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.

¶ Who fyrst founde the needle of the com∣passe, and the vse therof.

SPeakynge much of nauigations, it myght s••••e a thynge vndecent to omyt to say sumwhat of the ne••dle of the compasse▪ withowt the wh••ch as all nauigations are but blynde and wande∣rynge coniectures, euen so shulde the Ind••es neuer haue bynne founde but by helpe of the same, forasmuch as the shippes shulde haue byn lost in the Oce¦an,* 1.1 were it not that theyr courses were directed by the ne••d••e and compasse, which owght therfore to be compled the ch••efe partes of the shyppe and principall instrumentes of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The fyrst that founde the needle and the vse therof 〈…〉〈…〉 and Mapheus Girarours doo wryt•• was one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Malpha a citie in the kyngdome of Naples, of 〈…〉〈…〉 Neopolitans glory to this day: and that by goo•• 〈…〉〈…〉 as much as a citisen and neyghbour••s 〈…〉〈…〉

the fyrst fynder of so commodious and profytable a thinge, to the secreate wherof so many excellente wyttes as were before hym coulde not attayne, althowgh they hadde both iren and the lode stone (caule•• M••gnes) whiche are the materials of the needle.* 1.2 F••ert vnto Flautus, the chiefe commendation is dew to the Spanyardes and Portugales by whose daylye experi∣ence,* 1.3 the same is browght to further perfection, and the vse therof better kwowen: althowghe hytherto no man knoweth the cause why the iren touched with the lode stone, turneth euer towarde the north starre, as playnely appeareth in euery common dyall.* 1.4 In maner all wryters attribute this to a se∣create and hyd propertie, sum of the north, and other of the mixture or naturall temperature of elementes that is betwene iren and the sayde stone. If it bee the propertie of the north or north starre, then (as the pylots make theyr rekenynge) neyther shulde the needle make anye chaunge or dy••fer in∣northestinge, as in saylynge northeaste withowt the Ilande of Tercera beinge one of the Ilandes of Azores or Soria and two hundreth leaques from Spayne towarde the West East∣west) neyther yet shulde it lose his office (as sayth Olanus) in pa••synge from the Ilande of Magnete,* 1.5* 1.6 that is, the Iland of the lode stone, which is vnder or neare abowte the northe pole. But howe so euer it bee, or what so euer bee the cau••e, trewth it is that the nedle turneth euer to the north although wee sayle abowt the south. We owght therefore to vnder∣stande that the lode s••one (whiche wee falsely caule the ada∣mant) hath heade,* 1.7 fiete, and also armes as sum say. The i∣ren that is rubbed with the heade, neuer ceaseth to turne dy∣rectly towarde the north, as is to see in the dyals that are made to the soonne. The rubbynge of the fiete seruethe for the south: as doo lykewyse the other partes, for other quar∣ters and poyntes of heauen.

Note here that yf a piece of this stone, of the byggene••se of an egge or a walnutte, or more or lesse, bee broken into manye sma••le pieces as bygge as ••yce or le••se, yet euery of those smaule pieses, hath headde, foote, and armes, as is sayde here before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The chiefest 〈…〉〈…〉 the shypp••.
• * 1.2

  Magnes.
• * 1.3

  The Spany∣ardes and Portugales.
• * 1.4

  why the nee∣dle turneth to the north.
• * 1.5

  The Iland of Tercera.
• * 1.6

  The Il••nd of Magnete.
• * 1.7

  Note the quar¦ters of the lode stone.