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 seconde booke of the seconde decade, of the supposed continente.

I Haue described to yowre holynes where Fo∣geda with his coompany (to whome the large tractes of Vraba was assigned to inhabite) in¦tended to fasten there foote. Lette vs nowe therfore leaue them of Vraba for a whyle, and returne ageyne to Nicuesa to whom the gouer∣naunce and Lieuetenaunteshippe of the moste large prouince of Beragua (beinge the weste syde of the goulfe of Vraba) was appoynted. We haue declared howe Nicuesa de¦partinge with one carauell and twoo brigantines frome Vraba the iurisdiction of his frende and companyon Fogeda, directed his course westwarde to Beragua, leauinge the bygger shippes sumewhat behynde hym, to folowe hym a farre of. But he tooke this diuise in an euyll howre. For he bothe loste his fe∣lowes in the nyght, and went past the mouth of the ryuer of Beragua, which he chiefely sowght. One Lupus Olanus a Can∣tabrian, and gouernoure of one of the greate shippes, had the conducte of one of the brigantines. He commynge behynde, lerned of thinhabitantes which was the waye Eastewarde to the goulfe of Beragua ouer passed and lefte behynde of Nicuesa. Olanus therfore directinge his course towarde the Easte, mette with the other brigantine which had also wandered owte of the way by reason of the darkenes of the nyght. The gouer∣nour of this brigantine, was one Petrus de Vmbria. Thus bothe beinge gladde of theyr meetinge, they consulted what was best to bee doone, and which way they coulde coniecture their gouernour had taken his vyage. After deliberation, they iud¦ged that Nicuesa could no more lacke sum to put him in remem∣beraunce of Beragua, then they them selues were myndful ther∣of, hopynge also to fynde hym there. They sayled therefore towarde Beragua: where they founde within .xvi. myles dy∣stant, a ryuer which Colonus named Lagartos, bycause it noo∣ryshethe greate lysardes whiche in the Spanysshe toonge are

cauled Lagartos. These lysertes are hurtfull bothe to man and beaste, and in shape muche lyke vnto the Crocodiles of the ry∣uer of Nilus in Egypte. In this ryuer, they founde theyr com¦panyons and felowes of theyr erroure lyinge at anker with the greate shippes which folowed behynde by the gouernours commaundement. Here the hole assemble beinge carefull and disquieted by reason of the gouernours erroure, after consul∣tacion, by thaduise of the capitaynes of the brigantines, who had rased nere vnto the coastes of Beragua, they sayled direct∣ly thether. Beragua, in the language of thinhabitantes of the same prouince, is as much to saye, as the golden ryuer. The region it selfe is also cauled by the same name, takynge name of the ryuer. In the mouth of this ryuer, the greatest vessels cast anker, and conueighed al theyr vytailes and other neces∣saries to lande with theyr shippe boates: and elected Lupus O∣lanus to bee theyr gouernour in the steede of Nicuesa whom they had loste. By thaduice therfore of Olanus and the other vnder capitaynes, that all hope of departure myght bee taken from the souldiers which they had nowe browght thether, and to make them the more wyllinge to inhabite that land, they vt∣terly forsooke and caste of those shyppes beinge nowe rotten for age, and suffered them to bee shaken and broosed of the surges of the sea. Yet of theyr soundeste plankes, with other newe, made of the trees of that Region (which they say to be excedinge bygge and hygh) they framed a newe carauel short∣ly after, whiche they myght vse to serue for theyr necessitie. But Beragua was founde by the vnfortunate destenie of Petrus de Vmbria. For he, beinge a man of prompt wytte and apt for∣wardenes to attempte thynges (in whiche sumetyme fortune wyll beare a stroke notwithstandinge owre prouidence) tooke vpon hym thaduenture to searche the shore to thintent to find a waye for his felowes where they myght beste coome alande. For this purpose, he chose hym twelue maryners, and wente aboorde the shippe boate whiche serued the greateste shyppes. The flowinge of the sea, raged and rored there, with a horri∣ble whurlinge as wee reede of the daungerous place of Scylla in the sea of Scicilie, by reason of the houge and ragged roc∣kes reachyng into the sea, from which the waues rebounding with violence, make a greate noyse and rowghnes on the wa¦ter, whiche rowghnes or reflowinge, the Spanyardes caule

Resacca. In these daungers wretched Vmbria wresteled a while. But in shorte space, a waue of the sea almoste as bygge as a mountayne, reboundinge from the rockes, ouerwhelmed the boate and deuoured the same with the men, euen in the sight of theyr felowes: So that of them all, onely one escaped by reason he was experte in swymmynge. For gettinge holde of the corner of a rocke, and susteynynge the rage of the sea vn¦tyll the nexte daye when it wexed caulme, and the shore was drye by the faule of the water, he escaped and resorted to his coompanye. But Vmbria with the other eleuen, were vtterlye caste away. The resydue of the coompany, durst not commite them selues to the shippe boates, but went alande with theyr brigantines. Where remaynynge a fewe dayes, and saylinge alonge by the ryuer, they founde certeyne vyllages of thinha¦bitantes, which they caule Mumu. Here they beganne to build a fortresse, and to sowe seedes after the maner of theyr coun∣trey, in a certeyne vale of frutefull grownde, bicause in other places the region is baren. As these thynges were thus doo∣inge in Beragua, one of their coompanye standynge vppon the toppe of a hyghe rocke of especiall, and lyftynge his eyes to∣warde the Weste, beganne to crye, Lynnyn sayles, lynnyn say∣les. And the nerer it drewe towarde hym, he perceaued it to bee a shyppe boate comminge with a lyttle sayle. Yet receaued they it with muche reioysinge: for it was the fyssher boate of Nicuesa his carauele, and of capacitie to carye onely fyue men, and had nowe but three in it, which had stoulne it from Nicu¦esa bycause he refused to gyue credit to theim that he had pas∣sed Beragua, and lefte it behynde hym Eastwarde. For they se∣inge Nicuesa and his felowes to consume dayely by famynne, thowght they woolde proue fortune with that boate, if their chaunce myght bee to fynde Beragua, as in deede it wss. De∣batinge therefore with theyr felowes, of these matters, they declared howe Nicuesa erred and loste the carauele by tempest, and that he was nowe wanderinge amonge the marysshes of vnknowen coastes, full of myserie and in extreeme penurie of all thynges, hauinge nowe lyued for the space of three score and tenne dayes, only with herbes and rootes, and syldoome with frutes of the countrey, contented to drinke water, and yet that often tymes faylynge, bycause he was instant to tra∣uayle westwarde by foote, supposing by that meanes to come

to Beragua. Colonus the fyrste fynder of this mayne lande, had coasted alonge by this tracte, and named it Gratia Dei: but the inhabitantes caule it Cerabaro. Throwghe this Region, there runneth a ryuer which owre men named Sancti Matthei, distante from the weste syde of Beragua aboute a hundrethe and thirtie myles. Here I lette passe the name of this ryuer, and of ma∣nye other places by the names which thinhabitantes vse, by∣cause owre men are ignorant thereof. Thus Lupus Olanus the conductor of one of the shippes of Nicuesa, and nowe also vice Leauetenaunt in his steede, after that he hadde receaued this information of the maryners, sente thether a brigantine vn∣der theyr guydynge, these maryners therfore, which came in the fyssher boate, founde Nicuesa, and browght hym to the place where Olanus laye, whome at his commynge he caste in pryson, and accused hym of treason bycause he vsurped thau∣toritie of the Lieuetenauntshippe, and that for the desyre he had to beare rule and bee in autoritie, he tooke no care of his errours: also that he behaued hym selfe negligently: demaun¦dinge further more of hym, what was the cause of his soo longe delay. Lykewyse he spake to al the vnder officers sharp¦lye and with a troubled mynde: And within fewe dayes after commaunded them to trusse vp theyr packes, and make them redye to departe. They desyred hym to quyet hym selfe, and to forbeare them a while vntyl they had reaped the corne that they had sowne, which wolde shortly bee rype. For all kynd of corne waxeth rype there euery fourth moonethe after it is sowne. But he vtterly denyed to tarye and whytte: but that he woolde foorthwith departe from that vnfortunate lande: And plucked vp by the rootes al that euer was browght into the goulfe of Beragua, and commaunded them to directe theyr course towarde the Easte. After they had sayled aboute the space of .xvi. myles, a certeyne younge man whose name was Gregorie, a Genues borne, and of a chylde browght vp with Colonus, cauled to rememberance that there was a hauen not farre frome thense: And to proue his sayinge trewe, he gaue his felowes these tokens: that is, that they shulde fynde vp∣pon the shore, an anker of a loste shyppe halfe couered with sande: And vnder a tree nexte vnto the hauen, a sprynge of cleere water. They came to the lande: founde the anker and the sprynge, and commended the wytte and memorye of the

younge man, that he only amonge many of the marynes whi∣che had searched those coastes with Colonus, bore the thynge soo well in mynde. This hauen, Colonus cauled Portus Bellus. Wheras in this vyage for lacke of vytayles they were sume∣tymes enforced to goo alande, they were euel entreated of the inhabitantes. By reason wherof, theyr strengthes were soo wekened with hūger, that they were not able to keepe warre ageynst naked men, or scarsely to beare theyr harnes on their backes. And therfore owre men loste twentie of theyr coom∣panie, which were slayne with venemous arrowes. They con¦sulted to leaue the one halfe of theyr felowes in the hauen of Portus Bellus: And the other parte Nicu••sa tooke with hym to∣warde the Easte: where abowte twentie and eyght myles frō Portus Bellus, he intended to buylde a fortresse harde by the sea syde vppon the poynte or cape which in tyme paste Colonus na∣med Marmor. But they were soo feeble by reason of longe hun¦ger, that theyr strength serued them not to susteyne suche la∣boure. Yet he erected a lyttle towre able to resyst the fyrst as∣saute of the inhabitantes. This towre he cauled Nomen Dei. From the tyme that he left Beragua, what in the iorney amonge the sandie playnes, then also for hunger whyle he buylded the towre, of the fewe which remayned a lyue, he loste twoo hundreth. And thus by lyttle and lyttle, the multitude of se∣uen hundreth foure score and fyue men, was nowe browght to scarsely one hundreth. Whyle Nicuesa lyued with these few miserable men, there arose a contētion amonge them of Vraba, as concerninge the Lieuetenantshippe. For one Vaschus Nunnez, by the iudgemente of all men, trustynge more to his strengthe then wytte, stoured vp certeyne lyght felowes ageynst Ancisus, sayinge that Ancisus had not the kynges letters patentes for that office: And that it was not sufficient that he was auto∣rised by Fogeda. And therfore forbodde that he shulde execute the office of the Lieuetenaunteshippe: And wylled theym to chuse certeyne of theyr owne coompanye, by whose coun∣sayle and authoritie they myght bee gouerned.

Thus beinge diuided into factions by reason that Fogeda, their capitayne came not ageyne, whom they supposed to bee nowe deade of his venemous wounde, they contended whether it were beste to substitute Nicuesa in his place. The wyseste sorte suche as were famylier with Nicuesa, and coulde not beare thin¦solencie

of Vaschus Nunnez, thowght it good that Nicuesa shuld bee, sowght owt throwgh owt all those coastes. For they had knoweledge that he departed from Beragua bycause of the ba∣rennes of the grounde: And that by thexemple of Ancisus, and suche other as had made shippewracke, it were possible that he might wander in sume secreate place: And that they coulde not be quiete in theire myndes vntyll they knewe the certētie, whether he with his felowes were alyue or deade. But Vas∣chus Nunnez, fearinge leaste at the commyng of Nicuesa he shulde not bee had in autoritie emonge his felowes, sayde they were mad men to thinke that Nicuesa lyued: And althowgh he were alyue, yet that they hadde noo neade of his helpe. For he auouched that there was none of his felowes, that were not as meete to rule as Nicuesa. While they were thus reasonynge too and froo, one Rodericus Colmenaris arryued in those coastes with two greate shippes hauinge in theym three score fresshe men, with greate plentie of vitailes and apparel. Of the na∣vigation of this Colmenaris, I intende to speake sumewhat more. He therfore departed from the hauen of Hispaniola cauled Beata (where they prepare and furnysshe theym selues whiche make any viage into these landes) aboute the Ides of Oc∣tober in the yeare .1510: And landed the .ix. of Nouember in a Region in the large prouince of Paria founde by Colonus betwene the hauen Carthago and the Region of Cuchibachoa. In this viage what by the rowghnes of the sea & fiercenes of the barbariās, he suffered many incommodities. For when his fresshe water fayled, he sayled to the mouthe of a certeyne riuer which thin¦habitantes caule Gaira, beinge apte to receaue shippes. This ryuer had his course from the toppe of an exceadinge hyghe mountayne couered with snowe, hygher then the which, all the coompanyons of this capitayne Rodericus, saye that they ne∣uer sawe. And that by good reason, yf it were couered wyth snowe in that Region which is not past ten degrees distante from the Equinoctial lyne. As they beganne to drawe water owt of their shippeboate, a certeyne Kynge made towarde theym appareled with vestures of gossampine cotton, hauinge twen∣tie noble men in his coompanye appareled also: Whyche thinge seemed straunge to owre men, and not seene before in those parties. The Kinges apparell, hunge loose from his shoulders to his elbowes: And from the ge••dle downewarde,

it was muche like a womans kertle, reachinge euen to his hee¦les. As he drewe neere towarde owre men, he seemed frendly to admonysshe theym to take none of the water of that ryuer, affirminge it to bee vnholsome for men: And shewed theym that not farre from thense, there was a ryuer of good water. They came to the ryuer. And endeuouringe to coome nere rhe shore, they were dryuen backe by tempeste. Also the burbulinge of the sande, declared the sea to bee but shalowe there. They were therefore enforced to returne to the fyrste ryuer where they myght safely caste anker. This Kinge layde wayte for owre men. For as they were fyllinge theire barrelles, he set on theym with abowt seuen hundreth men (as owre men iud∣ged) armed after theire maner, althowgh they were naked. For only the kynge and his noble men were appareled. They tooke away the shippeboate, and brooke it in maner to chips: soo fiercely assylynge owre menne with theyr venemous ar∣rowes, that they slewe of them fortie and seuen beefore they coulde couer them selues with theyr targettes. For that poy∣son is of such force, that albeit the woundes were not great, yet they dyed therof immediatly. For they yet knewe noo re∣medie ageynste this kynde of poyson, as they after lerned of thinhabitantes of Hispaniola. For this Ilande bringeth foorth an herbe which quencheth and mortifieth the violent poyson of the herbe wherewith theyr arrowes are infected, soo that it bee ministred in tyme. Yet of owre coompany whiche went for water, seuen escaped that conflicte, and hyd them selues in a hollowe tree, lurkynge there vntyll nyght. Yet escaped they not the handes of theyr enemyes. For the shippe depar∣ted from thense in the nyght season and lefte them there, sup∣posinge that they had byn slayne. Thus by manye▪ suche pe∣rels and daungers (which I lyghtly ouerpasse bicause I wyl not bee tedious to yowre holynes) he arryued at the length at the hauen of Vraba, and cast anker at the easte syde therof, frō whense not longe before, owre men departed to the west syde by reason of the barennes of that soyle. When he had conty∣nued a whyle in the hauen, and sawe noo man stourynge, mar¦ueylinge at the silence of the places (for he supposed there to haue fowunde his felowes) he coulde not couiecture what this shulde meane: and there vppon beganne to suspecte that eyther they were deade, or that they had chaunged the place

of theyr habitacion. To knowe the certentie hereof, he com∣maunded all the greate ordinaunce and other smaule gunnes which he had in his shippes, to bee charged: And fyers to bee made in the nyght vppon the toppes of the rockes. Thus the fyers beinge kyndeled, he commaunded all the gunnes to bee shotte of at one instante: by the horrible noyse whereof, the goulfe of Vraba was shaken, althowghe it were .xxiiii. myles distante: for soo brode is the goulfe. This noyse was harde of theyr felowes in Dariena: And they aunswered them ageyne with mutual fyers. Wherfore, by the folowynge of these fy∣ers, Colmenaris browght his shippes to the Weste syde. Here those wretched and miserable men of Dariena which nowe tho rowgh famen and feeblenes helde theyr wery sowles in theyr teethe redy to departe from theyr bodies by reason of the cala¦mities which beefell vnto them after Ancisus shippewracke, lyf¦tinge vp theyr handes to heauen, with the teares runnynge downe theyr cheekes bothe for ioye and sorowe, embrased Ro¦dericus and his felowes with such kynde of reioysinge as their presente necessitie seemed to requyre. For whereas they were before his comminge, withowte vytayles and almoste naked, he brought them abundance of meate, drynke, and apparell. It restethe nowe (moste holy father) to declare what came of the dissention amonge them of Vraba, as concernynge the go∣uernaunce after the losse of theyr capitaynes.

Notes

• Fogeda, the Lieuetenaunt of Uraba.
• Nicuesa the Lieuetenaunt of Beragua.
• Nicuesa loste his felowes in the night.
• Lupus Olanus
• Petrus de vmbria
• The capitay∣nes consu••te where to find theyr lost go∣uernour.
• The ryuer Lagartos.
• The golden ryuer of Be∣ragua.
• The enter∣prise & death of Petrus de Umbria.
• The daunge∣rous place of Scilla in the sea of Cicilie.
• Swymminge
• The fyssher boate of Ni∣cuesa his ca∣rauele.
• The misera∣ble case of Nicuesa.
• The Region of Gratia Dei or Cerabaro.
• The ryuer of Sancti Mat∣thei.
• The rigo∣rousnes of Nicuesa.
• Come wa••eth rype euery fourth month
• The commen¦dacion of a younge man browght vp with Colonus
• Portus Bellus.
• weakenes of hunger.
• Cap Marmor.
• Nomen Dei.
• Nicuesa his men cōsumed
• Contencion a¦bout the lieue¦tenauntship of Uraba.
• Ua••chus Nun¦nez moneth sedition.
• Ancisus lieue¦tenaunt for Fogeda.
• Nicu••sa.
• Rodericus Col∣menaris.
• The nauiga∣tion of Rode∣ricus Colme∣naris.
• Cuchibacoa.
• The ryuer Gaira.
• An exceding hygh moun∣tayne coue∣red with snowe.
• Appareled men.
• Seuen and forty Spany∣ardes are s••aine with venemous arrowes.
• Ierua.
• A remedy a∣genste vene∣mous arrows
• Seuen men left behynde.
• The hauen of Uraba.
• The gou••fe of Uraba.
• Dariena.
• Famen.
• what became of the conten¦cion of Uraba