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 tenth and laste booke of the fyrst decade, as a con∣clusion of the former bookes: Wrytten to Inacus Lopez Mendocius, countie of Tendilla, and vice∣roye of Granata.

AT the fyrst begynnynge and newe attempte, when Colonus had taken vppon hym thenter¦pryse to search the Ocean sea, I was ernest∣ly moued and requyred by the letters of cer∣teyne of my frendes and noble men of Rome to wryte suche thynges as shoulde happen. For they whyspered with greate admiraci∣on, that where as there were many newe landes founde, and nations which liued naked and after the lawe of nature,* 1.1 they coulde here noo certentie therof, beinge greately desyrous of the same. In this meane tyme had fortune ouerthrowne Ascani¦us (his brother Lodouike beinge cast owt of Mylayne by the frenchmen) whose autoritie wold not suffer me to bee idle,* 1.2 but euer to haue my pen in hande. To hym I wryte the twoo fyrst bookes of this decade, besyde many other of my hyd commen∣taries whiche yowe shall see shortely. Fortune dyd noo lesse withdrawe my mynde frome wrytynge, then disturbe Ascaniu•• from power. As he was tossed with contrary stormes and cea¦sed

to persuade me, euen soo slacked my feruentnes to enquyre any further, vntyl the yeare of Christe .1500. When the court remayned at Granata where yowe are viceroye: At which time Lodouike the Cardinall of Aragonie, neuie to kynge Frede∣rike by his brothers syde (beinge at Granata with the queene Parthenopea the syster of owre catholike kynge) browght me kynge Frederikes letters, wherby he exhorted me to fynyshe the other bookes whiche folowed the twoo epystell bookes,* 1.3 which I wryte to Ascanius. For they both acknowleaged that they hadde the copie of all that I wryte to cardinall Ascanius. And albeit that euen then I was sicke (as yowe knowe) yet tooke I the burden vppon me, and applyed my selfe to wry∣tynge. I haue therfore chosen these fewe thynges, owte of a greate heape of suche as seemed to me most woorthy to bee no¦ted amonge the large wrytynges of the autoures and sear∣chers of the same. Wherfore, forasmuch as yowe haue ende∣uoured to wreste owt of my handes the hole exemple of al my woorkes, to adde the same to the innumerable volumes of yowre librarie, I thowght it good nowe to make a breefe re∣hersall of those thynges which were done from that yeare of a thowsande and fyue hundreth,* 1.4 euen vnto this yeare which is the tenth from that. For I entende to wryte more largelye of these thynges hereafter, if god graunte me lyfe. I hadde wrytten a hole booke by it selfe of the superstitions of the peo¦ple of the Ilande, supposinge therwith to haue accomplyshed the hole Decade consistynge of tenne bookes. But I haue ad¦ded this to the tenthe as a perpendiculer lyne, and as it were a backe guyde or rerewarde to the other: So that yowe may knytte the fyrst tenthe, to the nynthe, and impute this to oc∣cupie the place of the tenthe to fyll vp the Decade. This or∣der haue I appoynted, lest I shulde bee compelled often times to wryte ouer the hole woorke, or sende yowe the same defa∣ced with blottes and interlynynge. But nowe let vs coome to owre purpose. The shippe masters and maryners ranne ouer many coastes durynge these tenne yeares: But euer folowed suche as were fyrste fownde by Colonus. For rasinge continual¦ly alonge by the tracte of Paria,* 1.5 which they beleue to bee parte of the firme lande or continent of easte India, sume of theym chaunced vppon certeyne newe landes towarde the easte, and sume towarde the weste, in which they fownde bothe goulde

and frankensence.* 1.6 For they browght from thense many iew∣els and ouches of golde, and greate plentie of frankensence, whiche they had of the people of those countreys, partely for exchange of sume of owre thynges, and partely by force, ouer commynge them by warre. Yet in sume places, althowgh they bee naked,* 1.7 they ouercame owre men, and slewe hole armyes. For they are excedinge fierce, and vse venemous arrowes, and longe staues lyke iauelens, made harde at the ende with fyer. They fownde many beastes,* 1.8 both creepinge and foure footed, muche differinge from owres, variable and of sundrye shapes innumerable: yet not hurtflul, excepte Lyons, Tygers, and Crocodiles. This I meane in sundry Regions of that greate lande of Paria: but not in the Ilandes: Noo not soo much as one. For all the beastes of the Ilandes, are meeke and with∣owte hurte,* 1.9 except men which (as wee haue sayde) are in ma∣ny Ilandes deuourers of mans flesshe. There are also dyuers kyndes of foules. And in many places battes of such bygnes, that they are equall with turtle doues.* 1.10 These battes, haue often tymes assauted men in the nyght in theyr sleepe, and soo bytten them with theyr venemous teethe, that they haue byn therby almoste dryuen to madnes, in soo much that they haue byn compelled to flye from such places, as from rauenous har¦pies. In an other place, where certeyne of them slepte in the nyght season on the sandes by the sea syde, a monster com∣mynge owte of the sea,* 1.11 came vppon one of them secreatly and caryed hym away by the myddeste owte of the sight of his fe∣lowes to whome he cryed in vayne for helpe vntyll the beaste lepte into the sea with her praye. It was the kynges pleasure that they shulde remayne in these landes,* 1.12 and buylde townes and fortresses. Where vnto they were soo wel wyllynge, that dyuers profered them selues to take vppon them the subduing of the lande, makyng great sute to the kynge that they might bee appoynted therto. The coaste of this tracte is exceadynge greate and large: and the Regions and landes therof extende maruelous farre:* 1.13 Soo that they affirme the continent of these Regions with the Ilandes abowte the same, to bee thryse as bygge as al Europe, besyde those landes that the Portugales haue fownde southwarde, whiche are also exceadynge large. Therfore doubtlesse Spayne hathe deserued greate prayse in these owre dayes,* 1.14 in that it hath made knowen vnto vs soo

many thowsandes of Antipodes which leye hyd before and vn∣knowen to owre forefathers:* 1.15 And hath thereby mynystred so large matter to wryte of, to suche lerned wyttes as are desy∣rous to sette furthe knowleage to the commoditie of men: to whom I opened away when I gathered these thynges rudely to gyther as yowe see: The which, neuerthelesse I trust yowe wyll take in good parte, aswell for that I can not adourne my rudenes with better vesture,* 1.16 as also that I neuer tooke penne in hande to wryte lyke an historiographer, but only by epistels scribeled in haste, to satisfie theym, from whose com∣maundementes I myght not drawe backe my foote. But now I haue digressed enowghe. Let vs nowe therefore returne to Hispaniola.* 1.17 Owre men haue founde by experience, that the breade of the Iland is of smaule strength to such as haue byn vsed to owr breade made of wheate: And that theyr strenthes were much decayed by vsynge of the same, Wherfore the king hath of late commaunded that wheate shulde bee sowen there in diuers places and at sundry tymes of the yeare.* 1.18 It groweth into holowe reedes, with fewe eares, but those verye bygge and frutefull. They fynde the lyke softenes or delicatenes to bee in herbes, which growe there to the height of corne. Neat or cattall, becoome of bygger stature and exceadynge fat, but theyr flesshe is more vnsauery, and theyr bones (as they say) eyther withowte marye, or the same to bee verye waterysshe. But of hogges and swyne,* 1.19 they affirme the contrarye, that they are more holsoome and of better taste, by reason of cer∣teyne wylde frutes whiche they eate, beinge of muche better nooryshement then maste. There is almost none other kynd of flesshe commonly soulde in the market. The multitude of hog∣ges, are excedingly encreased,, and becoome wylde as soone as they are owte of the swyneheardes keepynge. They haue suche plentie of beastes and foules,* 1.20 that they shall heareafter haue noo neede, to haue any brought from other places. Thin¦crease of all beastes, growe bygger then the broode they came of, by reason of the rankenes of the pasture, althowgh theyr feadynge bee only of grasse, withowte eyther barley or other grayne. But wee haue sayde enowgh of Hispaniola. They haue nowe fownde that Cuba,* 1.21 (which of longe tyme they thowght to haue byn firme lande for the greate length therof) is an I∣lande. Yet is it noo maruell that thinhabitantes them selues

towlde owre men when they searched the length therof, that it was withowte ende. For this nacion being naked and con∣tente with a lyttle, and with the limittes of theyr owne con∣trey, is not greatly curyous to know what theyr neyghbours doo, or the largenes of theyr dominion. Nor yet knewe they if there were any other thinge vnder heauen, besyde that whi¦che they walked on with theyr feete. Cuba,* 1.22 is frome the Easte into the Weste, muche longer then Hispaniola: And in breadthe from the Northe to the Southe, much lesse then they suppo∣sed at the fyrst: for it is very narowe in respecte to the length: And is for the moste parte, very frutefull and pleasaunt. East∣warde not farre from Hispaniola, there lyethe an Ilande, lesse then Hispaniola more then by the halfe, which owre men cauled Sancti Iohannis,* 1.23 beinge in maner square. In this they founde ex¦cedynge ryche golde mynes. But beinge nowe occupied in the golde mynes of Hispaniola,,* 1.24 they haue not yet sent labourers in to that Iland. But the plentie and reuenewe of golde of al o∣ther Regions, gyue place to Hispaniola, where they gyue theim selues in maner to none other thynge then to gather golde,* 1.25 of which woorke this order is appoynted. To euery such wyttie and skylfull man as is put in truste to bee a suruoier or ouer∣seer of these woorkes, there is assigned one or more kynges of the Ilande with theyr subiectes.* 1.26 These kynges accordyng to theyr league, coome with theyr people at certeyne tymes of the yeare, and resorte euery of them to the golde myne to the which he is assigned: where they haue all maner of dygginge or myninge tooles deliuered them: And euery kynge with his men, haue a certeyne rewarde alowed them for theyr labour. For when they departe from the mynes to sowynge of corne, and other tyllage (wherunto they are addict at certeyne other tymes,* 1.27 leaste theyr foode shulde fayle them) they receaue for theyr laboure, one a ierken, or a dublet, an other a sherte, an other a cloke or a cappe. For they nowe take pleasure in these thynges, and goo no more naked as they were wont too doo. And thus they vse the helpe and laboure of the inhabitantes both for the tyllage of theyr ground, and in theyr gold mines as thowghe they were theyr seruauntes or bondemen. They beare this yoke of seruitude with an euyll wyll: but yet they beare it. They caule these hyred labourers, Anaborias. Yet the kynge doth not suffer that they shulde bee vsed as bondemen:

And onely at his pleasure they are sette at libertie or appoyn∣ted to woorke. At suche tyme as they are cauled together of theyr kynges to woorke (as souldiers or pioners are assem∣bled of theyr centurians) many of them stele away to the moun¦taynes and wooddes, where they lye luckynge,* 1.28 being con∣tent for that tyme to lyue with wyld frutes, rather then take the paynes to laboure. They are docible and apte to lerne,* 1.29 and haue nowe vtterly forgotten theyr owlde supersticions. They beleue godly, and beare wel in memory suche thynges as they haue lerned of owre faith. Theyr kynges children are brought vp with the chiefest of owre men,* 1.30 and are instructed in letters and good maners. When they are growen to mans age, they sende them home to theyr countreys to bee exemple to other, and especially to gouerne the people if theyr fathers bee dead that they maye the better set foorthe the Christian Religion, and keepe theyr subiectes in loue and obedience. By reason whereof, they coome nowe by fayre meanes and gentell per∣suasions to the mynes which lye in twoo Regions of the I∣lande aboute thirtie myles distante frome the citie of Dominica: wherof the one is cauled Sancti Christophori:* 1.31 And the other being distante aboute foure score and tenne myles, is cauled Cibaua, not farre from the cheefe hauen cauled Portus Regalis. These re¦gions are very large: In the which in many places here and there, are fownd sumtyme euen in the vpper crust of the earth and sumtyme amonge the stones,* 1.32 certeyne rounde pieces or plates of golde, sumtyme of smaule quantitie, and in sum pla¦ces of great weyght: In so muche that there hath byn found rounde pieces of three hundreth pounde weyght, and one of three thousande, three hundreth and tenne pounde weyght:* 1.33 The whiche (as yowe harde) was sente hole to the kynge in that shyppe in the which the gouernour Boadilla was comming home into Spayne, the shyppe with all the men beinge drow∣ned by the way, by reason it was ouer laden with the weight of golde and multytude of men. Albeit, there were moo then a thowesande persons whiche sawe and handeled the piece of golde. And wheras here I speake of a pounde, I doo not meane the common pounde, but the summe of the ducate of golde, with the coyne cauled Triens, which is the thyrde parte of a pounde, whiche they caule Pesus.* 1.34 The sum of the weyght hereof, the Spanyardes caule Castellanum Aureum. Al the golde

that is dygged in the mountaynes of Cibaua and Porte Re∣gale,* 1.35 is caryed to the towre of Conception, where shoppes with al thynges apperteyninge are redy furnysshed to fyne it, melte it, and caste it into wedges. That doone, they take the kynges portion therof, whiche is the fyfte parte, and soo re∣store to euery man his owne whiche he gotte with his labour. But the golde whiche is fownde in saynt Christophers myne and the Region there aboute, is caryed to the shoppes whiche are in the vylage cauled Bonauentura. In these twoo shoppes, is molten yerely, aboue three hundreth thousand pounde weight of golde.* 1.36 If any man bee knowen deceatefully to keepe backe any portion of golde, whereof he hathe not made the kynges officers pryuie, he forfiteth the same for a fyne. There chaunce amonge them often tymes many contentions and controuer∣sies,* 1.37 the whiche onlesse the magistrates of the Ilande doo fy∣nysshe, the ease is remoued by applelation to the hyghe coun∣sayle of the courte, from whose sentence it is not lawfull to appele in all the dominions of Castyle. But lette vs nowe re∣turne to the newe landes frome whense wee haue digressed.* 1.38 They are innumerable, dyuers, and exceadynge fortunate. Wherfore the Spanyardes in these owre dayes, and theyr no¦ble enterpryses,* 1.39 doo not gyue place eyther to the factes of Sa∣turnus, or Hercules, or any other of the ancient princes of famous memorie which were canonized amonge the goddes cauled He∣roes for theyr searchinge of newe landes and regions, & brin∣ginge the same to better culture and ciuilitie. Oh God: howe large and farre shal owre posteritie see the Christian Religion extended?* 1.40 Howe large a campe haue they nowe to wander in, whiche by the trewe nobilitie that is in theym, or mooued by vertue, wyll attempte eyther to deserue lyke prayse amonge men, or reputacion of well doinge before god. What I con∣ceaue in my mynde of these thynges,* 1.41 I am not able to expresse with penne or tonge. I wyll nowe therfore soo make an ende of this perpendiculer conclusion of the hole Decade, as myn∣dinge hereafter to searche and gather euery thynge particuler¦lye, that I maye at further leasure wryte the same more at large. For Colonus the Admiral with foure shyppes, and a hun¦dreth threescore and tenne men appoynted by the kynge, dis∣couered in the yeare of Christe .1520. the lande ouer ageynste the weste corner ••f Cuba, distant from the same aboute a hun∣dreth

and thirtie leaques: In the myddest of which tracte, ly∣eth an Ilande cauled Guanassa.* 1.42 From hense he directed his vy∣age backewarde towarde the Easte by the shore of that coast, supposinge that he shulde haue founde the coastes of Paria: but it chaunced otherwyse. It is sayd also that Vincentius Agnes (of whom we haue spoken before) and one Iohannes Diaz (with dyuers other of whose vyages I haue as yet no certeyne knowleage) haue ouer runne those coastes.* 1.43 But if God graunt me life, I trust to know the truthe hereof and to aduertise yowe of the same. Thus fare ye well.

¶ The seconde Decade foloweth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Lawe of nature.
• * 1.2

  Milayne in the hands of the frenchmē
• * 1.3

  Epistel books
• * 1.4

  The historye folowing, con¦teyneth the actes of ten yeare.
• * 1.5

  Paria, part of the firme lād of East India
• * 1.6

  Golde & fran∣kensence.
• * 1.7

  The fierce∣nes of the na¦ked people.
• * 1.8

  Innumerable beastes vn∣lyke vnto owres.
• * 1.9

  Nothing hurt¦full in the I∣landes.
• * 1.10

  Battes as bygge as tur∣tle doues.
• * 1.11

  A man deuou¦red of a mon∣ster of the sea
• * 1.12

  The Spany∣ardes profer them selues to subdue the newe landes.
• * 1.13

  Note the lar∣genes of the newe landes.
• * 1.14

  Commendaci¦on of the Spaniardes.
• * 1.15

  Antipodes.
• * 1.16

  The autours excusse.
• * 1.17

  Hispaniola.
• * 1.18

  The nature of the place, al∣tereth the for¦mes and qua∣lities of thynges. Wheate. herbes. Catayle,
• * 1.19

  hogges.
• * 1.20

  Plentie of beastes and fou••e.
• * 1.21

  Cuba, is an Ilande.
• * 1.22

  The descrip∣tion of Cuba.
• * 1.23

  The Iland of Burichema or S. Iohannis.
• * 1.24

  Golde mynes
• * 1.25

  The order of woorkynge in the golde mynes.
• * 1.26

  The kynges brynge theyr subiectes to woorke in the golde mynes.
• * 1.27

  Tyllage.
• * 1.28

  They abhorre laboure
• * 1.29

  They are do∣cible.
• * 1.30

  The kynges chyldren.
• * 1.31

  The two chiefe golde myres of his¦paniola.
• * 1.32

  Golde founde in the vpper part of the earth.
• * 1.33

  A piece of golde weigh∣inge three thousande three hūdreth & ten pounds. A coastly ship¦wrake.
• * 1.34

  Pesus.
• * 1.35

  The fynynge and 〈…〉〈…〉 of go••de.
• * 1.36

  Three hun∣dreth thousād weyght of gold molten yerely 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••is∣paniola.
• * 1.37

  Controuerses
• * 1.38

  The newe landes.
• * 1.39

  The Spany∣ardes noble enterpryses. are not inferi¦our to the actes of her∣cules or Sa∣turnus. &c.
• * 1.40

  Enlarging of the Christian Religion
• * 1.41

  The originall of trewe nobi¦litie.
• * 1.42

  The Ilande of Guanassa
• * 1.43

  The vyage of Iohannes Diaz.