ; but the Pilot, who had
the Direction of that Fleet, was taken and
devour'd by the Savages. Ten Years after,
that fame Prince fent again to difcover Canada
and the Cod Fiftiery.
In the Year 1555, the Sfcur,^ Villegagnon, To Brazil
Knight of Malta, undertook a Voyage to
frazil, in America, under the Protection of
the Admiral Ckatillon, promifing him to plant
Proteflant Colonies in that Country, which
had been before difcover'd by Peter Alvarez,
Admiral under Emanuel, King of Portugal.
The following Year America Veffuclus^ whp
had before difcover'd the Continent, went
thither on the fame King's Account, for
whom he took PoflefTion of it. The next
Voyage he made in the Year 1504, he dif-
cover'd the Bay of All-Saints. The French
gave that Country the Name of Braz.il, be-
caufe that Wood grows there in prodigi-
ous Quantities, in fome particular Places.
The Toufindrtw and the Margajats were the
C 3 Na-
22 An Introductory Difco&rfe
Nations of that Country, which
was obligM to abandon, becaufe he receiv'd
no Succours from France :, whereupon the Por-
tuffuefes took Poflefilon of them.
TbFlorida Charles the Ninth, King of France, by the
Advice of the Admiral Coligni, fent fome
Ships to Florida, which was not yet Inhabited
by any Chriftians, tho" it had been before dif-
cover'd in the Reign of King Francis the Firft,
John Ponce de Leon, a Spaniard, came upon that
Coaft in the Year 1512, and call'd it Flori-
da, becaufe he Arriv'd there on Eafler Sun-
day, which the Spaniards call Pafqua Florida,
on Account that at Eafter the Flowers ap-
pear in Spain. The Spaniards abandon'd it ?
by Reafon that all thofe they fent thither
were devour'd by the Savage Natives.
French fet- The French finding that Country forfaken,
?/<? there, refolv'd to fettle there, and People it, in
Order to plant the Chriftian Faith , but the
Civil Wars which happen'd about that Time
were the Occafion of neglecting thofe Plan-
tations. The fatal Confequences of the League
being remov'd by the Acceflion of King Hen-
ry the Fourth to the Crown of France, feri-
ous Application was again made for re-
ftoring of Navigation and Trade, towards
putting the Kingdom again into a good Po-
fture, it being then much exhaufted.
firp At- l n tne ^ ear 1598, the Marque fs de la Roche
tdmpt upon had a Commiffion given him for the Conqueft
Canada, of Canada and other Countries, not in the
PofTeffion of any Ghriftian Prince. He had
Leave given him to raife Men, for the bet-
ter Eftablifhing of Trade, and promoting the
Chriftian Faith in thofe Countries he Ihould
difcover, that they might be. brought under the
Dominion of France.
In
to the Hittorj of V o Y A G E s, 6*c. 2J
In 1603, the Sieur de Mons, a Gentleman f * nker f
of Xaintonge, offer'd the Court a Project for ^Jf/*
fettling a Colony in the new found Lands,
which was approved of. A Commiflion was
given him to be Lieutenant-General in New
France. With this Authority he fail'd from
Havre de Grace, and with him the Sieur de
Poutrlncour, a Gentleman of Picardy, and the
Sieur Champlein. He built a Fort at Quebec^
in order to make a farther Progrefs into
thofe Countries till he (hould come to the
Weftern Ocean, and to endeavour thus to
find out a new Way to Mexico. In the Year
1609, they difcover'd the Country of the
Jroquoi*, on whom they made War. They
found Nations of Savages arin'd with Clubs,
Bows and Arrows. Towns palifaded about ,
a very fruitful and pleafant Country ^ Corn,
Vines and Fruit Trees.
The Jefuits went over into Canada, in the C
Year 1611, upon the Holy Defign of Labour-
ing for the Converfion of Savages. The greaN
eft Obftacle they met with in their Conver-
lion was Polygamy, or the Plurality of Wives,
which thofe wild People could not endure
to be depriv'd of. Befides that thofe Bar^
barians are naturally Rude, given to Liber-
tinifm, Lazy, Superftitious, addifted to Ma-
gick, and fcarce capable of the Purity of Chri-
ftian Religion.
Another great Obftacle againft the making Tf?e Eng-
of good Settlements in Canada, was that the
Englifl) in Virginia, who are not very remote,
look'd upon them with a jealous Eye, becaufe
they leflen the great Advantage they made
by Trading with the Indian*.
C 4 The
24 -An Introductory Difcourfe
Canada The Company eftablifh'd for carrying on
t ^ e Trade of New France, was much encou-
rag'd and rais'd by the Favour of Cardinal
fichelieu, the Chief and Superintendant of
the French Navigation and Commerce. He
gave full Power to the Sieurs de Roquemont,
fjouel and other Partners, to fend over Colo-
nies, and to put themfelves into a Pofture
to oppofe any ofher Potentates. An Hun-
dred Perfbns join'd and mutually bound them-
felves together for fifteen Years, ingaging to
fend over four Thoufand Perfons of both Sexes
into thofe New Countries, and to provide them
with all Neceflaries.
Three VefTels fail'd from Dieppe, jn the
Year 1616, touch'd at Braz.il, pafs'd in Sight:
for others. o f the Country of Ethiopia, and arriv'd at
Sumatra, notwithftanding all the Opposition
inade by the Englifli and Dutch. In 1621,
a new Company was Ereded for diftant
Voyages to the Weftward, forthe Cod and
Whale Fifhery, and for fecuring the Colo-
nies in New France. The great Profit made
by thofe New Companies, prevailed upon
Lewis the XIII. to make it his fpecial Care
to fend People into Canada, Newfoundland^
St. Ckriflofher and Barbada, the Luc ay o Iflands^
and feveral other Parts. In the Year 1627
he fet out an Ordinance, exhorting his Sub-
jeds to ered Companies for Trade, promi-
fmg to fupport and allow them Convoys of
his Men of War ', and exprefly forbidding
all thofe who undertook long Voyages, no
to attempt any thing againft the Kings,
States, and Princes, who were Friends and
Allies to his Crovyn, or their Subjecls^ Goods,
or Rights, purfuant to the ' Treaties with
thcmconcludedo
' -- An
to the Hijfory of V o y A G E si 25
All thefe Voyages made Way for the Mif- Afawc
lioners and Evangelical Labourers, to convey*?
the Light of the Faith into all Parts of the^ * w?
World ; fo that there is no Kingdom fb
remote, or Nation fo barbarous, where the
Jefuits, the Francifcans, the Dominicans, and
feveral other Religious Men have not preach'd
the Kingdom of God, to the great Glory
and Advancement of the Chriftian Name,
Among the reft, the Jefuits, who take a
particular Vow in Relation to Mifilons,
have fignaliz'd their Zeal by their Patience
and Shedding of their Blood, even to the
utruoft Bounds of the Earth. They have
fetled themfelves in Afia, Africk and Ame-
rica, at Siam, in China, and Japan, in the
Iflands of the Eafl Indies, along the Coafts
of Guinea, in the Kingdom of Tunquin, and
feveral other Places, where they made
a coailderable Progrefs towards eftablifhing
the Chriftian Faith, as appears by the late Re-
lations they have publifh'd.
I look upon St. Francis Xaveriu* to have
been the greateft Traveller of all Modern rius.
Apoftles. Thofe who have computed his
Travels Teckning up the Diftance of all the
Places he was at, putting them all toge-
ther at Length, have found that he had run
in his Way Thirty Three Thoufand Leagues,
which is above threeTimes round the Compafs
of the Earth.
There is ftill an infinite Number of Reli-
gious Men of all Orders, who fpend their
whole -Lives with a more than Heroick Re-
folation, in Travelling among the moft Sa-
vage Nations, in order to root out Vice,
Jdolatry and Superftition, and to bring over
thofe People to the Knowledge and Love
of
2(5 An Introductory Dtfcourfe
of the true God. The Secular Priefts and par-
ticularly thofe Gentlemen of the foreign Mif-
iions, are no lefs zealous than the Regulars.
Some are fent every Year out of their Semi-
nary, to the extreme Parts of the World, to
preach the Gofpel with immenfe Labour and
Toil. There only remain, at prefent, fome
Countries towards the North and South which
have not been difcover'd, and whither the
Light of the Gofpel has not been as yet con-
vey'd.
Trade. Since the eftablifhing of fb many excellent
Manufactures in France^ thro' the Care and
Induftry of the late Monfieur Colbert , the carry-
ing on a Trade with all Nations upon theEarth
is grown much eafier, fupplying them with our
Produd,our Manufactures and fuch Abundance
of exquifitive Curiofities of all forts, as we are
able to furnifh, in Exchange for the Richeffc
Commodities to be found in ftrange Countries,
without being neceflltated to carry Money out
of the Kingdom.
of All the World is fufficiently convinc'd of
fat great Advantages that are to be made of
the Knowledge of and Acquaintance with
ftrange Countries , either for the Advancement
of Trade-, for fatisfying theCuriolity of thofe
who only covet Information } or for the en-
flaming the Zeal of others, who have Refolu-
tion enough to go carry the Light of the Gof-
pel into thofe vaft Countries, which ftill
groan under the Darknefs of Ignorance, of Su-
perftition and Idolatry. This has made me
conclude it would be a conflderable Piece of
Service to the Publick, to give them a corn-
pleat Catalogue of all Authors ancient and
modern, who have writ Hiftories and Rela-
tions of all the Voyages and Travels under-
taken in all Parts of the World, AC-.
to the HiHory (/VOYAGES, &c. 27
Accordingly we fhall deliver the Titles of Perfor-
their Works,- we fhall make an Abftraft^^*
of the Lives and Adventures of the Travel-
lers, with a brief Account of their Travels,
and of what is mofl curious and remarkable
in them, either relating to natural Hiftory,
or to Geography, the Cuftoms, Manners,
Trade, Religion and Hiftory of the Country }
we fhall carefully examine the Works we are
to take in Pieces, and give an impartial Judg-
ment concerning the Character of their Mar-
ration. This Abridgement win plainly de-
monftrate the great Advantages of Travel-
ling, and what Credit is to be given to the
Relations of Travellers ^ we fhall prefcribe
Rules for the better diftinguifhing between
fuch Authors and Fafts as deferve to be be-
lie v'd, and fuch as do not. Thofe who have
not Leifure, or at leaft not Application e-
nough to read fo many large Volumes as
have been writ by Travellers, will have
their Satisfaction in the Abftra&s we fhall
give them, where in a few Words they will
find as much as will fuffice to anfwer their
Cunofity.
For we fhall give them a particular View Abftr&s
of all the remarkable Travels fmce the Be-
ginning of the World till our Days } we fhall
lay down the Reafons there were for under-
taking of them, and the Defign of the At-
tempt, with the Succefs towards the Improve-
ment of Philofophy, Phyfick and Aftronomy,
&c. We fhall endeavour to prove the Ad-
vantage, that may be made in Trade, the
Faults that have been committed, and the
Meafures to be taken for fucceeding
in the Time to come. We fhall treat
of the fettling of Colonies, feat abroad by
fo
dn Introdu&ory Difcourfe
fo many feveral Nations ^ and mark down
the Years in which thofe Voyages were per-
form'd, the Names of the Perfons and of
the Princes that fent them, either to fettle
Trade, or to acquire a more perfeft Know-
ledge of thofe Places.
We fliall alfo give fome Idea of Naviga-
tion, which in our Days has been brought to
great Perfe&ion ^ fince Men now fail with as
much Safety to the fartheft Parts of the Earth,
as they do to the Countries they are belt ac-
quainted with. Thofe who travel and have
any Infight in the Sphere and the Mathema-
ticks, might ftill add farther Perfe&ion to Na-
vigation, by fetting down the Diftances of
Places exa&ly, observing of Longitudes and
the Variation of the Compafs.
Multitude ^ Tho' feveral Authors have writ concern-
efAuthors.ing the fame Travels, yet we fhall not forbear
making Extracts of them, for the furnifti-
ing a more compleat Hiftory of every Country,
and an exaft Geography. For it being impof-
fible for a Traveller to fee and obferve all
Things, thofe who come after him take notice
of confiderable Matters that had efcap'd his
Search } befides that the Agreement we find
in feveral Relations left to Pofterity by divers
Perfons of diftinft Countries, is an undeniable
Proof, that they have deliver'd the real Truth
in their Writings, and that we may rely on
what they tell us.
order of T ne fi rft Part ^ this Golledion fhall con-
f& jfW.tam the Voyages made into the North and
South America^ to the Streights of Magellan
and into the Pacifick or South Sea, in due
Order of Time as they happen'd, beginning
from Chriftopher Columbus and Americus Vefyu-
cius and defending to this Time. Next IhaU
follow
to the Hiftory 0f V o Y A G E s.'
follow the Voyages into Afric\ and
along the Coafts of Barbary, and thofe of
the Ocean , from the Stferghts Mouth to
the Iflands of Madagafcar, up the Red Sea,
and the Travels by Land into the Country.
The Readers Curioflty (hall be fatisfy'd a$
to all the Rarities of Afi* ; he fhall have laid
before him all that is Remarkable in the
Letter Apa, the Holy Land, Perfa, India, Tar-
tary, China, Japan, and the adjacent Iflands.
We are better acquainted with all that re-
lates to Europe, and thofe Things being near-
er to us, we feem to have the lefs Regard
for them , however we fhall not omit ta-
king an exad View of that Part of the
World, and giving curious Extra&s of aH
Travels into Italy, France, Spain, the Le-
vant, the North, Germany, England and all
the other Kingdoms and Republicks of Eu-
rope. Nothing that is trivial, or generally
known to all the World fhall be here de-
liver'd, but only fuch Things as may be
thought worthy the Obfervation of the molt
Judicious Perfons.
To the End that nothing be wanting in O f ^ e
his Work, which may any Way be fatis-
fa dory to a curious and ingenious Reader,
he fhall have the Names of the Authors, who
have writ of all forts of Voyages and Tra-
vels } and fhqrt Cricizifmes on their Works.
The Authentick fhall be diftinguifiYd from
the Apocryphal, that fo every Man may
have Recourfe to the Writers of Reputation,
who have receiv'd the moft general Credit
and Applaufe.
An infinite Number of Manuferipts has
been found in the Archives of Peru, aiid
new Spain, which a very learn'd Man has
caus'd
36' T An Introductory Difcourfi
caus'd to be printed, and will afford much
Light for the better underftanding of Au-
thors. Thofe who have writ the Affairs of
Jndia^ as Abraham Ortelius, Antony de Herrefa^
Brother Alfhonfo Fernandez, and Maldonado^
have not been fo nice a ad exad in their
Relations as could be wifh'd. Such as go
over to the Weft Indies make it their Bu~
finefs rather to feek for Gold and Silver,
than to enquire into what relates to Sciences.
This, which ought to be the Principal Aim,
is as it were laid afide, and whatfoever is done
towards it is with much Negligence and Su-
perficially. It is a Fault the Spaniards may
with fome Colour of Juftice be charg'd with,
there is more Information to be had in the
Books of Foreigners than in their own, of
all that relates to the Conquefts they have
made in the new World.
Strangers. This Aflertion of mine will eafily be cre-
dited, if we confult the Works of Sir Water
Rawleigh, which he compos'd about Guiana
and the River Dorado \ Hackluit and John
Baytifta Ramufio, whole Works are in three
Volumes in Folio ; Samuel Purchas, in five
Volumes in Folio j Gafar Borleus, in his new
World } Jerome Benz^one and Levinius Apol-
lontus, in their Hiftories j Theodore de Brye
and his Sons in their Voyages } John Buterus,m
his Relations \Antony Aiaginus and GerardMer-
cator, in their Defcriptions, &c. All thefe Au-
thors are perfectly well acquainted with the
new World ^ they fpent more Time and took
more Pains to learn the Curiofities, than to
gather the Wealth of it.
Pliny fays it is the Nature of Man to love
" Novelty, and that it is this Natural Incli-
nation which prompts him to Travel. We
have
to the Hiftory of V o Y A G E s. J f
have in our Days feen Afonfieur Tavernier, at
fourfcore Years of Age, fet out on his Jour-
ney to Per/w, with as much Alacrity, as
much Eagernefs, and as little Concern, as
if he were but going to J^erfailles. He could
not prevail upon himfelf to reft long in a
Place, after he had fpent his whole Life
in travelling. Man is naturaly reftlefs, the
Sight of the fame Objedts becomes of-
fenfive to him. This it is that puts him
upon going far from his native Country, to
find out fomething new, that may furnifh
him Matter of Admiration, or pleafe his
Curiofity , improve his Knowledge, or feed
his Avarice and covetous Temper with Hope
of Gain.
It may well be laid, that travelling is ufe- Anachar-
ful for the rendring of Man more Polite fis *
and Accomplifh'd, and removing all he has
that is rude and unpolifh'd. Jlnacharfis the
Philofopher, by Birth a Scythian, undertook
feveral Journeys to disburden himfelf of the
Barbarous and Savage Cuftoms he had con-
traded in his Native Country. It is moft
certain that thofe, who never have been out
of Sight of their Father's Houfes, feldom
arrive to any great Perfeftion either in Arts,
or Sciences. We every Year fend young
Proficients in Painting and Archite&ure to
Rome, to render them perfed in thofe noble
Arts, by viewing the many exquifite Mo-
dels, and copying the rare Originals there
are in that Metropolis of the World. No-
thing is more certain than that- the Imagi-
nation muft be fed with new Objefts, which
may in fome meafure lift it above it felf.
When a Man continually beholds the fame
Thing, he has always the fame Idea's, and
his
J 2 An Introductory Difcourfe '
his Fancy is confin'd to a narrow Com-
pafs.
Pbiloftrattu makes Apottonius Thyaneus fay,
That, if a young Man defires to gain
Reputation, he mult Travel into ftrarige
Countries, as if he were banifti'd his own.
The Daintinefs, Sloath, and Indulgence Men
are bred with, who never ftir out of their
own Country, dulls the Soul, and renders
it incapable of aiming at . high Things.
If we may believe Pliny, fevefal of the greateft
Philofophers., as Pythagoras, Empedodes, De-
mocritus, Plato, &c. crofs'd the Seas, more
like banifti'd Men, than Travellers. They
were afraid left a delicate and eafie Courfe
of Life, Conveniencies and Pleafures, which:
they might have enjoy'd at Home, Ihould
take them off from Labour and the Study of
Wifdom.
Travellers ft is not enough to Travel, to crofs the
0W * ^Seas, and to vlfit abundance of Kingdoms
" and Provinces^ there muft be Senle and
Judgment to make an Advantage of Travel-
ling. Plato direded, that the State fhould
make Choice of difcreet, and folid Perfons
to Travel, to the Ead that being prefent at
the Pu.blick Games, at the Ceremonies in the
Temples, the General AfTemblies of the Peo-
ple in ftrange Countries, they might pick
all they found moft worthy to be obferv'd,
to impart it to their Countrymen at their
Return.
Travels Experience has fhown that feveral young
MHtMan- Perfons, who were ruin'd through Sloath and
Debauchery in their own Countries, have,
by Travelling, become Sober, Temperate
and Virtuous. Marcus Aurelius, the Empe-
rour, found no better Method to give a'
Check
to the Hiftory of V o Y A G s, &c. +<+
Check to the Diforders, extravagant Expen-
ces, and Diflblution of his Collegue Lucius
Verus, than by engaging him in making War
on the Parthian* v that the Fatigue of Tra-
velling, and the Dangers of a Foreign War,
might find him fo much Employment, as to
divert him from Pleafure , and that the Peo-
ple of Rome might not be Witnefs of his
Riots, and by being Abroad he might learn
to be a good Husband, and moderate his
Expences.
Whilft Anaxagoras TravelPd, his Kindred, ^f g ^
pr thofe who envy'd him wafted and con-
fum'd all his Eftate ; but he was nothing
concern'd at that Lofs, faying, I .had not
been fafe^ unlefs thofe Goods had been loft.. All
fixpreflion worthy fo great a Philoibpher,
and which Valwi us frfaximas^ who has recorded
it, ad"mires,as the Efk&ofaWifdom abfolutely
confummate. Anaxagoras had perhaps never
attain'd to fuch a high Degree of Virtue, and
fo perfedl a Contempt of all Things, had he
always Hv'd in his Native Country, and con-
tented himfelf as moft Men do, with look-
ing no farther than to preferve or improve
his Patrimony. This is, very likely, one
of the. Things that molt of all makesiMen de-
generate, and keeps them ; in a mean fiftate ,
whereas . thofe who travel are difengag'd
from^ all thofe Cares and confequently
may 'give their Mind the freer Scope to
range. . .,. , ,
It is beyond all Controverfy, that the
Ancients added an infinite Perfedion t
Arts and Sciences, by the Affifrance of Ti
Yelling ^ and the Reafon of it is, becaufe,
in. thofe Days every one took Care to'
cauifc the new Difcoveries, he made in any
D Science,
24 d* Irirodutiorj Difcoarfe
Science, to be carv'd on Stone or Brick, afs
tierodottu and Jofephus allure us, fpeaking of
the Chaldeans, the Phenicians and the Egyptians.
So that the Travellers who went to confult
thofe Monuments, fill'd their Collections with
Abundance of Curious Remarks, wherewith
they enrich'd their Country at their Re-
turn. There are ftill Monuments of this
fort found under Ground, in the Fields, on
Mountains, in Caves, and under the Ruins
of ancient Stru&ures.
hfltncein But not to look back fo far how great
trance. Advantages has France reap'd by the Ob*
fervations of our modern Travellers, for the
greater Perfection of Geography, Navigati-
on, and all the Parts of the Mathematicks ?
How great Wealth, and what Precious Silks
have been brought from China, and other
the remoteft Countries ?
r 2 ncou - How much is the Publick beholding to
tb^jnvg 1 *** the 9 reat 5 wl10 has made fuch noble
gives. Provifion within his Kingdom and in foreign
Countries, as Africk and America, for the
Advancement of Sciences and the Improve-
ment of Arts ? He has fent abroad able
Men, furnifh'd with excellent Inftraments,
to take Latitudes and make other neceflary
Obfervations for attaining the Perfedionof
Navigation. His extraordinary Care in fup-
porting the Colonies and Plantations in Ame-
rica and Canada, has procured his People Abun-
dance of Things neceflary for the Satisfaction
of this Life and for promoting of Trade by
the Addition of curious Manufactures of all
Sorts. But all this is nothing, if compar'd with
the Zeal he fhows, i : n fending out Miflioners
at his own Coft, into China, Japan, Syria, and
many other Parts. He now maintains a con-
liderablc
to the Hijlory of V o Y A G E s, &c. 3 5
jfiderable number of young Men, in the Col-
ledge, which bears his Name, and fends them
into their own Countries, when they have
finilh'd their Studies. Thefe young Miffioners
of feveral Nations, for there are Greeks^ Tur\s^
Armtnians and feveral others, go back to con-
vert their Kindred and Countrymen to the
Faith of JESUS CHRIST, and to proclaim
every where the Magnificence of their Bene-
fa&or, to the immortal Glory of that great
Prince.
Thus much may fuffice towards proving the
Excellency and Advantages of travelling-,^ 1
every one will be much more fully convinc'd
of it by reading the Collection defign'd here
to be given to the publick, of all the confi-
derable Voyages and Travels, which have been
performed into all Parts of the World.
The End of the Introductory Difcourfe*
THE
THE
General Hiftory
O F A L L
VOYAGES and TRAVELS
Into the Old and New
WORLD,
C H A P. L
Chriftopher Columbus fets out ttpottDif-
coverj. Account of the Canary Iflands.
IHriflofher Columbus was born at Colum
Genoa, of mean Parentage, and bu^sBin
from his Infancy apply'd himfelf &c.
to Navigation, as moll of the
Genoefes do, who have no For-
tunes. He had a ftiarp, fpright-
ly Wit, and great Capacity j and having be-
gan early to addift himfelf to examine the
Motions of the Heavens, and to perfeft him-
felf in the Ufe of the Aftrolabe and other
Inftru-
The General HISTORY
Infbruments proper for Navigation, he in a (hort
Tinie mad e very conflderable Progrefs in that
Profefiion ; in fo much, that he far exceeded
all the ablefl and moft expert Navigators
of his Time. He at firfb perform'd feveral
Voyages out of the Strrightt, towards Por-
tugal^ nicely obferving what Winds general-
ly blew, during the feveral Seafons of the
Year. Being of a ftrong and healthy Con-
ftitution, at forty Years of Age, he refolv'd
to attempt a Voyage for Difcovery of the
new World, and to find out all thofe
mighty Treafures, that were there (hut up
Firfl jpe-from the Knowledge of Europeans for fo ma-
f*of4i/-ny Ages. He made this Projeft known to
iivcrmi. the poft confidera ble Men of the Repub-
lick of Genoa, propofing to them to rig
and fit out fome Ships, with all Neceflaries
for the undertaking of fo great an Enter-
prize. This Defign, at firft Sight, appear'd
to them altogether Chimerical, and they
Jook'd upon all Columbus faid to th-em, of a
Poflibility of going to the utmoft Extremi-
ty of the World, according to the Rules of
his Art } as a meer Dream and Fable ;
tho' they had before heard talk of a vaft
Ifland, which lay at a great Diftance from
the Mouth of the Streigkts, difcover'd ma-
ny Ages before and mention'd by Ancient
Authors.
Goes into Columbu? perceiving how little notice his
Portugal Country-men took of his Propofal, went
away into Portugal and made the fame Of-
fers to that King as he had before done
to the Genoefes. The Portuguefe Sailers, who
are naturally proud, and intra&able, pre~
fently rejeded the Overtures of Columbus,
with Scorn,, looking upon them as extra-
: vagant
of V o y A G E s and T R A v E L J 9
vagant Notions, and little better than Mad-
nefs, being offended that any Man fhould
prefume to be better skill'd than they, ia
the Art of Navigation, tho' as yet they
had fail'd no farther than along the Coafts
of Africk, without venturing out of Sight
of Land j for they were even then of the
Opinion of the Ancients, who believ'd that,
whofoever fhould dare draw near to the
Equinoftial, would be quite burnt by the ;fu
Sun. Thus they refts'd to give any Credit
to what they were told of the Voyages of
fome Mariners, who departing from CW*&,
had rounded all Afrlck and gone up into the
Red Sea.
The Ignorance or Jealoufy of the Portugittfis Wifa
difappointed all Columbus'* Deligns, who*' 41 ? 1 /
feeing the Hopes he had conceiv'd fallen to b
nothing, and having heard talk of the great
Generofity and Magnificence of Ferdinand the
CathoiickKingof Sjp*/,and of Queen Elizabeth^
his Confort, refolv'd to go away to that
Court, and never to depart from it, till he
had perfwaded them to furnifh him with fome
Ships to facilitate his Defign of difcovering the
New World. He had feveral Times the
Honour of difcourfing their Majefties, and-
the Grandees of Spain upon the Subjeds of
his mighty Proje&s, which he deliver'd to
them, and reprefented with fuch AfTurance
and Confidence, that they could not but give
fome Credit to his Word. However, fome
Courtiers (till looking upon him, as a vaia
conceited Man, all his Propofals, and Extoll'd
Projefts had like to have vaniffi'd into Smoke,
and he was mear being fritted in Spai^ as
he had been at Genoa, aftg ta
The General HISTORY
His Pro- But Providence, which had decreed to make
iifeof the Bravery and Skill of Columbus, for
the Difcovery of fo many vaft Countries, till
then unknown to the ableft Men, put it into
the Heart of Queen Ifabel or Elizabeth to en-
tertain Thoughts of attempting that mighty
Enterprise, after fevefal Conferences with
Columbus who had been fome Years at her
Court. That Princefs had a generous Soul,
and was always full of mighty Defigns, with-
out'' ever being deterr'd by any Difficulties that
obftruded her Enterprifes, all which fhe
furmounted with' an invincible Courage and
Patience. Being perfwad.ed by the Reafbns
Columbus ailed g'd of the Poflibility and Like-
lyhood of Succefs in the Undertaking, fhe
prevail'd upon the King her Husband, who
caus'd three Ships to be fitted out, on which
Columbus embark'd, about the Beginning of
'Auguft, in the Year 1492, with '120 Men.
They fail'd from Cadiz, and made the Canary
Iflands, which the Ancients call'd the Fortu-
nate Iflands^ feated in 28 Degrees of North
Latitude, and 250 Leagues diftant from Cadiz,.
They were call'd the Fortunate Iflands ^ becaufe
^ excellent Temperature of their Air,
which is fuch, that throughout the wholeYear,
there is no exceflive Heat, nor intolerable
Cold. Some have been of Opinion that the
Fortunate Iflands, are thofe near Cabo farde
on the Coaft of Africk, now in the PofTeflion
of the Portuguefes^ and lying in 17 Degrees
of North Latitude, call'd the lilands of Cabo
Verde. < -
' The Baron de Betencour, born in the Pro-
yince of'WormMfyj had difcover'd the Canary
Iflands, long before Chriftoftor Columbus was
there 5 for he fail'd from Rochel^ with the
Sieur
of V o Y A G E s and TRAVEL s." 4!]
Sieur A /<* &*/<fc ? on the firft of May 1402^
and arrivM at the Canaries, in the Month of
gfa(y, of that fame Year. He made himfelf
Matter of them, and came in Perfon to dp
Homage for them to the King of Spain, be-
caufe toe is the neareft Chriftian Prince to
the Canaries. Some Authors reckon feven of
thefe Iflands, and others ten , for the recon-
ciling of both which Opinions, it may be
faid that feven of them are inhabited, and
the other three defert. They were call'd
Canaries from the Great Number of Dogs,
or of Goats at firft' found in them. The In-
habitants of them are very dexterous, great
Leapers, expert at throwing of Stones, a&ive
and cleverly made, like the Bifcainers. When
the French came thither, they had no other
Weapons but, Arrows and Darts ', and were
all Idolaters, worlhipping the Sun and Stars.
Polygamy was allow'd and us'd throughout
all the Country , but that which is a gre
ter Proof of the Barbarity of thofe Iflanders,
is a ftrange Cuftoin they obfervM, when any
Lord took Pofleflion there of his little Do-
minions-, for then fev.eral ofFer'd themfelves
voluntarily to die }n Honour of the Solem-
nity, and with a brutal Courage caft them-
felves headlong from the Top of a very
high Mountain. The fame Ceremony was
obferv'd upon certain Feftivals, kept in Ho-
nour of a Deity they ador'd, in a Temple
feated on the Brink of a Mountain, then they
threw themfelves headlong into a vafl Depth,
out of a Religious Principle, dancing and
iinging, their Priefts alluring them, that they
ihould enjoy all forts of Pleafures after fuch
a noble Death.
They
4* The General HISTORY
ptbcr Cu~ They had not yet learnt the Ufe of Fire;
taf - but eat the Fiefh of Beafts raw, and bleed-
ing , yet had fome confufe Notion of a Dei-
ty, which punifh'd the wicked and rewar-
ded Virtuous Perfons. They made Ufe of
fharp Stones, like Flints, for (having of their
Heads: Gold and Silver was in their Opi-
nion of no more Value than Sand, or Shells.
The Women took not the Pains to fuckle
their own Children, but made them fuck
She Goats. As barbarous as thofe People
then were, they had ftill fome regular Me-
thod of Government. An hundred and ninety
of the principal Men had the Management
of all civil Affairs, and every thing that
concern'd Religion. There were alfo among
them fome Kings, or fovereign Princes, whom
they obey'd and follow'd, when they made
War upon one another. They thought it a
dilhonour to kili any Beaft, and therefore
left that to be done by their Slaves, or other
bafe Perfons. If any Man of what Condition
foever happen'd to forget himfelf, in this
particular, they would feparate him from
the reft of the People, and account him
infamous.
Enmity a- ^ e Inhabitants of the feveral Iflands,
look'd upon one another as Enemies, much
after the fame Manner as is pradis'd be-
tween the Iroquois and Hurons in Canada^
who eat one another. So the Inhabitants
of thefe Iflands, kill'd and butcher'd one a-
nother without any Mercy, or Companion.
The fame Ufage they gave to Strangers
that happen'd to come upon their Ifland,
when they; were ftrongeft. When the Spaniards
could catch any of them, they made Slaves
of and fold them, like Horfes. By thefe
Slaves
of V o y AGES and T R A v E s." 45
Slaves the Situation and Wealth of thofe
Iflands came to be known, and that occa-
fion'd the Defire of conquering them.
In one of thefe Iflands is a Mountain of a
prodigiotis Height, rifing up in a Point, ^d
cafting out Fire, Flames, Smoke and Afhes,
by Fits, like Mount Etna in Sicily. It is above
fifteen Miles to the Top of this Mountain,
which is call'd the Peak ofTenerif, and it will
require three Days to go up to it. Being
come to the Top of it, a Man may fee a-
bove fifty Leagues round, and plainly difco-
vers all the other Neighbouring Iflands. The
Cold being excefllve on the Top of this Hill,
there is no going up to it, but from the
Middle of May to the Middle of Auguft.
In the Ifland of Ferro, or Hleiy-o^ which is - ,.
one of the Canaries^ there is no Spring, Ri-^^o.
ver, Fountain, Raia, or other Water, but
tomakeAmends, there are certain Trees, co-
ver'd with thick Clouds and Fogs ; which
continually drop and furnifh Plenty of Wa-
ter. Under thefe Trees there is a Ciflern
or Bafon to receive a fuflkient Quantity of
Water for the Inhabitants and Cattle of
the Ifland. Lewis Jackfon an Englifliman^
has exa&ly defcrib'd the Nature and Quali-
ties of this wonderful Tree, which is as big
about as an Oak, and about fix or feven Fa-
thom high, the Branches fpreading fomewhat
loofe and open, the Leaf like that of the
Lawrel, white within and green without.
The Tree bears neither Fruit nor BlofToms ;
dries and feems to wither in the Day, and
drops all the Night, when the Cloud isdi-
re&ly over it. The Water gather'd in the
Pafon runs out thro' f everal leaden Pipes,
and is convey'd into many other Cifterns
all
44 The Gtmrd HISTORY
all about the Ifland. This principal Bafori
contains near 20000 Tun, and is filFd in
one Night, which would feem incredible,
did not daily Experience evince the Truth
of it. There are believ'd to be in that
Ifland about eight Thoufand Men, Women,
and Children, and about an hundred Thoufand
Beafts.
Ramufio and fome other Authors inform
^ us > that in the I ? and of St ' Tkoma*) under
t ^ ie Line, there is a Mountain always co-
ver'd with Trees, which the Clouds do wet
fo abundantly, that the Water dropping
from them is fufficient to nourifh all the
Fields about, which are full of Sugar Canes.
The Trunks, the Branches and the Leaves
of thefe T*ees fweat all the Night, and
till two Hours after Sun-Riflng. There is
another Thing very commendable belonging
to thefe Iflands, which is, that they breed
no Venomous Creature, no more than Bra-
zil. But on the other Ktand, the Rabbets
do fo undermine all Parts, that the Corn
and Vineyards are very much damag'd by
them ; in fo much that the Inhabitants have
been formerly forc'd to abandon them, and
feek out other Habitations.
M d T ^ e Iflancl ?f Mdtir* is thebiggeft of all
* the Neighbouring Iflands, as being 140 Miles
in Compafs. Abundance of Sugar is made
in it, yet moft of that, which in Europe is
call'd Madera Sugar, comes from Brazil. To
cleanfe, they boil it feveral Times, and the
more it is boil'd and cleans'd, the better
it is. The third Boiling makes it white,
and the fourth and fifth Candies it like A-
lorn.
The
of V O Y A G E > *ni TRAVELS. 45
The Fertility of the Canary Iflands is mt&nintj
to be exprefs'd , for they produce abundance . c !? a "
of Corn, excellent Wine, Sugar, Wax, Ho- rieSj L
ney, Fruit, and all Sorts of Creatures. They
are Inhabited by the Natives and Spaniards \
have one Bifhop, who is Suffragan to the
Metropolitan of Sevil 9 and the near eft of
them are but twelve Leagues from the Con-
tinent of jtfricJt ; for fome others are at
leaft fixty Leagues off. That which is call'd
Gran Canaria, is about forty Leagues in Com-
pafs, and has near nine Thoufand Inhabitants.
The Natives formerly were clad in Goats
Skins, made like long Coats. When the
Iflands were conquer'd they retir'd into the
Clefts of Rocks. Their ufual Suftenance was
Dogs Fle/h and Goats Milk, wherewith
they kneeded Barley Meal, to make Bread,
which is very wholefome. They gathered
in their Corn, in February and May, and
their Bread was very white. The Sugar
comes but once in two Years in the bell
Soil ^ when the Plant is too old, it mult be
transplanted elfewhere. It was not with-
out Reafon that the Ancients gave the O-
naries the Name of the Fortunate Jflands^ for
whatfoever grows there is extraordinary good,
the Wine, the Melons, the Apples, the Pears,
the Oranges, the Lemons, the Pomgranates,
the Figs and the Peaches are all in Per-
fedion. They breed and maintain Oxen,
Cows, Goats, Sheep, Capons, Fowl, Tur-
keys, Pigeons, red Partridges, and in fhort
all Things neceflary for Conveniency, or De-
light.
The Ifland of Madera was fo call'd by v
the Portvguefes r who poflefs'd themfelves of
it, on Account of the Abundance of the
Wood
46 The General HISTORY
Wood there was in it, as Cedars, Cyprefs
and other large Trees. It is about Sixty
Leagues to the Southward of the Mouth
of the StKlghis It is ^likely enough that
the People originally inhabiting the Ca-
nary Iflands, came out of Africk, becaufe
of its nearnefs, for there is but twelve or
fifteen Leagues Sea between them. Pliny ob-
ferves that there were People in Mtturita-
nia, towards Mount Atlas, call'd Canarians^
who fed upon raw Flefh, upon the Entrails of
wild Beafts and Serpents.
Tenerife. Sir Edmund Scory^ an Englifh Knight, in
his Remarks, has taken Notice that the
Ifland of Tenerife^ in which is the Mountain
fifteen Miles high above mention'd, is the
Pleafanteft of all the Canaries. About half
the Way up this Hill may be gone uport
AfTes, or Mules, the reft is to be gone a
Foot, with incredible Labour. About the
Mid -way, the cold Air is infuppottablc, at
the Top and Bottom it is very Hot , fo that
when a Man is in the Middle, he muft al-
ways keep on the South Side and go up by
Day ; but when he draws near the Top,
he muft keep to the North Side and goby
Night. Every one carries his Provifion with
him. The midft of the Summer muft be
pitch'd upon to go up to the Top, to avoid
the great Falls of Water, coming down from
the melted Snow, and they may ftay there
till Sun Rifing, but no longer. When the
Sun is come upon the Horrizon of the Sea,
it appears as round as a Ball, and much lefs
than when beheld from the Surface of the
Earth. The Light which is the Forerunner
of the Sun Rifing, is like a mighty Flame,
and refembles that which comes out of a
hot
of V O Y A G E S And T R A V E L S.* 4?
hot Oven. From the Top of this Moun-
tain, all the other Iflands look like one
entire plain Plat of Land, tho ? there be a-
bove twenty Thoufand peeked and unequal
Rocks. It never Rains on the Top of this
Mountain, as Reafon it felf manifeftly fliows,
becaufe the Clouds are far below it ; and for
the fame Reafon, the Wind never blows
there. If any great Stone be rouPd down
the Hole there is in the Midft of the Moun-
tain, it founds as if fome mighty Weight
fell upon many Brafs Veflels.
It is the Ifland of Tenerife that produces Malmfey,
that excellent Malmfey, which is the only
Wine that can be carry'd all the World
over, without being fpoil'd. All other Wines
either turn. Vinegar, or elfe freeze and be-
come Ice, when they are near the North
and South Poles. Here is alfo a Sort of
Pine-Tree, which the Inhabitants call the
Immortal Tree, becaufe it ne'er rots either fawnd
above or wide? Ground, nor in the Water , *'
it is as red and hard as the Brazil Wood. If
we may believe the Relations of the Spani-
ards, there is Wood enough inoneofthefe
Trees to cover the Church call'd de los Re*
medics^ which is eighty Foot in Length, and
forty in Breadth. There is ftill another
Tree in this Ifland, of a prodigious Bignefs,
which they call the Dragon Tree } the Bark Dragon
of it is like a Dragon's Scales, and thence Tree,'
perhaps it had the Name. The Leaves of it
are about two Foot long, and like the Flags
in our Marines. From this Tree diltils a
clear red Gum, call'd Dragon's Blood, much
better than, that which comes from Goa and
other Parts of the E*ft Mies, The Lan-
guage of the Natives has much Refemblance
with
with that of the Moors of Barbary. When*
the Baron de Bentencour arriv'd in thefe Iflands,
all the Natives were Heathens and Idola-
ters > but y et the y worfhipp'd a Being, in
whom they acknowledg'd a Sovereign Power,
and gave him Names figriifyirrg in their Lan-
guage, the moft High, the mod Mighty,
and the Preferver of all Things. They
had fome confafe Knowledge of the Immor-
tality of the Soul, and of the Punifhment
of Wicked Perfons. When the Scafon proV'd
irregular, either, on Account: of too much or
no Rain, they drove their Goats and Sheep
to a certain Place, and parted the young
ones from their Dams, believing that the
Bleating of thefe Creatures might appeafe the
Wrath of Heaven, and that when the An-,
ger of the Lord was appeas'd, he would
furnifh them with all they had Occafion
for.
They obferv'd fome Form of Government
as to their Q[ V {\ Affairs owning a King, to
whom they paid fome fort of Submiffion,
and his Children fucceeded him in that
Authority. They fubjedted themfelvesto the,
Rules of lawful Matrimony and Baftards
were excluded from any Right of Inheritance.
The Youth exercis'd themfelves in running,
cafting of Darts, throwing of Stones and
Dancing ; to which Employments the Na-
tives feem to bear an Inclination to this
Day.
Above all they feem to me very con^men-
dal ? le for their J uftice and ob f erva ^ ce f
' their Laws' y for if a Man offer'd a Womaa
any Violence, or infulted her in any Sore
^hatfoever, he was put to Death, without
the lead hbpfe of Mercy. Moft of. the In-
habitants
of V O*Y A G E s and TRAVELS. 49
habitants of thefe IlUnds, are well (hap'd,
6f the larger Size, and of a ftrong and
healthy Conftitution. There were formerly
among them fome Giants of a prodigious
Bignefs. The Head of one of thofe mon-
ftrous Men is ftill to be' feen there, he had
80 Teeth and was fifteen Foot High. The
Complexion or Colour of thefe Iflandets dif-
fers, according to the feveral Situation of
the Places they live in } for thofe on the
South Shores, are of a fort of Olive Colour ;
whereas on the coritrary^thofe on the North
iide are beautiful, efpecially the Women.
Their Cloaths were formerly made of Lamb-
skins, and reach'd only to the Knees, but
When the Females were to appear in publick,
they had another Garment, which reach'd
down to the Ground :, being of Opinion,
that if a Woman fuffer'd her Feet or her
Throat to be feen, fhe tranfgrefs'd the
Rutes of Decency and offended againft Mo-
defty.
Their Diet was very frugal, feeding much
upon Barley arid Beans \ for they had never
eaten Wheaten Bread, till the French taught
them to fow it, their Bread being a Sort of
Cake, the Meal kneeded with Hony, Water
and Butter. When they were fick, they us'd
to bleed themfelves in the Arm, Head and
Forehead, with a lharp Flint.
The King affign'd every Man the Portion
of Land he was to till and fow, and when
they threw in the Seed, they utter'd fome
Myfterious Words, whicli they thought had
a great Virtue for procuring a good Harvefr.
The King, or any other they conferr'd that
Authority on, liv'd like the reft, in Dens,
or the natural Hollows or Clefts of Rocks,
E la
The General HISTORY
In their Marriages they obferv'd not any great
Formality of Ceremonies. The Bridegroom
that was to be ask'd the Confent of the
Kindred of the Maid or Widow, if flie had
been marry'd before, which being granted,
they were look'd upon to be marry'd, with-
out any more to do. As fhort as they were
in concluding of thefe Matches, as eafy and
expeditious they were in breaking them }
the firft Difcontent either in the Wife or
. Husband, was fufficient Caufe for a Divorce
and they might immediatly marry others, if
they had an Opportunity. Thefe Divorces
were very prejudicial to the Publick j be-
caufe the Children of thofe, fo parted, were
reputed as Baftards. Only the King was
exempt from this Law, on Account of the
Succeffion ; and he was allow'd to Marry
even his own Sifter, as the Perfians did for-
merly.
They took fpecial Care of embaulming the
Dead Bodies, that they might preferve them
a long Time , and therefore immediatly
wafh'd and cleans'd them ,very diligently
and put into them fome Drugs compounded
with Butter made of Goats Milk, melted
with the Powder of the Bark of the Fine
Tree, and Aromatick Herbs. With thefe
they alfo rubb'd the Body, and expos'd it
to the Sun for fifteen Days, till it was
quite parch'd and dry'd up, and during all
that Time the Kindred of the Party de-
ceas'd lamented for him. After the fifteen
Days, they wrapp'd up trie Body in Goat-
skins, very artificially fewM together, and
carry'd it into fome Cave allotted for that
Ufe. There are Hill fome of thofe Bodies
found :
0fVoYAGEs and TRAVELS. 51
found, which have been embaulm'd above
a thoufand Years, if we may believe their
Relations,
Their Houfes built of a rough and i\
hew'd Stone, are but one Story hign, with-
out any Chimney, even for the Kitchin }
they are fatisfy'd with a Hearth againft
a Wall , where they rather parch or
burn, than roaft their Meat. Since the #-
ropetws live among them, they are more cu-
rious in their Houfes and Diet.
CHAP. II.
The Difcoveries made by Chriftopher
Columbus, after thirty Days Sail.
CHriftopher Columbus departing from
Fortunate Iflands, and direding his Courfe/^ 30
Weftward, fail'd for the Space of thirty^*
Days, without feeing any thing but the Sky
and Water, ftill plying his Aftrolabe, to ob-
ferve the Height of the Stars, and the Sun's
Declination. After ten Days, the Spaniards
under his Command, began to mutter againft
him, and refolv'd among themfelves to
throw him over board, and return into Spain^
telling one another, that they had
been impos'd upon by a Genoefe, who was
for carrying them into unknown Lands,
without knowing whither he went. Columbus
pacify'd them the bell he could, With good
E 1 Words 1
5 2 The General HI STORY
Words, affuring them they ihould foon fee
the Effeft of his Promifes. This kept them
within Bounds for Ten Days longer -, but
when thofe were expir'd, they renew'd their
Complaints and became fo outragious, that
Columbus^ Refolution began to fail him, and
he concluded himfelf a loft Man. However
he once more appeas'd them, telling them,
that if they offer'd him the leaft Violence,
his Catholick Majefty would treat them
like Rebels } and .drawing them on Day after
Day, at length, after thirty Days Sail,
iince their Departure, from the Canaries^-
ving caft the Lead, they guefs'd by the
Soundings, that they were not far from
Land, which Conjecture was farther con-
fir irfd, by their obferving a Wind contrary
to that which blew from the Sea, and muft
of Neceffity come from the Land. A Sailer
was- fent up to the main Top-Maft-Head,
who fome Hours after, began to difcover
the Tops of Mountains, and being tranC-
ported with Joy, cry'd out, Land, Land. All
the Ship's Crew, anfwer'd him with loud
Acclamations, and the Guns were fir'd round
the Ship.
jpirfiiwi' This Nearnefs of the Land made amends
ttiffjtryer'Ji.tQ Columbus for all the Troubles he had
gone through, during the Voyage, he blefs'd
God, who had given Succefs to his Enter-
prise, for the Wind being right a Stern,
they came to Land that fame Day. The
Fields look'd green and were full of Trees.
He took up a Standard, on which was the
Picture of CHRIST crucify 'd, and full of
Trdnfpori of Joy went Afhore, with twelve
of his Men, where they all knelt down to
mum Thanks to ala\ighty God, ancl kifs'd
the
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 55
the Ground three Times, with Tears of
Satisfaction in their Eyes. / adore and blefs
thee, Lord^ faid he, for that thou haft been
f leased to make Choice of me, to bf ing. the Know-
ledge of thy holy Name^ into thefe barbarous
Nations. According to Columbus^ Computa-
tion, the Land they came upon was about 950
Leagues diftant from the Canaries. Having
continu'd there fome Days, they perceiv'd
it was a defert Ifland, which made thern
refolve to proceed farther, after falling fome
Trees, to ered Crofles, as a Monument that
they had taken Pofleflion of the Place in the
Name of JESUS CHRIST.
They return'd to their Ships, and after other vif.
fome Days Sail, difcover'd feveral lilauds
two of which are very large. The firft of
them they call'd JHifpamol*, and the other
Guinea^ yet without knowing for certain whe-
ther it was an Ifland, or Part of the Con-
tinent. Going into the Woods they heard
Abundance of Nightingals finging in Novem~
ber. They alfo faw great Rivers of very
clear Water, and fafe Harbours, capable of
the largeft Ships. Thefe Discoveries did
not ftiff fatisfy Columbus^ Curiofity, he was
lor pufliing forward to the remoteft Eaftern
Parts and thofe Countries where the Spice
grows. Thus he fail'd along 'the Coaft of
the Country he call'd Guinea for above 400
Leagues, and then concluded it was the
Continent. After this Difcovery they re-
turn'd to Hifpaniola, where they fpy'd Abun-
dance of naked Men, who, as foon as ever
they faw the Eurofeans^ fled with wonder-
ful Swiftnefs into the Woods. The Spaniards
purfu'd them and took a Woman, whom
they carry'dAboard, cloathrd her hanafomely,
E 3 gave
54 The General HISTORY
gave her Meat and Wine to drink, and
then let her go. When the People faw her
fo clad and heard the Account fhe gave of
the Spaniards Ufage towards her, they all
came down thronging to them, believing
they were forne People dropped down from
Heaven, giving them all the Gold they had,
which they valu'd no more than Dirt, and
in Exchange receiv'd Whilftles, little Knives,
fmall Looking-Glafles and other molt incon-
flderable Trifles.
Indians, ^ nen t ^ ie 7 were tnus become tra&able,
f|&tt>BMtt)the Europeans endeavour'd to enquire into
'\Houfes, their Cuftoms and Manners, and by the Signs
& c - and Geftures they made, understood that
they had a King among them, whom they
call'd Guaccanarillo. The Savages obferving
that the Chriftians worfhipp'd the Crofs,
fell down themfelves before it and did the
like. Their Boats which they call Comes,
are al] of a Piece, being made of one large
long Tree, which they hollow with ftiarp
Stones j the biggeft of them will hold eighty
Men. Tho' they had no Knowledge of
Iron, or confequently any Tools made of that
Metal, yet their Huts, and all other Things
they us'd were very ingenioufly and neatly
wrought and contriv'd.
The Spaniards farther underftood by Signs
Ganibds* thofe Indians made, that not far from their
Ifland, there were feveral others full of cruel
and Inhuman Men, who fed upon Mens
Flefh, which was the Reafon, why they fled
as foon as they faw the Europeans, believing
them to be Ganibals, for fo they call'd thofe
Barbarous, bloody People } by whom they
were hunted and purfu'd, as the Deer and
Hares
of V o -Y : A G E s and TRAVELS^ 55
Hares are by the Dogs, to devour them.
The Canibals caus'd all the little Infants they
took to be gelt, like Cockrels, or Pigs, to
make them the fatter and more dainty
Meat. When they kill'd Men, they immer
diatlyeat the Entrails, the Hands, the Feet
and all the Offal, falting up the reft to keep.
As for the Women, they kill'd none of them,
but kept them to breed on, making Slaves
of thofe that were too old.
The Inhabitants of theie Iflands had ifcijEWfc**
Ufe of Bows and Arrows, to defend them-
felves, but whenfoever they thought the
Canibals were coming, they all fled , ten of
thefe Canibals boldly attacking an hundred
of the others. As for their Religion, no-
thing could be underftood of it, but that
they ador'd the Heavens, the Sun, and the
Moon. Inftead of Bread, they made Ufe of
a great fort of Root, not much unlike ourBroof.
Turneps. They have another kind of Root,
which they cut into fmall Pieces, bruize and
mould it together, and from it comes a
Juice, that is a mortal Poifon to fuch as
drink of it, and yet of the Pulp of the fame
Roots they make Bread and feed on it.
There is alfo a fort of Grain call'd Maiz,,
as big as Peafe and growing on very thick
Reeds , of a considerable Length. The
Iflanders make great Account of this fort
of Grain, which they wear as an Orna-
ment at their Ears and the End of their
Nofe.
Thefe People have no Manner of Trade or .
Commerce with other Nations, nor do they
ever go out of their own Country. The
Spaniards by Signs ask'd them in what Parts
they
5* The General HISTORY
GtiL t^y found the Gold, they wore at their
Nofes and Ears, which they fhow'd they
found on the Banks of certain Rivers, that
fall from the Mountains, and parted the
Gold duft from the Sand. Throughout all
Frodufl* that Ifland there were no fourfooted Beafts
but only a fmall fort of Rabbits, and Ser-
pents of a Prodigious Bignefs, but which
do no Harm. In the Woods there were
Abundance of white Turtle Doves, with red
Heads. Abundance of Maftick grows there,
Aloes, Cotton, and feveral other ufeful and
curious Things.
Columbus^ Defign being no other but to
s. Do- make confiderable Difcoveries in that new
mingo World, he (till went farther and farther anct
f oun d an Ifland, which he call'd Santo Domingo^
becaufe he came upon it on a Sunday ; not far
from it he difcover'd another all full ofodori-
ferousTrees, but favy neither Men,nor Beafts in
it, only Lizards and Alligators of a Pro-
- digious Bignefs. This Ifland they call'd Marlga-
lante. lante^ which, notwithftanding they? faw none,
was inhabited by Canibals^ as they perceiv'd
by Tokens and underftood by the Signs the
Inhabitants of Hiftaniola made to them,
having brought fome thither, to ferve them
for Interpreters. Here they faw Villages of
20, and 30 Houfes, all Built about a large
Square. Thefe Huts are made of Wood
and cover'd with Leaves of Trees, which
the Rain cannot beat thro 5 . Their Beds
were hung up and ftufPd with Hay and
Ilufhe-s. The Canibals adore the Heavens,
and have fome Images made of Cotton*
which, as they fiy, referable the Devil, whom
tliey often fee in the Night. The Canibals
at
of V O ,Y A G E S And T R A V E I, S. 57
at the firft fight of the Europeans betook
themfelves to Flight, with all their might
and main. In their Cottages were found
thirty Women Prifoners, whom they kept
as Slaves, and as many Boys referv'd to be
eaten. In their Kitchens there were the
Limbs of human Bodies cut off and ready-
to be roafted, with feveral forts of Fowl.
Round about their Cottages, lay abundance
of the Arm and Leg Bones of the Men
they had devour'd, which they fliarpen'd to
make Points to their Arrows, having np
Iron among them.
In the ifland which the Spaniards caffdcauda-
Gaudaluje there are fix great Rivers, whofelupe.
Banks on both Sides are very delightful.
The Parrots are as thick on the Trees, as
Sparrows are in France. Not far from this
Ifland, they faw another, which was only in-
habited by Women, who had to do with the
Cambals. If they happen'd to bring forth
a Male Child they fent it away to the Fa-
ther } but the Daughters they kept with
them, living much after the manner that is
reported of the Amazons. Thirty Spaniards
having lain a long Time in Ambufh to catch
fome Canibal, at length fpy'd a Canoe,
which there were eight Men and as many
Women. They attack'd them, and the Bar-
barians defended themfelves with their Bows
and Arrows, at which they are very dex-
terous. An Indian Woman prefently kill'd
a Spaniard and wounded another. There
was one Woman among them, whom the
reft obey'd, as their Sovereign, and ihe had
a lufty ftrong Son, of a fierce and terrible
Afpedt* They were both taken and carry'd
be-
The General HISTORY
before Cbriftofher Columbus, Their Mien was
fo frightful, and they had fuch an Air of
Cruelty in their Looks, that there was no be-
holding them without fome Cpncern.
After feveral Voyages and Excuriions from
one Place to another, Columbus return'd with
his fmall Fleet to Hifpaniola, which was a-
bout five hundred Leagues from the Coun-
try of the Canibtds, where he wasconcern'd
to hear, that all the Spaniards he had left
in that Country at his firft Voyage, were dead,
that is, had been kill'd, by the neighbour-
ing Nations, who feH upon them in great
Numbers. It was thought fit to build a fort
ot little Town and Fort, to keep thofe Bar-
barous People in Awe. A little Church was
eredted, where Columbus caus'd Mafs to be
fung by thirteen Priefts, on the Feaft of the
Epiphany, or the Twelfth Day, which in all
likelyhood was the firft Time that ever thole
Divine Myfteries were Celebrated in the New
World.
'A "fwn Columbus in Purfuance of his Promife to
the King of Spain, of fending; him Informa-
tion of the new Difcoveries ne made, fent
back into Spain twelve fmall Ships laden with
Commodities, a ad fome ingenious Men, who
fave a particular Relation of all that had
een obferv'd in the New World, till the
Year 1494. Columbus himfelf on whom his
Catholick Majefty had conferr'd the Title of
Admiral of the Weftern Seas, continu'd in
Hifpaniola, which is about two hundred and
twenty Miles in Breadth, and fix hundred in
Length from Eaft to We^ the Latitude 22,
Degrees and a half. The Admiral caus'd
a Town to be built on a little HilJ, in the
Midft
QYAGES and TRAVEL s.
Midft of the Ifland, and gave it the Name
of Ifabefla, in Honour of Ifabefle or Eliza-
beth, Queen of Spain. At the Foot of this.
Hill is a beautiful Plain, iixty Miles in Length rm// '?
and twenty in Breadth, acrofs which feve-
ral Rivers run and water it, rendring it ex-
traordinary Fruitful ; fo that Lettice, Sor-
rel and other Seeds they fcatter'd along the
Banks of thofe Rivers, grew up and came
to Maturity in fixteen Days, Melons, Cu-
cumbers, and Pompions were fit to eat in fix
and thirty Days, and they. prove fb delicious
that nothing in Europe is to compare to them.
The moftfurprifing Thing of all was that
fome Sugar Canes "fluck into the Ground,
grew two Fadom high, and were thorow
ripe. The Vine Plants, the fecond Year,
bore very good Grapes, but thin, the Soil
being two exuberant. By way of Experi-
ment they fow'd a fmall Sack of Wheat in
the Beginning of February, and on the thir-
tieth of March, which prov'd to be Eafter-
Day, they offer'd up to God a Sheave of ripe
Ears, as the firft Fruits of that little Crop.
The Admiral caus'd his new Town to be
Intrench'd about, to defend himfelf againft
any Surprife, or Attempt of the Indians.
On the Twelfth of March, he fet out with
twelve Hundred Horfe and Foot, towards
the Country, where the Gold was, and came
into a delightful Plain, water'd by feveral
Rivers, whole Sands are mix'd with Gold
Duft. They advanc'd farther up the Coun-
try, about feventy Miles, where they built
a little Cattle, and call'd it Fort S. Thomaj,top OTt 5.
ferve them for a fecure Retreat, for the Thomas
better difcovering of the Secrets and Wealth
of the Country, He gave the Indians Whi-
Itles
The General HISTORY
files and other European Baubles in Exchange
for Gold. They prefently ran to the Banks of
the next Rivers and returned in a Moment
with both their Hands full of the Golden Sands,
which fometimes afforded an Ounce Weight.
In March they gather'd wild Grapes, of an
excellent Taflre, which the Indians made no
Account of. Tho' this liland is ftony and
full of Mountains, yet it is always cover'd
with Grafs and other Greens, which when
cut, in four Days run up again the Length
of a Man's Arm. The Reafon of thefe
Things is plain, becaufe Abundance of Ri-
vers run athwart thefe Mountains, and wafn
down the Gold among the Sands. The Na-
tives are wonderfully lazy and void of all
Induftryj in fo much, that in Winter they
ftarve with Gold on thefe Mountains, which
they might eafily prevent, by looking out
and taking Care to Gloath themfelves.
CHAP. IIL
Of the Rarities found, in the IJland, of
Jamaica, and of a Harbour capable of
containing above ffty Sail.
. A Dmiral Columbus fet out with three
' ji\ Ships to difcover a Country which is
not above eighty Miles from Hlfpaniola^ call'd
Cuba. By the Way he found a very conve-
nient Harbour, which he call'd, Port S.
of V o Y A G E s and T A v E t s^ '6i
'eholas, about twenty Leagues from Cuba. Then
turning to the Southward in that Bay, he
difcover'd Jamaica, an Ifland bigger than
Sicily, very fruitful, and inhabited by Peo-
ple much more Ingenious and Cunning than
the other Iflanders, apter to learn Mecha-
flick Arts and Martial Exercifes. They us'd
all their endeavours tp hinder the Admi-
ral and his Men landing, but having been
worfted in all their Attempts, they at laft
became his Friends. Tho 3 the Sea abounds
in all Sorts of Fifh, as well as the Rivers,
yet they flight it, to feed only upon Ser-
pents, which they reckon more dainty, and
preferve them for their King, and the great-
eft Men. The Inhabitants of this Ifland are
gentle and good natur'd, and came Aboard
the Spanifli Ships, without any Jealoufy or
Apprehenfion, bringing them of their Bread,
Coco Nuts full of Water, and excellent Fruit
of a moft fragrant Scent. They fhow'd them
a River, whofe Water was naturally fo hot,
that there was no holding a Man's Hands in
it, without fcakling them.
The People of this Ifland have a very
peculiar manner of Fifhing. They tie a fort
of Fifh, which we have not in Europe, and
which cannot endure the Air, to their Ca-
noe, under Water , when they fpie a Tor-
tife or other great Fifh drawing near to the
Canoe, they let loofe this Fifh, who is
us'd to that. Way of Management, and
fhoots out, like an Arrow out of a Bow,
it clings to the Tortife, and holds fo faft
that (he cannot get loofe -, fo that the Fifher-
rnan drawing in the Line to which that Fifh
is made fatt, his Prey follows of Conrfr,
which
&2 The General HISTORY
which he lets go as foon as ever he comes
into the Air, for he would die upon the
Spot, were he not immediately thrown into
the Water, where he lies conceaFd to catch
more.
A mabh The Admiral one Day caufing Mafs to
Indian, be faid, as he ufually did, he received a
viiit from an Indian, of fourfcore Years of
Age, who feem'd to be a Man of Worth
and good Senfe. He was attended by fe-
veral Indians, ftark naked, except thofe
Parts which Modefty forbids to be expos'd
to publick View. He dire&ed his Difcourfe
to Columbus, which was expounded by an /-
dian he kept by him, and ferv'd him for an
Interpreter, his Words were thefe, We arc
^ps fh * n f orm *d"> that with much Labour and many
' Dangers, you have difcover^d fever al Countries,
before unknown to you, and fpread a Terror a-
mong all the Inhabitants of this new World.
If you believe, as we do, that our Souls, when
they are farted from our Bodies, take feveral
Ways, quite contrary to one another, whereof the
One is dark and difmal, thro"* which thofe Souls
are led, which have mole fled and diflurtfd Man-
kind j the other Way bright and glorious, for
feaceable Souls, who have always lotfd Peace
and Quietnefs -, I conjure you not to do wrong
to any Man, fince you are your felf mortal,
and do expett the Reward of your Works.
Colum- ? - Columbia was furpris'd and altogether a-
bus'^ ^-ftonifli'd at this Difcourfe of the Old Man's,
f er - and told him, u That he was fully con-
"vinc'd of all he told him, concerning the
' future State of Souls, aad therefore had
Orders from the Catholick King to cul-
tivate Peace with the Indian*, to proted
"the
1C
0fVoYAGES And TRAVELS. 65
u the Good, to punifh the Wicked, and to
cc make continual War on the Canibals^ who
a difturb'd the others and treated them with
" fo much Inhumanity. That he had no
" Caufe to fear, for himfelf or his Friends,
" for if any Eurepean offer'd them the leaft
" Wrong, he fhould be punifh'd without any
" Mercy. This Declaration of the Admiral's
was fo pleafing to the Old Man, that he re-
folv'd to follow him wherefoever he went,
and would have done it, had not the Tears
of his Wife and Children diverted his De-
iign. Columbus was defirous to be more par-
ticularly inform'd concerning the Cuftoms
and Government of the Indians y whereupon
the old Man told him, by Means of the
Interpreter, " That they were not fubjeft
4 to any Kings or Superiors, that the anci-
" enteft among them had the Diredion of M j
"all publick Affairs, and that they ador'dwer*.
u the Sun after this Manner. In the Morn-
<c ing as foon as the Sun's firft Beams begin
"to appear, the Indians repair to the Sea
" Shores and the Banks of Rivers and Springs,
Lt where they wafh their Hands and Faces,
" and make their Obedience to that glo-
"rious Star. The old Men meet under
" the Shade of the largeft and thickeft
1 Trees near their Habitations, where they
" fit quietly, talking and converilng together.
1 The young People have the Care of all
c Things neceflary for the Support of hu-
" man Life, as Sowing and Reaping. When
" the Harveft Time is come, every one has
c Right to gather as much Corn as is ne-
" ceflary for him, tho' he never took the
" Pains to fow it , for they fay, that what-
foevcr
The General HISTORY
" foever the Earth produces ought to be as
"common to all, as is the Light of the Sun,
" and Moon, or the Water of the Rivers
"or Springs. So that among them you will
cc never hear any one fay. This is mine, or
" That is yoursy of Thefe are the Bounds
" of my Eftate , whence it follows that they
"all live in Peace and in common, like the
" Children of one Family, without the Help
" of Laws. The main Thing the old Men
" have to dd, is to inftrud the Youth , and
c above all they endeavour to inftill Fru-
" gality into them, and to be fatisfy'd with
" what they find in their own Country - 7
" for which Reafon they rarely fufFer Stran-
4t gers to come among them, to introduce
41 any thing that is new, nor do they
4C allow their own People to travel, or go
tc out of their own Country, for Fear left
ct the7 fhould afterwards difturb their peace-'
" able Conftltution, by endeavouring to bring
" up foreign Cuftoras, and left they fhould
lC learn evil, feeing it praftis'd by others. The
" Women as well as the Men meet under
' c the Shady Trees, there to dance, after
" their Fafhion, ftudying nothing but how
" to pleafe themfelves.
C H A E
^VOYAGES and T R A v E-L s.
CHAP. IV.
What Method Columbus made Vfe of,
to oblige the Caciques to pay Tribute
to the Kjng of Spain.
THE Admiral obferring that the Spaniards Mortally
he had brought into the/xuties dy'd there of sp
apace, for want of being us'd to the Food pf
the Country, refolv'd to take a Voyage himfelf
into Spain ^ to get Provifions of Wine, Corn
and other Things necefTary for the Support
of Life. He had alfo another Motive to
undertake that Voyage, which was to pre-
vent the ill Offices that might be done him
by one Ptter Margarit, a Gentleman belong-
ing to the King of Spain, who- was gone a-
way out of the Indies, with fome other
Spaniards, highly incens'd againft Columbus.
Before he would leave the Country, he
thought it neceflary to appeafe certain C*-
ciques, or Indian Petty Kings, who, with
much Reafon, made grievous Complaints a-
gainft the Spaniards, on account of their
Infolency, their Rapine, their Violences and
the Murders they committed. The better
to fucceed in his Defign, he out of hand
Marry'd the Indian that was his Interpre-
ter, to the Sifter of one of the Principal Ca-
ciques in the Country. He feat fifty Soldi-
dicrs to the Relief of Fort S. Thomat, then
befieg'd by another Cacique, who was Lord
of the Mountains, from whence the Gold
was brought. This Cacique had caus'd fe-
ral Spaniards, to be flaughter'd, for which
F Reafon
66 57;? General tflSTORY
ii Coiumbiu was very deflrous either to
take him alive, or elfe to perfwade him to
come to him. The Cacique difTembling his
Defign, pretended to be very willing to grant
that Interview, thinking that would be an
excellent Opportunity to murder Columbus
and all that were with him. He gather'd
all the Men he had, and fet forward with
all that Retinue. The Jealoufy conceiv'd of
his wicked Defign, feeing him come attend-
ed by fuch a Multitude of Arm'd Men, was
the Occafion of laying an Ambulh for him,
where he was taken, put into Irons, and
prefented to the Admiral. There was In-
clination enough to do the fame by all the
Caciques and Lords of the Wand, but itap-
pear'd that all the Indians were ftarving,
and that above 50000 had already dy'd y
through their own Fault, becaufe they would
not fow their Lands* or gather in the
Harveft there was^ hoping by that means
to oblige the Europeans to quit the Country,
as wanting Subfiftance. They had alfo pull'd
up all the Plants and Roots they us'd ta
make Bread of, efpecially about the Mountains,
where the Gold was found} as perceiving that
was the Principal Occafion of the Chriftians
coming into the Weft Indies.
The better to keep them in Subjection,
Columbus- caus'd a new Fort to be built*
which he call'd the Conception, feated on a
Hill abounding in all Things neceflary for
Humane Life. Thefe Forts made the In-
dians quite defperate, as fearing they fhould
entirely lofe their Liberty. A certain Ca-
cique ', to gain the Favour of Columbus^ pre*
fented him with a Grain of Natural Gold
which was in Shape like a Pea, weighed
twenty
^"VOYAGES and TRAVELS,, 07
twenty Ounces, and was fent to the King
of Spain. The Infolencies and Rapines of
the Europeans reduc'd the Indians to \tery
great Diftrefs, and the Admiral to appeafe
them caus'd all the Caciques in the Country Agree-
to be aflembled, whom he promis'd, that for menu"
the Time to cojne, he would not allow his
Men to .range about all their Ifland and
plunder the Indians, under Pretence of feek-
ing for Gold, upon Condition that the In-
dians would pay a certain Tribute at fo much
a Head to the Sf*m*rds. The Inhabitants
of the Mountains oblig'd themfelves to bring
into the Sftnijh Towns a Number of Mea-
fures of Gold. Thofe who dwelt in the
Plains undertook to furnifh Cotton, a fet
Quantity of other Commodities and fuch Pro-
vifionsasthe Country afforded.
The Cacique, who was Prifbner made i
his whole Study by Day and Night to get
out of that Thraldom. He contriv'd to
have five thoufand Indians, arm'd after their
Manner but naked, come under the Command
of one of his Brothers to attack the Spaniards
With Bows and Arrows, Clubs, and Spears
pointed at the Ends with (harp Stones, in-
ftead, of Iron. They encamp'd about a
Bow Shot from the Spaniards, divided them-
felves into five Batallions, affigmng each of
them the Poft he was to make good, at a Di-
ftance from one another drawn up in a Semi-
Circle.. He that commanded gave Orders
they fhould all move together upon the
Srgnal given, ihduting at the fame Time
and endeavouring to hem in their Enejnies
on all Sides, who were but a fmall Number,
and therefore thinking it better to encoun-
ter every Brftallioa by it felf, than to ftay
F 2 till'
The General HISTORY
till they were all join'd, fell upon the greateft
of them, as they were advancing on the
Plato. The Horfe gave fuch a furious
Charge, that the poor naked Indians were
not able to Hand the Shock,- but being
broken and worfted they betook themfelves
to Flight. The others feeing, their. Com-
panions routed, made away to hide them-
felves, on the higheft Mountains, whence
they fent Deputies to the Spaniards, pro-
mifing to perform whatfoever they fhould
impofe on them, provided they might be
allow'd the liberty of living peaceably in
their Houfes, which was readily granted
them. TheCrfc/^we's Brother was taken Pri-
foner and both of them fent into Spain, for
the Catholick King to fee them-, but they
dy'd about half Way, for meer (Srief and
Defpair.
ie In J une there happen'd the moft furious
Tempeft in this Province, that has ever
been heard of. A violent Storm of Wind
drove before it a Parcel of thick Clouds,
covering the Space for five or fix Leagues
in the Air, and fo entirely darkning the
Sky that there was no more Light than ia
the blackeft Winter Night -, bating that
there was fuch dreadful Lightning as
feem'd to threaten a general Conflagration,
and the Noife of the Thunder was fo hi-
deous that one would have thought all the
Elements were at Wars with one another.
Wherefoever the impetuons Blafts rcach'd,
they tore up the largefb Trees and carry'd
them thro' the Air with all their Roots.
The Wind pull'd up great Stones on the
Tops of the Mountains and threw them
abour every. Way, which made fuch incre-
dible
<
V o Y A G E s And. TRAVEL $ 6g
Havock, and fo aftonifhing a Noife,
that the' moft undaunted Courages w
ready to expire with Amazement at the
Horrors they heard and faw. In this dif-
mal Co 11 fu lion, no Man .-knew where to
bide himfelf, that his Life might be in fafsty,
there being nothing to be feen on all Hands
but amazing Representations of Death. .Moil
of the Houfcs were beaten down, :hy r
Stones that fell from the Mountains,, and
the reft overthrown by the Wind. Many
of the Inhabitants were cruflfd and txiry'd,
in the Ruins , fome of the more for ten >
retired into Dens, where the Storm had. lefs.
Power. Three Ships of the Admirals that
lay at Anchor in the Harbour were fwal-
low'd up with all the Men and whatfoever
elfe belong'd to them. The Hurracane turn'd
them about three Times and then they
funk downright.. That Sea, which never
Ebbs or Flows, rifes or falls, nor ever fwells
above its Banks, that are continually cover'd
with Grafs and Flowers, now fwelFd fo
high during the Temped, that the Waters
fpread themfelves every Way over the
Fields, for above two Leagues. When the
fury of the Wind which had lafted three
Hours began to abate, and the Sun to ap-
pear, the Indians came out fo much a-maz'd
and afrighted, that they quak'd and ftar'd
like Men befide themfeives, gazing upon
one another, without fpeaking one Word ^
and being at lad fomewhat recovered one
of that Aftonifhment, declared, that fo mon-
ftrous a Hurracane had not been known in
the Memory of Man. They were fully
perfwaded, that God feeing the Mifchiefs,
the Impieties, the Profanations, and the
E 3 Injuftics
;o The G^^/HISTORY
Injuftice Chriftians were guilty of in that
Ifland, had fent that Storm to punifh them}
and that the Earth, the Water and all the
Elements had confpir'd againft them to re-
venge the Indians, whofe Peace they were
come to difturb, tho* they had never done
them any wrong.
Tap Forts Bartholomew Columbus, Brother to the Ad-
tor, nriral, having found fome Ditches as deep
as Wells, whence they drew abundance of
Gold, caus'd a fmall Fort to be ere&ed clofe
by, and call'd it, the Caftle of Gold He
alfo built another, and gave it the Name
of Santo Domingo^ or S. Daminick, becaufe he
came to it on a Sunday. There is an excel-
lent Harbour, at the Foot of the Hill, on
which that Fortrefs was built, at the Mouth
of a very great River, abounding in all forts
bf tilh, and its Banks very delightful with
all forts of Verdure growing on them, and
4buniiance of ftately Trees. Travellers may
there gather Choice of Fruit, which is a great
Refrefhment.
Xaragua '' The Spaniards advancing about thirty
Province. Leagues into the Country, difcover'd the
River Naiba, near which one of the famouf-
eft Caciques in the Ifland liv'd. He was at-
tended by a great Multitude of Indians^ in-
tending to fubdue the other Caciques and
neighbouring People. This Man's little Do-
minion is call'd Xaragua^ and is alia moun-
tainous Country, where there is no Gold.
The Cacique whofe Name was jfa*c4ucho* 9
feeing the Europeans^ laid down his Arms
and came to confer with their General, de-
claring he would live friendly with them.
He ask'd what it was they aim'd at, and
being told they would have him to pay Tri-
bute
of V o y A'G E s /rW T R A v E L s.
tute to the King of Spain, as the other C*-
ciques did. He anfwer'd, / thought that you
Europeans had come into the Indies only to
,hok for Gold^ and my Country does not produce
one Grain ^ but on the other Hand it abounds in
Cotton, which I am willing you flail have Share
cf. Having agreed upon thefe Terms, the
Cacique conduced the Spaniards to the Place
where he kept his Court, and gave them the
belt Entertainment he could. Among other
things he ihew'd them thirty very
young Women, that were his Concubines ^
the Maidens were ftark naked, thofe he had
lain with wore a Clout before thofe Parts
Which ought to be cover'd. The Maids
wore their Hair hanging loofe on their
Shoulders, and a Cotton Ribbon a-
bout their Foreheads. Their Complexion
was a fort of Olive Colour. In their Hands
they had Branches of Palm Tree, and came
out to meet the Governour with great To-
kens of Joy. The Europeans had Meat pro-
vided for them, every one was lodg'd accor-
ding to his Quality, and they lay on hang-
ing Beds made of Cotton, which we call
Hammacks. The next Day they were con-
jdu&ed into a large Hall, where the Indium
were wont to celebrate their Feftivals j
there they had Sports of Dancing, after their
Manner, but much unlike ours. That done,
they went out irjito a grc^t Plain, wh<rc
appear'd two Bodies of Mfn, arm'd with
Darts and Arrows, and drawn up in Battel,
by Order of the Cacique. By the Fiercenefs
of their Looks, a Man would have thought
they had been mortal JLnemies. The Prize
of the Battel and Vidory was a Womaa
and her Children, and tho' that was but in
F 4
The General HISTORY
jeft to divert the Europeans, yet four Men
were immediately kill'd upon the Spot, and
feveral wounded, and much more Harm would
have been done, had not the Cacique been de-
lir'd to caufe the Battle to ceafe.
i
C H A P. V.
The Description of the Wife of a Cacique,
the great Swty Jbe had among the . In-
dians, and bow kindly {he entertained the
Europeans.
w
I
HEN the Admiral Columbus return'd
into Spain to give his Catholick Ma-
jefty an Account of the Difcoveries he had
made in the New World, and of the great
Advantages the People of Europe might find
therein for the Advancement of Trade, he
took along with him in his Ships the Ca-
cique Cannoboa^ who was fufpeded to have
mafTacred many Spqvytrds* during the Ab-
fence of Columbus ^ but that Cacique dy'd at
Sea before he reach'd Spain. His Widow
w-hofe Name was Anacaona^ which fignifies,
-Flower of Gold, after her Husband's Death,
return'd to live with her Brother the Cacique
Anacauchoa^ who was very wdl affedled to-
wards the Chriftians. This young Widow
was reckon'd the greateft Beauty in al] the
Ifland Hlffanlola^ and fhe had as much Wit
as Form and good Carriage. Her excellent
Qualifications procur'd her fo great an Af-
cendant
of VOYAGES 'and, TRAVELS^ 7?
.cendant over the Indians^ that Ihe govern'd
.her Brother's Dominions with abfolute Au-
thority. She perfwaded him always to keep
up a good Under (landing with the Euro-
peansj and never to give them any Caufe to
complain or be diflatisfy'd with him, lay-
ing before him her Husband's Misfortunes,
who had ruin'd himfelf by his ill Con-
dud.
This Cacique and his Sifter, being informed
of the Governour's Arrival, went to meet
him, with a numerous Train of Men aRd
Women, Singing and Dancing. Six Indians
carry'd the Cacique on their Shoulders. He
was quite naked, except his Privities which
were cover'd with a curious Piece of Cotton
Cloth. His Sifter was carry'd in the like
manner, on the Shoulders of fix Indians^
clad in a very fine Cotton Robe, with Gar-
lands of red and white Flowers on her Head,
and on her Arms. Her engaging Mien, and
a Sort of Majefty, which appear'd in her
Perfon, made it eafie to difcern, that fhe
was above all the reft. As foon as they fpy'd
the Governour, they order'd thofe who car-
ry'd, to fet them down, made him pro-
found Obeyfance, and conducted him to a
Houfe where they had laid up the Tribute,
which thirty Caciques had ingag'd to pay to
the Spaniards, to fecure their Friendihip.
Among the Tribute there were Abundance
of Loaves, made of Maiz, or Indian Wheat,
and feveral ftrange Creatures, which are
found in that Ifland, all Sorts of Fifh rea-
dy Rotted to preferve them fweetj and a-
mong the Fifh, feveral great Serpents or
Snakes, hideous to behold, and with very \
fliarp Teeth. The Indians eat them with
an
74 TheGeneral HISTORY
an extraordinary Guft, reckning them the
/ jnoft delicate and agreeable Meat in the
World } but the Chriftians could not be
prevail'd upon to touch them, loathing to
fee the Indians feed fo greedily on thofe
InfeSs. Abundance of other Sorts of Difhes
were ferv'd up to them, nothing contemp-
tible, and in great Plenty. The Governour
fat at a Table by himfelf, near the Cacique
and his Sifter. The Table was no other than
a great Cotton Cloth fpread upon the Ground,
about which Table-Cloth, inftead of Culhi-
ons, they had plac'd Heaps of very large
Leaves of Odoriferous Trees. Every Time
the Servants brought on a frefh Courfe,
they prefented the Guefts with fome of
thofe fame Leaves, to wipe their Fingers.
Anacaona who was as Courteous and Po-
'* te ' as cou ^ ^ e e ^peded from her Indian
"Education, beheld the Governour with a-
jnorous and languilhing Eyes, and in her O-
pinion he was the handfomeft Man Ihe had
yet feen among the Chriftians, Being very
witty and free, fhe difcours'd about feveral
pleafing and agreeable Subjeds and put Que-
ftions to him, by means of the Interpreter.
She told him {he was fully convinced, that
the u?opean Women far exceeded all others
in Beauty, flnce the Men differ'd fo much frorn
all others in their Mien and Behaviour, there-
fore Ihe defir'd he would tell her the Rea-
fons that mov'd him to leave fuch charming
Creatures, to go feek out fuch ugly ones
among the Indians. When the Snakes, drefs'd
after their manner, were ferv'd up, fhe
prefented him with a Tail of one of them 9
faying, in a moft obliging Manner, that fhe
defir'd
'of VOYAGES /^TRAVEL s^ 75
defir'd he would eat it for her Sake. The- Z)rf j rffll
Governour, who already ad mir'd the Charms Snaks *'
of that Woman, to pleafe her, accepted of
the Prefent, and put fbme of it into his
Mouth, chewing it lightly, much againft his
Stomach ^ but when he had once tailed and
found the Relifh of that Meat, he was fp
taken with its Delicacy and agreeable Sa-
vour, that for the future he never car'd
to eat any thing but thofe Serpents, call'4 /
Tvanas. The other Spaniards obferving what
the Governour did, fell on as well as he,
and prov'd all of his Opinion, unanimouily
affirming, that the Flefh of thofe Serpents
or Snakes far exceeded the beft Pheafants and
Partridges in Europe. But being inform'd
that the Delicacy of them depended chief-
ly on the Manner of Drefling, the Gover-
nour would be inform'd of the Indians how
they did it. They told him, that as foon
as ever thofe Creatures were taken, they
ripp'd them up, to take out their Intrails,
then wafli'd them very clean, took off all
the Scales as clear as poffible. Then they
laid the Snakes at their full Length into a
great Earthen Veflel, made on purpofe, with
it a little Water, and fome of the Pepper
that grows in the Ifland. The Serpents thus
brder'd are put to the Fire and boil'd a long
Time, to draw from then a Liquor, which
is very thick and delicious. The Wood us'd
for boiling them is odoriferous and never
fmpkes. The Governour was farther in-
form'd that the Eggs of thofe Snakes boil'd
were of an excellent Tafte, and would keep
a long Time.
'After
7 6 The General HIS TORY
curhut After this Difcourfe and hiuch to the like
Beds.'. p ur p f ei r i ie spwiwds. were conducted to
the Chaii^ets provided' for them to take
their -Reft. 'The Beds were, hanging-"' and
made of Cotton. The fptightly Anwaona had
caus'd Nofegays of Flowers, of ail Sorts of
Colours to be hong about them, which fpread
a delightful Odour. The a fhe withdrew
herfelf into another Apartment, with feve-
ral Indian Women, who attended, her as
Slaves. When all the Cotton, Bread,, and
other Things, which the Caciques were to
pay by way x)f Tribute were brought to-
gether the Governour order'd a Ship from
Fort Ifabella and fent it to Xaragua. That
Ship was a "great Novelty among thofe
Indians. Anacaona had the Curio ft ty to fee
it. In the Way to the Sea Port, fhe muft pafs
thro' a fmall Town, where, all herTreafure
Indian lay, which did not confift in Gold or pre-
Treafure. xious Stones, or other Jewels of Value, but
in all forts of VefTels and Utenfils for the
Ufe of Men, as Difhes, Plates, Porrengers,
all of them made of a curious Cole Black,
glofly and fhining fort of Wood, on which
Serpents and Flowers were very artificially
Painted in their natural Colours. She gave
the Governour fixty of thofe Veilels, and
fourteen Walking-Sticks of the fame Wood,
painted like ithej other Things. All thefe
were wrought in the Ifland of -Guanaba, with
Stones found in the River, which are very
iharp. /She alfo gave him four Parcels of
very fine fpun Cotton, of all forts of Co-
lours, to make Cloth of.
The Cacique caus'd two painted Canoes
. , J . *
to " e brought to the Shore, the one tor
himfelf and his Retinue^ the other for his
Sifter
of V OT< A G E s w& TRAY l s, 77
Sifter and the Women belonging to her;
but (he would needs go alone in the Gover-
nour's Boat, aboard the Ship, and left her
Women in the Canoe. Before they came
to- the Ship, upon a Signal made by the
Governour, all the Cannon was fir'd. The
Noife of the great and fmall Shot, which
was redoubled by the Eccho from all the
Adjacent Hollows of the Rocks and Moun-
tains, the Fire and the Smoke, which darkned
the Air, altogether terrify'd -Jtriacaona and
her Retinue, in fo much that fhe fwooned
away in the Governour's Arms.. The other
Indians were no lefs fcar'd and thought the
whole Frame of the World had been dif-
folv'd. ; The Governour encouraged them,
and as foon as that Noife was over, ano-
ther mirch more agreeable was heard of Fifes,
Trumpets, and Drums, which was very plea-
fmg to the Indians. The Governour handed
Anacawa up into the Ship, conducted her
thro' all the Decks and Cabbins, and fhow'd
her all that was remarkable in it. The
Cacique went aboard too, with his Indians,
who thought they could never fufficiently view
and admire fo many Things they had ne-
ver -feen the like of before. The Anchors
were weigh'd and all the Sails, Colours and
Streamers, let go in the Air. That unufuai
Spectacle fi'lld them again with Amazement,
obferving that fuch a vaft Body mov'd of
it felf, and without the Help of Men. The
Governour having prefented the Cacique and
his Sifter difmisM them. A?i*c*ona, fhow'd
much Concern to 'depart, and conjur'd the
Governour to itay a few Days longer with
them, or elfe to take her along with him ^
but he, to comtort her, promised to return
very fpeedily. The
very ipe
The Generd HISTORY
The Admiral, at his Departure for Spain}
left fl e *'W'*> who had been his Servant,
in Fort Ififall*. . This Man grown infolent
with his good Fortune, fell to ranging about
the Ifland, robbing all Places where he came
taking away the Gold, the Proviflons and
whatsoever elfe he found in the Houfes of
the Indians^ by Force, ufing all manner of
Violence towards the Women and young
Maids, and doing all the Mifchief that ever
he could think of. The Cacique Guarionefej
who was naturally well affe&ed towards the
Europeans, no longer able to endure the Vil-
lanies and Oppreflions of that bafe Man and
Bis Followers, fled, with all his Subjects into
the Mountains, the Inhabitants whereof are
calPd Ciguages and thought to be defcended
from the Canibals^ becaufe they devour all
the Prifoners they take in War. Guarionefe
reprefented to them and their Cacique all
the ill Ufage he had receiv'd from the
Spaniards, whom he was never able to make
more tradable by his SubmMion and Prefents,
tho' he us'd all Means to oblige them, that
they might fuffer him and his People to'
live in Peace and Tranquility. Mayabonefe
the Cacique of the Ciguages^ receiv'd his new
Guefts, the Fugitives, with all poffible Cour-
tefy and Kindnefs, promifing them all the
Afllftance he was able, againft their Perfe-
cutors and the common Enemy.
His info- T^ e Governour wa ^ much furpris'd to find
fence. Things in this Condition at his Return, and
the Minds of the Indians fo much alienated
from the Chriftians. He fevefely check'4
Rottbur, who had been the Caufe of all thofc
Diforders, and committed fuch Inlblencies,
Robberies and Barbarities throughout that
Part
0fVoYAGES a/td TRAVELS.
Part of the Wand, that the Natives, who
were naturally meek and fubmiffive, were
not able to endure him. Roldtn, inftead of
owning his Fault and the Bafenefs of his
Behaviour, anfwer'd the Governour in a
haughty brutal Manner, That he was wry fatt
inform* a y the Admiral his Brother was dead ?
that, his Catholick Jtfajefty made not the leaft
Account of the Difcoveries in that new World \
that the Spaniards there -were flawing for Hun-
ger^ which obligd them to feek out for Subfi-
flance in all Places^ where arty was to be found ;
and that in jliort^ they were refoWd for the
future to live Free and obey no Man. Thefe
audacious Expreffions highly provok'd the
Governour, who would have put him to
Death for prefuming to talk to him in that
infolent Manner } but Roldan fled, with fixty
Men, to the fartheft Part of the Province
of Xaragua^ where he rpbb'd all Places where-
Ibever he came, carrying away by Force all
he found that was for his Turn, ravifting
all the Women, and murdering fuch as
would not confent to his brutal Luft, with-
out any Remorfe, or thought of Chriftianiry,
as believing there was none in the liland
that could call him to Account for all his
Villaniesv
CHAP.
TO* General HISTORY
C H A P. VL
Of the Difcovery of a Urge Country in-
habited, by a, very feaceable and cour-
teous People, And abounding in Gold
and Pearls*
"\y\rH51ft Things were in this Pofture in
VV the Ifland Hifttniola, his Catholiek
Majefty order'd ten Ships to be fitted out
for Admiral Columbw^ to carry Provifions in-
to the new World. Two of thefe Ships
fent before the reft, arriv'd at the fartheft
Part of the Province of Xaragu^ whither
Roldan above mention'd, and the reft of the
Rebels were -withdrawn , who perfwaded
thofe who came in them, not to own the
Governour's Authority, promifing that in-
ftead of the Troubles and Hardihips they
were like to endure, under his Command,
by joyning with them, they fhould enjoy all
forts of Pleafure, and enrich themfelves with
the Plunder of the Indians. Thefe fyecious
Promifes debauch'd them, and they agreed
to divide the Provifions they brought from
Ewoye among them, and to acknowledge
Roldan for their Commander and Chief. Tho'
they were fatisfy'd that it could not be long
before the Admiral muft arrive with his
Squadron, yet they forbore not to commit
Abundance of Outrages arid Inhumanities
throughout the Ifland, as far as they could;
reach, without any Remorfe or Apprehen-
fion.
Oa
(/VOYAGES and TRAVELS. Sr
On the other Hand, the Cacique Gittri-
notfe* feconded by May done ft and his Forces
every now and then came down like a
Torrent upon the Spaniards^ and the -Indians
their Confederates, killing and .deftroying
all that fell into their Hands. At the lame
Time that > thefe Troubles diftrafted the-
new World, .the Admiral fet fail from
S. Lucar on the eight and twentieth of M*y^
in the Year 1498^ fteering his Courfe to
the Southward, defigning to come under the
gquinodjal Line, and to examine into the
Nature of the Countries. abput it. He came
to the Hefyerides, which the Portugvefes call
the lilands of Cabo Verde, bei;:~ thirteen in-
Number, >and about two Days Sail from the
Continent, except only one of them, in
which there are s forae, Inhabitants^ bat
he made no Stay -there,- having obferv'd
that the Air of that Place is. very un-
wholefome.. They laird for the Space of
two hundred and forty Leagues in fo great
a Calm, and, fuch a prodigious Heat, being
but five Degrees from the Equiriodial, that
they thought the very Ships, were in Danger
of being fir'd, and the Hoops flew : off from
the Casks as if they had, bee,n parch'd at
the Fire. The Wine and Water were both
fpoilt, and the Men fainted away under that
intolerable Fiery Air. Eight .Days they
cpntinu'd ip that diitrefs'd miferable Con-
dition, and fancy'd that their Ships cpnd-
nually went up Hill, as if it. had been a riling.
Sea, and they always afcending towards
Heaven.- When the .Calm had Jaded eight
Pays, the Wind fprang up frefh, and being;
rjght a Stern, the next Day they found
themfelves in a very temperate Air, and ac
G
The General HISTORY
Night the Poiltion of the Stars was altered.
The third Day they difcry'd three -very
high Mountains, which much rejoyc'd them,
for they had been a 1 moll burnt up with the
Heat and began to want Water. They eafily
perceiv'd that the Country was inhabited,
becaufe from the Ships they could fee fe-
veral fine Gardens and Meddows cover'd
with Flowers, the fragrant Scent whereof
reach'd even to them.
They found a very convenient Harbour,
every way fit to receive their Ships, and
not far from them they fpy'd a Canoe, in.
which there were twenty young Men,
well enough fhap'd and handfome, arm'd
with Bows and Arrows, but naked like all
the other Indians, except their Privities,
which they cover'd with Cotton Cloath, and
wore on their Heads a fort of peeked high
crown'd Hat, or Cap. The Admiral that
they might not be frighted, fhew'd them
little Looking-Glafles, Whittles, and other
European Toys, which the Indians are natu-
rally apt to admire , however thofe Men
fearing thefe were all Contrivances to fur-
prife and enfnare them, kept a loof off, al-
ways upon their Guard, without daring to
come within Reach. Then he order'd his
Fifes to play and drums to beat, thinking to
allure them by the Sound, which they looking
upon as a Signal for Battel, bent their Bows
and put themfelves into a Pofture to let fly
their Arrows. At lad fufpe&ing they
might be fome way drawn into Danger,
they ply'd their Oars, and made away be-
fore any thing could be learnt of them, as
was defir'd*
About
of V o v A G r ; s wi, TRAVELS. 8 j
About this Place they obfef v'd there was a A violent
very ftrong Current of the Water fettiag fiom Currsnf9
Eaft to Wejk, running with fuch a violent
Stream, as if it had been a Torrent coming
down from the Mountains. The Admiral
as undaunted as he was, declaf'd that in his
whole Life, he had never been fo much afraid.
Next to this Current they came to a Streight
or PafTage, eight Miles over, which they
call'd BOCA del Draco, that is, the Dragon's
Mouth, with an Ifland clofe by it, to which
they gave the Name of Margarita. That.
firlr. Current of fait Water was drove back
again by another, impetuous Stream of frefii
Water, coming down from the Oppofite
Land, with the ftme Swiftnefs and Rapi-
dity, forcing it fclf forward into the Sea j
but it was kept back by the fait Water
Current, fo that both thofe furious Torrents
encountring one another, rais'd Mountains
of Foam for a great Diftance about them,
and made a moll dreadful Noife.
The Europeans being got within that Bay cetfi of
or Gulph, at length found fweet Water,
and very good to Drink, after failing fifty
Leagues, and the more they advanc'd
Weftward the pleafanter it was. They favv
Lands cultivated every where, without dif-
covering any Inhabitants or Houfcs. At
Length, coming to a large Plain, they lan-
ded fome Men to get Information. The
Indians feeing fuch flrange People, ran down
to the Shore in Crowds, without the lead
Sign of Fear, treated them Friendly
went Aboard the Ships, fignified to them
that the Country. was cill'd Paria, and thac
the farther they proceeded to the Weftward
they Would (till find it well Peopled, the
G z Air
84 The General HIS TORY
Air being flill more temperate and pleafantJ
This Account made the Spaniards conclude,
that the Difcovery they had made was ve-
ry confiderable. The Cacique, or Petty King
of the Country came down to the Harbour,
- with feveral Canoes full of Indians, who
had all of them Gold Collars about their
Kecks and Bracelets on their Arms, with
precious Pearls hanging at their Ears, which
were found on the Banks of the adjacent
Sea. The Indians did not much value that
Wealth, and gave the Spaniards to under-
ftand, that if they would flay fome Time
with them, they would fill large VefTels
with the like and give them.
CHAP. VII.
The Catholick Kjng fends a, new Governour
into the Weft Indies, with Orders to
fecure the Admiral And his Brother^
and fend them Pr if oners into Spain.
H E Spaniards going afiiore, were re-
meutoftkc JL ceiv'd by the Indians with extraordi-
. nary Demonftrations of Affe&ion. They came
running from all Parts to fee them, as if
they had been fomething more than Men.
Two of them, whp feem'd to be the prin-
cipal Perfons of that Nation, the one of
a great Age, and the other Younger, af-
ter faluting them with the greateft Civili-
ty, conducted them into a Hut or Cottage,
which '
<?f VOYAGES and TRAVELS, 85
which was exaftly round, "and before it a
large open Place or Square. They were
feated on Stools very artificially made, of
a black fliining Sort of Wood, and then
treated with Meat and feveral Fruits, un-
known to the Eurofeans^ as alfo white and
red Wines, not made of Grapes, but of
fundry Sorts of Fruits, of a delicious Tafte.
When they had eaten and drank, the young
Man took the Spaniards by the Hand and
led them into a Chamber, where there were
feveral Men and Women (landing apart
from one another, as white as Alaba'fter, ex-
cept thofe who were often expos'd to the Sun.
It appear'd by theirBehaviour and theMotions
they made, that they had a great Efteem
for the Strangers. There was never a Man
or Woman among all that Company, but what
was adorn'd with feveral Strings of large
Pearls and Gold Chains. The Europeans
asking them where they got the Gold they
wore , they fignify'd to tbem by Signs, that
they found it upon certain Mountains, which
they pointed at with their Fingers , but
that there was Danger in going thither, be- >
caufe feveral Indians had been devour'd ;
though they could never perfedly conceive
whether it were by wild Beads, or by
Canibals.
The Spaniards having (laid Aftiore til] Thy arrive
Nbon, return'd to their Ships, with feveral** Hifpa-
Strings of Pearls, which the Indians had gi- mo - a *
ven them. Then the Admiral fet Sail, be-
caufe the Provifions he was carrying to
Hifpaniola, began to fpoil. They had tbund
in a great River, near the Equinoctial A-
bundance of Weeds, which entangled and
hindred the Way of their Ships. At length.
G 3 after
T'r. Gwrd HISTORY
after many Fatigues, they arriv'd at
niola, on the iSth of August 1498, where
they found all Things in Diforder and Con-
fufion \ for that Roland^ who had been the
Admiral's Officer, had revolted againft his
Brother, and drawn feveral Spaniards into
Rebellion, as was faid in the laft Chapter.
Befides he had fent Letters into Spain, re-
flecting heinouily on the Admiral and his
Admiral. Brother, urging, that they were wicked Men,
who had been guilty of ali Sorts of Inju-
fticc, Infolences and Outrages v m the Ifland
JHifpaniola \ that they hang'd up Men for
the molt trivial Matters , and that their
unreafonable Jealoufy and unbounded Ambi-
tion being altogether intolerable, many Spa-*
niards had been oblig'd to depart from them,
as Enemies to their Catholick Majefties, and
only afpiring to ufurp their Royal Authority
in that New World.
On r ^ e otner Side, the Admiral omitted
nothing that might make the Catholick King
fenfible of the Bafenefs of his Accufers. He
declar'd they had murder'd Abundance of
Women, after abufing them ^ that they rang'd
about the Ifland of Hifpaniola plundering all,
wherefoever they came^ and that fearing to
be punifh'd, as they defer v'd, at his Return,
they were broke out into open Rebellion. In
the mean while the Admiral fent an hun-
dred Men to guard his Brother, wherefo-
ever he went - 7 and, at the fame Time, fent
him fome Horfe, with Orders to fall upon
the Cacique Gvarlonefe, who had under his
Command fix Thoufand Men, arm'd with
JvdUns Bows and Arrows, but ftark naked, and all
routed, their Bodies painted of feveral Colours from
the Head to the Feet. They pofted them-
felves
of VOYAGES and, TRAVELS*
felves on the Bank of a River, where the Go-
vernoar attack'd them feveral Times, having
pafs'd over his Cavalry at another Place,
which came upon the Indians unexpected,
who all fled up the Mountains to the Ca-
cique JMayabone/e, of whom they in vain de-
manded . Succours, for he was afraid left the
Governour fhould fall upon him.
Accordingly he purfu'd thofe that fled,
clofe at the Heels, and under Hand ing that
they were withdrawn into the Woods, he v
continu'd the Chace to take the Caciques a-
live, if poflible, tho' that feem'd to be a
very difficult Undertaking. The Chriftians
hard prefs'd by Hunger, and ranging about
the Woods to kill Fowl to eat, happen'd
to light upon two Servants belonging to Maya-
bonefe, who fhow'd them the Place, where
he lay hid. The Governour caus'd two of
his Men to paint themfelves from the Head
to the Feet, after the Manner of the In-
dians. The Cacique deceiv'd by the Likenefs
feeing them afar off, came out to meet
them, and they feiz'd him without any
Trouble. The Cacique Guarionefe was taken
after the fame manner, with all his Fami-
ly, and the People feeing their Caciques fallen
into the Hands of the Spaniard* fubmirted
themfelves to their Will.
The Admiral and his Brother us'd all their
Endeavours to extend the Dominions of
the Catholick King, in the new World }
but the Petty Kings and the People of the
Ifland Hiftaniola, joyn'd with the Rebels fp
deftroy them, and fent complaints to Court
againfb them. On the other Hand, all the
Great men, allur'd by the Hope of enriching
themfelves in thofe new found Parts, con
G 4 tended
88 The General HIS.TORY
tended for the Government of them, with
'all pofllble Eagernefs'. Accordingly < they
induftrioufly fpread abroad 'a Report, that
the Admiral and his Brother defign'd to
fecure to themfelves the Dominion of the
new World and in Order to it obftru&ed
the Spaniards coming to the Knowledge of
the Gold Mines ^ that they had put them
into the Cuftody of their own Creatures ^
that they fent but a very inconfiderable
Quantity of that Metal into Spain^ and referv'd
the Reft for themfelves :, and that the better
to bring about their Deilgn, they had already
put to death feveral Spaniards under divers
Pretences. Thefe Rumours fpread abroad
at Court, made fuch Impreflion on the Mind
of the Catholick King, that he began to
complain that fo little Gold was fent him
from Hifpaniola, which in Reality was only
occaflon'd by the Mifunderftanding between
the Spaniards themfelves in the new World.
It was therefore Tefolv'd at Court, to fend
thither a new Governoar, to examine all
Matters upon the Spot and diftinguifh be-
"ent iv tween tne Innocent and the Guilty. He
r m , er , 1'arriv'd in the Ifland of Hi/paniola- with a
tv//w'' fttjv * * '
; confiderable Number of Men, before any Bo-
dy had the News of their coming. The Ad-
miral and his Brother being inform'd of it,
came to meet him with Countenances ex-
preffing how much they were pleas'd to fee
him there ; but they were both iipmedi-
atly feiz'd, as was every Thing th^t belong'd
to them. . They -were put into Irons by the
new Governoar's Order and fent away in
that manner to Court. This Aftion was a
fufficient Demonftration of the Inftability of
worldly Affairs. Thofe two Men fo highly
favour'd
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS.
favour'd and honour'd by the Catholick King,
'who, by their Induftryhad acquir'd himfuch
mighty Dominions, and who had undergone
fuch extraordinary Fatigues, for the making
of thofe new Discoveries, which feem'd im-
prafticable to the mqft' knowing Men, were
now in a Moment redac ? d to the moft mi-
ferable Condition that could be imagin'd.
The Catholick King being inform'd that
they were come to Cadiz, with Irons on
their Hands and Feet, could not but be
touch'd with Compaffion, and fent feveraj
Perfons to meet them, with Orders that they
Ihould be fet at perfect Liberty, decently is fit a
'clad, as became them, and conduced to Court. Liberty* '
They gave the .King an Account of all that
had happen'd in India, fo that the Truth
being made out, ftrid Orders were fent for
punifhing the Offenders fever ely.
CHAP. VIII.
Alphonfo Nino departs from Spain, to
difcover New Countries, where Gold is
found.
AFTER the Arrival of Columbt* and Coafi of
his Brother in Sp*iv, feveral of theCuriana.
Pilots or Matters of VefTels, who had been
affifting to, or ferv'd under him in his Dif-
coveries, refolv'd to launch out into the O-
cean, in fearch of other new Countries ', and
promifing the Kisg the Fifth of all the Wealth
they
90 The General HISTORY
they Ihould happen to acquire, obtained his
Letters Patent to authorize their Undertak-
ings. They accordingly fitted out feveral
Ships, at their own Expence, and fteer'd
fundry Courfes, but with pofitive Orders, not
to come within fifty Leagues of the Coun-
tries difcover'd by the Admiral, Among
thefe jttphonfo Nino faii'd away to the South-
ward, and leaving on the Right-Hand the
Provinces of Cumana and Manacapoua, ar-
riv'd in a Country, which the Natives call'd
Curiana, where he found a Port, as commo-
dious as that of Cadiz., and a little Village
of only eight Cottages, in which there were
about fifty naked Men, belonging to ano-
ther very populous Town, which was about
three Miles off. The Inhabitants of the Town
with their Cacique at the Head of them,
came to fee the Europeans, who gave them
Whittles, Ribbons, little Knives, Looking-
GlafTes, Strings of Glafs Beads, and other
fmall Toys of that Nature j for which the
Jndians returned them large Pearls they wore
about their Necks and Arms. The next Day
Alfionfo, after much Intreating, w6nt to
their Town, but was daunted at the vaft
Multitude of People he law there, as ha-
ving but thirty Men with him. He gave
them to understand by Signs, that if they
had a Mind to buy any European Commo-
dities, they might come Aboard his Ship
in their Canoes, to which they confented and
carry'd a great Quantity of Pearls, where-
of they gave an hundred Pounds weight for
Trifles of no Value.
cfcripti- -dlfhonfo Nino perciev'd that thefe People
on cftkc were gentle, limple, peaceable and lovers of
. Strangers, and therefore refolv'd to go to
their
of VOYAGES and* TRAVELS.
their Towns, where they received him very
lovingly. Their Huts are made of Wood,
cover'd with Palm-Trce Leaves ^ and their
chief Diet was Oyfters, whereof there is
immenfe Plenty on their Coaft, and from
them they take the Pearls. They alfo feed
on wild Beafts, which they kill in the
Woods, as Staggs, wild Boars, and Hares ;
as alfo Pigeons and Turtle-Doves. Their
Woods are full of Peacocks, but they have
not fuch beautiful Tails as ours in Europe,
for the Male there differs very little from
the Hen. There are alfo vail Numbers of
Pheafants in thofe Woods. Thefe Indians are
very expert at (hooting with their Bows and
never mi ft the Mark they aim at. All the
while the Spaniards continu'd among them,
they fed Daintily and very cheap-, for they
gave but four Pins for a Peacock, and two
for a Phcafant } but they traded as the Wo-
men do in Europe when they buy any Com-
modity. They enquir'd by Signs, what ufe
they could make of Fins, being all naked j
and were anfwer'd in the fame Manner, that
they might have Occafion for them to pick
their Teeth, and to draw Thorns out of
their Feet. From that Time forward, they
began to put a great Value upon them ,
but they efteem Whittles above all other
Things, and would give any Thing they
had, tho' of never fo much Value for
one.
There was a molt Fragrant Scent all
about near the Villages, coming from a
Sort of large Trees, there was, tn the
neighbouring Woods, and in the Night there
was dreadful roaring of wild Beafts heard -,
but they do r*o manner of Harm, for the
Indians
The General HISTORY
Indians go about ftark naked, in all fafety,
with no other Weapons but their Bows and
Arrows. They kill'd as many Deer and
tvild Boars as the Europeans demanded of
them :, but have neither Kine, Goats, nor
Sheep: Their Bread is made of Maiz,, that
is Indian Wheat, and of Roots, like that
in the Ifland Htffaniol*. They are continu-
ally chewing of a certain Herb, to make
their Teeth white, and when they fpit it
out, they wa(h their Mouths. The Women
look to the Tillage and Houfhold Affairs ,
the Men go a hunting and to the Wars,
and have the Charge of all Sports, Fefti-
vals and Diverfions. They have Pots, Urns,
and other Veflels made 6f Earthen Ware,
of feveral Colours, which they buy of their
Neighbours - 7 for the Indians of feveral Pro-
vinces meet at Fairs and Markets, to which
they all carry their Commodities, to exchange
them for fuch Goods as they want at home,
being utter Strangers to the Ufe of Mo-
ney. They are very covetous and earneffc
for any Curiofities that are not to be found
in their own Countries. About their Necks
they wear Strings of Pearls - 7 as alfo little
Birds and other fmall Animals very artifi-
citlly made in Gold.
The Women fcarce go out of their Houfes ;
but whenfoever they appear in publick, they
wear a Peice of Cotton Cloth over thofe
Parts, which Modefty requires fhould be Con-
ceal'd j but are all naked in their Hoafes.
The Men are naturally Jealous of their
Wives, and therefore kept them up, with-
out allowing them to go aboard the Ships,
tho' they were very defirous to fee the Ra-
rities of Europe*
The
'of V O Y A G E S *nd T R A V E L s" 9?
The Spaniards advancing farther, found a
very delightful Country, water'd, by plea-
fant Rivers, and diverfify'd with curious 6
Gardens and well cultivated Fields j but the
People of it wrre very favage, and would
entertain noComfnerce with Strangers.>4/p&0ff/0
Nino well fatisfy'd with the Gold and Pearls
he had got together, refolv'd to return home
the fame Way he came.
Running along the Coaft of the Province* Tnfoners
of Pearls call'd Curiana^ and failing up to'* le ^ d
the Boca del Drago^ or Dragons Mouth, be- '
fore mention'd, he met with twenty Canoes
full of Canibals^ who were hunting about for
Men to devour. They attack'd the Ship witH
fuch Fury, as was more like Madnefs, and
befetting it on all Sides, began to ply their
Bows and Arrows } but were quite aftonifh'd
when they heard the Canon the Spaniards
fir'd, and imraediatly betook themfelves to
flight, without expeding to fee what would
follow. Our Men purfu'd them with their
Boat, and took a Canoe tbat was full of
thofe Canibals, many of whom call them-
felves into the Water and fvvam afhore.
Only one was left in the Canoe , who guard-
ed three Men that were faft bound, in Or-
der to be eaten, when they fhould have
Occafion. The Prifoners were let lofe and
the Canibal deliver'd up to them, boimd
Hands and Feet, with full Power to do
by him what they thought fit, to revenge
fhemfelves. They kick'd and beat him fo
long with their Fifts and Cudgels, that
they left him for Dead, fo much were they
incens'd for the Lofs of their Companions,
whom the Canibak had devour'd and kept
them to be put to the fame Ufe the next
Day, Thcfe
94 The General HISTORY
Thefe Prifoners informed the Spaniard*
that the Canibats infefted the whole Ifland
to rob and murder all they met. That in
theNight-time they palifado themfelves about,
for their greater Security, and makeExcur-
iions from thence, fpreading abroad on all
Sides to plunder. In the Province of Curl-
ana they faw the Head of one of the prin-
cipal Canibal^ made fall to a Door, in To-
ken of a Vi&ory obtain'd over them.
Sdt made, in tfre Province of Harala there was found
a great Quantity of Salt, which is made af-
ter this Manner. When the Wind blows
violently from the Sea, the Sea Water is
let into a large Plain, and when the Wind
falls, the Sun changes that Water into a ve-
ry white Salt, and in fuch Abundance, that
many Ships might be loaded with it ^ but
if it happens to rain, that Salt prefently turns
again into W^ter. The Neighbouring Na-
tions come thither to exchange other Com-
DutBo. modi ties for th'at Salt. When any Man of
dies pr^-Note dies, they lay the Body on a large
f&v'd. Gridiron, to draw out all the Moifture of the
Flefh with a gentle Fire, fo that fcarce any
thing remains but the Skin and Bones, which
they preferve out of Refpeft to him.
On the isth of February^ jilphonfo Nino re-
turn'd towards Spain with fourfcore and fixteen
Pounds Weight of Pearls, which he had in
Exchange for things of a very inconfiderable
Value, and arriv'd fixty Days after in the
the Kingdom of Gallcia. He was aceus'd of
concealing the moil Part of the Treafure that
belong'd to the King-, for which Reafon
Ferdinand de / > "^^, Governour of Galicia had
Orders to fecure him -, but he clear'd him-
felf and was difcharg'd.
CHAP,
of V O Y AGE S And T R A V E L s
CHAP. IX.
of Pinion W Arias, his
Nephew , j?/?0 /i/W towards the Anttr-
tick Pole^ where they few very ftr tinge
Nations.
MUCH about the fame Time P*-
wn and Aria*, his Nephew, who had
been both with Chriftofljfr Columbus in his firft
Voyage, fitted out four Ships at their own
proper Colt and Charges, and fail'd from
the Port of Palos de Mogner, in Andalusia,
on the 1 8th of November^ in the Year 1499,
upon the Defign of difcovcring new Lands, bw
They arriv'd in a few Days at the Can*-
', and thence at the Iflandsof Cabo
Then having faiFd three hundred Leagues
farther they loft the North Pole, and were
on a fuddain aflaulted by moft furious Storms
and raging Winds, and almoft in inevitable
Danger of Periihing. But holding on the
fame Courfe, they at length difcover'd the
South Pole. The Stars appear'd to them
far different from thofe of our Hemifphere *,
but a very thick Fog hundred their making
any exaft Obfervation of them, yet after-
wards the Fog clearing up thofe Stars feem'd
to be extraordinary bright, and bigger thau
ours. On the 20th of J*nu*ry they difco-
ver'd the Land at a Diftance, and calling
the Lead, found fixteen Fadom Water. They
made up to the Shore and run along ic
two Days, without meeting any Man, tho'
they faw the Prints of Mens Feet. They
cut
cut their own and the Catholick King's Name
A gene O n the Barks of the Trees. In the Night they
law feveral Lights, a.rid an AfTembly of abun-
dance of Men, which they fuppos'd to be
an Army drawn into the Field. The Com^
mander fent twenty Men well afm'd -to take
a View of them, with Orders, not, to make
any Noife. Thefe faw a vaft Multitude of
Men, but thought not fit to go up to them,
for fear they fhould be fcar'd away, chofing
rather to v wait till the next Day. As foon
a"s th Sun appearM forty Men were fent
out towards theiti, and" the Indians feeing
them, detatch'd thirty of their Number to
meet them, arm'd with their Bows. and Ar-.
rows. Thefe thirty were follow'd by .a great-
er Number of Men, of a larger Size than
ordinafy, witfr fierce Afpedls, and threatning
all the Way they went. The Spaniards made
all manner .of Geftures to pacify and per-
fwade them that they were their Friends -,
but the Indians favagely haughty, would ne-
ver fuffer them to come near , fo that the,
Spaniards were forc'd to go back., to their,
Ships, without being able to prevail, with
a full Refolution to attack. and try their
Courage the next Day , but as foon as it
was Night, the Indians retir'd. .The Spani-
ards concluded' th.it. this was. a Wandering
Nation, like the Tartars, who have no fet-
led Place of Abode, but encamp, one Day
in one Place, and the next in another, with
their Wives and Children, living upon what
they can get by Hunting.
roorfl it was agreed to follow them by the Track 9
the spA- an d feeing the Prints of their Feet on the
Sand, they meafur'd them, and found they
were twice as big as the Feet of other or-,
dinary 4
of VOYAGES find TRAVELS. 97
dinary Men. The Spaniards found a River
which had not Water enough to bear the
Ships, and therefore they put feveral arm'd
Men into four Boats, to difcover higher a-
long it. Thefe lav* a great Number of Meii
on a little Hill, at a fmall Diftance from
the Bank of the River, who by the Signs
they made, feenVd to expreft a great Defire
of converting with them. The Spaniards durft
not trufl them, and therefore put only one
Man Afllpre, whd threw the'm a Whittle,
and they in Return, threw a large Piece of
Gold, but the Spaniard going to take it up,
found himfelf on a Suddain befet by a Mul-
titude of Indians , he defended himfelf
with his Sword, and gainM Time, till thofe
in the Boat could come to his AfTitlaace.
The Engagement was (harp, eight Spaniards
lentain'd dead upon the Spot, 2nd the reft
had enough to do to retire and get back
into their Boats. Their Spears and Swords
Could not defend them againil the Strokes of
the Indians, of whom neverthekfs a con-
fidera-ble Number was kill'd. All thac
Slaughter made them not to' fkcken theleaft,
or abate any thing of their Courage, but
they purfu'd the Spaniards do\Vn to their very
Boats-, took one of them and kill'd the Pilot.
The reft of the Men had enough to do to
fave themfefves in the other three
difcourag'd by this Misfortune,
thought fit to leave that Coaft.
Having faiPd forty Leagues farther, they
came into a Sea of frefh Water, which fwelfd
with the Acceffi-on of feveral great Rivers
that fell from the Mountains with wonder-'
ful Forehand Impetuoufnefs. At the Mouth'
taf this Gulph there were fevefal Iflands
H iaha-* .
9 3 The General HISTORY
inhabited by courteous and peaceable Peo-
ple, but who had no Commodities to Trade
w ith. This Province is call'd Afariatambal.
A ^ ter * me Days failin S towar ds the North,
they perceiv'd the Polar Star, which appear'd
aloioft upon the Horrizon. In the aforefaid
Iflands they faw Trees of fuch a prodigious
Bignefs, that fix Men could fcarce fadom
them *, and a monftrous Sort of Creatures,
who had the Body and the Head of a Fox,
the hind Feet and Quarters like a Cat, and the
Fore-feet like a Man's Hand. One of them
was taken with its Young and carry "d to the
King of Spain, they were expos'd to be feen
by ^11 Perfons, but the Change of the Air
made them live a very fhort Time. When
they had fail'd above fix hundred Leagues a-
long the Coaft of Paria y they had amoft dread-
A ''ful Storm, in July, in which two of the Ships
foundred, the third was beaten to Pieces, and
the fourth weather'd the Storm with much
Difficulty, the whole Ship's Crew being fpent
and quite inDefpair^ but being juft at the
Point of Death thep got Afhore } where they
were in no more fafety than before, fearing to be
deltroy'd by the Inhabitants. Some Days after
the Weather grew calm, they went Aboard
to t ^ ie i r Ship a gain, direded their Courfe for
iS/>4/>, and arrived on the laft Day of Septem-
ber at Palos de JMogrxer, not far from Sevil.
Since that Time many have faird to the Pro-
vince of Part*, whence abundance of Gold and
Pearls and of excellent C affix have been brought
f o Europe*
c H A P:
(/VOYAGES And TRAVELS. 99
CHAP. X.
Admiral Columbus returns into the Ne&
World, by the Catbolick Kjngs Order,
where be dif covers fcvcral County ie^
Abounding in all Things wceffary for the
Support of Humane Life.
Columbia having fpent two Years in Spain, A
fitted out four Ships by the Catholick
King's Order, and on the Ninth of May,
in the Year 1 502 /ail'd from Spain, with
his Brother and two hundred and feventy
Men. He arriv'd in nineteen Days at the
Iflands of the Canibals, a-nd in feven more
at that of fiifyaniola -, fo that, according to
his Computation he ran twelve hundred
Leagues in fix and twenty Days. He de-
parted thence in a few Days, and leaving
Jamaica and Cuba on his Right-hand, came
to an Ifland call'd Guana/fa. Coafting along Guanafla
the Shore of it, they difcover'd two very
large Cinoes, tow'd by Indians with Cotton
Ropes. The Cacique or Lord of the Coan-
try, wrth his Wife and Children, all naked
were in thofe Canoes. Thofe who tow'd
them, made Signs to the Spaniards, io a
very haughty and fierce manner, to get out
of the Way for them to pafs, believing they
Ought to : have the fame Refpect for their
H 2 Ma-
ico The General HISTORY
Matter, that they bore him themfelves. Some
Men were put Afhore, who took the two
Canoes and all that were in them. The
Spaniards were given to underftand by means
of an Interpreter, that the owner of the
Canoes was a rich Merchant, who came
from trading with the Neighbouring Na-
tions, whence he brought Razors and K-nifes
made of a Sort of tranfparent Stone, and
put into Hafts of a very hard Sort of
Wood. He had befides Abundance of other
neceflary Utenfils belonging to a Honfe,
fome Veflels of Earthen Ware, curioufly
made, others of the aforefaid tranfparent
Stone ; Cotton Cloths of all Sorts of Co-
lours j and feveral Rarities of Parrots Fes*
thers put together, with wonderful Work-
rnanfhip. The Admiral caus ? d him to be
difmifsd and reftor'd him all his Goods,
whereof the friditn very freely offer'd him
part, informing him as to all Things rela-
ting to that Coaff.
Sailing ten Leagues farther they difco-
of vef d a plentiful Country, of a vaft extent,
which tne Datives call'd Quiriytitana^ ^d
Columbus nam'd Chiapa. There he caus'd fe-
veral Huts to be erecled, made of the Boughs
of Trees, in one of which he had Mafs
faiJ, to return Thanks to God for that
Difcovery. Soon after a mighty Number
of fndutos came to the Place all naked, ex-
cepting only lome Parts of the Body, which
they covcr'd with large Leaves of Trees.
They drew near the Europeans, without any
rnanner of Fear and gaz'd on them as fome-
thi : ng more than Men. Some of them brought
feveral' forts of the Country Fruit, and others
Pkchers
o Y A G E s and Yk A v EL s. ipi
Pitchers of Water which -.they -freely lOfifer'd,
and then bowing their Heads very tow,
they withdrew* Columbus feeing them fp
Courteous, usM all poffible Demonflration,s
of Kindnefs and gave them little Looking-
Glaffes, Strings .of Glafs-Beads, and other
Things of this Nature, which pjeas'd them
beft. All this Country is rich and fruit-
ful j the Air is plea fan t and vvholfome^ there
is plenty of all Things necelfary for the
Support of human Life } the Land is partly
Plains and partly Mountains, all of them
cover'd with Trees, Fruit and Flowers, at
the fame Time. Several Springs and Brooks
cut and Water the Plains. There are alfo
Woods of Pine and Palm Trees, with wild
Viaes, growing naturally of themfelves, .clofe
under the Trees and loaded with Clufteis
of ripe Grapes. They made Swords and
Spears of the Wood of a certain Species of
Palm-Tree. Cotton grows all the Country
<?ver ? without the lead Affiftance from In-
duftry. It produces all forts of Grain and
Roots fit to make Bread. The Woods
are full of Lions, Tigers, Deer, Birds of
all Colours and fevjpral Sizes. Peacocks of
a mpft delicious tafie are fed in the Houfe^
as Fowl are in other Parts, for their com-
mon Ufe. The Natives are of a large
Size and well fhap'd \ they Paint all their
Bodies over with the Juice of certain Fruits,
like the Apples in Europe, which they plant
in their Gardens for that Purpofe. Some
paint themfelves all over red, others all
Black } and others adorn themfelves drawing
feveral Flowers, Rofes, and ftrange Figures
after the Moorifh Fafhion. The Admiral
a a ob-
102 ? the General H I S T O R Y
thsr t'he' .Sea fet there with a vi-
olent Stream to the Weftward, did not
think fit to proceed any farther that Way ;
but chofe rather to turn back towards the
Coaft of Paria^ and Boca del Drago or the
Dragons Mouth, before fpoken of, from.
which he thought he was not very far.
CHAP. XI.
Of the fever at Rarities Columbus obfer~
ved in his Way, and of the Difpofition
of the People of the Country.
HE departed from Quiricfititana on the
one and twentieth oC Auguft, and ha-
ving fail'd thirty Leagues, came to a mighty
River, which carries its frefh Water a great
Way into the Sea, before it mixes with the
Salt. They advanced but feventy Leagues
in forty Days, and that with much Difficul-
ty, being kept back by the ftrong Current
of the Watery fo that they fometimes found
in the Evening that they had rather gone
backward then advanc'd, and were fain to
lie at Anchor all Night, for Fear of running
r<? ' u P n the Rocks. In the Space of eight
Leagues they found three feveral Rivers full
of Filh and Tortoifes, and the Banks all co-
ver'd with Canes thicker than a Man's
Thigh, among whicn there are feveral Sorts
of
YAGES and TRAVELS.^ x 03
of Creatures, as Crocodiles, and others, which
lay basking in the Sun. The Air of thefe
Countries is fo wholefbme and pleafant,
that none of all the Men were the leaft in-
difpos'd, during the whole Voyage. They
there faw a Wood all full of Miraboldii
Trees. About two hundred of the Country
People came out to meet the Spaniards, ha-
ving each of them four Javelin gs in his Hand
to dart j however they are of a gentle and
peaceable Difpofition a ad did no Body any
Harm, but refus'd what was offer'd to be
given them, fearing there might be fome
Fraud conceal'd under it, and thofe who took
any thing left it upon the Shore, being na-
turally more inclin'd to give than to receive.
They offer'd the Spaniards two moft beau-
tiful young Maids, giving them to under-
ftand by Signs, that they might carry them
away whither they pleas'd. The Men are
ftark naked, and (have their Forheads, buc
wear their Hair long behind , the Women
bind up their Trefles with a Cotton* Ribbon.
The Admiral caus'd the two Maidens to be
handfomely clad, put red Caps upon their
Heads and fent them back to their Father }
but they left the Cloaths and Caps on the
Shore. Columbus accepted of two young
Men, to make Interpreters of them, that his
Men might learn the Language of the Coun-
try, and to teach them the Spamfli Tongue,
Columbus obfcrv'd that there is very little
ebbing and flowing on that Sea, becaufe he
faw the Trees grew along the Edge of the
Water, as they do on the Banks of Ri-
vers and Brooks. Several of thefe Trees ,
bow'd down their Branches to the Ground,
H 4 and
The Generd HISTORY
and even to the Bottom of the Water, much
after the fame Manner as the Vines do
in Europe. In this Province they found a
fort of Creatures like our Cats, but with
a longer and thicker Tail, on which they
lay all their Strefs when they defign to
leap dowii from 4 higher Place, or from one
Branch or Tree to another. A Spaniard
with an Arrow wounded one of thefe Crea-
tures which flew down from the Tree with
wonderful Swiftnefs, and fell upon him that
had hurt him, who drawing his Sword cut
off one of its fore Legs and took it, car-
rying it to the Ship where it became tame.
One Day feveral Spaniards^ who were iii
Want of Provifions, going into the Woods
to hunt for fome wild Creatures to feed on,
took a wild Boar alive, which they carry'd
Aboard their VelTel. As foon as ever the
Cat fpy'd the Boar, flie grew enrag'd, fell
upon it, and laying Hold of it, with her
Jail and the fore Leg toe liad' left, kill'd
it.
Advancing farther fourteen Leagues along
to Porto the Coaft, they difcovered about three hun-
dred naked Men, who fet up a threatning
Cry, when they favv the Europeans, and
fitting their Mouths with Water and fuch
Herbs as grew along the Banks, fpit them
out again, with Indignation againft the
Strangers, giving to underftand that they
would have no Communication with them.
Their Bodies were all over painted of
feveral Colours, but not their Faces. The
Admiral to fcare them, orderd fome Can-
non to be fir'd without Ball *, for he was of
Opinion that -the Indians were to be gain'4
of VOYAGES and T R A v E L s. 105
by fair Means. The Noife of the great
Guns terrify'd them, they all fell down upon
the Grounid and begg'd Mercy } brought
their Commodities to the Ship, and willing-
ly exchang'd their Gold Chains and Brace-
lets, for Strings of Glafs Beads. In that
Coaft there are feveral Rivers, in which
they find Gold. The Natives cover them-
felves with large Leaves of Trees to keep
off the Rain and the Heat of the Sun. The
Indians call'd the Country Ptbba^ and the
Admiral finding a commodious Harbour,
gave it the Name of Porto Bella, as k is
call'd to this Day. The King of this
Country by fpecial Priviledge had all his
Body painted Black, the People being all
red. The King and the feven principal
Men, wear a little Plate of Gold made fait
to their Nofe and hanging down to their
Lips, which is one of their greateft Orna-
ments. The Men cover their Privities with
a very large Oyfter-Shell, the Women with
a Cottton Ribbon. They have a certain
Plant in their Gardens which produces a deli-
cate fort of Fruit, more pulpy than a Peach,
and of a moft exquifitive Flavour. On the
Banks there are Crocodils or Alligators,
which fly as foon as Men come near and
as they go fend forth a Scent far excelling
of Musk,
CHAP.
io6 The General HISTORY
CHAP. XII.
The Admiral returns into Spain, to give
the Kjng An Account of his new Difcove-
and dies.
^ ^' f^Olnmbus did not think fit to proceed
waff, v^ an y far ther. Being fo well fatisfy'd
that this Country abounded in Gold more
than any other, for they found it mix'd with
the Earth, in all the Ditches and about
the Roots of the Trees. He refolv'd to
fettle there, bat was 4iindred by the Indi-
ans. A great Multitude of them came
down, encompafling the Spaniards^ who had
already began to build their Huts, with
loud Cries. It was very difficult to withftand
the firft Attacks of the Indians^ who fought
at a Diftance, calling their Darts, and pour-
ing fhowers of Arrows. Then they drew
near with their wooden Swords, and began
to lay about them fo furioufly, that all the
Cannon from the Ships had no Effeft, nor
did it daunt them in the lead, they being
refolv'd rather to die, than to fee their
Country pofTefs'd by Strangers. They were
willing to admit of them as Traders, or
PalTengers, but not as Inhabitants. Tho'
they had been feveral Times beaten and re-
puls'd, they ftill returned and renew'd their
AfTaults with the fame Intrepidity } fo that
as the Europeans made their utmoft Efforts
to fortify their Habitation, fo the Indians
came
of V o Y*A G B 6 And, TRAVELS. 107
came -on ftill with greater Force to drive
them away, fighting Day and Night with-
out any Intermiflion. The Admiral perceiving
their Obftinacy, thought fit to withdraw to
Jvntic*, the (horteft Way. He fuffer'd very
much in his Paffage thither, and arriv'd at
that Ifland in a very bad condition, where-
he was oblig'd to continue feveral Months,
becaufe his Ships were utterly difabled and
he wanted Provifions.
Being at length come to Santo Domingo,
in the Ifland Hifpaniola, he refrefh'd himfelf
there for a few Days, and then went aboard
the firft Ship that faiFd, in Order to return
into Spain and acquaint his Catholick Ma-
jefty with the Difcoveries he had made
along the Continent. The King and all the
Court heard his Relation with much Satis-
faction and Amazement ^ which encourag'd
many to attempt the like Enterprises. The
Admiral withdrawing into CaJHle, to take
fome Reft after his extraordinary Fatigues,
being then old and much troubled with the
Gout, died at Valladolid in May, of the
Year 1506, and order'd his Body, in his
Will, to be bury'd at SeviL He was with-
out all difpute, a moft wonderful Man, and
never to be daunted or diicourag'd by any
Difficulties. The Difcovery of the new
World, gain'd him immortal Honour. Had
he liv'd among the Ancients, they would
certainly have ere&ed Statues in Honour of
him, as they did to Hercules and Bacchus^
Don James Columbus his Son, was his Heir,
whofe Wealth together with his Father's
Reputation procur'd him to Wife, the no-
ble lady Mary of Toledo^ Daughter to />*;/
ftrdinwd
to8 The General HISTORY
Ferdinand de Toledo^ Gommendary of
and of the greateft Quality in Spain.
in In Ms Papers after his Death, were fipund
fa Papers the particulars of his laft Voyage, and
of all the Goafts he had Difcover'd. He
there obferves ampng other Things, that in
thofe Countries they enjoy a continual Spring
and Autumn, all the Year about, there being
always Flowprs and Fruit - 7 that the Air is
extraordinary Temperate and healthy , that
none of his Company ever had the leaft
Diftemper, or felt exceflive Cold or Heat^
that the Natives of the Country are very
skilful in gathering of Gold ; that they per-
feftly know the Place where there is moft
of it to be found } that they obferve par-
ticular Ceremouies when they prepare them*
felves ta gather it, never daring to have
to do with their Wives during all the Time
they are about it, eating and drinking very
fparingly and abftaning from all forts of
Pleafures ; and that they adore the Sun, the
only worlhip they perform to him, being to
bow to him at his Riling. The Mountains
in the Province of Peragua far exceed the
Clouds in Height ; and the Admiral, who
was the firfl that ever difcover'd them, was
of Opinion, that it was at leaft five and
twenty Leagues to the Top of them.
CHAR
OYAGES And TRAVELS.
CHAP. XIII.
The Catholick Kjng Orders the Comman-
ders Alonfo de Hojeda, and Diego de
Nicuefla to plant Colonies in the New
World,
THE Court of Spain refolv'd to
fecute the Enterprize began by theCartha
Admiral Chriftopher Columbia^ who had often & cna
faid that Vtrtgua and Vrab*, were the pro-
pereft Places for fettling Colonies of Chri-
ftians. Thefe two Places arc in about
nine Degrees of North Latitude. Alonfo d*
Hejeda fitted out fome Ships and put to Sea,
with about three hundred Men. After fome
Days fail, he arriv'd at a certain Place
on the Continent, which had been difco-
ver'd by Columbu*, who had given it the
Name of Canhagena. This Port is very
fpacious and Land lockM on all Sides, like
that of GftffegWM, in- Spain. The Men and
Women there are beautiful and well fhap'd.
On the Trees there are Apples very
fant to the Eye, but poifonous, in fo
that thofewhoeat of them feel their Bowels,
as if they were torn to Pieces, much after
the manner as if the Worms gnaw'dthemj
and if a Man happens to fleep under the
Shade of thefe Trees, his Head fwells to
f iio The General HISTORY
a prodigious Bignefs, and he almoft lofes
his Sight. Hojeda entring the Port, afoul-
led the Natives by Surprize, and made a
great Slaughter of them, becaufe he came
upon them when they were parted and all
naked.
He had receiv'd Orders to put all to the
i. Sword, becaufe they would never fuffef
the Europeans, who had difcover'd that Coun-
try, to make any Settlement there. Here
they found fome little Gold, beaten out in-
to Plates, which the Indians wear on their
Stomachs, as an Ornament. Hojeda caus'd
fome Prifoners to conduft him to a Place,
whither the Indians living about the Har-
bour had withdrawn themfelves, to join the
other Natives ^ who being all arm'd with
Swords made of very hard Wood, and poi-
fon'd Arrows, the Points whereof are made
of Bone, inftead of Iron, fell upon the
Chriftians with fuch Refolutio'n and Fury,
and dreadful Shouts, that they kilPd above
fixty of them the very firft Charge. Ho-
jeda was thus oblig'd to retire to his Ships
with the reft of Mis Forces, which were in
Defpair for the Lofs of 16 many, of their
Companions.
Ab ut the fame Time the Commander
->%0 A* Nicueffa arriv'd there, bringing
fix hundred and fourlcore Men in five Ships.
They held a Council to refolve what Mea-
fures they fhouid take, and unanimoufly a-
grced to revenge the Death of their Com-
panions ^ and accordingly drawing up their
Men in order of Battel, march'd all the Night
without making any Noife, and came two
Hours
of V o Y A G E s and TRAVELS. 1 1 i
Hours before Day to the Village, where the
firft Battelhad been fought. All the
were made of Wood and cover'd
Leaves, to which the Spaniards fet Fire on
all Sides, fo that all the Inhabitants, Men
and Women, were either burnt orf put to
the Sword, except fix Children, who told
them that the Indians had drefs'd the Spa-
niards (lain in the former Ingagement, to
eat them. A little Gold was there found,
among the AJhes of the Houfes that had
been burnt. Having fucceeded in this Expe-
dition, and being inform'd that there was a
large Indian Town, clofe by a rich Gold
Mine, the Commander Hojeda refolv'd to
attack it, and by the Way took two d-
nibals and fix Women of the fame Nation.
The Inhabitants of the Town having re-
ceiv'd Intelligence of their coming, ftood
upon their Guard Day and Night to fight
them, if they were attacked. In fhort,
was repuls'd the firft AfTault he made, with defeated
very great Lofs of Men, becaufe the Indians
defended themfelves with poifon'd Arrows.
Hojeda himfelf was fhot through the Thigh
with one of thofe Arrows, which for along
Time put him to intolerable Pain, not to
mention the Want he endur'd, for all the
Country was againft him. Befides his Sol-
diers mutiny'd againft him, alledging that he
ftarv'd them, and refolv'd to go a way upon
two Brigantines into Hifpamola, for there
were but fixty left of three hundred that
came into the ]Sfcw World.
Ano-
112 The General HISTORY
Encifo Another Parcel of Spaniards under the Con*
Dariem du * ofthe Batchelor Enci f imbark'd in a
Brigantine, to find out fome convenient
Habitation. The Indians of that Country,
who had never feen a Veflel under Sail,
were aftonifh'd at that unufual Sight, but
however they provided to hinder the Stran-
gers from landing. They were about five
hundred Men, arm'd with Bows and Ar-
rows, and immediatly fent away their
Wives and Children, that they might
have nothing to hinder them when in-
gag'd. The Chriftians, whofe Number wa
but final], fell to their Prayers, and made fa
Vow to our Lady of Sevil to build a Town
and a Church of her Name, and to fend one
of their Number in Pilgrimage to Spain, if
they obtain'd the Vidory , befides they in-
gag'd t6 one another, that no one would
turn his Back upon the Enemy. Being
thus prepar'd, they rufh'd on furioufly upon
the Indians, who gave them a full Volley of
their Arrows, which yer. did no Execution, the
Spaniards being cover'd with Bucklers of a
very hard Sort of Wood. After fome Op^
pofition, they all fled and left their Town,
to the Spaniards, who found there Bread and
otlier Provifrons to ferve them a Year, be-
fides feveral valuable Commodities, as Cot-
ton Blankets, on which the Natives lie,
Veflels of Wood, and Earthen Ware, Gold
Chains and Plates. This Wealth oyerjoy'd
the Chriftia-ns, who put fuant to their Vow;
built a Church, in Honour of the Blelfed
Virgin, and a Town, which became after-
wards one of the lamoirftft in the new
Wol-ld.
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. i i:j
Lope de Olano having found out a rich and
fruitful Vale, with the Confent of the reft
of his Company refolv'd to take the Veflels
in Pieces, in order to fettle in the Indies^
and never more think of returning into Spain.
Accordingly they began to fow Maiz. or
Indian Wheat and other Grain, that they
might have fomething to fubfift on , for they
had till then fuffer'd the utmoft Extremity
of Want, having for the laft fixty Days fed
only upon a few Herbs and Roots, without
finding fo much as good Water to drink.
Befides that they were often hard put to it
by the Natives, a fierce People, with whom
they could not o.btain the leaft Commerce,
and who daily kilPd fome of them with
their poifbn'd Arrows , fb that of fix hun-
red that imbark'd in Spain, they were now
reduc'd to fourfcore and five, the reft being
all dead for Want, or elfe kill'd in the fmall
Ingagements they had with the Indians. How-
ever they built, the belt they were able a fmall Nombre
Fort, which they call'd Nombride Dios, or the de Dios
Name of God, which has been fince one of
richeft and moll cojaiiderable Towns in the
Weft Indies.
CHAP. XIV.
The Adventures of Captain Roderick
Colmenar and the Misfortunes he met
with in hi* Voyages.
Roderick Colmenar fet out from
la, on the Thirteenth of O&ober^ in the
Year 1510, carrying fix hundred Men along rc
I with
1 14 The General HISTORY
with him. He directed his Courfe towards
the Continent, and arriv'd on the Coaft of
Paria in the Month of November where he
fent a Boat afhore to take in Water. Here
they obferv'd a Mountain of a prodigious
Height and cover'd with Snow, tho' it is
within ten Degrees of the Equino&ial. Com-
ing afhore, they found a good likely Man^
cloath'd in Cotton Cloth, attended by twen-
ty others, all of them clad like trim. On
his Shoulders hung a fhort Cloak, which did
not reach below his Middle, and under this
Cloak was a Veil, or Robe reaching down
to the Ground. He drew near the Spa
wards, and feem'd by Signs to advife them,
not to take of that Water, becaufe it was
not good, and they might find better a lit-
tle higher } but the perfidious Wretch had
laid fix hundred of his Men, arm'd with
Bows and Arrows in Ambufh, who fell up-
on the Spaniards, as they were going about
to fill their Veilels with Water, and flaot
their Arrows fo dexteroufly at them, that
they wounded fix and forty in theTwink-
lingofan Eye, before they could have Time
to look about, or put themfelves in a Po-
fture of Defence, then they feiz'd the Boat
and beat it to Pieces. Their Arrows being
poifon'd, all the Spaniards dy'd of their
Wounds, but one-, feven others hid them-
felves -in a hollow Tree, but the Ship failing
that Night, after this Misfortune, it is to
be fappos'd, they were all deftroy'd by the
Indians.
Colmenar arriving at Vraba found the
Spaniards there in the moft lamentable Con -
dition in the World, ftarving with Hunger,
P<J having nothing to cover their Naked-
TRAVELS. 1 1 $
ivefs, befldes that they were at Variance a-
mong themfelves, the Batchelor Encifo and
Vafco A7<?,difputing about the Government,
To pacify them both and obviate all thofc
Diforders, it was refolv'd 1 to go fcek out
the Commander Nicueffa, who had been ap-
pointed Chief over them. They found that
unfortunate Captain at the Foot of a Moun-
tain, where he was labouring to build a.
fmall Fort. He had brought fix hundred
and eigty five Men into the new World, and
had now but fixty of them left, who were
ftarvingfor Hunger, and fcarce able to ftand
upon their Legs. It is wonderful, that having
been at the Head of fuch a Body of Men,
well arm'd and provided with all Neceflaries
for undertaking of any confiderable Expe-
dition } and being befides in a very rich and
fruitful Country, in the Midft of feveral
good Indian Towns } yet this Commander
chofe rather to ftarve for Hunger with all
his Men, than to attempt any bold Under-
taking. Thofe who (hall happen to read the
Expeditions afterwards made into that fame
Country, with, much fmaller Numbers of
Men, cannot but lay all this Captain's Mis-
fortunes upon his own Indifcretion and Want
of Capacity, and it may well be concluded
that he wanted both Ingenuity and Cou-
rage. Colmenar was mov'd to Compaflion
when he faw the miferable Condition thofe
People were reduc'd to, and embracing Ni-
cueffa, with Tears in his Eyes, told hirii}
that the Spaniards who had fettl'd at Santa
Maria del Darien, defir'd him for their Go-
vernour, hoping that he would put an End
to their Diviiions by his Authority. When
Nicuefa had a little fatisfy'd the Hunger
I 2 that
n6 The General HISTORY
that tormented him, he began to rail bitter-
ly againft the Spaniards of Darien, declaring
that he defign'd to feize upon the Gold they
had, which no way belong'd to them, being
no other than the Plunder of his Collegue
Hojeda. The Spaniards being inform'd of
his Defign, met and with great Threats
oblig'd him to get Aboard a Brigantine,
with only feventeen Men, ot the flxty he
had brought. This Outrage was condemnM
by all Men of Reputation, and from that
Time Nicueffa was never more heard of-,
but it was believ'd he perifh'd in his Paf-
fage to tftffMolAi whither he was going to
complain of the Infolence of Fafco Nunez..
frhe ^ Colmenafs Provifions being fpent, his
Men and he were forc'd to go into the
- Neighbouring Country, like hungry Wolves,
to feek out fomething to fubfiffc on. Vafco
Nu?iez. and Colmenar^ at the Head of an
hundred and fifty Men, march'd towards
the Province of Coiba, They made Appli-
cation to the Cacique Caretaznd would ooiigc
him with mighty Threats to find them Pro-
vifions. He told them, that the Ghriftians
who had pafs'd thro' his Dominions before
them had taken away what he had, and
that his People had not gather'd in the
Harveft, becaufe the Cacique Poncha made
War on him. The Spaniards never regard-
ing the Reafons alledg'd by the Cacique^
plundered his Village ^ took him Prifoner,
with his Wives, his Children and all his Fa-
jnily, and fent them away to Darien. A-
mong them were found three Spaniards, very
fat and ftark naked, they had fled eighteen
Months before, from the Commander Mcuejfa
and
of VOYAGES *nd TRAVELS. 117
and had taken up among the Indians, who
treated them very courteoufly. Pbfa re-
turning to Darien, threw the Batchelor Encifo
into Prifon and leiz'd all his EfFe&s, be-
caufe he had made himfelf a Governour in
the new World, without* any Commiflion
from the King of Spain ; but the Chief Men
in Dari",n procur'd his Liberty and JLeave
for him to go away in a Ship.
To put fome End to all thefe Diforders Cacique
it was refolv'd to fend a Deputation to thePoncha
Viceroy of the Indies^ which was tfce Son'
of the late Cbriftofbcr Columbus and to the
Council of State for Inftrudions how to be-
have themfelves under the Misfortunes they
were in. In the mean while fafco Nunez.,
who could not endure to be idle, concer-
ted his Meafures with the Cacique Caret a
his Prifbner, for making War on the Ca-
cique Poncha, his Neighbour, upon Condition,
that being reftor'd to his Liberty, he fliould
joyn with the Spaniards and furnifh them
with Provifions. The Indians in thofe Parts
do not make ufe of poifon'd Arrows in Bat-
tel, but of long Swords, made of a hard
fort of Wood, and of Spears with very
fharp Points of Bone. Being thus agreed
they March'd to attack the Cacique Poncha^
who fled upon the firft approach of his E-
nemies, and they plunder'd his Village, where
they found feveral Jewels and Ornaments
of Gold, wrought after the Indian Manner.,
They took no more of the Booty than they
could carry away upon their Backs, having
no Carriages, and that Cacique's Village be-
ing above fifty Miles from Darien. For
this Reafoa they refolv'd, from that Time
for-
n8 The General HISTORY
forward not to make War on any Caciques
but thofe who were near the Sea or Ri-
vers, that they might remove their Goods,
and other Commodities in their Boats and
Jfrttvdly Ships.
Cacique. They agreed to begin their Conqaelt with
the Province of Comagre, where there is a
delightful Vale about fix and thirty Miles
in length and all encompafs'd with Moun->
tains. The Cacique hearing of the Approach
of his Enemies, made ufe of the Mediati-
on of three Spaniards, who had been found
with the Cacique Careta, to make his Peace
for him-, fo that the Chriftians enter'd his
Country in friendly manner. He came to
meet them with fix of his Sons, handfome
Men and all Naked } conducted them to his
Houfe and entertain'd them with all pof-
fible Demonftration of perfect Friendlhip.
Before this Caciques Houfe was a handfome
Square of an hundred and fifty Paces every
Way, where they might fit in the fhade.
They went thro' a Portico an hundred and
fifty Paces in length and eighty in breadth,
fupported by many Pillers or Columns of
Wood, very well wrought, all the other
Sides of the Houfe were alfo hemm'd in with
Trees. In the Midft of this Portico was
a great Gate, which led to a large fquare
Hall, at the End whereof was the Caciquis
Bedchamber, within this there were two o-
ther Rooms, in one of which the Cacique's
Wives lay \ the other was full of dead Bodies
dry'd up and ty'd acrofs to Stakes with
Ropes of Cotton.. Oppofite to thefe two
Roams there were three others, full of Loaves
and Meat, of Wooden and -Earthen Veilels,
of
0/ V o Y A G E s and TRAVELS. 119
of the Wine they make in that Province,
and Fruit of all Colours and a mod exquifite
Tall. The Slaves were in another Apart-
ment, with thofe Officers, who had charge
of all thofe Things, which were for the
Support of Life. The Floors were curioufly
wrought, and all the Structure was cover'd
after the Manner of a Pavillion with Herbs
and Leaves fo clofe lay'd together, that no
Rain could ever pierce it.
The Spaniards ask'd the Cacique ^ why he DtU B&-
kept fo many dry'd Bodies, who anfwer'd,^, P^~
That they were the Carkafes of all the^ rv4 '
Caciques his Predeceflbrs, and then fhow'd
them his Father's, which he preferv'd with
great Refpeft. Thefe dead Bodies were
cover'd with little Cotton Sheets, wrought
with Gold. The eldeft Son of the Cacique
by his looks feem'd to be a Perfon of
fingular Judgment and Difcretion. He told
his Father, that it was requilite to make
very much of and fhow all Poflible Kind-
nefs to thofe Nations, who only live by
War and Rapine, that they might have
no pretence of doing him any Harm, as they
had done to his Neighbours. And obferving
that they minded nothing but gathering of
Gold, he added, That they ought to give
Vafco Nunez, and Colmenar all the Gold they
had, with fixty Slaves to ferve them. The
ufe of Slaves is very common among the
Indians they take them forcibly one from
another and exchange them for Commodities,
having no Knowledge of any Coin.
When the Spaniards had got together all Cac j ues
the Caciques Gold, they laid it out in *S6nprmi*
fpacious JPlace, to divide it among them 7 /v$wd!>
after laying afide the fifth Part for the Gold.
Kiag
ISO The General HISTORY
King of Spain. This Dividend could not be
made without much contefting, fo that at
laft they came to Blows. The Caciques Son
growing into a great Paffion, to fee them
quarrel among themfelves, threw the Scales
and the Gold, fome one Way and fome
another, faying, What a Shame it is for you to
be fo inrag'd, about fuch an Jnconfiderable
Trifle j if you are fo greedy of Gold and if that
is the Occasion of your Difturbing the Peace of
fo many Nations, I -will fljow you a Country
that is full of Gold where you may glut your
felves ', but you mufl ingage fome -powerful
Caciques, and particularly him of Tumanama,
whofe Country is but fix Suns from hence ; fo
the Indians call Days Journeys. Tou will alfo
find Nations of the Temper of the Caribes and
Ganibals, who eat Men and live without Laws^
or acknowledging any Sovereign. Thefe give
Gold for Men to eat. For our Part, we make
no more Account of Gold than of Duft. The
Inhabitants of thofe Coafts, tho* they are naked ^
as we are, yet have they Ships, which fail as
| yours do, and their Dijhes and Porrengers are
of Maffive Gold as ours are of Earth. The
young Caciques Words made fuch an Im-
preflion on the Minds of Colmenar and
Va[co Nunez,, that they were impatient to
be gone to the Place, where they might find
fach Plenty of Gold. They returned him
thanks for his Advice, and ask'd feveral
Qyefbions concerning the Meafures they
ought to take to fucceed in their Defigns, and
to fubdue thofc Nations,
CHAP*
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS.. 121
CHAP. XV.
The Cacique Comogor caufes himfelf to be
Baptized with all his Family. Vafco Nu-
nez dif covers many Indian Habitations,
where he finds abundance of Gold-Plates
and Chains of great Value.
YO U may learn the Truth of all this, ^Cacique
continued the Cacique , from Perfons who"'.""
have made this Voyage ; but to fhow you, ad- c * n/ww -
ded he, that I deal fmcerely by you, I offer my
felf to accompany you, and am willing you
fhould kill me if I deceive you : I'll put my felf
at the head of my Father's Soldiers to aflift
you and drive away our Enemies. The Chri-
flians encourag'd by thefe Words of the wife
Son of the Cacique Comogor, confented to all he
proposed to them , and by the Afliftance of
three Spaniards, that ferv'd as Interpreters, per-
fwaded him to turn Chriftian. ( The Father ha-
ving agreed to it, was nam'd Charles, and all
the Family folio w'd his Example. Vafco Nunez.
then went aboard a Brigantine and fome Ca~
noos with a Hundred Men; they found in
their Paflage feveral Habitations of Indians ,
Whofe Lord was nam'd Aib*. Thefe Huts were
fell of Bows and Arrows, and fome Plates and
Chains of Gold. The Chriftians carried away
ail they found and put them into their Canoos,
but they were foon attacked by fo furious a
Temped, that they were oblig'd to fling all into
the Sea, and divers Barks perifh'd with all that
were on Board them..
Whilft l^afco Nunez, was thus miferably dealt Tie Spa-
with, Colmenar Sail'd towards the Mouth of a " iard , s
K
The General HISTORY
great River: He there found an Indian Town
with 700 Habitations, but the Cacique fled at
the approach of the Europeans : Afterwards
changing his mind, he came down with his Men
anc * kt on his Enemies with long Wooden
Swords and Lances; for his Indians did not un-
deriland the life of Bows and Arrows They
were foon routed, and the Cacique ^benamachei
fell into the hands of the Spaniards with the
chief of his Men. A Spaniard nam'd Rayavtas
left to Guard the Country of this Cacique \ but
whether he was prefs'd by Famine, or more than
ordinary defirous to find Gold, he foon quitted
his Charge.Whilft he was on his March,a Neigh-
bouring Cacique^ one j4braiba*; having intelli-
gence of it, laid an Ambnfh for him of feveral
Indians in a very thick Wood : On the Spaniards
approach they fell upon them, and immediately
kill'd Raya with two of his Companions: The
others defended themfelves by help of the Thick,
nefs of the Wood, till fuch time as they got in-
to the Plain where the Indians durft not attack
them, by which means they efcaped to their
Polls. The Indians ftrip'd the three Soldiers
they had kill'd and took their Arms,, which they
made a Prefent of to their Cacique, who arming
a great number of his Men, went refolntely to
attack the Spaniards in their Pofts. We fta/lfee^
(aid he, what thefe Men, fo greedy of Gold, arc,
wh& come fo far to difturb our Repofe. As good
luck would have it, fome other Spaniards who
had been at the Caribbee Iflands, return'd but
the Night before this Attack was to be made.
In ftiort, a great multitude of Indians coming
dowja with Bows and Lances, fell upon the
Cliriftians with great fury, thinking to furprize
them, and not believing they were near the
aumber they were ^ but as foon as they found
their
of VOYAGES and, TRAVELS. 123
their miftake, they began to Retreat with as
much Precipitation as they came on : The Spa-
niards entirely routed them , and kill'd and
took feveral of them, except the Caciques who
made their efcapcs. The Prifoners were fent to
Work in the Mines of Darien.
The Indians enrag'd at this ill fuccefs, re- A Con
iblv'd to revenge themfehres come what would racy de-
6f it, but their Defigns were detected in th
manner following: Among the Prifoners that
Vafco Nunez, Governor of Darien, had taken,
there was one, a Beautiful young Woman, who
became pafllonately in love with him , fhe had
a Brother who had liberty to come and fee her
as often as he pleas'd, and who one day fpoke to
her as follows : My dear Sifter , faid he, you fee
the Jnfolence and ill Treatment we every ddy under-
go from the Chriftians, which has obliged the In-
dians to League together to the Number of J or
6000 , in order to attack them at an appointed day :
1 beg of you to avoid that Time^ and to come t*
me, that you may not be involved in the Common
Maffacre. The young Indian, fo fbon as ever
her Brother was departed, ran to fafco Nune^
and gave him an Account of all fhe had learnt
concerning the Delign the Caciques had form'd
to deftroy the Chriftians. Nunez, underftand-
ing this Confpiracy, went with Sixty of his
Men well Arm'd to take a view of the Cociqttes 9
and in his March, meeting with an Indian with
feveral Oomtftitks and divers Women, he fet
upon them and took them Prifoners. On the
other hand Colmenar went likewife out upoa
Difcovery with Sixty Men whom he put in
Chaloops, having for Guide the Brother of the
beautiful Indian Woman who had a kindnefs
for l^afeo Nunez.: He Conduced them directly
to Tifhiri, where all wanner of Preparations
Kr 2 were
124 The General H IS TOR Y
.were making for the definition of the ChrU
ftians. They entred the Huts, where they
found great Quantities of White and Red
Wines, and Bread and Provifions of all forts,
which they took. They feiz'd likevvife upon
him whom the Indians had chofen for their Ge-
neral, and having ty'd him to a Tree, toge-
ther with four others that were Heads of the
Confpiracy, they (hot them to death with Ar-
rows) for a Terror to the reit : This Example
liad that effed on the -W/*j, that ever after
there was no InfurrecHon in thefe Provinces.
The Spaniards ftay'd fome time at Tit-hiri, to
confume the Visuals and other Froviilons they
found there.
CHAP. XVL
Juan Quincedo axd Colmenar return into
Spain, to inform the King of their New
DifiovtrieS) And, to Tr^njfort (Colonies
into the New World.
return'd to Dane*, they? thought it
fcnt to Q advifable to fend Deputies flto Spain, to
5pain ' -inform his Caibollck Majefty of the Affairs of
the /Wi>j, and to demand frefh Succours, that
they might penetrate farther towards theStwth.
>fcf(* Nunez, would willingly have undertaken
; this EmbafTy , but his Friends advis'd him a.
- gainfr. it, for fear he might not in fuch cafe,
return any more to the Indies. They pitch'd
therefore upon Juan Quincedo for that purpofe,
who was a Man of Authority, and his Catbolick
Ma jetty's Treafurer in thofe parts; ThisPerfon
leaving behind him a Wife and Children at
VOYAGES ;W TRAVELS.
Darien y they did not doubt but he would re-
turn, and for his Encouragement they gave him
Colmenar for a Companion. In their Voyage
they learnt that a certain Scholar, one Ancifo,
had met with, near -the liland of Cuba, a Cacique
who was turn'd ChrifHan, and who recciv'd him f f
very kindly. He carried him to a Tlace where u
he had built a Chappel in Honoi r of the Holy
Virgin, where he had an Altar, before which
he proft rated himfelf every day, repeating le-
veral times the Words Aw AJaria^ which were
the only ones he retain'd.This Cacique^ added he,
had for a long time had with him a >f#nifo Sol-
dier, by whofe affiftance he had brought all the
Neighbouring Caciques to reafon : This Soldier
wore always upon his Brealt the Image of the
Holy Virgin, which the OHM'S could by no
means relift. Tbefe Ccm?* among the Indians Indian
are Images of the Gods that they Worfhip,
which reprefent Devils with Horns and other
horrible Shapes. They are fometimes obferv'd
to tremble and fall at the approach of the Image
of the Blefled Virgin, to which the Baptiz'd
Indians are accuitom'd to offer Gold Plates and
Chains, with Baskets of Fruit and other Edibles
through a certain kind of Devotion.
One dayj as this Cacique was about to give A
Battel to his Enemies, it was agreed on both c ^ * ne *
fides, that the Images of our Lady and the tbe / ue '.
Ccmfs mould be expos'd -, That two Indim eejs of lt
fhould be Bound, on this Condition > That
in cafe the Ctmis had the virtue to unloofc
the enchain'd Indian that belonged to them,
then the other fide fhould fubmit to their
Power} whereas if the Image of the Blefled
Virgin performed this Miracle , her Autho-
rity was to be acknowledged. This being
thus agreed on, both Armies retir'd to wait
K 3 thq
1 26 Tht General H I S T O R Y
the Event : Then began the Baptiz'd Cacique tQ
cry out with great Confidence, filejfcd Mary
come to my Afflftancc ; whereat a Majeftick Wo*
man clad in White appear'd, who approaching
the enchain'd Indian, liruck him with a Wand,
and his Chains nnloofed. The oppofitc Party
feeing this were aftpnifh'd , yet not being fully
convinc'd, they demanded he fhould be bound
once more, which being accordingly done, the
Miracle was repeated with all ksCircumftances,
in the prefence of an infinite Number of People
who were able to give Teftimony of the Truth
of it. The Indians, that were Enemies to the
Cacique, feeing this, made Peace with him, and
demanded to be Baptized. The Scholar Ancifa
fent them two Priefts he had along with him,
who Baptiz'd a Hundred and Fourfcorc of then}
in one Day: Every Indian upon his receiving
Baptifm, gave the Prieft that Baptiz'd him a
Pullet, forne Salted Fifh, and fome Loaves.
A nev Quincedo and Colmenar being arriv'd in Spain,
Govtrmr gave King CharlesV. an Account of their Depu-
oftbeln- tation : He nam'd Pedro Avia for Governor of
dies ' the Indies, and gave him 1 200 Soldiers to fup
ply thole that were dead. The Arch-bifhop of
Burgos, to whom the Spiritual Demcfns of the '
Indies had been granted, had the care of pre-
paring the Fleet, which departed in the begin-
ning of the year 1514. Great numbers of Peo-
ple came froiii all Parts to go on Board this
Fleet, and thofe not only Young but Old, whole
Avarice had enclla'd them to undertake this
Voyage. If was found neceflary to forbid any
to go ? but fuch as had exprels Permiifion from
Court, which was granted only to young 5/w-
mardi, in confederation of the Admiral who was
Son to the dcceas'd Clan ft oy her Colambn.
,. , % . :. ; .. . .'',: ,-.-.'
Pedro
of VOYAGES avd TRAVELS. 127
Pedro Avia the new Governor, had Married a # M&
young Lady of great Merit and Birth, nam'd/ or/ '' 7 ^
/[ahe/la Eondigila, Daughter to the Marquifs 01
Amoia. Although fhe had been brought up with
all the Tendernefs imaginable, yet when (he
faw her Husband about to depart for the Indies^
neither the Perils of Death, nor any other Ex-
tremity, could hinder her from accompanying
him. The Fleet was no fooner got to Sea from
Swily but it was attack'd by a furious Temped ;
Two Veflels immediately Foundred, and they
were forc'd to throw overboard great part of
their Merchandizes and Provifions, to fave the
reft. They return'd to the Port of Sevil from
whence they came : The King's Officers refitted
them with all diligence, and they at laft fet Sail
again with a favourable Wind. This Fleet was
Commanded by Giovanni Vefyucio a Florentine^
a Perfon well skill'd in Sea- Affairs which he had
learnt of Americtu Vefyuciw his Uncle, with
whom he had made feveral long Voyages.
This America Vefouciu* was the firft who Sailing
towards the South, by order of the King of
Portugal , difcover'd vaft Countries , having
pafled as far as the 5th Degree of Southern
Latitude.
Whilft the new Governor AvU was purfu- Indians
ing his Voyage, one Captain Pinwne^ who had % "
accompanied Columbtu in divers Enterprizes,
penetrated a great River of frefh Water, where
he found a large quantity of Pearls. Being Large
arriv'd near Cumana and Mantcayana^ the Lords 3 u "' f
and Inhabitants of the Country went into Boats *
made out of one Piece of Wood , and endea-
vour'd vainly to oppofe his Defcent with Ar-
rows : But when they heard the Thundeiing of
the Ships Artillery, a Sound they had never
jigard before they were fuddenly fill'd with
K 4 Ter*
The General HI STORY
Terror, and oblig'd to a precipitate Flight.
The Spaniards putting themfelves into their
Boats, KiH'd fomc, took others Prifoncrs, but
the greateft part efcap'd by Swimming. The
Lords of the Country feeing this Diforder a-
mong their Men, and fearing lead the Spaniards
fliould burn their Habitations, thought proper
to fubmit to them, and humbly beg'd Peace.
The man- In order to obtain it, they laid upon the Shoar
aer of it, divers Gold-Plates and Chains, with Pots full
of Incenfe containing about 2600 Pounds, and
OldEirds. a great Number of Birds all different in Co-
lours and Figure from ours of Europe. They
Cotton- offerM likewife Cotton Cloth of divers Co*
Chtb. i oars w j t h fringes or Strings, from whence
hung fmall Plates of Gold : The fight of fo
great Riches appeas'd the greedy Spaniards ^ and
made them to have a better opinion of them.
The Trees of this Country are fill'd as full with
Parrots. > Parrots, as ours in Europe are with Sparrows
and fuch like Birds. This is a very agreeable
light ; feme are altogether White, others Red,
and others of different Colours \ Some again
are as large as Capons, while others are no big-
I ger than Sparrows : They have all different
Melodies in a very entertaining manner. The
ffdits. Men are cover'd with Cotton-Cloth down to
their Knees ^ the Women are Habited in a
more flight Stuff, which reaches from the top of
the Head to their Feet.
Indian^?- The Inhabitants of thefeProvinces change their
Governors everyYear, Whom they Stile in their
Language chiaconi^ that is, the molt Honoura-
ble^ and to whom they pay fuch Obedience,
that they Maflacre without Mercy all that re.
fufe it. Five ot thefe Chiaconi came to pay a
Vifit to the Spaniards, prefenting them with
Fruits and Birds, aad a fmall quantity of Gold,
for
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. : 129
for which they receiv'd in return, Chriftal
Drinking-cups and Glafs Beads, wherewith
they were infinitely delighted ; they put them
about their Necks with great Joy. The
Spaniards, at their Departure, took fotne of
thefe Indians on board them to teach them
Spaniflti that they might, for the future, ferve
them as Interpreters.
CHAP. XVII.
Of the Differences that happened between the
Caftilians and Portuguefes concerning
the Navigation of the Netv World. The
two Parties chofe Pope Alexander VI. to
determine them.
IOhn King of Portuo-al^ Predeceflbr to Ema-
rtHels that then reign'd, had caus'd the firft ces
Difcoveries to be made in the Ocean; wherefore *'**
thePortugutfes thought themfelves priviledg'd to
forbid the Commerce of any other Nations with
thefe Countries newly Difcover'd. The C*Jli-
lians on the other Hand, faid, God had given
the PofTefllon of the Earth to Mankind indiffe-
rently, and that confequently Chriftians might
lawfully eftabljfh themfelves whcrefoever they
pleas'd, difcover new Countries, and take Pof-
feflion of them. After long Contefts, both
Parties agreed to Hand by the Deciiion of Pope
Alexander VI, promifing on cither Side to re-
main in Peace, till foch time as that Judgment
was pafs'd. Queen Ifabtlla governed the King-
dom of Caflile at that time, in conjunction with
her Husband Ferdinand f SJie wa* a Princefs of
un-
X3o The Gcnertl HISTORY
uncommon Virtues and confummate Prudence,
and moreover Cofen-German to John King of
rttl &d. The Pope, to decide this grand Quar-
rel, publifh'd a Brief, by which he divided the
World into two Halves, that is to fay, drew a
Line from North to South, paffing over the
Iflands of Cape farde, fo call'd from a Promon-
tory of Africa of that Name, and from thence
proceeding, during the Space of 360 Leagues
Weftward, penetrated the Terra Firma of the
Wen- Indies^ a little diftant from the River Ma-
ragrton, where the Boundary of the Chilians and
TwrtHgwfes was to be, that is to fay, that the
fortugttefes (hould have for their Share, all that
was compris'd within the Space of 180 Degrees
of LonitHJ*i advancing towards the Eaft, and
the Caftitians as many Degrees of Longitude to-
wards theWeft. Now becaufe the Cape of St. Au-
gufline on the Terra Firma y was within the Limits
of the PortngHtfes^ Vincenzjan durft not go above
Seven Degrees beyond it , but returned into
Span, to beg of the King the Government of
the Ifland of St. Jhn, which was inhabited by
Chriftians, altho 1 it was not for diftant from the
Iflands of the CarMees.
This Ifland was govern'd by a Son of the
the /- Count of Carmogna, a Man of Wit and Courage.
JofSt. He chofe a commodious and fpacious Port where
r hn - he might fettle a Colony, and build a Fortrefs.
The C*nibals of the adjacent Iflands fearing the
Neighbourhood of the Europeans, arm'd them-
felves with Bows and Arrows, and coming in
Canoos upexpefted, pour'd upon the Chriftians
with that Fury, that they Maflacred almoft e-
yery one of them, together with the Governor.
Having fo done, they loaded their Boats with
dead Bodies, and returned back over joy *d at the
Booty they hadgot, as.being fufficient Food to.
fubijft
of VOYAGES mi TRAVELS,
ftbfift them for a long time. The Bilhop only
and his Domefticks had the good Fortune to cf-
Cape ; forgetting into the Woods, they were
not perceiv'd by the Canibals. The Pope had
already fent five Biftiops to the New World ^ Fivc ^
thefe were, a Fry ar of the Order of St. Francis, fi ofs fa,
to San Domingo of New Spain ^ a Doctor, oam'd tv the In-
fetiro Snares, to the Fort of the Conception \ a dies-
Monk of Toledo, of the Order of St. Dominick,
to Cuba $ a Preacher of the Order of Sc. Francis,
one Juan Cabedo, to Darien , and laftly thq
Licentiate, Alfonfo Manfo, to Fort St. John.
jhis laft Perfon having efcap'd the Fury of the
Canibalsj retir'4 to a Cacique of the Country,
who was a Friend to theChriftians, and who
accordingly conduced him and his Attendants
to fjifpaniola. Some few Mouths after, the
Canibals came and iavaded the Country of this
Cacique , taking him and Maflacring him, toge-
ther with all his Subjects } and, without depart-
ing from the Place, roafled and eat the dead
Bodief. Before they retir'd they fet Fire to
bis Habitation, which was foon reduced to Afhes.
The Reafbn they gave afterwards for this Cruel
Proceeding, was,that Cacique's having murder'd
$even of their Companions, whom they feat
jnto this, Ifland to make Canoos, the Trees being
longer and fjbraiter there than elfewhere there-
abouts. They carry'd away the very Bones of
jthis unhappy Governour whom they had thus
kill'd and eaten, that they might mew them to
$he Wives aod Children of their deceas'd Seven
Companions, comforting them by this Barbarous
Spedacle, aiid the Revenge tjiey had taken on
their Enemies.
Admiral Chriftyber Columbw, before hedy'd,
advis'd his Catholick Majefty to plant theprin-
cipal of his Colonies, lathe Provinces of Ber*-
dalufia.
ij2 The General HIS TO R Y
gtta and Vrtba, becaufe there were to be found
the greateft number of, and the moft commodi-
ous Ports : Beragua was afterwards nara'd Cafti-
lia Oro } and Uraba, New Andalufia. Houfes
and a Church were built there , and a Bifhop
was fent thither, to iaftrud the Indians in the
Catholick Faith. Grains of all forts were
brought to Sow the Land, as likewife to pro-
duce good Fruits, of which, in a fhort time,
there was great abundance j for Cucumbers,
Melons, and Pumpions grow and become ripe
there in Twenty Days -, Lett ice, ^orrel, and
other Herbs, will be ready to gather in Ten.
Fruits. The Fruits of the Country are excellent, and
among the reft, thofe of a Tree which the/-
dians call Guaianaba, which produces Apples
fomething like ours of Europe, but more incli-
nable to the Shape of a Citron , another Tree
caird (jiuvkbftTW, bears a fort of Fruit like Me-
lons ; but of fo exquifite a Tafte, that none of
our Fruits of Europe can come near it. This is
what the King of Sptin faid of them, when one
of them was prefented to him, which had been
carefully kept during the Voyage All the
Woods are full of thofe Plums which the Phifi-
Mirdo- cians call Mrabolans , which are dry'd to
lans. ma j ce uf e O f U p 01 y Medicinal Occafions :
Hogs. Hogs, by eating of this Fruit in the Woods, be-
come exceeding Fat ; their Flelh is firmer, and
of a more exquifite Relifh than ours.
WildXeaJls TheNumberofAnimalsequals thatoftheFruits:
And Mon- There are to be found in the Woods Lions,Tigers ?
frous Ani- Lynxes, Foxes, Stags, and monftrous Animals; a-
mong the reft, there's one.of thefe laft as large as
an Ox or a Mule, but fomewhat inclin'd to the
: Shapeof an Elephant; he has longWhiskers,Hoofs
like a Horfe, and hanging Ears like an Elephant,
butihorter. Many Rivers empty themfelves into
the
of VOYARES And, TRAVELS.
the Gulph of Vraba, whereof one is exceeding
deep, and above four Miles broad, the Spaniards
term it Rio Grande, or the Great: Fiver : Great
Numbers of Pheaiants and Peacocks are to be
found on its Shores, but of Colours verydiffe- p ow i s an $
rent from ours. There are many other Sorts of Birds.
Birds, whole Melody is charming, and Tail ex-
cellent. The Quantity of Parrots of all Sorts
and Sizes is infinite : But the Spaniards who go to
the Indies^ apply themfelvcs to fomething better
than. Bird-catching.
Fafco Nune^ underflanding that the Inhabi- VafcoNu-
tants of the Southern Sea coafts, heap'd up year-nez'*v-
1)' abundance of Gold, he thought of nothing/^'"' " t&
more than vifiting thofe rich Countries: Hc'^f'^'
was a Perfon of great Courage, and had been i
in War during the whole Courfe of his Govern-
ment } he had likewife often exposed himfelf in
Duels for Honour's fake, and had always come
off Victorious } but now his Heat of Youth be-
ing fomewhat abated by Age, he became more
Prudent, and fought to make his Fortune : His
Generolity, his great A&ions, and his no lefs
extraordinary Bravery, had procured him the
Government of Danen. Having underftood
that his Catholick Majefty, to whom he was
become fufpeded, had fent Pedro Avia to be
Governour-General of the Indies, he refolv'd
to go on a Difcovery of the South-Seas, endea-
vouring, by fo important a Service, to appeaie
the Anger of his Prince, now excited again/I
him , or at lead to procure g'reat Riches and
Honour to himfelf, by which he might render
his Name Famous to Pofterity. Being thus re-
folv'd, hechofe 200 Men out of the moft ve-
teran Soldiers of Danen, and among thofe that
were newly arriv'd from Spain , who, like their
Leader, being poflefs'd with a Deiire of getting
Gold,
HISTORY
Gold, departed fromDnr/oi the Firft of September
1513. in a Rriganttneand Twenty Canoo<, toge-
ther with feveral Indians, their Friends, who!
had a mind to (hare in their Adventures. They
were fo wife as to carry Hatchets, Mattocks, and
other Inflruments of that kind, along with
them, to open their Way crofs the Woods.
They went by Sea as far as Coiba, where the
Cacique Caretta, who was Nune^s Friend, liv'd.
Before they mafch'd towards the Mountains,
their Commander would have them fall on their
Knees, and beg the Almighty's Afliftance la
their Expedition.
Under this good Omen he cdntinu'd his
toffimiton March, and went direftly towards the Tefrito-
/Sr ri . es of the Cac ^ ue Poncha, but he fled before
him i yet by Means of fome Indians he was ta-
ken Prifoner : He return'd, and made fome Pre-
fents to f^afcoj giving him all the Gold he had,
for he had been plundered but the Year before.
Vafco made him a return of fome Glafs Beads,
which the Indians wear about their Necks and
Arms as great Ornaments : He gave him alfb,
ibmefmall Lookinglafles, and two Saws, which
thofe People make great account of ; as ferving
them to Saw down Trees > which they make
&eirC*#*** of, by hollowingthem with certain
ftiarp Stones that they find in the Rivers } for
they are abfblutely unacquainted with any other
Metal but Gold. The Caci^te^ to teftifie the
greater Friendfliip for P*/?*, gave him feveral
Indians, who were better acquainted than his
Men with the Mountains where the Gold was*
and who ferv'd to carry the Provisions on
their Shoulders. They muft of Necefllty paft
through divers rude and inacceflible Places,
where there was neither Way, nor Path, nor
Hut to be feen. The Neighbouring Nations
hare
of VOYAGES *W TRAVELS.
have no Commerce between them , Gold to
them is ufelefs, for they are altogether ignorant
of the Ufe of Money: They fatisfie themfelvcs^ 1 "
with what is juft neceflary to fupport Life, which
is the Reafon that there are no Ways found a-
mong them, from one Place to another. But
asthefe People are perpetually on the Watch,
to deftroy one another, they have fecrct and
obfcure Places, where they lay themfelves in
Ambufh, to furprize Paflengers. Thefe /#<#*/
were of great Service to Nunez., in making
Ways through the Bufhes and Mountains di-
vided by Torrents and Rivers, over which titty
were frequently oblig'd to lay long Bridges, that
all the Company might pafs.
CHAP. XVIII.
Vafco Nunez Penetrates as far as the Pro-
vince of Efcaragua, where the Indians
Attack him. He afterwards difcovers the
South-Seas from the Top of A high Moun-
tain.
IT would be difficult to defcribe and parti- Vafco
cularize all the Hardfhips, thefc People un- * s
derwent in their Expedition, both on account of
Fatigue, and want of Neceflaries. The Cacique
of the Province of EfcAragua, at the Head of a
great Multitude of naked Indians , arm'd with
Bows and Arrows, attack'd them : They had
likewife fome Spears, and a fort of Wooden-
fwords very hard and long, with which they
laid about them Might and Main } theyus'd the
Bow with great Addrefs, and feldom (hot with-
out
136 The General HISTORY
out killing. Thefe Indian* planted themfelves in
the S/>rf/WfWay,to hinder their going forward,
and demanded of them with great Fiercenefs,
and many menacing Words. Whither they were
going? Letting them, know, by an Interpreter,
That they would MafTacre them every Man, ir
they did not inftantly return back : Then began
the Cacique immediately to let fly atthe//r0-
peans , who foon return'd the Compliment with
Muskets. The Indians , upon hearing the fright-
ful Noife the Fire-arms made, thought they were
Arrows fent from Heaven,which frighten'd them
fo, that they incontinently fled, nay, fomewere
fo aftonifh'd, that they could not move a Step,
and confequently were taken Prifoners. The
Spaniards kill'd above 600 of them with their
Swords, among whom was found the Cacique
hhnfelf : His Houfe was immediately Plunder'd,
being full of Provifions and other Neceflarics.
The Cacique\ Brother, and divers Indians^ his
Friends, were habited like Women, being ad-
di&ed to that abominable Vice againft Nature,
fo that they were not permitted to draw a
Bow, or go to the Wars, nor exercife any Em-
ploymentsthat belonged to Men \ but continu'd
in the Houfe, where they perform'd the Fun&i-
ons of Women. Vafto could not enough admire,
that a People, who liv'd fq hardly, drank no-
thing but Water, fed upon Maiz-bread> Roots
and Fruits, could be capable of fo great Soft-
Doe: re- oefs, and fo infamous a Vice. He caus'd them
vere ju- all to be hang'd, to the Number of Fourty, and
ficeupon afterwards had them torn to Pieces by his Dogs,
tiven So- t jj at were accu ftom'd to hunt the Indians^ like
:es ' wild Beafts. The Inhabitansof the Place fee-
ing the Chaftifements that Nunez, inflided on
thefe infamous Wretches, fete'd others of them,
that had conceal d themfelves, and fpitting in
their
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS? 137
their Faces, hurry 'd them toPafio,to be put to
Death. The Courtiers only were infe&ed with
this abominable Vice, which had not yet been
communicated to the common People. One of
the moll ancient Inhabitants of the Village, lift-
ing up his Hands to Heaven, faid, The Sun^
whom he ador*d, was incensed Again ft the Indians,
becaufe of this det eft able Pice } and he verily <?-
liev'd, it had occafiorfd the Tempefls and Storms
that had of late dtftroyd their Harvefts^ and rc-
cLuc'd them to fo qreat Calamities : But for the fu-
ture he hotfd^ after the Chaftifement and Death of fo
many guilty Wretches^ the Sun would re(i ore them to
his Favour^ and no longer be displeased with that
Nation. Thefe Words pleas'dfa/b very much,
and he conderan'd to Death all fuch as were
brought hinij and convi&ed of this abomina-
ble Crime.
He obfcrv'd that thefe ?^pteWcrft
docibie, and that there would be no great fa
Trouble to Civilize them, provided they
but carefully inftruded : He alfo found they
had Courage, aadlov'd War, which made him
fliew great Kindnefs to them. This Country is
barren, confiding only of Mountains and Fo-
refts, with fomeVallcy s. Thofe that inhabit th
Mountains, cover theiufelves to their W^fte,-
and fometimes below, with Cotton-cloth.
TheirHabitations are covcr'd with Leaves j and
they endure the Cold wonderfully, which is not
a little Sharp upon thefe Mountains : Thefe
Leaves being dry'd, become hard, and may be
fewM together. There arc among thofe People,
fome Slaves that are all Black, whereof there
was a Clan about two Days Journey off: They
are naturally more barbarous and cruel than the
other Inhabitants, with whom they hive per-
petual War, and whom they Murder, where-,
L ever
...138 The General HISTORY
ever they catch them. The old Inhabitants fay,
thefe Blacks came from foreign Countries, and
that they are not natural Indians.
Vafco Altho' this Country was not above fix Days
difcovers Journey from that of the Cacique Poncha, yet
6&t. ; " the 5p^^r^ employed Twenty-five about it, by
reafon of the Difficulty of the Padage ^ fo that
they did not arrive there before the 26th of
September. Vafco ordcr'd his Followers to ftay
at the Foot of the Mountain, whilft he went up
alone, referring that Honour to himfelf: When
he was a top, and had firft caft his Eyes on the
Sooth-Seas, he fell on his Knees, and kifs'd the
Ground thrice, adoring and thanking God, that
he had been pleas'd to refer ve that great Dif-
covery for him, which would for the future be
of fuch Benefit to Europe : He then made a
Sign to thofe that were below, to come up and
participate of his Joy; he order'd them like-
wife to fall on their Knees and thank God on
their Parts, for the great Treafures and Riches
that open'd tfiemfelves to their View } All the
neighbouring Valleys refounded with the Cries
and Acclamations they made. Then they rais'd,
by Pafws Order, a great Heap of Stones ,
whereon they hVd a Crofs, to ferve as a Memo-
rial , that they had firft difcover'd from
thence the Southern Seas. As they went down,
they cut the Name of Caftilc upon leveral Barks
of Trees.
Procures The Cacique Cviappa waited with a great
tbeFnend- Multitude of arm'd Indians for Afro's coming
flip of an down, to fight him 5 but when he heard the
Noife of the Muskets, which the neighbouring
Eccho's render'd yet more terrible, and faw
the Fire and Smoak, he turn'd Tail and fled.
There were but few kill'd of his Men, becaufe
had a mind to gain their Friendlhip, that
they
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 139
they might aid him in the Difcovery of thefe
rich Countries. Ue enter'd the Houfe of the
Cacique, which was built in the Form of a Pa-
villion, with great Trees, and cover'd with
large Leaves : He took off the Chains from fe-
veral Indian Prifoners, and order'd them to go
and bring back the Cacique, proffering him his
Friend fhip, and feveral Prefents. The Cacique
return'd, and was honourably receiv'd ; he had
Prefents made him of Glafs Beads, which the
Indian Women are very fond of. In return,
the Cacique prefeiited Fafco with Gold Plates,
and gave him moreover divers of his Indians to
conduft him to ihe South.Sea-coafts, where he
airivd Four Days after.
He took PofTeflion of them with all the So- T.ikesPof-
lemaity poffible,in the Prefenceof thofe that ac fejto* of
company'd him,and in the Nameof hisCathoIiek //;e SoutJ) '
Majetfy, whofc Efcutcheon he fet up in four
different Places, and drew up an authentick Aft
of what he had done. This being over, Nune& 9
with Fourfcore of his Men , the Cacique and
fome of his Indians, went into Nine fmall Boats,
and, having pafs'd a River, enter d the Country
of the Cacique Coqucra, who thought at fir ft to
make fome Refinance , but was foon beaten,
and put to Flight : However, he was at length
perfwaded to yield and Tubmit to Pafce, whorti
he thereupon prefented with fome Gold he had
in fmall Pots. Fafco enter'd his Village with
his Followers, and repos'd himfelf there for
fome Days. The Cacique told him of a neigh-
bouring River, about 60 Miles long, now call'd
the Gulf of St. Michael: It is full of inhabited
Iflands and defart Rocks. V*\co had a great
mind to go and difcover that River, tho' th
Cacique acquainted him withal, it was inipoffible
to Sail there, by reafon of the frequent Storms,
L 2 where-
1 40 The General HISTORY
wherewith it was agitated. His Courage how-
ever never fail'd him, nor was his Piety to be
furmounted by any Obftacles^ He faid, He
trufted in the Affiance of the Almighty, and
would freely Sacrifice his Life in the Search of new
Difcove'/ies, that he might propagate the Gofpel^ and
gain Riches enough to fight and defiroy the Enemies
. of the Faith. Thefe Words altogether inclin'd
his Companions to be of his Mind, fo that they
al] went on board Nine Canoos for that Expe-
dition. Having fail'd foroe Leagues up the Ri-
ver, the Water began to grow White, foam
and fwell coriiiderably, fo that the Waves re-
fembled Mountains : Their Boats being but
fmall, ill equipped, and little capable to refiftfo
furious a Tempeft, they knew not what to do,
being neither able to go forwards, nor back-
wards, fo that they look'd upon one another
with great Confcernation , but the Cacique Chi-
appa, and his Indians that accompany'd him,
were moft fri^hten'd, as well knowing the
duality of the River, and the Dangers they
were to encounter. At length, however, by
hard Rowing, they arriv'd fafe at a fmallDe-
fart-liland, where having landed, they faften'd
their Boats as well as they could, and then cut-
ting down Branches of Trees, fpread them up-
on the Ground to Repofe themfelves ; but the
Water fwelfd fo, doring the Night, that the
Ifland was almoft wholly cover 'd over with it,
infomuch that they were forc'd to fly to a
neighbouring Mountain for refuge.
Heefcapes The Inhabitants of the South- Sea-coafts fay,
narrowly. thjsRiver Flows and Ebbs every )ay, and that
it has a Flux and Reflux much like that of the
Ocean on the Coafts of France and Spain :
When it Ebbs, it leaves divers Rocks drfcover'd,
which feem fo many Iflands 5 but when it Flows,
they
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 141
they are cover'd again. As fpon as the Day ap- ;
pear'd, and the Waters retir'd, the. SfaniarM
return'd to the Place where they had left their
Boats, but they found them all funk, and full
of Sand ; nay, molt of them with Holes beaten
through them, by the knocking of one Boat
againft another, altho' they were made of one
Piece of Wood : The Cordage was likewife
broken, which lafb Defeft they fuppiy'd by
Rinds of Trees, and certain Sea-weeds, which
were flexible and flrong ; thefe Weeds ferv'd
them alfb, to flop up their Leaks , fo that the
Weather becoming Calm, they ventur'd to Sea
again ; for this River could be term'd no other.
They were half dead with Hunger ^ for as foon
as the Terapeft began to rife, they threw their
Provifions over-board, to lighten their Boats.
Soon after they had fet fail, they heard a Noife
upon the Water, which frighten'd them fo
much the more, in that the Winds were down.
The Indians acquainted them, the Water of this
River running with Impetuofity, during the
Flux and Reflux, and beating againft the Rocks,
was the Occafion of that Noife which they
heard at fo great a diftance.
CHAP. XIX.
The Remainder of VafcoV Expedition to the
South-Seas^ and his Return to Darien.
AFter great Fatigues, they at length arriv'd
at the Territories of a Cacique, call'd
Tumaccfl, where they tarried feveral Days :
They found that Cacique in Arms ; but they C;tcic i ue -
ibon put him to Flight, and he was wounded in
L 3 the
142 The General HISTORY
the Conteft. The Dread he had of the Euro*
jeans, hinder'd him from coming to them, tho j
they deflr'd it of him by means of fome Indians
they had with them : However, he fent his Son,
whom Vafco receiv'd very Civilly, ana gave him
good Cloaths, Glafs-Beads, and other Prefents.
He thereupon return'd to his Father, and gave
him an account of the Goodnefs and Humanity
of the Spaniards : The Cacique feeing his Son
clad after the European manner, took Courage ?
and Went to fafco with a great Number of In-
dians, who carry'd divers Pieces of Wrought-
Gold and 240 very large Pearls, with a great
Quantity of letter ones. The Sight of fo great
Riches, made the Spaniards amends for all the
Fatigues they had fafhin'd } neverthelefs, the
Pearls were not fb fair as they ought to have
been, byreafonthe Natives did notunderfland
the Secret of taking them out of their Shells,
without letting them come near the Fire, which
they brought them to for the fake of the Fifli,
that theyefteem'd much better than the Pearls.
TheC^oV^ obferving what Value they fet upon
his Pearls, immediately commanded divers of
"his Indians that were aboi>t him to go and fifh for
jnore \ they obey'd, and in a fhort time return'd
\ with Twelve Pound weight of them, as well
great as fmall and which were exceeding
White, becaufe they had not come near the
fire : In exchange, they had feveral European
Trifles given them, wherewith they were
charm'd. The Cacique could not fufEciently
teftifie his Joy for the corning of Pafco, with
whom hecontrafted a Ihift Friend (hip
Is di/wa- Altho' thefe Caciques go commonly naked,
lead niiferable Lives, and want for the meft part
an Exit- t fo greateft NecefTanes, yet are they neverthe-
K * kfs very Proud : They are irreconcikable to
one
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS., 143
one another, and do each other all the Mifthkf
they can. Tumwco told A/W;L, the better to ol>
tain his good Will , That in that C*l tf
St. Michael^ there was an I Hand much larger
than all the reft, uovern'd by a very powerful
Gtciqtte^ who every Year rais'd an Army, witjj
which he came in an infinite Number of Canoot^
and ravag'd all the Coafls of the Gulf, Mafia*
cring the Indians^ aad carrying them away Pri-
foners. This liland, quoth he, is not above
20 Leagues ; but it extends a great way, event
out of the Gulf , and is wafh'd in fever a I Places
by the Ocean. There are Pearls commonly
fifti'd there that are to the full as large as^
Beans or Olives. This Newsextreamly pleas'd
Pafco,\\ho told the CaciquesTum<iccQm& Cblappa^
He would immediately go and Conquer that rich
Country, and give them the Dominion of it.
The Two Caciques endeavourd in a very obli-
ging manner, to diflwade him from fo danger-
ous an Enterprize, or at leaft advis'd him to
defer his Refolution till a more convenient
Jun&ure} for, that at that Seafon of the Year,
Storms were fo frequent, he could not well put
to Sea without an evident Rifque of Perifhing.
Pafco faw plainly this Advice was lincere, for ha
eafily obferv'd how high the Sea was , and
with what force the Waves beat agaiait the
Shores.
During the little time he wa; on the Coafls of
the GW/, he faw great Inundations of Rain,
with Winds that threatened to over-turn all v
fuccefllve Thunder and Light'ning flew from the
Clouds, and Torrents roul'd down from the
Mountains with that Impetuoufity, that they
carry'd away Trees Roots and all, and Rocks
of prodigious Size. The Indians own'd they
had never feea the like tempeftuous Weather,
L 4 and
*44 The General H I S T O R Y
^andfaid. They believed the South-Sea (commonly
: call'd the Pacifick Ocean) was in Jo great a Rage,
meerly on account of the Arrival of. the Cloriflians.
Fafco then judg'd it advifable, to defer the
Execution of his Project till the following
Spring : But having underftood that the Caches
7'nmacco and Chiappa had,in the Neighbourhood,
very proper Places to fifh Pearl in, whither the
other Indians had not Permiflion to come, he
earl~fijh- defir'd them to fend thither fome of their
S* Fifhers that could go to the Bottom of the
Water, when the Sea was Calm, where 'tis faid
the greateft Shells lye ; as for the middle fort,
they were to be found fomew hat off the Shore ;
but the fmailer fize, lay generally about it.
ChiAppa, to comply with l/afco's Dellre, fent
Thirty of his Indian Fifhers accordingly, to
whom! Six Spaniards were joyn'd, to learn the
Art of Pearl-Fifhing.
Q YM t The Place aOign'd for this Pnrpofe was about
guanti- ^n Miles off the Cacique's Houic i but as the
ties ga. Sea was then pretty high, they had not the
iWd. Courage to dive in the deepeft Places ^ they
contented thernfelves to gather up thofe Shells
that were about the Shores, which were in fo
great Quantities, that Six Indians were loaded
with them. Thele Shells were open d, to take
out the Pearls, and the Indians eat the Filh of
them, which the Spaniards joyn'd with them in,
perhaps through Hunger, becaufe they had not
eaten for fo long a time : To fpeak Truth, thefe
Pearls were not larger than Peas, but they were
exceeding White and Clean.
Vafco/tf* Vafto having inform'd himfelf of all he was
out for defirous to know, refolv'd to return to Darien
vvith his Companions, but that by another Way
than he came. The Caciques embrac'd him with
all the Tokens of a iincere AfFedion, and
ke
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 145
he promised them to return fpeedily and put
his projected Enterprise in execution. They
defir'd he would leave his Sick Men behind, and
they would fend them to him with a good
Guard as Toon as they fhould be recovered of
their Indifpoiitions.
They departed, and fome time after entred Does /*..
the Country of a Cacique nam'd Pacra, a cruel we 'ju-
Perfon, and a profeft'd Enemy to the other Ca- fl^ cc n ?n
<iquei : They paf^'d thro' wild Places and large ^ :emSo "
Forelrs filt'd with Lions and Tigers, which the oml
Indians ^ by reafon they are Naked, fear exceed-
ingly. Thi^ Cacique who had already heard of
the Europeans, fearing they were now come
to chaftife him for his Cruelties, fkd inconti-
nently. What molr afflicted the Spaniards in,
their March was, the Fears they were under ^
that they fhould die with thirlr through the
great Heats they underwent on thole fteril and
parch'd Mountains : God comforted them in
their Diftrefs, by caufing them to find in their
way a large Grotto, wherein was a Fountain of
Frefh Water, with which the Indians that ac-
companied them fifl'd the Pitchers theycarry'd
on their Backs. They were defirous to pafs
the Night there, but the Indians diflwaded them,
by telling them the Lions and other wild Beafts
of the Forefts, were accuftomed to come thi-
ther a Nights to drink. This made them Tra-
vel on, and they at length arrived at the Houfe
of the Cacique Pacra,- but found no body there.
His Subjects however came in crowds , and
brought them all manner of Provifions, re-
counting to them the heinous Crimes of this
Cacique, and how he had lately Ravifh'd four
youngvVomeu that were Daughters to a Neigh-
bouring Lord. Vafco refolv'd to take him ei-
ther by Force or Art : , He brought his De/ign
about
146 The General HI STORY
about by terrifying him with Menaces. He
came accompanied by three Neighbouring Lords,
addi&ed like himielf to that abominable Sin,
and furrendred himfelf to^afco^ who has iiuce
faid, he never law one of a worfe Mien or a
more wild Afpeft, infomuch that he rather re-
fembled a Beaft than a Man. fafco immediately
caus'd him and his Companions to be Bound,
telling them, He would hear what Complaints
came in againft them, and do Juflice upon them
accordingly. The Lords and People of the
Neighbouring Countries came in fhoals to ac-
cufc them of enormous Crimes , as violating
their Daughters and all the young Men that fell
into their Hands. Vafco condemn'd them to be
dcvour'd by Dogs that he carried along with
him, who in a rpoment eat them to the very
Bones. Before he put them to Death, he de-
manded of them where their Gold was ? They
anfwer'd, They had none, nor had ever trou,-
bled their Heads about getting any. They
could be brought to fpeak 110 more. The fe-
vcrity V*fco pradis'd towards this infamous Ca-
cique, procur'd him the Love and Efleem of all
the Neighbouring People, who thereupon fur-
nifh'd him with Providons and Gold in. great
abundance. A Cacique^ one Bononiana^ lifting
up his Hands to Heaven, told fafco, he had by
this piece of Juftice, delivered the Country of a
cruel Enemy , and an infupportable Tyrant ;
and that for the future they and their Pofterity
might have hopes to live in a profound Peace,
fince the common Difturber was ridded out of
the way. He beg'd Vafco to accept Prefents
from him, which he offer'd with the utmoft
good will ; and moreover acquainted him, that
Country abounded in Gold, and {hat he might
find
of VOYAGES and TRAVEI*. 147
find it either in Plates in ' the Indians Houfes,
or in Chains about their Arms or Necks.
Pafco and his Companions underwent great Meets
Extremities afterwards, they could meet with great p >f-
nothingto eat but wild Herbs and Fruits ^ tbeyf 1 *'*''*
were moreover obiig'd to clear the way with
their Hatchets through Bufhes and Bryars, and
ever now and then were forc'd to cut down
Branches to throw on the Boggs to render them
paffable, which t\\^ Indians had been frequently
fwallow'd up in for want of that Precaution. The
difficulty of Travelling in thofe Countries has
been one caufe that neighbouring CaciqueshwcM Com-
no Commerce with one anothenThe others are,
that they always look upon each other as Ene-
mies, and endeavour to make Slaves of as many
of them as they can get>Our Adventurers arriv'd
at length at the Houfe of a Cacique nam'd Bttcche-
htt^who was retired into the Woodsy but he gave
the Spaniards to under (land, it was out of a Con-
fufion he had for not being able to receive them
in fuch manner as they deferv'd having nothing
to give them to eat, however he fent to raju
a Prefent of ibme Gold : The Spaniards, after
they had fatisfied their Hunger the belt they
coukl with Roots and Water, left that Place.
Not far off they met with feveral Indians^ who
prefented them, in the name of their Cacique^
with Thirty Pieces of flatted Gold, fomewhat
like the Cover of a Chalice: This they faid they
did as an Acknowledgment for the Service had
been done them by exterminating the wicked
Cacique*. The Indians make ufe of thole Plates Gold
to adorn themfelves with : They fallen them
about their Necks ? and let them hang down
upon their Breafts. They gave the Spaniards
to underftand by figns, that there was in the
Neighbourhood a certain Cacique who poflefs'd
a great
148 The General HISTORY
a great deal of Gold'; That he was a very cruel
Perfon, and did his Neighbours all theMifchief
he could 5 That if the Chriftians would but
Conquer his Country they might find immenfe
Riches, and get the Good will of all the neigh-
bouring -Countries ; and for their own Parts
Vafco re- they cifer'd, that if fafco pleased, they would
fufes to begin the War themfelves. Vafco thank'd them
Ifar on a for their Prefents and Good will 5 and gave
Cacique. t j iern f our 5avvs w j t ^ w hi cn t h e y were c har m 'd,
and which they made more account of than of
all the Gold in the World. He aflur'd them in
a little time he would return to their Country
with powerful Succours to fubdue their Ene-
Cufoms. mies. The Indians of that Country live very
hard, they neither make nfe of Table, Nap-
kins nor Pots j in one Hand they take a piece
of Maiz.-bread, and in another a morfel of Salt
and Broii'd Fi(h : They rarely eat any Meat;
When their Fingers are greazy or dirty, they
rub them againfl their Feet or their Sides ^ but
they often throw themfelves into Rivers to
cleanfe their Bodies.
The Spaniards parted from this Country load-
ed with Gold, but very much opprefs'd with
Hunger: Theyarriv'd next at the Territories
of the Cacique Pocchorrofa^ where they refted
themfelves Thirty Days. This Cacique prefent-
/ ed them with great quantities of Gold and
many Slaves : He was told he would be oblige!
to pafs- over -into the Country of the Cacique
Tumanamtt, a Perfon dreadful to the Indians ;
but tf\Q Spaniards found his Power too weak, and
therefore refolv'd to go and attack that Coun-
Surprizvs try themfelves : For. . this. pur pofe^*/0 with 60
another Spaniards and a few Indians march'd all Night,
with his an( j at D a y. break fuddenly furpriz'd the Cacique^
whom they feiz'd with Fourfcore of his Concu-
bines
of VOYARES^ TRAVELS^ 149
bines that he had rob'd other Caciques of : All
the Indians his Subje&s were clofe in their Hutts
without thinking of any thing. Thefe Hutts
which are divided from each other, are made
of Wood, and cover'd with Straw or Herbs:
That of the Cacique was Sixfcore Paces long,
and Fifty broad. The Indians infulted Tumana- ^ larla-
ma^ and Spit in his Face as foon as they faw him m^ CM- j
a Prifbner, it being their Cuftom to life thefom.
Unfortunate fo. Great Rejoicings were made
all around for the downfall of this Cacique who
was univerfally hated. Pa/co^ to frighten him,
threatned to throw him into the River, upon
which this unfortunate wretch fell on his Knees,
and humbly befought him to forgive him, tel-
ling him, that his Enemies had given an ill
Charader of him purely out of Malice , but
that if he would be pleas'd to fpare his Life, he
would give him a great Quantity of Gold:
Moreover he protefled he had never done any
harm to the Chriftians, being always affraid of
their Swords, which, he faid, would cleave a
Man in two at one Stroak. Whilft he was talk-
ing after this rate , all the Gold Chains and spoils.
Bracelets found upon the Concubines wesp
brought to yafco: The chief Men of this petty
State likewife brought theirs \ but they all pro-
tefted they had their Gold from other Coun-
tries. The Cacique was pardon'dnby F^afco.
CHAP.
The General HISTORY
CHAP. XX.
Of the Difcovenes made by Gonzalez Her-
nandez of Oviedo, and the Riches he
heafd uf in bu Expedition.
TT * S Catbolick Majefly fent this Perfon to
Qbfero JLJL tne Indies to Melt down the Gold taken
tions. out of the Mines, becaufe he was very skilful
at it. Being arriv'd at a Port inhabited by
Nets. Fifhermen , he began to confider their Nets
made of Cotton, and their Lines made of the
Rinds of Trees, which were faflned to Stakes
that they (luck into the Sand when they Filh'd.
They had in their Hutts great Quantities of
Dried and Salted Fifh, which they kept there
Eartlen reac ty to ^ e tfanfported to other Countries :
Wart. He likewife obferv'd thty had Pots, Spoons,
and earthen Trenchers very frell wrought, and
great Urns of the fame matter, all Painted with
different Colours, Red and Blue \ and others
with different Figures of Animals and Plants.
The Walls of thefe Hutts were covef'd with
fine Matts made of a fort of Cane, very loofe,
and fmall firings of an Herb : This Tapeftry
ftain'd with feveral Colours, had a very agree-
able effed on the Eye } and what was furpri-
fcing was, that you fhould fee upon it the Fi-
gures of Lions, Tigers and Eagles, very natural
and well defign'd. Their Cotton Coverlets
were Painted and diveriified after the fame
manner. Over their Doors they hung a great
number of fining Shells, which when mov'd by
the Wind, afforded a not unpleafant found.
Hernande^ upon his Landing at the Head of
a Company of Soldiers, met firfl with a Saphir
Saphir. as
of VOYAGES wl TRAVELS. 151
as big as a Goofes Egg , and a little while
after with a very large piece of Ambergreefe :
He moreover obferv'd divers precious Stones Precious-
fa (tned to theMatts which the Indians cover'd Stones.
their Walls with : They bought them of remote
Indians for fome Salted Fifh.Having entred aPlain
three Leagues long and two broad, he obferved
that the Hutts lay divided fro;n each other Hutts.
at the foot of Mountains, and all cover'd with
Fruit-Trees. Divers little Rills ran from thefe
Mountains and water'd the neighbouring Plain.
They hive in this Country fine Gardens and
cultivated Fields, which they Water with Ca- Canals.
nals made for that purpofe. The Air here is The Air.
fo mild and temperate, that t\\Q Spaniards^ who
fleptfe vend Nights upon the River-fide with-
out any Covering, felt no Inconveniency there
by it. The Streets of ihefe Habitations are streets.
ftrait, asif they had been drawn by a Line.
Their Hutts were full of poyfon'd Arrows, poyfirfd
which the Spaniards burnt. In the Caves they Arrows.
found great Quantities of Venifon and Wild-
Boar Pork, with which the Europeans made
good cheer for feveral Days. They found alto
great Magazines of Cotton-Cloth , and Fea-
thers of divers Colours, with which the IndUns
made Plumes to fet themfelves off: They prc-
fervein a Chamber a-part, the Bones and Ames
of their Lords ^ the Ames are kept in Urns of Urns.
painted Earth. There are fome that do not
burn the Bodies, but content themfelves with
drying them , laying over them Cotton
Covertures, to which are faftned fmal] Plates of
Gold. The Europeans made fine Plunder of all
thefe Things : They likewife found great
pieces of exceeding white Marble, which feem'd Wrought
to have been wrought and polifh'd by fome Car-
ver; This furpriz'd the Spaniards very much, in
that
.152 TheGeveralH I STORY
that the Indians have norrnaiiner of ufe of Iron.
After having heap'd up^aft Riches, the Spani-
ards put to Sea the isth 6f Jtme^ to return to
Carthagena : They would fain have landed oxi
f me iflands inhabited by the Canibals, with a
Defign to deftroy them 5 but the Sea ran fo
high that all the Pilots in the World could not
have eflfe&ed it: Infomuch that in one Nights
time they found themfelves above 40 Leagues
from their Mark. Admiral Columbus ^ who firlt
difcover'd thefe Seas, obferv'd, that when he
had a mind to Sound, the Lead would Dot go
to the bottom, by reafon of the rapidity of the
Rapid Current-, and although he had the Wind in his
Currents. p O op, he could hardly fometimes make a League
in an Hour.
Their Even to this Day the true Caufe of thefe Cur-
Cauft va- rents has not been found out, no more than the
rioujly pi ux or Reflux of the Sea,, which fome have at-
"'tributed to the Sun, others to the Moon, and a
third fort to fubterranean Winds which blow
the Floods to and fro. Some think thefe Cur-
rents are occafion'd by the Earth's being higher
in fome Places and lower in others, fo that the
Water has a natural Defcent with it ^ others
are of Opinion they are caus'd by great Rivers,
and a gren Quantity of Earth ancj Sand which
they drag along with them. One of the An-
tients remarked 5 that the Currents which are
obfervable in the Straits of Gibraltar, proceed-
ed from the Oceans being lefs deep than the
Mediterranean, by which means the Water ran
from the higher Place into the lower. Thofe
that have SaiPd through the Weft ^Indian Seas,
and along the Shores of the Terra Firm*,- affirm,
that in the Strait that feparates the South Sea
from the North, near the Cities of Panama and
Nombre de Dios^ fix Leagues above the Equi-
noftial
efVoYAGES and TRAVELS. 15*
0#*W, during the Space of about thir-
ty Leagues. There are very deep Caverns*
thro' which the Waters of one Sea run into
the other Eaftward, and that this Motion
is occafion'd by that of the Sun. Others
fay the Waters return by thefe Caverns to
their principal Source in the Centre of the
Earth, and that when they abound too
much they overflow , and make to the
Shores.
,Seban-ian Cabot a Venetian, movM with aCabotV
Defire of making new Difcoveries, after the-E*/^'"'-
Example of Columbu*, fitted out two VelTels otl '
at his own Charges, and departing from a
Port fa England, continu'd failing till he faw
the Polar Scar elevated 55 Degrees. Heat
laft came to a Sea fill'd with great Flakes
of Ice, which beating againft his Ships threat-
ned him with Definition in cafe he pro-,
cecded,' The Twilight was there as bright
as our longeft Days in Europe in Summer
at Noon. In a word, Ice forc'd him to
make, to a Shore not far .off, where he found
a prodigious Quantity of large Fifh, which
the Inhabitants of thofe Parts call Baccalai.* F f.
The Manners of thefe People are civilized
enough, and they go all cloath'd in Skins
of Beafts. Cabot and his Companions took
a great deal of Pleafure in feeing the Bears
hunt thefe Filh, which they did in the fol-
lowing manner. There are upon thefe Coafts^ wf ^ % {
many large Trees, whofe Leaves falling in- Be * rs '
to the Water, the Fifh come and fnap at
them greedily. The. Bears, who have no o-
ther Food here, obferving this, lay them-
felves in Ambufcade to catch them. As
foon as the Fifh lift their Heads above Wa-
fer to get the Leaves, the Bears throw in their
M Claws,
354 The General HISTORY
Claws, and if they can but grapple them
der their Scales, they will be fure to bring
them to Land. But fome great Fifti have
i been known to drag the Bears into the
Water by meer force, when there has hap-
pen'd a very diverting Combat between
them j fometimes one's uppermoft, and then
the other, but it generally happens the Bear
gets the better, and brings the Fifh to Land
and devours him. Thefe Bears are by no
means dangerous, nor do any manner of harm
to the Inhabitants.
CHAP. XXL
Pedro A via, Governour of the New
gives Orders for facilitating the Navi-
gation of the South Seas. An Account
of the remarkable Piracies of Juan
Aiora.
_ Avla arriving at Ifla-fuerte with his
Av\sAr- * Squadron, all the Inhabitants fled up in-
fival. to the Woods. The Spaniards enter'd their
Huts, where they found great Numbers of
Mat-Pa niers, exceeding finely wrought, fill'd
with very fine white Salt, which the Na-
tives were wont to exchange with their
Neighbours for other Commodities. They
ob'ferv'd on the Rocks very large Birds with
red Throats, whofe Bellies were big enough
to contain a Bufhel of Corn. One of thefe
Birds fuffer'd it felf to be caught, but it
died
0fVoYAGES And TRAVELS. 155
died fom'e few Days after. As foon as the
Governour arriv'd at Dariert, l^afco gave him
the bell Reception he could, with Maiz.-
Breadand Salt-Pirn. The Cacique Caretta made
him a Prefent of a very fine Veil \vithSleeves
wrought with Birds Feathers of various Co-
lours, fo exactly that one would have fworn
it had been of Silk. He gave him alfotwo
large Quilts of the fame Work. The Go-
vernour return'd his Compliment by giving
him a Spanifi Jerkin and a Velvet Hat,
both which appeared wonderful to the Ca~
ci^e, who tarry'd with the Governour three
Days, and eat as he did all the while. What
he feem'd to be beft pleas'd with w3s the
Wine and Bread, After Dinner the Gover-
nour had every Day Mufick play'd to him,
which when the Cacique firft heard he lifted
up his Eyes, and Sighing faid, the Europe-
ans were more favour'd by Heaven than the
Indians in that they had it in their Power
by fuch Sounds to raife their Dead Friends
to Life. To do him the greater Honour,
the Governour caus'd a Squadron of Horfc
well equip'd with (h in ing Armour and Arms
to be drawn up in Battalia. This Sight
fill'd all the Indians with joy and Admira-
tion, to fee with what Addrefs the Euro-
peans manag'd their Horfes. They were af-
terwards carry'd on Board the Ships, which
gave the Cacique occali-oii to fay, he hid in
his Country a large Sort of Trees in which
the Worm nvcr bred by reafon of the
Bitter nefs of the Wood, and which he had
often experienced in his C*n:-es. He added
there were other Trees fo Venimous, that
the bare Smoak of the Wood occ^fi.on'd pre-
fent Death.
M 2 To
156 r
Three Fort * To facilitate am} fecure the Navigation
* ullt ' of the South Seas, the Governour built three
Forts, one in the Country of the Cacique
Comagro, another in the Province of Poc-
chorrofa, and a third in that of Tumanama^
and plac'd fufficient Garrifons in all three
of them. He then fent out divers Captains
, by different Routes^ andj among the reft a
Cordovan Gentleman one Juan Aiora^ with a
epmpetent Number of Soldiers and two
Brigantines. This Perfon coafted along the
Province of Comagro to get into the South
Sea. He went afhore and came to the Houfe
of the Cacique Charles who was a good Friend
to the Chriftians, and had been baptiz'd
together with all hisSubjefts. This Captain
no fooner entred his Houfe but he carry'd
away all his Gold, and all the Furniture
he could find* He moreover rob'd the Wo-
men of their Cotton Habits, and Bracelets
and Collars they had about their Arms
and Necks. At his departure he rov'd along
the Countries of other Caciques ferving them
the fame Sauce, and exerciflng the fame Vi-
olences in all the Places where he came.
The poor Indians feeing all this were glad
to fcamper into the Woods to fave their
Lives. Aiora after fo many Thefts and Rob*
beries fearing, with Reafon enough, that he
might be call'd to an Account by the Go-
vernour, he fled to the Sea-fide where there
lay a Brigantine, on which he went Aboard
with his moil faithful Followers who were
Accomplices with him in the fame Crimes.
They fled with the Gold and Merchandizes
they had got without any Bodies being able
to hear of them more.
The
^VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 157
The Governour likewife fent Gaff or Morales Moralez
on the other fide of the Mountains towards^" the
the South, and the Ifland which is in the
Gulph of St Michael where variety of large
Pearls are found. He had i GO Men under
his Command among whom were divers
that had accompany'd Vafco Nunez, in his
Voyage to difcover the South-feas. Morales
being arriv'd in the Territories of Tumacco
and Chiapfa, thofe Caciques made him great
Prefents and told him they would afllft him
in the Conqueft of the Ijland of Pearls which ifl an ^ O f
was formerly call'd the Ijland of Gold. They Pearls,
furnifh'd him with Provifions fufficient, but
as they had but few Canees, there could but
Sixty Spaniards pafs over into the Illand,
whereof the Cacique having notice he came
down with a great Number of Indians arm'd
with Lances and Wooden Swords, and oppos'd
their Landing, crying with all their might
Guaz&avara^ Guaz^.avara 7 that is to the War
with the Enemy. They attack'd the Spaniards
with fo much Courage and Bravery, that
tho' they were thrice repuls'd they came on
again to the Charge , but at length feeing
the great Numbers of their Men that were
kill'd they retreated and fled.
The Example of the other Caciques, his
Neighbours, at length inclined him to feek
theFriendfhipofthe Spaniards and beg Peace.
He thereupon conduded them to his Pa-
lace, which was perfectly well built. He pre-
fented the Governour with a Panier of A Punier
Pearls weighing at leaft no Pounds. He / '
gave him in Exchange Glafc Beads, and
fmall Looking-Glafles, with which he was
infinitely well pleas'd. He had moreover divers
Saws given him, which the Indians made more
M 3 Ac-
I P'
158 The General HISTORY
Account of than of fo many Mountains of
Gold. They could not enough wonder that the
Lurofe^ns fought after that Metal with fo
great Greedinefs, and that they fhould give
ib many precious and profitable Inftruments
for fuch Trifles as Chains and Bracelets of
Gold. The Cacique led the Chief of this
Expedition to the Top of a Tower, whence
he might on all fides view the South-
Sea. You fee, cry'd he, an infinite Number
of little Iflands all belonging to me. They
are vaftly rich, if to be fill'd with Gold
and Pearls may be call'd Riches. All the
Shores of thefe Iflands are cover'd with
Mother of Pearl. Now, continu'd he, if you
will but co" sife fit to be my Friend, take
as much of thefe things as you pleafc. I
fet a greater Efteem on your Frtendftiip,
than on all the Gold and Pearls in my
Province, and for my Part I do proteft to
you folernnly, I will never break the Alli-
ance I fhall make with you.
Over and above all thefe fair Proteftatioas
AW TOO i ^, i ,' t i i v- t r
Wtlgln o/ tne 'Clique oblig d himfclf to give every
$e*ri /u/rfYear to the King of S-pain, an hundred
yearly. Weight of Pearl which he the eaiier engag'd
to do in that he little valu'd fo precious a
Merchandize, and could not think he by
that means became Tributary to his Catholick
Majefty. This Province, which is not above
Gr<it fix Degrees from the Equinoctial^ is fo full
ef of D er of all forts that the Spaniards could
kill as many as they pleas'd without almoft
a? going out of their Houfes. This Cacique
. caus 'd himfelf to be baptiz'd with his whole
Family and would needs take the Name of
the Gover'nour Pedro Avia. At parting they
gave each other Affuraaces of ail inviolable
Friend-
/" V o Y A G E s and TRAVELS. 159
Friendfhip, and the -Cacique lent the Com-
mander his Canoes and .People to affift him
in his Expedition, profering to accompany him
himfelf as far as the Sea Shore. The Fifth
Part of the Pearls was given to the King's
Treafurers, and the reft equally divided a-
mong the Spaniards. Among thefe Pearls there
was one as large as a Nut, which was
laid aiide til] fuch time as it fhould be de-
termin'd whom it belong'd to. This was
afterwards fold to the Lady Jfabella Boadilia^
Wife to the Governour, who had the Cou-
rage to accompany her Husband to the New-
World. Thofe that went on this Expedi-
tion were only able to fay concerning it
that the largeft Pearls were to be found in .
the deepeil Water, and the lefTer fort near
the Shore. Pearl-fhells refemble in fome mea-
fure a Hen that has many Eggs in her Bo-
dy, from whence the moft perfect drop firfr,
and the reft remain behind till fuch time f
, ., i Nature of
as they are mature. In like manner wne&p s aris. '
thefe Shells open the moft perfect Pearls al-
ways ftart firfl, and the others remain in
the Shell till they come to a fufficient Ma-
turity. It is to be fear'd many Pearls upon
dropping from the Shell, which they will do
when they are ripe,have been devoured byFifli*
Many Captains made Voyages to
South Seas after Morales , among others E
Gonfalez, Badaghioz^iLo, who fail'd towards the
Weft in the Beginning of the Month of
March, in the Year 1515 with 80 Men> and
this by Order of the Governour Pedro Avid.
A neighbouring Cacique to the^South Sea
fled at the Approach of the Spaniards. They
fack'd his Village where they found fome
Slaves, whofe Faces were painted black and
M 4 red,
,077,
160 The General HISTORY
xhefe Indians make Holes in their
Indians. (^^5 with pointed Bones, which filling up
with the Powder of certain Herbs feveral
Colours are difpers'd throughout the Face,
which cannot afterwards be remov'd. The
Spaniards carry 'd off thefe Slaves, and load-
ed them with the Booty they had taken.
A}1 the f e countries are rich in Gold, the
Earth is fat and fertile, and the Trees arc
laden with excellent Fruitsi The Spaniards
plunder'd all the Caciques they met in their
Way, and took their Gold from them. No-
thing efcap'd their Hands but what the
Indians carry'd away with them when they
fled into the Woods and inaccefiible Places.
The Booty they had got was fo great that
it loaded 400 Slaves. Going afterwards to-
wards the Province of a Cacique nam'd Pa-*
riana with Defign to plunder him, he laid
himfelf in their Way between two Hills
Spaniards covered with thick ' Trees, at the Head of
routed. 5000 Indians , who as foon as the Spaniards
came up let fly at them with that good Will
that above fixty of them immtfdiatjy dropt,
Which the reft feeing they fled, leaving the
Field of Battle and all the 1 Treafure they
had got to the Conquerors. After great Fa-
tigues they at length arriv'd at the Port
call'd Gracias a Dias where their Brigantines
lay. They went on Board curling jtheir ill
Fortune, and foon after arriv'd at Darien
half dead with Hunger. The Governour
having heard how it had far'd with them,
refolv'd to go himfelf to the Province of the
Cacique Pari^z,* to revenge the*' Affront, but
as he was then Sick the Execution of that
Enterprize was defer'd to another Opportu-
nity. ":.'.
>^ CHAP,
(/VOYAGES *nd, TRAVELS. 161
CHAP. XXII.
Of the unfortunate Adventures of Juan
Soils and his Companions fent by his
Catbolick Majefy -on the Difcoverj of
certain Coafs.
Cralez. JDoftor of Laws and Official to hii
Catholick Majefty at Darien* wrote in
to Spain that an Indian who had efcap'd'
frcm Vajfallage told him, upon feeing him
read a Letter written upon European Paper,
that thofe People where he had been a Slave,
had Books and Paper made of Leaves of
Trees few'd together , that their Towns were
Wall'd round with large Stones, and that
the Men and Women wore Cloaths. In
this fame Year 1515 the King of Spain
equipp'd three Veflels, and gave Orders to
Captain Juan So I is to pafs the Cape of St. Vufonu*
Auguftine diftant Six Leagues from the Equi- n >
noftial. This Captain after he had coafted
along the Terra Firma for fome time found the
Antanick Pole elevated thirty Degrees. See-
ing one Day divers Indians with their Wives
and Children Skipping about upon the Shore
and making Sigps to him to land, offering
him feveral Things which they laid upon
the Sand, he put out his Boat and went
a Shore to difcover what fort of Country
and People they were. But he was no
fooner landed than a great Number of Ca-
Kibal- Indians came down thundring upon him,
and his Men, having lain all the while in Am-
bufcade
1*2 We : Ge#cr*l HI S T O R Y
bufcade. They ftirrounded the Spaniards in an
Inftant and kill'd them every Man with
their Bows and Arrows, the Ships-Crew that
were on board being not able to help them
but remaining unwilling WitnefTes of fo fad
a Speftacle. Thefe Barbarians charm'd with
the white Flefh of the Europeans cut it in-
to Pieces and devour'd it half roafted .and
bloody, fo great was their Appetite for fuch
unnatural Viands. The Sliips Artillery how-
ever quickly drove them up the Mountains
but then they carried on their Backs in view
the Heads, Legs and Arms of thofe unhap-
py wretches they had maflacred. The Spa-
niards foon after thought fit to retire with-
out being able to revenge the Deaths of
their Companions.
Captain Juan Ponce had the foregoing Year
aa Adventure fomewhat like this. His Ca-
Ponce. tholick Majefty fent him to deftroy the Ha-
bitations of the Canibals who made a bloody
War on all that approached their Teritories.
This Captain prompted by a Defire of ex-
tirpating thofe Barbarians accepted with Joy
the Command of two Velfels equipp'd at the
Kings Charges for that Enterprise. He. went
on Shore at Guadaloupe , the Canibals feeing
fome Europeans arrive laid themfelves, after
their Manner, iti Ambulh to furprife them.
As foon as the Captain came a Shore with
his Men, the Canibals fet upon them with
horrible Crys and having kill'd moil of them,
un- the Captain being dangeroufly wounded
with an Arrow, retir'd to his Ships toge-
ther with two only of his Companions, wljo
had the Mortification to fee their Fellows
boiPd and roafted by thofe barbarous Fee-
ders. From that Time there has been no
ISIews
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 16 j
News of the Captain or his Veflel but the
other Ship return'd to Spain.
About this Time came Letters-Patents wfyfr-
from Spain conflicting Vtfco Nunez. Gene-'*** f
ral of Dtrien in consideration of his great governor.
Services, in the difcovery of the South Seas.
Thofe Letters, full of Commendations of
Vafco, were read publickly, and being fo much
to his Advantage pufPd him up fo that he
foon fail'd in his Refpeft to the Governour,
which made that Gentleman think of fe-
cret Meafures to revenge himfelf. The moft
coniiderable Perfons of the Country appre-
hending ill Confequences from this Difference
between the Governour and fafc * ^pply'd
themfelves to a Fryar of the Order of St.
Francis, a gfeat Preacher, befeeching him to
endeavour to reconcile them. This Perfon
to bring fo good an End about, offer'd Fafco
the Governor's Daughter in Marriage, but
the Pride both of one and the other, would
not fuiFer fo good a Defign to take.
To avoid all Difafters that might arik The Former
from this Animoilty, Vafco rcfolv'd to ab~ retires f r
fent himfelf, and go to and fettle on the 7 '* w l*?
Coafts of the South Sea. .Having got to-
gether all his Gold and other Riches, he
parted from Darien with 300 Men that
were the molt faithful to him. Divers In-
dian Slaves carry'd his Baggage and Provifl-
ons. In a fhort time they arriv'd at the
Territories of the Caciques Tumacco and Chi"
appa^ who receK r 'd them with inexpreflible
Joy-
Out of a Defign that Va.fcQ had to build Defies to
a Town on the Southern Coafts, he caus'd difcover
four Briganr.ines to be built in order to go *^- s P ics
and difcover the Iflands of Spices, whereby
he
The General HISTORY
he thought to make his Court powerfully to
the King of Spain, by doing him fo impor-
tant a Piece of Service. He had the Pre-
caution to bring from Darien Cotton Cloth
which ferv'd him to make Sails of. As for
Cordage that was inade of' certain Roots
of Herbs which the Indians know how to
make Cords of tolerably ftrong. The Pines
of the Country furnifh Wood and Gum fuf-
ficient for the reft of a Ship. V*fco obfer-
ving that many of his Followers murmur'd
at their behig inceflantly put upon new Ad-
ventures inftead of enjoying what they had
got at quiet, afTembled them one Day, and
to put an End to their Complants and Mur-
murs, fpoke to them in the following man-
Bi< speech ner. " My dear Friends and Companions,
to kit Fol- it is thro' your Courage and Patience
c I have been able to profecute fuch Glori-
" ous Enterprises as I have done in the
1 Difcovery of the South Seas. You are
" fenfible how" high the Governour's Info-
" lence has been carry'd againft me. He
" was not contented with the Authority
" and Preheminence which his Catholick
c Majefty had honour'd him with, by con-
<c ferring on him the Government of the
ct Terra Firma of the Indies ^ but I muft for-
cc footh obey him as a vile Slave, tho' the
" King had nam'd me for General of JDa-
u rien. However infupportable this Slavery
u mightfeem,yet would I have chearfully under-
<c gone it, had the King's Intereft required
<c me To to have done. But the haughty
" and avaricious Governour foand an Occa-
c fion from this Obedience to aim at taking
" away our Lives and our Goods, that he
" might thereby footh his Ambition, and
" pro-
0f V O Y A G E S And T R A V t L S^
" procure to himfelf Riches wherewith the
" Countries we have difcover'd abound,
" If we will therefore live in Quiet and
" Safety, we muft feek a Country remov'd from
" his Violences and Authority. You know
" both Gold and Silver is to be found in
cc great Abundance on the Southern Coafts $
<c let us go on Board then thefe Vefleb
" we have firft fmifh'd, and truft the reft
" to Providence and the Almighty Prote&ion.
All Applauded this Harangue of rafco\
and cry'd out with one Voice they were Darien *
ready to follow him whitherfoever he would
lead them. This was immediately fent to
the Governour by feme of his Followers
that were foifted in among his Friends, on
purpofe to betray him. The Governour
knowing V*fco\ great Courage, fear'd leaft
hemight procure fo great a Reputation, that
he might fettle himfelf, and build a Ci-
ty in a rich Country, by which means he
might be able to put him out of the
King's Favour, for he would folely have
the Glory of his New Difcoveries. Having
confider'd all this, the Governour thought
fit to inform againil Vtfco by the King's
Officers, and moreover fent four of his
principal Captains to let him know he muft
immediately ceafe from his intended Expe-^^ r " n
dition and come forthwith to Darien^ unlefs Wf *
he had a mirrd to be treated as a Rebel
and Tray tor. Vafco who had always pre-
fer'd his Honour above all Things, not be-
ing willing to incur a downright Difobedi-
ence, and moreover relying upon his In-
nocence, return'd to Danen with fome few
of his Friends, whither he was no fboner
come but he was caft into Prifon and had
a
i66 The General HISTORY
a large Chain put about his Neck by the
Governour's Order. The fame Civil Treat-
ment was difpenc'd to four of his Compa-
nions. Vafco complaining of the Injuftice
and Affront had been offer'd him, was told
he was fo us'd becaufe he would have re-
volted againft the King, and for making a fedi-
tious Harangue. He anfwer'd, the occaiion
of his having made that Speech was to en-
courage his Companions to follow hint in a
Difcovery for the Benefit of his Majefty } but
no Excufes would go down with the Go-
vernour, for he mult return to Prifon and
have his Head chop'd off, which Sentence
was forthwith pafs'd upon him. The Ex-
ecutioner coming next Morning to the Pri-
fon for that purpofe, Vafco demanded the
Favour to fpeak with fix of the Principal
Citizens hefore he died, who coming accor-
dingly, he declared to them he had never
had other Intention than to obey and do
Service to his Catholick Majefty, wherefore
he thought he had juft Reafon to complain
that Ib commendable Inclinations Ihould have
no better a Reward. He added he com-
plain'd principally of two Things, firft that
being Innocent he fhould fuffer fo Ignominious
a Death, and fecondly in that his Death
would deprive the King of many Advan-
tages he could have procured him by new
Discoveries. Laftly he faid, as for Death
every Body knew he fear'd it not, and that
he had frequently expos'd his Life to as
imminent Hazards for his Majefty's Service.
However plaufible thefe Reafons of faf-
co's were, the Sentence of Death was foon
after executed upon him. He had his Chain
taken off his Keck, and fo kneeling fob mi t-
of V o Y A>G E -s and T R A>V t L s.
ted to the fatal Stroke. His Body was ex-
po s'd in the Market-Place of Larien to in-
timidate the People. Both the Inhabitants
and Strangers could not refufe their Tears
to the Death of this great Man, who came
to fech a Tragical End after the Important
Services he had done the State. Ancient
and Modern Hiftories are full of Examples
of the like Kind^ and that fuch as fignaliz'd
themfdves in the moft fhining Enterprises,
had met with nothing but Ingratitude for
their Reward. The Cover nour 'Pedro jlviaTbe Cover.
after the Death of r*fco, leaving his wife <!:'{*-
behind at Darien, pafs'd the Mountains and^* m<M7 '
penetrated as far as the Southern Coafts,
where having feiz'd upon Vafco** Ships, he
after undergoing a fevere Temped for three
Days and three Nights, arriv'd at an /?-
dian Village on the Coafts call'd Panama^
where having examin'd the Place and the .^
Commodioufnefs of it, he laid the Founda-p a 7 nama<
tion of a City which became afterwards one
of the moft confiderable in the Indies.
CHAP. XXIII.
A fliort D e fir ip tion of Hifpaniola, with an
Account af its firft Inhabitants^ Rivers^
Lakes, &C.
A Fter having conduded you along &ft
JLX tne Terre .Firma of the Indies it would
be but reafonable to refume what has beepx
for-
The Gewfal HI STORY
formerly faid concerning Hlfpaniola to give
you a more compleat Idea of that Ifland.
It is Situated between the Equinottial Line
and \hs.Trofick of Cancer. It's Length from
Eaft to Weft is about 500 Miles, and
Breadth from North, to South, about 300.
The City of ..San Domingo^ its Capital, lies
in about eighteen Degrees of Northern La-
titude. Two different Nations pretending
to the Dominion of it came to Blows, and
the Weaker was fain to give Way to the
Stronger. Thefe laft gave the Name of
Lipingi to this Illand, which was afterwards
*rmt. chang'd by the Spaniards to that of Hiff*-
niola. The Days and Nights here are al-
moft of equal Length the whole Year round.
When the Sun is ia the Tropick of Cancer
there's almoft an Hours difference. The Air
j s temperate and neither Cold nor Heats
are exceffive. The Trees are always Green
ever laden with Fruits orBloflbms. The Leaves
never fall till others are ready to fucceed
Kerbs. them ' AU * rts ^ Herbs that have been foVd
there thrive admirably well. In like Man-
Europe- ner the European Animals, as Oxen and
Horfes multiply exceedingly. It has been'
b.ferv'd that Corn thrives better upon the
Hills and Mountains where there's fome
Cold to refrefh it, tfyan in the Plains and
Vallies where the Earch is too rich and
the Heat too fuffocating. The Ears of Com
on the Mountains aYe as big as a' Man's
Arm, and all fill'd with Grains .whereof there
are fome times 2000 in one Ear.
MifpanloU is watered by four large Rivers
which divide it into five Provinces. In one
of thefe Provinces there is a very deep" Ca-
vern into which you may hear the Rivers,
fall
(/VOYAGES and TRAVELS.
fall with a ^horrible Din five Miles off.
Thofe. that have liv'd but a little while
near the Mouth of this Cavern become deaf.
Thefe Rivers form a great Lake where the
Waters turn with that Rapidity and ocoa-
fion fuch violent Whirl-Pools, that vho-
ever falls therein, is immediatly fwallow'd
up. What feems yet more wonderful is, that
there is a Lake full of Fifh on the Top of
a Mountain, which is almoft inacceflible on
all fides. In other Places you may meet
with Lakes of frefh Water, fait Water and,
bitter Water, as in the Province of Bainoa
where there is a Lake above 30 Miles long
and 15 broad, whofe Waters are as bit-
ter as Gall. Many Rivers run into this
Lake yet you can never obferve that any
run out again, which makes People apt to
believe there are profound Caverns that re-
ceive thofe Waters, for the Indians and their
Canoes that are loft in great Numbers in,
that Lake are never feen afterwards. One
took one Day a young Fifh and putting -' '
him into another Lake that was not fo
large as this fed him coaftantly with M&UL-.
Bread by which Means he became .fo tame
and large that he fuffer'd that Perfoa to
get upon his Back and carry 'd him to and
fro along the fides of the Late. At length
the fame Perfon was fo bold as ,to venture
crofs the Lake with him and the Fifh carried
him over and brought him again to the
Place where he took him up. The .Figure
of this Fifh is difagreeable to the Sight. He
refembles a Beaft 'with .four Feet, but in-
ftead of them he has four large Bones very
hird which come out of his Body that is
all cover'd with hard Scajcs. His Head. is
N" like
1 70 The General HISTORY
like that of an Ox *, it is heavy and not
eafily mov'd, but thofe that have eat of it
fay 'tis exquifite and delicious Food. This
jFifh remained a long while in the Lake where
'a World of People came to fee it and gave
it Bread : But at length a fudden Hurricane
coming there folio w'd fuch an Inundation of
the Lake that this Fifh was fuppos'd to be
carry'd into the Sea for he was never heard
of after.
jock salt. By digging very deep in the Mountains
you find a very hard Salt mining like Chri-
ftal. You may alfo find great Quantities
of Gold, but the Inhabitants will not give
themfelves the Trouble to dig for it, by
reafon having all other Conveniencies of
Manners Life they think they have no Occafion for
of the In- that. Bread fuffices to allay their Hunger,
anc [ tne y quench their Thirft in the Foun-
tains. They (it all Day in the fhade prat-
ling tinder Trees and fometimes dance after
their Manner, without thinking of any thing
elfe, or giving themfelves any manner of
Trouble. Gold has been fometimes known
to (hoot forth of the Earth like a Plant,
oid. which would feem incredible if the fame
had not been once obferv'd in the King-
dom of Hungary. You may every Day
fee Branches of Gold that climb about Trees,
as Vines do about Elms, and this Gold is
ps commonly very fine. In the Province of
Fountains.- Caizjma, there are Fountains whofe Surface
is Frefh and good to drink, the Middle
Brack! Hi, and the Bottom exceeding Bitter.
Some think the Source of this Fountain is Salt
and that the Water a top is what falls
from the Mountains and will not mix with
the fak Witter by reafon of its different
Weight c
e?/ V o Y A G E s and TRAVELS. 17 i
Weight. If you lie down upon the Ground
and lay your Ear clofe to the Sides of thefe
Fountains, you fhall plainly perceive they are
hollow under the Water. You hear a Horfe-
man five Miles before he comes at you, and y/iUNLe
a Footman one. The Inhabitants of fome
of thefe Provinces retire into Caverns in the
Woods and on the Mountains where they
live upon wild Fruit not caring to have
any Converfe with the other People of the
Ifland. It has been found impracticable to
civilize any of thefe wild Men that have
been taken Prifoners. 'Tis believ'd they
have no fettled Language, no more than
Beafts. They have neither Laws nor Su-
peribrs among them, for al] are equal, and
if they had not an human Figure, they
might be taken for wild Beafts. They go
altogether naked, and are fwifter at run-
ning than our fwifteft Dogs, fo that 'tis a
hard Matter to take them. The Chriftians
had fome Fields and Gardens, not far from
the Habitations of thefe wild Men j they
went thither in the Month of September to
gather their Harvefb. Whllft they were
difpers'd in the Fields about their Work/ f ^ ' f
one of thefe Salvages comes out of a Copfe,^f^'
where he had hid himfelf, and fnatches up
a Child that was fleeping oa the Grafs
and ran away with it as hard as he could
drive. The Father of the Child and ail
that were with him fet up pitiful Cries and
ran after the Salvage but in, vain. He fee-
ing them come after him, at length flopt
as if he had a Mind to ftay for them, but
as foon as they were come up he fet up his
Legs again and was quickly out of Sight.
The Father verily believ'd the Sjhwe would'
172 The Gemrd HISTORY
have devoured his Child, but whether it was
out of Companion for his Grief or other-
wife, the wild Man obferving fome Shep-
herds keeping their Flocks, went and laid
down the Infant unhurt near them, who
foon returned him to his overjoy'd Fa-
ther.
in- You have in this Iflarnd a large Tree calPd
Coppel whofe leaves are half a Foot long.
Whatever is writ on thefe Leaves with a
Bodkin remains as legible as what is writ on
Paper with Ink. A Lord fent one Day, by
one of his Slaves, four Rabbits to a Friend
of his, and wrote upon thefe Leaves the
Number he fent. The Slave eat two by the
Way, and prefented the other two toge-
ther with the Leaves, without thinking
they could have difcover'd his Theft, but he
was not a little furpris'd when he heard
that he ought to have brought four. Here-
upon he ingenuoufly confefs'd the Fad,
which being known among the Indians, oc-
cafion'd them great Perplexity , becaufe
now they thought they fftould not be able
to difcourfe any more under thofe Trees
without having their Secrets reveal'd by the
Leaves. It is a common thing in this Ifland
^ have Perfons live a hundred or fixfcore
Years, which is attributed to certain Herbs
they eat, to Truffles, Onyons, or their Bread
made of Cafpwe which is very eafle to digeft.
The Rivers and Ponds are full of Fifh
which they eafily take without Trouble. Since
the Indians have been forc'd to live expos'd
to the Sun, and to dig Gold in the Mines,
they have not liv'd fo long. Several of them
have made away with themfelves after they
i'aw they were reduc'd to fo great Mifery,
they
of V o Y A G E s and TRAVELS. 1 7 J
they that had formerly liv'd fo contentedly
and happy. Many likewife have refolv'd
not to marry becaufe they would not beget
Slaves for the Spaniards. The Women wi
Child make their bringing forth eafie by t
Vertue of certain Herbs. It is not to be won-
der'd at, however, that this I (Land, which was
formerly fo productive of People, fiiould at
prefent be half ruin'd and defarf, fince the
Avarice and Severity of the Spaniards has
made fuch Havock among them.
It rains but rarely in thefe Parts and
they are oblig'd to bring Water by Canals
into their Grounds. The Indians are all $&-
turally mild, fimple, peaceable and credulous. f 'f tb * In "
They have fo great a Veneration for their,,; 5 g
Caciques, that whenever any one of themyfo^.
dies, divers of his Women devote them-
felves to Death, to wait upon him in the
other World. Some Fryars of the Order
of St. Francis being prefent one Day at one
of thefe Ceremonies, had all the Difficulty
in the World to diffWade feveral Indians
from killing themfelves to do Honour to
their deceas'd Cacique , but they could
obtain only this Favour, that one only fhould
die. This Woman was perfectly handfome j
(he fet herfelf off" with all her fineft Attire,
and took with her a Bottle of Water, and
Bread as if fhe fhould have Occafion for them
in the other World. Her Name was
Gttanehetta Benecbena. When any Cacique has
a Child born all the Inhabitants of the
Neighbouring Territories come to (Mute
the Lady in the Straw and the Child, to
whom every one gives a Name. Some call
him, in cafe he be a Son, the burning Flambeai^
Others the finning Flambeau^ and a third
N 3 fort
1.74 The Geverxl HISTORY
fort the Conqueror of Enemies, and a mo ft
fowerful Lord more precious than Gold. The
Compliment to female Children is, that
they are more odoriferous than Flowers, and
more delicious than the moft charming
Fruits : Moreover, that they are the Eyes
of the Sun and Stars. When any Cacique
is mention'd, all his Denominations muft be
likewife repeated, or they run a Rifque of
being punifh'd for their Negligence.
The Indians adore the Sun and Moon,
^ in and mingle a great many fuperftitious Ce-
^tigion. remonies with their Worlhip. They hold
a Firft, Eternal, Omnipotent and Invincible
Principle, to whom they give two Names,
Mamona and Guamaonocon.^ They fay this
God has a Mother who has five Names,
viz.. Attabeira^ Mamona^ Guacavarita, Stella^
Cemi's. anc * Guin#z.ona. This God they likewife hold
has many Meffengers call'd Cem?s^ and that
every Cacique has one affign'd .him thro' a
fpecial Priviledge. They believe he appears
only in the Night, and reveals to the Ca-
cique a thoufand Secrets ; that he is of the
Colour of Cotton dy'd black, and throws
out Fire at his Mouth. His Feet, they fay,
are like thofe of black Serpents, on two of
which only he fits. When the Indians go
put to fight their Enemies they always have
one of thefe little Figures faften'd to their
Foreheads, believing that by their Affiftance
they (hall ftirely have the Vidory. They
demand Rain of them and Fair Weather,
according as their Occafions require. When
thefe Cemfs appear by Chance in the Woods
brelfewhere, the Indians have always a parti-
cular Veneration for the Places where they
law them.-
When
0fVoYAGES And, TRAVELS. 175
When they have a Mind to be inform'd
of the Succefs of any important Affair, of
the Abundance of their Harveft, of the E-
vent of any War they have engag'd in, of
the Recovery or Death of any confiderable
Perfon, the Chief of the Caciques enters a
fort of Temple dedicated to thefe Cem'is^
where a certain Drink is prefented to him
made of an Herb which the Indians call
Chohobba. This Drink he fnuffs up at the
Nofe, which he has no fooner done than
he grows mad for a Time, the Houfe turns
round with him, and the People walk on
their Heads, in a manner that he knows
not where he is nor what he does, nor in
a Word what he fays. As foon as thefe
Fumes begin a little to abate, he fets him
down upon the Ground with his Hands and
Head upon his Knees, and after having con-
tinu'd a while in this Pofture, he all of a
fudden, as if he had awak'd from a pro-
found Sleep, lifts up his Eyes towards Hea-
ven and mutters certain Words between
his Teeth which no body underftands. The
Principal People of the Country Hand round
the Cacique whilft this Ceremony is perform-
ing, and afterwards return Thanks to the
Cemi for reftoring him to his Senfes, when
they begin to enquire of him what he has
feen. He anfwers gravely the Cemi has
fpoke to him and promised him Vi&ory o-
ver his Enemies if the Queftion be about
Fighting, or elfe Succefs or Information in
fome other matter.
The Indians believe alfo thefe Cem?s have
Converfc with their Wives, and if ibe Belief,
Children that are born happen to have any
particular Mark about them, then they are in a
N 4
1 76 The General HISTORY
manner certain that the Child was begot by
fome Cemi. Since the Ghriftians have beea
Us Ce-j n poiTeflion of Hifpaniolaa\\ thefe Cem?s have
^^difappear'd, and their Delufions ceas'd. The
Indians have concluded from thence their
Country fhould devolve to anojther Domini-
on, and their Caciques be fub je&.ed jto a more
powerful Lord. Thefe Caciques have their
CJb/Wri (/Children inftrucVd by ancient Men of the
the Ca- Country, who pifs among them for Sages
ciques an( } Learned Perfons. They make them learn
ML* '" Verfes by Heart which are to explain to
them the Origin of Things, and to recall
into their Memories the Remembrance of
what their Anceflors have done as well in
War as Peace. They repeat thefe Verfes
to the Sound of a Drum made of hollow
Wood, and dance about at the fame time.
Their Agility is wonderful. They go always
naked, and fpend great part of their Time
in Dancing, thinking of nothing fo much as
to divert themfelves. They have alfo Verfes
upon Love and in Praife of their Miftrefles,
by which they explain their Paflions for them.
They have likewife fad and very moving
Songs in the Elegiac Strain, which they ex-
prefs with fultable Geftures and Tone of
Voice. They have moreover warlike and
grave Songs to animate their People againft
the Perils of War. Thus prepared they will
throw themfelves into the midft of their p,-
nemies with furprizing Intrepidity, and with-
out fearing ejther Wounds or Death, firmly
believing if they die in Defence of their
Country they fhall go to inhabit in the Sun.
Thefe Songs have been handed down to
them by their Anceflors for a long Succe
lion of Time. They have likewife Prophe-
tide
of V O Y A G E'S *nA T R A V E L S.
tick Rhimes by which they pretend the com-
ing of the Europeans into their Country
was foretold a long while before it hap-
pen'd. They accomodate thefe Songs to the
-Words, and fing them in a lamentable and
moving Strain. The Contents of one of
them is thus : The Eternal God has refolv*d
that Men wearing Habits jhall come into thif
Jfland arnfd with long Swords^ and who will
be able to cleave a Man in two with one Stroke^
and that front Head to Foot. Thefe Strangers
will drive away our Cemi's, and aboliflj all our
Ceremonies^ and our Children and Poflerity will
be obliged to fubmit to the Toke of their Domini-
on. They thought at firft the Predictions
contained in thefe Rhimes related to the
Cambals their Neighbours, from whom for
that reafon they would run and hide them-
felves as foon as ever they faw them land.
However it is a conftant Tradition in that
Country, that two of their moft famous Ct-
ciques having fafted for five Days together
in Honour of their Cemfs^ a little before
the Arrival of the Spaniards in that Ifland,
it had been reveal'd to them by Night,
that in a little Time a ftrange Nation all
Cloath'd fhould come and make them all
Slaves. Jt feems the Succefs has verify'd
this Prophecy, for t\\z [Spaniards madethem-
felves Matters of that Ifland much about
that Time. All the Indians have been
tized, and iince the Difplaying of the Chri- dians
ftian Standard in the Indies all the Wor- w Y^
(hip of the Cem?s has been abolifh'd and for-
got.
They (how you at the Foot of a Moun-^ A
tain in the Country of the Cacique Macchia- tions \ m
nes^ a vaft and obfcure Cavern, whofe En- opinions.
trance
The Genevd HISTORY
trance is adorn'd with divers Paintings, and
among the reft two great Figures of the
Cemi's different from each other, which the
Indians formerly went frequently to vilit with
great Devotion, and when they were ask'd
the Reafon of it, they anfwer'd the Sun and
Moon came out of that Cavern to light the
World. They relate many Childifti Notions
concerning the Peopling of the Earth, for
Example that all Men were fhut up in a
very deep Cavern, not being able to get
out becaufe the Sun hindred them, being
unwilling they fhould fee him. For this
purpofe he clap'd Sentinels and Guards at
the Caverns Mouth, one of whom having
the Curiofity to know what pafs'd in the
Ifland came out, but the Sun having quick-
ly obferv'd him, chang'd him into a Rock
for his Difobedience. This fatal Stone is
ftill remaining at the Entrance into the Cave.
They add that divers more of thefe Prifo-
ners being tir'd with their Captivity, came
out in the Night time to take the Air, but
being not nimble enough to return before
the Riflng of the Sun, he caught them and
chang'd them into Trees. One of the old-
ell Inhabitants of this Cave, call'd Vaquoni-*
ana got by flight one of his Children out whom
the Sun foon transform'd into a Nightin-
gale. This they fay is the Reafon that that fmall
Bird lings all the Year round to demand Af-
fi (la nee of his Father, for thefe Indian Night-
ingales are not like ours in Europe, which
fjng only at certain Seafbns. This unfor-
tunate Father being willing to go and com-
fort his Child whom he lov'd tenderly, got out
one Night and carry'd all his Women and other
Children with him, but the Sun having furpris'd
them
of VOYAGES And TRAVELS. 179
them on the Banks of a River, chang'd
theChildrcn into Frogs. Now as thefe Children
underwent great Hunger, they cry'd incef-
fantly Toa, Toa y which flgnifies in Indian^
Mama^ Mama , now faid they, this Toa, Toa^
has remain'd to the Frogs ever after.
The other Inhabitants of this Cave getting m<n ff
out one Might to wafh themfelves in fome^ M
Ponds of Rain Water, they perceiv'd great p^/^
Numbers of Women that like Birds flew
about from Bough to Bough. They were
greatly furpriz'd and charm'd, and endea-
voured all they could to take fome of them,
but they frill Hid thro' their Fingers like
Eles. Having confulted with an old Stager
what they fhould do in this Cafe, he advis'd
thofe that had moft Knots on their Fingers
to endeavour to catch them, but they could
take but four and all the Reft flew away :
Now faid they 'twas thefe four Women
that peopled the Earth, their Children being
permitted to come out of the Caves and no
Body was metamorphos'd ever after-
Now fee what Account they gave oforigin of
the Origin of the Sea. A certain visjry '*****
rich Perfon, one Ala, happening to lofe
his only Son he bore his death with great
regret. Having burnt his Body he put the
Ames into a great Pitcher and buried it
at the Foot of a Mountain not far from
his Habitation. One Day going to vifit
this Pitcher, he faw feveral large Fifh come
out of it, even Whales, and fuch like Sea
Monfters. Being much frighten'd he went
and told this Wonder to his Neighbours,
who not lefs furpriz'd had the Curiofity to
go and fee fb rare an Adventure. In a Word
they all faw the Pitcher full of Filh, and
while
General HISTORY
while one more curious than the reft went
to take it up he chanc'd to, let it fall and
it broke, when on a fudden there rufiVd
forth the Sea and all the Rivers of the
World. The Plains and Valleys were imme-
diatly cover'd with Water, and the Moun-
tains only efcap'd the Inundation by their
Height.
Motions Thefe Indians have odd Notions concer-
the dead * The y believe the Y conceal
themfelves only a Days, and a Nights take
a Walk to eat of a certain Fruit call'd Gua-
bana. They fay they afterwards Hide into
the Houfes, and into the Beds of the Indian
Women under the Forms of Men } that
they appear a Nights in the Streets, and
if any one has Courage to face them fly in-
continently, but if he flies and fhews Fear
of them, they do all the Mifchief they can,
in a Manner that fome People have been
lam'd bythefe fort of Apparitions.
The Schoolmafters alterable the People at
' certain Times to preach thefe Whimfies to
fiftf.them. Thefe AfTemblies are always kept un-
der Trees. Thefe Mafters are in great E-
fteem, for they feign that the Cemfs fpeak
to and reveal to them whatever is like to
happen to every one. Over and above this,they
are likewife Phydcians and have fome Know-
ledge of Herbs and other Medicines. They
Heal with their Juices confiderable Wounds.
When any Cacique is fick he fends for one
How they of thefe School-Matters who is oblig'd to
22$L faft and drink of the Juice of the Plant Cho-
items. ' hobba. That turns him immediatiy to Madnefs
as we have already obferv'd. He then fouls
his Eyes about after a frightful Manner, and
being a little come to himfelf, takes the fick
Perfoh
OYAGES and TRAVELS.
Perfon and places him in the Midft of the*
Chamber into which no Body is permitted to
come except two or three of his Friends. He
next takes three or four Turns round the Ca-
cique fcrewing his Face and Mouth into a thou-
fand frightful Contortions, beating with his
Feet and Hands as if he were diftrafted.
Then he blows upon the Neck, Forehead and
Temples of the Patient. Afterwards fucks
in his Breath, and rubs the Shoulders, Thighs
and Legs of the fick Man. Then he wrings'
his Hands and runs towards the Door to
drive out, if he can, the Malady and Venom
that has taken Pofleflion of the dying Perfon.
He makes him drink moreover the Juices of
certain Herbs, which purge him, afid he for-
bids him to eat before next Morning. If he
perceives there's any Hopes of a Cure, he
plays all the fame Tricks over again, but if
he defpairs of it, he fays the Cem?s are angry
with the fick Perfon, and will not permit
him to live any longer becaufe he has fail'd
in his Refped to them, and not built them an
Habitation fine enough. If it be a Cacique
that dies, his Friends inform themfelves whe-
ther it happened thro' the Difpleafure of the
Cem?s or the Negligence or Ignorance of the
Phyfician, whether he has faded as he ooghtrf*f#>
to have done, or not made Ufe of goo
Remedies. To fucceed in this Enquiry, a
ter having us'd certain Ceremonies for a
whole Might, they lay themfelves down by
the dead Perfon, and, they fay, he reveals to
them in a Dream, what has beea the true
Occafion of his Death. It has fometimes
coll the Phyfician his Life, when the Dream
has not been favourable to him. Theft- are
Part of the Superftitions which have
been-
182 The General HISTORY
been impos'd on the Inhabitants of
niola by their Cem?s and Dodors. The European
Preachers have, however, now undeceiv'd
them by (hewing the Extravagances of thefe
Fables and proving evidently that they have
been deceiv'd by the Devil who is the Au-
thor of all Evil.
Booh from All has been here faid concerning Hifpaniola^
j s t a k en out of Don Pedro^ a Milanezje Mar-'
^ who was at the Court of the Kin &
bsen taken of Spain when Chriflopher Columbus made the
Difcovery of the New World, in 1492.
Giovanni Battifta Ramufio has infer ted it in
liis Third Volume printed in Italian at Venice
in 166$.
Thofe that are deflrous to have a more
compleat Account of the Rarities which are
to be found in Hifyaniola may read what Don
Fernando Cortex has written concerning them
In four ample Relations. The Original of
the firft is not to be got. It feems to be
that which the Council Royal of the Indies
caus'd to be gathered together at the Re-
queft of Pamphilo Narvaez. The fecond and
third have been printed in Spatrifj and are
become very fcarce. The fourth was printed
in Folio in 1525. An Anonymous Author
has tranflated them all, and printed them in
High Dutch.
Pedro Savor wano has tranflated the fecond
and third intxTl^m/, which were printed in
1532 as Valerius Taxandre and Abraham Or-
telius inform us. All three are to be met
with inLatin together with other Works printed
in Folio m 1532. 'Tis probable they are thofe
Taxandre fpcaks of, tho' he mentions but two.
Juan Her v agio has added thefe two Relations
ih the New \Varld of Juan de Parvo. Ramufio
0/V o Y A G E s and T R A v E L s. 18 j
has tranflated them into Italian as well
as the third Relation and inferted them in
his third Volume.
Father Teribio de Motolinia, a Franciscan,
has collected Hiftorical Memoirs which are
yet but Manufcripts. Gabriel Lafo de la Vega
has written a Poem entitl'd the Generous Cortex
printed in Quarto in 1588. He corre&ed it
afterwards and added a thirteenth Canto to
the twelve that were before printed. This
laft Edition appear'd under the Title of La
Mexicana in Ottavo in 1594.
There is a Letter of Chriftopher Colum-
bus written from Jamaica the 7th of July
1503, where he made his lad Voyage, of
which a Relation was fent to their Catho-
lick Majefties printed in Quarto. Altho' Don
Lorenzo Ramirez, de Prado of the Council of
the Indies, pretends to keep it in Manufcrift it
is neverthelefs to be had printed in the
Bibliitbcque of Don Juan de Saldierna.
There is alfb another Relation of the
Voyages ot Chriftopher Columbus, whichj4mericus
Kfpucius tranflated into Italian and printed in
his New World ; and Juan de Prado did the
like in Latin.
Don Fernand Columbu* Son of Chriftopher,
has written the Life and Hiflory of his
Father and his Voyages. Alonfo de, Vlloa has
tranflated it into Italian, and caus'd it to be
printed in Oftavo in 1571*
Lorenzo Gambora has compos'd a Poem in
Latin Verfe on the Navigations of Chriftopher
Columbus. This Poem was printed in Q&tv*
hi 1581.
Another Poem of Juan Baftisla Stella, en-
titled La Colombeida, printed in Latin Verfe in
Quarto La 1589,
The General HISTORY
Lopez. Felix de Vega, has, compos'd 3 Co-
medy on the Difcovering of the New World
by Columbus. > < ,
The New World of Giovanni Tomafo Eflil-
lano is a Poem in Tufcan^ which contains 34
ntos printed in Twelves in 1628.
Father Barthelemy de las Cafas, a Domini*
^ Biftiop of -.Chiappa^ famous for his Wri-
tings among Foreigners, has given us divers
Trafts upon .^different Sub^s i/i the Form
of Memoirs concerning the Affairs of the
New World. One of thefeTrads bears this
Title, Sixteen Remedies againft the P^fi which
deflroys the Indies, as does another _ this Title,
A fjort Account of the Deftruftion of the In-
dies. The Liberty this Author, has givea
himfelf makes him belov'd by Strangers. ,
Theodortts de Bry has translated this laflTraft
into Latin, and given it this Title, The true
Account of the Countries that were deftroy'd in,
the Indies by the Spaniards. He has adorn'd
hiVBook with feveral fine Cutts and printed it
in Quarto in 1598.
Giovanni Battifla Ramufio in his Preliminary
Difcoutfe to his Third Tome which
contains the Hiftory of the Indie j, fays
fpeaktng of Sigaior Gon^ales Oviedo^ that
he had compos'd in Three Parts a General
Hiftory of the Indies^ but that he has only
printed the Firft.. The Second con-,
tains the Difcovery of Mexico and New
Spain^ and the Third comprehends the Con-
queft of Peru. Fernand d' Oviedo came on
purpofe from Hifpaniola to Sevil to printthefe
Voyages, adorn'd with above 400 Figures of
Animals, Birds, Fifli, Trees, Plants, and Sim-
ples unknown to the Europeans. The Author,
printed only the Firft Part, of which we
*
of V o Y A G E s and TRAVELS.
give you here an Abridgment. Altho*
this Hiftory treats of the larne Countries and'
the fame Things with that of Don Pedro
the Martyr, of which we have already given an
Extraft, yet as Travelers have different Gouts
and Views, their Obfeivations may be fo
likewife.
CHAP. XXIV.
An Abridgment of the Natural Hi ft or y
of the Weft-Indies, and, what was found
there moft remarkable by Fdrnand d*
Oviedo, and related in the Conferences
he had with Charles V.
THE Place to fet fail from for the In- Route
dies is corrimonfy Sevfi or San LucarandMan-
where the River Guadalquivir flows into the
Ocean. They fail ftreight for the *^*
a'nd touch either at Comer a or Grand Cana-
ria to take in frefh Water, Wood, Cheefe*
frefh Provifions and' fuch other Things as
they are like to have occafjon for in the
Voyage. This fhor't Cut is made common-
ly in eight Days for it is not above 250
Leagues Sail. When you leave the Canaries
you will be atleaft five and twenty Days be-,
fore you can difcover any of the Iflands that lie
before fJlfpaniola. The fir ft you come at are
the Iflands of Todos los Santos^ Maria Galan-
tk, San Domingo, St. Cbfiftojber** and Guade-
loupe. It happens fome times that Ships go with-
out feeing any of thefe Ifland. They then
tte'er ftrei^ht for the Ifland of St. John, thofe
O o
i86 The General HISTORY
of Hifpaniola, Jamaica or Cuba which lie far-
ther off. It may alfo happen that they may
arrive at the Terra Firma without feeing
any of thefe Illands, which is occafion'd by
the fmall Experience of the Pilots for when
they know their Bufinefs they always touch
at fome of thefe Iflands the neareft of which
is 906 Leagues or thereabouts, from the
Canaries. From thefe firft Iflands to Hifpa-
niola they reckon 150 Leagues, fo that that
Ifland muft be Diftant from Sevil about 1 300
Leagues. The PafTage from Hifpaniola to the
Terra Flrma is for the moft part perform'd
in feven or eight Days. One may lay in
general that the whole Ifland of Hifpaniola
is exceeding fertil and that if it were pofTefs'd
by one Sovereign, he would foon be richer,
and more powerful then a King of -Sicily or
Cyprus.
four-fat- Before the Europeans came thither there
Btafts were no Animals to be found there of four
Feet exce P t tw forts of little R abbits > one
of which the Iflanders call'd in their Lan-
guage Vtias^ and the other Coris. What-
ever four footed Beafts are there now be-
fides thefe have been brought from Spain.
They have multiply'd exceedingly efpecially
Bulls and Cows } fome of the Inhabitants
have at leaft 2000 to their fhare. 'Tis true
there are not better Failures in all the World y
clearer or fofter Water, nor a more pure or
temperate Air. Animals there are never lean,
nor of a bad Taft. The Fertility of the
Country and the great Abundance of all
Neceflaries that is to be found there has
^ r : .^rendred the Inhabitants very rich and flou-
and it is no Rhodomontade to fay
on of
>,m ngothat San Domingo y is to the full as rich as
Bar-
ejfVoYAGES and TRAVELS. 187
Barcelona. The Streets are all large, ftrait
and laid out by Line, and the Sea walhes
the City-Walls. The Church of St. Dominick
is magnificently built of a fair Stone or fat
Earth, and fo well put together that nothing
could be better fancy'd. On the other Side
of the City the River O^ama wafhes the In-
habitants Houfes and forms a vaft Port in its Port.]
which Ships of the greateft Burden may
ride, and which come and unlade even at
the Burghers Doors. 'Tis rare to find any
other Port fo commodious for lading and un-
lading of Merchandifes.
The Houfes of this City are built wit
fo great Neatnefs, that hardly any Lords ola ;
In Caftile lodges better than the common
Citizens do here. The Natives of Hifpaniola
are naturally letter in fize than thofe of
Europe. They have large Foreheads, black
Hair and very long, no Beards, nor any
other Hair about their Bodies any more
than Women have } their Colour is light
Brown. They go all naked except their
Privy Parts but which they cover fo flightly
that one may eafily fee what Sex they are
of. They ha've but one Wife, and they marry
neither their Daughters nor their Sifters but '
contraft in all other Degrees. They eat two
forts of Bread, one made of Mai^ a Grain
like Millet, and the other of Caffave^ which
is a fort of Root. The Places where
Wood grows are more proper for Tillage/v^j
than where Grafs, for they grub up tktpsr fa
Roots of Wood and fovv Maiz. there. Thefe^--
Roots with the Wood they burn upon the
Ground and the Afhes, render it fertil by fat-
tening it. knlndian takes aStakeof a Mans height
and pitches it imo the Giound with all his
Q 2 force
The General HIS TORY
Manner o/force, then pulling it out puts five or fix:
6rains of Maiz. into the Hole and covers
it. A Foot from thence he makes another
Hole, and fo continues to do till all the
Tims of Fi^d is fown. Their Harveft is about four
Months after, and in fbme Places in Three.
When the Grain begins to grow ripe they
are oblig'd to look after it for fear of the
Parrots that fvvarm in this Country. Chil-
dren have the Charge of driving them away,
for which purpofe they plant themfelves in
little Huts made of Reeds on the Tops of
Trees, and bawl out inceflantly which frigh-
tens the Birds.
The Stalk of this Maiz, is commonly the
feriFd. Height of a Man, the Ear of the Length of ones
little Finger, and the Leaf much like thofe
of our Reeds in Europe, but larger and more
flexible. Every Stalk has a Bunch, in which are
3 or 400 Grains. Every Bunch is enclos'd
with two or three Coats one upon another,
which cover the Grain and fecure it from
the Wind and Sun. The Natives roaft this
rMaiz. and eat it without more ado. When
it is young and tender they do not roaft
it, but eat it as it is. The Europeans give
this Grain to their Horfes and Beafts of
Burden. They that have a mind to make
Bread of it pound it with all their Force
in a Stone-Mortar, and throwing in Water
by little and little make a Pafte, which they
wrap up in the Leaf of an Herb prepar'd for
that purpofe, then laying it on the Coals
it bakes and grows hard, and at length
becomes very white Bread. This Bread muft
he eat very hot, for as foon as it cools it
jofes its Taft, and turns dry and harfh, fo
that one is at no fmall Trouble to chew it.
This
(/VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 189
This Bread will not keep but becomes
mouldy in three or four Days, and is fit
for nothing but to be thrown away.
The Caffave is the Root of a Plant which
the Indians call Juca. It fhoots out of the
Earth to the Height of a Man. Its Leaf
is about as large as ones Hand, and fome-
what refembles that of Hemp. The manner
o.f Planting it is by putting thefe Stalks Into^d.
little Hills rais'd at an equal Diftance from
each other, and plac'd in a Line as we plant
our Vines in Europe. The Root only is va- //OR> &
luable, and refembles large Carrots red with-
out and white within.' They fcrape them to
make Bread, and afterwards pound thofe
Scrapings and put them into a Sort of Bag
made of Palm-Leaves, which they twift found-
ly to get out the Juice, as we do pounded
Almonds to get the Milk. This Juice of the
Cajfirve is mortal, no Poifon is more dange-
rous or violent. A Glafs of it will be fure to
kill a Man upon the Spot. What remains
of the Caffave after it has been well fqueez'd
they make Bread of. They put it into an
Earthen Platter of fuch Bignefs as they have
a mind to give the Loaf, and the Pafle
foon grows hard being fet near the Fire,
after which they expofe it likewife to the
Sun. What is remarkable is that this Juice
of Cajfave, which is naturally a dangerous
Poifon, being boiFd fometimes, and after-
wards fet in the Air for certain Days, turns
fo mild that it changes into a pleafant fort
of Honey, which the Indians make ufe of in
their Ragouts. But what is yet more diffi-
cult to believe unlefs one has feen it, is
that this very fame Honey being boiPd a-
gain and expos'd anew to the Air, turns
O
The General HISTORY
effeftually to Vinegar, which may be made
life of without any manner of Danger. The
Bread made of Caffave will keep a Year and
more, and may be tranfported any where
without fear of its Corrupting. It is for
this Reifon reckpn'd a good Provifion for
Ships \ but then it mud be, preferv'd from
all manner of Moifture. It fometimes hap-
pens that Caciques , and other confiderable
Men among the Indians^ being weary of
living, murther themfelves in a Company by
drinking the Juice of this Plant. Before
they proceed to drink they lay before their
Friends and Relations the Reafoas that in-
duc'd them to fo barbarous a Refolucion,
and they commend them for it, and to tefti-
fy their Friendfhip for them take each a
Glafs of the fame Juice and die with them,
without its being in the Power of any Re-*
jnedy to afford them an Antidote.
One of the fineft Ragouts among the In-
ch ths dians is made of certain Serpents of an Am-
Indians phibious Nature, for they* are to be found
louts 0f in the Water ^ oa ^ e Ground, or upon
Trees. Their Figure has fomething fright-
ful in it, altho' they are not larger than
Rabbets. They have Lizard's Tails. There
are of them white, red, and of other Co-
lours. They have Prickles upon their Backs
fticking up like thofe of certain Fifh. Their
Teeth are ftiarp and pointed like Dogs.
Their Snouts are long with Whsikers. They
are Dumb, for they are never heard to
cry, nor fo much as hifs, which is the Pro-
perty of other Serpents. They luffer them-
felves to be taken and bound without do-
ing any Mifchief. They can fubiift fifteen
Or twenty Days without eating or drinking.
Their
of VOYAGES /^TRAVELS. 191
Their Forefeet are long as ones Finger
with Birds Claws , which being foft
are little capable of Grafping. Few People
would have the Courage to eat of thefe
Animals if they did but fee them firft, tho*
to fpeak Truth they have an excellent
Relifh. It has been obferv'd that the Flefh
of thefe Creatures was very bad for fuch ^^ad for the
have labour'd under the Venerial Difeafe, Ven'eriai
and altho' they have been cur'd for fome vijhmptr
time it renews their Diftqmper.
In the Illands of Cuba^ St. Jokn^ Jamaica
and Hifyaniola there were no Four-footed
Beafts before the Spaniards brought them
thither, but now they abound in great Num-
bers. There are in the llland of Cuba a Partridges
fort of Partridges very fmall but which in-
finitely furpafs in Favour ours of Europe.
They are eafie to be taken and may be made
Tame in four Days. What is greatly to
be wondred at, there are in this Ifland a
fort of natural Bullets of a very hard fmooth
Stone, and of divers lizes which are found Bullets.
in a large Plain between two Mountains.
Thefe Stones eafily fit all Bores of Muskets
and Cannons. They feem either a Mineral
or a Flint. By digging a little you find as
many as you pleafe of them. There is ano-
ther thing very remarkable in this Ifland,
and that is a fort of Bitumen, or fuch like K
Liquor which rouls down from a Mountain
and is very proper to Tar Ships withall.
This Tar, Pitch, or what you pleafe, fwims
upon the Sea on that fide where the Wind
drives it or the Current carries it, and may
be taken up in great Quantities. Quintu*
Curtius tells you Alexander the Great found in
his Expedition to the Eaft -Indies a large Ca-
O 4 vera
1 92 The General HISTORY
vern fill'd with Bitumen, and it may be 'twas
with this Pitch that the Walls of Babylon
were ci merited.
Indian ^ e Jn ^ an5 hunt wildGeefe with a great deal
Matter tf?f Addrefs. Thefe Geefe coming upon the
i*fcwiwW Lakes ' of the Ifland in vaft Flights the Na 1 -
"Geefi. tives put a great Number of Pitchers into
the Water which fwim' on all Sides as the
Wind drives them. This odd Sight at firft
frightens the Geefe, who immediatly tiy a-
way, but at length, being us'd to it, return
to the Lake. When they begin to be pretty
Tame the Indians put their Heads up to the
Shoulders into fome of thefe Pitchers and
fwim towards that fide where the wildFowl are,
when coming upon them unawares they pull
them by the Legs into the Water and drown'd
them. This done they ftick them in their
Girdles, and continue fb to do till they have
k fufficient Load, when they return to Land
again with what they have got. The Birds
accuftorrfd to fee thefe Pitchers are not a-
fraid of them and confequently remain quiet
upon the Water without perceiving the Snare.
You mull remember the Indians fwim with
the fame facility and fwifaiefs'that ilh do.
4 partiai'The Europeans arriving in thefe Iflands were
lir P/yhmafflicfted with an extraordinary Malady. A
P* r - fort of Animal much lefs than a Flea, bred
in the Soles of the Feet betxveen the Skin
and Flelh. This rais'd a Blifter which was
foon- fill'd with Nitts and which being neg-
leded to be cleans'd the Blifter encreas'd in
fuch Manner that it became incurable and
many have loft the Ufe of their Feet
by it.
CHAR
VOYAGES and TRAVELS.
CHAP. XXV.
Of the moft remarkable Things to be found
on the Terra Firrna of the New World.
THE Indians of the Terra Firma are taller Indians of
and better made than thofe of the'* ff Ter-
Iflands, and there are fome among them of ra firma "
very good Miens. On the Coaft of Panama
and other Coafts the Sea decreafes fo pro-
digioufly, that you lofe Sight of it without
being able to difcover whither it retires.
It fwells in Proportion when the Waters
return to their Shores.. What is incon- xmwr .
ceivable is that in fo ihort a Space as 20 n na!r y
fmall Leagues, which there are only be- Flux and
tween the North and South Seas, there ^flx.
fhould be fo great a Difference between
the Flux and Reflux, that one would be
tempted to imagine they were not the fame
Sea.
The Difference between the Lands and Continual
Poffefllons caufe continual Wars among thetf 7 ^ *d
Indians. They that have leaft are continu-'^A**/
ally endeavouring to difpoffefs thofe that -' 11
have more. They make Slaves of all they
become Matters of, and fet Seals upon their
Chains, as moft Perfons of Quality in Europe
do their Coats of Arms on their Blacks Col-
lars. Some Lords pull out one of the fore
Teeth of their Slaves to diftinguifh them by
that Mark. The Canibals that inhabit along Cuftoms of
the Goaft of Carthawna make no Slaves ^ Cani-
they eat all they take both Men and Wo- bals '
men. They give Quarter neither to Stran-
gers
*94 The General HISTORY
gers nor their Enemies. They preferve fome
Women indeed for their domeftick Services
and Children to make Soldiers of, but the
greateft Part they devour. They geld the
Children of Foreigners to make them grow
fat and render them more delicious Food,
as we do Capons in Europe. That they may
make them more frightful in War they are
accuftom'd to paint their Faces black and
red.
Tequmas They have amoag them certa i n Religious
People whom they call Tequinas^ and to whom
they pay the greateft Refpeft. Thefe Te-
quinas confult the Devil about all Affairs of
State, as whether they (hall go to War or
not, and at what Time, to which, the Devil
being an old Aftrologer, often gives fuch
Anfwers as prove proper, which the Tequinas
immediatly make a Report of to the Peo-
ple. The Indians deceiv'd by thefe Pre-
dictions, fee the Effect of all thefe Things
that had been foretold them for a long
while before they happen, which enclines
them eafily to believe the reft. There are
rii certain Provinces where human Flelh is of-
fer'd in Sacrifice to thefe Demons, but in
fome they content themfelves to burn Incenfe
and fvveet Odours to them.
If it happens the Succefs does not
of the In- anfwer the Predictions of the Tequina^ he im-
dians. pudently tells the People God has chang'd
his Mind, and is not afham'd to impofe on
poor Ignorants in the grofTeft Manner. They
pay their principal Devotions to the Sun
and Moon, but they likewife look upon their
Caciques as vifible Gods. They pay them
all imaginable Refpeft and do them all the
Service within their Power. When any Ca-*
(/VOYAGES And, TRAVELS. 195
fique comes to die, his chief Servants both
Men and Women kill themfelves to accom-
pany and ferve him in the other World.
It is a common Error among thefe Wretches,
that thofe who make away with themfelves
for the fake of their Cacique go with them
dire&ly to Heaven, to do them the fame
Services they did when here upon Earth,
whereas if they fhould die natural Deaths,
they think they fhould not be fo certain
of fuch Happinefs. They believe alfo that
the Souls of thofe that have not the Cou-
rage to kill themfelves, die with their Bodies
like thofe of other Indians that have not the
Honour to belong to the Caciques. Before they
make away with themfelves, they have the
Precaution to bury in the Ground a certain
Quantity of Afaiz, and other Provifions to
fublift them in the other World, or to fow
fome Grain if by chance they happen to
want Afaiz. in that Country.
Upon the Sea Coafts the Indians compofe^ w t
a Poyfon of certain odoriferous Apples, Ants^pojfon '
Scorpions and other venemous Infeftspoun-^> A
ded together, of all which they make a kind rows *
of bhck Pitch with which they rub their
Arrows when they go out to fight. Thofe
that are wounded with thefe Arrows imme-
diately die mad. They throw themfelves
on the Ground , bite their Flefh, and
tear it to Pieces, without its being pof-
fible to cure them. There are Diftinftions
and Degrees of Honour among the Indians
as with us in Europe. Thofe they call Ca-
bras are a Sort of Knights or Gentlemen.
They merit that Title by having performed
fome eminent Adion in War, or by receiv-
jng fome honourable Wound. Thefe Cabras
have
19 6 The Gemrd HISTORY
have Command over the reft; the/ have
Lands and Women given them as a Re-
ward ; they are diftinguifh'd by the People \
their Children fucceed to their Honour and
like them are oblig'd to go to the Wars :
Their Wives over and above their com-
mon Names, are ftil'd Effanes^ which is as
much as to fay Ladies. This is likewife the
Title which the Caciques Ladies have.
They dt- pifh is the common Food of the Indians,
which makes them live upon the Sea Coafts
or the Banks of Rivers where they can fi(h
commodioufly. They prefer Fifh to Flefh
and Venifon. They neverthelefs kill wild
Boars anc i s t ags whofe Flefh they eat. They
or Stags. take them j n Nets Of kin them with Ar-
rows or Clubs. They take off their Hair
and Skins with fiiarp Stones. They cut them
into Quarters and roail them the fame Day,
for they would ftink if they kept them any
longer by reafon of the Heat of the Climate.
Torrid -phe Ancients imagin'd the Torrid Zone was
WiSt ' Ufl habitable, and tna t Men could not under-
go the extream Heats that reign near the
Equinottial Line j but altho' the Earth be ex-
tream hot when one digs a little, yet on the
fuperficies it is frefli and moift by Reafon of
the Rains that fall here continually, without
mentioning the Torrents, Rivers, Fountains
and Marfhes wherewith this Country abounds.
The Dews of the Night contribute like-
wife towards tempering the Heats of the
Day.
,.' The Caciques and Chief among the Indians
take as many Wives as they pleafe, but
always of their own Nation, thofe of other
Countries, and that fpeak another Language
being ftridly forbid them. The Eldeft Male
is
of V o Y A G E s 'and TRAVEL
is prefumptive Heir to his Father's Dominions \Hcln and
By default of Males the Daughters fucceed,^ 1 " 1 ^'
and become likewife Caciques after their Fa-
ther's Death. They commonly Marry the
moft confiderable of their VafTals. If the
Eldeft of the Children has Daughters only
and no Sons, they lhall not fucceed but the
Male Children of the fecond Daughter. Perfons
of a meaner Condition take only one W if e^ -Divorce.
but they fometimes put her away to take
another that they fancy more. This however
feldom happens. The mutual Confent of
both Parties, or of but one, fuffices for a
Divorce which is generally made ufe of when^ w?n D f
there are no Children. Women of elevated Duality.
Conditions make nothing of defpenfing their
favours liberally, giving for rcafon that fuch
as they ought never to refufe any thing
that is ask'd of them , but then they do
not proftitute themfelves to poor Wretches,
or fuch as are below them. They look up-
on all the Europeans as illuflrious Perfonages
altho' they are not ignorant of the diffe-
rent pegrees among us. They hare ever
a great Regard and Refpeft for fuch as have
any Poft or Command, and they always e-
fteem themfelves greatly for being be-
lov'd by them. After they have once had
any Commerce of this Kind with any Chri- Faithful
ftian, they obferve the greateft Fidelity to-^^tu-
wards him, providing he does not abfent r P eans
himfelf long from them, nor go a great
way off.
The Cacique that fucceedsin the Govern-
ment always buries honourably in his
Houfe all thofe that had the Gencrofity to
accompany his Father to the other World.
It is a Cuftom to bury with them great
Quan-
The General HISTORY
Quantities of Gold and Pearls, together with
fuch Inftruments as they made ufe of while
alive, that they may likewife have them to ufe
them in the other World. When any one
goes about to prove to them the Ridicu-
loufnefs of their Superftitions, and tltat
whatever they bury in the Ground does but
mould and rot there, they anfwer ftupidly
that the Dead have occafion for thofe things,
and therefore they thought fit to furnifli
them with them. All the Arguments in
the World to difTwade them from their Er-
rors fignify nothing, they ftill perfift in their
frightful own Way. All the Figures they have of
figures o/the Devil are frightful, with Horns and
*k Devil. ra gons Tails. They likewife believe that
the Devil is the Caufe of the Hurricanes
that wafte the Indies in a ft range Manner,
for they overthrow entire Towns, pull down
jty(/&ffc.vaft Trees from the Mountains, and hurry
Hon. them away with fuch Violence, that no
Force is able to refift it. It has been ob-
ferv'd that in the Places where the Holy Sa-
crament lies the Hurricanes have never come,
which may convert all thofe that are doubt-
ful of the Corporal Prefence.
Ceremo- The Ceremonies the Indians obferve at
b the Obfequies of their Cacique* are extraor-
dinary enough. They lay the Body upon a
large Board or Stone, about which they
light Fires to heat the Carcafs, till fuch
Time as the Greace and Humours diftil
thro' the Pores and under the Nails, and
the Flefh is fo dried that it cleaves to the
Bones. When it is brought to this Pafs,
they place the Body in a feparate Appartment,
where the Bodies of their Anceftors all are,
and which hive been dried after the fame
Manner
of VOYAGES and TRAVEL s^ 199
Manner. Thus may be feen at one View
the whole Generation of Caciques that have
govern'd a State. If any Cacique happens to
die in a Battel, either by Land or Sea, and
it is impoflible to come at his Body to de-
pofit it among his Anceftors, then is a void
Space lett to preferve the Memory of fuch
Cacique, and his Children take Care to have
fuch Verfes made as may defcribe the Caufe
and Manner of his Death, wh ch are very
folemnly fnng upon fuch Occaflon. Both
Men and Women afTemble together to re-
cite thefe Verfes, preceded by one who ve-
ry gravely leads up the Proceflion. He re-
peats with a low Voice what the others
roar out, accomodating as well as may be
their Steps to the Song. This Solemnity
lafts four or five Hours, and fometimes a
whole Day. Whilft they are finging, Care
is taken to give them Drink from Time to
Time, which is a Sort of Wine delicious
enough, fo that the Singers oftentimes be-
come fuddFd before they have done. They
relate after what Manner all their Caciques
died and they intermix with their Relations
a thoufand Extravagancies, fuch as their Fan-
cies fuggeft to them.
To make the Wine they drink they take^a!*-
Grains of Mal^ and throwing them into7w<?.
Water let them lie there till they grow
foft and fwell. Then they boil thefe Grains
with the Water, and after having let them
boil for fome time they take them off the
Fire and fet them by till next Morning.
This Drink is in its Perfe&ion the third or
fourth Day, but from the fifth it begins to
turn fower, for which reafon they make on-
ly as much as they can drink i;i three or
four
The GeveulU I S T OR Y
four Days. It is much better than Cider o?
Beer, and tis what makes the Indians fat,
and preferves their Health. Moft of the,
tijats ani Indian Huts are round and built like a
Furnhnre.p aV i\][ on w i t h a very .hard fort of Wood.
They are hung ^11 about with Cane Mats:
wove with certain Strings that hang from
Trees which they render as flexible as they
pleafe. The Europeans add Balconies and o-
ther Conveniencies to thefe Houfes, and
lodge very pleafantly and neatly. Thefe Ha-
bitations for the moft part are in the Val-
lies or along Rivers, where are to be found
the greatefb Abundance of Provifions. Their
Beds are rais'd from the Ground about four
or five Feet, the better to fecure them from
the Infults of Beafts and Infe&s, and in cold
Countries they have a Pah of Coles fee under
their Beds to warm the'm.
Great The Indians of both Sexes are naturally
.gr eat Swimmers } they are no fooner born
than thay are brought acquainted with the
Water. Their Sculls are four times as thick
^ larger than ours in Europe, fo that when
we attack them in Battel it is not their
Heads we mud aim 3t. They are Sword-
Proof, and will foon break a Blade to pieces.
When they find themfelves over-ftock'd with
Blood, they pierce the Veins of their Hands'
and L e g S w j t h tne point of a fharp Stone,
. t fc Tooth of a viper, or a fort of Needle
made of Cane. 'Tis rare to fee any Indians
have Beards, or Hair in any part of their
other o Bodies. They are accuftom'd to paint their
Skins, and their Favourite-Colour is Black,
but they lay none upon their Faces except
it be on thofe of Slaves which is a Mark
that diftinguifhes them from Free-Men. Be-
fore
(/VOYAGES and TRAVELS.
fore they begin to fight they found a Charge
with certain Horns which make a great
ISloife. They have likewife Drums which
they ftrike only on one Side like Tabres.
They wear Plumes of Feathers of all Colours,
which have a very agreeable Effect,* They
have upon their Breafts great Plates of Gold
rather for Ornament than Defence. They
wear likewife Bracelets, for altfio' the In-
dians are but very ill equip'd at other Times,
they are refolv'd to be magnificent in War.'
Thefe Bracelets are intermix'd with Gold
and Pearl. They cover their Arms with
them from the Elbow to the Hand, and their
Legs from their Knees to their. Ancles. ; Wo-
men are very curious about thefe Orna-
ments. They wear moreover Gold Rings
in their Ears and Nofes, to the latter of
which they hang large Pearls that bob againifc
their Lips.
The Male Indians cut their Hair* but the
Female let it hang about their Shoulders.
Thefe fliave their Eyebrows with fliarp
Stones. Thofe that are mofl: confidera-
ble fet themfelves off with Necklaces
made of Pieces of Gold faften'd together
with Cotton Strings. Women of Fafhion
follow their Husbands to the Wars. When
they happen to be Caciques or Cover nef
of a Country, they command their Troops
themfelves, and do the Office .of a General.
All Caciques whether Men or Women, have
Twelve of the Stouteft and Strongeft pf their
Subjects to follow and carry them in Lit-
ters. When Two aie weary another two
relieve them with fo great Addrefs and
Agility, that the Litter never Hands ftill till
it Comes to its Journeys End. la this Man-
202 The General HISTORY
ner they wifl travel fifteen or twenty Leagues
a Day, efpecially if the Army march thro*
Plains.
CHAP. XXVL
The different KJnds of Animals to be
found in the Indies,
Indian Ti-Hf^HE Ancients affirm'd the Tigre was the
&rss. X fwifteft of all Terreftrial Animals, he
has fome Refemblance with a Lion in his
Head. His Skin is all over fpotted with
Red, which Spots begin to grow leffer un-
der his Belly and on his Legs. His Teeth
and Claws are terrible, and his Wildnefs
equals that of the fierceft Lion. He fre-
quently devours the Indians and commits
great Ravage in the Country, althp' he be
not near fo fwift as Pliny makes him. To
/fewer kijj kim the Indians go to the Woods with
them. t ^ ie ^ r Bows and Arrows, and a little Dog
who barks inceflantly without daring to come
near the Beaft. The Tigre wearied with thefe
inceflant Barkings mounts a Tree, which the
Archer perceiving he comes within 12 or
1 5 Paces of him and fhoots, retiring as foon as
he has done. The Beaft feeing himfelf wound-
ed falls, and tears the Ground and the
Trunk of the Tree, till having tormented him-
felf about two or three Hours the Archer
returns and finds him dead. Thefe Beafts
#re likevvife taken with Nets.
the
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 205
The Catamountain refembles a tame Cat
as to Colour and Figure, but is much larger
than thefe Tigres we have been fpeaking
of. It is a very dangerous and exceeding
fierce Beaft, and the Europeans fear it more
than any of the other Animals. There are
a.s many Lions on the Terra Firm* of the Lions,
Indies, as there are in Barbery. They are
(mailer and lefs fierce, which it may be
is occaflon'd by the Mildnefs of the Cli-
mate. They will run from you and do no
Harm only to fuch as attack them. The
Bears are fo little to be feard that they
are commonly hunted down and kill'd with
Clubs. Thefe Bears have a wonderful Ad-
drefs at catching of Pifmires hid under f
Hillocks of hard and , impenetrable Earth.
The Manner is thus. The great Heat of
the Sun having made (mall and inpercepta-
ble Clefts in this Hillock, the Bear licks
them with great Patience till fuch time ?s
he has made a Hole big enough to put his
Tongue in. Thefe Infects who love humi-
dity, no fboner perceive fornewhat moid but
they come in Swarms and fettle upon the
Tongue, which when fufficiently loaded the
Bear withdraws and i wallows them ail ac
once j then he puts his Tongue in again and
continues fo dcing till he has not left one
Ant in the Place. The Flefh of wild Boars
in the Indies has a" very ill Tart, bjt
extream >Teceflity the" Europeans were reduc'd
to, at their fir ft landing oblig'd them to
eat of it notwithftanding^its ill Relifh.
There is a fort of frnall Lizard with four
feet very pleafant to look upon. His Body
arid Tail are of a .Spotted Grey, and his
Belly White, This A'niVnal refembks a Horfe
P : barVd
204 The General HISTORY
barb'dand harnefs'd. His Feet and Tail come
from under thefe Barbs, as do likewife his
Keck and Ears. He is very near as big as
a Rabbet and lives under Ground in Holes,
he has dug with his Claws. The Tafte of
this Creature is admirable. He is commonly
taken in Nets or fliot with Arrows at fuch
Time efpecially as the Stubble is burnt in
order to fow the Ground. There is another
- ver y fingular Sort of Animal on the Terra
Firma which the Sfaniards call a Greyhound
by way of Contrary, becaufe he will take
up a whole Pay to go but fifty Paces. His
Body is about two Foot long with four Feet
fo very ilender that they are hardly able to
ibftain his Corps. He has loofe Claws fome-
what like thofe of a Bird, arid rather flides
along upon his Belly than walks. He fome-
times climbs up Trees by the Help of his
Talons. He has round and fmall Eyes, a
Snout like that of a Cat, and a very fmall
Mouth. He lings only, a Nights, and pro-
nounces fix Notes which he falls always by
equal Proportions, as if he fung La, Sol, Fa r
cd Notes. Mi, Re, Vt, his Tone is, Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
As the Lizard, we jufb now fpoke of, fome-
what refembles a barb'd Horfe, this Creature
is a kind of Mufician. After having fung
his Gamut, he lies ftill a while and then begins
again. He is a Night Animal, and Friend
to the Shades, for he never fings a Days.
Thefe Animals are often taken andcarry'd to
People's Houfes, but it is impoflible to con-
.quer their natural Dulnefs, either by me-
nacing or pinching. If he can find any Tree
he will get up into it, and flay there for
eighteen or twenty Days without any Bodies
feeing able to gucfs what he feeds upon,
unkfs
^VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 205
tmlefs it be Air, for he will tie continually
turning about, towards that Side whence the
Wind comes.
There are a fort of wild Cats without Sort f
Number in the Indies. Some of them will wM ^*
imitate all they fee done as Apes or Monkeys
do. When they fee Almonds crack'd with
Stones, they will do the like. When they
fee any Body in the Woods, they break off
large Branches and throw them down upon
their Heads. If any one throws Stones at
them, and the Stones happen to lodge in the
Tree, they will take them and throw them
with great Violence at them again. In like
Manner, when any one wounds them with
an Arrow, they will draw the Arrow out of
their Bodies, and hurl it at the Archer. Some
of thefe Animals are no larger than ones
Hand, ancl fome again as big as great MaftifFs.
The Dogs in Hifoaniola ^ efpecially thofe
the- Canibals make ufe of, neither yelp, bark,
nor make any Noife, tho' you mould almofb
lull them with beating. They are fhap'd
like Wolves, and are fomewhat fiercer than
our European Dogs, neverthelefs they are ve-
ry friendly to thpfe that give them Meat
and Drink.
The Polecats in America, like ours
Euroye, have perpetual War with the Poultry,
and ilrangle them wherever they catch them
to fuck their Blood. What is peculiar to
the American Polecats is, that they carry their
Young about with them wherever they go.
They have a certain loofe Skin under their
Bellies which they can fold into the Form
of a Bag, and where they keep their Young
commodioufly, tho' they hunt about never
ib much. From this Bag or Purfe the little
P 3 or
\
206 The General HISTORY
ones fuck their Dams. They have Tails
and Ears like a Moufe, but much lon-
ger.
America, produces all Sorts of Birds . that
we have, and many more, quite different from
ours that we have not. That Sort call'd
Alcatraz}s ' have Beaks two Handfuls long,
very wide towards the Head, and growing
narrower towards the Tip. This feems a
Sea-Fowl, and has Legs much like to a Goofe.
On the Coafts of Panama the South-Sea ebbs
and flows above two Leagues from fix to
ilx Hours, bringing along with it, when it
comes in, a vaft Quantity of Pilchards.
The Alcatrazls no fooner fee them, but they
come in great [Numbers and plunge into the
Sea for thefe Fifh which they live upon.
XV hen the Sea retires, thefe Birds fojlow their
Prey, but as they return they many times
meet with another fort of Birds that attack
them and force them to quit the Booty they have
got. This Combat is very diverting. When
thus bu fled, you may knock them down with
poles and fill your Canoes with thwn. They
are fat and have an excellent Tafte, The
Spaniards make Oyl of them to burn a
[Nights in their Lamps.
Wild Hens'' ^ e W ^ & ens arv as * ar & c aS ^ eacoc ^ s *
.the Tafte of them is worth nothing, for
they feed upon Ordure and dead Bodies of
Men and Beafts , but in Recompence there
comes out of their Carcaffes an Odour more
agreeable than Musk. This Odour vanifhes
as foon as they die. The Add reft of a cer-
tain Sparrow is extraordinary in hindringthe
wild Cats that climb from Tree to Tree,
from 'devouring his Young. He choofes a
Tree for his Neft feparate from all others;
i - . : This
of V o Y A G E s and TRAVELS. 207
This Neft is a Fathom deep, and hangs
to a Branch very full of Thorns, to ren-
der the approaching it more difficult. There
is only one little Hole in it big enough for
a Sparrow to go in and out at, fo that when
the wild Cats come to attack the Neft, they
can neither reach the Eggs nor the Young,
the Neft: being fo deep, that 'twere impof-
fible for a Cat to get his Claw fo far. You
muft kftow likewife thefe Birds go in great
Flights like Sterlings^ and when they fee the
Cats coming, they will fet up fuch a Noife,
as perfectly frights them, and obliges them
to retire. Sparrows of another Kind that Mother
love to be near the Water, make their Nefts^C"^-
on Branches of Trees that hang over it
by which Means they think to drive
away the wild Cats from hurting them, for
as thefe Branches are weak and bending,
they will not bear the Weight of a Cat that
fhould come to eat their Eggs or their
Young. 'Tis thus that Animals the moft
weak and innocent guard themfelves againft
fuch as are more ftrong and fubtle, thro' a
natural Inftinft given them by the Author
of Nature.
The Colours in Birds Feathers are much colours o
finer and more luftrous in America than Fe
elfewhere, and nothing can be fo pleafant
as to fee fo many that furpafs the Beauty
of Rubies and Emeralds. There is anoth
Sort ot Sparrow whofe Body is no bigger s
than the Top of ones great Finger, yet it
flies fo fwiftly without moving its Wi:
that in the Air you would take it for an
Humble Bee. Their Beaks are (harper and
more pointed, if poflifyle, than a Needle.
When they fee any one going up into the
P 4 Tree
\
2o8 The General HISTORY
Tree, where their Neft is, they will attack
him with fuch Courage and Vigour, 'and
give him fo many Pecks in the Face, that
he foon finds himfelf oblig'd to go down
again fafter than he came up.
jptrs. The Terra Fir ma of Cdftilia f Oro is very
much infefted with yipers, vyho bite and kill
many Indians if they are not aflifted before
the fourth Day. They raife themfelves in-
to the Air to attack PafTengers. When any
one hurt by thefe Pipers is blooded, you get no
Blood from him but only a yellowifh Wa-
ter, and whatever Remedies you ufe, you
can never hinder that Perfon from dying.
islo Body is furpriz'd to fee Serpents here
f even or eight Foot long, which appear in
the Night like fo many lighted Coals. la
the Day Time they look red as Blood, but
their Poyfon is lefs dangerous and fubtil
than that of the Pipers. You forpetimes fincf.
of them above twenty Foot long, and al-
tho' they do no great Harm, their horrid
figure frightens Travellers.
Son of On the Shores you meet with a fort of
Monfters nam'd Lizards cnly from their Fi-
gures, but they are fourteen or fifteen Foot
long, and as large as a Man's Thigh. Their
tipper Lip has divejrs Holes, thro' which you
fee their canine Teeth very fharp, with great
Maftocbfs. This Animal is very fierce in
the Water, and fwims with great Swiftneis,
but at Land it is no lefs flow and heavy.
You find thfem on the Sea Coafts near the
difemboguing of Rivers. They have four
JFeet 1 and exceeding hard Scales. Their
Back-bone is full of Brizles, from Head to
Tail. Their Skin is fo thick that neither
Swords nor Lances can enter it, aad they
are
0fVoYAGES and TRAVELS. 209
are only vulnerable under their Bellies where
they are more foft and tender. They lay
their Eggs in the Month of December^ be-
caufe then the Rains arc lefs frequent and
the Rivers have done overflowing. They
fcrape a hole in the Sand on the Brink of
the Water where they hide Three or Four
Hundred Eggs, which the Sun only hatches
by the Putrefadion, the Males and Fe-
males having no more to do with it.
As foon as the Young are hatch'd they go
of themfelves and find out the Water
where they get their Subfiftence. Some Coafts
abound fb with thefe Animals, that you
cannot look that Way without Horror. They
go out of the Water in great Numbers to
ileep upon the Sand, and return to it'fo
foon as ever they perceive any one coming.
They always go ftrait forwards fb that "if t
one were purfu'd by any of them one need
only ftep a little afide to avoid them.
When they run they carry their Tails curv'd
upon their Backs like Cocks Feathers. Altho'
their Legs are very ihort they do not crawl
upon their Bellies but raife their Bodies
from the Ground about half a Foot. Some
have taken thefe Animals for perfed Croco-
dile s^ altho' thefe laft breath only at their
Mouth*, and move equally their two Jaw-
Bones, whereas the others have not the fame
Propriety. 5 Tis dangerous to go near thofe
Places where they are, for they commonly
devour Dogs, Cows, Horfes and even Men.
You fometimes find in one of their Bellies,
Flints enough to fill two large Paniers.
They are to be taken with Iron Hooks
or elfe fhot while they are in the Wa-
ter. They that have eat of them fay their
Flelh
2io The General HISTORY
Flefh is pretty well tafted. As for their
Eggs they are eaten without Fear in feveral
forts of Sauces, and are fold in the Markets
like Geefe or Pullets Eggs.
large spi- Spiders here become as large as Sparrows \
ders. upon opening them you find their Bodies
full of thofe Threads wherewith they make
their Webs. You have on the Terra Firma
Land- great Numbers of Crabs, as in Europe on
Crabs the Shores. Without their Relief Tra-
vellers would oftentimes perifh with Hun-
ger. You fee them come out of cer-
tain Holes and take them eafily becaufe
they go but flowly. 'Tis to be fear'd thofe
Crabs eat fomewhat that is venemous becaufe
fometimes People die inftantly that have fed
on them. The Canibals make ufe of them
as one Ingredient in their Venom wherewith
they poifon their Arrows, for which Reafon
the Europeans dare not touch them when they
fee them near a fort of Trees that bear
venomous Apples.
Indian The Indian Fruits have much more ex-
Fruit. quilite Taftes than ours of Europe by reafon
f the Difference of Climate and the Afped
c _, __. , . >
or the Sun. That which they term Mamei,
is as large as two of o\ir Bon-Chretien Pears. It is
divided into three Parts by a fmall inward
Film. Its Kernel is in the Middle and re-
femblcs a blanch'd Chefnut } but it is as
bitter as Gall, tho' the Fruit be fo very
agreeable. This Fruit tafts fomewhat like
a Peach, and has a very odoriferous Flavour.
The Guanabano is a great Tree whofe Bran-
chcs are ftreight , it bears a Fruit like a
Melon and its 'Rind is wrought, as it were, with
a great many Scales, 'it is alfo of the Thick-
Jisfs of the Rind of&Mclw \ the infide of the
Fruit
of VOYAGES a,nl TRAVELS. 211
Fruit is a fort of Pafte incloflng a delicious
Liquor. There are likewife feveral Seeds
larger than thofe of Cajjia and of the fame
Colour. Thefe Fruits weigh at lead two
or three Pounds each, and never hurt the
Stomack tho' you eat never fo much of
them.
The Coco-Trees refemble thofe Palms that Coco-
bear Dates , if we have regard to their Site
or the Shape of their Leaves, but the Coco
Leaves grow out of the Trunk of the Tree
like the Fingers of ones Hand. This Tree
rifes to a great Height and great Numbers
of them are to be met with on the Coafts
of the South Sea ; their Fruit is ty'd to the
Body of the Tree wrap'd up in a certain
Rind or Flax whereof the Indians make
very fine Cloth, of three or four forts, and
Sails for Ships -, neverthelefs they fomewhat
Defpife this Cloth, becaufe they have great
Quantities of exceeding fine Cotton. There
is within the Coco a fort of white Pulp of
the tafte of Almonds, and when you pierce
it with a Bodkin there conies out a large
Glafs full of a very lufcious Liquor, in a
Manner that this Fruit affords you both
Meat and Drink. The Europeans make Cakes
of this Milky Liquor mix'd with Metiz.-
Flower, which nourifhes extreamly, and fat-
tens like the Juices of the beft Meat. They
which have try'd it fay the Strangury is to
be cur'd by drinking out of thefe Coco-fhells
which makes you pifs freely and diflblves,
or makes the Stones pafs.
In the I (lands of Hifpaniola, Cuba^ Jamaica
and San Domingo, Palm Trees are to be metp^/ww.
with of all kinds, and among others fome
that are black, whereof the Indians make
fuch
2 The General HISTORY
fuch excellent tough and hard Arrows that
they will pierce thro' a Man Target and
all. They likewife make Lances, Pikes and
Clubs of them for the Wars. The Woods
^t abound with wild Vines, which bear
excellent Grapes much larger and better
tafted than ours of Europe find if they were but
cultivated and tranfplanted, no doubt but
Figs* they would be yet finer. The Figs are as
large as Melons and they are eaten the fame
Way by cutting Slices out of them long-ways.
They are cover'd with a Down like to that
Pur Trees 011 Q^ inces ' The Indian Pear Trees grow
very large and have Leaves like Laurels but
Greener. Their Fruit fometimes weighs a
Pound} the Kernels refemble blanch'd Al-
monds and are very bitter, they are inclos'd
in a very loofe Film, between which and
the firft Skin there is a Liquor of furpri-
ling Tafte and Flavour. All thefe Fruits, as
fine as they are, Nature prefents them with,
for they grow without any Manner of cul-
tivating.
Guaican. The Tree which the Indians call Guaican
(with us Guaicum) is good to cure Ve-
Kife and nerial Diftempers, which are as common in the
Prifrtftofjfalfa as with us in Europe, but much lefs
" x * dangerous by Reafbn of the Goodnefs of the
Air which purifies the Blood. The Rind ot
this Tree is all over fpotted with green.
They rafp it and boil it in a certain Quan-
tity of Water, which becomes a Drink to
be drank feveral Times a Day, obferving a
ftrift Diet. Venerial Diftempers were never
heard of in Spain before the Difcoveries made
by Chriftopher Columbus, who 'tis probable,
brought them with him from the Indies, and,
fo they fpread over other Parts of Europe.
Iii
ofV OY AGES and TRAVELS. 215
In the Year 1495, when the great Captain
Gonfalvo of Cordoua went into Italy to affift
Ferdinand King of Naples againft the French
King Charles VIII. divers Spaniards of his
Army being infeded with this Diftemper,
communicated it to the Neapolitans, where
they have eftablilh'd themfelves ever iince.
Now becaufe feveral French cpntinu'd for a
Seafon in Italy, the Italians call'd it the French
Difeafe, and the French the Difeafe of Naples,
becaufe France never knew it before the
War of Naples, from whence it difpers'd it
felf into other Countries of Europe. It is
rare to have any thing to do with any In-
dian Woman without getting it, but tho' it
be eafily got it is likewife as eafily cur'd.
The Fruit of the Tree which the /#<&*/ Xagua.
call Xagua refembles a Poppy, and affords a
clear Liquor in fuch Abundance, that the
lilanders warn their Legs and Bodies with it.
It dyes a jet Black which can hardly be wafh'd
away. The Soldiers ftain their Faces with it
before they go to Battel, to render themfelves
more terrible. The Natives fometimes play-
Tricks with the Europeans, by mixing fcented
Waters with this Liquor, with which if they
do but warn their Faces, they are furprh'd
to find them turn'd black in a Moment, in
fuch Manner, that all the Water in the Sea
would not be able to warn it out prefently,
and tho' they mould fley their Skins they
could not hardly get rid of it immediately -,
Time only can fuffice to get away thofe
Stains.
The Venomous Apples which tfaCanibaltVent
compofe their Poyfons of to envenom their Apples.
Arrows, vefemble in Figure and Colour
Musk Pears. They are fpeckFd with red and
* have
The General HISTORY
have a molt odoriferous Flavour. Thefe
Trees grow on the Sea Side, upon the ve-
ry Brink of the Water, and all that fee the
fine Colours of their Fruit are defirous to
tafte of them. Their Juice mix'd with a
fort of Fifmires and lifers pounded together,
compofes a Poyfon that is incurable. The
Belt Remedy for it is to wafh fpeedily and
frequently in the Sea, but of fifty hardly
three will recover. If one chances to fall
afleep under the Shade of one of thefe Trees,
ones Head and Body will immediatly fwell,
but one drop of Dew from it will put out
ones Eyes, nay, they will jnftantly burft, fo"
great is the Force of this Poyfon. The Num-
ber of thefe Trees is almoft innumerable,
and when any of its Wood is thrown into
the Fire it will ftink prodigioufly, and caufe
a Head-Ach that is infupportable.
Very Urge Upon the Borders of the River Cuti y near
the City of Darien, there are Trees fo ex-
ceflively large that Canoes of one Piece are
made out of their Tronks, which are able
f to carry at leaft 130 Perfons and Room left
to pafs to and fro. They have two Sails
made of Cotton - 7 you fee fometimes of thefe
Trees that have three Roots rais'd above
Ground triangularly, and fo high, that a
Chariot may pafs under them. At the Height
of a Pike they reunite into one Tronk which
rifes higher than any Tower in Europe be-
fore it (hoots forth any Branches.
odd WAJ The Indians have a new, and altogether
rikwg unknown Way to us, to ftrike Fire. They
take a fmall Stick of very hard Wood made
round and fmooth, and of about eight Inches
long, and the Thicknefs of ones little Fin-
ger. This done, they tic two little Ends of
dry
of V Y A G E S dfid T R A V ELS. 21 J
Wood together and lay them upon the
Ground. When they have a Mind to get
Fire, they put this Stick between the two
others which they move along very fwiftly
till fuch time as the Fire comes.
You fee fometimes in Europe rotten Wood faring \
that will fhine a Nights } in like manner ^<*
they have in the Indies a fort of Wood that
will fhine like Fire. The Europeans make
ufe of it to light them thro' unknown
Countries, or when they have a Mind to
go and furprife their Enemies by Night. They
make fome of the Indians who know the
Roads, march before them and they fatten
to their Shoulders fome of this Wood which
(nines like fo many Stars, and ferves to
guide the Army along, but as this Light
does not dart its Rays far, the Enemy
can never come by that Means to know of
their March.
Pliny the Philofopher in his Natural Hiftory, Moft Trees
makes mention of fome Trees that are al-*^ '^
ways green in every Seafon, viz., the Lawrel^ *
Cedar, Olive, and the Orange-Tree: But we
may fay in general all the Trees in th^
Indies, except that which bears Caffia, keep
their Leaves and their Verdure the whole
Year round : Moreover, thofe Trees which
in Europe fhed their Leaves in Winter, after
being tranfplanted into the Indies take the
Nature and Qualities of the Trees of that
Country, and like them always continue
green.
The Terra Firma produces a great many
forts of Canes which the People of the Coun-
try make ufe of for covering their Houfes,
and making Hangings or Mats for their
Rooms; There are fome as thick as the Leg
of
The Central HISTORY
pf an ordinary Man, and each Pipe from one
Joint to another, contains a Pint of Liquor.
The Indians make Quivers of thefe Canes
to carry their Arrows in ; there are others
that lie twining round the Bodies of Trees and
fhoot up as high as the Tops of them. Thefe
Pipes are full of a very clear Liquor that
never ftinks nor does any manner of Harm :
This Liquor has often faVd the Chriftians
Lives, in their travelling thro' dry and de-
fart Countries where they certainly would
have perilh'd with Thirft, had it not beei}
for this Supply : They cut thefe Canes^ and
carry with them as many as poflibly they
can, to fecure themfelves from the incon-
veniency of Thirft in thofe hot Countries,
where they can find no Water.
fkkns. yh e M e l on s in the Indies grow to a pro-
digious Site fo that a Man has much ado
to carry one of them on his Shoulders v the
Subftance of them is white, but of an ex-
Ihc pfc/cellent Tafte : One of the moft ufeful Plants
&r*Phnt.6f the New World is that whofe Leaves are
as it were fo many Plaifters which being
apply'd to a broken Leg or Arm cements
them together again, and in.lefs than a s
Fortnight perfectly cures them. This Leaf
fticks fo clofe to the Part, till tiie Opera-
tion is perform'd, that one cannot pull it
off; but when the Cure is effe&ed it falls-
off of courfe.
Tbs Tu- The Tunas is a wild Plant that bears a
aas. Fruit much like a Fig, of a reddifh fubftance
in the infide, and of a wonderful Tafte ^ af-
ter eating one or two of them the Water
that one makes is as red as Blood, which
is very furprifing at firft, and makes oiie
think that one is in danger of lofijig ones*
Life*
TRAVELS. 2x7
Life, fo that the Imagination very often
produces a real Difeafe in timorous Perfpns:
The Leaves of the Bihaos not only ferveBihaos*
for covering of Houfes, but are alfo fo
very large as to be made ufe of inftead ot
Vmbrello's when it Rains: The Indians make
many of them which keep the Water from
leaking in, when they fwim over a River. The
Branches of this Tree being bruis'd with
the Leaves ferve alfo for Salt in defart
Countries, where they can find nothing to
eat. The Root of this Plant is likewife made
ufe of for Food. They ftrip its Rind ofF 7
and in the Infide find a Pith much like
that of Elder or a Bulrupi. The Indians are
well skilFd in the Properties of the Barks Barksarji
and Leaves of certain Trees, which they Leav * s f or
make ufe of in dying their Callicoes of aU
forts of Colours, viz.. red, black, yellow,
green, and blew. Thefe Colours are fo ex-
treamly fine and lively, that they fcarce
ever wear Out, even after they have been
wafh'd. But what feems yet more wonderful is^
that all are dy'd in the fame Fatt without
changing any thing in it ; which perhaps
may arife from the Difpofition of the Co- x
lours that they give to whatever they have
a Mind to dye, let it be Thread or Lin-
nen.
After having fpoken of thofe things thatlnfefl&
are moft curious and confiderable, it will
not be improper to fay fomething of Jnfefts
fince Nature has in them made her Wifdom
appear as vifible as in the greateft Animals.
Thofe that the Indians call Garapates are fcarc(3 ara .
difcernable to the Eye however they are pates,
not lefs troublefome, for they fling the Legs
very feverely, and itick fo clofe to them,
Q that
2i8 The General HISTORY
that 'tis impoflible to pull them from thence
without rubbing them over with Oyl : The
Indians fcrape their Legs with fomething that's
very {harp, which puts them to a great deal
Pain. Certain Creatures that are bred
of in the Hair, as Lice and Fleas, die imme-
f*<fjfc. diatly upon pafling the Line, and never en-
fsfts* gender in the Indies, but fo foon as ever
one returns to Euroje^ upon the Change of
Climate they revive again unlefs one fhifts
ones felf twice or thrice a Day. By Prac-
tice there is an eftablifh'd Cuftom among
Indians^ of trucking their Wives as they
nc$* ( | Q ot | ier Commodities , but what one can
hardly believe is, that the Old ones bear a
salt. higher Price than the Young ones. Salt is
alfo a Commodity for which they barter
Gold, pretious Stones, Cotton, and whatever
elfe they have of greateft Value : They make
it of Sea-Water, and it is whiter and of a
Indians ^ iar P er Tafte than the beft Salt in Europe.
g rcat jg^.The Indians are the greateft Barterers in the
terers* World, they go all over the Terra Firma^
or along the Coafts in their Canoes carrying
their Commodities with them, which they
exchange for others, having not yet learn'd
the Ufe of Money.
The y ^at a PP 1 V themfelves to fearch for
Gold in the Earth, firft take care to have
the Place where they intend to dig, very
Gold. we |] dean'd, then having made a Pit of
eight or ten Foot in Length and Breadth,
they hollow it about eight or ten Inches
deep, and take the Earth that they dig
thence and wafti it :, if they find any Gold
there they proceed, and continue digging,
but if they meet with none, they go and
dig in another Place, till they find the Live-
Stone.
0fV0YAGES rfWTRAVElS. 219
Stones. When they have once difcover'd ofnajhin
the Gold-Mine they fill great Baskets with"'
the Earth that they have dig'd out of it, and
then go to the next Brook and wafh it
to feparate the Gold from it, which remains
at the Bottom of the Basket, after all the
Earth is carry'd off by the Water : This
Employment generally falls to the Womens
Lot who putting themfelves up to the
Middle of their Legs in the Water keep
fhaking the Basket, till all the Earth i$ How
wafh'd away. If the Gold-Mine is in
Brook or River, they are forc'd to turn
Courfe of the Water. When it is dry at the
Bottom, they diligently fearch every Hole
and Cranny of the Stones, for there the Gold
that is brought down by the Stream, lodges
it felf. We muft obferve the belt Gold
upon the Tops of Mountains whence it hbeft.
carry'd down by the Violence of the Tor-
rent, not but that theyalfo find fome Gold-
Mines in the Plains and Fields far enough
off from the Mountains. Gold purifies and
refines in Proportion to the Diftance of the
Place of its Growth, where it is always much
coarfer, and not fo valuable by a Carat. Some-
times they alfo find very large Grains of
Gold upon the Surface of the Earth : The
greateft that ever has been 'yet found weigh'd
three thoufand two hundred Spanijh Piftoles,
which at that Time were worth four thou-
fand, one hundred, thirty eight Ducats of
Gold. There have been fome found that have
weigh'd two and thirty Pounds, allowing fix-
teen Ounces to every Pound, which makes
fixty four Marks of Gold : The Indians have
an Herb that adds a great Luftre to the
natural Colour of Gold, fo that what they,'. j ts
Q. i tOUCh
220 The General HISTORY
touch with it tho' Gold of the lead Value
(hines as ^ bright as if it had been the beft
If the Gilders of Europe knew but this Se-
cret, they would grow rich in a very fhort
Time.
F/Jfe." If the Fruit of the Indies have an excellent
Tafte, the Fifh alfo may boaft of the fame
son of Property : Amongft the reft there is a fort
lB of Pilchard with a red Tail, that is delicious
Twbors. Food : The Indian Turbots are of a prodi-
gious Bignefs : Towards the Ifle of Cuba there
Tertoifis. are fomcTertoifes that weigh fo very heavy,that
they require the Strength of fifteen Men
to pull them out of the Water j they lay
their Eggs upon the Shore, where in a
Morning one may fee them fometimes feed-
ing and crawling about. As foon as the In-
dians have found the Prints of their Claws
upon the Sand, they follow them by the
Track, and having overtaken them, which
is no difficult Matter by Reafon of their
flow Motion, they thruft a great Stick under
their Bellies, and fo turning them on their
Backs leave them in that Pofture, unable to
ftir or move out of it, to fearch for others.
By this Method they are able to catch a
great Number of them in a little Time.
Their Fleih is a very wholefome, as well as
a very excellent fort of Food. The Fifh
t ^ ie ^ n ^ lAns W^ Manati, is about ten or
twelve Foot long, and five Broad-, it has a
very thick Head like that of an Ox, and
its Fins are like a Man's Arms: Tho' this
Fifh feems to be of the Monfter-kind, yet
the Meat of it is fweet enough ; it comes
very near -the Banks of the River to feed
upon the Grafs } the Indians kill it with
their Arrows, either from the River fide, or
out
0f V o Y A GES And, TRAVELS. 221
out of their Canoes. Thefe Fifli fwim clofe
to the Surface of the Water, fo that there
is no great Trouble to pull them out, but
there's no carrying them off without a Wag-
gon with two Oxen. This Fifh is efteem'd
above the reft, on account of its Tafte,
which is the neareft of any to that of the
Flefli of Beafts, fo that when it is pulfd to
Pieces, one may be deceiv'd, and take it for
an Ox cut out into Joints : The Flefli of it is
as good as the fatted Veal, and keeps a long
while in Salt. In its Head is a Stone to be
found, which being clean'd, pounded and ,
taken in the Morning in a Glafs of Wine,
eafes the Pain of the Gravel.
The Vitruella is a Fifh as large as the Ma- Vhruslk.
nati ^ he wears in the Middle of his Fore-
head a long Sword, fet on two Sides with
very fharp Teeth: This Sword is extream
hard, and about fifteen or twenty Inches
long, in Proportion to the Size of the Crea-
ture, for there are fome of them as fmall as
Pilchards i and others again fo very large,
that two Yoke of Oxen can hardly draw
them from the Rivers Side. As there are
fome Lands very barren and unfruitful, fo
are there alfo fpme Seas where one may -tew
fail a hundred Leagues or two without find-
ing a Fifh.
In certain Parts of the Ocean there are fyi
flying Fifh, which riling in great Shoals a-
bove Water, afford the mod agreeable Sight
that can be j fometimes they fly about an
hundred Yards from the Place where they fird
appeared, and often tumble in vad Quan-
tities into the Ships. Thefe Fifh have two
Wings near their Jaw Bones, as long as
their whole Bodies: When they begiji to
Q. 3 te
222 The General HISTORY
be a little dried in the Air, they plunge ar
gain into the Water to wet their Wings.
The Birds of Prey are very expert at catch^
ing them when they mount up into the Air,
which affords a great deal of Diver fion, for
if they attempt to dive beneath the Water,
they are purfu'd by fonie other Fifti that
fwimming clofe to the Surface, eafily devour
them, fo' that they know not which Element
to make Choice of to fave themfelves in.
Tlie Indians when the y fifh for Pearl > s
down to the Bottom of the Sea, and ha*
ving a Sack tied about their Necks, fill it
with what Shells they can lay their Hands
on ^ when they want to take Breath they
come up into their Barks, and emptying
their Bags, go down to the Bottom of the
Water again to pick up more Shells. Ha-
ving open'd them, they find four or five
Pearls, little and great in every Shell, and
a vaft Quantity of fmall Grains, - that are
the Seeds of Pearl: Sometimes the Fifh of
thefe Pearls ferve them for Food, but gene-
rally they throw them away, being quite
glutted with eating fo great a Quantity of
them as they do: In thofe Places where
thz Water is very deep, it bears up the
ing their Swimmers fo ftrongly that they have much
footing* ado to get a fteddy Footing at the Bottom.
To remedy this Inconveniency, they tye
two great Stones about their Middles, which
hanging on each Side make them heavier,
and keep them, as it were, in a Ballance :
The Indians are excellent Swimmers, but
what one can hardly believe without having
feen it is, that they can flay under Water
ja quarter or half an Hour, without fetching
Breath, Another thing very incornprehen-
fibls
0fVoYAGEs rf/W TRAVELS. 223
fible is, that they may have fifh'd in one
Place fo long as not to leave a Shell there,
yet upon their return to the fame Place in
a little Time after, they find the fame Quan-
tity of Shells they met before, which being
driven by the Winds, are heap'd together
on the Coafts : Some have been of Opinion
that thefe Filh have the Power of moving
themfelves up and down, as well as others
have: There was once a Pearl found thai] 7
weigh'd one and thirty Carats, and another
twenty lix, which perhaps are the finelt
that ever were brought into Europe.
Before we finifh this Extract, we muft
fpeak fomething of that wonderful Bridge,^
form'd by the Hands of Nature, about
Leagues diflant from the Port of Panama.
The Breadth of this Bridge is fifteen Foot,
and the Length feventy or eighty. The Arch
in the Middle confifls of a great Stone,
cut into the Form of a Bow by Nature:
All that have feen this Work cannot fuf-
ficiently admire the Wifdom of the Cre-
ator, who has been pleas'd to make fo eafy
a Paflage over a River, which by the Indi-
ans is narcfd Cbagre. 5 Tis from the Coun-
tries that lye round about this River, that
all forts of Drugs, Spices, and other
rich Commodities are brought into EuKtye, spice
which for fo many Ages lay concealed and
ufelefs, and that never were difcover'd but
fince Colum\)us\ Voyages thither, and thofe
other Perfons whom God had made Choice
of to introduce the preaching of the Gofpel,
and the Chriftian Faith into thofe vaft
Countries.
This Abftraft is taken from the Summary
of Gonzalez, d j Oviedo Comptroler General of
224 The General HISTORY
ivben tfe/Jthe Weft Indies, who was an Eye-Witnefs of
Kxtrtf all he has left behind him in Writing : He
*'was a Perfoa bred up to Letters, and
from his Youth had beftow'd a great deal
of Pains upon Hiftory. The King of Spain
chofe him to be the Intendant, or Infpettor Gene-
ral of Trade in the New World. He made feve-
ral Voyages from Spain to the Indies, and
from the Indies to Spain, to inform the Em-
peror Charles V. of the Difco varies and Affairs
pf the New World: This Abftraft was read
over before his Majefty, in the Prefence of fe-
yeral Perfons who went the fame Voyage,
and who would have contradi&ed him if he
had endeavour'd to have impos'd on his
Majefty , fo that it muft needs merit all the
Credit ought to be given to a Man of Ho-
nour and Learning, who was an Eye-Witnefs
of what he gave an Account of to fo great
a Monarch.
As we have already, for the fake of the
Learned, fet down the Names and Works of
a great many Authors that have treated of
the Affairs of the Indies, fo we fhall continue
the fame Method of giving 2 fhort Cata-
logue of them, that thofe who have the Cu-
riofity of being more thorowly inftru&ed
in the Hiftory of the New World, may con-
fult the Originals, and fee every thing in
its full Extent.
'A Cata- & Treatife to prove the Sovereign Power
togue of of the Kings of Caflile over the Indians:
Printed in Quano,\n 1553-
Doftpr Juan Gines de Sepulveda, a Spanifo
Canon very famous in Europe, has written two
Treatifes intitl'd, Democrates of the Agree-
wsnt of War with the Chriftian Religion, and
the juft Motives of the War with the Indians :
Printed iji Qftavo,m ISS5 Fr
0fVoYAQEs and TRAVELS. 225
Fr. Franc ifco de Vittoria, a Dominican has
written two Accounts of the Indies upon the
juft Caufes of the War againft the Infidels -,
thefe Accounts are to be found among ft the
Theological Works of this Author printed
in Oftavom the Year 1586.
Fr. Bernardin de Arevalo a &*ncijjfiijj has
left us the Juftification of the Conqueft of
the Indies : I believe this Book is but in Ottavo,
for there is no printed Copy to be found of it.
Fr. Pincencio Palavicino, of the Right of
making War againft the Infidels, and of the
Inftitution of a good Government, two Vo-
lumes in Latine , the Royal Council of Spain
has given Orders for receiving thefe Books.
Don Bernardo de Vargas Machucha wrote a
Defence of the Conqueft of the Indies j Fryar
Antonio de Remefal fays tjie Reafon of this
Book's not being printed in Oftavo, was its
being againft the Bifhop of Chiappa.
Dr. Juan de Solorz^ano Bereyra Treafurer of
the foveraign Council of the Indie s^ has composed
a learned Treatife of the Affairs of t \\zlndies and of
the Right that the Spaniards had to conquer and
keep them -.Printed \nLatine, mFolio, in the year
1629. The fame Author has printed a learned
Memorial or Difcourfe, containing the Me-
thod that ought to be obferv'd by the Royal
Council of the Indies in their publick Ads :
Printed in Folio in the Year 1629.
Don Pedro Martyr Angkria, who was one
of the Royal Council of the Indies, has compo-
fed eight Decades in Latine, of which only the
three firft are in Print. A fecond Edition of
them in Ottavo, in the Year 1536 is to be
had, of which the Abbot Trithemius takes no
Notice. They were all printed in Folio, in
1 536, this Impreflion is much better than that
^1587. R The
The Generd HISTORY
The Hiftory of the Weft-Indies taken from
the Memoires of Don Pedro Martyr : Printed
in Italianin Quarto, in the Year 1534. 'Tisto
be met with in the Duke of Sefa's Library.
Of the lilands newly difcover'd, of their In-
habitants and their Cuftoms in Latins : This
Treatife it feems, is a Sequel of the Decades
of the Year 1587.
Dodor Pedro Savorgnano inferted this taft
Treatife, among his Latine Works, with three
of Ferdinando Cartels Letters, printed in Folio,
in the Year 1532.
Giovanni Battifta Ramufio has made an A^
bridgement of thefe Decades in Italian, and
inferted them in his third Tome
Juan Paul A4artiriz,o defcended from Don
Pedro Martyr, known by the Works he has
printed, has translated his Great Grand-Fa-
ther's Decades into the Caftilian Language.
Gonzalez, Fernandez, d y Oviedo has compil'd a
general Hiftoryof the Indies in fifty Books. The
firft Tome printed in Folio, in the Year 1547,
contains nineteen of them, with eight Books of
Misfortunes and Shipwrecks : Giovanni Battifta
Ramufio has tranflated this Tome into Italian,
and placed it in his third Volume with the
Books of Shipwrecks, which makes the twen-
tieth of his Hiftory.
John Opoleur has tranflated the fix ilrft Books
into French : Printed in Folio, in 1 5 56".
Diego de la Tobilla wrote a Treatife cail'd
La Barica. 'Tisa Hiilory of the Terra fir ma-
of the Indies : Antonio de Herrera had a Ma-
jiufcript of it, and 'tis by his Means we came
to the Knowledge of that Work.
CHAP.
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 227
CHAP. XXIV.
A* Abftract of the General Hiftory of the
Weft-Indies, written by Gonzalez Fer-
dinand d 'Oviedo in twenty Books, and,
dedicated to the Emperor Charles V.
TIS not of India lying towards the EaR Authority
near the Rivers Indus and Ganges that / '&*#?-
this Hiftory gives an Account -, but of thd(W
Weft-Indies which are the Iflands, and Terra
Firma in the weftern Ocean, fubjeft to the
Crown of Spain ^ ever fince their firft Difco-
very by Chriftopher Columbus, Altho' we have
already given you an Abridgment of thofe
things that Ferdinand d* Oviedo related in the
Conferences he had with the Emperour Charles
V. and the Prefidents of the Royal Council af-
ter the Voyage he made from the new World
to Spain ^ we cannot forbear retouching a little
upon them in this Place. This Hiftory then
merits fo much the more Credit, in that the
Author has been an Eye-Witnefs of, and
carefully examin'd whatever he relates, having
liv'd two and twenty Years in the Indies during
the Reigns ofCharlesV. and Ferdinandl. in qua-
lity of /tf/pe#0r-General of the Gold-Mines.
Pliny fays in the Beginning of his Hiftory
that he will relate things which he has read
in four thoufand Volumes, a very laborious
Task indeed } but when we have fct down
all we have met with in reading, we can but
relate ic upon the Teftimony and good Cre-
R 2 d,t
228 The General HISTORY
dit of the Authors, who are not always to be
depended on, whereas there is lefs Danger
of being cheated, where a Man has been an
Eye Witnefs , and this is the Diference be-
rte Indies tween ^^/ s natural Hiftory, and that of
not un- Gonzjulss Ferdinand d* vie do. Some People
known to are of Opinion, that the New World difco-
tbsAnd- yer'd i n t hefe laft Ages by Chriftoper Columbus,
and Americus Vefpucius was utterly unknown
to the Ancients, yet it is however highly pro-
bable they had fome Knowledge of it , for
Ariftotle fays pofitively that the Carthaginian
Merchant s, having pafs'd the Streights of Gi-
braltar and penetrated the Atlantic Ocean,
difcover'd a great Ifland full of wild Beafts
that never had been inhabited by Men. They
alfo found in it large Woods, navigable Ri-
vers, and a Land abounding with all forts
of Fruits that Nature had produced fpon-
taneoufly. Ariftotle adds, that this Ifland
was very far diftant from Africa, that the
Carthaginians did not land there till after
a great many Days Sail, and that being
charm' d with the Beauty of and Fruitfulnefs
of the Place, they fettl'd themfelves there.
This Opinion ofAriftotle's would make us con-
jefture, that the Carthaginians landed either
at HiffanioU, Cuba, or fomewhere on the Coaft
of the Terra Firma. 'Tis not altogether un-
likely that the Hefperian lilands fo famous for
Antiquity, took their Name from Hefperus
the fecond King of Spain, it being the Cu-
ftom among the Ancients to give to Kingdoms,
and Provinces, the Names of thofc who had
founded or conquer'd them. Thus the Affy-
rUns took their Name from Affitr, the Lydians
from Lydn$ y the IJmaelites from Ifmael, theAm-
mortites
of V o v A G E s and T R A VE L s. 229
monites and Moabites from Moab and Ammon^
the Per/tans from Per feus, the Phtvicians from
Phoenix Brother of Cadmus, the Egyptians from
Egypus their King, the Armenians from yfrwe-
tfw-r, who was one of the Argonautes that afiifted
3fa/0# in the Conqueft of the Go/^ H<*c* }
and in a Word the Arcadians from Arcas^ the
Son of Jupiter. Sometimes Conquerors gave
Names to thofe Towns they had built, ei-
ther as a Mark of Honour, or to eternize
their Memories and Glory } and 'tis upon this
Account, Alexandria^ and Cefaria^ were fo
call'd from Alexander and Ccefar.
Succeeding Ages ought to have the greateft Mwtani
Veneration for the Memory of Chriftopher how m-
Columbus, who has taught Mankind the Art^tedto
of Sailing by the Elevation of the Swg ai
and Stars ^ few before his Time car'd for
making Voyages, and the Pilots that pre-
ceded him, durfb never lofe Sight of Land, or
ever truft themfelves in the open Sea, for they
had no certain Rule to go by, but fail'd at a
Venture, without either Art or Judgement:
Columbus addreft himfelf firft to Henry Vll.Towhom
Father of Henry VIII. King of England, offering fc<? frft ad-
to go and difcover in his Kame thofc vaib^? ^ ll1 '
Countries, provided he would contribute to-^'
wards the neceflary Expences of fitting out
Ships :> but the privy Council of England be-
lieving Columbus to be fomewhat crack-brain'd,
rejected his Propofal. Meeting with no bet-
ter a Reception from John King of Portugal^
he went into Spain where being favourably er '
received by Donffenriquez.de Guzman Duke of
Medina Si awi*, and Don Lewis delaCerda, he by
their means had Audience of King Ferdinand and
Queen Jfabella: He was alfo fo fortunate as
to get in Favour with Don Gonzalez, de A
R 3
The General HISTORY
a Cardinal of Spain, and Archbifhop of
Toledo, who was extreamly furpriz'd at the
great Learning and Poverty of Columbus, who
at that Time was deftitute of Neceffaries for
his Support. The King and Queen having
refblv'd to drive all the Moors out of Spain,
were at that Time at the Siege of Granada.
In the Year 1492 they granted Columbm what
he demanded, with Ships and Men to aflilt
him in his great Undertaking.
He landed at the lile of Guanakani in Oc->
the very fame Year, and difcover'd a
vaft Number of little Iflands lying all round
about, which he nam'd the White Iflands, be-
caufe of the prodigious Quantity of Sands
thatfurrounded them,and madethem look of a
whitilh Colour : Afterwards he nam'd them the
Prime Iflands becaufe they were the firfthe had
Where */~-difcover'd.He landed next at the Iflandof Cuba,
^j^ j s k u t twelve Leagues farther towards
the North ^ fome of the Indians imbark'd with
him, and conduced him to Cebao^ which he
wfoff afterwards named Hifyaniola; and it is there
the richeft Mines are, which produce the fi-
ne it Gold. The Indians of thofe Countries
are of a fweet and affable Temper, they foon
grew familiar with the Chriftians, tho' upon
their firft landing they fcamper'd into the
Woods to fave themfelves. This made the
Admiral refolve upon leaving fome of his
own Men amongft them, whilft he went back
to give the Court an Account of his new
B"iiis i ^ ircover .ies. Accordingly he order'd a little
F9ft'*nd * rt ^ Intrenchment or Fort to be bailt
le&vn with the Planks of one of his Ships that
jbwe MM was leaky, to fhelter and fecure his Men,
behind, if t i ls indies fliould attempt to infult them.
Upon
0/Vo Y A G E s and TRAVELS. 231
Upon his Departure he flriftly enjoyn'd
them to be always upon their Guard, not to
ramble too far up into the Country, not
to touch the Women, nor to offer any Man-
ner of Incivility to the Natives. Takes with
Columbus took about a Dozen Indians a board him f om e
with him as Witnefles of his new Difcove- tfatfoes 10
ries and in the Name of all the Inhabitants^ ^?,
of all the Iflands, to do homage to their Catho-
lick Majefties. He alfo defign'd to have them
taught the Spanijb Language and by fhowing
them the Riches and Curiofities of Europe, to
engage their Affection towards his Nation.
The Court of Spain exprefs'd a great deal^ Coun
of Joy at the fight of Columbus and his In- rejoyces at
dians whom they look'd upon as extraordi-^'^ww.
nary Men, having never feen any of them in
Europe before. All of them earneftly defired * ndia p s
Bapifin, either of their own Accords, or elfe
prompt'd to it, by the lafligation of others.
The King and Queen, their Son Don Juan
and the cheif Lords and Ladies of the
Court were the Godfathers and Godmothers.
This Ceremony was perform'd with all the
Pomp and Magnificence that fuch a Novel-
ty could require : One of the principal /-
dians was chriften'd by the Name of Don
Juan of Arragon :, he was originally a Native
of HifftnioU^ and a near Relation of the
Cacique Goalanagare. Another was nam'd Don
Juan of Caftile^ him the young Prince adop-
ted and kept in his Court, treating him
with the fame Refpecl and Indulgence as if ^ c
he had been his own Child. He order'd his r ^'
Treafurer to inftrudhim in the Spanifi Tongue
which IK afterwards underftocd to perfcdion,
as
240 The General HISTORY
Colum- as h e ^d evrer y t hi n g e jf e tliey were piea^
- teac ^ nim ' Tile otner !*&**** went back
their own Country with Columbus, on
whom the King and Queen conferr'd a
great many Honours with Abundance of
Thanks for the important Service he had
done the Crown, giving him leave to add
to his Coat of Arms thofe of Arragon and
Caftile, with the Title of perpetual Admiral
of the Seas in the New World^ to him and
his Heirs for ever.
CHAP.
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, 241
CHAP. V.
The Colonies fettle A in the New World, by
the Admiral Chriftopher Columbus.
HAving already, in the Preceeding Abridg-
ments, fpoken concerning the Voyages
and Adventures of Columbm^ we will not trou-
ble the Reader with a needlefs Repetition there-
of in this Place ; but proceed to give a Rela-
tion of certain Particulars, not mention'd by
thofe Authors, of whom wegavethofe Abridg-
ments. The Indians vex'd to the Heart, to fee 77,0 T n di-
the Europeans fettled among them, refolv'd toans^W^-
make thernperifh by Hunger, and for that Pur- vour to
pofe forbore to fow and cultivate their Lands ftwetbe
fo,that, raoft of the Spaniards dy'd raifer ably for bpaj
want of Food : However, the Indians were not
exempted from the fame Punifliment^ vaft Num-
bers of them being ftarv'd to Death j becaufe
the Europeans feiz'dand carry'd off what Stores
they had laid up for their own Subflftance:
Notwithftanding this, the Spaniards were re-
duc'd to fuch Extremities, that they wereforc'd
to feed upon Dogs, and what other living
Creatures they had brought along with them
out of Spain ; and, when thefe were all confum'd,
they had recourfe to the Fkfli of Serpents,
which, tho' it was not venemous, yet the very
Sight thereof was very naufeous to the Europe-
ans , they drefs'd it as well as they could, they
hoil'd they broil'd it, to make it fomewhat a-
greeable to their Stomachs } but in fpite of all
their Care, this bad Nourifhment, join'd to the
nioiflnefs of the Climate, threw them into a
fort of Tcliow ^AKtidice^ which proving incurable,
S their
242 The General HISTORY
their Countenance con tinu'd for ever after of a
Saffron Colour.
Captain Don Pedro Margarit, Commander in
Chief in the Fort of St. Thomas, perform'd an
Adion very well deferving to be recorded in
Hiftory : He was reduc'd to the fame extremity
as the reft of the Spaniards were. A young
Indian prefented him with two Turtles, but he
let them fly immediately, in Sight of his Gar-
rifon : God forbid, faid he to them, I (hould pttt
a greater faltte upon my own L ife than yours ; and
fince yen are willing to (bare your Pate with mine y ^tis
bat Reafon 1 fljoitla take fan in yonr Sufferings.
ThisHeroique Adion gain'd no fmall Applaufe
and AfFedion to the Commander, from his
Garrifon.
Michael Diaf^ a Native of Amtgon, happen-
ing to wound dan geroufly another ^Spaniard in a
Duel, wasforc'd to fave himfelf by Flight, with
fome few others of his Adherents. In their
Travels, they efpy'd a very delightful Place,
which prov'd an Indian Plantation moft com-
modiouQy fituated ( where lince the City of
Domingo was built) under the Government of a
Cacique. This Lady being as yet very young,
fell in -Love with Michael Dias^ whofe Compa-
nions met with a kind Reception there on his
account. She difcover'd certain Gold-Mines,
not above Seven Leagues from thence, and
told them, that, if they would bring thi-
ther a greater Number of their Country-men,
She would furnifh them with all manner of Ne-
cefTaries. This happy Chance faved the Lives
of the Remainders of the Spaniards in thofe
, Parts, moft of whom fettled themfelves in the
Dominions of this Cacique^ who took effedual
Care to provide them with Guides, who con-
cluded them thither } the Spattijh Settlements be-
ing above 50 Leagues from thence. The
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 245
The Spaniards highly taken with the Fertility,
Plenty and Beauty of the Place, lived there for
forae time in a perfect Union , till this good
Correspondence was difturb'd by the indifcreet
and prepofterous Zeal of Father &/, who ex-
claim'd lowdly againft the Admiral's Severity ;
becaufe he had caus'd fome Spaniards to be
hang'd,for aTerror to thereft,the better to keep
them in their Duty, it being one of his Maxims,
That no good Difcipline can be maintain'd a-
mong Soldiers, without keeping them in Awe
and Obedience. But, whenever he made Ufe of
his Authority, this Father exclaimM againft his
Proceedings, as favouring too much of Severity
and Cruelty \ and, being there in the Quality of
the Popes Vicar, at laft launched out his Inter-
dids againft the Admiral, and, by his abfolute
Authority forbid Divine Service to be per-
form'd in the Churches. This Mifunderftand-
ing proved the Caufe of great Mifchief and ^7^
Diibrders among the Europeans ; For, the Ad- Spaniards
miral, to be even with the Vicar, would not
fufFer him and his Family to be furnifti'd with
what was necefTary for their Subfiftance, where-
by they were reduced to the laft Extremity.
The Chief Men of the Colony, at laft, brought
Matters to a Reconciliation, between them ^ but
that proved of no long Continuance : For, (b
often as the Admiral was for punilhing Crimi-
nals according to their Deferts, the other
thunder 'd out his Excommunication, and Di-
vine Service ceas'd, to the no fmall Terror of
all the good C at h clicks ^ who faw themfelves at
laft, under a Necefllty, of petitioning the King
of Spain to put an End to thefe Diforders by his
Authority. Hereupon both the Admiral and
the Vicar were recalPd ; but the King, in re-
fped of the Signal Services of Colnmbt^^ gave
S 2 him
244 The General HISTORY
him another Commiflion to return to the New
World, recommending to him, to ad with more
Moderation, and with fomething lefs of Seve-
rity. The Spaniards are naturally inclin'd to
warlike A&ions, and being of a hot Temper
and Conftitution, are apt to fall into inteftine
DifTenfions, if they have no foreign Enemies to
exercife their Valour upon ; befides that, the
Spaniards who were firft of all tranfported in-
to the New World, confiding of Brlfcayans^
Catalonians, j4xdaiu(ians^ Arr^goniAns^ Galicians^
Caftiiians, befides thofe of G myu'a.coa^ Navarre
and Afturia^ Nations different both in their
Manners and Language, tho' all united in the
Spanifo Monarchy, what wonder is it, if they
did fail into intefline Diflenfions in the Indies.
'Twas this that furniih'd the neighbouring
Indian Caciques^ with a favourable Opportunity
Gives tie of entring into a League againft the Spaniards .
Indians <in They brought i n to the Field five orfixThoo-
Ofportuni-f^ ]y| en ^ w ' lt ^ a n Intention to take and raze
voltinsr' l ^ ir ^ rt ' anc * t0 P Ut l ^ e E* tr P eans to t ^ ie
Swcrd. s$lonfo $ Hogieda, who then com-
manded in that Fort, having got Intelligence
of their March, was continually upon his
Guard, to avoid a Sar prize, and upon their
Approach to the Fort, repuls'd them with
great Slaughter, and took their Chief Cacique^
who commanded as General, with many other
Officers of Note, Prifoners. This Cacique had
a Brother, who having the Reputation of a
firave Commander among the Indians^ gather'd
a Body of 6000 or 7000 Men, to force the
Spaniards to releafehis Brother; whilft he was
advancing in five Brigades towards the Fort of
St. Thorny the Governour made a Sally with
300 Horfe and Foot, and the Indians terrify 'd
at the Sight of the Horfe betook them-
lelves
of VOYAGES ^W TRAVELS. -245
felves to their Heels, without ftriking one
Blow ; a great Number of them were kill'd in
the Flight, and the Bt other of the Cacique^
with the beft Part of his Army; was taken Pri-
foners. The two Brothers were put a-board a
Veflel to be carry'd to Sp*in, but dy'd in that
Voyage of Grief and Defpair.
This Vidory rendering the Spaniard* Mailers
of all that Country, which is very rich and
fertile, fourteen petty Kings join'd their
Forces, to the Number of 15000, to chafe /
them from their New Conquefts, at a time
which they thought the moft favourable that
could be, to compafs their Aim : For, the
Chriftians, under the Command of Do?? Bar-
tholomew Columbw, were reduced to a fmall
Number, mod of them being dead by the in-
juries of the Climate, and bad Nourifhment,
and they expected daily a new Reinforcement,
under Ckriflopher Columbus, which induc'd the
Indians to haften their March, in order to at-
tack the Spaniards, before the Arrival of this
Succours. Bartholomew Columbia fearing they
might fet Fire to the Fort, did not think fit to
expedt their coming thither ; but drew out his
Forces, to the Number of 500, molt Horfe-
men, and marching the greateft part of the
Night, furpriz'd the Indians in their Camp be-
fore Day, and put them to an entire Rout with
a great Slaughter, taking as many Prifoners as
they could difpofe of, the reft efcap'd under
favour of the Night. Among the Prifoiiers Tlity are
were the Chief of the Kings, and four teen fMuedb
Caciques. This Victory gain'd fo vaft a Reputa- H
tion to the Chriftians, among the Indians^ that nl
they laid afide all furtherThoughts of encounter-
ing them, being fenfible they were not able to
cope with them. The Spanijh Commander ,
S 3
General HISTORY
the better to gain the Affedion of the Indians,
fet the King at Liberty, who, in Acknowledg-
ment of fo unexpected a Favour, for ever after
proved a true Friend to all the ChrifHans that
came into his Dominions.
About the fame time Admiral Columbus being
come back from Spain , prepar'd for his in-
tended Voyage for the Str eight, (he fuppos'd
he fhould find) into the Seuth+Sea ; but was
niiftaken in his Suppofition, the Streigkt he
judg'd to be a Branch of the Ocean, being no
more than a Bay, as fhall be (hewn ia its proper
Place* Don Antonio Torres, and Bobadila, who
commanded a Body of Land Forces, having ta-
ken a Refolution to return into Spain with their
Troops, would give no Ear to the wholefome
Advice of the Admiral, who being well ac-
quainted with thofe Seas,reprefented to them the
Danger they would undergo of being Ship-
ivrack'd, 'if they undertook the Voyage at that
Seaibn, for which they paid dearly foon after ;
For, fcarce had they made 20 Leagues, but be-
6S P anifh in S fin* b ? 7 a ofb fwions Tonpeft,
. twenty- fix large Veflels, out or thirty, were
either fwallow'd up in the Deep, or ftav'd a-
gainft the Rocks, and all thofe vaft Riches they
had gathered in the New World loft-, befides 500
Men drown'd, among whom was Rowlavd
Ximenes, Ring- leader of thofe who had revolt-
ed againfl the Admiral and his Brother.
Chnfto- The Admiral himfelf, after many Difcove-
pher Co- ries made in his Voyage, arriv'd on the Coaft
Iambus of Jamaica^ where, having iofl two of his Ships,
Mmves at fa thought it his fafeft way, to give Notice of
naica * his being there to the Governour of the New
World, then redding at Domingo. One Diego
Mfnde^ was fo courageous, as to pt himfelf
into a Canoe, under the Conduct of Ibme In-
ef VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 247
dians ^ not without a moft manifeft Danger of
his Life, fince thefc Canoes being very light,
are turn'd topfy-turvy by theleaft Blaftof Wind,
which is the Reafon, they always keep near
the Shore} however, he had the good Fortune
to fucceed in his Voyage, contrary to every
bodies Hopes , the Admiral did not negled: to
reward fo hazardous a Piece of Service, and of
fuch vaft Confequence to him } and the Spamjh
Court, to eternalize . the Memory of fo fer?ice-
able an A&ion, befides other Rewards, added a
Canoe to his Coat of Arms.
The Viceroy was no fooner inform'd of the
prefent Condition the Admiral was in, by his
Letter, but he bought a Veflel, and having
furnifh'd it with all manner of necdTary Pro-
lions, fent it immediately to condud him
and his Company, to Hifpaniola. Moft of
them were fick, and much wcaken'd by the
Fatigues of the Voyage, and thofe that were
as yet fit for Service, revolted againft the Ad-
miral, being headed by two Brothers, Francis
and Diego de Porras, one of which was a Captain
of a Ship, and the other Pay-matter of the
Forces. They feiz'd upon all the Indian Canoes,
with an Intent to crofs over to Hifpaniola
but moft of them were fwallow'd up by the
Sea, few only returning to the Admiral, but
not to their Duty. For, the two Brothers per. An En '
fitting in their Mutiny, he faw hhnfelf oblig'd ^f^f
to reduce them by Force of Arms, which was
foon done ; they were routed, their two Ring. ards.
leaders taken Prifoners, and the Mutiny quelTd.
This was the firft Engagement that happened
betwixt the Chriflians in the New World.
The Indians fully inform'd ot the Diflenfions
among the Europeans, refolv'd to conceal their
Provilions, to reduce them to the utmolt
S 4 Famine .5,
248 The General HISTORY
Famine ^But, no fooner had theAdmiral got No-
tice of their Refolution, but calling together
the Chiefefl of the Inhabitants of this Ifle, told
them in a fhort Harange, That, he could fore-
tell them, they would all perifli by the Plague,
unlefs they furnifh'd the Chriftians with every
thing they flood in need of-, And, added he, to
convince you that my Predidion will prove true ,
I would have you take notice, that fuch and
^h^cT- *" uc k a ^ a y* y u w ^ k t ^ ie M on a ^ on Fi re ->
iumbus - an d f oa a f ter difappear. For, he being well
impofes vers'd in u4ftronomy^ it was eafie for him, by
upon the the Rules of that Art, to foretel them, that
Indians the Moon fhould be eclips'd at fuch a certain
h foretel- jyii nut e 3 as he mention'd to them. All the
2 /f T rf hdtans affembled at the prefixed time, to fee
lie Moon. ^ e Effects of his Prediction, and perceiving
'the Moon adually eclips'd, they were flruck
with fuch an Amazement, that they could not
but believe, he would certainly make them all
dye of the Plague. They threw themfelves at
Columbus his Feet, imploring his Mercy with
moft doleful Cries, promifling they would fur-
nifh him and his Company with every thing
they fhould fland in need of, and at parting
gave htm mofl evident Testimonies of their
Grief, to fee themfelves bereav'd of the Affift-
ance of a Man, Whom theylookM upon, as a
Meflenger from Heaven, for their Prefervation.
Soon after he returned to Spain y where he dy'd
of Age, at the beginning of the Reign of
Philip and Queen Joan. Spain flands indebted
to him for the Difcovery of thofe rich
Countries, which have diffused their vaft Pro-
duds and Treafures through Eur'nye , and God
waspleas'dto make this great Man his Inflru-
ment, to open the Door to the Preachers of
the Gofpel, for the Converiioh of fo many
Millions
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, 249
Millions of People, who groan'd under the
Slavery of the Devil, and fpent their Lives in
the Darknefs of Paganifm.
CHAP. VI.
The Churches And Clergy of Hifpaniola ;
with A Defcription of the mojt remarka-
ble things in the City of St. Domingo.
THE King of Sptitt and Queen Joan his
Daughter, order'd a very fine Cathedral
to be built at St. Domingo whereof Father
Garcias de Padi^LU a trancifc*n was made the
the fir ft Bifhop," as Don Sebaftian Ramires was
Prefident of the Court of Juftice erected in that
City, and at the fame time, Bifhcp of the
Church of the Conception of la Pega y in Hifpa-
mola. There is not a City in all Spain which
exceeds this, for magnificent and beautiful
Strucrres : Here yon may fee Palaces fit for the * v f Sf '
Reception of a great Prince ; and as for its
Situation, the Beauty and Regularity of its
Streets, and the Pleafantnefs of the Avenues
leading to it, they are fuch as may invite even
thegreateft Monarch, to chufe it for his Red*
dence. The City is feated in a vaft Plain, di-
vided from one End to the other, from North
to South, by the River Ozama, the Banks
whereof are adorn'd with Gardens well planted
with Orange-Trees, and very fine Canes : On
the South-fide, the Walls of this City beiug
wafh'd by the Waves of the Sea one half of
its whole Circumference is enclosed by the Sea
and the River : The Streets are very broad and
ftrait j on that fide where you look into the
Fields,
The General HISTORY
Fields, you fee moft delicious Walks, and vaft
Meadows -, to be (hort, all its Avenues are fo
very delightful, that it is impoflible to fee a
finer Situation than this, the Harbour being
not above 12 or 15 Paces from the City, the
Ships coming to the very Houfes of the Mer-
chants, where they load and unload without
much Trouble and Charge : Belides that, with-
in Musket-fhot of the Harbour, they may enter
the River, which is of vaft Confequence to
Traffick.
Francis de Jarai was the firft who built a
Structure of Stone in this Ifle after the Spanifh
Fafhion, fince which time moft of the other
Spaniards built theirs after his Model. Don
ItiegoColumbo, Vice- Admiral of the Seas of the
New World, and Eldeft Son to Admiral Chifto-
pher Columbus, was made Sovernour of Hifpa-
niola^ being fupported by the Intereft of
Don Frederick de Toledo, Duke of Alba, becaufe
he had raarry'd his Niece, Mary de Toledo,
Daughter to Ferdinand de Toledo, Grand Com-
mander of Leon. King Philip and Queen Joan,
who fucceeded in the Throne of Spain after the
Death of Ferdinand and Ifabella, had fo great an
Efteem for the Duke of Alba, that they refilled
him nothing, whatever he ask'd for ; fo 'tis no
Wonder, if he with Eafe obtained the Govern,
ment of fiifpaniola, for Don Diego Colnm-
bo, who, as we told you, had married 'that
Duke's Niece ; the Grand Commander of Al-
cantara, who was Governour of that Ifle,
being recall'd by the Intreagues of Fonftca
Bifhop of Badajoz., his private Enemy. Tho'
this Gentleman's Place, belides his own Re-
venue, was valu'd at 8000 Ducats a Year, he
fpentitallin Ads of Chanty, but efpecially in
founding anHofpital-, fo that he was forc'd. to
borrow
of VOYAGES tnl TRAVELS. 251
borrow 50 Piftoles for the life of his Voyage,
when he was recall'd into Spain.
Twas in the Year 1509, when Don Diego
Colttmbo fet fail for Hifpaniola with the Title
of Governour-General ^ As he carry'd his Lady TJje Spa
Mary fie Toledo along with him, a great Number nifh^o-
of other Ladies and Gentlemen took this Op. men fr-jt
portunity of going along with them, and the Bought
young Ladies, for the moft part, made their ' tjlc
Fortunes there by Marriage. This was the firft
time any Spanijh Woman was known to have left
her Native Country, to fettle in the New World^
which proved of great Confequence to the
Spaniards ; for, tho' not a few among them, had
con traded Marriages with Indian Women, the
greatcft Part of them naufeated them too much
to marry them: Thefe Ladies which came from
Spain proving a fingular Ornament to the City of
St. Domingo^ and meeting with great Encourage-
ment there, many other Gentlemen went thi-
ther with their Wives and Families, which rais'd
this City to a moll flourifhing State } we mult
look upon this as an Effed of God's Mercy,
who would have his Name be glorified in thofe
Places, where the Devil had bin worfhip'd with
fo much Devotion for many Ages.
The GrandCommander was not at St. Domingo
when Don Diego arriv'd there with all thofe that
accompany'd him } but upon his return thither,
Ihew'd a great deal of feeming Satisfa&ion at
the Sight of him, and told them, He was ready
to obey the King's Orders, which recall'd him
into Spam j and accordingly let lail thence in
September^ in the tame Year, 1 509. Don Diegi^
upon his Arrival at St. Domingo, had takea up
his Refidence in the CafHe ; but his Catholick
Majefty was pleas'd to bellow the Government
of that Fortrcfs upon Michael de Poffamont^ and
foon
252 The General HISTORY
foon after uponCapt.Gonz,alc3iFerdwandrOviedo9
a Native of Madrid, his Favourite arid Royal
Hiftoriographer, Author of the fame Hiftory,
whereof we have given you this Abftracl.
The Grand Commander met with a moft favour-
able Reception frocn the King, as well on ac-
count of the Signal Services he had done him in
the Indies, as in refped of that ancient Friend-
fhip he bore him j and told him, He was hearti-
ly fbrry he had recaird him from his Govern-
ment ; So foon as the Commander had given him
a circumftantial Relation of the true State of
his Affairs in the Indies, where the Natives be-
ing generally inclind to that Governour, very
much regreted his Departure. In all probabi-
lity he had foon bin reinftated in that Poft, had
not his Death, which happen'd foon after, pre-
vented it.
Divifions ^ e De P arture f tne Grand Commander
among the prov'd the Caufe of no fmall Divifjons and Dif-
Spamards.orders in the New World, becaufe his Friends and
Creatures, who had vafl Obligations to him,
thwarted under hand all the Defigns of the new
Governour, and the Court of Madrid was
pefter'd with continual Petitions, and mutual
Complaints of both Parties. To check the fur,
ther Progrefs of thefe Devifions, it was thought
fit to fend a Lord Chief Juilice into the Indies-,
to hear and determine the Complaints, as well
of the Governour as of the Subjeds , But the
firil looking upon thb as an Intrenchment upon
his Prerogative and Authority, fo far fhew'd
his Diflike thereat, that he receiv'd Orders to
return to Spain^ which he did accordingly, ha-
ving fpent vaft Summs in this Voyage, with-
out reaping any coniidersble Benefit by it. The
King's Death, which happen'd foon after, prov'd
another Misfortune to Golitmbo^ as well as to the
Affairs
of VOYARES and TRAVELS; 255
Affairs of the Indies, which he had left entan-
gled under no fmall Difficulties, ihe Indians
being fickle, inconftant and changeable, which
whether it owes its Origin to the Air and Cli-
mate, or to their natural Difpofition, I will not
pretend to determine.
Upon this Occafion it will not be improper
to mention here, what Queen tfabelta told Chri-
ftopher Columbus one Day, when he was giving her
an Account of divers Curiofities he had met
with in the New World. He told her among
other things, That the Trees in thofe Parts, did
not fpread their Roots into the Ground, as they
do in Europe, but on the Surface of the Earth.
The Queen asking the Reafon of this Difference,
heanfwer'd, 'That the Ground being burning hot
within, by reafon of the Htat of the Climate, And
the Surface, on the contrary, moiftend by the conti-
nual Rains j and the Roms being ferifible of this
exceffive Heat and Drynefs, turn, upwards, to par-
take of the Benefit of the Aioiftnefs, on the Surface
of the Ground, which famines them with Nouriflj-
ment. I am very much afraid, reply'd the Queen,
that this Difpofition, and thefe Qualities of the
Climate, are infused into the Inhabitants likewife ;
and that, as the Trees do not take firm Root there,
fo it will prove a hard Task to fix, a ft able, conflant
and durable Government there. 'Tis certain, that 4 Q] J(t _
if you cohverfe never fo little with the Indians, ratter of
it is ealie to find them the molt fickle and the tie Indi-
moft Inconftant of all Men living, who never ans *
ftick to any thing, and who fcarce ever know
what they would be at } the lead Appearance of
Fear, difperfes and puts them to Flight ^ in
ihort, they are more unrefolv'd, more weak
and credulous than Children of five or fix Years
old; and what is the worft, is, That thofe
which are born from Indian-women, and an /*-
rope a n
254 The General HISTORY
rope an Father, participate to a very high De-
gree of their Mother's Infirmities.
After Charles V. afcended theSpanijh Throne,
he commanded Don Diego Columbo^ to return to
his Government of St. Domingo in the Indies^
which, as we told you before, he had bin forc'd
to leave by the Cabals and Power of his Enemies,
againft whom he had pleaded his Caufe at Court s
for five Years pad.
Tis to be obferv'd, that moft of the great
Lords in Spain had their Factors and Creatures
in the Indies ^ who forc'd the Indians to work in
their Sugar-works and Gold-mines, and treated
them otherwife in a moft barbarous manner ;
of thefe fome had 100, others 300, which be-
ing us'd worfe than Beafts of carriage, every
Day, what with Hunger, and what with the
Toils they underwent^ theydrop'd down dead
in vaft Numbers, to the utter Ruin and De-
ftru&ion of the Natives of this Ifle.
The continual Calamities thefe poorWretdies
groan'd under, by the Barbarity of the Spa-
niards^ made them at laft refoive upon a Mu-
e Indi- ^J m Accordingly they got into a Body in
s ^JPW ^*/?w^ time, 1522, without being .fufpeded
to difte- by any of the Spaniards^ of whom they maffa-
rations cre( j no t a few in the Country, when they
acre^ Bought themfelves in the utmoft Security.
Don ie c ^ Mm ^ no fooner receiv'd the News
of this Revolt, and the Maflacres committed
by the Natives, but he aflembled all his Forces,
both Horfe and Foot, and march'd with them in
purfuit of the Rebels : On the fecond Day he
halted on the Banks of the River Nizao, where
he receiv'd Intelligence, that they lay encamp'd
about four Leagues thence, having pillag'd one
of the Spanifh Towns, and carry'd off every
they could- being refolv'd to do all the
Mifchief
ans
of VOYAGES and, TRAVELS. 255
Mifchief that poffibly they could to the EH-
ropeans ; which they would certainly have effe&-
edwitha Vengance, had not Providence foon
after determin'd it otherwife, and made all
their Projeds to vanilh into Smoak at one
Blow.
Among thofe that attended the Governour in
the Army Was Melchior de Caftro, who having
fuffer'd much by the Revolted Indians, took a-
long with him two Horfemen only (but with-
out the Governours Knowledge, who hefup-
pos'd would not give his Confent) and with
them riding to his Houfe, found it miferably
pillag'd and demolifh'd : He then fent Word to
the Governour, that he intended to amufe the
IndUns, whilfl he fhould advance with his
whole Body, to attack them on all Sides.
Hereupon the Governour fent him Ten Horfe-
men, and as many Foot- Soldiers, with whom
he advanc'd to the Place where the Rebels lay
encamp'd. At the Sight of the Chriflians they
fet up aloudHuzzah, whereat thefe being not
in the lead terrify'd, refolv'd to charge them
immediately, without flaying for any further
Aid, before they could fully difcover their
Number, or retreat, till they were join'd by
others : So, clapping Spurs to their Horfes,they
came upon them on a full Gallop, who bravely -dn-Jmij
flood their Gronnd, but were foon broken ',
however, they rallied again, and flood the 20
Brunt a fecond time, annoying the Chrittians ards.
with their Darts, Stones and Clubs ^ but theft
returning likewife to the Charge, put them to
an entire Rout, with a great Slaughter of the
revolted Indians^ the remainders whereof faved
themfelves in the Woods. The Governour
with his Body coming up with them at the Con-
cluiion of the Day, return'd thanks to God for
this
this fb providential a Vi&ory, and fpeflt fix
Days in the Purfuit of the Revolters, which
being all taken at laftj were hang'd for the moft
part) in the Fields, to terrific the reft from at-
tempting any fuch thing for the future.
Theft fe- Theft is a thing the Indians abhor molt of all
wely pu- others, and which they think cannot be too fe-
KL verely P uni(h ' d \ the y em .P ale a Thief alive, and
anl r leave him thus till he expires, and this feverePu-
nifhment is infiifted upon thofe who Heal the
moil inconfiderable thing that can be named.
This Crime is unpardonable among 'em, without
anyRefpeft to their ParentageJntereft or Inter-
cefllon } nay, ic is look'd upon as a Crime, to
follicitorfpeakin behalf of a Thief, or to re-
quefl an Abatement or Alteration of hisPuniih-
ment. The Indians are not in the leaft avari-
cious, or coveting of any fix d Pofleffion 5 they
are given to trucking to a Degree of madnefs,
becaufe they doit only to fatisfie their Fancy^
without any Regard to the Value of the Things
they intend to exchange: They will fometimes
part with a Thing of 20 or 30 Pounds Value,
for two or three Needles, or perhaps a Piece of
Ribbon, meerly to gratiSe their Fancies.
They were animated to, and engag'd in this
Revolt, at the Infligation of the Cacique Don
Henry, who having embraced the Chriftian Faith
was baptized, he having learn'd to read and
write, and could fpeak Spanifl) very well, be-
ing inftrudted in all thefe things from his In-
fancy, by a religious fr'ancifcan^ and the Negli-
gence of Pitter de Vadiglio^ contributed not a
little to the Infurreftiori of this Cacique, he be-
ing Deputy to the Governour Don Diego Colum-
bo : For this Cacique having receiv'd a grofs
Affront from a Spaniard^ made Complaint there-
of to the Deputy Governour, defiring Satis-
fadion
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS^ 257
fd&ion for the Injury he had done him, beficfes
that, he had Debauch'd his Wife. The
puty Lieutenant was fo far from giving Ear
the Cacique's Complaints, and from ordering dianCa-
dueSatisfa&ion to be made him, that he treated
him very roughly, and committed him to Pri-
fon } 'tis true, he difcharg'd him foon after,
but not without (bme haughty and thrcatning
Expreflions. The Cacique hereupon, had Re-
courfe to the Royal Council of the Indies^
which is kept in the City of St. Domingo \ but
this Council referring the Cognizance of his
Caufe to Fadiglio^ the Cacique faW himfelf in a
worfe Condition than before, being again com-
mitted to Prifon, and worfe treated than for-
merly. The Cacique then thought it his fafeft
Way to ad the Diflembler, with a Refolution
to revenge his Quarrel with the firft Oppor-
tunity, which he did molt efftdually ; For, no
fooner was he fet at Liberty, but putting him-
felf at the Head of a good Body of difcontented
Indians^ he retir'd into the Mountains : From
hence they made daily Excurlions, maflacring
all the Chriftians that fell into their Hands, pil-
laging their Houfes, and committing a thou-
fand Outrages in the open Country. It feems
almoft furprizing, how aninconfiderable Cacique
could have the Boldnefs to appear in Arms a-
gainft the Chriftians, when all the Spanifo Do-
minions in the Indies^ which were very full of
People, were conquer'd by 300 Spaniards only.
But it is to be oblerv'd, that thcfe firft Con-
querers did lead a Life far different from what
their SucccfTors have done fince there ; t.hofe
lay continually under their Arms upon the hard
Ground, for fear of a Surprize, whereas thcfe
lead an idle Life, thinking of nothing but how
to heap up Gold and Riches. Twas this that
T made
258 ThcGenerd HISTORY
made them take little notice at firft of the
Cacique's Revolt, tho' they faw many Negro's
join him daily, whereof by this time they had
fo vaft a Number in their Sugar-works, that
you would have fwore Hifpaniola had bin tranf-
planted to the Coaft of Guinea.
However the King of Spain, to ftifle this Re-
bellion in its Infancy, offer'd a general Pardon
to the Cacique Don Henry and his Adherents,
provided they would return to their Duty^
but finding them refolute to perfevere in their
Revolt, Preparations were made to reduce
them by force of Arms.
In the mean while, itfeemsas if God thought
fit to punifh the Guilt of Vadiglio, who had bin
the Caufe of thefe Difturbances, by the ill
Treatment put upon the Cacique^ inflead of do-
ing him Juftice : For, in his return from the
Indies to Spain, aboard a Veflel richly Ipaden,
the fame was fwallow'd up in the Sea, with all
the Men and Riches that were aboard her. We
may look upon this Accident as an EfFeft of
God's Juflice, who fometimes punifhes in this
World, fuch as make an ill life of their Autho-
rity, to opprefs thofe that lye under Mis-
fortunes.
The rebellious Cacique, with his Followers,
was retreated into the Woods and Mountains,
inaccefllble by reafon of the many {landing
Waters and Marines that furrounded them :
However, Captain Francis Barrio having received
aCommiffion from the King and the Royal
Council of the Indians^ fupprefs this Infurredti-
on, went abroad with thirty Spaniards only,
with an Intention to get fome Intelligence con-
cerning the prefent Condition of the Rebels,
in order to reduce them by Force, in cafe they
couktnot be prevail'dupon, t?o lay down their
Arms.
of VOYAGES And TRAVELS." 259
Arms. The Captain being advanc'd near the
Place were the Cacique, who headed the Rebels,
had his head Quarters at that time, was forced
with his Men to pafs, for half a League toge-
ther, through fenny Places, where they forae-
times fell into the Water up to the Arm-pits,
till at laft feeing fomc Indians \\\ their Canoos,
they ask'd them certain Queftions concerning
the Cacique Von Henry and his Forces. They con-
tinued all that Night under their Arms, for
fear of being furpriz'd } but at the fame time
difpatch'd fome Indians to the Cacique, to give
notice of their Arrival, and that they had cer-
tain Proportions of Peace to offer to him from
the King of Spain. The next Day twelve In.
dians fent by the Cacique ^ and conduced by one
of his beft Captains, came in their Canoos to the
Place where the Spaniards ftood at their Arms;
but Captain Francis Barrio, to remove all Caufe
and Sufpicion of Fear, met them at fome dift-
ance from the reft of his Men, and embraced
them. They told him, that the Cacique was
indifpos'd, and, that otnerwife he would have
come in Perfon to fee him.
The Spanifi Captain, without hefltating upon Boldnefs
the matter, refolv'd to go and pay a Vifitto /* Spa-
thz Cacique, tho' thofe that were along with nifh Com ~
him were againft it, reprefenting to him the"' 1
terrible Paflages cover'd with Briars and
Thorns, and many other Difficulties they were
to over-come : But he told them ; That God
and the King's Service required it ^ That they
had furmounted as great Obftacles as thefe long
ago, and that, as the Cafe ftood, they could not
retreat with any Hopes of Safety, even tho'
their Liv^s lay at Stake. He was ncrlboner
come in light of the Cacique Don Henry* $ Quar-
ters, but he fent aa Indian to give him notice of
T 2 his
260 The General HISTORY
his coming, to aflhre him of his fincere Intenti-
ons, and to let him know, that he was come at-
tended only by a few, to take away all occafion
of Sufpicion , That he had a Commiffion from
the King of Spain, to allure him. that he would
pardon every thing that was pafs'd, if he would
return to his Duty. The Cacique deputed im-
mediately one of his Chief Officers to tbtSptnifo
Captain, to let him know, that he might come
to him with all imaginable Security. They
embrac'd one another at their firft meeting, and
feated themfeives under the Shade of a Tree on
a kind of Callicoe Quilt, or Carpet. Captain
Tumacco an Indian^ one of the moft redoubtable
Enemies of the Chriflians, and who had bin a
conftant Plague to them, came alfo with fire
other Captains to embrace the Spaniard , for it is
to beobferv'd, that the Cacique Henry had un-
der him fix Captains or Leaders } they wore
Swords, and were arm'd after the European
manner, except that inftead of a Cuirafs, they
wore a kind of Breaft- Armour of twitted Cords
of a red Colour.
The Spamfh Captain told the Cacique^ That
he was highly oblig'd to the King's Mercy and
Goodnefs, who was willing to pafs by and bury
in Oblivion all his pafs'd Faults, and to receive
him into his Favour. He then deliver d to him
a Letter from the King, which being read
in the Prefence of all that were there on the
Spot, the Cacique kifs'd it, and then, to (hew his
Refpeft, laid it upon his Head } He alfo gave
him a Letter of Safety from the Royal Council
of the Indies , fealed with the Seal of the
Chancery, kept in the City of St. Domingo. He
added, That, in cafe he now refus'd the Pardon
offer'd him from tte King, he muft expeft no-
thing but War, without any Hopes of a Peace
or
of VOYAGES ^TRAVELS.
or Truce, 'till he were intirely reduc'd. Re-
member, faid he to him, that for thefe 13
Years laft paft, fince you have withdrawn your
felf from your Allegiance due to the King, you
have not enjoy'd one Minutes Reft, being o-
blig'd to lurk and hide your felf in unhabitable
andinacceflible Places , whereas on the other
Hand, if you return to your Duty, it is left to
your Choice to pitch upon the moft convenient
and pleafant Place in the Ifland, fuch as you fliall
bell approve of, to pafs the remainder of your
Days in Quiet.
Thefe Arguments had the defir'd Effeft upon
the Cacique , He told him ; That the Affront he
had receiv'd from the Spaniards, had moved him
to take up Arms againft them ; but that, for
the future, he promis'd an inviolable Fidelity
to, the King: That he would immediately call
back all the Indians he had fent abroad in divers
Parts of the Ifland, to annoy the Spaniards, and
would reftore the Negro Slaves to their Matters.
They embracd once more at parting, with mu-
tual Aflurances of Friendfhip, and the Cacique
fent a Captain and another Indian, to conduft
the Spaniards to the Sea-fide. Theie two drank
fo much Wine, that the Spaniards thought they
would have dy'd upon the Spot, being not us'd
to this kind of Liquor. As their Death might
have bin laid at the Door of the Spaniards, vt\\vh
would have prov'd very unlucky at this Con-
juncture, they made them fwallpw down good Tfx JRcvolt
Store of Oil, which, with fome other proper end* ' a
Remedies, brought them to tbemfelves : Be- Peace *
fore they were fent back, the Spanijh Captain
made them a Prefent of fome Cloths for them
and their Chief Officers, and of a rich Veft for
the Cacique, Don Henry. The Indian* are a
fickle Generation, they muft be fix'd and en-
T 3 gag'4
262 The General HISTORY
gag'd by fmall Prefents, to keep them in a good
llnderftanding with the Chriftians.
It appears by the Books of the Chamber of
Accounts, that the Charges of the Warcarry'd
on for i 3 Years fucceflively againft the Cacique^
amounted to 400000 Pounds of Gold, taken
out of the King's Treafury. Twas fhrewdly
fufpefted that this War was under-hand fo-
mented, or at leaft protra&ed by fome, which
at lafl ended in an honourable Peace, for the
Cacique and his Adherents, confidenng the vaft
Difproportion betwixt him, and the Power of
that Prince againft whom he had taken up
Arms. But it was thought mod advifeable to
bring Matters to a Reconciliation, by granting
a general Ad of Oblivion of all the Murders,
Robberies, and other Depredations or Dama-
ges they had committed upon the Spaniards. It
was alfb left to the Cacique's own Choice, to
chufe what Places he thought beft and mofl con-
venient in the Ifland, for his Refidenceand thofe
that belong'd to him : The King of Spain being
more inclinable to grant an honourable Peace to
thefeRebe*ls,than to expofehis ChriftianSubje&s
any longer to their Rage. Befides, that this Ca-
cique being baptized in his Infancy, and his Do-
minions containing a great Number of Men,
with ttieir Wives and Families, it was hop'd,
not without Reafon, that this Peace would prove
a Means to augment the Number of Chriftians
in that Ilk. Neither were they miftaken in
their Aim j For, all thofe that bad any Depen-
dance on him, by the Example and Perfuaiion
of their Leader, received Baptifm, and for ever
after cultivated a good Cor r dependence with
CHAP.
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 265
CHAP. VII.
Of certain particular Curiosities relating to
the Indies ; Of the moft considerable Ri-
vers ; Of their Gold and Silver Mines,
and their manner of digging J ? or ', and ma-
naging of Gold.
THere are innumerable Proofs which con-
vince us of that Forefight of Nature,
according to which (he provides for us every
thing that is necefiary for our Subfiftance. We
have told you already, with what Dexterity the
Indians ftrike Fire, with a Piece of pointed Iron
of about a Foot long and half an Inch thick - 7 if
they happen to make any Stay in the Country,
and ftand in need either of Light or Fire, to
drefs their ViduaJs or otherwife, they take two How the
fmall Sticks, very dry and light, which theyln^
tye together, and lay at length upon the-r r ' fec * JIT '
Ground j betwixt thefe two they fix the Point
of the Iron, and turning it with the fwifteft
Motion that poflibly they can, betwixt their
Hand?, the Point of the Iron by being thus vio-
lently rubb'd betwixt the two Sticks, is heated,
and foon after fets the Sticks on Fire. This
Way of ftriking of Fire, which has fomething
peculiar in it, is frequently made ufe of among
the Indians. Pliny tells us, Fire may be made by Lib 4
rubbing two Sticks againft one another, much Hilt. Nat.
after the fame manner as t\\z Indians do. With-
out going fo far, we fee frequently the Axel-
trees of Chariots, and Cables of Ships, take
fire by too violent a Motion.
T 4
264 The General HISTORY
Salt is no lefs neceflary than Fire, for the Sup-
port of Life. In thofe Places of the Indies^
where they have no Salt, they have a Way of
boiling Sea.water, to fupply the Defeft of na-
tural Salt-Springs. However, they have Moun-
tains which produce vaft Quantities of a tran-
Indian fparent Saline Criftal, not inferiour in Goodnefs
to our European Salt. Thefe Criftals are carry'd
to moft Parts of the Indies^ and exchanged for
other Commodities , fome Pieces of them
weigh above a hundred Weight, fo that they
are forc'd to break them into feveral Pieces,
for the Conveniency of Carriage,
We River The River Oz^ama is one of the moft confide-
ra y e O f t h e i n dics^ it paffes through the City of
St. Domingo, unto which it is both a great Or-
nament and fingular Conveniency, its Entrance
being very deep, fo that Ships of a confiderable
Burthen may come up to the very Houfes of that
City ^ however, the Waters of that River being
brackifh there, by reafon of the Vicinity of the
Sea, they are oblig'd to fetch their Sweet Water
above a League higher up the River. The River
River Neiva carries its Current crofs the whole Ifle,
difcharging it felf into the Sea on the North
fide j but it is fcarce Navigable, unlefs near its
The River Entrance. The River Ni&ao is a very fair
Nizao. River, tho' fomewhat lefs than the reft ; its
Banks are lin'd with Sugar-canes, handfome
Gardens, good Corn-fields, and excellent Pa-
ftures, which feed abundance of Cattel. The
The '^ River g anks ofthe R j ver ffainA area jf o f ul j o f Sugar-
canes, its Waters are very excellent and falu-
brious, tho* not very deep, and the adjacent
Grounds exceeding fertile , it difenibogues in-
to the Sea on the South. fide of the Ifle. The
The River RiverAV^ derives its Name from a certain
Nl s ua * finall Creature, which inimuates it felf into tb*
flfft
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 265
Flefh at the Extremities of the Toes, where it
caufesmoft violent Pains, and fometimes Death,
if not timely taken care of. The Banks on
both Sides of this River are cover'd with Sugar-
canes f j the Failure Grounds which are behind
themj and its many Channels it fends forth into
the adjacent Country, are of great life to the
Inhabitants , 'tis only Four Leagues diftant from
St. Domingo. The Juna is one of the molt ra- Tie
pid Rivers of all this Ifle, it runs through the Juna.
Province of Bonao^ and falls into the Sea on
the North-fide of it. Jache is a. Name belong- x
ing to two Rivers in the Ifle of Spain^ one joins Jache.
its Water with the fpacious River Neiva, and
changes its Name as foon as it falls into it. The Another
other Jache is a River much celebrated for its River j a -
Saline Springs upon its Banks ; which arealfo c he.
embelliuYd with delightful Fields, Paflure-
Grounds and Medows ^ it has a very rapid
Current. The Hattbonico is another large River, M* Rer
but very rapid on the Weft-fide of the Ifle; the Hatib -
adjacent Country affords excellent Corn- field s. mco '
There are befides thefe, many other Rivers in
this Ifle, which afford great Plenty of Fifh, as
the Macsris, the Catftij the abac, where they
fifh for Gold.
The life of Gold is of a very ancient date.
Pliny tells us, that Cadmus was the firft who
found out Gold, and the way of melting it :
Others attribute it to Ihoas^ or to Ltilidcs^ or
to the 50#, Son of the Ocetn, unto whom Gettius
likewife afcribes the firft life of Medicines.
God commanded Afofesto take Gold and Silver
from the Jfraelites, for the Uie of oe Taberna-
cle he was to ered. When Jofeph, Surveyor
General of 0;*, order'd his Brothers Sacks
to be fill'd with Corn, and the Money they had
brougnc along with them, to be put uppermoifr
in
*66 The Generd HISTORY
in each Sack, he caus'd a Silver Cup to be laid
in that of the youngeft, befides his Portion of
Money. The fame Jofcph was fold by his Bro-
thers into Egypt) to the Ifomadites, for Money }
which fufficiently proves the Antiquity of the
life of Silver and Gold, and of other Metals.
Pliny likewife relates of Servitts Tullius^ King of
Rome, That he was the firfl who introduced a
Golden Coin, and that before that Time they
us'd it only in rough Pieces } he put the Stamp
of a Sheep upon this Coin, whence the Latins
have given the Name of Ptcuma to all coin'd
Metals.
After the Spaniards had made King dtabaliba
their Prifoner, in 1533. they fent to the King
of Spain for his fifth Share 400000 Golden Pi-
ftoles, the other itfooooc being divided among
thofe who had aflifled in this Conqueft } each
common Soldier had for his Share pooo Pi-
ftoles} the Officers according to their refpe&ive
Degrees, fome 15000, fome 20000, and fome
50000. This Vi&ory was not inferiour to that
the Spaniards obtained over King Montawma ia
New Spaix. 'Tis very remarkable, that juft
when the Forces delign'd by his Catholick Ma-
jefty againft the Indians, were aflembling at
Barcelona, four Ships arriv'd in that Portloaden
with Ingots of Gold, valued at two Millions
of Money, being the Spoils of that Vidory ob-
tain'd by Francis Pinaro, Governour of Peru t
over the before mention'd jltabahba. There
are In fiances of entire foiid Pieces of Gold
being found, of 3000 or 4003 Piiloles in
Weight.
HifyanUla produces Gold in divers Parts 5
its Mountains, as well as its Rivers, con-
tain a good Store of it, efpecially the River
i which is very Famous for the great
Quantity
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, 267
Quantity of Gold it affords } but after all, the
Charge of finding it is more than moft People
can well imagine ; befides that, it is not always
of the fame Finenefs or Goodnefs^ tho* it be
taken out of one and the fame Mine or River.
The Indians frequently mix Silver and other
Metals among the Gold they exchange with the
Europeans. The Virgin Gold is found in the Gold
Rivers, on their Banks, or in the Waters, and w ^ re
fometimes alfo in the Mountains. Thofe who **J*
make it their Profeflion to manage the Gold'
Traffick, maintain a great Number of 7/r-
dian Slaves for that purpofe. They caufe the
Ground, where they fuppofe they may find
Gold, to be well cleans'd of the Sand, Stones,
Shrubs and Trees that Hand in their way ;
after which, they begin to digg about eight or
ten Feet fquare, but fcarce above a Foot deep j
if they meet with a Gold-vein, they digg deep-
er, and what ever is caft up they wafh very
well) to feparate the Gold from the Earth.
Whenever they come to the rocky Part,
without getting Sight of any Gold, they
leave off digging there, and begin at another
Place.
So foon as any one has difcover'd a Gold
Mine, he is oblig'd to give notice thereof to the
King's Commillioners, but efpecially to the
Surveyor of the Royal Mines, for him to caufe
it to be meafur'd , becaofe no body is allow'd to
digg in thofe Grounds which are referv'd and
rnark'd for the King's life : The Traafgrefibrs
are punim'd as feverely as Highway-men ; but
the firft Commer may digg in the Grounds next
adjacent to the King's , tho' it frequently hap.
pens, that a Mine contiguous to a very rich
Gold Mine, produces little or nothing, or at
leaft only Silver. Thus it happen'd to a certain
2 68 The General HISTORY
Portuguefe nam'd Mela, who in a little time
dug out of his Mine to; the Value of 6000 Pi-
floles in Gold, whereas thofe that were em-
ploy'd in the Contiguous Mines, did not get
enough to defray their Charges.
How it is That the Gold whilfl it is brought out of the
Mines may not be wafted, they put the Earth
they dig in Baskets of Ozier or Cane, and
then waih it well with Water,to feparate it from
the Gravel or Sand \ this is commonly the Em-
ployment of the Indian Women : They go into
the Water up to the Middle, holding the
Basket by two Handles, and thus fhaking them
to and from the Water, wafh away all the Su-
perfluities, the more ponderous Part, which con-
tains the Gold, remaining fettled at the Bottom
of the Basket. They are here fo induflrious in
the Search after Gold, that they will fdry up
whole Brooks, and divert the Courfe of Rivu-
lets, to find the Gold in the Sand and Gravel
at the Bottom of them } 'tis fufficiently prov'd
by Experience, that the Gold is carry'd along
by the Torrents, from the Mountains in the
Vallies and Rivers ; 'tis alfo found fometimes
in the open Fields, which if it happen, they
conclude, the whole circumjacent Grounds to
contain Gold Mines ; but moft commonly the
greateft Quantity of it, is found at the Foot of
the Mountains, Sometimes a Gold Mine is of
Mines. n great Extent on the Surface, hut reaches
very deep towards the Center of the Earth } ia
fuch a Cafe they dig as if they intended to
make a Well, and the deeper they go, the more
Gold they meet with , but they mult take care
the Ground don't fink from above upon the
Work-men, and ftiflethem. There are abund-
ance of fubterraneous Mines in Hifaniola.
To
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS- 269
To take doe precaution againfb this Acci-
dent, Pliny fays, That thofe that work'd in
the Mines, us'd to fupport the Earth above
them, with Planks and Trunks of Trees. He
relates this of Aftttria, Galicia and fome other
Countries of Spain, which he fays, afford but
little Grain and other Neceflaries of Life, but
in lieu thereof arc exceeding rich in Gold Mines,
and that every Year they us'd to bring out of
the Mines of u4fturia , no lefs then 20000
weight of it. Thefe Gold Mines, Pliny fpeaks
of, muft at prefent be exhaufted , yet there
is yet remaining fome Silver, Copper and Iron
Mines in Spain, which are of great Advantage
to the King.
The further you find the Gold reraov'd
from its original Place of Nativity fas we
may call it) the more refin'd it is, being
carry d along by the Torrents that fall from
the Mountains, or by the Currents of the
Rivers. 'Tis alfo worth Obfervation, that the
Virgin Gold appears purer, and carries a better
Luftre, before it is touch'd by the Fire. It
happens fometimes-, that in digging, they find
a Gold Vein which difperfes it felf into an
infinite Number of Branches no bigger than a
Thread or Needle 3 which meeting at a certain
Concavity filJs it quite up, fo that penetrating
through the Pores of the Earth, it gathers
there like melted Wax ', For, whilftit is under
Ground it is whitiih and pliable, you may
handle and ' mould it as eafily as mollify'd
Wax; but it becomes hard, fo foon as it is
expos'd to the Air. No Body is permitted
to dig, or go in queft of Gold, without a
Warrant fign'd by the King's CommiHioners ,
if they do, and are difcover'd, all they get is
forfeited to the King of Spain,
CHAP.
The General HISTORY
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Manners and particular Cujioms of
fome of the Inhabitants of the Continent
in the Indies.
w :
E read in many Paflages of Pliny $ Natural
ory^ that in Scytkia there were cer-
tain People, who fed upon Humane Flefh, and
drunk their Blood -in Cups made of Men's
Skulls; they us'd to pull out the Teeth of
thofe they had (lain, and ware them for Orna-
ments fake about their Mecks, whence they
were call'd Antro$oyhagi ; they liv'd beyond
Cannibals the River Bonftkenss. There are to this Day in
or Men- the Indies fuch like Men-eating Nations, who
eaters. f ee( j U p 0a humane Flefh, and who facrifice Men,
juft as formerly the People of 1 brace ofier'd
up Strangers to their falfe Divinities. The
Savages inhabiting on the Continent of the
Indies^ call'd Chorotegat or Caribes^ wage War
with their Neighbours, chiefly for the Benefit
of taking Prifoners, whom they devour. They
are a Generation without the leafl Senfe of Hu-
t inanity, much lefs of Pitty, who differ from
wild Bears only in outward Shape. They iheytf
not the leafl Symtoms of any good Inclinati-*
ons, and even fuch as have bin taken in theif
Infancy, and educated among the Chriftians,
return in time to their vicious Difpofition.
They are fo much addi&ed to Cruelty andVene-
ry, that it is next to an Impoffibility to make
them defifl from it, it is as it were natural to
them.
Tis a very common thing in the Indies^ to
meet with Monfters and monftrous Births;
fome-
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 271
fometimes fuch like happen alfo in Europe. The
loth of July, in the Year 1533- the Wife rf f A
John Lopez., a Native of Sevile, but then living
at St. Domingo in the Indies, was brought to Bed
of two Daughters grown together ; all the
chief Inhabitants of that City, who had the
Curiofity of coming to the Houfe to fee the Mo-
ther and thefe monftrous Children, were Eye
Witnefles of this fmgular Accident. They were
joined together from the Stomach and Breads to
the Navel ^ each of thefe two Children had two
Arms, each a Head, and a well featur'd Faces,
each its peculiar Neck , their Bodies, from the
Navel down to the Feet were alfo feparated :
They had each its peculiar Name given them in
their Baptifm \ the Prieft, after having fprin-
kled the Baptifm Water over one of their Heads,
baptizing the other likewife, with thefe addi-
tional Words, If thou art not baptized already ;
being under fome doubt, whether they had two
diftinft Souls. This monftrous Birth dying in
about 1 8 Days after, was open'd, and all the
Entrails found double , two Livers f two
Hearts , two Inteftines , however, the two
Livers were clofed together, being parted only
by a skinny Thread. The Navel, which on the
outfide feem'd to be only fingle, was feparated
within, fo that one of the Navel-firings, of
one of them, entered within the Concavity of
the others Belly, they being from thence
aftually feparated downwards, for each had
two Thighs, two Legs, Feet, &c. One
dy'd about an Hour before the other-, but it is
to be obferv'd, that the fame Child being bora
and brought into the World an Hour before,
they may be faid to have liv'd the felf fdme
time. A remarkable Difference was obftrv'd in
their Adion$}for one would cry, whiift the
other
2 7 2 The General HISTORY
other was quiet} one would fleep,whilft the other
was awake ; and fb in the fame manner with
their natural Functions, Pitting, &c. whence it
was eafie to infer that they were two diftindt
Bodies, animated by two Souls.
And fince in this and the preceeding Chap-
ter, we have enter'd upon the Theme of
extraordinary Accidents, we mufl not pafs by
in Silence, a certain miraculous Spring which
arifes in the midft of the Sea, not far from the
Jfle of Navaaa, being a fmall uninhabited Ifle,
betwixt HifpanioU and Jamaica^ about 18
Degrees from the Equinoctial Line. In the open
Sea about half a League from the Shoar of the
Ifle of Navana^ there are certain Rocks which
you may plainly difcover under Water , from
AfrefiWa- thence you fee arife a fmall Spring or Spout a-
ter spnng fo^ t he Sea Waves, in fuch a manner, that you
eSea ' may plainly diflinguifh the fweet Water of the
Spring, without any Intermixture of the Sea
Water. The Spout is of the thicknefs of a
Man's Arm, and arifes from the Rocks lying
under the fait Water, at leafl five Foot deep
from their top to the Surface of the Sea.
In the Ifle of St. Domingo^ not far from the
Country of the Cannibal^ about 14 Degrees
beyond the Equinoctial Line, there is a fmall
River, not above twenty Paces broad at its
Mouth, and fcarce four or five Foot deep } un-
A lot der the Water of this River, you meet with a
spring in boiling Spring of Water, fo that, if you put
tbtmidfiofyoiir Hand into it, and take up fbme of the
a Rher. Sand from the Bottom, you would think you
had your Hand full of warm Afhes. This
Fountain confines its Water only to the Bottom
of the River, that on the Surface being cool
and very pleafant to the tafte. The Reafon of
it doubtkfs is, That a certain Subterraneous
Stream
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS'
Stream of Water which pafies through the
Sulphur Mines, communicates its Heat to this
Spring ; and what confirms this Opinion, is,
That about 300 Paces beyond it, there iflues a
Spring out of the bare Earth, the Water
whereof is fo hot, that you can't keep it in your
Mouth without Danger of burning it. On the
Banks of this River, is found abundance of
Gold.
CHAP. IX.
Concerning fome Plants and Fruits peculiar
to the Indies.
THE Plant call'd Ages by the Indians^ is a Tie Plant
kind of Turnep, growing under ground 5 Ages.
the Leaves not unlike to the Ivy : They Plant
them in a Line, the Ground being raiYd a little
above them ; it grows up and produces Leaves
immediately, which afford a Shade that pre-
ferves the Fruit, which does not come to full
maturity till at five or fix Months end , it is
the ordinary Food of Labourers, who eat it
inftead of Bread with Fifh and Flefli ^ whence it
is that you meet with it in mod Gardens* The
Indians and Negroes have fcarce any other al-
lowance for their Food; when it is broil'd it
relifhes much better* and is often eaten after
Supper, with Wine, to help digeflion. They
weigh fometimes three or four Pound a piece,
they have a white or reddiih Paring, the Pulp is
not unlike a Turnep.
The Potato $ grow in vaflQantities in
Indies, being one of the beft Fruits the
feed upon, being, when they are well drefs'd,
U not
The General HISTORY
not inferior to many of the bell Fruits of
rope. They are propagated in the fame manner
as the dges, and 'tis very probable they are of
the fame Kind, there being fo near a Refem-
blance betwixt their Leaves, and Shape, only
that the Potato's have a much finer tafte, being
fit to beferv'd up on a Prince's Table : When
they are well drefs'd, they will keep good in
all the Voyage, from America to Spain, provi-
ded they are not detained too long by con^
trary Winds, for otherwife they will be
fpoil'd.
Tie Fruit Jajama is the fineft and mofl excellent Fruit
Jajama. in the World : It refembles in Shape to a Pine-
Apple , but its beautiful Colour is not to be
exprefs'd by Words, containing more Variety
of Colours than the Peacock's Tail : It is us'd
and cut in Slices, like Melons ; but the Pulp is
more juicy, and cafts fo agreeable and ftrong a
Scent, that one of them is enough to perfume
a large Apartment : The Rind refembles the
Scales of Fifli rais'd, and lying clofe one upon
another. This Fruit grows upon a thorny Shrub
orThiftlewith long rough Leaves : The Stem
of this Shrub is ftrait and round, and each
produces no more than one (ingle Fruit } they
require ten Months, or a whole Year, to bring
them to their full maturity , notwithftanding
which, they grow in fuch Plenty in the Indies,
that they are little regarded and very cheap :
They won't keep above fourteen Days, and
then are apt to rot. In certain Places of the
Continent, the Indians make a fort of Wine of
this Fruit -, 'tis very fweet, but is not near fo
good as the European Wines.
A u f uc h T rees as were tranfplanted out of
* r */*> in the Indie *-> as the range, Citron,
tie Indies. Figg* Pomegranate, and other Trees, multiply
there
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS* 275
there in a moft prodigious manner, and afford
moft excellent Fruits. Vines thrive as well
there as any of the reft ; but, becaufe the
Climate is hot, and the Ground continually
moift, fo foon as the Grapes are gather'd they
begin to produce new ones, which much im-
pairs and fpends their natural Sap or Juice in a
fmall time. The Olive Trees are very fair and
large here, yet produce no Fruit, but only a
Bloflbra. It is a certain Obfervation, That Fruifs
fuch Trees as bear Fruit with Kernels in wirfKar-
them, thrive but indifferently in the Indies, nets dont
and fcarce ever bare any Fruit. Thus the *">
Apricot, Apple, and Cherry-Trees, either
fow'd or tranfplanted in feveral Parts of thefe
Ifles, never came to any thing. Pliny fays, Lib. i*.
That the Olive-Trees bare no Fruit in the
Indies*
The Tree Guanuama brings forth a certain
Fruit, which the Indians put into their Drink, \
and makes them as Fat as Hogs. If they can
make a Horfe to Drink of this Mixture, be
he never fp Lean, he will grow Plump and
Fat in a little time. The Tree Gagai bares
fmall White Figs with final] Kernels, like the
European Figs, and are very well tafted. Out
of the Bark of this Tree, they make Cords j
and out of thcfe Cords, their Shoes and
Pumps.
Wild Vines grow plentifully in all Farts of
the Indies^ as well on the Continent as in the
Ifles,and bear a tolerable good Grape or Ralins j
they creep up to the very Top of the Trees,
like our Vines, if they be cultivated and ty'd
to Stalks-, they produce a much better and
fweeter Fruit.
Pliny fpeaking; of Turpentine Trees fays, v The Lib. 4*
Male bares no Fruit, and that is of two forts ;
U 2 one
276 The General HISTORY
one he.rh;g''a Red, the other a Yellow Fruit,
which ppens about the fame time that Grapes
do, being of the bignefs of a Bean, and of a
very agreeable Scent : When it is touch'd it
emits a kind of a rafmous Subftance. Thefe
Trees grow on Mount Ua, not far from Troy ;
and in Macedonia, and about Damas : Thefe
Trees bring forth certainBowls containing fome
fmall Animals, which fing like Grafshoppers ;
and out of the Bark of theTree illues a raiinous
Indian vifcous Liquor, The Turpentine of the Product
n- of the Indies, is different from that whereof
pn n y jj as given us a Defcription , for tho' they
have a kind of fmall Creatures, not unlike
thofe mentioned by this Author, from which
iflbes a fort of rafinous Subftance, it is of quite
another Nature than Turpentine.
Cel- The Cclba is the largeft Tree that grows in
large the Indies. One of thefe Trees near the City
of St. Domingo, was of fo vaft a Bulk, that
fourteen Men holding one another by the Hand,
could not grafp it} and to this Day, in the
Woods on the Continent, are fome to be feea
not much lefs than that was ; the inferior
Part or Pit of this Tree, is fpungy and light,
and eaiie to be cut : This bulky Tree affords
a very agreeable and fpacious Shade, this be-
ing the only thing it is good for } whereas
Trees that there are divers Trees in the Indies, the Shade
kill Men whereof produces mofl infupportable Pains in
tytbiir t he Head, and fometimes kills thofe th^t tarry
too long underneath them ; of this Kind is that
Tree, from which the Caribesdraw their Poifon,
wherewith they envenom their Arrows. The
Fruit of the Tree Cclba opens it felf at the
approach of the Sun-beams, and contains a
woolly Subftance, in the mid ft whereof are
fmall Grains or Kernels, which are the Seed of
the Trees. In
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 577
In the Weftern Parts of Hifpamola, for the
fpace of 400 Leagues, you (hall meet with a fort Awh-
of Apple-Trees, the Fruit whereof is a mortal ? rees P>-
Poifon: Thefe Apples fmell like our Mufcade in Jor '
Pears, and fo fair to the Eye, that one can
fcarce fmell to, and look at them, without be-
ing tempted to tafte them -, fuch as being not
acquainted with the poifonous Quality of this
Tree, and tarry for fome time under its Shade,
find themfelves ftupify'd with their Eyes,
Cheeks, and whole Face fvvelPd , and if by
chance, the Dew that falls from this Tree,
happens to touch them, it burns like Fire, and
raifes Blifters and Pimples 'on the Skin \ if it
touches the Eyes, it makes them burft, and the
Party remains blind for ever : A Man can't Hay
for any con fid er able time near a Fire made of
its Wood, without being feiz'd with an in-
tolerable Head-ach, and a certain Heavinefs,
which affedts both Men and Bead ; fuch is
the Malignity of the Juice contain'd in this
Wood.
One thing wherein the Trees in the Indies dif-
fer from thofe of Europe, Africa, and j4fia,
is, That the firft never caft their Leaves, being Trees al-
always Green throughout the whole Year. 'Tis^Gmrn
no hard matter, to find out the Reafon of this . tbe Ia ~
difference :, becanfe all the Seafons in the //**//, *
are temperate and moift, the whole Year being
like one continued Spring. The OUve,the Laurel,
and Palm-Tree, Myrtle, Cyprefs, and Pine-
Tree, never part with their Leaves, in what
Part foever of this Country they grow , no
more than many other wild Trees, as the Juni-
per, the Cedar, Turpentine, the Tamarisk, &c.
all which are continually Green here. The Canes
and Reeds, enjoy the fame Advantage in thefe
Parts. Pliny tells us, That the Trees which
U 3 grow
2 7 S The General HISTORY
grow about Memphis, and in the Country of
Thebaida^ never loft their Leaves, nay, not
even the Vines. This may very well be
apply'd to 'he Inditn Trees \ but on the other
,,!>, Hand, the are not very durable. Their na-
Jjllt don t 11- i- n*n JT t
continue tural radical Juice or Moifture, is difpers d in a
good for Ihort time, they dwindle away, and bear no
any long longer any Fruits ; ft that they are oblig'd to
*' me * puii i hem up, and plant others in their Places.
The Beams and Planks made of thefe Trees are
of no long Duration ; the Poll?, Ooors, and
Windows made of them peri/h daily, and are
foon confum'd by the Worms. Perhaps fome-
thiag of the Fault may be laid at the Work-
men* doors, who make ufe of it whilft it is yet
quite Green.
CHAP. X.
Some peculiar Observations concerning cer-
tain Trees in the Indies, whereof they pre-
pare most excellent Medicines /or the Cure
of Wounds y And other Difeafes.
TN all Parts of Hifpaniola, as well as on the
u Continent, you meet with vaft Numbers of
Trees cover'd with Thorns, they grow wild,
and out of the firft Leaves fprouting forth o-
thers, and out of the fecond others ftill, con-
tiguous at the Extremities to one another, they
fervc inftead of Branches. They take the
fa the* -ea^es and Thorns of this Tree, bruife them,
Cvre of an( i Spread them upon a Linnet cloth like a
Iroken plaiftcr ^ this they apply to a broken Leg or
Arm, after it has bin well fet before. This
Piaitfer
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 279
Plaifter re-unites and flrengthens the broken
Part to a Miracle ; they leave it upon the
Wound, till it has perform'd its Operation,
and when it is perfe&ly cur'd, it falls off it
felf. The Fruit of this Tree is of a reddifh
Colour, of the bignefs of an Olive, cover'd
on the out-fide with almoft imperceptible
Prickles, which fling your Fingers when you
touch it : They make of this Fruit a kind of
Pafte, which they cut in Pieces of an Inch
fquare: The Indian Men and Women highly
value it, and ufe it to Paint their Faces and
Bodies with , of a Rofe Colour, it far ex-
ceeds the Red Paint, made ufe of by the /*-
ropean Ladies.
They grow in divers Parts of H'lfpaniol^
oa certain Trees, from which they draw a
liquid Subftance, like a Balfam, being an ex-
cellent Medicine ; They grow pretty tall, and A
their Leaves are not unlike thofe of the Po
granate-Tree : The Trunk and Branches of the
Tree, feem to be very dry, but the Leaves are
very Green and Frefh. This Tree is call'd
Goacovax by the Indians ; the Wood will burn
like a Flambeau, whence it is that the Filher-
inen ule it in the Night time, when they are
aFiftung: It has an agreeable Scent, notwith-
ftanding which, the Indians can't bear it. Vaft
Numbers of thefe Trees grow in the Woods,
as well in this Illand as on the Continent. An-
tonio de Villa, Santa, Inhabitant of St, Domingo,
was the firft who made Trial of ijhe Effefts of
this Liquor, unto which they give, but im-
properly, the Name of a Balfam. ' f is proba-
ble he had learn d this Secret from his Wife,
who was an Indian Woman. Others fay, That
Codws, a noted. Indian Phyficuin, firft of all
found out this Balfam^ in 1515. They take
U 4 the
The General HISTORY
the Shavings of this Tree, and boil them in
Water, which produces a fort of Liquor not
unlike an Oil, but fomewhat thicker, of a Red
Colour, like Claret. 'Tis an excellent Remedy
for all freih Wounds, Hops the Blood in a Mo-
ment, and clofes the Orifice } there is not a
more eafie, nor fafer Remedy to be found in the
World, and which allays the Pain fo foon as
this does.
When the Indians have a mind to take a
Purge, they make Ufe of a Fruit not unlike
a peai'd Hafel-Nut , the Fruit is the Product of
a Plant, the Leaves whereof refemble thofe
of our Hemp: It bears certain Bottoms,
wherein are enclos'd three or four of thefe
Kernels. Don John de la Vega, after his return
tof*W0//W, made a certain Spaniard^ his Re-
lation, take one of thefe Kernels, which had
fo terrible an Operation upon him, that in
lefs than 24 Hours, he voided all his Entrails,
and dy'd in the utmoft extremity of Pain and
Mifery.
There is a certain kind of Figs in Hiftaniola,
call'd theKfj of Hell, commonly known to the
Phyficians> Druggifb, Herbarifts, and Per-
fumers. The Banks of the Rivers here, are,
for the moft part,, lin'd with fine, tall and ftrait
Canes. The Indians build their Cabins of
them } and fo do the Europeans fometimes, be-
iides other Ufes they have for them. The
Ground which produces thefe Caiies is generally
very fit to bear Indian Grain, and all forts of
Pulfe. The thinner fort of Cane, is made oft
of for Arrows, Mats and Pancers, and divers
other curious Workman/hip j and the fineft of
all, are tranfported into Eurofe for Walking-
canes.
All
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 281
All over the Indies you fee (in great Quan-
tity) a certain Herb, call'd /, by the Indians , 4* Her*
very fit to Fatten Cattel withal, as our Acrons *~y"~
in Europe. This Herb grows up high, like the
Ivy, only that the Leaves arefomewhat thin-
ner. They are made ufe of to purge the Body,
they evacuate fo gently, that Children and big
belly'd Women may fafely take it. They bruife
thefe Leaves, fqueeze out the Juice, mix it with
fbme Suchas, and take it fading. All the
Fields are full of this medicinal Herb.
The Chriftians inhabiting the Indies, pre-
pare artificial Balfam of a certain Plant, that j n mi m
grows wild, it rifes up to the height of a Man, tialBai-
fo that you would take it for a Shrub or/^.
Tree, the Stalk being Reed, as well as the
Leaves, which are not unlike the Vine-Leaves
in the beginning of the Winter, when they
have loft their natural Colour. It bears Grapes
of the bignefs of a Hand, the Kernels whereof '
are no lefs than a fmall Mufquet-ball, and
plainly to be difcern'd through the Skin of
the Grapes, they are Green inclining to Red,
(in fome Places) efpecially when they begin to
ripen. Thefe Grapes they boil with the Leaves
of the Plant, till it is made thro' the Confi-
ftency of Honey, then they let it fettle, and
keep it for the cure of Wounds, which it
performs with an almoil llupendious fuccefs : /
For, this Balfam flops the Blood, cleanfes the
Wound, andclofes itup, even tho'part of the
Subftance of the Flefh be wanting. Many are
of Opinion, tbat this artificial Balfam is lafer
and quicker in healing of Wounds than the
true natural one. The Leaves of this Plant, A T ,.
deftill'd through a Limbeck, afford a molt Aqua v"
excellent Aqua Pit*. A Negro who had his Legt*.
quite torn to Pieces by a Cart, which run over
his
282 The Gentfd HISTORY
his Body, was cured by it in a very fhort time
they only dipp'd fome Linnen clothes in the
A --* Kt*, which they apply'd to his Leg.
It * s slfo an excellent Remedy for the Cholick,
am. he leftuxion of cold Humours.
TMndi- Aa Indian^ tho* you treat him never fo kind-
ans very ly, will not part with 1m Secret, of thefe they
tenacious are ver y tenacious j hence it is that they keep
to themfelves the Knowledge of the Vertues of
their Simples, efpecially in reference to the
European" -, for let any one of them be never fo
much their Friend, they will not impart to him,
thofe things they know may contribute towards
the curing of Difeafes. It muft be attributed
to nothing but a good Chance, that our Peo-
ple found out the fhipendious Effeds of that
Plant, the Indians call Perebecenue. When it is
come to its full growth, it is as tall as a Man ;
it cures all manner of Wounds, be they never
rfoold) nay, even when gangreen'd, and as one
fay, become incurable. They take a
Handful of the Leaves of this Plant, boil them
in fair Water, till one third of the Deco&ion
be evaporated, then take it from the Fire and
fet it to cool. In this Decodion they dip Lin-
nen-Cloaths s wherewith they wafh, and rub the
Wound*, this done, they apply fome of the
frefh Leaves, but not till after they have
fqueez'd the Juice out of it upon a Linnen-
Cloath ; wherewith they bind up the Wound.
This Operation muft be repeated twice a Day,
and in a very fhort time it will cure the moffc
malignant Ulcers and Wounds.
CHAP.
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS.
CHAP. XL
Of (bme peculiar forts of Animals in the In-
dies, and of their particular Qualities.
TH E Con is a little four footed Creature Cori
not unlike our Rabbets or Moles , thef Cr
have fmall Ears, which they lay fo clofe t
their Necks, that they are fcarce to be feen ^
they have no Tails: Some are White, fome
Black, fomePy'd, White and Black ; fome are
Py'd, White and Red, very agreeable to the
Sight : They make no ill Scent in the Houfe j
feed upon Herbs> and a little ferves them :
They tafte like the beft Rabbets, but their Flefh
is not fo dry, but more lufcious.
The Indians did not make life of Dogs, till
the 'ittropcans taught them the Conveniency of
thefe Creatures , but what is moft remarkable,
is, that the Indian Dogs, never Bark, Howl or
Cry, nay, even not when they are beaten or j) gsne
kill'ds Their Flefh affords good Food, for ver Bark.
which purpofe it is, that they have bin almoil
all deftroy'd by the Europeans. Pliny tells us,
that the Frogs in Cyrene don't make any Noife ;
when they are tranfported into other Countries,
they begin to fing. 'Tis poffible, that if the
Indian Dogs were brought into other Parts,
they would Bark and Howl, like other Dogs.
'Tis certain that the Gralhoppers in the Ifle of
Senphe, don't (ing, till they are tranfported
into the adjacent Countries.
The Indians were deftitute of all forts of
Horfes, till they were brought thither out of
Spam; b t fince that time, they are encreafed
to a great Number in, all Parts of the Country.
They
The General HISTORY
They have now alfo vaft Store of Oxen
and Cows, fo that you may buy a good Oxe
for a Piftole } and abundance of Bears are
kill'd here, only for their Hides, the Flefh
they throw away. The Deacon of the Church
of St. Domingo, has 16000 Head of Cattle be-
longing to him, and the reft of the Inhabi-
tants in Proportion : However, fmce they
have apply'd themfelyes to their Sugar-works,
moft of this Cattle is grown wild, being al-
ways kept in the common Fields and Woods,
but are encreas'd to an almolt incredible
Number.
The Indies are full of Serpents, fo that it
tit T rr- 1 i
would be next to an Impoflibihty, to give a
larmkfs. Defcription of their feverai Kind s : They are
harmlefs, and according to their Opinion, not
venemous ; Some of them are twenty Foot
long, but of the thicknefs only of a Doublc-
fift. The Indians eat them, and fay they are
very good Meat. They have, however, *a kind
of fmall Green Serpents, which are full of
Poifon, and much in requeft \ becaufe with
their Poifbn, they envenom their Arrows.
CHAP. XII.
Of their Sea, and River-ffb.
Erpents and Fifh being the moft common
Food of the Indians^ they catch the lafl
with Cotton-Threads : But they have a cer-
tie tain Herb they call Baigua^ this they chop,
Indians an(i ba j t the Filh with it, by calling it on the
m ? urface f theWater : The Fifh being as it were
intoxicated by this Bait, arife to the Surface.
of
S
of VOYAGES tnct TRAVELS,)
of the Water, where they remain without
Motion, fo that they can take as many as they
think fit, with their Hands only. They have
mod forts of Fifh we have in Europe : Roaches,
Soles, Turbits, Eels, Sardins, Sea and Shell-fifh
of all forts. Their Fifh are not fo Phlegraatick,
and confequently more wholefom than thofe of
Europe; but on the other Hand, are not fo.weli
tafted. You fee here, alfo, other Filh in great
Quantities , but the Number of Tortoiies is
incredible.
They are often terrify'd in thefe Seas by a Monfrout
certain monftrous Fi(h, the very Sight where- &fo es **
of makes the Manners tremble for fear, fp e .^ Indies
cially thofe in fmall Veflels, which are in great
danger of being overfet by them, becaufe they
cafta vaft Quantity of Water out of their No-
fhrils with an almoft incredible Strength ; when
they appear above VVater, they difcover their
Wings almoft like two Arms* each of which /
being twenty or twenty-eight Foot long, and
the Head fourteen or fifteen, judge of the bulk
of the whole Body of this Animal, which is
not much inferior to that of a middle fiz'd
VefTel.
The Seas in thefe Parts, abound alfo in Sea-
wolves, efpecially near the Shore of the Conti-
nent : It is the nimbleftFilh of all, they go
out of the VVater to fieep upon the Sands, and
fleep fo found that you may hear them fnoaring
at a great diftance; fo they are eafily taken or
kill'd whilft they are afleep. The Females
bring forth two young ones, whom theynou-
rifli with the Milk of their Breads. On their
Backs they have a curious fine Black Skin,
however, fometimes you (hall fee alfo fome
Red ones. There lies a certain fat Subftance
betwixt their Skin and Flefh, from whence they
draw
$86 The General HISTORY
draw an Oil they make ufe of, both for frying
and burning in Lamps. Every Part of their
Body is fit for Food ; but if you eat this Flefli
for feveral Days fucceflively, it lies very heavy
upon the Stomach Thefe Sea-wolves are
eighteen or tvvrnty Foot long, and eight in
Circumference : Their Teeth are very fharp,
and they Prey upon other Fifh, who make
open War againil them in vaft Shoals, fur-
round and bite them - 7 but the Sea-wolves com-
monly make their Party good, let the odds
of Numbers be never fo much againft them.
They make a great Noife whilft they are fight-
ing, you fee the Water bubble, and the
Waves rife up to the height of the Malt of a
Ship, and the Surface appears all Bloody. One
thing is very remarkable, concerning the Skins
of the Sea-wolves, thatfuch Pouches or Girdles
as 'are made of them, relax and lie fiat, when
it is Ebb-tide at Sea-, whereas they are itiff and
bloated when the Waters flow.
CHAP. XIII.
Of the different KJnds of Birds of the
Indies j both at Sea, and on the Coati*
went.
WHen you travel out of Europe^ to the
Indies, you will fee a vaft Number of
Birds flying clofe to the Surface of the Sea,
with an incredible Swiftnefs } they are not
unlike our White Pidgeons, with long and thin
Tails, whence they are call'd, by the Paflengers,
Bttlntjb ; Thefe Birds breed aftioar, neverthe-
lefs
of VOYAGES &nl TRAVELS.
lefs, are frequently feen at Sea above 300
Leagues from any Land ; their Beaks and
Eyes are Red, and their Feet and the extremi-
ties of their Wings Black , fometimes being
quite tir'd with flying, they pearch or fettle
on the Mails or Deck of the Ships, and are taken
with much eafe.
Generally fpeaking, all the Birds of the
Indies have Feathers varying with many
lively Colours : The beautiful and different
Colours of the Parroquet, are paft all De-
flription. The Nightingals fing not fo fre-
quently here, as in Europe, neither do they
come near them in their Nodulations and Va-
riations. On the other Hand, the Sparrows ling
very melodioufly here , they have them hereof s f ayrovs *
all forts of Colours, nay,even fome that are quite
Black } but they are very finall. They have
alfo another kind of Sparrows, who live, "as it
were, in the manner of a Family : They build
a Neft big enough to hold 100 or 300, viz.
for feveral Families, with divers Partitions
for each Family, for the Father, for the Mo-
ther, and the young ones : If they efpy a large
Bird, or a Bird of Prey coming near them,
the whole Flock draw out in a Body, fall upon
their common Enemy, and don't leave him,
till he has left fome of his Feathers behind him 9
that moft of the otherBirds are as fraid to come
near fuch a Neft, as Men are to approach a Neft
of VVafps.
On the Seas and Sea-coaft of the Indies^ you
fee alfo another Bird, which has fomething ve-
ry peculiar belonging to him: His Feathers 4
are fpotted like a Leopard, being a Bird of B
Prey both by Sea and Land ; one of his Feet is
large and broad like that of a Goofe, and the o-
ther has a Talon like an Eagle: If any Fifti are
fporting
TheGeneulH I STORY
fporting on the Surface of the Water, he fpie
them at a great diftance, in the Air, and com-
ing down fwiftlyupon them, gripes them with
his Talons, and with his other Foot fvvims a*
way at his own eafe, and eats them ; but if he
happens to light upon a very flout Fifh, he car-
ries it to the next Rock or Tree ; For, as I
told you already, this is an amphibious Bird, he
Preys not only upon Fifli, but upon Lizards alfo,
for want of Fifties-
CHAP, XIV,
Of the Infetts peculiar to the Indies'.-
INfetts were call'd by the Ancients, fuel!
Animals as liv'd without Blood and Refpi-
ration. Pliny- can't fufficiently admire thofe
extraordinary Perfe&ions, which are obferv'd
in fome of thefe little Creatures , which are
exacl: and curious in many of their Functions,
that fbme have attributed the life of Reafbn
to them *, and truly it is almofl incomprehenfi-
ble how Senfation fhould be obferv'd to fuch a
Degree of Perfection in fuch minuteBodies : Some
of them hear to admiration,others are incredibly
quick fighted, fome have a Nice Palate, others
a very extraordinary Scent , fome have Wings,
others long Legs, &c. fome of them are greedy
of human Blood, and Nature has provided
them with a Sting or a kind of Alembec to
pierce our Skin, and to fuck it. Thofe that
live in Woods, have likewife certain fmall In-
itruments, wherewith to bore fmall Holes.
We frequently admire the Strength of an Ox,
a Camelj and of the Elephant, who carries
whole
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS" 289
whole Towers o- his Back, we dread the fiery
Nature of a Lyon, we obferve not without
Admiration the Swiftnefs of a Bird of Prey j
but Nature is no lets to be adrnir'd in its
Produ&iop of Flies, and of the vileft Jnfedh,
which are provided by her with every thing
neceflary for their Subfiftance.
It happens fometimes, that certain Parts of
the Indies are over-whelm'd with fo vaft a
Numbers of Ants, and that they make fuch p '<%^
incredible Ravages, that the Inhabitants know #**
not how to continue in their Habitation j for * *
they ruin all the Trees to iuch a Degree, that
they bear no Fruit for fcveral Years after, and
eat or fpoilall the Provifions they have in their
Houfes. Thus one time the Inhabitants of
St. Domingo were redac'd by thefe Infeds to
fuch Extremities, that they were upon the
Point of quitting the City , -but before they
came to this laft Refolution, aflembled in the
Cathedral, where Alexander Giraldin , their
Arch-bifhop, celebrated folemn Mafs in his
Pontificalibus, and made>in the Name of all his
Diocefian?, a folemn Vow to God, under the
Patronage of St. Saturnin^ whom they chofe
Prote&or of their City, and no fooner had they
made this Saint their Advocate, but the Cala-
mity ceas'd.
The Scolofender, or the Creature with a ;
hundred Feet, is of a Fingers length, his
Sting is very painful : Some of them are of
different Colours with black Streaks and black
Heads, thefe are the moft dangerous of all. A
certain Kind of this Infeft with a hundred Feet,
never appear but again ft Rain, or approach-
ing exceflive Heats } they deftroy the Corn, and
Other Produds of the Field, and fhine fo bright
in the Night, that they even enlighten the Air
X that
The General HISTORY
that furrounds them. Sometimes Scoloptnders
and Infedsof a hundred Feet, have bin feen as
Icmg as the Palm of a Man's Hand, and as thick
as a Man's Thumb, with fmall black Streaks and
black Horns , thefe feem very terrible in
the Night time, but hurt no Body ^ they are
often feen as well in the Houfes of the Europeans^
#i as in the Cabins of the Indians.
Lib* 14. Pliny mentions certain Creatures defti-
<*$ 34- tute of a PafTage to void their Exrercelus,
Hilt. Nat, w hich, he fays, come out of their Mouths:
Thefe Creatures feed mofl generally upon Blood,
till they but ft and dye, and this kind of Infeds
are engender'd in the Flefh of Oxen and
Dogs.
"Scorpions. The Inhabitants of the Indies are fre-
quently troubled with great Numbers of
Scorpions:, thofethat are flung by them, dye
commonly in three Days time ^ however, their
Stiag is much more dangerous to Women and
Female Children, becaufe they are feldomer
cur'd than Men and Boys ^ but after all, it is
certain, that the Scorpions in America^ are not
altogether fo venemous as thofe in Europe ;
the Wound they give is exceeding painful
for a Quarter of an Hour, and comes pretty
near to the Sting of a Wafp at firft Appear-
e and anCe% "^ ^ ere * s a ^ a ^ ort f Flies in the Indies^
/^), very well worth our Obfervation: They are as
files, big as a Mans Thumb, have. Eyes as bright as
if they were two lighted Candles, fo that they
enlighten the circumambient Air, where-ever
they fly, to fuch a Degree, that People who
wanted to light a Candle in hafte, have bin
known to ran flrait forward to a Perfon who
held one of thefe Flies ia his Hand, thinking
it had bin a Candle. They give fo ftrong a
Light in a Chamber, that you may both read
and
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 291
knd wrire by it , they put two or three of them
together, and ufe them inftead of a Lanthorn,
to light them through the Fields, tho' the
Night be never fo dark. Soldiers frequently
make ufe of them here, in their nodurnal
Marches, to keep them ia the right Way,
and prevent them from Idling one another in
the Woods. The Indians make a kind of Collar *
of them, fo that they may be feen at a Leagues ;
diftance, when they are abroad a hunting in
the Night time , this Light being attended with
this Conveniency, that neither Wind nor Rain
can extinguilh it : 'Tis credibly reported, that
one of thefe Flies put on the Head of a Guide
has given fufficient Light to a whole Party,
that were fent out in the Night upon fome
fecret Defign : Tis not only the Luftre of
their Eyes,, that produces this Light, it is
fpread likewife on both fides of their Bodies,
fb that when they move their Wings in fly-
ing, this Light is confiderably augmented :
They are kept to ferve inftead of Candles at
Suppers, without any other Light. The Indians
bruife and make a Pafte of them \ and when
they have a mind to make Sport, and frighten
thofe that are unacquainted with the Secret,
they rub their Bodies with it, which appears to
be all on Fire in the Night time. This Infed,
when it is near Death, its Light decays and
lofes it felf by Degrees.
XI CHAP.
292 The General HIS TORY
CHAP. XV.
Certain curious and rare Obfer vat ions of the.
IJle of St. John, and how it was con-
by the Europeans.
TH E Indians call Boriden the fame Ifle
unto which the Europeans have lince gi-
ven the Name of the Ifle of St. John, about
25 or 30 Leagues diflant from Hifpaniola, to the
Weftward of it. About midway betwixt both
is the Ifle of Mona, containing fcarce three
Leagues in Circumference, but is very fertile,
and inhabited by a. few Indians and Chriftians.
All forts of Herbs are moft excellent here, and
they have the beft of Melons. The Ifle of
St John is 55 Leagues long, and 20 broad,
feated under the i7th Degree beyond the
Equinoctial. It abounds in Gold, and every
thing that is neceflary for Life, efpecially in
Mahiz, and Caffaves, whereof they make their
Bread. They don't want convenient Harbours,
and have Plenty of Fifh. The Country is wa-
ter'd and moiilned by divers Rivers, and ftor'd
with Cattle of all forts.
Don Nicholas <F Ovando having fubdu'd this
liland, made John Ponced* Lftwhis Deputy Go-
vernour there, one who had affifted Chrijtropher
Columbia in his fir ft Difcovery of the Indies.
The Chief Cacique or Lord of this Ifle,
nam'd Aigucibana^ to fhew his Efteem for the
Chriflians, wou'd afllirne the Name of John
Ponce de Leon^ it being a Ccftom among thcfe
JndiAm^ that, when they intend to give any
one a particular Mark of their Efteem, they
change
of VOYAGES ^TRAVELS. 29}
change their Name for his. This Cacique'
Mother had alfo taken the Name of^i
being a Lady of flngular Merit (confidering /he j y ohn {
was an Indian) and her Son the Cacique, pay'd
her all the Deference and Refpeft (he could
defire , fhe had bin an Eye-witnefs of all that
happen'd when the Europeans firft got footing ia
that Ifle, and us'd to difcourfe of that Enter-
prize with a great deal of Senfe and Judgment.
Above all other things, fhe advis'd her Son and
Subjeds to maintain a good Correspondence
with the Spaniards, which produc'd this Effed,
that the Cacique difcover'd to them two Ri-
vers very rich in Gold.
The Air is very unwholefom in this Ifle, and
the Water not fit for life ^ the European Chil-
dren us'd to dye as foon as they were wean'd,
and drank of thefe Waters, they turn'd Yellow,
and dy'd of a ling'ring Diftemper. Thefe In-
conveniences oblig'd the Europeans to change
their Habitations, and to make their Settle-
ments on the furthennoft Point of the Ifle ;
but they could not fubfift there, they were fb
infeftedand plagu'd with Flies. Twas about
this time the Indians laid a Defign of riling ia
Arms againft the Chriftians , they put it in
Execution one Friday, in the Year 1511, when
the Chriflians, who not in the leaft fufpedted
any fuch thing, were difperfed in different
Places. For this purpofe it had bin concerted
among the Indians, That each Cacique fhould
murther fuch Chriflians as he found in his j;
Dominions, that fo they might be furpriz'd
and mafTacred all at once. The Indians being
aflerabled, to the Number of 3000, in feveraJ
Places, fell unexpedtedly upon the Chriflians, tfof
whom they put about 80 to the Sword ^ for,
this being a woody Country, it was an eafie
X 3 matter
294 The General HI STORY
matter for them, to aflemble and conceal
themfelves, till the Signal was given. The other
Chriftians now faw themfelves in the moft
eminent Danger of undergoing the fame Fate
with their dead Companions, before they
could get into a Body, when Diego Sala^ar^
a brave Captain, feeing there was nothing but
Death to be expedled at the Hands of thefe
Barbarians, put hirnfelf at the Head of thofe
few Spaniards that were neareft at Hand, and
charg'd the Enemy with fo much Refolution.
that at the firft Charge (being quite ama:z'd
at his Bravery) they threw down their / A ms,
to fly with the more fwiftnefs and eafe , after
which, SaUza join'd Ponce de Leon with his
Troops. After this Shock, the very Name of
Sala^ar became fb terrible to thefe Barbarians,
that whenever they law a Spaniard, they thought
it had bin Sa.laz.ar.
The Indian^ among other Prifoners, had
taken the Son of Swore*, de Medina del Campo^
and kept him, with a Deiign to Maflacre him
on a publick Feftival, in Sight of the People.
$rrarez. advertised by a Slave of the barbarous
Defign of the Indians, goes thither in Perfon,
One Jingle and meeting with 300 of thefe Wretches, who
Spaniard guarded him, throws himfelf into the middle
is too bard O f them, killing all he met in his Way , and
for 300 i iav i n g releas'd the Prifoner, carries him off
without Oppofition, the Indians not daring to
purfue bim.
This Venom of Rebellion had fpread it felf
all over the liland, the Inhabitants whereof had
taken a fix'd Refolution to {hake off the Yoak
of the European^ coil it what it will. One Day
a young Spaniard who had dilguisM himfelf like
an Indian, by painting his Body with fuch van-
pus Colours as they moft delight in, took aa
Opportunity
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, 295
Opportunity of getting in among them, as they
were Merry-making on a certain Fcftival :
Here he heard them talk of nothing elfc but
triumphing over their Enemies, before they
had got the Vi&ory ; and of the approaching
Deliverance of their Country, by the Slaughter
of all the Chriilians. He gave notice of what
lie had underftood, to the Governour, who
flighting the Matter, was a few Days after
murder'd, with all that were near him, by the
Indians.
The Spaniards enrag'd at fo barbarous an
A&ion, refolv'd on the utter Extirpation of the
Indians^ to revenge the Death of their Gover-
nour, whofe Funeral Obfeqnies they celebrated
with as much Magnificence, as the prefent Cir-
cumftances of their Affairs would give them
leave. Which done, Diego SaUz^r, Pence Leon^
JMichael de Terra, and the reft of the fyaniftf
Officers of note, afTembled all the Renrnants
of their Forces into one Body, above one
half of them being murder'd by the Infan^
whilft they were difpers'd in divers Parts of
the Ifland. 'Tis to be obferv'd here, that it
was a general Opinion among thefe Indians,
That the Chriftians were Immortal ; and it
was this that render'd them fo terrible among
thefe Barbarians, till a certain Accident un-
ridled this Secret. Some Indians offering their ji e j n
Service, to carry one John Salced on their Backs am
crofs the River, he accepted of iu ^ but
fooner were they come in the midft of
Current, but they not only let him drop,
alfo ftifled him under Water , this done, they
laid his dead Carcafs upon the Bank of the
River, where they guarded it for three Day^,
frequently (peaking to it, and asking it many
Qpeitions, to try whether it would return an
X 4 Anfwer
29$ The General HISTORY
Anfwer , To foon as they found it to contraft
an ill Scent, they gave notice of what had
happened to the Cacique^ who from time to time
fent fome of his Indians to look upon it. in
order to convince them by their own Senfes,that
the Chriflians were no lefs Mortal than other
Men. This prov'd one of the chiefell: Motives,
that embolden'd them to the intended Infur-
redion, and the Maflacring of the Chri-
ftians.
The firfl Engagement happen'd in the Country
of the Cacique ^Heifana^ near the Mouth of
the River Carinco. The Europeans furpriz'd the
Indians in the Night time, and made fuch a
Slaughter among them (tho* they had a good
Number of the Caribes or Cannibals in their
Army) that they believ'd no .otherwiie, than
that the fame Chriflians they had maflacn d in
cool Blood, were reviv'd from the dead ^ and
it was to this Miracle tlrey attributed their
Vidory, when they faw a rumerous Army de-
feated by a Handful of Men. Pnnce de Leon
with 24 Soldiers only, had another fortunate
Encounter with a whole Army of Indians^ con-
lifting of no lefs than i j ooo Men. The Indians
feeing fo infignificant a Number advance with
fo much Boldnefs and Fiercenefs again (I fo
great a Number, could not fo much as bear
the very Sight of their Enemies, and therefore
began to retreat before them *, but, when they
faw one of their Companions, advanced on
fome diftance before the reft, drop by a
Musket ball, they were fo terrify'd at the un-
ufual Noife and its EfFeds, that believing him
to have bin kill'd by a Thunder-bolt, they run
away as faft as they could, to fave their Lives
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 297
The Fruit they reap'd of this Victory, was
the abfolute Conqueft of the Ifle of Borickcn, Submit to
whereof the Spaniards remain'd in quiet Pof- *}**.
feflion after that time. Notwithftanding all
the great Services of Ponce de Leon^ done to
the Crown of Spain by this Conqueft, he fell
into Difgrace, and was recalled from his Go-
vernment, by the Intereft of Chriftopher Co-
lumbusi who was none of his Friend. Seeing
his Services fo ill rewarded, he equipp'd two
Barques, in order to make fome new Difco-
veries on the Shoar of the Continent. In this
Voyage, coming to the Ifle of Bimlni^ the
Iflanders told him, there was a Fountain in
the Country which had the Venue of making
old People young, and reltoring them to theii
full Vigour : Ponce de Leon overcome by the
Ferfuafions of the fimple Iflanders (who actu-
ally believ'd there was fuch a thing) fpent above
Six Months in vain* in fearch after it \ how-
ever, he did not altogether lofe his Labour,
having by this Means difcover'd a Tract of
above roo Leagues long, and 50 broad, of
the moft beautiful Country on the Continent,
about the 25th Degree beyond the Equinodial
Line. The Chriflians were much forwarded
in this Difcovery, by a moft miraculous Dog, loiu
call'd Berzjllo } becaufe he did fuch Actions, as
would have perfwaded fome People, that he
was a rational Creature. He found out a De-
fetter in themidftof TOO Indian^ he bit him,
and feiz'd him with his Teeth by the Arm,
to force him to come back to his own Camp.
If a Prifoner happen'd to make his Efcapein
the night time, they only us'd to let loofe this
Dog, who following the Scent, was fure to
find him out, and to bring him back, tho' he was
a League from the Camp. He knew who
were
298 The General HISTORY \
were Friends, and who were Foes to the Eu-
ropeans ^ he would wag his Tail at the firft, and
fall upon the laft , and what is almoft incredi-
ble, he could diflinguifh in the Family iuch
as bore a particular AfFedion to his Matter
from the reft. His Matter being a Captain,
had one and a half Man's pay, for this Dog's
Service in the Army. This ftupendious Crea-
ture attempting one Day to follow an Indian^
that was run away, was, in fwinyning crofs a
River, kilPd by a poifonous Dart an Indian
let fly at him from the oppofite Side of the
lame River.
CHAP. XVI.
Some particular ObfervAtions of the Ifle of
Cuba, ctlPd othermfe Ferdinand'* Ifle.
E Ifle of Cuba is not above 25 Leagues
diftant from Hifyamda: It has 300
o/Cu- Leagues in Length, and 65 m Breadth, being
fituated above 20 Degrees beyond the Equi-
noctial Line. The Capital of this Ifle is the
City of St. James ; which has a very conveni-
ent Port, and the Havana, lies on the North-
point of this Ifle. The Iflanders wear fhort
Cloaths of Callico, Rings in their Ears, and
Golden Chains about their Necks. The Wo-
men have a Callico Veil on their Heads, and
about their Necks ^ and befides this, a fliort
Mantle about their Shoulders and Arms.
This is a very populous Country, there are a*
fcove 3000 Cahanes alone in the Province of
Campechio. Thefe People ftood amaz'd when
they faw Ships with all their Equippage ap-
proach*
of VOYAGES ani TRAVELS, 299
* preaching the Shear , but they were like
Thunder-fir uck, when they heard the dread-
ful Noife, and faw the Fire and Smoak of the
Cannon, and got the Scent of the Gun-powder
into their Noftrils, they thought no other-
wife than that it had bin Thunder and Lighten-
ing. They feenVd to be overjoy'd, and highly
carefs'd thofe few Europeans that went a-fhoar,
and prefented them with good ftore of Birds
fit for Food ^ with Turtles, Peacocks, wild
Ducks, and divers other forts of wild Fowls,
befides fome Hares and Bucks. About fifteen
Leagues higher, they favr the Province of
Agvawil, the King or Cacique's Name, that
then commanded there in chief, be'mgCiapotow.
They met here with a quite different Recep-
tion, for the Natives threatned them with
their Bows and Arrows, and would not fuffer
them to come a-fhoar. Their Faces were
painted with various Colours, and having a
mind to draw the Chriftians into a Snare,
when they ask'd them for frefh Water, told
them, That their Springs were at fome diftance TveAt i e
from the Sea-fide, and that, if they pleas'd they O t l>e
would fhew them the way how to come at them,
They led them through abundance of By-ways-,
m order to cut of all Hopes of retreating
and then charg'd them at a diftance with their
Arrows. The Chriftians, tho' but few in Num-
ber, defended themfelves moft gallantly, and
at laft, with great Difficulty, got back to their
Ships, after having kill'd a good Number of
the Indians $ but it coft them the Lives of no
lefs than 20 Spaniards ^ and 30 wounded,
among which was Captain Franc i* Hernadez..
Had the Barbarians let them go on for fome
time longer, before they entred upon Hoftili-
ties, they muft have all fela a Sacrifice to their
fury.
? oo
M odd
tants.
An odd
fort of
Rabbets.
The Gemyd H I S T O R Y
The Inhabitants of the Ifle of Cuba have a
" ftrange Cnftom belonging to their Marriages :
Jf it be a Cacique that is married, all the
Caciques that are preient at the Wedding-Feaft,
lie with the new married Woman, before her
Spoufes Face. If it is another Perfon of note,
all thofe of the fame Rank challenge that Pri-
viledge. If it be one of the vulgar fort, all
theGuefts enjoy the Bride, who after this great
Exploit, cries out as loud as fhe can, as if it
were to boaft of her Vigour, to have bin able
to fuftain the Approaches of fo many Men.
They are generally great Lyars, ftupid, volup-
tuous, ungrateful Idiots, and incapable of com-
prehending or learning the true Do&ines of
Chriftianity. They worfhip the Devil under
the Name of Cemi $ they think it no Crime to
lie with a Woman ; and Sodomy is a general
Vice among the Indians. The leaft Pre-
tence in the World ferves for a Divorce, and
the Women in this point have the fame Liberty
as the Men *, for, they leave their Husbands with-
out any further Ceremony, if they find them not
vigorous enough to fatisfy their fen fual Appetites.
The Caciques have as many Wives as they pleafe,
and the reft as many as they are able to main-
tain. Moft of the Natives of the Ifle of Cuba,
fpend great part of their Lives in Hunting and
Fifliing , the Country is very fertile in Gold,
and a moft prodigious Quantity of that Metal
has bin exported from thence j their richeft
Mines are in the Mountains.
This Ifle affords a certain Animal, and that
in vaft Numbers, of a very good taite and
Nourishment, not unlike our Rabbots, except
that they have a Tail like a Rat, and a Skin like
a Hedge- hog ; they flea them before they eat
them. They will pearch upon certain Trees
that
oj VOYAGES Ani, TRAVELS* 301
that grow in the Sea , they (hake the Trees, and
fo thefe Animals drop into the Water, the
Indians fwirn after them and catch them up ;
they are call'd Guabmqnntt. in their Language :
They are fometimes of a Gray Colour, fpeckled
with Red.
In a certain Plain, fituated betwixt two
Mountains, in the Jile of Cuba^ are tobefeen
prodigious Quantities of ' round Stones of all
Sizes, fome of the bignefs of Cannon-bullets,
fome of Tennis-balls, others of Musket-balls,
and others of a lefs Size ^ they are by Nature
fram'd fo exa&ly round, that no Turner or o-
ther Workman could be able to bring them to
fo nice a Rotundity. The whole Plain is cover'd
all over with them, fo that it in feems as if that
whole Trad were one entire Mine of Stones ;
they ufe them for Mufquet Bullets, for want of
leaden ones.
In the Northern part of this Ifle there is a
rich Mine of Bitumen or Pitch, which they cut
in large Pieces, and ufe it in pitching their Ships.
P//yfays, the Lake ^fphaltites in Jttdea^ pro-j^ ^
duces a bituminous Subftance. Quin. Curtis
mentions a certain deep Grotto, from whence
iffues a bituminous Liquor. In the Province of
Panuco in New Spain, is fuch a Mine of Bitumen^
but it exceeds that in the Ifle of Cuba. There
are two bituminous Springs in the Province of
Peru.
The Natives of the Ifle of Caba^ as well as u ow t j je
all the other Indians, when they intend to Indians
declare War to their Enemies , in order denounce
to give the Signal for a Combat, light a kind WMtoon
of Flambeau, which they pitch on a high place, anot " ert
foas to be fcen at a conliderable diftance ; as
long as this Flambeau or Torch continues burn-
ing, they commit not the leaft Hoftilities \ but
no
302 77*? General HISTORY
no fooner is it extinguifli'd, but theyfet up"
a moft terrible Cry, to encourage one ano-
ther $ run to their Arms, and prepare them-
felves either for their own Defence, or for
the attacking of the Enemy. They never
ftand their Ground when they engage ; but
fo foon as they have let fly their Arrows,
retire in a diforderly manner , fometimes they
will return to the Charge, but this ^ is moft
commonly from behind fome Tree or other,
from whence they take their Enemies with
their Arrows at an Advantage } fometimes
they will fight alfo at Sea, A and even fet upon
the European Ships ; but they can do them but
little harm, becaufe their Canoes being very
fmall and {lightly timber'd, the kaft Cannon-
fliot tears them all in pieces'.
CHAP. XVII.
Diego Velafcoy?*^ Ferdinand de Cortez
to make fome New Discoveries : He if
made Governour of New Spain.
CAptain Diego Velafco had fpent above
i ooooo Crowns of his own Money, or at
leaft of his Friends Money, to raife certaia
Settlements in the New World , fo that he dy'd
poor, after having furmounted great Difficul-
ties, and taken a World of Pains in vain. He
lent Ferdinand de Cortez, to A r <?n? Spain , with a
fmall Squadron of fix Ships, befides ibme Bri-
gantines, well provided with all forts of Pro-
vifions, and all other things requifite for fuch
an Enterprize. The next following Year,
Ftrdi*
of VOYAGES ttncL TRAVELS* |oj
Ferdinand de Cortex having got a good Footing
on the Continent, did but little trouble his
Head about Velafco^ nay, not fo much as to give
him the leaf!: Account of hisSuccefs, or to let
him hear the leaft News of him ; but on the
other Hand, fent to the Emperor Charles V. an
ample Relation of his Voyages and Adven-
tures, with fome Patterns of the rich Gold
Mines of Peru, f^elafco inform'd of thefe Pro-
ceedings, equips another Velfel, under the
Command of Captain Pamphillo de Narbaes^
with Orders to declare Ferdinand de Cortex
a Revolter, and to chafe him from his new
Settlement} but Cortex found Means to amufe
Pamphilio with fair Words, till he had an Op-
portunity of feizing and detaining him his
Prifoner. Thofe who came along with Pam-
philio, prov'd of fingular Advantage to Corte^
who was in great want of Men, to under-
take the Conquefr of Mexico, and of Monte-
T(nm^ the then Lord of that rich Country.
f^elajco grown defperate at the ill Succefs of
Pamphilio, refolv'd to go in Perfon into New
Spain^ and equipp'd eight Ships for that pur-
pofe, but return'd without fucceeding in his n r
Defign, and all the Charges of that Arma^L/
rnent was loft, at leaft to himfelf. In theVelaico.
mean while abundance of Chriftians flock'd to
de Cortex from all Parts, who courteonfly re-
ceiv'd and treated all fuch as came to his Afli-
ftance, and beftow'd great Rewards upon
them for their Services ; fo that in a fhort
time hewas>ador'd by all, whilft Vdafco^ his
Rival, faw himfelf defpis'd, even by his own
Creatures. To (lop the further Progrefs of
thefe Diffcnfions, which had already created no
fmall Auimofities, the Emperor Charles V.
thought it molt advifable, by hi$ Letters
Patents,
304 The General HISTORY
Patents, to confcitute Ferdinand de Cortex Go*
vernour of New Spain, exprefly forbidding at
the fame time, VeUfco to appear there in Per-
fon, or to fend any body thither in his Name.
VeUfco almoft Thunder-ftruck at this unexpect-
ed News, refolvM to go to S/w*, to de-
mand Juftice from the Emperor, and to lay
before him the vafl Expence he had bin at in
doing him Service in the New World ^ but he
dy'd before he could effecl: it: So that Ferdi-
nand de Cortc^ feeing himfelf thus freed of
his Competitor, remain'd in the quiet PofleA
Hon of the Government of his New Province.
Velafco was very poor, when he went along
with Chriftopher Columbus to the Indies, where
he became very rich ^ but fpent it all in equip-
ping of Ships, to make new Difcoveries, fo he
dy'd as poor as he was born : He was repaid in
his own Goin by Ferdinand de Corte^ whom
he had fent at his own Charge to the Coaft
of Mexico; for what he had done before to
Don Diego Columbo, from whom he ufurp'd the
Government of the lile of Cuba, whether he
had bin fent by him.
I know not any thing wherein the Authors
have beftow'd more Pains^ and given more
ample Relations, than in the Hiftory of the
Weft Indies. Belides thofe already mentioned,
we will add fome others, which the Reader
may confult, to be fully inflruSed in a Hiftory,
which contains fo many curious and pleafing
Novelties.
So m?
Authors Bartholomew delas Cafa^ Bifhop of Chiappa $
Wr ^ ail a P^S et ^ Hiftory of the Indies^ con-
taininga fhoit Defcription of the Qualifications
W& Difpofitions of tlie People of this Nfw
dies. World ?
of VOYAGES dnd TRAVELS^ 305
World $ without fpeaking here of his General
Hiftory of the Indies mentioned before.
Francis Lopez, de Gomaias General Hiftory of
the Indies, in two Parts, concerning Peru or
New Spain ; Printed 1 553. in Folio, and a Second .
Edition in 2 Volumes, in 4to^ 1554- It was
publifh'd by order of the Royal Council of the
It Was tranflated into the Italian, by
in Cravalez., and printed in two Volumes,
in 8vo, 1560. A certain Anonymous Au-
ther has done the fame Hiftory into French, in
8vo. 1606. And Gemma FrifiM has ptib-
lilh'd in Latin t the Geographical Part of all
the Places mention'd in that Hiftory.
Jerome Benwno has compos'd a Hiflory of the
New World in Italian, printed in 8vo, 1572.
but this Author is no Friend to the Spaniards.
Theodore de Bry has Tranflated this Piece into
Latin, with fome additional Obfervations, and
is inferted in the 4th, }th & 6th Tom. of his
Hiflory */ the Weft Indies.
Licentiate John Caftellan has pnblilh'd a ///'.
ftory of the mo ft IllujirioHS Perfons of the Indies,
inVerfe, in4to, 1589.
The zd and sd Part of this Work was never
Printed, but only in M S. and is to be feen in
the Famous Library of Don John de Saldiema, ia
Spain. Licentiate Lewis Trihaldo of Toledo, a
moft celebrated Hiftoriographer of the Indies^
preferves likewife a MS. of the fecond Part
of this Work.
John Ceorglno has writ a Hiflory of the New
World in Italian, in 4tO, 1516.
Guido PfindrolU, among his other Obferva-
tions, makes mention fof the Difcovery of th
World ; printed in Latin, in 8vo.
Y CHAP.
?0 6 The General HISTORY
C H A P. XVIII.
Of the Riches And Curiofities to be obferv'd
in the Ijk oj Jamaica.
IT was an Attempt entangled in no fmall
Difficulties, and attended with no fmall
Trouble and Labour, to be exadly in-
form'd of the Curiofities of the New World^
and to bringfrom thence thofe immenfe Trea-
fures, which have enrich'd and fill'd Pwoje
wirh Gold and Silver. What vaft Tra&s of
the Seas ! How many unknown Countries, were
they not fore d to traverfe, before they were
able to attain to all thefe Difcoveries ! The
vaft Difference of Air and Water ! Of Food
unknown to the Europeans] and many other
things, proved very incommodious to them:
The vaft Forefts and Wildernefles they were
oblig'd to pafs ! The Bears, the Tigers, the
Lions, the Serpents they were to encounter in
thofe Defarts ! all thefe things feem as if, in all
Humane probability, they would have check'd
and kept back the moll courageous from fuch an
Undertaking.
The Difference of Languages was not of the
leaflObftacles among the reft, fince the Euro-
peans and Indians could not underftand one an-
other. But what is it a Courageous and ladu-
flrious Man is not capable of compaffmg, when
fupported by certain Hopes of reaping the
Fruits of his Labour ?
The Conqueft of the New World was not
parchas'd by the Spaniards, without many a
fmart Engagement, and much Blood Hied ; be-
iidcs that, they were frequently expos'd to
famine,
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 507
Famine, Thirft, and the Wants of every thing
neceflary for the fupport of Humane Life j they
were often forced to march da Foot, without
Shoes, in thefe Savage and rugged Countries }
but the Hopes of Gain made them bear up with
an invincible Courage, againft all thefe Difficul-
ties and Obftacles.
Chriftopher Columbus, after his fecond return
from Europe into New Spain, founded a City
there, in 1493. unto which he gave the
of Ifcbdla. He fet fail from thence with
VefTels, to make a Difcovery of the Ifle of Ja-
vnaica, about 25 Leagues to the Weftward of
the Ifle of Spain, and under the 27th Degree
from the Equino&ial Line : Its Length is of
about 55 Leagues, and its Breadth 2<5, accord-
ing to the Computation of the Europeans ^ but
the Inhabitants make its Length of 75 or 80
Leagues, and its Breadth only of 1 6 or 1 7. The
moft Eaiterly Part iscall'd Cape Morant .- The
whole Circumference of the Ifle of Jamaica
may be computed at 1 50 Leagues-, the Province
of Carth*gena, on the Continent, is about 126
Leagues diftant thence.
The Inhabitants of this Ifle, much refemble,
both in their Language and Manners,
of Hifpamol*: They go naked. The C
abounds in every thing, and has fome rich
Mines : It produces Trees of all kinds, in vaft
Numbers and abundance of Cattle. The Horfes
brought thither from CaftiU^ are muhiply'd
there to a great Number } their paflure Grounds
are fat and fertile, water'd by very faiubrious
Waters, coming from feveral Lakes and Rivers,
which afford them good Store of all forts of
Fifh of an excellent tafte. The Europeans that
are fettled at Jamaica^ make their chief Profit in
Trafficking with Cattle^ Callicoes of which
Y 2 they
The General HISTORY
they have have great Plenty, and Sugar the
produd of their Sugar-Canes, The firfl Go*
vernour of 'Jamaica was JohnDefchiveljnho went
thither with Chriftopher Columbus^ in his fecond
Voyage thither in 1493. He being a brave
Captain, made an entire Conqueft of that Ifle,
reduc'd it under the Obedience of the Crown
of Caflile^ and reftor'd Tranquility to the In-
habitants, rather by his gentle and generous
Deportment, than by force of Arms, abftain-
ing, as much as paffibly he could, from fhedding
of humane Blood, as well out of a Principle
of Religion, as of good Policy. He dy'd at the
End of three Years.
Ferdinand^ King of Sfaln^ commanded Don
Diego Colnmbo to take up his Refidence in Jamai.
ca^ and conftituted Francis Gatai chief Super-
vifor of his Royal Revenues. This Man foon
acquir'd vafl Riches ; but his Riches and good
Fortune occafion'd his Fall, by infpiring him
with an immoderate Defire of heaping up
Treafure. For this Purpofe he equipp'd,
in 1524, feveral arm'd Veflels, which being
well provided with Men and Provilions, he
order'd them to fail to the Continent, and to
ered a new Colony on the Banks of a very plea-
fant River, call'd the River of Palm-Trees^ in
the Province of Panmco , but meeting with
great Oppofition from Ferdinand de Conez., his
whole Deilgn vanifh'd into Smoak. Soon after
the faid Ferdinand underftanding, that Franti*
de Carat had bin made both Go vernour and
Intendant of the Finances of Jamaica by the
King, he tranfplanted a new Colony thither
from the Continent, and appearing there in
Perfon, fcarce any, either of the Europeans or
Indians, would acknowledge Garai for their
Governoar. Vex d to the Heart at this Affront,
he
of VOYAGES and, TRAVELS. 309
he refolv'd to go to Menico, where he dy'd foon
after for Grief; and the Government of Ja-
maica devolv'd to Don Diego Columbo.
The Chriftians have two Settlements in the
Ifle of Jamaica, the chiefeft, call'd Scvile 9 is on
the North-fide, and that to the South is call'd
Oriftan. The principal Church is at Se-vile^ dig-
nify'd with the Title of an Abby ; it was a very
fair Strufture, and endow'd with great Re-
venues at that time, when Peter Martyr ^who
writ the Hiflory of the New World) was Abbot
of it; but both this Church and liland are not
fo confiderable now, lince the daily new Dif-
coveries made on the Continent, which has
drawn the Inhabitants thither,andalmoftdifpeo-
pled the Ifland : However, Jamaica is very well
worth any Bodies Care, by reafbn of its Ferti-
lity and Wholefome Air, and Waters, not to
fpeak of many other Conveniencies of Life,
whereof there is great Plenty there ; Befides,
that its Ports being both fafe and large, and the
Sea fnrnifhing them with vaft Stores of Fi(h, it
may be faid, that Jamaica is not inferior to any
of the beft Countries, fince it abounds in every
thing that is convenient or neceftary.
The Religion and Cuftoms of the Inhabitants
of Jamaica are the lame with thofe of the o-
ther Indians, they are addi&ed to Idolatry,
Abominations, and the fame Vices ; but they
have a peculiar way of catching Parroquets,
In the Seafon, when thefe Birds are upon the ^3, t % e
flight, you fee a prodigious Quantity of them Indians
in the Ifle of Jamaica, especially upon the Banks ctitl> F*r-
of the Rivers and Brooks where they are us'
to feed : The Indians take forne Gourds or
Citruls, thefe they hollow out, and fet them a
float on the Surface of the Water; after the
Wind has mov'd them fometimes to one, fome-
Y 3 times
310 The General HI STORY
times to the other fide, they drive at laft a.
(hoar : The Parrcquets frightned thereat, fly
up into the Air, but by Degrees begin to
be accuflom'd to the fight of the Citrul, and
growing bolder, follow the Motion, fometimes
on one, fometimes on the other fide of the Ri-
ver, according as the Citrul is guided by the
Wind : The Bird-catcher perceiving the Parro-
quets to follow the Citruls, puts his Head into
one of them, being hollow 'd out before, and
fo plunging himfelf into the Water, Swims
after thofe that are floating on the Surface
thereof} his whole Body being under Water,
and the Gourd covering his Head to the very
Shoulders, he looks through a Hole made for
that purpofe in the Citrul, on what fide the
Parroquets are fettled : This done, he draws
nearer that way, and then fearing himfelf upon
his Citrul-head, advances as near and as fortly
towards them as he can ; and fo catching with
his Hand, the Parroquets that is moft remote
from the Flock, he draws it into the Water,
ftifles and ties it to his Girdle, and then goes
on in the fame manner as before, till he has
catch'd a good Number of them. The Indians
being moft excellent Swimmers, they are more
dextrous in fuch like things than any other Na-
tion } for by this dexterity, and the fwift and
eafie Motion they make, both above and under
Water, they catch abundance of thefe Birds in
a very fhort time. The Parroquets they catch
in Jamaica are white and fraall, but of a moft
delicious tafte. They have alfo another way of
catching thefe Birds : They lay themfelves at
length near the Edges of the Lakes, and Banks
of the Rivers, covering their Heads with
Herbs and Twigs of Trees *, the Parroquets
unawares of the Snare, com? to Pearch upon
fo are eafily taken, CH AP ,
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS.
CHAP. XIX.
Of the Situation and Curiosities of the IJle
of Cubagua.
are certain Countries, which toout-
JL ward Appearance feem to be nothing elfe
than Defarts, unfit to be cultivated, or to
produce any thing for the Subiiftance of Men,
which neverthclefs contain fome things which
turn to the great Benefit of Mankind. 'Tis
therefore, not without good reafon, exprcfly
faid in the Holy Scripture, That God approved
of all the Works he had made. Thus we fee
fome Grounds, on the Surface whereof appears
nothing but Thorns, Thiflles and Stones, which
in their Entrails enclofe the richeft Mines, of
Gold, Silver, or Ibme other valuable Metal.
Other Grounds there are, which being abfolute-
ly barren and ufelefs at firft fight, nevsrthekfs
afford excellent Materials for Dying and Paint-
ing. Even thofe venemous and mo ft dangerous
Creatures the Serpents, furnifhuswith the moil
fpecifick Remedies againft Poifons and other ma-
lignant Difeafes.
The ttleof Cubagua, which is both very fmall
and barren, and which affords not fo much as
one Drop of fweet Water, being without ei-
ther a River, Spring, Lake, or any other
(landing Watery and its Ground being fuch as
is not to be cultivated, but with the utmofl
Difficulty, is, notwithftanding all this, notquite
deftitute of Inhabitants. There is a very goodly
City there, and the Inhabitants live in io much
Plenty and Riches, that it may compare with
any of the belt in the Indies ; its Circumference
Y bdu
being no lefs than betwixt two and three
Leagues. Chriftopher Columbus was the firft who
difcover'd this Ifle, in 1496. fmce which time
fo many Pearls have bin brought from thence
as amount to an almoft ineftimable Summ, and
the fame Traffick is continued there to this Day,
becaufe all along the Shoar of this Ifle, that
precious Commodity is taken up in great
Quantities.
The Ifle of Cubsgtta is only 10 Degrees and a
half diftant from the quinodial-Line, and not
above 4 Leagues from the Continent. Columbus ^
when he firft came nearthe Shoar ot this Ifle,faw
fome few Indians bulled in Filhing for Pearls^
got away as fait as they could : How-
t * iere ^ ia PP en '^ an fad' a * Woman to be
the Ijie o/left in one of their Canoes, who had a Neck- lace
pubagua.of very large Pearls about her Neck} for the
Indians don't regard or rrake ufe of the fmaller
fort, being ignorant how to bore them ; One
of Columbus'* Mariners happening to have by
him fome Pictures in Frames, and embelJifti'd
with Figures, this hefhew'd to the Woman, and
fome of the Indians that were not far ofl^ to
tempt them by the Sight thereof, and finding
them not quite fo fhy as before, he took the
Figures to pieces, and fold them to them ; the
Indian Woman giving him in exchange feveral
Rows of Pearls. He carry'd them to the Ad-
rniral Cdumbiu, who was not fo far Matter of
himfelf as to diflemble his Joy> tho' he did all
he could to do it, left the whole Ships-crew
jfhould be acquainted with the real Value of
thefe Pearls ; fo he told them in a very gay
Humour, That they were come to the richeft
Country in the World, and commanded a fo-
lemn Day of Thankf^iving to be held among
them. The Indians foon after gave hioi a whole
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. ji j
Cup full of very large Pearls, in exchange for
fuch another Piece of Minature, which was fent
to the King of Spain. But for fear his Mariners
ihould become too eager after this Traffick of
Pearls, he thought it bed not to let them ftay
there much longer , befides that,' if this Dif-
covery could be kept from the Knowledge of
the World, they might take another more
convenient Opportunity of continuing this
Traffick with an incredible Advantage ; tho*
at that fame time he might have exchanged a
whole Bufhel full of the fineft Pearls in the
World for Trifles , but knowing the Sea-men
to be a Generation that were not to be confided
in, he was afraid he fhould be betray'd by them.
However, not withftanding all his Precaution,
one Alexander Nigro having got Scent of the
Matter, by feme who were then in the fame
Ship with Columbus^ equipped a Veflel, and in
Company of thefe Mariners fet Sail for that
Coaft, where they got fo many Pearls, that
they return d loaden with Riches to Spain. But
Ferdinand de fTg* 5 Viceroy oftfWiViU, feiz'd the
Ship, and put the Men in Prifon, under Pre-
tence, that they had undertaken thisVogage
without the King's Com million, and it was a
confiderable time before they could obtain their
Liberty.
There is in the Ifle of Cubagua a Spring of an j n o n
extraordinary Nature, from whence comes & tyring i
Liquor not unlike Oil, which runs into the Sca 9 tbis2/le.
without mixing with the Salt Water, but fwims
on the top of it for the fpace of two or three
^eagues, after which it fends forth a molt
fragrant Scent} it enters into the Competition
of feveral Medicines. The Horns which grow-
on the Feet of fuch Hogs as the Europeans
brought into thatlfland, en-creas'd by degrees
to
The General HISTORY
to the length of a Man's Hand, and bent up-
wards.
One of the greateft Inconveniences the Inha-
bitants of this Ifle are fubjed to, is, the want
of frelh Water \ this they are forc'd to fetch
from the Continent, as far as the River Cumana,
feven Leagues diftant thence. The Shoar all
about this Ifle is rocky, and cover'd with thofe
Oifters from whence they take thefe Pearls,
which produce thefe Eggs in vafl Numbers ; but
they muft have Patience to let them come to
their full Perfection of bignefs and beauty, as
we fee Grapes grow and ripen infenfihly. la
the beginning the Pearl is as fluid as a Drop of
Milk, and fo fmall as fcarce to be difcern'd ;
bin it grows like a living Creature, and be-
comes folid and hard by degrees , there are
however, vaft Numbers of thefe Pearls which
remain fmall for ever, and grow fcarce above
the bignefs of a Sand Corn. The King of
Spain ought to have a fifth Share of all the
Gold and Pearls they find -, but they are not fo
very Confcientious in this Point, they will
often hide the fined Pearls, and keep them for
their own life, if they think they can do it
with Impunity. Tis incredible, but only to
fuch as have bin Eye-witnefles thereof, what a
prodigious Quantity of Pearls this fmall Tract
of the Sea produces.
In the Year 1516. certain Religious of the
Order of St. Domiuick and St. Francis, fet fail
for the Province of Cwnana, on the Continent,
to convert thefe barbarous and idolatrous Na-
tions ; but tjte Indians were fo far from giving
ear to theiMiory Exhortations, that they maf-
facredthem. This ill Treatment did not de-
ter fome other Fathers of the fame Orders, who
expos'd their Lives to the fame Danger, and
fuc-
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 315
fucceeded fo well, that they ere&ed two Con- The Cow-
vents there. Among thefe Religious Men j^j^-
there was one who being well skill'd in Chirur- '. ',
i i i i r /"i *"& L071-
gery, us d, with a great deal of Chanty, to cure t men mar
the Wounds of thefe Indians, which producM this IJte.
this good EfFed, that they began to hearken to
their Inftrudions for their Converfion. But
at the End of three years, the Indians of Cnmana,
Cariaco, Ckiribichio, JMaracafana^ Tacaris, Nt-
bcri, and of Vnari^ entring into a Confpiracy,
maflacredall the Spaniards^ as well the Religio- r
fo's as others, and fet the two Convents on *** *"?*
Fire. Tis probable they took this defperateyj oe X
Courfe, byreafon of the Hardfhips that were Spaniards
impos'd upon them, on account of the Traffick
of Pearls. One of thefe Religious Men, feeing
the Convent on Fire, hid himfelf among fbme
Willows for three Days, but at laft, feeing no
Means left to efcape their Hands, he refolv'd to
furrender to the Indians^ in hopes of meeting
with a better Treatment at their Hands, than
his Companions had done, confidering the ma-
ny good Offices he had done them : They kept
him for three Days, without offering him the
leaft Harm , during which time they had fre-
quent Confultations together, in what manner
to proceed with this Religious Man : Jliere
were not a few of them who were of Opinion,
not to kill him ; but to keep him among them,
and upon all Occafions to make ufe of him, as
an Jnltrument to make their Peace with the
Spaniards ; but the major Party being of a con-
trary Sentiment, he was miferably cut to pieces.
But it was not long before they repented of this
Cruelty, and they have confcfs'd iince, that all
the Misfortunes that have befaln them from that
time, were a due Punifhmcnt for the Death of
this Religiofq. The Spaniards cjilperYd in the
We
ji6 The General HI STORY
IQe, hearing this difmal News, thought it high
time to provide for their Security, which they
did immediately -, for 300 of them retir'd to
T?>ey leave St. Domingo in HifpattioL*, with fo much Pre-
cipitation, that they left all their Goods and
Stores behind them, which were pillag'd after-
wards by the Iflanders.
Don Diego Columbo. enrag'd to the highefl
degree at this Treachery of the Indians^ re-
folv'd inftantly to revenge the Death of his
Country-men, and to punilh with the utmoft
Rigour the rebellious Indians. For this purpofe,
having order'd feveral Ships to be equipp'd, he
gave the Command of this fmall Squadron to
Consoles Ocampo^whh 300 Men a-board them,
and all other Neceflaries for fuch an Expedition.
The Commodore feeing fome of the chief Na-
tives of the Ifle upon the Shoar, to learn frpm
whence this Squadron came, and upon what
Defign, thought it mofl expedient, to try whe-
ther they could get fome of them into their
Hands, in order to facilitate their intended
Conquefl: So they told them they were come
from Co/Me, to Traffick with them, and fhew'd
them fome European Commodities, which they
pretended they would exchange for Pearls. The
Indians believing that they being lately come
from Caftile, knew nothing of what had hap-
pen'd to the Sfanijb Inhabitants of the Ifle,
entred into a Confultation, how to malTacre
thefe new Commtrs, as they had done their
Country-men before. Thisfceing refolv'd up*
on, fome of the Chief of the Indians ventur'd
to go a-board, in order to invite the Commo-
dore a-fhore.) whom they prefented with what
the Country afforded, and at the fame time
gave him all pofilble Demonftration of Afiedioa
and Refpeft. He, on the other Haud, had ta-
ken
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 517
ken effedual care to keep all the Soldiers be-
lowDeck,fo that t\\s Indians feeing none but Sea-
men, made good cheer withtbeS/^w///; Officers :
But in the midft of their Jollity, at the Signal
given, they were foon feiz'd and hang'd, to
terrific the reft, that were flock'd in great Num-
bers to the Sea- (hoar.
All this being done with little Noife, and lefs
Danger, the Spaniards landed in the lile of CH-
bagua) putting all to the Sword that pretended
tooppofe them, purfuantto the Orders of their
Commodore, who alfo caufed manymoreof the
Indians that fell into his Hands, to be feverely
pnnifh'd. But to bridle for the future thefe
Barbarians, it was refolvM to erect a flrong
Fort at the Entrance of the River Cumana^
which done, they fettled a regular Colony in
the Ifle of Cvbagua, which they had not bin
able to effed with any Security hitherto. It
was further thought advifeable, to build their
Houfes of Stone or Brick-work, as well as the
Church, that, in cafe of Necefiity, they might
ferve for a fate retreat. Peter Barry , a Spaniflj
Gentleman, was ths fir ft who gave this Advice
of building their Houfes of Stones. By this
Means the Ifle of Cubagu*^ and the oppofite
Shoar on the Continent, were reduc'd to an
entire Obedience and Tranquility, which has
continuM ever fince that time, to the vafl
Advantage of both Parties, who draw a vaft
Profit from the Pearl Fifhery, and the Traffick
that depends on it.
In the Month of September, 1530. One Day
when the Sky appeared extreamly Serene, and
the Weather very ftill, it chang'd on a fudden
about ten of the Clock in the Forenoon } the
Sea fweird all along the Coaft of the Province
of Cumana^ to a prodigious height, with a
molt
3 1 8 The General HISTORY
moft dreadful Noife ; this was attended by ail
Jfceatful Earthquake, which lafted for three quarters of
Eart?>- an Hour, with inch Violence, that one would
Hitke. have believ'd the whole Earth to be fhatter'd to
pieces, By this Earthquake the Fort was quite
deflroy'd, and a vaftTrad of Land laid quite
under Water ; vail Concavities were feenfull
of a putrid black Water , a great Number of
Indians dy'd meerly out of Fear, and a much
greater Number were crufh'd to death by their
Cabines and other Accidents. A raft Moun-*
tain, tho' at leaft five Leagues diftant from the
Sea, open'd it felf, to the great Terror of all
fuch as beheld fo dreadful a Spe&acle. The
Earthquake being quite over, and the Waters
fain and reduc'd into their naturalBoundaries,the
Governour order'd the Fort immediately to be
re- built, to keep the Indians in Awe, which has
produced the deiir'd EfFeft, for they never
have ventur'd upon any Revolt lince that
time.
Frequent mention having bin made in this
Collection, of matters relating to the Pearls, it
will not be beyond our Scope, to give a few
Words of Advice to thole who buy them, they
being often impos'd upon, for want of Experi-
ence and Skill , for there are abundance of
Pearls, which pafs currently for very good and
perfect ones, when actually they are not fo *
their Bignefs and outward Luftre, is apt to
dazle our Eyes ; but this Appearance is often
How to ver y feltecuws- To difcover the hidden De*
fe&* anc ^ Faults of a Pearl, and to know whe-
ther fhe is fpcckled, or broken, or has any o>
ther Imperfedion, the belt way is, to make
Trial of it by the Reverberation of the Sun-
beams , for by this Means your Eye will pene-
trate into the very Center of the Pearl, and
dif-
of VOYAGES and, TRAVEL?.' 319
difcover theleafl Defed it has \ you will then fee
whether it be Pure, or have any Spots or not,
and confequently you may the better guefsat its
Value.
'Tis not to be imagin'd, that the Gold and
Pearls that are brought from the Indies, were at
firft found out, or are ftill acquir'd without
great Hazard and Danger ; ithascoft the Lives
of a great many Perfonsof all Ranks, who have
perifh'd by Ship-wrecks in thofe Seas, that were
unknown to the Europeans, at the firftDifcovery
of the Indies ; and fuch like Accidents happen
fbmetimes too often in our Times, by the over-
fight of the Captains and other Officers of Ships,
who venture upon fo long a Voyage in old Ships,
that are Rotten, Worm-eaten and Leaky ; for ^ s in
it is to be obferv'd, that in forac Parts of t
New World, the Worm gets into the Sides and
even into the Rudder of the Ship. Be-
lides this , that the frequent Calms , and
Winds which blow at certain Seafbns of the
Year, from one Corner only, oftentimes de-
tain a Ship beyond all Expectation four or five
Months in a (mall Voyage ; fo that their Pro.
vifions being either fpent or fpoil'd, they are in
the utmoft Danger of pei idling by Famine or
Thirih
Tis an old and common faying, that, To
learn to Pray, a Man ou?kt to take a Voyage. For
as there Danger,and even Death it felf frequent-
ly look a Man in the Face in his moft dreadful
Shape, without any Profpedt of Humane aid
for his Delivery, he is, when everything elfe
fails, oblig'd to have Recourfe to God, and to
implore, in his moft fervent Prayers, his Provi-
dence. Tis no difficult matter to fhew, by a
thoufandlnftances, rhat God has afforded his
manifeit Affiftance, to thofe who fent up
their
j 20 The General HISTORY
their Vows to him, in the laft Extremity of*
Danger.
In the Year 1513. A Ship bound from Spain
to the New WcYld, finking againft the Rocks
on that Coaft was ftav'd quite to Pieces. There
wasa-board theVeflel a Father and Son, Na-
tives of Suvfai who feeing all was loft, recom-
mended themfelves to God's Mercy, and light-
ing of a Plank of the Ship, took hold of it, in
certain Hopes that God would aflift them IQ
this Extremity : They were thus left to the
Mercy of the Winds and Waves for three Days
together, when an European Veflel happening to
pafs accidentally near them, and feeing them
in thismiferable Condition, took them a-board
the Ship, when they were juft at the Point of
Death for want of Suftenance, and the Fatigues
they had undergone.
m In the fame Year 1 513. Another Veflel fet fail
from St. Doming for Darien^ near the Gulph
of Vraba^ in the Province Cumaco^ which had
lately bin conquered, and whereof Captain
Vafco Nunez, was Governour. This Veffel had
a-board both Merchandizes and a good Number
of Paflengers. The Pilot happening to miftake
theShoar, carry'd the VefTel 50 or 60 Leagues
lower than he ought to have done , fo that be-
ing by the ftrong Currents at laft forc'd among
the Rocks, they were forc'd to throw their
whole Lading over-board, which in Effect fav'd
fomepart of the Ship: However, the Man-
ners feeing the manifeft Danger they were
exposM to>got into the Boat,but would not fufier
any of the PafTengers to go along with them v
they vvera tofs'd up and down along the Coaft
fora con (iderable time, without knowing where
they were, or being able to find out a landing
Place, tiliatlall being carried by the Violence
cf
6f VOYAGES and TRAVELS- 521
6f theWind into the open Sea,they all rniferably
perifh'd there, perhaps by the juit Puniftiment of
God for their Cruelty in hindering the Paflengers
from coming into their Boat - 7 But Providence
took a particular Care of them in their Ex-
tremity : They were no lefs than thirty-five
in Number, and by one Means or other all made
Shift to get a-lhoar, in hopes that the Sea-men,
who were gone away in the Boat, would find
out fome way or other to deliver them from the
Danger that threatned them from the /-
(bans* They liv'd in this Expectation and in-
certitude for three Weeks together, not know-
ing what to do, or what to refolve upon. la
this Diftrefs they faw 320 Indians coming to-
wards them, in an hoftile mariner j but finding
them without Arms, and without the leaffc
Defign of defending themfelves, they did them
not the leaft harm : They ask'd them by Signs,
as well as they could, from whence they came ?
and upoa what Defign 7 In anfwer to which,
the Chriftians made 'em fenfible,That they want-
ed to be reliev'd with Proviflons above all o-
ther things. The Indians fhew'd them feveral
Plates^ and pieces of Gold, Rings, Ear-rings,
and fuch like, which they frankly offer'd them $
but the Ghriftians refus'd to accept of them :
They then brought before them divers young
Indian Women, quite naked, which they offer'd
them with the fame freedom as they had done
their Gold } but thefe being likewife refus'd by
the Chriftians, they were fo much taken with
their Continency, that they not only offer'd
them not the leaft Violence, but alfo gave them
a Share of what Provifions they had, of their
Mahiz, or Bread Corn, of Fruits and fome
fifh. After this they coavers'd very familiarly
with the Indians for near fcven Weeks/, when
Z be-
The General HISTORY
beginning to lofe all .hopes of being relieved.,
they tefolv'd to build a fmall Bark out of the
Planks, and other Remnants of their Ship-
wreck'd Veflel, tho' they had neither Iron, nor
Saw, nor Hammer, nor any other Tools re-
quifite for the building of a Bark , they fupply'd
this Defeft as well as they could, in fpite of all
the Difficulties that lay in their way ; they
pick'd the Pitch and Tarr from the broken
Ship, as well as the Tow, and as many Nails as
they were able to get out, fupplying the reft
with wooden Peggs : To be fhort, they w-ork'd
with fo much Application and Resolution, that
at laft they launched their 'Vcffel, and brought
her into the Water.
They all embark cl a-board this fecoiid Ark,
except five or fix thatdy'd before ^ they under-
took their Voyage without any Marine-Map,
without a Com pa fs or Pilot, without knowing
which Way they were to fleer their Courfe, to
reach Darien, whether Eafl or Weft : After
they had fail'd at random for four Days, with-
out the leaft hopes of feeing an End of their
Voyage } they fleer'd a contrary Courfe, fome-
times making ufe of their Sails, fometimes of
their Oars ; but all this while going on they
knew not whither, like Men out of their Senfes.
On the other Hand, they began to be forely
pinch'd with Hunger, which oblig'd them to
make to the next Shoar, to get fome frefh
Water, and a few Roots, to keep themfelves
from flarving.
What moft of all puzzled them, was, that
fometimes they were forc'd to flop, becaufe
their Bark could go on no further over the
Sands; one Half of them dy'd for Hunger,
Vexation, and the continual Fatigues they
were oblig'd to undergo ^ fo that being now
reduc'd
cf. VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 323
i-educ'd to fourteen, they had at lalt the good
Fortune, to get into the Ifleof Gomtra, from
whence they were tranfported to Darien. So
deplorable a Spedacle inov'd all that faw it to
Compaflioa ; for they were fo lean and dry'd up,
that they loo k'd like Skeletons, having nothing
left but a Humane Shape. Being reduc'd to
the utmoft Defpair for want of Victuals, they
agreed to ca ft Lots among them, to fee which
of their! mould be kill'd, in order to fave the
Lives of the reft } and they engag'd one another
by Oath, that he whofe Lot it fhould be, to be
facrific'd, for the Prefervation of his Compa-
nions, mould take his Death with Patience, and
without Remorfe : The fatal Lot happen'd to
fall upon one Alvarez, de JlgmllAr, a Native of
Toledo-, however, they agreed to fbfy till Night
before they would kill him j when juft upon the
clofe of the Day they efpy'd a Ship, which ma-
king towards them, delivered them by a kind of
Miracle.
Much about the fame time, there happen'd
another Adventure, no lefs remarkable then
-that whereof I have given a Relation jult now.
A Veflel fet fail from Hifyaniola, for Europe,
in 1514- Being in the open Sea, above 300 i n ji ancils
Leagues from the Harbour from whence it came, ofmiraat
began. to be fo Leaky, that two Pumps were'f D*!*
fcarce able to keep her above Water : Thofe veries at
that were a-board her, feeing the eminent ' w "
Danger they were expos'd too, happily got into
the Boat, the fame Moment they faw the Water
overflow the Deck, and fwallow up the Veflel
into the Abyfs of the Sea. The hafte they
Were in, to get one before the other into the
Boat, made them fo carelefs in all other Refpe&s
but their prefent Prefetvatioc, that they never
thought of taking either Bread, Wine, or any
Z 2 other
324 The General HISTORY
other thing fit for Suftanance along with them,
no more than their Sea Map and Compafs $ by
good Chance a young Spaniard had ty'd about
two Pounds of Bisket in a Napkin, for his
own life, and it feems as if God Almighty
thought fit to revive his former Miracle of the
Multiplication of Bread, out of Commifera-
tion of thefe poor Wretches, becaufe this fmall
Quantity of Bisket, did keep alive aeon frdera-
ble Number of Men, which according to the
Courfe of Nature, is fcarce to be conceived
within the Compafs of a Poffibility : They
were tofs'd up and down, not knowing whe-
ther they went, being, as I told you, without
a Maritine-M-ap or Compafs : Being at laft
quite fpent with labouring at the Oar, they
agreed at tad to fow their Shirts together, to
make ufe of them inflead of a Sail, one among
them having by chance fome Needles about him,
b it they wanted Thread } tofupply this Defeci
they unripp'd their Waft-coats, and ftitch'd up,
with the Threads they pick'd out of them, their
Sail : Thus abandoning themfelves to the
Mercy of the Winds and Waves, they husband-
ed their Bisket as well as poflibly they could,
till they had no more than an Ounce and a
Half left ^ to quench their Thirft they fre-
quently waJh'd their Hinds and Faces with the
Sea water, and others drank their own Urine:
Being reduced to this laft Extremity, they una-
ni noufly offered their Vows to the Virgin Mary,
whofe Image is worfhip'd in the greu Church of
Sevtlt, and after a moft doleful Navigation of
eleven Days, beyond all Expedatioa, found
th^mfelves about three Leagues from the Coaft
of ffi/paaiola, where they got a-fhoar about
Noon, and return'd their hearty Thanks to that
God who had fav'd their Lives ia fo miraculous
a manner. If
of VOYAGES ^TRAVELS.
If a Man happens to be furpriz'd by fpme un-
forefeen Danger, the bell way to arm himfelf a-
gainfl it is, Patience, Refolution, and to leave
nothing imattempted to get out of it } but the
contrary is a great Piece of Folly, for a Man to
court Danger for his own Fancies fake, an In-
ftance whereof we had in the Indies^ in a young
PonugHcfe^ in 1514 during that Voyage to the
Continent, wherein PcArariade Avile command-
ed a Squadron of feventeen or eighteen Ship?,
by vertue of a Commiflion from the molt Catho-
lick King Ferdinand. One Day as they were
under fail in the Ocean, with a favourable
Wind, one a.board the Admiral's Ship took an
Opportunity of making Sport with a young
Tortnguefe^ who being a rattle brain'd and capri-
cious Fellow, fwore bitterly, that unlefs they
defifted to,make him their May-game, he would
throw himfelf into the Sea, and fivim diredly
a-board another Ship belonging to the fame
Squadron : This rafh Expreflion iervM only to
make the whole Company laugh, who took this
Opportunity of tormenting the young Fellow,
and of playing him divers unlcfcy Tricks : The
Portttgnefe exafperated at their Proceedings, put
an Engltfh Cap on his Head, and perceiving ano-
ther Ship at no great diftance from theirs, dine ft of
throws himfelf into the Water, with an Inten- A
tion to fwim a-board her , but the Wind blow- o "
ing very frefh, the Ship foon out-fail'd him. ue
The Mariners belonging to his Ship, fur-
priz'd at his Fool-hardinefs, made a Sign to
the Ship that follow'd them, to give him
their Afiiftance, which they did in the very
Nick of time, he being near half drown'd,and
almoft fenfelefs, when they took him up into
their Ship.
Z 3 Thofe
?2 6 The General HISTORY
Thofe that travel by Sea, are fubjed to a
thoufand Accidents, efpecially in long Voyages ^
and tho' the greateft and moft frequent Dangers
that threaten a Ship, muft be attributed to the
Rocks and Water, neverthelefs Fire fometimes
alfo claims its (hare in thefe Hazards, and puts
a VefTel in no lefs Danger than the reft, if once
it gets the Maflerhood there. Ic happen'd in
the Year T 533-, that a Veflel being under fail,
with a fair and frefti Gale, was found to run
wifteady in her Courfe, for want of fufficient
Ballaft ^ to remedy this Inconveniency, three
Tuns of Water were order'd to be fill'd, and
one of the Sea-men, who had occafion to look
for fomething in the Hull of the Ship, took a
Candle, which he fhufPd there, and cafl the
Snuff^ thro' Careleflhefs, on the Ground. In
the Night time the Sea-men keep their Watches
by turns, and about two or three Hours after
Svm-fet, they percciv'd fo thick a Smoak, that
thofe that were upon the Watch were ready to
be fHfled with it. They fearch'd in every Corner
they could think of, till at lafl they found this
Snuff faften'd to a piece of a Cable, which was
already half confurn'd by it, and had, without
all doubt, fet the whole Ship on Fire, had they
not found Means immediately to flop it from
going further, for it had quite burnt to Afhes a
w hole Trunk with Cloaths, tho' there was not
the leail Appearance of a Flattie ; by good
Chance it had not as yet touch'd the Sides of the
Veflel,- which were tarr'd and pitch'd, and
very dry : When they opea'd the Hatches in
order to give vent to the Fire, the Flame broke
out like a Whirl-wind, to the midfl: of the
Main-mafc. It happened very luckly, that thefe
y three Tuns with Water were not far from the
Place-where this Mifcbance happen ? d, becaufe
they
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 327
they did much greater Service in extinguifhing
the Fire, than all the other Helps they made
ufe of for the fame purpofe. This Accident
may ferve as a Warning to others, to make
them feniible, that they can't be to careful in
preventing fuch Di falters, as come from the ill
Management of Fire.
Whether it be that Fear diflurbs our Imagi-
nation, or whether the thing be really fuch as
it is related, certain it is, that there are Sea-
men, who positively affirm, to have heard
Humane Voices in the Air, and to have feen
moft dreadful Spe&res, fufficient to terrific the
boldeft Man in the World. I will give you an
Account of an Adventure of this Nature,
whereof Martin de Vergara, firft Commiflioner to
Admiral Don Lewis Colnmbo^ and Chriftophtr
Perez, were Eye-witnefles. They fet fail from
the Port of St. Domingo in Auguft 1533. with
a Veflel laden with Sugar, and fome other Indi-
an Commodities, befides Gold and Silver, for
Spain. John de Ermnra, the Pilot, fell Sick
and dy'd in the Voyage. In Ottober they were
furpriz'd by a moll violent Tempeft, which
continu d, without Intermiflion, three Days and
two Nights : The Mariners declared, that they
heard certain Voices in the Air, and faw the Humane
Veflel furrounded with very frightful Figures
and Shapes. They were forc'd to lighten the
Ship, and to throw over-board 300 Chefts with , a
Sugar, and above a 10000 Hides. The V$Gel Temfejl*
let the Water in on all Sides, fo that they judg'd
it their beft way, tho' with very little Hopes, to
turn to the Port from whence they came, where
they got fafely into the Harbour ; but all the
Merchandizes that were left in the Veflel were
quite fpoil'd, and the News of their being
Founder'd at Sea was carried into Spaiv, long
Z 4 before^
328 The General HI STORY
before they came back to St. Domingo.
Alonfo SnaiL fet fail from Cuba^ for New Spain }
but being in the Month of January, about Mid-
night, furpriz'd by a moft violent Storm, which
at (everal times plung'd the Veffel into the very
Abyfsof the Sea, the Captain, who was a dif-
creet and good Man, with his Ship's-crew, had
Recourfe to Prayers ; at the fame Moment they
were uttering thefe Words, Monflra ejfe Ma-
trcm, the Veflel was raisM from the very depth
up to the Surface of the Waters, and it being
a very dark Night, they plainly faw a fmall
Light, which flood them in great (lead, in the
Management of the Ship, according to the ut-
moft of their Power. They likewife faw about
the Ship great Numbers of monftrous Fifties of
a prodigious Bulk, which queftionlefs follow'd
them, to feed upon their dead Carcafles, if
they fhould be caft away. The Tempeft was fo
furious, that not being able to govern the Ship
by the Rudder, or to make ufe of the Compafs,
they were forc'd to abandon the Veflel to the
Mercy of the Wind and Waves ; fo that at laft
Unking againft a Rock, fhewasftav'd to Pieces,
the Gold, Silver, precious Stones > and Mer-
chandizes of an incredible Value were all loft,
forty-feven Perfons were only fav'd, all the reft,
together with the Captain, being drown'd ,
thofe that had efcap'd the Ship-wreck fee no-
thing but Death in his moft terrible Shapes
before their Eyes ? fitting on the Rocks without
Provifions, or any Hopes of Relief, and fore-
times were covered all over with the Waves,
that beat with the utmoft Violence againft the
liocks, (b that they were in the utmoft Danger
of being carry'd away with them into the open
Sea. The Tempeft being fomewhat allayed
hey efpy'd a fmall Cauoe, which would hold
about
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 329
about five Men } they were extreamly rejoyc'd
at the fight thereof, and four of them went in-
to her, to try whether they could fee any Land
or Ship, but faw nothing but the Wrecks of
their Veflel, with fome Bales of Goods float-
ing upon the Sea , they cafl Lots which Way to
Steer their Courfe, whether *#, Witt* North
or South to get Sight of Land , the Lot fell four
times fucceflively to the Eatf, fo choofing that
Courfe, they faw Land before Night.
The firft Object that joffer'd it felf to their
Sight, was a great Number of Animals fhap'd
like Hogs, which fed upon certain Fruits
that were fain from the Trees ; fome of thefe
Creatures made a moft dreadful Noife through
their Noftrils : One of the Sea-men, who had
made feveral Voyages in thofe Parts, knew
them to be Sea- wolves or Sea-calves , a Crea- Su-
ture the Shape of which is enough to daunt
the boldefl Man in the World , for they were
feventeen or eighteen Foot long, and eight
Foot thick } they were of a different Size,
fome being younger than others. Near them
they heard the Voice of three Indians^ who
came out of the Water, but dy'd immedi-
ately, before their Eyes, having fwallow'd too
much Salt Water in fvvimming , for the
Sea Water here, if taken in too great a
Quantity, proves Mortal, Their Companions,
who were left behind on the Rocks, at a Signal
given, climb'd from Rock to Rock, till they
came near the Place where the other four were
landed with their Canoe, and fo were carry'd
a (hoar. Here Providence, which is always at
hand to give her Afliftance to Mankind, when
they think every thing to be loft, directed them
to a Place, where they (aw fix Tortcifes upon
Shoar, one whereof was of fo vaft a Bulk,
3 jo The Gewrd HISTORY
thst five Peribnsvvhogoton her Back,w ere lifted
up into the Air , they took care to turn them
upon their Backs^ becaufe in that Pofhire they
can't ilir or move : The Flelh of the Tortoifcs
is accounted a whofefome Food ; but what is
moft obi'ervable is, that their Blood cures the
Pox and Leper. Thefe poor Wretches made
life of their Blood to quench their Thirft,which
ran like a Stream from them, fo foon as they
had loofened their firft Shell \ and they fatisfiy'd
their Hunger with the raw Flefh of thefe Tor-
toifes, and with their Eggs> having neither
Time nor Opportunity to drefs them.
They found, in a fmall adjacent Ifle, a num-
berlefs Quantity of Birds 3 which fo darken'd
the Sky, that one Man was notable to fee ano-
ther at fifry Paces diflance } and they made fuch
a chattering Noife,that they could fcarce under-
ftand what they faid. Thefe Birds being not
in the leaft my, they might take as many as
they pleas'd, with their Hands } and their Eggs,
where-with the whole Shoar was cover'd, flood
them in great (lead, in affording them good
Nourilhment : However, feeding continually
upon raw Tortoifes-flefh, and drinking nothing
but their Blood, and that of the Birds, many
of them fell fick and dy x d. To remedy this
Inconveniency, they refolv*d to make a Fire,
which they did by rubbing two Sticks together,
as they had feen the Indians do, and fo they
drefs'd the Birds, who were very fat and well
tailed. But after -all, tho' they now had pro-
vided in fome meafure againft Hunger* they
were miferably afflifted with Thirft, there be-
ing not one Drop of frefh Water to be found
in the whole Ifle } for tho' they had made a Ihift
to dig fome Pits with their Hands, the Water
was as Salt and Bitter as the Sea- water it felf,
Thus
of VOYAGES ^TRAVELS.
Thus being continually tormented by Thirft,
they became fo lean, that they refembled rather
Skeletons than living Men, being nothing but
Skin and Bones. A little Page belonging to
the Captain,unable to bear any longer hisThirft,
and efpying near the Shoar one of the Sea-
wolves lying at length, andfuckliflg two of her
young ones, got fofcly near her, and taking a-
way one of her Whelps, put himfelf in its A $
ftead, to fuck the Old onesTet, which turn- f uc ks the
ing about, tore the Calf of his Leg all to pieces \Tet of a
however, the Wound being rather large than S*a*wa//
dangerous, he was cur'd o it in a fhort time.
It would be endlefs, to pretend to infert an
exaft Account of all the Miferies thefe poor
Men endur'd in this Defart of an Ifland, during
the Space of 1 53 Days : At lafl they contriv'd
a fmall Bark, which they patch'd together out
of the Planks of their Ship-wreck'd Veflel , ia
this Work they fpent three Months, and then
fent it to give notice of their Diitrefs to their
European Friends, who difpatch'd a VeflH tQ
deliver them from fo deplorable a ftate.
Ferdinand
The Qetural HISTORY
Ferdinand de Cortes
ACCOUNT
O F T H E
DISCOVERY
o F
N ew Spain.
CHAP. I.
Of the moft remarkable things of N E \V
SPAIN,
IN the Province of Swierchimalen^ under the
Jurifdi&ion of King Montez,uma, are a-
bundance of Borronghs and Villages, of
a hundred, two hundred or three hundred
Families each : Thefe Indians were of a very
traftableHumour and agreeableDifpofition \ they
were very ready to furnifh Conez* and his Atten-
dants with every thing that was convenient and
requiiite
of VOYAGES dn& TRAVfitS 3? jf
requifite for their Subfiftance, purfuant to the 4n M
Orders they had receiv'd from their Lord Mon- coun *f
te^uma, who thea had his Refidence at the
fame Place, unto which they have fince given
the Name of, The (game of God. After you
have travel'd two or\hree Days deeper into
the Country, you meet fcarcewith anything
but Defarts and barren Grounds, and the Air
is fo (harp and cold there, that the other /-
dians, who are bred in a hot, or at leaft more
temperate Climate, can't live there, but dye in
a little time. The Inhabitants of thefe In-land
Countries, build Towers on the Mountains,
wherein they keep their Idols.
The Chief Men of this Part of the Country,
came in great Numbers to vifit and fee Cor-
tez, and his Attendants, without Ihewing the
leaft Fear or Sufpicion of the Spaniard^ who
were not a little furpriz'd, when they faw a
good Fort, not inferior to any in Europe^ in
thofe Parts, being enclosed within a double 4 $ ron -
Wall, and a very deep Ditch. The Houfes Indian
of the better fort were very well built : And fort*
they being always in War with Montez,uma y
they had made a Wall of Free-flone, from
one Mountain to another, to fecure them-
felves againft any fudden Surprize : This
Wall was twenty Foot thick, and had a Para-
pet of four Foot and a Half, from whence they
caft Stones and other things to annoy the
Enemy. At the Extremity of a Vale, Corte^
who had only a few Horfe-men to attend him,
was unexpectedly attack'd by 5000 Indians }
but feeing fixty of their Companions kill'd
on the Spot, without the Lofs of one Spa-
niard, they run away in the utmoft Confufion.
A few Days march beyond this Place, the
Spaniards faw themfelves furrounded by an
Army
The General HISTORY
Army of no lefs than icoceo Indians^ arm'd
with Bows and Arrows , but no fooner faw
thele miferable Wretches the Spanifi Horfe
break in upon them, and trample them un-
der Foot, and no foonerJieard they the Noife
of their Carbines and Fiftols ( a thing that
for its Novelty founded mofl dreadful in their
Ears ) but they run away as fall as they could,
leaving their Villages and Settlements to the
Mercy of the Spaniards^ who fet Fire to them.
Cortex, had left in his Gamp about two hundred
Spanifli Foot, twenty Horfe-men, and foiir
Spa- hundred Indians. The Natives had gathered
an Army of 150000 Men, to force their
150000 Camp} but after having aflaulted it in vain for
Indians, four Hours, they retreated , but drew up a*
gain behind the Woods, with an Intention
to filrprize them in their Intrenchments the
next following Night, and to fet it on Fire.
Cortex, being informed thereof by fome Priibn-
ers he had taken, to the Number of fifty,, he
commanded their Hands to be cut off, nrid in
this miferable Condition to be fent to the E-
nernies Gamp, to terrify the reft, and to let
them know what they mult expeft, unlefs they
laid down their Arms : This produc'd all the
defir'd Effeb,for they were in fucfrCorifternation
at this Spectacle of their Companions, that rtey
quitted their Camp with all their Stores and
Provisions (which flood the Spaniards -in great
Head) andibch oftherw, as could not .fly fa ft
enough, threw thernfelves headlong from the
Precipices, rather than fall into the Hands of
theChriitians
Jnt bring The Indians quite difmay'd at all thefe Dif-
t9 afters, begg'd for Peace, and declared their
ton. Submition to the King of Spain ; they alfode^
fired Cortex, to leave his Camp, and take upr
liis
of VOYAGES wl TRAVELS, 335
Iiis Quarters with his Forces in their City,
which is in their Language calFd Taftaltet4\
being there much more (paciotis, more mag- cou " t n '
nificent, and more populous than the City oftbeCtyof
Granada was, at the time it was taken from Tafcalte-
the Moors by the Spaniards. Every thing necef- tal ant! the
fary for the bubfiftancc of Life are here in *#'"*
great Plenty, and excellent good Bread,
Meat, Fifti, Wild-Fowl, Fruits of all forts.
The Country is water'd with Brooks and
Rivers, which render it both pleafant and
commodious. There is in this City a Market-
place, unto which you fhail fee every Day a-
bove 30000 Perfons refort, as well Buyers as
Sellers : Here you fee certain Stations for
Sales-men, who fell Cloaths afner their Fafhion ;
another for the fale of Gold, another for Silver,
others for precious Stones, for Caps made of
Birds Feathers of various Colours, and fo cu-
rioufly contriv'd and wrought, that nothing
like it is to be feen in any other Parts. The
Country affords vaft Plenty of Wild-Fowl ; and
that nothing might be wanting to fhew their
Politenefs, and their manner of Living, they
have abundance of Baths very well contriv'd :
But what furpafles all the reft, is their Polity Their o<>-
and Government, every thing being tranfaded
with a great deal of good Order and De-
cency 5 whence we may conclude them to be a
Nation not deftitute of Reafon and good Senfe,
tho' fome Europeans perhaps have fram'd to
therafelves quite contrary Notions concerning
them } befides that, their Plains and Vallies
are well manur'd, cultivated, fow'd and co.
ver'd with Fruits, Grain, Herbs, both for the
Kitchin and Apothecaries- (hop. Their man-
ner of Government may moft fitly be com-
par'd to the G^nmfi and Venetians ': They ac-
know-
TheGwertl HISTORY
knowledge no fingle Perfon for their Lord>
but the Adminiftration of publick Affairs is
committed to the Chief Men of the Country 5
their common People obey their Orders with-
out Referve : If a War be refolv'd upon^
they all appear in Arms here, for the Defence of
their Country. Mofl Vices are punifh'd, but
Theft and Robbery with the utmoft Severity.
An Indian ', who had ftoin fome inconfiderable
thing from an European, was carry'd before
the Magifain^ or their Chief Magiltrate ; ha-
ving bin taken in a certain Village, not far
from the Place where the Fad was commit-
ted , the Magiftrate order'd him to be deli,
ver'd, with what he had ftoln, to the Party
he had robb'd, in order to punifh him at his
own Difcretion; but the European thank'd
the Magiftrate, telling him, That he left him
wholly to his Difpofai ; fo the Criminal was
ttth re- * ea( * through ail the chief Streets of the Streets,
" the Trumpets founding before him, and pro-
claiming his Fad to the Market-place, where a
Scaffold being ere&ed, the Executioner, with
a Wooden Mallet, gave him fo many, and fuch
violent Blows upon the Head, that he dy'd
on the Spot, in fight of all the People.
Monte^umd^ who is look'd upon as the moft
powerful Prince of all the Indies^ fent his Am-
bafladors to Corte 1 ^ attended by two hundred
Domefticks, offering to pay an Annual Tribute
in Gold, Silver, Silks, and other rich Conv
modifies, of the Produft of his Dominions.
There were fome among the Indians^ who
forewarn'd Cortcz. not to confide too much in
the fair Promifes and Words of Monte^um^
who, theyfaid, intended only 1 to cajole him
into his own Dominions, to have a fair Oppor-
tunity of ridding his Hand at one ftroak, ifeoth
of
of VOYAGES ^TRAVELS* 337
5f him and all his Followers; they told hinij
he was a Diffembling and Treacherous Prince,
whofe Intention \vas to catch him in the Trap.
Cortex was very well pleas'd to find fuch Ani-
mofities among the Indians^ in hopes that thefe , v
Divilions would foon furnifh him with an
Opportunity of vanquifhing them one! after
another, and bring them under the Subjedion of
Spain.
Monte^uma had aftuallyput himfelf at thejy^/,^
Head of 50000 Indians^ who were cantoned of the la-
along the Road, and near thofe Places through dians.
which Cortex mufl of Neceflity come; befides,
he had causM many Ditches to be dug, where-
they had caft (harp pointed Irons, or a kind
of Foot Angles, cover 'd with Turfs and Earth,
in hopes to difable, and fender unferviceable
the Spanifi Horfe, after they were wounded by
thefe Irons j he had alfo taken Care to have
abundance of rugged Stones laid in the Streets of
the City, through which they were to make their
Publick Entry, in hopes to fpoil the Hoofs of
their Horfes. Cortez. being under-hand fore-
wara'd of all thefe things, refolv'd to try
whether the Intelligence he had was true or
not: He fent for this Purpofe, fome Depu-
ties to the Chief Men of the City of Churul-
iecal, to acquaint them, that he thought it
convenient they fliould attend him in his
Camp, in order to concert Meafures betwixt
them, that he might know, whether he muft
deal with them as his Friends, or as Ene-
mies. Accordingly they came, making the
befl Excufe they could for not having waited
on him fooner } becaufe, as they pretended,
they being at Enmity with the People of that
Country where he then was, they durft not
Venture to come thither, without expofmg
A a their
their Peribns to the greateft Hazard : They
further tol 1 him, they were not ignorant of
what falfe Rumours had bin fpread abroad a-
ainftthem,to render their Inclinations andCon-
udfufpe&ed to him^ but that if he would ho-
nour their City with his own Prefence,he fhould
be fully coavinc'd of theFaifity of thefeRumours.
The Inhabitants of Tafcatetal^ who had fore-
warn'd Curler againft Momc^uma's ilnifter
Defigns, did all that in them lay to divert
him froiti going to Churultecal^ to make trial
of their Fidelity in Perfon ; but feeing he per-
lifted in his Refolation of going thither, they
offer'd to attend him with rococo Fighting
Men. He thank'd them for their generous
offer, but would take only 6000 along with
him, becaufe he was unwilling to be trou-
bled with fo vafl and ufelefs a Multitude,
and fear'd, not without reafon, that his Spa~
wards might be infected with their dilbrderly
way of living in the Field. The next follow-
ing Day, the Chief Inhabitants of Chnrnltecal
fcmiQ out of the City, to meet Cortex, with
Churuue- Trumpets, Drums, Singers and Dancers at the
Head of them, to give him all the Derr.on-
flrations of their fincere Inclinations and Joy
that could be. He was conducted with all
imaginable Pomp, and lodg'd in one of the
fineft Houfes of the Place ^ his little Army had
likewife convenient Quarters affign'd them,
and were well provided with Proviiions and
all other Necefhries : But having obferv'd
fome of thefe Trap holes, againft which they
had a Caution given them before hand, they
kept, during their March, conftantly upon their
Guard, and avoided thefe Traps by their Cir-
cumfpedion : What encreas'd their Sufpicioa
that after a while the Inhabitants feldom
payM
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS' JJ9
fay'd any Vifits to the Spaniards, and every
Day pinch'd them more and more in their
ufual Allowance of Provifions. Much about
the fame time, a certain Indian Woman, who
liv'd with the Europeans in the Quality of an
Interpreter, difcover'd to Cortez., how that
King Montezmma had a great Army at Hand 3 that
the Inhabitants of Ckitntltecal had fent theirChil-
drenout of the City, that they might with the
more Refolution furpriie the Spaniards, and put
them all to the Sword, if it were in their Powers
Cortex being now convinc'd that there was no
time to be loft, refolv'd immediately to fall
upon the Indians, before they could have time
to put their Defign in Execution : Purfuant
to this Refolution, he fent Word to the \
Chief Lords of the City, to attend him at
his Houfe , having fomething of great mo-
ment to impart to them j and at the fame
time ordef'd his Soldiers to be ready , to
aft at the firft Signal given^ No fooner
were all the Lords aflembled in the Houfej/^ Sp:?n;
that was affign'd him for his Lodgings, butards are 1 "
he caus'd them to be feiz'd ; and then ihefaforehand
Spaniards mounting on Horfe-back, aflail'dthe?^ *!>*
Indians, and in an Hours time kilPd above iaiUl
3000 of them with their Swords and Piftols.
Had Cortez. made the leaft delay in prevent-
ing them, he and his Forces had bin infalli-
bly loft 5, becaufe the Indians were juft theu
preparing to fall upon them, and for that
Purpofe had barricado'd the Streets with vaft
Stones : But being attackM unexpectedly,
werefbon brought into diforder and difpers'd,
being then without Commanders or Leaders,
who were all feiz'd and kept in Chains in
Cartels Houfe, who gave immediate Or^
dcrs to fet Fire to fome fortify 'd foiall Tow-
A a ^
340 The General HISTORY
crs, wherein the Indians had fecur'd themfelves,
with a Refolution to hold out there to the
la ft Extremity , but they were foon forcM to
abandon! them and the City, at the fame
time
The Lords that were detained in Cortex his
Houfe being ask'd^ What could move them
to take ib barbarous a Refolution, thustrea-
chercrifly to Maflacre, in cool Blood, all the
Spaniards ? They told Cortez, That they had
bin engag'd in this Confpiracy by the Inha-
bitants of Cuha y who were Montez.uma's Sub-
jefts, who had left nothing unattempted to
draw them into this treacherous Defign \ That
Afontez.uma himfelf, who was not above a
League and half thence, had gather'd an Army
of 50000 Men, on purpofe to favour this En-
terprize. They begg'd in a mofl humble
manner, that two or three only among them
might be fet at Liberty, in order to take
care of their Wives, Children, and Move-
ables they had fent away, to make them re-
turn into the City^ making mofl folemn
Proteflations to remain, for ever after, faith-
ful to Spain, and not to fufler themfelves to
be feduc'd. Accordingly, the next Day, eve-
ry one return'd to his Houfe, and the whole
City was as qniet. and as full of People,
as it was the Day before this Misfortune hap-
pen "d.
It being refolv'd among t!he Spaniards, not
to take the lead Notice, as if they were ac-
quainted with Afontewmt?'* perfidious Defigns,
they gave a very obliging Reception to the
AmbaiTadors he fent to them, to congratulate
them on account of their good Succefs a^ainft
thefe Tray tors } they brought Prefents to
CVr7<*., from their Mailer, confining of ten
Golden
fj-
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 341
Golden Plates ; i 500 Suits of Cloaths adorn'd
with Feathers after their own Country Fafhion ^
abundance of Turkies, and other Provilions,
with good (lore of Panicap, being a fort or"
Liquor the Indians drink : The AmbaOadors
entreated Cortex not to penetrate any further
into Mome^ttmct* Dominions, alledging it was
a barren Country, not fufficient to find Sub-
liflance for his own Troops, who had f'ffer'd
very much of" late for Want. He anfwer'd
them in very obliging Terms, That having
fome things of tke greatest weight to com-
municate to their Mailer, he was oblig'd to come
to have an Interview with him.
Not far from the City of Churultecal, are
two yery high Mountains, conftantly cover'd
with Snow on the Tops, and exceflive cold ;
from thence you may lee idue forth, without
Intermiflion^ certain Exhalations, or rather
two thick Colums of Srroak, of the Circum-
ference of a large Houfe, rifing up ftrait in-
to the Air, with more Swiftnefs than a Dart
flys from a Bow; and tho* the Wind blows
always very hard on the Tops of thefe
Mountains, it is not tfrong enough to move
either on one fide or other, much lefs to
difperfe thefe Colums (as one may call them,)
of Smoak. Several Attempts have bin made, to
get up to the tops of thefe Mountains,todifcover
the true Caufe of this Prodigy, but in vain,
no body has hitherto bin able to reach them,
hecaqfe the Wind blows whole Heaps of Ames
into your Face, fo as to ftifle you ; beildes
that, the Snow towards the Tops lies very
deep, and the Cold is almoft infupportable,
whereas this Climate is cthervyjfe exceeding
Hot, being no more than twenty Degrees be-
yond the Equino&ial Line.
A a A
34* The General HISTORY*
Cortez ,A few Leagues diftance from thefe Moun-
Temifl* ta ^ s i ' s the Famous City of Temiftitan^ feat-
ta ""J y^,ed in the midft of a Lake, having but one
Momezu- pretty broad Caufey-way leading to it, which
wa. will conveniently hold about eight Horfe-men
a breaft : The Water of this Lake is congeal'd
frequently into Salt, wherewith they drive a
great Traffick. The City it felf, is furround-
ed by a ftrong Wall, defended by Towers
of different Sizes; and has but two Gates,
one though which the People come in, and
the other at which they go out. A thou-
fand Perfons of the beft Rank, all clad in the
fame Drefs, came out of the City to meet,
falute, and pay their Compliments to Corte^
and thole that were with him , each of them,
one after another , laid his Hand to the
Ground, and then kifs'd it with all polfible
marks of a moft profound Refpect ; this Ce-
remony took up no lefs than a whole Hour.
After thefe, appear'd Monttz.vma in Perfon,
attended by two hundred Lords of his Court,
all bare footed, but more richly attired than
thofe that had made their Appearance before ;
they walk'd two and two, and kept as near
the Houfcs as they could, tho' the Streets
were very fpacious ; Montez,uma walk'd be-
twixt two of the greatefl Lords of the Country,
who fupported him on both fides : There was
not the leaft difference in their Drefs or Ha-
bits, except that Montcztwa himfelf had Shoes
Cortez 2j on, and the other two not. So foon as Cortez.
met *J came near them, he alighted from his Korfe,
'" tt> pay his Refpefts to Montez.um^ after which,
the two Lords that fupported him, paid theirs
to Cortez^ after the manner of their own Country;
the other two hundred Lords did the fame, and
the Ceremonial being over, everyone took his
Place.
of VOYAGES *W TRAVELS.
Carter had a Collar of glafs Stones, about
his Neck, which he prefented to A>fantczjtma y
who in lieu thereof beftow'd upon him im-
mediately three others of a much greater
Value; all the Company march'd in the fame
order, as they were come, and condufted CV-
ttz. to a moll magnificent Palace, prepar'd
for his Reception. The King fent their con-
iiderable Prelents of Gold and Silver, and
many other curious Pieces made of Feathers
of divers Colours, with 5000 Suits of Cloaths,
moft artificially wrought , and feating himfelf
in a mo/l magnificent Seat next to Cor te^ he fpoke
in thefe following Words :
Our ancient H'tflories tell tu^ that we are not
in-born People of the Country^ we now live in J
but that we are Foreigner s. t brought hither from tion and
far diftant Places^ under the Conduct of a c ertain
Leader or Captain, whofe Subjefts we were ; and
who having left MS in this Country, returned to his
own Sometime after he came once more to this
Country^ to fee hi* old Subjects^ whom he found
marred with the Women Natives of the Country^
*tnd much encreas'd in Number : He did all that
in him lay, to engage them to go back along
with him, to their Native Count ey } but they ah"
faint ely refused fo to do, nor would they any longer
acknowledge him for their Lord ; fo he WAS forced
to go from whence he came. However it is an
old and g(n? ally received Opinion among /#, that
his Pofterity are to come into thefe Parts and
Conquer us, and all our Province*, twenty being
in effect, by decent, their lawful Sub) efts. When
1 rightly weigh all the Circumftaxces of this Mat*
ter, every thing you have related to, w, and the
Wonders you tell M of your great Prince and / ord 9
and compare all theje things with the Description
A a 4 yoti
344 The Geveral HISTORY
you have given us of that Country from whence
you come, we have all the Reafon in the World
to be yerfttadtd, that the fame great King, your
Mafler, who has fent you hither , is alfo our law-
ful Soveraign Lord. *Ti$ on this account you may
reft fatitfyd, that we are fully refolv' W to obey
you, Without any Fraud or Referve, affuring you^
that in your Perfon, we will fay our Kefpett to
him that has fent you hither. Difpofe therefore
of thefe Provinces, and command here at your
own Pleafure ; you will meet with none but O~
fadient and Faithful Sub^etts here, and fuch as
are fully difpos^d, te do you all the Services they
are able; you have therefore nothing elfe to do
at this time, than to confult your own Eafe and
Eepofe, after the many Fatigues you have under-
gone, b9th in yc-ur long and difficult Voyages at
Sea, and in the feveral Engagements you" have
had at Land, before you could come to us. 1
dorft in the leafl queflion, but that fome among
the neighbouring Nations, out of no other Motives
than Spite and Envy, have endeavour W to create
in you a Jealoufy, and to prepofefs you again ft
me; I will not pretend to. clear my Jelf on that
Head, pnce your own Experience will fitfficiently
convince you of the Falfity of thefe Infnuations
and Calumnies. They have told you, That the
very Walls of my Palace are ofmaffy Cold ; That 1
pretend to be worjhtpp'd like a God ; That 1 alone
am Mafter of more Riches, in Silks, and other
"precious Commodities, jhan all the other Princes
in the World together : Let this be as it will, I
can only tell you, that all I have is at your Dif-
pofal ; you are fole Rafters here^ make ufe of all
the Produces of my Dominions, no otherwise than
yop would do of what tfyour own,
Tins
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, 545
This Harangue being extreamly pleafing to
the Spaniards, they were fure not to neglect
any thing, they thought might confirm Mon-
te^uma in his Opinion, that they were a&ually
defcended from that lawful Prince of thefe
Provinces he had fpoken of, and thattheKing
of Spain was the Heir and Succeflbr of him their
Ancient Hiflories of the Indies made mention
of. Six Days after the firft entrance of
Cortex into that moll celebrated City of
Tcmiftitan^ things continued in the fame ftate,
without any remarkable alteration ; when
Cortex refledting ferioufly upon the whole mat-
ter, it was thought moft advifeable, to fecure
Montez.um*s Perfon, for fqar he fhould change
his Mind } whereas, as long as they had him
in their power, they were fecure againft any
Revolt or AiTault from his Subje&s: It being
therefore fully refolv'd to feize and detain him
a Prifoner in the fame Houfe that was afiign'd
him for his Lodgings, ( provided it could be
done without much noife and diflurbance )
Cone^ pofted certain Guards in all the chief
Streets, ' j nd then went in Perfon ( as he com-
monly us'd to do) to fee Monte^uma in his
Palace \ who welcomed him with fome Pre-
fents, and his Daughter and thofe of moft of
the great Lords at Court , did the fame to
thofe Spaniards that came along with him. After Cortez
fbme Difcourfe upon indifferent matters, Cortez, f e i zes tie
upbraided Monte^nma with the ill treatment Perfon of
fome Spaniards had received from the Indians^ Montczu-
by his orders feveral of them had been ma%
murdered : He told them, that he thought
himfelf obliged to take him along with him
to his own Quarters, till fuch time, that the
whole Truth of fo barbarous an Adion was
brought to light, and that he had received
ftU
346 The GeveralH I S T O R Y
full fatisfac'tion given him , for the Death of
his Friends. Cortex , to encourage him under
this unexpected Affliftion, told him, he mould
not be treated like a Prifoner, but like one
who was at full Liberty ; That the Spaniards
fhould obey him in every thing, and be ready
at his Service, as much as if they were his
natural Subje&s. After fome Proteftations,
and a flender Refinance, Monte^nma confented
to go along with Cortex to his Quarters j fo
being put into a Chair, he was attended thi-
ther by a great number of the Chief Men of
his Court, all in Tears, but fpoke not one
word , or offered to make the leafl diftur-
bance : So far from that, that when Monte"
zuma found fbme Murmurings among the Peo-
ple who flock'd about him, he was the firil
that appeafed them by his Authority and
Pcrfuafions , thbs every thing remain'd quiet
whilft Monteuuna was detain'd in Cortezs
Houfe.
A few days after, a certain Indian Lord,
named ghialpapoca, his Son, with feveral others
of their Accomplices, being accufed of the
Murther of the Spaniards, were Apprehended,
Fettered , and put in a clofe Prifon : They
own'd the Fat , and at the fame time con-
fefs'd, that what they had done was by the
Advice and Command of Monte^uma. The
Criminals were burn'd alive in the great
Market Place , without the leafl: Tumult or
Commotion , and Aiontenuma^ upon their Ac-
cufation, was loaded with Irons; which caufed
fuch an excefs of Grief in him , that the
Spaniards fearing his death, they were taken off
again the fame day, and treated him with all
manner of Civility ^ to retaliate which, he
Cdmmanded feveral of his- Indians to fliewr
them
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 347
them his beft Gold Mines, to the great fatif-
faftion of the Spaniards.
Montezuma, to give them all the proofs
that poflibly he could of his good Inclina-
tions and Intentions , call'd together an Af-
fembly of all the Great Lords of^his Province,
unto whom headdrefs'd himfelf in the follow-
ing Harangue, in the prefence of De Cortex,
who thought it his Intereft to be prefent at
this AITembly:
Dear Brethren and Friends , yon are /*/*& Montezu-
long ago, that you are my Subjefts^ as your Fa- ma'j Re-
thers wtre to my Predeceffors^ who always tr<atedfi$*in
you with a great deal of mildnefs^ you have hither. f Jju $~
to ptfd me all the Obedience faithful Subjetts 71 *
* i i s ; t- *
ought to pay to their lawful Sever aign^ you arc
alfo not ignorant , that our Nation owes not its
firft Origin to this Country we live *ff, fat, that
our Amtftors were tranfplanted hither from fo
reign Parts ^ you may therefore be certain that
thefe Europeans, lately come into thefe Provinces^
#re fetit hither by a King defcended from our
firft Founder : But becaufe our jlnceftors would
not pay him due Obedience, ''tis no more than
common Jttftice we jhould do it now ; fo I ex-
hort you , ro acknowledge this Great Prince for
your Lord and Mafter^ in the fame manner as you
have ownd me^ in the fame Ghiality^ and to pay
him the fame Obedience you have pay^d to me }
and this is tht great eft faisfattion you are able to
give me.
Thefe Words of Mwtcz.uma were attended
with Tears intermix'd with very deep Sighs ;
and the Lords of his Court following his Ex-
ample, wept to that excek, that they were
pot able to return an anfwer for fome time.
> many of the Spaniards^ who were Eye,-
witneiles
348 The General HISTORY
witnefles of this Tragical Scene, could not but
fhew fome Companion for this unfortunate
Prince. At lafl the Indian Lords being fotne-
what recovered, told Moweztttna, 7 hat they
fljould continue at all times to be bis faithful
Subjetts , and acknowledge no other Sovereign \
ut that in regard of the Command 1 he had laid
upon them, they would fubmit to the King of
Spain, that they would pay him Tribute^ and do
him all the Service that lay in their Power.
This Declaration being Regiflred by a No-
tary Publick, feveral Copies thereof were de-
livered to the Spaniards.
After this authentick Refignation, Monte-
z,ttma was told , that the King of Spain had
occalion for a certain quantity of Gold , to
carry one Ibme great Enterprise he had in
view s and that therefore he fhould ask from
his Subje&s what Gold and Silver they could
fpare, thereby to convince the King of the
A Protyi- fincerity of their Proraifes. They aftually
ov&quan- raifed in a fhort time Two and Thirty Mil-*
tity of lions and Four Hundred Pounds of Gold,
Goldrai- without mentioning a vafl quantity of other
Montezu- r * c ^ Commodities of an incredible value,
ma'j Do- and many curious Pieces made of Feathers of
minions, various Colours. Conez. had a Crucifix Call
of Matty Gold, and a vaft number of Golden
Medals of differeut lizes. He order'd alfo
fome Silver Money to be Coin'd , and pro-
vided himfelf with good ftore of Plate } and
Montez,uma fent to the King of Spain vaffc
quantities of Silks of the moft excellent work-
manfhip that can be feen , there being no-
thing like it to be met with in Europe } the
whole being a moft furprizing iutertexture of
Feathers and Silk , reprefen ting every thing
in its natural Colours.
CHAP.
of VOYAGES And, TRAVELS. 349
CHAP. II.
A Description of that Province wherein the
City of Temiftitan if feated, of the dif-
ferent Commodities brought andJoU there ;
and with what exaclneft the Indians carry
on their Traffic k.
THc Province of Mexico, whereof the City
of ^em/titan is the Capital City , and
whereof Montezmma was King at that time,
is fur rounded with Mountains , in the midft
whereof is a Plain of about 60 Leagues ia
Circumference ; This Plain contains among other
things two Lakes, one whereof has Frefh, the
other Salt Water. Thefe Lakes contain feveral
Ifles and Towns, which have a Communication
with one another by their Canoes and other
fuch Boats ufed by the Indians. Thefe Lakes
have likewife their Flood and Ebb Tides ( like
the Sea ) in fuch a manner, that when it is
high Water in the Salt Water Lake, itdifcharges
it felf with the fame impetuity into the Frefh
Water Lake, as if it where a large and very
rapid River , on the other Hand, the Frefh Wa-
ter Lake diflembogues at certain fet times into
the Salt Water Lake. The City of Temiftitan An exa&
is Built in 1 the Salt Water Lake about
Leagues from the Land ; It has four Capital ti
Streets built on Arches ; it is as big in its Cir- "? f.
curnfererice as Sevilc or Corduba in Spain : One
half of the Streets is of Earth, the other hfilf//;/p,<-
is made up by a Canal ; fo that you may go vince of
either by Water or Land, as you like be/r. MeXKO -
The Streets are joyned, and have a Commu-
nication with certain Wooden Bridges, curi-
oufly
We Generdl HISTORY
ouriy built and of very fine Wood , and of
fuch a breadth, that no lefs than ten Hcrfe-
men may pafs over them in Front. The
Grand Place, or the Market Place of Temifti-
tan , is much larger , and much handfomer
than that of Salamanca in Spain r and furround-
ed on all fides with Portico's : Here yon lhall
fee fometimes above 60000 Perfons together,
who come thither to buy and fell , becaufe
here they may be furninYd with every thing
the whole Province affords ; Meat, Cloaths,
Gold and Silver Vcffels, Lead, Feathers of
Birds, Pearls, Diamonds, all forts of Fowls,
Patridges, Turtles, Pidgeons, Cranes, Parro-
quetSj Sparrow-hawks, Falcons, Eagles, and
all forts of Birds of Prey - 7 Here you may buy
Rabbets, Hares, aad Venefon, and a little fort
of Dogs which afford good Food , Here you
meet with Herbs of all forts, both for Phyfick
and the Pot \ Hony you have here of different
kinds , that which is produced by the Bees, ano-
ther fort taken out of the Canes of the Mahiz^
which is as fweet as that drawn out of the
Sugar Canes; They have alfo certain Trees,
which ftirnifh them with that fort of Hony
whereof they make their Wine or Mctkeglin.
In Granada it felf you (hall not meet with finer
and better Silks than in the Province of Mexico ;
their Colours are moft exquifite. Here they
fell alfo Buckskins well drefs'd, both with and
without the Hairs } Each fort of Trade has
its peculiar Station, and they are very exaft in
their Weight and Meafure, 'Tis very rare to
find any one defedive in that point :, and their
is a certain Office, where 10 or 12 of the
belt Traders have their conftant Refidence,
thefe not only fettle the price of every thing
that People may not be Impos'd upon, and de-
termine
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 551
termine what differences may arife betwixt
buyers and fellers, but alfo Punifh thofe who
are catch'd in a Fraud.
The City of Temiftittn isadorn'd with many r/^indi*
fair Strudures, which are for the moft part a an Masks
fort of Mo ks or rather Pagan Convents, In- at Te-
habited by thofe that attend the Worfhip of miftltan -
the Idols. Thefe Religiofo's are clad in Black,
and never cut their Hairs : The Children of the
Great Lords wear the fame habit till they are
fix or feven years of Age, or perhaps till they
are Married ^ Thofe that live in thefe Mosks
are not permitted to vifit any Women, or they
to go to them , they abftain from Flelh, and
at fome Seafons of the year from other things
befides. Their principal Mosk is furrounded
by a very high Wall, its Circumference being
as large as a fmall Town of 5 or 600 Hou-
fes, the Apartments within are very fair
and fpacious, Flanck'd by no lefs than forty
Allies or Walks moft curioufly embellifli'd ;
You enter into the principal Mosk by fifty
fteps, the leafl of them is as high as the
Steple of the Cathedral of Sevile : There is
not a Chappel wherein there is an Idol, but
where every flone of it is embellifh'd with
fome curious Engraven Figures, and the out-
fides are adorn'd with Painted Images : The
Walks or Allies are intended for the Burials
of Perfbns of Note. Day-light never enters
into thefe Chappels ^ none but the Religio-
fo's being permitted to come there, and not
all of them neither at all times.
The Spaniards pulFd down the chief Statues
of the Suppofititious Deities, they WauYd and
Beautified the Chappels, ftain'd all over with
the Blood of Human Sacrifices, and in lieu
thereof, put up the Statues of the Holy
Virgin,
352 TheGeneral HISTORY
Virgin, , and of federal other Saints, to
great diflatisfa&ion of Monte^uma and all
his Subjects. They reprefented to Corte^
that if this proceeding (hou'd take Vent in
the Country, they wou'd infallibly rife up
in Arms v it being their Opinion, that all
the Goods and Riches they are Mailers of,
is owing to the Liberality of their Idols.
The Spaniards did all they cou'd to unde-
ceive them* and to convince : them that there
was no more than one real God, the fole
Lord and Matter of the Univerfe, andflrid-
ly forbad not to Sacrifice any Children to
I *hofe Idols, the Statues whereof far exceed-
C( * * n kignefs the Natural Stature of Men ^
they feed them with all forts of Roofs, and
Pulfe mix'd with the Blood of Human Sacri-
fices j they piill out their Hearts whilft yet
alive, the Heart being the chief part they
offer to their Idols * being before dipp'd
in the Blood of the Victim : They have their
particular Deities, according to their feveral
neceffities, in imitation of the Ancient Hea-
thens.
The Houfes of Jemiftitan are very large
and handfom, the great Lords of the King-
doms have their Palaces and Refidence at
certain Seafons of the year } the Inhabitants
in general are very Rich, and dwell in very
convenient Habitations with curious Flower-
Gardens behind them : The Water is con-
vey'd into the City by two ^ua^ns , and
they have a Conveniency by which all the filth and
foul Water is carry'd back out of the City,
there being abundance of Water convey'd by
means of Pipes from the other Aquadu&s
into this, to keep it tollerably clean, and
wafh away the Excrements. In every part
of
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 35 J
of the City, you meet at all times of the
Day with abundance of Handy-crafts Men,
who offer their Service to be hired , for the
Indians are an induftrious People, notwith-
ftanding moft of the Europeans look upon
them as a defpifable and barbarous Genera-
tion : They have a well tegulated Govern-
ment, and take Care to have it well mana-
ged and maintain'd , and it may be truly
faid of them, that when the Spaniards cntred
America^ they wanted nothing but the Know-
ledge of the true God.
The magnificence and vaft Riches of Mon-
teuMma are almofb paft our Imagination, un-
lefs one had bin an Eye-witnefs of t^m^Tbe Royal
You fee in his Palace an infinite Number of^ :re -
Statues of Gold and Silver, of fine Work-
manfhip ; abundance of curious Pieces in-
laid, and embellifti'd with Gold, Pearls, and
Precious Stones, fo nicely and artificially con.
triv'd, that no body ever was able to find
out what Inftruments the Work-men could
make ufe of, to accomplifh them , and it is
paft all Difpute , that the moft refin'd and
beft Artifts of Europe would be puzzled, to
find out a Method of managing Silk, and the
Feathers of Birds, to fnch an Advantage, and
fuch a Degree of Beauty as the Indians do,
for all manner of Work and Furniture. The
King's ordinary Refidence is at Temiftttan^ from
whence heiflueshis Orders for above Two hun-
dred Leagues round *, whence it is evident, that
his Kingdom is at leaft as big as Spain. The
Chief Men of the Country put their Sons into
the King's Service, whillt they, in their Re-
fpe&ive Provinces, take care to fee his Taxes
and Cuftoms pay'd in due Tiiue and Places:
B b Thefe
354
Thefe Tributes or Taxes being pay'din dif-
ferent kinds, 'tis jiext to an Impoflibility, as
much as to imagine, much lefs to compute
the Value of thofe precious Moveables that
fall yearly to the King's Share. He is ferv'd
with the fame Refped at a diflance, as if
he were prefent , and no Prince in the World
is ferv'd with more Devotion and Submiffi-
on than himfelf. The fined: Palaces in EH-
roye^ have nothing that is comparable to the
Spacioufnefs, rich Furnitures and Magnificence
of his. The Gardens are adorn 'd with Sta-
tues of Marble and Jafper of exquifite Work-
manftiip; the Palace has J^odgings fiifficient
for two great Prjnces, with their whole
Court. His Parks are ftor'd with all forts of
Animals, both to fatisfie the Eye and the
Belly. All forts of Fifh whatever, both qf
Sea and River Fifties, are kept in Ponds,
which have on both Sides, at a certain di-
ftance, fome Pavilliqns, where you may reft
and divert your felf with feeing them bufied
in Fifhing. Montez.um<?$ Palace is divided
into feveral Quarters: One for the Whites,
Men, Women and Children \ their Hairs, Eye-
brows, and in (hort, their whole Complexion
is very fair : Another Quarter is pav'd
with the fineft Marble Checker-wife , each
Stone fix Foot fquare ; they are Painted with
Birds of all forts, in their natural Colours,
which affords a molt agreeable Variety. In
on Corner of the great Park, are abundance
of Cages, for Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Foxes^
and Wild-Cats, befides fome other favage
four footed Beaits, in vaft Numbers ^ all
which are fed with Turkeys ; no left than
three hundred Men, make it their daily Em-
ploy
of VOYAGE dnd TRAVELS*" 355
ployrnent, to keep and feed thefe Creatures.
A certain part of the Palace, is fet a fide for
the Entertainment of monilrous Men and
Women, Changelings, Mifhaped, &c. every
kind of thefe have their peculiar Quarters, and
their particular Servants to attend them.
Every Morning, about 500 or <5oo Per-
fons of the belt Quality, make their Appear-
ance at the King's Palace, to make their
Court \ fome fitting, others walking about in
the Apartments } but their Attendants are
not admitted within the Palace, but flay in
the outward Courts : So foon as the King is
fat down at Table, the Lords do the fame,
and are ferv'd with the fame Difhes the
King has at his ; they frequently fend fome
to their Friends, that are not at the Table :
But as for Wines and other Liquors, they
are there in fuch vaft Plenty, that every one
may drink what he pleafes, both at Dinner
and Supper-time. Three hundred young Men
are appointed to carry the Difhes to the
Tables, and in cold Weather,, each Difli is
c^rry'd upon a Chaving-dim : The King is
feated upon a Cufhion, or kind of Boliler of
very fine Leather, fix old Men dine with him,
whom he ferves himfelf, with Meats, and
Changes his Napkins almofl every Minute,
and his Cloaths Four times a Day. No bo-
dy is allow'd to go into his Bed-chamber,
unlefs he be bare-footed, and commanded to
come in, and then he muft enter with his
Head and Eyes fix'd on the Ground, and his
Body bent forward , no body mnfl look in the
King's Face whilfl he is talking to him ; be-
caufe to flare in a Man of Quality's Face,
fchilft you are fpeaking to him, is look'd
B b 2 upoa
3 5 6 The General HISTORY
upon among the Indians, as a Token of want
of Refped. Whenever the King goes abroad
( which happens but feldom ) all thofe that
attend him, and all fuch as meet him in the
Street, or upon the Road, turn their Heads
another way, for fear theyfhould fee his Face.
To be fhort, 'tis almoit impoffible to pretend
to an exad Defcription of all the Ceremonies
obferv'd by thefe Indians^ to fhew their De-
votion and Refpeft to their King and Ma-
ftcr.
CHAP. III.
Navarez, A Spanifli Commander, does his
utmost endeavours to rum Cortez, and
feduce Montezuma. Cortez is too
quick for his Rival, and takes him Pri~
joner.
WHilft Ferdinand de Ccrtez* continued at
Temiftitan^ News was brought him,
that the Inhabitants of Vera Cruz, had revolt-
ed at the Inftigation of Captain Navarez., a
very cunning Man, and who being jealous of
Ferdinand de Cortez! s Glory, had laid a Defign
to furprize and feize him, with all that be-
longM to him, for which purpofe he had
equipp'd eighteen VeJTels at his own Charge :
The better to fucceed in this Project, he had
found Means to raife an liifurredion in fbme
of the Provinces belonging to Montezuma^
with the Afliftance of one of the great-eft
Lords of his Court, This made Cortex re.
iBlve
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS. 357
folve to hazard all, to break his Rivals Mea-
fures: Purfuant to thisRefolution he ord'red
Gonfalvo de Sandoval^ a very prudent Com-
mander, and his intimate Friend,to put himfelf at
the Head of fixty Spaniards, intending to follow
him at a fmall diftance with two hundred more ;
They came both at the fame time in fight
of the Town, where Nstvarez, had his Head- Jn En
quarters, who drew out with fixry Horfoand
500 Foot, leaving the reft for the Defence
of a large and ftrong Mofque, within the Town.
About midnight Cortex gave the Signal torez.
attack the Mofque, notwithstanding he had
received advice that Navarez, was march'd
back into the Town with all his Forces, and
had planted nineteen Field Pieces on one of
the Towers of the Mofque : They defended
themfelves for fome time with the utmofl
Bravery , notwithstanding which, the Tower
was taken, and Navarez. taken Prifoner, with
all his Officers of note , 7 hey own'd, that
they had fram'd a Defign to fdze Cortez,,
and to fet up a new Government in the
Indies, independent from Spain. After this
happy Succefs, Conez. march'd back to Temi-
flitan , but at his Entrance faw himfelf attack'd
by an innumerable Multitude of Indians^ who
advancing with a moft dreadful Cry, threw
Stones as thick as Hail among them, and caft
their Darts in fuch vaft Nuiubers, that the
Roads and Streets were quite covcr'd with
them. They fet Fire likewife to the Spamfi
Fort, part whereof was burnt to the Ground,
and the Garrifbn had bin all cut to Pieces,
had the Indians not bin kept back by the
Terror and Execution of their Fire-arms,
which made them always retreat in great
Con-
3 58 The General HISTORY
Cortez Confufloti ; for the Indites advancing with-'
mojl fnri- out an y order or rule, each Piece of Artil-
udffh ler y that was,.difcharg'd amongft them, did
tie Alexi- mo ^ terrible Execution. At laft Montezjimaj
cans. willing to fee this Tumult appeas'd^ defir'd
the Spaniard to place him on one of the
Platforms of the Fortrefs, to fhew himfelf to
the People, and to fpeak to their Leaders, in
hopes to perfuade them to lay down their
Arms : But one of the Indians, whether by
chance or otherwife is uncertain, hit and
wounded him with a Stone fo dangeroafly that
he dy'd of it the fame Day. Cortex ordred
his Body to be carry'd out of the City, to
be expos'd to the View of the People; but
the Sight thereof was fo far from allaying
their Fury, that they fought with more ob-
tsfitMio ftinacy than ever, till they forcd Cortez,, with
<rtfXemi- his For ces, to abandon the City of" Tcmijlit*^
an ^ to retrea t fighting, in very good order
to Catactibai leaving all the Gold, Silver,
and other Riches, they had gather'd, behind
them-
'Tis incredible what Fatigues the Spaniards
endur'd in this Aftion ; they were tired to fuch
a Degree, that they could ftir neither Hand
nor Foot: Beildes that, they had loft 150
Men, and 46 Horfes in this Combat, with-
out reckoning 2000 Male and Female Indians^
who loft their Lives upon this Occailon, and
among them the Sons and the Daughters of
Montetuma, with feverai other Perfons of riote a
that were their Prifoners.
One Cuetravacin^ Alonte^umfo Brother, feiz'd
on the Throne, two of his Nephews, Mon-
tez,ttmas Sons, being excluded from it, becaufe
one was a Fool, and the other Lame j w here-
sy
of VOYAGES And TRAVELS. 559
3s the new King was a Perfon very well
known, both for his Conduft and Bravery.
He took care to have the moft important
Pofls well fortify 'd, the better to defend them-
felves againft the Spaniards } and publilh'd a
Proclamation, by vertue whereof he freed his
Subjects from all Taxes, provided they would
take up Arms to fight and chace their Ene-
mies out of their Country, and put to the
Sword all fuch as were in Alliance with
them.
After a thoufand Hazards, and feveral En-
gagements, Cortex and his Soldiers had with the
Indians^ for the Conqueft of the New World^
pnto which they thought fit to give the Name of
New Spain by reafon of its Refemblance to the
Kingdom ofSpaiv^ in Europe^ in refpeft of its Per.
tility and Goodnefs \ they refolv'd to lay Siege to
TeifiiJtittJij which they had bin forc'd to a-
bandon before. In one Engagement alone
900 Spaniards kill'd or took Prifoners above
950000 Indians ; the Women and Children
fct up fuch doleful Cries, as would have
mov'd the moll barbarous and favage, and moft
inveterate Enemy to Compaffiqn- and in ef-
fect the Spanifl) Officers did all they could
p keep their Soldiers from continuing the
Slaughter, as well as the Indians that were Retflke *
in their Army, who put all their Country- [Jy-l^ie
men to the Sword, and exercis'd all manner slaughter
of Cruelties upon them ; for there is not a
more Cruel Nation in the World, than the
Inhabitants of thefe Parts, being without the
leafl Senfe of Humanity: And thefe Indian^
fhat fided with the Spaniards^ being no lefs
intent upon Plunder than the Slaughter of
their Country-men, thefe who well knew their
Tern-
560 The General HISTORY
Temper, had thrown all their befl Movca-
bles into the Lakes/ and a vaft Number of
Men, Women and Children went after their
Goods; fo that the Lake being fill'd with
dead Carcafles, they march'd over them in
many Places as if it had bin on the folid
Ground. 'Tis impoflible to find Words fuit-
able to the Horror of fo doleful a Speftacle,
and to exprefs the Mifery thefe poor Wretch-
es were reduc'd to : Here you might have
feen aa innumerable Multitude of Women
and Children imploring, with the moil piti.
ful Lamentations and Cries, the Spaniards for
Mercy } but in vain, the greateft Part of
them were driven into the Lake, where they
were drown'd, or flifled among the dead
Bodies, and the reft periftfd by the Plague,
occafion'd by the Stench of the dead Bodies,
by the want of Nourifhment, and by the
drinking of too much Salt Watery about
60000 perifh'd in this manner within a few
Days. The Streets, the Roads, nay, the adja-
cent Mountains, were full of dead Carcafles ^
notwithftanding which, thofe that remain'd a-
live, chofe rather to undergo the fame Fate,
than to fubmit, fuch was their Hatred againft
the Spaniards. This obliged Cortex to fend
Brweryoffof j}is g reat Cannon, and to arm fome
w Lords". Bar( l ues t reduce thofe Indians that kept
on the Lake in their Canoes ; fome of the
Chief Men, who were taken Prifoners on the
Lake, being brought before de Cortez., told
him, They had done nothing elfe but what
brave Men ought to do, to fave their City
and Country fiom Deflru&ion -, and, that
now he might difpofe of their Perfons as he
thought fit; The Chiefeft among them lay-
ing
of VOYAGES ad TRAVELS. 561
Ing his Hand on the Hilt of de Cortex his
Dagger, begg'd him to thruft it iato his
Heart: But he told him, he had better bear
his Difgrace with Patience, and that they
Ihould be very civilly treated. This laft
Exploit put an end to the Siege, which had
continued without Intermiflion for llxty-five
Days, all which the Spaniards had fpent in the
attacking of this City, being forc'd to un-
dergo almoft incredible Fatigues, both in
railing their Works, and in continual Skir-
mimes ; for there fcarce paft a Day, but the
Indians would fally out in great Numbers to
annoy them in their Works.
The Spaniards thus became abfolute Matters T j }e Spa
of Temiftitan, the capital City of all theft niards
rich Provinces, got an ineftimable Booty , make an
they caus'd all the Gold they found here to
be melted down, and fent away a prodigi-
ous Quantity of wrought Silks of all forts.
This done, Carter took effectual care to fettle
the Peace, and re- introduce a good Order and
Difcipline, every thing being brought into Dif-
order and Confufion, during the War : And
to frighten the Country into an entire Sub-
iniflion, he fent the News of his having taken^
pillag'd and deftroy'd, the Famous City of
Tcmiftitan (the richeft and ftrongeft of the
whole Kingdom ) into all the Provinces, which
produc'd the defir'd EfFed ; for the Indians
fubmitted) without any further Reludtancy, to
the Crown of Spain.
The Diverfity of Language, among the
Indians, prov'd no fmall Obftacle to thole
who firft ventur'd upon the Discovery of
the New World: This difference was fuch,
that the very next adjoining Nations fcarce
C c underftaod
362 The General HISTORY
underltand one another ; The reafon whereof
muft be attributed to their continual inteftine
Wars, which hindred them from cultivating
any Correfpondence with one another. To
obviate^ in fome meafure, this Inconveniency,
feveral Authors have taken the Pains to give
us an account of the leveral Idioms that are
current in the Indies.
e Names Father Dominick de Vico, a Dominican, IHS
'~Publifh'd a Didionary, or a Method how to
t-l**W tne Language of Cached ; beildes fix
fen of //^more Idioms, in which he has written feveral
In i ji /- Treatifes.
, Father Lewis Rewco, a Dominican, hasWrittea
feveral Treatifes or Sermons in the Mexican
Language, and in thole of JMifteca, ZapGteca y
Mijs, Chochona and Tarafca,
Father Lewis de Fillayando) a Francifcan, has
Written and Publifli'd feveral Treatifes in the
Indian Idioms.
Father Martin Leon has PublifiYd a Method,
how to teach the Chriflian Doftrine to the
Indians, in 8vo. 1614.
Father Alom^o Rengal, a Francifcan, has Pub-
Jifh'd the Art of Learning theA/wr^Language,
and Sermons for the whole Year, in the fame.
Father Alon-^o de Efcalona, a Francifcan^ has
Publifh'd a Method, or Dictionary, how to
learn the Mexican Language, in 1 565. As alfo
his greater and letter Dodrines, containing
Inftruftionsfor ConfefTors, and of the Prepara-
tions for the Communion. The Life of
i>t. Francis. Prayers adapted for the Indians.
4 Treatif^npon God^s Commandments ^ all in
the Mexican Laflpae.
Father
of VOYAGES and TRAVELS, 363
Father Anthony Avila, a Dominican^ his Art
of learning the Mexican Language ; and his
Method how to know its true Elegancy.
Father Arnaud de Bafocio^ a Francifcan^ his
Sermons, Epiftles, and Gofpels for the Year ^
in the Mexican Language.
Father Bernard de Sahagven^ a Francifcan^ his
double Annual Sermons. His Annotations upon
the Epiftles and Gofpels for the Year. The
Pfalms. His Life of St. Bernard. His Treatife
how to baptize Children; all in the Mexican
Language. With a Di&onary in three Co-
lumns, viz.. Spamfl), Latin., and Mexican.
Father Francis Ximenes^ a frtinci\can^ his
Method and Dictionary in the Mexican Lan-
guage.
Father Philip Diaz,, a Francifcan^ his Sermons
Printed in the Mexican Language.
Father Garcias de Cifneros^ a Francifcan^ his
Sermons in the Mexican Language.
Father John de Mijanguas, an Augufiin, his
firft Part of Sermons for Sundays. And the
Feaflsof the Saints , \Rt\\z Mexican Language ;
Printed in 4to, 1 524.
Father John de Ribas, a Francifcan, his Gate*
chifm. His Sermon for Sundays throughout
the Year. His Abridgment of the Lives of the
Saints. Maxims of a Chriftian Life ^ all Pub-
lifh'd in the Mexican Language.
Father John de Garnae^ a Francifcan, his Dia-
logues, upon the Paflion of Jcfa Chrifl ^ and
fome other Dialogues in the Mexican Lan-
guage.
Father John Ba^tift^ a Francijcan^ his Pra&ice
of Morals, for the Benefit of the Indians, and
for the Inftrudion of their Children 5 Printed
in itfoij in the Mexican Language.
Father
The Generdl HISTORY, &c.
Father John deAyora^ a Trancifcan^ his Treatife
of the Sacrament of the Altar, in the Mexican
Language.
Father Lewis Rodriguez,, a Francifcan^ his Pro-
verbs of Solomon^ in the Mexican Language.
His Catechifm and Contempt of the World*
tranflated into the fame Language.
IN.
T H E
INDEX
A.
AMER
Account of the
firft Difcoveries made
in that Part of the
World, P*ge 39
- Great Mortality
of Spaniards i 65
New Difcoveres
in the Southern Parts,
8 1 ExcefliveHeats,
ibid. A violent Cur-
rent,83 -Entertain-
ment of the Spaniards,
84 The great Sur-
prife the People of
thefe Parts were in,
on Sight of the Euro-
peans, 104. Avia
(Pedro) is madeGover-
nour of the Indies, an
Atcount of hisMisfor-
tunes at Sea, 127. A-
lexanderVl. [Pope] de-
cides the Differences
between the Caftilitns
and Portuguefesj con-
cerning the Naviga-
tion of the New World
129. Aiora [ Jit an ]
his Piracies, 1 54*
B.
BADAGHIOZZO
[GonfalezJ an Account
of his Expedition into
theSouthSeas,i 5p.2fer-
zjllo, a Dog fo call'd,
his Miraculous Senfc
and Adions, 297.
The INDEX.
C--
CHRISTOPHER
andEducation, 37 -
His firft Defign of Di-
fcovering the New
World, 38. Offers
his Service to theKing
of Portugal , who re-
iefced it, 39. < He
withdraws into Spain,
where his Projeft isem-
brac'd, ibid. - His
firft Difcovery, 41 .
^ - What further
Difcoveries he tflade
after Thirty Days Sail,
5 1 . - After feveral
Voyages returns to
Hiffaniola, where he
builds a fin all Town
and Fort, and fends
Twelve Ships laden
with Rich Commodi-
ties, and fome Ingeni-
ous Men to inform the
King of 'Sfatn of his
Difcoveries already
iii ad e, 59. - The no-
table Speech of an old
Indian to him, and his
Anfwer,62.-^ What
Methods he made Ule
of to oblige thcCaclfjufs
(or Petty Kings of the
Indians) to pay Tri-
bute to the King of
Spain, 65. Returns
to Spaift to give the
King an Account of
his Proceedings, 78,
: Sets out again
upon new Difcoveries,
and goesSouth ward,8 1
Is remanded back
to Spain' by the Ki&g 7
84. After two
Years flay there he
fets out again, and
makes feveral new Di-
fcoveries,99. Finds
great Treafure, and
ftrange Creatures fuch
as he had never before
feen, 102. -With-
draws to Jamaica, but
fuffers much in hisPaf-
fage thither, from
thence returns to Spain
to give the King an
Account of his laft
Difcoveries, 106" .
His Death. Leaves be-
hind him feveral Ma-
nufcripts, an Account
ofthem y ie>8.
Canary Ijlands, Barba-
rous Cuftoms of the In-
habitants, 41. The
general Enmity thac
is among them, 42 -
Fertility of the Coun-
try,
The I N D E X.
try, 45". - - Their
Syftem of Govern-
ment, Religion, Man-
ners, Habits, Food,
Dwellings, Marriages,
Way of Divorce, and
Art of Embalming the
Dead, 48.
ters defcrib'd, 54, 270.
~- *-A Sharp Engage-
ment between them
and the Spaniards, 57.
Chiapa a very plen-
tiful Country, a De-
fcriptionof it, and the
Inhabitants, 100.
Colmenar, QCapt. Ro-
derick^ hisAdventures,
and the Misfortunes
lie met with in his
Voyages, 113.
Comogor, an Indian
Prince J turns Chri-
ftian with his whole
Family, 121. A Mi-
racle,' 125.
Cumana, ilrange fort
f Birds there, 128.
Caflilia, Produds of
it, wild Beafts and
Monflers, 132.
Cabot [Sebaftian~\ an
Account of his Difco-
veries, 153.
Coco Tree d efcribM ,
itsNature audUfe,2i i
Sr.CW*Qfland of]
defcrib'd, with fome
particular Obfervari*
ons on it, 298.
Cortez. t Ferdinand ]}
is fent to make New
Difcovcries, 302.
Is madeGovernour of
Hew Spain, 304. e
His Account of the
Difcovery of New
Sfain^ and of the molt
Remarkable things in
in, 332-
Cvlttgu* t Iflc of 3
its Situation and Gu-
riofities, 311. A
dreadful Earthquake,
318.
Cburultecal^ two pro-
digious Mountains
there defcrib'd, 341.
D.
DARIEN^ built by
Encifo^ 112.
St. Domingo City
of] deicrib'd,i 87,249.
Devil, The Indian
Opinion of him, 198.
F.
FERROj Qfland of ]
no Spring , River ,
Fountain, Rain or o-
ther Water there,
143.
C c 2 Fer*
The I N D E X.
D' Qviedo
relates what he found
rnoft remarkable in
the New World, to
the Em per our Charles
y. 185.
Funeral Ceremonis!
ns'd at the Burial of
the Caciques, 198.
Fifkes, a monftroas
Sort, defcrib'd, 221.
285. Sea and Ri-
ver Fifh, 284.
G.
GEESE [wild] de-
Jcrib'd, the Manner of
the Indians taking
them, 192.
H.
HERNANDEZ [of
Oviedo~] an Account
of his pifcoveries,
150.
Hiff*niol*i a De-
fcription of it, with
an Account of its
firft Inhabitants, Ri-
yers, Lakes, and Pro-
duds, 167. >
Of of the Churches
and Clergy there ,
249.
INDIANS,t\\eir way
of Living, Cuftoms,
Religion, greatRiches,
Boats and Houfes de-
fcrib'd, 54.1 Their
Manner of Letting
Blood, aoo. -Odd
Way of ftriking Fire,
214. Manner of
digging for Gold, and
preparing it forUfe,
2 1 9 . Their Way
of Filhing, 222. Are
great Swimmers, 223.
How they were im-
pos'd upon by Colum-
but in foretelling them
a nEclipfe of theMoon,
248. -Make a great
MafTacre of the Sfa-
mards, 254. Theft
feverely punifh'd by
them, 256. Their
Way of making Aqua
Fit*, 281.-- Very
unwilling to difcover
their Secrets in Phy-
fick, 282. Their
Way of catching Pa-
roquets, 309.
Jamaica , Rarities
found in that Ifland,
60, 306.. Natives
defcrib'd, peculiar way
of Fifhing, <5i.
Battel between them
and the Spaniards, 67.
A terrible Storm,
68. Great Riches
found, 70. Habit
of a Cacique and his
Concubines, 7 1 . *
Defcription of the
Wife
The INDEX,
Wife of a Cacique, and
the great Sway (he
had among the/*4*jj
and how kindly fhe
cntertain'd the Euro-
peans, 72. " Re-
ception of the Gover-
nour, 73. ; A no*
bleEntertainment,and
their Curious Way of
DrefTin^ Snakes, 75,
Their great Admi-
ration of a Ship, 76.
Curious Beds,*0/W.
Indians routed, and fe-
veral of their Caciques
taken Their man-
ner of Worfhiping I-
inages, 125.
St. John [[Hand of]
defcrib'd , MafTacres
there, 1 30. * Cer-
tain curious and rare
Obfervations concern-
ing it, and how Con-
quer'd by the Europe-
ans, 292.
Indian Women ,
Character of them ,
what Methods they
take in Child-birth,
i?3- Their Re-
ligion, 174. Odd
potions and Opini-
ons, 177. How
they are manag'd in
Sicknefs by their Phy-
ficians, 180.
Ifabella [City of 3
an Account of its firlt
Foundation, 307.
M.
defcrib'd, the manner
of their making Su-
gar, 44.
Mariatambd [^Pro-
vince of [jftrangeMon-
fters there, 98.
Mufick, what won*
derful Effefts it has
upon the Indians, 155.
JMonftrousBirth, 27 1
Miraculous Delive-
rances at Sea, 323.
Aiontezjuma King
of the Indies] his great
Power, 336. - His
Speech and Sub mi (lion
to Corte^ 343.
Is Imprifon'd , 345.
- His fecond Ad-
drefs to his own Sub-
je<fis,whereinhe wholly
refigns his Sovereignty
to Spain, 347.-
Raifes thirty two Mil-
lions and four hundred
Pounds for the King
of Spain's Ufe, and va-
riety of other Pre-
fents, 348.
Mexico Province
of ] defcrib'd, 349. ----
Method ofTrade,350
The INDEX.
NINO
6O~] departs from Spain
to difcover New Coun-
tries, 89. - His Ac-
count of the Indians,
and Defcription of the
Country, 90. ~*-The
Way they make Ufe
of to prefer ve Dead Bo-
dies by Broiling them,
Nunez* ^afco^ di-
fcovers great Trea-
fure, and is very fuc-
cefsful in his Enter-
prifes, 121." His
Expedition to the
South Seasf 133. ~
Has great Homage
paid him, 134. >
Penetrates as far as
the Province of Efca-
where the In-
dians attack him ; he
afterwards difcovers
the South Seas from a
high Mountain, 135.
Does fevere
Jifftice upon divers
Sodomites, 136.
Takes PoiFeffion of the
Southern Coaft,
His nnfortunate
Expedition up an un-
known River, where
he narrowly efcapM
his Life, 140. Re*
turns to Darien, 144.
-Meets greatDif-
ficulties in his March,
147. Surprifes an
Indian King with eigh-
ty of his Concubines,
148. Is confirm-
ted General of Darien^
1 53 . Difcovers the
Spice I/lands, 164-
His Speech to his
Companions, 165.
The Governour re-
calls him back to DA-
rien, and unjuftly calls
him into Prifon, con-
demns and beheads
him, 166.
P.
Arias
his Nephew , their
Adventures and Di-
fcoveries, 95.
Their Return back to
Spain, 99.
Pearls [ Ifland of ]
defcrib'd, 1 57.
Nature of them, 159*
The I N
* How to know
good Pe#fis, 318.
Ponce, CCapt. Juan}
his Adventures, 162.
Panama, built by Pe-
dro Avia, 167.
Wonderful Bridge de-
fcrib ? d 7 223-
a
QVINCEDO and
Colmenar return into
Spain to inform the
King of their New
Difcoveries, 114.
QuAlpapoca an Indi-
an Prince, hisSon,and
fever al others Impri-
fon'd, 345.*' ' They
are burnt alive for
Murdering fome Spa-
niards 9 ibid.
R.
ROLL AN, Great
Villanies committed
by him, his Infolence,
78. Caufes a Re-
bellion, 80.
S.
D E X.
Orders that Admiral
Columbus and his Bro-
ther fhould be fent
Prifoners into Spain,
84., Having heard
the Cafe of Columbus,
on his Arrival, the
.King fends Orders
that the Complainants
Ihould be fever ely Pu-
nifh'd,89.- Orders
Alonfo de Hojeda and
Diego de NicueJJa to
plant Colonies in the
New World, 109.
What great Slaugh-
ter they made of the
Indians, 1 1 1 .
Spaniards defeated
by the Indian^ ibid.
Soils \Juan~\ the un-
fortunate Adventures
of him and his Com-
panions, 1 6 1.
Salvages, or Wild-
Men, ftrange Relati-
ons of them, 172.
Serpents O f feveral
Sorts defcrib'd,- of
which ths Indians make
Ragouts, 191.
Suarez. de jMedina dd
Campo , lingly routs
three Hundred Indi-
SPAIN [King of 3 ans, 294.
by a Complaint fends
a New Governour in-
to their*/? /WjV^with
Jnfeds defcrib'd, 289*
T.
The I N D E X.
T.
TENERfFE fPeak
of 3 defcrib'd, 43.
Account of the Ifland
anditsProduftions,rich
Mtlmfey Wine made
there, 46.
Tumacco^ great plen-
ty of Deer there, 1 57.
Tequirta\ or Conju-
rors, an Account of
them, 194.
Tempeft^ a great one,
wherein were loft
twenty fix Spanifh
Ships, 2,46";
Jrikib of fo poifo-
nous aNature, that its
prefent Death to- fit
under them, 276.
Of various Sorts de-
fcrib'd, which are
wholly apply'd to Me-
dicinal Ufes, 278.
TtftMtttd CCity of]
and adjacent Country
defcrib'd, 33^.
7*w//?/>;*ffCity of]
defcrib'd, 342, 34^-
Account of
its curious Buildings,
Mosks, Religion of
the Inhabitants, &c.
PENEREAL
fiafe y its Rife and Pro-
grefs, 212.
W.
WEST Indies, Na-
tural Hiftoryof, 185.
-Different Kinds
of Animals found there,
202,283 -Gold and
Silver Mines defcri-
bed, -Rivers and o-
ther Curiofities^ 253.
Plants and Fruits
a Defcription, of their
Nature and Ufe, 273.
- . Sea Wolves de-
fcrib'd 286,329 Birds
of different Kinds, ib.
- Infefts of fe-
veral Sorts , 2880
> Worms in the
Indian Seas, an Ac-
count of them, 31 po
F / N I S.
AN INITIAL FINK OF 25 CENTS
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