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.

¶ Why they were cauled Indians.

SUm thynke that the people of the newe world were cauled Indians bycause they are of the colour of the Easte Indians. And althowghe (as it semeth to me) they dyffer much in colour and fasshions, yet is it trewe that of India they were cauled Indians. India is properlie cauled that great prouince of Asia in the which great Alexander kepte his warres: and was so named of the ryuer Indus: and is diuyded into many kynge∣domes confynynge with the same. From this greate India

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(cauled the East India) came great companyes of men as wry∣teth Herodotus: and inhabited that parte of Ethiopia that lyeth betwene the sea Bermeia (otherwyse cauled the redde sea or the goulfe of Arabia) and the ryuer of Nilus: al which regions that great Christian prince Prester Iohn dooth now possesse. The sayde Indians preuayled so much, that they vt¦terly changed the customes and name of that lande, and cau∣led it India: by reason wherof, Ethiopia also hath of longe tyme byn cauled India. And hereuppon came it that Arysto∣tell, Seneca, and certeyne other oulde autours sayd that In¦dia was not farre from Spayne. After this also, of later dayes owre West India was so cauled of the sayde India of Prester Iohn where the Portugales had theyr trade. For the pylot of the caruell that was fyrste dryuen by forcyble wynde to an vnknowen lande in the Weste Ocean, cauled the same India bycause the Portugales so cauled such landes as they had lately discouered Eastwarde. Chrystopher Colon also af∣ter the sayde pylot, cauled the west landes by the same name. Albeit, sum that take Colonus for an expert Cosmographer, thynke that he so named them of the East India, as to be the furthest and vnknowen ende therof reachynge into the Weste vnder the other hemispherie or halfe globe of the earthe be∣neathe vs: affirmynge that when he fyrst attempted to dico∣uer the Indies, he went chiefely to seeke the ryche Iland of Cipango, which fauleth on the parte of great China or Ca∣thay as wryteth Marcus Paulus Uenetus and other: And that he shulde sooner come thyther by folowyng the course of the soonne Westwarde then ageynst the same: Albeit manye thynke that there is no suche Ilande, or at the leaste not yet knowen by that name: wheras also Marcus Paulus obserued no exacte description of the place eyther of this Ilande or of Cathay.

Notes

• The colour of the East Indians.
• East India.
• Prester Iohn came owt of India to E∣thiope.
• Ethyopia cau∣led India.
• India not far from Spayne
• Prester Iohn knowen to the Portu∣gales.
• At the fur∣thest Easte, begynneth the west.
• The Iland of Cipango.
• China.
• Cathay.
• To the East by the west.
• Marcus Pau∣lus Uenetus.