Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

10. ILANDS OF LESSE NOTE.

BEsides these Ilands represented to us by their severall names, and some who have nothing but their names to take notice of; there by many thousands of less note which we find in gross: these Indian Seas be∣ing so prodigiously full of Ilands, that it is almost impossible to believe there should be such multitudes; but utterly impossible to credit what is told us of them. Some of the most remarkable of them we have touched upon, as Accessories or Appurtenances to some greater Ilands. The rest we shall present only in the generall muster, together with a tast of some of those strange reports, with which some men have fouled their Papers, and abused their Readers. Of the Philippines, there are said to be 11000. though but 40 of them in possession of the King of Spain. More South, but over against China, is another frie of them affirmed by Mariners to be no fewer than 7448 and (as if nature had delighted to disport her self by sowing Ilands in these Seas) another Shoal of them about India, no fewer in number than 127000: all which laid to∣gether would make a Continent as large as three or four parts of Europe; and are still groaning under the burthen of Heathenism. These Ilands stand so nigh unto one another, that they seem not only to such as are a far to be all but one firm land; but whosoever also passeth between them, may with his hands touch the boughs of the trees on the one side, and on the other. Of these and the other Indian Ilands, travellers relate many incredible fables; viz. that here be hogs that have two teeth growing out of their snowes, and

asmany behind their ears, of a span and a half long; a tree whose Western part is rank poison; and the Eastern part an excellent preservative against it. They tell us also of a fruit, that whosoever eateth, shall for the space of 12 hours be out of his wits; and of a stone, on which whosoever sitteth, shall suddenly have a rupture in his body. We are told also that here abouts are taken Tortoises of that bigness, that ten men might sit and dine within one of the shells; And that there is a tree, which all the day time hath not a flower on it, but within half an hour after Sun-set, is full of them. All huge and monstrous lies, and not fit for credit. Galvano reporteth also, that in some of these Ilands there is a fruit, of which if a woman that is w^h child eat, her child will presently move; that there is a River plentifully stored with fish, whose wa∣ter is yet so hot, that it doth immediately scald off the skin of any beast that is cast into it; that some of the men have tailes; and most of their swine horns: that they have oysters which they call Bra••, the shels where∣of are of so large compass, that they Christen Children in them; that in the Sea there are stones which grow and increase like fish, of which the best lime is made; that there is a bird called Monicodia••a, which ha∣ving no feet is in a continuall motion; and that there is a hole in the back of the Cock, in which the Hen doth lay her egges, and hatch her young ones. Ibid no man to believe these Relations: for my part I say with Herace,

Quodcun{que} ostendis mihi sic, incredulus odi. What ever thus thou tell'st me, I Will alwayes hate it as a lye.