Ioyfull newes out of the newfound world wherein are declared the rare and singular vertues of diuers and sundrie herbs, trees, oyles, plants, [and] stones, with their applications, aswell to the vse of phisicke, as chirurgery: which being wel applied, bring such present remedy for all diseases, as may seeme altogether incredible: notwithstanding by practize found out, to be true. Also the portrature of the sayde herbes, very aptly described: Englished by Iohn Frampton merchant. Newly corrected as by conference with the olde copies may appeare. Wherevnto are added three other bookes treating of the Bezaar stone, the herbe escuerçonera, the properties of yron and steele, in medicine and the benefite of snowe.

¶To the right Worshipfull, Maister Doctor Monardus, Phisition in Seuill.

RIght worshipfull & famous Doctor, it will seeme a newe thing to your worship, that I being not learned, not of your profession, doe write to you in things of your faculty, being a Souldier that haue followed the warres in these Countries al my life: I haue done this, because I am affe∣ctioned to your worship, by reason of a book which you haue cōpiled of the medicines which are in these partes, & of the vertues & benefits, that by thē haue byn recey∣ued, which are so great that I cannot declare thē, as they deserue. And by means of your book we haue order how we should vse the remedies which we haue here, for be∣fore we did vse thē without rule or measure, so that ney∣ther they did work effect, nor with them the people were wel remedied, which now is to the cōtrary, & by meanes of your books, there hath been people remedied, that ne∣uer thought to haue had remedy nor health. It is more then 28. yeeres vnto this day, that I haue gone wādring by al these Indias, where are many things of those, which your worship doth write of in your book, & other things also which haue not byn brought thither, for bicause the Phisitions that come to these parts, are nothing curious. They apply not their eye to the vniuersal wealth, but to their owne particular, for they come onely to enrich thē∣selues, & for the most part they be ignorāt people which passe to those Indias, they doe not esteeme of the good which they might doe. And though that I haue no lear∣ning, I am affectioned to men of learning, & so I am to

your worship, for that I vnderstood of your bookes, and for the same that you haue in these partes, which is great, although I knowe you not, yet I was willing to take these paines, which is a contentment to m••▪ You write in your book, geuing knowledge of the Bezaar stone, & set down the signes of the beasts which haue thē: which being cō∣sidered, we haue happened vpon a kind of beasts that liue in the moūtaines of this country, which are much like to sheep or kiddes which your woorship speaketh of, which are in the Indias of Portugal, which breede & haue these stones, of the which there are many in this country, in the mountaines, & colde countries. They are for the moste of a darke red colour, they are fed with healthful herbes, wherof is greate plentie in the mountaines, where these beasts do feed they be very swift, insomuch that they can∣not bee hunted, but with the hande Gun: they haue no hornes, and in that onely they doe differ from them of the East India, for in all the rest they are the same.

The 15. day of Iune in this yeere of 1568.* 1.1 I & certain gē∣tlemen my freends went to the mountaines, to hūt, & we were a hunting fiue dayes, and we killed some of those beasts, which I haue spoken of. And as we went for this purpose, thinking that they were of the kind, of thē of the East India: we carried your booke with vs, & we opened one of them, the greatest that we hunted, and oldest we colde finde, & we found no stones in his belly, nor in any other part of him, nor any other thing, wherby we bel••e∣ued that they were not the same kind of beasts with those of the East India. And we asked of certaine Indians that went to serue vs, where these beasts had their stones, & as they are our enimies, & would not that we should knowe their secrets, they answered vs that they knew nothing of these stones, vntil one boy which was amongst them be∣ing an Indian of the age of 12. yeres, seeing, that we were so desirous to know the same, shewed vs the secrete of the 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

haue byn vsed since that hunting, that I haue spoken of, which were the first that haue bin discouered in the world for the vse to heale diseases: & we do trust that with them wil be done maruellous woorkes, according as they haue begun to do thē. & all this is owing to your worship, seing that by your book we had knowledge to seek them, & to discouer them, & to take them out of these beastes, which had them so hidden within them, that surely ther is much owing to your worship, for discouering vnto vs so great a treasure, as this is, which is the greatest that hath bin foūd in these parts, wherby our nation is much bound to you, & likewise al the world, because al men shal profit by thē, & the rest of the secrets which you haue set down in your book, which bringeth vnto vs great profit. And in recom∣pence of the benefit which I haue receiued, I send here to your woorship a dosen of stones, by the returne of Iohn Anthony Corso, the rich Merchant, which if they come thither, your worship may make experience of them, in many infirmities, for you shal find great effectes in them. By the same returne also your worship may aduise me of them, & any thing that shal please you to commaund me, I wil do it, as one that is most affectioned to you, because you are curious and learned, & for doing so much good to the world, in those thinges which you haue written & published. Heerewithall I send you a small Chest, in the which come certaine Frisoles, which you may command to be sowen in the beginning of Marche, that the colde doe not hurte them, which send foorth a plant like vnto beanes, but somewhat lesse, which haue certaine vaines where the seed is. Halfe a dozen of them eaten with salt, & being of the tast of green beanes, they purge valiantly, & euacuate the water of him which hath the dropsie, with∣out paynes. The selfe same effect it worketh if that they be dry, making thē into pouder, & taking thē with wine & it is needful that meat be made in a redines: for if they work to much, by taking more then they should be, with eating

any thing incontinent, the worke wil cease.

Also I sende you an hearbe,* 1.2 which groweth in these plaine countries, clounge to the ground like vnto grasse, which is of great vertues for many infirmities, chiefly for them which are grieued with Reumes and Fleumes in the throate, taking them away easily with great bene∣fite, and in this, & griefes of the head & Reumes chew∣ing it, they do dissleume very much: they call this hearbe after my name, because I vse it for the like euils, for that an Indian did teach it me, which knew much of the ver∣tue of hearbes.

Also I send your worship a fruite of a tree which is of great profit,* 1.3 & these trees be not founde in any countrie but in this they are of the greatnesse of an Oke, of those in Spain: it hath many vertues, for the rinde, being made in pouder, and cast into any sore which is needful to bee made cleane, it maketh it cleane, & afterward causeth the flesh to grow, & healeth it. And rubbing the teeth with this pouder, it maketh thē cleane very wel, & being laid vpon the gummes, if the flesh be taken away, it doeth in∣carnate them, & if the teeth be loose, it maketh thē fast. Seething the leaues of this tree well in water, & washing with the water thereof any manner of swelling, which hath any sore, or that is therof cankered, it taketh away the swelling, and impostume. And making some small li∣nen clothes weate in this seething, & laying them warme vpon the medicine, which is laide vpon the sore, or vpon the pouder that is made of the rinde: it maketh the sores to heale more quickly, causing that there come no hu∣mour to them. Out of the saide tree commeth a Rosine, which is of sweete smel, and serueth to perfume in many diseases of the head, & to make plaisters for many e••ils, and heere I send it to your worship. Of the fruite the In∣dians make a certaine drinke, which is for them very health••ul. Your worshippe may commande them to b••e sowen, for I would be glad that they should grow, for it

will bee a thing of much delight, for the profite that it bringeth in Phisicke, and for the noueltie of the tree, for at al tymes it hath a very good smel. I brought into this country a blacke woman, which I bought in Xerez de la Frontera, and there did appeare vpon her when we came hither certain olde sores in her legs, which were of long continuance, and comming to the Ilande of the Marga∣reta, and beeing very sorowefull for the sores which my blacke woman had, an Indian tolde me that hee woulde heale her, and seeing that she had no other remedy, I de∣liuered her to the custodie of the Indian, that he might heale her for me, and immediatly he toke a fruite, which is common in that country, and al people ingeneral doe eate it, which is of the greatnes of an Orenge, & it hath a stone like vnto a Peach. This stone the Indiā did burne, and made it into pouder, for the stone is hard, & can not be grounde, without burning of it: and he cast the pou∣der of it into the sores, which she had ful of much rotten flesh, and very filthy, which with the pouder were made cleane and very well, and it tooke out al the rotten flesh to the bone, and after it was cleane, with lint and a litle pouder laid too it, they began to be filled with newe flesh, vntil they were ful of flesh, and she was healed very wel. And it is to be considered, that the little kernel of the stone hath so much venom, & malice in it, that if any person or beast doe eate it, hee dieth forthwith without remedie, as though he had eaten any manner of venom corsiue, as Sublimatum, or any other Poyson.

In the Towne of Posco where I dwelt certaine yeeres, there was an Indian,* 1.4 which did cure the Indians and the Spaniards of any maner of grief or disease that they had, with anointing their Iointes and the partes which did grieue them, with the iuyce of a certain hearbe, & forth∣with he wrapped thē in many clothes, & they did s••eate at the ioynts pure blood. And also in the sick part where he did lay the iuyce, and as they went sweating he made

cleane the blood with a Linen cloth, vntil hee perceyued that they had sweat sufficiētly, & with this he healed ma∣ny diseases that were incurable. And I am able to say, that many did thinke that they had waxed yong againe, and were more strong and yong than they were before. Hee fel sicke, & for al that wee could do with giftes and faire words, and fierce words, and threatnings, he woulde ne∣uer tel vs what hearbe it was, nor shewe it to any man in this country. There is found a kind of tree, that is of soft Timb••r, the Indians wil make no fire of it, although you kil them. For that they say, if any of them come neere to the fire that is made of this tree, or receiue the smooke of it, he remaineth impotent, for women. And they haue this so certain in persuasion, and it is so verified, that you shal not make them to come neere the fire, that is made of that tree, for any thing in the worlde, for they are so carnal that they wil none of this.

They heale in these countries any swellings which are in thee feete or legges, caused of colde humors,* 1.5 with an hearbe called Centella, which being stamped and laid to the swelling, there arise certaine Blisters, by the which there commeth forth great quātitie of water & humors, vntil it leaue th•• Foote, or the legge dry. I haue seene great experience by these euacuations, amongēst the In∣dians, for they vse them much, & I haue seene some Spa∣niards vse it, and were healed of th•• lyke diseases.

In the yere 1568. in the Prouince of Chile, they did cut of frō certain Indians being prisoners, the calues of their legs, to eate them, & they rosted them for that purpose, & that which is of more admiration, they applied vnto the place where they were cut, leaues of certain hearbes, & there came not out a drop of blood, and many did see it. And this was done in the Citie of S. Iames, in the pre∣sence of the Lord Don Garcia de Mendosa, which was a thing that made al men maruell at it.

There are to be found here very few hearbes and trees like vnto those of Spaine, for that the earth doeth not beare them: but in the newe Spaine there are more of them than in any other parte of the Indias. For when it was conquered, they found many trees and hearbes and Plantes like vnto those of Castile, and birdes and beastes likewise. We ha••e heere snakes which bring admiration to such as see thē, for they be as greate as men, which are for the most parte tame, & do no hurt. Here are Spyders as great as Oranges, & very venomous. It raineth Todes as greate as those of Spaine, which the Indians doe eate rosted, for they are a people which eate al kinde of veno∣mous beastes. There bee so many buytres, which breede in many Ilandes, that are in the sea, neere to the lande, that they eate vp the Cattel, and such numbers of them that it is wonderful, and as the keepers of them be black so they care litle for them. One thing doeth make mee maruel, that the kine which are bread in the moūtaines, being brought to the plaine ground, doe al dye. I sawe a friend of mine that brought 300. Kine to be weayed, & they staid a tyme before they were wayed, and by litle & litle, in one moneth there remained not one, but al died. And that which is more to bee maruelled at, is, that they died al trembling, and consumed. Some there be that do attribute it to the mountaines which is a countrie most cold, and it raineth euery day, and in the plaine countrie where there is no raine, but it is hotte, and as they moue from one extremitie to an other they dye, that trulie is a thing worthy of consideration, to see howe that in the space of eight Leages, little more or lesse, which are of plaine grounde from the coast to the mountaine, by a long vale of more then one thousande Leages, it neuer raineth in them, and in the mountaines it rayneth euery day.

Your worship shall vnderstande, that the eight day of

October in this yere, there came hither a Cosin of mine, called Alonso Garcia, a good Souldiour,* 1.6 who tell••th vs that he hath found an hearbe which is good against the venomous hearbe, which the wild people do v••e. Which hearbe doeth kil without remedy, and these valiant peo∣ple of the Indias doe vse it in their warres. And likewyse those that dw••l from the Charcas towardes Chile, and liue like vnto wilde people, mainteining themselues on∣ly by hunting, and fleshe of mankinde, who haue killed with their arrowes which are poysoned with these vene∣mous hearbes, an infinite number of Spaniardes▪ which they say bee not good to eate, for that their fleshe is hard, so that when they kil them, they kepe them to wax tender, three daies or foure daies. But with this hearbe that is now found, the hurt shal be much remedied, that they doe make. Howbeit our people doe not much feare them, but only the hearbe which they shoote withal, for that it maketh them to dye by madnesse, without any re∣medy. And now with the recoūtering hearbe which they haue founde, they are al gladned. They say it is an hearbe that carrieth very broade leaues, which are like to the leaues of Planten of Spaine: which being beaten & layd to the wound that is poysoned, kill the venome, and im∣mediatly take away the accidents, which the venome of the hearbe procureth. They take it for a greate matter in that country, that they haue found such a remedy. And you shal vnderstand that the coūter hearbe was found in the same country, where the hearbe of poyson was: & I thinke it be also in other parts, but there where the hurt is done, our Lords wil was to discouer the r••medy.

I note vnto your worship these things, to the ••nde by them yee may consider, howe many more hearbes▪ and plante•• of greate vertues lyke to those, this our Indias haue, which we haue not yet attained v••to, for as the In∣dians are a naughty kinde of p••ople, and our enemi••s▪ so 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

and beeing tasted and vsed betweene the teeth they are pure Earth. The stone hath neither sauour nor tast, rather it doth coole then heate, and they be ordinarily as great as beanes, or bigger. For the most part there are both greate and little of them, and it seemeth wel by them that they haue medici∣nal vertues: many persons bring them, which are now come in this Fleete, who come to mee as though I were the first discouerer of them. They declare maruellous effects of thē, that i•• seemeth wonderful. I brake one and gaue it made in∣to pouder, to a boye, of whome it was sayde that venom had bene giuen to him. I cannot tel whether any other benefites done vnto him, or that healed him, but hee was well recoue∣red. I wil vse it in other infirmities, and what I find of their operation, and the rest of the medicines, which shalbe new∣ly discouered, I wil shew in the thirde volume, which I wil wryte of this Medicinall historie, wherein shalbee expressed thinges maruellous, and greate secretes of Phisicke, that may giue contentation to al men, and much more to the sick, that shalbe healed with them. Of one thing you must bee ad∣uertised, that which is heere written, part of it we haue lear∣ned of them that haue come from those partes, and brought knowledge of them hither: and parte is attributed to theyr complexion, and qualities, what they may doe: and part wee haue experimented: and in all haue this consideration, that al these things which are brought from our Indias, bee for the most parte hotte, and see that you vse them in this qualitie, in all causes wherein they shal bee need∣ful. And it is needful that there bee some ad∣uertisement giuen heereof, since the vse of the things doeth so import it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  How they haue found the Bezaar stones.
• * 1.2

  An hearbe for the Reumes.
• * 1.3

  A fruite of a tree of gr••at vertu••s.
• * 1.4

  A cure with the sweate of blood.
• * 1.5

  Centella, an hearbe good for the swel∣ling of the feete or leg••.
• * 1.6

  Against the he••rbe whic•• the Indian•• doe vse.