The history of trauayle in the VVest and East Indies, and other countreys lying eyther way, towardes the fruitfull and ryche Moluccaes As Moscouia, Persia, Arabia, Syria, Ægypte, Ethiopia, Guinea, China in Cathayo, and Giapan: vvith a discourse of the Northwest passage. Gathered in parte, and done into Englyshe by Richarde Eden. Newly set in order, augmented, and finished by Richarde VVilles.

VVhy they were called Indies.

SOme thynke that the people of the newe world were called Indians, bycause they are of the colour of the east Indians. And although (as it semmeth to me) they dyffer much in colour and fashions, yet is it true, that of India they were called Indians. India is properly called that great prouince of Asia, in the whiche great Alexander kepte his warres, and was so named of the ryuer Indus: and is diuided into many kyng∣domes confinyng with the same. From this great India (called the East India) came great companyes of men, as wrytteth He∣rodotus, and inhabited that part of Ethiopia that lyeth betweene the sea Bermeia (otherwyse called the red sea, or y^e gulfe of Arabia) and the ryuer of Nilus: all whiche regions that great Christian prince Prester Iohn doth nowe possesse. The said Indians preuayled so muche, that they vtterly chaunged the customes and

name of that lande, and called it India: by reason whereof, Ethi∣opia also hath of long tyme ben called India. And hereupon came it that Aristotle, Seneca, and certayne other olde authours sayd, that India was not farre from Spayne. After this also, of later dayes our west India was so called, of the sayde India of Prester Iohn where the Portugales had theyr trade: For the Pilot of the Carauell that was fyrst dryuen by forcible wynde to an vnknowen lande in the west Ocean, called the same India, be∣cause the Portugales so called such landes as they had lately dis∣couered eastward. Christophor Colon also, after the sayd Pilot, cal∣led the west landes by the same name: Albeit some 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 thereof, reachyng into the West, vnder the other hemisphe∣rie or halfe globe of the earth beneath vs: affirming that when he fyrste attempted to discouer the Indies, he went chiefly to seeke the ryche Ilande of Cipango, whiche falleth on the part of great China or Cathay, as wryteth Marcus Paulus Venetus, and other: And that he shoulde sooner come thyther by folowyng the course of the Sunne Westward, then agaynst the same.

Notes

• The colour of the East Indi∣ans.