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.

¶ Of the Ilande of saynt Thomas vnder the Equinoctiall line.

THe chiefest occupacion and liuynge of thinhabi¦tauntes of this Ilande, is the makynge of su∣ger, which they sell yearely to the shyppes that coomme for it owt of Spayne and Portugale laden with buttes of meale and floure, also wyne, oyle, cheese, lether, swoordes, cuppes of glasse, beades, certeyne scaruels of the fine whyte earthe cauled Porcellana, of the which are made the earthen dys∣shes of the woorke of Maiolica. And if it were not that such vyttayles and prouisions were brought them owt of Spaine and Portugale, the whyte marchauntes which dwell in that Ilande (perteynynge to the dominion of the kinge of Portu∣gale) shulde not bee able to lyue there, forasmuch as they are not accustomed to eate such meates as doo the Ethiopians or Negros. And therfore the Portugales whiche inhabite this Ilande, haue certeyne blacke slaues of Guinea, Benin, and Manicongo, which they set to tyll and laboure the grounde and make suger. Amonge these whyte inhabitauntes, there are many ryche men which haue .150. or .200. and sum .300. blacke slaues of men and women to tyll the grounde and doo other laborious woorkes. This Ilande was discouered four score yeares sence by the nauigations of the Portugales and was vnknowen to the owlde wryters. It lyeth in the greate goulfe of Affrike in the .30. degree of longitude from the West to the East, and is in maner rounde. It is of largenesse from side to syde .lx. Italiā myles, (that is to say) one degree. The horizontal line of the Iland, passeth by the two poles, Artike and Antartyke: and hath euer the day equall with the nyght without any sensible difference, whether the son bee in Can∣cer or in Capricorne. The starre of the pole Artike, is there inuisible: But the wardens are seene sumwhat to moue about: And the starres cauled the Crosse, are seene very hyghe. Of this Ilande with the other landes and Ilandes lyinge be∣twene Portugale and the same, a certeyne pylotte of Portu∣gale hath wrytten a goodly vyage to Conte Rimondo.