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 nauigation by the frosen sea.

AT my beinge in Moscouia when I was sent thyther by kynge Ferdinando my lorde and master, it so chaunced that Georgius Isto∣ma the duke of Moscouia his interpretour, a man of great experience who hadde before lerned the latin tounge in the court of Iohn kynge of Denmarke, was there present at the same tyme. He in the yeare of Christ .1496. beinge sente of his prince with master Dauid a scotte borne and them am∣bassadour for the kynge of Denmarke, (where also I knows there at my fyrst legacie) made me a breefe information of all

thorder of his iorney. The which, forasmuch as it may seeme difficult and laborious aswel for the distaunce as daungerous places, I haue thought good to describe the same as I recea¦ued it at his mouth.

Fyrst he sayde that beinge sent of his prince with the sayd Dauid, they came fyrst to Nouogardia the great.* 1.1 And wher¦as at the tyme the kyngedome of Suecia reuolted frome the kynge of Denmarke, and also the duke of Moscouia was at discention with the Suctians,* 1.2 by reason wherof they coulde not passe by the most accustomed way for the tumultes of war they attempted theyr iorney by an other way longer by safer And came fyrst from Nouogardia to the mouthes of the ryuer of Dwina and Potiwlo,* 1.3* 1.4 by a very dyfficult and paynefull ior¦ney. For he sayd that this iorney which can not bee to muche de••ested for suche laboures and trauayles, continueth for the space of three hundreth leaques. In fine, takyng foure smaul shyppes or barkes at the mouthes of Dwina, they sayled by the coaste on the ryght hande of the Ocean, where they sawe certeyne hyghe and rowgh mountaynes:* 1.5 and at the lengthe saylynge .xvi. leaques, and passynge a great goulfe, folowed the coaste on the lefte hande: And leauyng on the ryght hand the large sea which hath the name of the ryuer Petzora (as haue also the mountaynes adiacent to the same) they came to the people of Finlappia:* 1.6 who, although they dwell here and there in lowe cottagies by the sea syde, and leade in maner a beastly lyfe, yet are they more meeke and tractable then the wylde Lappians.* 1.7 He sayde that these also are tributaries to the prince of Moscouia. Then leauynge the lande of the Lap∣pians, and saylynge fourescore leaques, they came to the re∣gion of Nortpoden vnder the dominion of the kynge of Sue∣cia This the Moscouites caule Katenska Semla,* 1.8 and the people Kayeni. Departynge from hense, and saylynge alonge by the coaste of a wyndynge and bendynge shore reachyng to∣warde the ryght hande, they came to a promontorie or cape cauled the Holy nose,* 1.9 beinge a greate stone reachynge farre into the sea to the similitude of a nose: vnder the whiche is seene a caue with a whyrlepoole which swalowth the sea eue∣ry syxe houres:* 1.10 and castynge furth the same ageyne with ter∣ryble rorynge and violence, causeth the sayde whyrlepoole. Sum caule this the nauell of the sea: and other name it Cha∣rybdis.

He affirmeth that the violence of this swalowynge goulfe is such, that it draweth into it, inuolueth,* 1.11 and swa∣loweth vp shyppes and al other thynges that comme neare it: and that they were neuer in greater daungioure. For the whyrlepoole so suddeynely and violentely drewe vnto it the shyppe or barke wherin they were caryed, that with the helpe of ores and great labour they hardly escaped. When they had thus ouerpassed the holy nose, they came to a certeyne stonye mountayne which they shulde needes compasse abowte. But beinge there stayed with contrary wyndes for the space of cer¦teyne dayes, the pylotte of the shippe spake vnto them in this effecte: This stone (sayth he) that yowe see, is cauled Semes:* 1.12 The which except we please with summe gyfte, wee shall not passe by withowt great daungiour. But the pylot beinge re∣proued of Istoma for his vayne superstition,* 1.13 helde his peace. And when they had byn deteined ther by tempest for the space of foure dayes, at the length the tempest ceased and they went forwarde on theyr vyage with a prosperous wynd. Then the pilotte spake vnto them ageyne, sayinge: Yowe despised my admonicion of pleasynge the Semes, and scorned the same as vayne and superstitions. But if I had not priuilie in the nyght ascended a rocke and pleased the Semes, wee shulde surely haue had no passage. Beinge demaund••d what he offe∣red to the Semes,* 1.14 he sayde that he poured butter myxt with otemele vpon the stone which wee sawe reache furth into the sea. As they sayled further, they came to an other cape named Motka,* 1.15 which was almost enuironed with the sea lyke an I∣lande: in whose extreme poynte, is situate the castell of Bar∣thus, which sum caule Wardhus,* 1.16 (that is) a house of defence or fortresse. For the kynges of Norway haue there a garry∣son of men to defende theyr marches. He sayde furthermore that that cape reacheth so farre into the sea, that they coulde scarcely compasse it in eyght dayes. By which tarying leaste they shulde bee hyndered, they caryed on theyr shulders with greate laboure, theyr barkes and fardelles ouer a streyght of lande conteynyng halfe a leaque in breadth. From hense they sayled to the region of the wyld Lappones,* 1.17 cauled Dikilappo¦nes to a place named Dront,* 1.18 beinge .CC. leaques distant from Dwina towarde the North. And thus farre as he sayth, doth the prince of Moscouia exacte tribute. Furthermore leauyng

theyr barkes here, they fynysshed the residue of theyr iorney on sleades.* 1.19 He further declared that there were heardes of hartes as are with vs of oxen, whiche in the Noruegians tounge are cauled Rhen, beinge sumwhat bygger then owre hartes.* 1.20 These the Lappones vse in this maner. They ioyne them to sleades made lyke fyssher botes, as wee put horses to the carte. The man in the sleade, is tyed fast by the feete least he fall owte by the swyfte course of the hartes. In his lefte hande, he holdeth a collar or rayne wherwith he moderateth the course of the hartes: and in the ryght hand, a py••••ed staffe wherwith he may susteine the sleade frō faulyng if it chaunce to decline to much on any part. And he toulde me that by this meanes he trauayled twentie leaques in one daye,* 1.21 and then dismysses the harte, who by hym selfe returned to his owne master and accustomed stable. This iorney thus fynysshed, they came to Berges a citie of Norduegia or Norway,* 1.22 situ∣ate d••rectly towarde the north betwene the mountaynes: and went from thense to Denmarke on horsebacke. At Dront and Berges, the day is sayde to bee .xxii. houres longe in the som∣mer Equinoctiall. Blasius an other of the prynce of Mosco∣uia his interpretours, who a fewe yeares before, was sent of his prince into Spayne to Themperour, declared vnto vs an other and shorter way of his iorney.* 1.23 For he sayde that when he was sent from Moscouia to Iohn the kyng of Denmarke, he came fyrste on foote vnto Rostowe:* 1.24 And takynge shyppe there, came to Pereaslaw:* 1.25 and from Pereaslaw by the ryuer Uolga to Castromow:* 1.26 and that from thense goynge seuen Werstes by lande, he came to a lyttle ryuer: saylynge by the which, when fyrst he came to Uuolochda,* 1.27 then to Suchana,* 1.28 and Dwina,* 1.29 and in fine to the citie of Berges in Norway, o∣uerpassynge in this vyage all the perelles and laboures that Istoma rehearsed before, he came at the length to Hafnia the ch••efe citie of Denmarke,* 1.30 whiche the Germaynes caule Kop∣penhagen.* 1.31 But in theyr returnynge home, they both confesse that they came to Moscouia by Liuonia:* 1.32 and that they were a yeare in this vyage: Albeit Georgius Istoma, sayde that halfe the parte of that tyme, he was hyndered by tempestes, and inforced to tary longe in many places by the waye. Yet they both lykewyse constantely affirme that in this iorney ey∣ther of them trauayled a thousand threescore and ten Werstes* 1.33

(that is) three hundreth and fortie leaques. Furthermore al∣so Demetrius who of late was sent ambassadour from the prynce of Moscouia to the bysshoppe of Rome, (by whose re∣lation also Paulus Iouius wrote his description of Mosco∣uia) confirmed all these thynges to bee trewe.* 1.34 All they being demaunded of me of the congeled or frosen sea, made none o∣ther answere but that in places nere vnto that sea,* 1.35 they saw many and great riuers by whose vehemente course and abun∣daunt flowynge, the seas are dryuen farre from the shore: and that the sayde water of the ryuers is frosen with the sea a good space from the lande, as in Liuonia and other partes of Suecia. For althowgh by the vehemencie of the wyndes,* 1.36 the Ise is broken in the sea,* 1.37 yet dooth this chaunce seldome or neuer in ryuers, excepte by sum inundation or flud the Ise gathered togyther bee lyfted vp and broken. For the flakes or pieses of Ise caryed into the sea by force of the ryuers, doo flote aboue the water in maner all the hole yeare, and are a∣geyne so vehemently frosen togyther, that a man maye there sumtymes see great heapes of the Ise of manye yeares,* 1.38 as dooth appere by such pieses as are dryuen to the shore by the wynde. I haue also byn credebly informed by faythfull men that the sea Baltheum (otherwyse cauled the goulfe of Liuo∣nia) is often tymes frosen in many places.* 1.39 They say further∣more, that in that region whiche is inhabyted of the wylde Lappones, the soonne in the sommer Equinoctiall dooth not faule for the space of .xl. dayes:* 1.40 yet that the body therof is so hydden with a darke myste or cloude three houres, that the beames doo not appere: Neuerthelesse to gyue such lyght du∣rynge that tyme, that the darkenesse hyndereth not theyr woorke. The Moscouites make theyr boste that these wylde Lappones are tributaries to theyr prynce.* 1.41 Wherat I do not greatly maruayle, forasmuch as they haue none other neare vnto them, that may demaunde tribute of them. Theyr try∣bute is onely furres and fysshe,* 1.42 hauynge in maner none other thynge greately commodious. And albeit they lacke breade, salte, and other intysementes and glutteny, and lyue onely with fysshe and wylde beastes, yet are they exceadyng prone to lechery. They are such expert archers,* 1.43 that if in theyr hun¦tynge they espye any beastes whose skynnes they desyre to saue vnperysshed, they wyll not lyghtly mysse to hytte them

in the nosethrylles. ••hen they go furth on huntynge, they are accustomed to leaue at home with theyr wyues suche mar∣chauntes or straungers as they haue receaued into theyr hou∣ses.* 1.44 So that if at theyr returne, they perceaue theyr wyues throwgh the company of the strangers to be myrier and more iocunde then they were wonte to bee, they gyue the straun∣gers sum present. But yf they fynd it otherwyse, they thrust them furth of the doores with woordes of reproche. But nowe by the company they haue with straungers that resorte thyther for gaynes, they begyn to leaue theyr natiue barba∣rousnesse. They gladly admitte marchauntes, bycause they brynge them apparel of grose cloth: also hatchettes, needels, spones, knyues, drynkynge cuppes, earthen and brasen pot∣tes, with such oth••r necessarie wares:* 1.45 So that they vse now to eate sodden and rosted meate, and doo embrase more ciuile maners. Theyr owne apparell is made of the skynnes of dy∣uers beastes sowed togyther. And in this apparell they sum∣tymes comme to Moscouia. Yet fewe of them haue cappes or hosen, which they vse to make of hartes skynnes. They haue not the vse of golde or syluer money:* 1.46 but vse only barteryng of ware for ware. And beinge ignorant of other languages besyde theyr owne, they seeme amonge straungers to bee in maner domme. Theyr cotages are couered onely with the barkes of trees.* 1.47 They haue no certeyne restynge habitacion. But when they haue consumed the fysshe and wylde beastes in one place, they remoue to an other. Furthermore also the sayde ambassadours of the prince of Moscouia, declared that in the same partes they sawe certeyne hygh mountaynes con¦tinually castynge furth flames of fyre as doth the mountayne of Etna in the Ilande of Sicilia:* 1.48 and that euen in Norway, many mountaynes are faulen downe and burnte in maner to asshes with such continuall flames. Which thynge sum con∣syderyng, fayne the fyre of Purgatorie to bee there.* 1.49 And as concernynge these mountaynes of Norway, when I was sent ambassadour to Christierne kynge of Denmarke, I was infor¦med the lyke by the gouernours of Norwaye who chaunced at that tyme to bee present there.

Abowt the mouthes of the ryuer Petzora that are toward the ryght hande from the mouthes of Dwina,* 1.50 are sayd to bee dyuers and great beastes in the Ocean: and amonge other, a

certeyne great beast as bygge as an oxe, which thinhabitaun∣tes caule Mors.* 1.51 This beast hath shorte feete lyke a beuer or an Otter, with a brest sumwhat hygh and brode for the pro∣portion of the residue of his body: and two longe and greate teeth growynge owte of the vpper iawe. These beastes for rest and increase, doo sumtymes leaue the Ocean, & by great heardes ascende the mountaynes: where before they gyue thē selues to profounde sleepe (wherunto they are naturally incli¦ned) they appoynt one of theyr number as it were a watche∣man as doo cranes for the securitie of the reste.* 1.52 Whiche if he chaunce to sleepe, or to bee slayne of the hunters, the residue may easely bee taken. But if the watchman gyue warnynge with torynge (as the maner is) immediatly the hole hearde a wakened thereby, suddeynly put theyr hynder feete to theyr teeth: And so faulynge from the mountayne with great cele∣ritie as it were on a s••eade. they cast thē selues headlong into the Ocean: where also they rest and sleepe for a whyle vppon the heapes of Ile. The hunters pursue these beastes only for th••yr teethe: Of the which the Moscouites, Tartars, and es¦pecially the Turkes, make haftes for swoordes and dagges very artificially. And vse these rather for ornamente, then to gyue the greater stroke for the weyght or heauinesse thereof as summe fable. Also amonge the Turkes, Moscouites, and Tartars, these teethe are soulde by weight, and are cauled the teethe of fysshes.

The frosen sea reacheth farre and wyde beyonde Dwina to Petzcora and vnto the mouthes of the great riuer Obi:* 1.53 be∣yonde the which they say to bee the region of Engroneland,* 1.54 vnknowen and seperate from the trade and conuersation of owre men, by reason of hygh mountaynes coue∣red and coulde with perpetuall snowe, and the sea no lesse incumbered with conty∣nually Ise whiche hyndereth na∣uigations and maketh them daungerous, as they saye.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Nouogardia.
• * 1.2

  Suecia vnder the kynge of Denmarke.
• * 1.3

  Dwina.
• * 1.4

  Potiwlo.
• * 1.5

  hygh moun∣tayn••s neare the north Ocean.
• * 1.6

  Finlappia.
• * 1.7

  The wylde Lappians.
• * 1.8

  The region of Nortpoden
• * 1.9

  The cape cauled the holy nose.
• * 1.10

  A whyrl••oole or swalowing goulfe.
• * 1.11

  ••uch whyrle pooles, are cauled vipers
• * 1.12

  The stone cauled S••∣mes.
• * 1.13

  Superstitio••
• * 1.14

  Sacrifice to the stone Se∣mes
• * 1.15

  The cape Motka.
• * 1.16

  The Castel of Wardhus.
• * 1.17

  The region of the Wylde Lappones.
• * 1.18

  D••ont.
• * 1.19

  Iorneyinge on sleades.
• * 1.20

  howe the baites drawe sleades.
• * 1.21

  ••••. leaques in one day.
• * 1.22

  The citie of Berges in Norway.
• * 1.23

  A shorter iorney.
• * 1.24

  Rostow.
• * 1.25

  Pereaslaw.
• * 1.26

  Castromow.
• * 1.27

  Uuolochda.
• * 1.28

  Suchana.
• * 1.29

  Dwina.
• * 1.30

  hafnia.
• * 1.31

  Koppenhagē.
• * 1.32

  Liuonia.
• * 1.33

  werste is al∣most an Itali∣an myle.
• * 1.34

  Paulus Io∣uius.
• * 1.35

  Ryuers fau∣lyng into the fro••en sea.
• * 1.36

  wynde.
• * 1.37

  Ise.
• * 1.38

  Ise of many yeares.
• * 1.39

  The sea Bal∣theum.
• * 1.40

  where the son fauleth not in .xl. day••.
• * 1.41

  The Wylde Lappones are tributa∣ries to the Moscouites
• * 1.42

  Furres and fysshe.
• * 1.43

  Experte archers.
• * 1.44

  Good felow∣shyp.
• * 1.45

  Necessary warres.
• * 1.46

  No v••e of money.
• * 1.47

  Theyr cota∣ges.
• * 1.48

  Mountaynes continually bu••nyng.
• * 1.49

  Purgatory.
• * 1.50

  The ryuer Pet••ora,
• * 1.51

  The beaste cauled Mors.
• * 1.52

  ••he proui∣dence of nature.
• * 1.53

  The frosen sea.
• * 1.54

  Engronland or Groneland