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This is ryuer reacheth very farre in length & bredth: and is cauled Uruai in the Indian tounge. Into this fauleth an other ryuer named Paraue. The fyrste that sayled into the ryuer of Plata, was Iohn Dias Solis, whom the ryght noble kynge of Spayne Ferdinandus made Admyral of these seas. In the ryuer lyeth an Ilande whiche Iohn Dias named Martinus Gratias bycause a pylot of his so cauled, was buryed there.
This Ilande is situate in the myddest of the ryuer: and is dy∣stant from the mouth of the same abowt fortie leaques. As the sayde Admirall attempted to expugne the Iland, he was sud¦deynly oppressed and slayne of the Indians that priuilie as∣sayled hym. Wherwith neuerthelesse theyr barbarous cruel∣tie was not satisfyed vntyll they had torne him in pieses and deuoured hym. But many yeares after, Themperoures maie∣stie and kynge of Spayne Charles the fyfte, sente foorth Se∣bastian Cabot (a man of great courage and skylfull in Cosmo∣graphi, and of no lesse experience as concernynge the starres and the sea) with commaundement to discouer and subdue the Ilandes of Tharsis, Ophir, Cipango, and Coi Cathay. Re∣ceauynge therfore his commission and proceadynge forwarde on his vsage, he arryued by chaunce at this Ilande: The cause wherof was that the principall vessell was lost by ship∣wracke, and the men that saued theyr lyues by swymmynge were receaued into other shyppes. Perceauynge therfore that by reason of this chaunce he could by no meanes performe his vyage attempted, he intended to expugne the sayde Ilande, and theruppon to conueygh his vytayles to land, to prepare his soldiers to thinuasion, to plant colonyes, and to erect for tresses by the ryuers syde wherby the Spanyardes myght bee defended from the violence of the barbarians. But before he attempted this, he was aduertised that the Ilande was riche in golde and syluer. Which thynge dyd so encorage him, that withowt respect of perel he thought best to expugne it by one meanes or other, wherein his bouldenes tooke good effecte as often tymes chaunceth in great affayres. Furthermore as touchynge the ryuer, Sebastian Cabote made relation that he neuer sawe any cōparable vnto this in bredth and depth. For whereas it fauleth into the sea, it conteyneth .xxv. leaques in breath. From the mouth of the ryuer, Cabot sayled vp the same into the lande for the space of three hundreth and fiftie leaques as he wryteth in his owne carde. That it is of great depth, may hereby bee consydered that manye greate ryuers faule into it: so that the chanell can not bee shalowe that con¦teyneth such abundance of water, and suche plentie of good and great fysshes. For there in is maner no fysshe in the sea, that is not founde in this ryuer. As soone as the Spanyards were set alande, they made a proofe if the soyle were frutfull
to beare corne. Takynge therefore fiftie graynes of wheate and commyttynge the same to the earth in the moneth of Sep¦tember, they gathered therof two thousande and fiftie at De¦cember nexte folowynge: wherin sume beinge deceaued and mistakynge the thynge, haue wrytten in the steade of twoo thousande and fiftie, fyftie thousande and two. The lyke fer¦tilitie is there of all other grayne and pulse. Furthermore thinhabitauntes declared that not farre from that place, ther are great and hygh mountaynes in the which is founde great plentie of golde. And no great distance from the same, to bee other mountaynes no lesse frutefull of syluer, and many other thynges longe to rehearse. Thinhabitauntes are paynefull men, and tyll the grounde diligently, wherin they take great pleasure: and haue therfore great plentie of breade of Maizi∣um. There are sheepe of suche byggenesse that they compare them to younge camels or asses as sum say. Theyr woolle is very fine: and nearest vnto the fyennesse of sylke. There are also beastes of dyuers kyndes. Amonge men there is dyf¦ference, that such as lyue in the mountaynes, are whyte, and for the most parte lyke vnto the men of owre regions. But they that dwell abowt the ryuer (as though they tooke theyr coloure therof) are blackysshe or purple of the coloure of fine Iren or steele. This also chaunceth to many of them, that theyr fiete and legges are lyke the legs and fiete of the foule cauled the oystreche.
Paraue.
Iohn Dias Solis.
The Ilande Martinus Gratias.
The viage of Sebastian Cabote to the ryuer of Pla∣ta.
Thar••is.
Ophir.
Cipango.
Cathay.
The ryuer of Plata.
Maruelous fru••fu••nes.
Mountaynes conteynynge golde and syl∣uer.
Great sheepe
Men with de¦formed legs.
Theyr colou••.