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.

¶ What degrees are.

IN the owlde tyme theyr maner was to measure the earth and the woorlde by furlonges, pa••es, and fiete, as is to reade in Plinie, Strabo, and ••ther wryters. But after that P••olome founde degrees a hundreth and fiftie yeares after the death of C••ryst, that maner of accompte was receaued as the best.* 1.1 Ptolomie diuided all the hole body and face of the land and sea into three hundreth and sixtie degrees of length o•• lō¦gitude: and other as many degrees of bredth or latitude: so that the hole globe of the baule beinge rounde, conteyneth as much ••n latitude as longitude.* 1.2 He assigned lykewyse to eue¦ry degree three score myles, whiche make .xvii. Spany••she lea••ues and a halfe: In such sorte that the globe or baule of the earth mea••ured directly by any of the foure partes of the same,* 1.3 cont••yne••h ••n circuite sy••e thou••and and two hundreth leaques. This computacion and measurynge, is so certeyne, th••t as it is approued of all men and founde ••rewe by experi∣ence, so much the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is it to bee commended and had in ad¦miration for 〈…〉〈…〉 ••ereof was iudged so dyfficult by Iob and 〈…〉〈…〉, that no ••••an had founde the mea∣sure of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the ••ame. They name those degrees of lon∣g••tude,* 1.4 that they accompte from soonne to soonne by the E∣quinoc••iall line which reacheth from the East to the Weste by the myddle of the globe or baule of the earth. These can not well bee obseru••d, forasmuch as in this ••ract of heauen, there is no fyxe or permanent signe whereunto the pylots maye di∣recte theyr eyes or instrumentes. For the soonne, althowghe i•• be a moste cleare signe, yet doothe it dayely chaunge the place of rysynge and faulynge,* 1.5 and keepethe not the same course the day folowynge as the Astronomers a••firme. And al¦thowgh there is no number of thē that in trauaylyng strange landes and seas haue spent theyr gooddes and almoste theyr wyttes to fynde the degrees of longitude withowt errour as are found the degrees of latitude & heyght,* 1.6 yet is there none that hytherto hath any trewe knowleage therof. The degrees of latitude or altitude, are they that are accompted from the north pointe to the sout••, the commen••uration or mea••uring whe••by, is most certeine by reason that the north starre is per¦mane* 1.7

and remayneth styll in one place, or at the least moueth abowt the pole which is theyr firme and stedfast signe wher∣by they accompte theyr degrees and directe theyr vyages. By the degrees therfore accompted by these most certeine signes, is vnfaylably measured the hole circumference of the lande and sea,* 1.8 diuydynge the same into foure equall partes in this maner. From the north poynte to the Equinoctial, are .lxxxx. degrees: and from the Equinoctiall to the south poynt, other lxxxx. Ageyne on the contrary syde, from the south poynt to the Equinoctiall, are other .lxxxx. degrees: and from the E∣quinoctial ageyne to the north poynte, are as many. This may we coniecture by good reason aswell of thinferioure he∣misphery wherof a great parte is knowen vnto vs by the na∣uigations of such as haue passed the streyghets of Magella∣nus and the cape of Bona Speranza,* 1.9 althowgh we haue noo such cleare and manifest relation as we ought to haue of the lande vnder the southe pole beinge the other exel••ree of the worlde whose syght we lacke. For (as Herodotus sayth) yf there bee any lande of the Hype••boreans (that is suche as are vnder the north) ther is also of the hypernorios,* 1.10 that is such as are vnder the south:* 1.11 which perh••ppes are they that lyue in the lande of the streygh••es of Magellanus as nere vnto the other pole. But what these l••ndes are, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of what 〈◊〉〈◊〉 we can haue no certeyne knowleage vntyl sum man shal h••ue compassed abowt the lands vnder the south pole as did Iohn Sebastian the circumference of the Equinocti••ll line.

These last annotacions of the Indies, ha••e I tran••••••ted owt of the bookes of Franciscus Lopes, wrytten in the 〈…〉〈…〉 Themperours maiestie: and partly also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the carde ma••se by Sebastian Cabot.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.2

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.3

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.4

  Degrees of Long••••ude.
• * 1.5

  The de••rees of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 k••ow¦••n.
• * 1.6

  The degrees of latitude.
• * 1.7

  The nor••h st••••••e.
• * 1.8

  The circuite of the earth.
• * 1.9

  The inferior hemi••pherie.
• * 1.10

  hyp••rbore••.
• * 1.11

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