The decades of the newe worlde or west India conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the west ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne. ... Wrytten in the Latine tounge by Peter Martyr of Angleria, and translated into Englysshe by Rycharde Eden.

¶ The Epistle of Maximilian Transiluane, secretarie to The Emperours maiestie: wrytten to the ryght honorable and reuerende lorde, the lorde Cardinall of Salsepurge, of the marueylous and woonderfull nauigation made by the Spanyardes rounde abowt the worlde in the yeare of Christ. M. D. xix.

IN these daies my most honorable and reuerend lorde, returned one of those fiue shippes which the yeare before Themperours beinge at Sara∣gosa in Spayne, were at his maiesties com∣maundement sent to the newe worlde hereto∣fore vnknowen vnto vs, to seeke the Ilandes of spices.* 1.1 For albeit the Portugales brynge vs great quanti∣tie of spyces from that parte of Easte India whiche in owlde tyme was cauled Aurea Chersonesus (where is nowe thought to bee the greate and ryche citie of Malaccha) yet in Easte India growe none of those spices excepte pepper.* 1.2* 1.3* 1.4 For other spices, as Sinamome, cloues, nutmegges, and mase, (whiche is the huske that couereth the shell of the nutte) are brought frome other farre contreys & frō Ilandes scarsely knowen by theyr names. From the whiche Ilandes they are brought in shyps or barkes made withowt any iren tooles, and tyed togyther with cordes of date trees: with rounde sayles lykewise made of the smaule twigges of the branches of date trees weaued togyther. These barkes they caule Giun••he: with the whiche barkes and sayles, they make theyr vyages with onely one wynde in the stearne or contrarywyse.

Neyther yet is it a thynge greatly to bee marueyled at that these Ilandes where the spyces growe haue byn vnknowen so many worldes past vnto owre tyme,* 1.5 forasmuch as all such thynges as vnto this day haue byn wrytten of owld autours of the places where spices growe, are all fabulous and false: In so muche that the countreys where they affirme theym to growe, are nowe certeynely founde to bee further frome the place where they growe in deede, then we are from them. For lettynge passe many other thynges that are wrytten, I wyll

speake onl•• of this which Herodotus (otherwise a famous auc∣tou••) aff••••meth that Sinamome,* 1.6* 1.7 is founde in the toppes of the nestes of certeyne byrdes and foules that brynge it frome farre countreys, & especially the Phenyx,* 1.8 the which I knowe no man that euer hath seene. But Plinie who myght more certeynely affirme thynges by reason that before his tyme ma¦ny thynges were knowen and discouered by the nauigations of great Alexander and other,* 1.9* 1.10 sayth that Sinamome groweth in that parte of Ethiope which the people inhabite cauled Tro∣gloditi.* 1.11* 1.12 Neuerthelesse it is nowe founde that Sinamome grow¦eth very farre from all Ethiope and muche further frome the Trogloditi whiche dwell in caues vnder the grounde. But to owre men which are nowe returned from those partes and the Ilandes of spices, hauynge also good knowlege of Ethiope, it was necessarie to passe farre beyonde Ethiope beefore they coome to these Ilandes,* 1.13 and to coompasse abowte the whole worlde, and many tymes vnder the greatest circumference of heauen. The which nauigation made by th••m, being the most marueylous thynge that euer was doone by man vppon the earth sence the fyrst creation of the worlde, and neuer founde before, or knowen, or attempted by any other, I haue delibe∣rated faythfully to wryte to yowre honorable lordshippe and to declare the hole successe therof. As touchynge which mat∣ter, I haue with all diligence made inquisition to knowe the trewth aswell by relation of the Capitayne of that shyppe as also by conference with euery of the maryners that returned with hym. All which, gaue the selfe same information both to Themperours maiestie and dyuers other: And this with such faythfulnesse and sinceritie, that not only they are iud∣ged of all men to haue declared the trewth in all thynges, but haue thereby also gyuen vs certeyne knowlege that all that hath hytherto byn sayde or written of owlde autours as tou∣chynge these thynges,* 1.14 are false and fabulous. For who wyll beleue that men are found with only one legge. Or with such fiete whose shadowe couereth theyr bodyes? Or men of a cu∣bite heyght, and other such lyke, beinge rather monsters then men?* 1.15 Of the which, neyther the Spanyardes who in owre tyme saylyng by the Ocean sea,* 1.16 haue discouered al the coastes of the lande toward the West both vnder and aboue the Equi¦noctiall, nor the Portugales who compassynge abowt al Af∣fryke haue passed by all the Easte and lykewyse discouered all

those coastes vnto the great goulfe cauled Sinus Magnus,* 1.17 nor yet the Spanyardes in this theyr laste nauigation, in the which they compased abowt the hole earth, dyd neuer in any of their vyages wryte of such monsters: which doubtelesse they wold not haue omytted if they myght haue had certeyne knowelege therof. But nowe intendynge to speake of the whole world, I wyll not bee longe in my preface, but begynne my narrati∣on as foloweth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Ilandes of Molucca.
• * 1.2

  Aurea Cherso∣nesus.
• * 1.3

  Malaccha.
• * 1.4

  Spyces.
• * 1.5

  The Ilandes of Spyces vn¦knowen in owlde tyme.
• * 1.6

  Herodutus.
• * 1.7

  Sinamome,
• * 1.8

  The Phenyx.
• * 1.9

  Plinie.
• * 1.10

  The nauigati¦ons of greate Alexander.
• * 1.11

  Ethiope.
• * 1.12

  Trogloditi.
• * 1.13

  The nauigat••¦on abowte the worlde.
• * 1.14

  The owld•• autours re∣proued.
• * 1.15

  Monsters.
• * 1.16

  The vyages of the Spany¦ardes and Po••tugales,
• * 1.17

  Sinus Magnus.