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 fourth booke of the seconde Decade, of the supposed Continent.

AFter that they had taryed here a fewe dayes and baptised Comogrus with all his famelie,* 1.1 and named hym by the name of Charles af∣ter the kynge of Spayne, they returned to theyr felowes in Dariena leauinge with hym the hope of the thousande souldyers, which his sonne requyred to passe ouer those moun¦taynes towarde the South sea. Thus enteringe into the vyl∣lage which they had chosen to inhabite, they had knowleage that Valdiuia was returned,* 1.2 within syxe moonethes after his departure: but with noo great plentie of vytayles, bycause he browght but a smaule shippe: yet with hope that shortely after, there shulde bee sent them abundance of vytayles with a newe supply of men. For younge Colonus, the Admiral and viceroy of Hispaniola, and the other gouernours of the Ilande, acknowleaged that hetherto they had noo respecte to theym of Dariena, bycause they supposed that Ancisus the Lieuetenant had safely arryued there with his shippe laden with vatayles: wyllynge them from hensefoorth to bee of good cheere, and that they shulde lacke nothynge hereafter: But that at this present tyme, they had noo bygger shippe wherby they myght sende them greater plentie of necessaries by Valdiuia. The vy∣tayles therfore which he browght, serued rather sumwhat to mytigate theyr present necessitie, then to satisfye theyr lacke. Wherfore within a fewe dayes after Valdiuia his returne, they fel ageine into lyke scarsnes: especially for asmuch as a great storme and tempest whiche came from the hyghe mountaynes with horrible thunder and lyghtnynge in the mooneth of No¦uember,* 1.3 browght with it suche a fludde, that it partely cary∣ed away and partly drowned all the corne and seedes whiche they had sowne in the moonethe of September in a frutefull ••rounde before they went to kyng Comogrus. The seedes which

they of Hispaniola caule Maizium,* 1.4 and they of Vraba caule Hobba: Wherof they make theyr bread, which also wee sayde to bee rype thryse euery yeare, bycause those Regions are not bytten with the sharpnes of wynter by reason of theyr nerenes to the Equinoctial lyne. It is also agreable to the principles of na∣turall philosophie, that this breade made of Maizius or Hobba, shulde bee more holsome for thinhabitantes of those contreys then breade made of wheate, by reason that it is of easyer di∣gestion.* 1.5 For wheras coulde is wantinge, the naturall heate is not dryuen frome the owtewarde partes into the inwarde partes and precordials, whereby digestion is much strengthe∣ned. Beinge therfore thus frustrate of the increase of theyr seedes, and the kynges nere abowte them spoyled of both vy∣tayles and golde, they were enforced to seeke theyr meate fur¦ther of:* 1.6 And therwith to signifie to the gouernours of Hispani¦ola with what great necessitie they were oppressed: And what they had lerned of Comogrus as concernynge the Regions to∣warde the Southe: wyllynge them in consideration therof to aduertyse the kynge to sende them a thousande souldiers,* 1.7 by whose helpe they myght by force make waye throwghe the mountaynes diuidynge the sea on bothe sydes, if they coulde not brynge the same to passe quyetly. The same Valdiuia was also sent on this message, caryinge with hym to the kynges treasourers (hauinge theyr office of recepte in Hispaniola) three hundreth poundes weyght of golde after eyght ounces to the pounde, for the fyfte portion dewe to the kynges escheker. This pounde of .viii. vnces, the Spanyardes caule Marcha,* 1.8 whiche in weyght amounteth to fyftie pieces of golde cauled Castellani. But the Castilians, caule a pound Pesum. We conclude therfore,* 1.9 that the sume hereof, was .xv. thousande of those peeces of golde cauled Castellani. And thus is it apparente by this accompte, that they receaued of the barbarous kynges, a thousande and fyue hundreth poundes of eyght ounces to the pounde.* 1.10 All the whiche they founde redy wrought in sundry kyndes of ouches, as cheynes, braselets, tablets, and plates, bothe to hange before theyr brestes, and also at theyr eares, and nosethryls. Valdiuia therefore tooke shyppinge in the same carauell in the whiche he came last, and returned also beefore the thyrde day of the Ides of Ianuary, in the yeare of Christ M.D.XI. What chaunced to hym in this vyage, wee wyll

declare in place conuenient. But let vs nowe returne to them which remayned in Vraba. After the dismissinge of Valdiuia, be∣inge pricked forwarde with owtragious hunger, they deter∣mined to searche the inner partes of that goulfe in sundry pla¦ces.* 1.11 The extreme angle or poynt of the same goulfe is distant from the enterance therof, aboute foure score myles. This an¦gle or corner, the Spanyardes caule Culata.* 1.12 Vaschus hym selfe came to this poynte with a hundreth men, coastynge alonge by the goulfe with one brygantine and certeyne of the boates of those regions, which the Urabians caule Vru,* 1.13 lyke vnto them whiche thinhabitantes of Hispaniola caule Canoas. From this poynt, there fauleth a ryuer from the East into the goulfe,* 1.14 ten tymes bygger then the ryuer of Dariena which al∣so fauleth into the same. Saylyng alonge by the ryuer about the space of thirtie myles (for they caule it nyne leaques) and sumwhat inclynynge towarde the ryght hande southwarde, they founde certeyne vyllages of thinhabitantes, the Kynge whereof, was cauled Dabaiba. Owre men also were certifyed before, that Cemacchus the kynge of Dariena whom they put to flyght in the battayle,* 1.15 fledde to this Dabaiba. But at the com∣mynge of owre men, Dabaiba also fledde. It is thowght that he was admonysshed by Cemacchus, that he shulde not abyde the brunte of owre men. He folowed his counsayle: for••ooke his vyllages, and lefte all thynges desolate. Yet owre men founde heapes of bowes and arrowes: Also much household stuffe and many fysshyng boates. But those maryshe groundes were neyther apte for sowinge of seedes or planting of trees.* 1.16 By reason wherof, they founde there fewe suche thynges as they desyred that is, plentie of vytayles. For thinhabitantes of this Region, haue noo breade but such as they get in other contreys nere abowte them by exchaunge for theyr fy••she, on∣ly to serue theyr owne necessitie. Yet founde they in the hou∣ses of them that fledde, golde wrought and grauen, amoun∣tynge to the sume of seuen thousande of those pieces whiche we sayde to bee cauled Castellani:* 1.17 Also certeyne canoas: of the which they brought away twoo with them, and great plentie of theyr hou••holde stuffe, with certeyne bundels of bowes and arrowes. They saye, that from the marysshes of that ryuer, there coome certeyne battes in the nyght season, as bygge as turtle dooues,* 1.18 inuadyng men and bytinge them with a deadly

wounde, as sume of them testifie whiche haue byn bytten of the same. I my selfe communing with Ancisus the Lieuetenant whom they reiected,* 1.19 and amonge other thynges askynge him of the venemous bytinge of these battes, he toulde me that he hym selfe was bytten by one of them on the heele, his foote ly¦inge vncouered in the nyght by reason of the heate in sommer season: But that it hurt hym noo more, then yf he hadde byn bytten by any other beaste not venemous. Other saye, that the bytynge of sume of them is venemous: Yet that the same is healed incontinently,* 1.20 if it be wasshed with water of the sea. Ancisus toulde me also, that the venemous woundes made by the Canibales arrowes infected with poyson, are healed by wasshynge with water of the sea, and also by cauterising with hotte Irens: And that he had experience thereof in the region of Caribana, where many of his men were so wounded. They departed therfore, from the poynte of the goulfe of Vraba, not well contented bycause they were not laden with vitailes. In this their returne, there arose soo greate a tempest in that wyde goulfe,* 1.21 that they were enforced to caste into the sea, all the householde stuffe whiche they tooke from the poore wret∣ches whiche lyued onely by fisshinge. The sea also swalowed vpp the two boates that they tooke from theym, wherewyth the men were likewise drowned. The same tyme that Vaschus Nunnez attempted to searche the poynte of the goulfe towarde the southe, euen then by agremente, dyd Rodericus Colmenaris take his viage towarde the mountaynes by the easte,* 1.22 with threscor¦men, by the ryuer of the other goulfe. Aboute fortie miles dis∣tante from the mouthe of the ryuer, (for they caule it twelue leaques) he founde certeyne vilages situate vppon the bankes of the ryuer, whose Chiui, (that is,) kinge, they caule Turui. With this kinge dyd Colmenaris yet remayne when Vaschus after his re∣turne to Dariena, sayling by the same ryuer, came to hym. Here refresshinge theyr hole coompany with the vitailes of this Tur∣ui,* 1.23 they departed from thense togyther. Other fortie myles from hense, the ryuer encoompaseth an Iland inhabited with fyssher men. In this, bycause they sawe greate plentie of the trees which beare Cassia f••stula, they named the Iland Cannafistula.* 1.24 They found in it, threescore villages of tenne cotages apiece. On the right syde of the Iland there runneth an other ryuer, whose chanell is of depth suffiente to beare brigantines. This

ryuer they cauled Riuum Nigrum:* 1.25 from the mouthe wherof about xv. myles distante they founde a towne of fyue hundreth hou∣ses seuered: whose Chebi, (that is,) kinge, was cauled Abenama∣chei. They all forsooke theyr houses as soone as they harde of owre mennes commyng. But when they sawe that owre men pursued them, they turned ageyne and ranne vppon them with desperate mindes, as men driuen from their owne possessi¦ons. Theyr wepons, are swordes of wod, and long staues like iauelens, hardened at the ende with fyer: But they vse ney∣ther bowes nor arrowes: nor any other of thinhabitantes of the weste syde of the goulfe.* 1.26 The pore naked wretches were easely dryuen to flight with owre weapons. As owre men fo∣lowed theym in the chase, they tooke the kinge Abenamachei and certeine of his noble men.* 1.27 A common souldier of owres whom the kynge had wounded, coomminge to hym when he was ta∣ken, cutte of his arme at one stroke with his swoorde. But this was doone vnwares to the capitaynes. The number of the Christian men which were here, was aboute a hundrethe and fiftie: the one halfe whereof, the capytaynes lefte here, and they with the resydue, rowed vpp the ryuer ageyne with twelue of the boates of those Regions, whiche they caul. Vru, as they of Hispaniola caule them Canoas, as we haue sayde. From the ryuer of Riuus Niger and the Iland of Cannafistula,* 1.28 for the space of threescore and ten myles, leauing both on the right hande & on the lefte many riuers faulinge into it bigger then it selfe, they entred into one by the conductynge of one of the naked inhabitantes, beinge appoynted a guyde for that purpose. Uppon the banke of this ryuer next vnto the mouthe of the same, there was a kynge cauled Abibeiba:* 1.29 who, bycause the Region was full of marysshes, had his palaice buylded in the toppe of a highe tree, a newe kynde of byldynge and seldome seene. But that lande beareth trees of suche exceding heigth,* 1.30 that emonge theyr branches, a man may frame large houses: As wee reede the like in diuers autoures howe in many Regi∣ons where the ocean sea rysethe and ouerflowethe the lande, the people were accustomed to flye to the high trees, and after the faule of the water, to take the fysshe lefte on the lande.* 1.31 This maner of buyldinge, is to laye beames crosse ouer the branches of the trees, faste bownde togyther, and there vp∣pon to rayse theyr frame, strongly made ageynste wynde and

wether. Owre men suppose that they buylde theyr houses in trees, by reason of the greate fluddes and ouerflowinge of ry¦uers whiche often tymes chaunce in those Regions. These trees are of suche heighth,* 1.32 that the strength of no manes arme is able to hurle a stone to the houses buylded therein. And therfore doo I gyue the better credit to Plinie and other au∣tours whiche wrytte that the trees in sume places in India are soo high by reason of the frutefulnes of the grounde,* 1.33 abun∣dance of water, and heate of the Region, that noo man is able to shute ouer theym with an arrowe. And by iudgemente of all men, it is thowght that there is noo frutfuller ground vn∣der the soonne,* 1.34 then this is whereof wee nowe entreate. Owr men measuringe manye of these trees, founde theym to bee of suche biggnes, that seuen men, ye sumetymes eight, holdinge hande in hande with theyr armes streached furthe, were scar∣sely able too fath••me them aboute. Yet haue they theyr cel∣lers in the grounde,* 1.35 well replenysshed with such wynes wher¦of wee haue spoken beefore. For albeit that the vehemencie of the wynde, is not of poure to caste downe those houses, or to breeke the branches of the trees, yet are they tossed there∣with, and swaye sumwhat from syde to syde, by reason wher¦of, the wyne shulde bee muche troubeled with moouinge. All other necessarye thinges, they haue with theym in the trees. When the kynge or any other of the noble men, dyne or suppe in these trees, theyr wyues are browght theym from the cel∣leres by theyr seruantes, whyche by meanes of exercise, are accustomed with noo lesse celeritie to runne vppe and downe the steares adherente to the tree, then doo owre waytynge bo∣yes vppon the playne grounde, fetche vs what wee caule for from the cobbarde bysyde owr dyninge table. Owre men ther¦fore, came to the tree of kinge Abibeiba, and by thinterpretoures cauled hym foorthe to communication, gyuinge hym signes of peace, and there vppon willinge hym to coomme downe. But he denyed that he woolde coomme owte of his house: Desy∣ringe them to suffer hym to lyue after his fasshion. But owre men fell from fayre woordes to threateninge, that excepte he wolde descende with all his famelie, they wolde eyther ouer∣throwe the tree, or elles set it on fyer. When he had denied them ageyne, they fell to hewinge the tree with theyr axes. Abibeiba seeinge the chippes faule from the tree on euery syde,* 1.36

chaunged his purpose, and came downe with only two of his soones. Thus after they had entreated of peace, they commu∣ned of gatheringe of golde. Abibeiba answered that he had noo golde, and that he neuer had any neede therof, nor yet regar∣ded it any more then stones. But when they were instante vppon hym, he sayde vnto them.* 1.37 If yowe soo greatly desyre golde, I will seeke for sume in the nexte mountaynes, and bringe it vnto yowe. For it is plentifully engendred in those mountaynes. Then he appointed a day when he wold bringe this golde. But Abibeiba came neyther at the day, nor after the daye appoynted. They departed therfore from thense well re¦fresshed with his vitailes and wyne, but not with goulde as they hoped. Yet were they enformed the like by Abibeiba and his ditionaries as concerninge the golde mynes and the Cani¦bales, as they harde before of kinge Comogrus. Saylinge yet further aboute thirtie myles, they chaunced vppon certeyne cotages of the Canibales:* 1.38 But vtterly voyde with owte men or stuffe. For when they had knowleage that owre men wan¦dered in the prouinces nere aboute theym they resorted to the mountaynes, caryinge al theyr goodes and stuffe wyth them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  kynge Como∣grus is bapti¦sed with his famely.
• * 1.2

  Ualdiuia re∣turneth from hispaniola.
• * 1.3

  horrible thun¦der and ••ight¦nynge in the moneth of Nouember.
• * 1.4

  Bread of Ma¦izius & hobba
• * 1.5

  Digestion strengthened by owtwarde colde.
• * 1.6

  hunger.
• * 1.7

  A newe sup∣ply of a thou∣sande souldy∣ers.
• * 1.8

  Marcha.
• * 1.9

  Pesus.
• * 1.10

  A thousande and fyue hun¦dreth pounds weyght of wrought gold
• * 1.11

  The goulfe of Uraba.
• * 1.12

  Culata.
• * 1.13

  Uaschus sear¦cheth the goulfe of Ura¦ba.
• * 1.14

  A maruelous great ryuer▪ faulyng into the g••u••fe of Uraba.
• * 1.15

  kynge Daba∣iba and ••he∣macchus, are dryuen to flyght.
• * 1.16

  Marysshe grounde
• * 1.17

  wrought gold wheyghynge vii. thousand Castellane••.
• * 1.18

  Battes as bygge as tur¦tle doue••.
• * 1.19

  Ancisus byt∣ten of a batte
• * 1.20

  Remedies a¦geynst vene∣mous arrows
• * 1.21

  A tempest.
• * 1.22

  Colmenaris taketh his vy¦age towarde the montains
• * 1.23

  kynge Turui.
• * 1.24

  The Iland of Cannafistula.
• * 1.25

  She ryuer or Riuu•• Niger. A to••••e of v. hundreth houses.
• * 1.26

  Th••nhabitan∣tes of the west ••yde of the goulfe.
• * 1.27

  kynge Abena¦machei, is ta∣ken and his arme cut of.
• * 1.28

  Many other ryuers fau∣ling into Ri∣uus Niger.
• * 1.29

  kyng abibei∣ba dwellethe in a tree.
• * 1.30

  Abundance of moyster & heat is cause of byggenes.
• * 1.31

  The rysynge of the Ocean sea.
• * 1.32

  Trees of mar¦uelous height
• * 1.33

  Plinie.
• * 1.34

  Frutefull grounde.
• * 1.35

  Cellers in the grounde.
• * 1.36

  Abibeiba, the kynge of the tree, yeldethe to Uaschus.
• * 1.37

  Gold no more estemed then stones.
• * 1.38

  Canibales.