Pilgrimage, Book 8 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
Of lucatan, Nicaragua, and other places betwixt New Spaine, and the Straites of Dariene.
IVcatan aLop.de Gom. part 1.pa.10.& gen. hist.c.52.is a point of Land extending it selfe into the Sea, ouer against the Ile Cuba, and was first discouered by Francis Hernandes de Cordona in the yeare 1517. at which time one asking an Indian how this countrey was called, he answered Tectetan Tectetan, that is, I vnderstand you not, which wordes the Spaniards corrupting both in the sound and interpretation called it Iucatan, Iames Velasques Gouernour of Cuba, sent his Cousin Iohn de Grijalua the yeare after, who there fought with the Indians at Campotan, and was hurt. The Spaniards bP.Mart. Dec. 4.1.went to a Citie on the shore which for the greatnes they called Cayro of that great Citie in Egypt. Here they found Turreted Houses, Stately Temples, waies pasted, and faire market places. The houses were of stone or Bricke, and Lime, very artificially composed. To the square Courts, or first habitations of their houses they ascend by ten or twelue steppes. The roofe was of Reedes, or stalkes of Hearbes. The Indians gaue the Spaniards Iewels of Golde, very faire and cunningly wrought, and were requited with Vestures of Silke and Wooll, Glasse-Beades, and little Bells. Their apparell was of Cotton in manifold fashions and colours. They frequented their Temples much, to the which the better sort paued waies with stone from their houses. They were great Idolaters, and were circumcised, but not all. They liued vnderunder lawes, and trafficked together with great fidelitie, by exchanging commodities without money. The Spaniards saw Crosses amongst them, and demanding whence they had them, they said that a certaine man of excellent beauty passing by that coast, left them that notable token to remember him: others said, a certaine man brighter then the Sunne died in the working thereof. The Spaniards sailed thence to cThis towne was taken by Master William Parker. Anno 1596.Campechium, a towne of three thousand houses. Here they saw a square Stage or Pulpit foure cubits high, partly of clammie Bitumen, and partly of smal stones, whereto the image of a man cutt in Marble, was ioined, two foure-footed vnknowne beasts fastning vponupon him, as if they would teare him in peeces. And by the image stood a Serpent all besmeared with bloud, deuouring a Lyon, it was seuen and fortie foote long, and as bigge as an Oxe. These things I mention as testimonies of their Art in these barbarous places, and perhaps of their deuotion also, Grijalua or Grisalua seeing a Tower sarre off at Sea, by direction thereof, came to an Iland called Cosumel, agreeing in priuate and publike manner of life with them of Iucatan: Their houses, Temples, apparell, and trade of Marchandise all one: their houses some where couered with Reedes, and where quarries were, with slate: many houses had marble pillars.
They sound ancient Towers there, and the ruines of such as had been broken down and destroyed: there was one whereto they ascended by eighteene steps or staires. The Gouernour whom they supposed to be a Priest, conducted them to the Tower: in the top whereof they erected a Spanish Banner, and called also the Iland Santa Cruce. In the Tower they found chambers, wherein were marble Images, and some of Earth in the similitude of Beares. These they inuoked with loude singing all in one tune, and sacrificed vntounto them with somes and sweet odours, worshipping them as their houshold Gods. There they performed their diuine ceremonies and adoration: they were also circumcised.
Gomara dGomar.gen. hist.ca.54.saith, that heere, and at Xicalanco, the Deuill vsed to appeare visibly, and that these two were great in estimation for holinesse; eueryevery city had their Temple, or altar, where they worshipped their Idoles, amongst which were many Crosses of Wood and Brasse, whereby some conceiue that some Spaniards had recourse hither when Roderigo was defeated, and Spaine ouerrunne by the Saracens. In both eGoma part.1. pag.36.these places they sacrificed men: which Cortes perswaded them to cease. The Temple in Cosumil or Acusamil was built like a square Tower, broad at the foote, with steps round about, and from the middest vpward very strait: the top was hollow and couered with straw: it had foure windowes and porches. In the hollow place was their Chappell, where stoode their Idoles. In a Temple by the Sea side was an vncouth Idoll, great and hollow, fastned in the wall with lime: it was made of earth. Behind this Idoles backe was the Vestrie, where the ornaments of the Temple were kept. The Priests had a little secret doore hard adioyning to the Image, by which they crept into his hollow panch, and thence answered the people that came thither with prayers and petitions, making the simple people beleeue it was the voice of the God, which therefore they honored more then any other, with many perfumes and sweet smells. They offered bread, fruit, quailes bloud, and of other birds, dogges, and sometimes men. The fame of this Idoll & Oracle brought many Pilgrimes to Acusamil from many places. At the foote of this Temple was a plot like a churchyard, well walled, and garnished with Pinnacles, in the middest whereof stood a Crosse of ten foote long, which they adored for the God of raine. At all times when they wanted raine, they would goe thither on procession deuoutly, and offered to the Crosse, quailes sacrificed, no sacrifice beeing so acceptable. They burnt sweet gumme to perfume him with, besprinckling the same with water, and by this meanes they thought to obtaine raine. They could neuer knowe, saieth Gomara, how that God of Crosse came amongst them, for in all those parts of India there is no memory of any preaching of the Gospel that had bin at any time. What others thinke, and what some Indians answered, concerning it, is said before.
Benzo fM. Benzo libr.2.ca.15.writeth, that they did not eate the flesh of these men which they sacrificed: and that they were first subdewed by Francis Montegius, whose cruelties were such that Alquinotep a Cacique or Indian Lord aboue an hundred and ten yeares old, and a Christian, told him, That when hee was a yongman, there was a sickenesse of worms, that they had thought all would hauehave died: (they were not onelyonly eiected by vomite, but did eate out themselues a passage through mens bodies) and not long before the Spaniards arriuall, they had two battells with the Mexicans, in which a hundred and fiftie thousand men perished. But all this was light, in respect of that Spanish burthen.
Guatimala gBotero libr. 5 part. 1. Guatimala or Saint Iames.comes next to our consideration, a Prouince of pleasant aire, and fertile soile, where groweth aboundance of their Cacao, which is a fruit that serues the Indians for meate, drinke, and money. The city (which beareth the same name) was first at the foote of a Vulcano or hill which casteth fire, but because in the yeere 1542, hBenzo and Gomara say Sept 8. 1541.on the six and twentieth day of December, a Lake hidden in the bowells of that hill, brake forth in many places, and with a terrible violence ruined the most part of the Citie: it was remoued two miles thence, together with the Episcopall Sea, and the kings Councell. But in the yere 1581 there issued from another Vulcan two miles off, or somewhat more, such an irruption of fire, as threatned to consume eueryevery thing. The day following followed such a showre of ashes that it filled the valley, and almost buried the Citie. And yet were not all the throwes passed of this hills monstrous trauells, but the yeare after, for the space of foure and twenty houres, thence issued a streame of fire, that dranke vp fiue streames of water, burned the stones and rockes, rent the Aire with thunders, and made it a wauing and mouing Sea of fire. Before iGas.En.libr. 3.ca.6.that first eruption of waters, some Indians came and tolde the Bishop, that they had heard an vncredible noyse and murmuirng at the foote of the hill, but hee reprooued them, saying, they should not trouble themselues with vaine and superstitious feares; about two of the clocke in the night following happened that deluge, which carried many houses, and whatsoeuer stoode in the way, in which, fiue hundred and twenty Spaniards perished, and scarce any mention of the houses remained.
It is worthy recitall which Benzo kH. Benzo libr. 2 ca.16. Gomar.bis…er. gen.ca.209.and Gomara hauehave recorded, that Peter Alvarado the Governour (who by licence of the Pope had married two sisters, the Lady Frances, and the Lady Beatrice della Culva) having perished by a mischance, his wife not onelyonly painted her house with Sorrowes blacke liuery, and abstained from meate and sleepe, but in a madde impiety said, God could now doe her no greater euill. Yet for all this her sorrow, shee caused the Citizens to bee sworne vntounto her governement (a new thing in the Indies.) Soone after, this inundation happened, which first of all assailed the Governours house, and caused this impotent and impatient Ladie now to bethinke her of devotion, and betake her to her Chappell, with eleuen of her Maides, where leaping on the Altar, and clasping about an Image, the force of the water ruined the Chappell; whereas if shee had stayed in her bed-chamber, shee had escaped death. They tell of vncouth noyses, and hideous apparitions which then were seene. Benzo obserued by his owne experience, that this country is much subiect to Earthquakes. The Guatimalans, in manner of life resemble the Mexicans and Nicaraguans.
Fondura lBenzo libr. 2. ca.15.or Hondura is next to Guatimala, wherein were (saieth Benzo) at the Spaniards first comming thither foure hundred thousand Indians, but when I was there, scarcely eight thousand were left: the rest being slaine or sold or consumed by the mines: and those which are left, both here, and in other places, place their habitation as farre as they can, where the Spaniard shall bee no cie-sore vntounto them. The Spaniards in this prouince planted fiue Spanish Colonies, which all scarcely could number a hundred and twenty houses.
Nicaragua mChap.16.extendeth it selfe from the Chiulatecan mines of Fondura, toward the South-Sea. This Region is not great, but fertile, and therefore called of the Spaniards Mahumets Paradise, for the plentie of all things; yet in the Summer time it is so scorched with heate, that men cannot travell but in the night. Six moneths, from Maie to October, are pestered with continuall showres, which the other six wholly want: The Parrots are heere as troublesome as Crowes and Rookes with vsus, and they are forced to keepe their corne in like manner from their spoyling. The people are of like condition to the Mexicans; they feede on mans flesh. To their daunces they flocke two or three hundred in a company, which are performed with great varietie of gestures, vestures, and passions: Euerie man in, and, eueryevery man out of his humour. Thirtie and fiue miles from Legeon or Lyon, an Episcopall City in this Region, is a Vulcano or flaming bill, the fire whereof may be seene (in the night) aboue 100 miles. Some had a conceit, that molten gold was the matter of this fire. And therefore a certaine Dominican caused a kettle and long chaine of iron, to be let downe into this fiery concavitie, where by the violence of the heat, the kettle & part of the chaine was molten. He makes a bigger and stronger, but returnes with like successe, and this added, that himselfe and his 2 companions by eruption of fire, had almost bin consumed. Gomara nGom gen. bistor.ca.20.calles this fire Blasio de Ynnesta, and the hil, Masaya. It goes downe two hundred & fifty braces or yards. In this Countrey they vsed sodomie and sacrifices of men. Of this name Nicaragua, Gilgonsales, that first of the Spaniards discouered these parts, found a King with whom he had much conference, whom he perswaded to become a Christian: although his prohibition of warres, and dauncing, did much trouble him. This Nicaragua oP.M.Dec.6. libr.4.demaunded them if the Christians had any knowledge of the Floud, which drowned all the Earth, with men and beasts (as he had heard his Progenitors say) and whether another were to come, whether the earth should be ouer-turned, or the heauen fall: when, and how the Moone and Starres should loose their light and motion: who moued those heauenlie bodies, where the soules should remaine, and what they should doe, being freed from the bodie, whether the Pope died, whether the Spaniards came from heauen, and many other strange questions admirable in an Indian. They worshipped the Sunne and other Idoles which Nicaragua suffered Gilgonsales to take out of the great Temple.
In Nicaragua pGom.ca.206.there were fiue linages, and different languages: the Coribici, Ciocotoga, Ciondale, Oretigua, and the Mexican; though this place was a thousand miles from Mexico, yet were they like them in speech, apparell, and religion: they had also the same figures instead of letters, which those of Culhua had, and bookes a spanne broad, and twelue spannes long, doubled, of many colours. They differ, as in languages…, so in religions, Of their religious rites thus writeth Gomara: their Priests were all married, except their Confessors, which heard Confessions, and appointed Penances, according to the qualitie of the fault: they reuealed not the Confession: they appoynted the holydayes, which were eighteene. When they sacrificed, they had a knife of flint, wherwith they opened him that was sacrificed. The priests appointed the sacrifices, how many men, whether they were to be women, or slaues taken in battell, that all the people might know how to celebrate the Feasts, what prayers and what offerings to make. The Priest went three times about the captiue, singing in a dolefull tune, and sodainly opens his breast, annoints his face with the bloud, takes out his heart, diuideth his bodie. The heart is giuen to the Prelate, the feete and hands to the King, the buttockes to the taker, the rest to the people. The heads of the sacrifices are set on trees, planted there for that purpose, eueryevery tree hath figured in it the name of the Prouince wherewith they hauehave warres. VnderUnder these trees they many times sacrifice men and children of the Countrey, and of their owne people, being first bought: for it was lawfull for the father to sell his children. Those which the qPet Mart. dec.6.lib.6. & 7.Kings bring vp of their owne people, with better fare then ordinarie for sacrifice, are made beleeue they shall be some canonized Wights, or heauenly Deities, and therefore take it gladly. They did not eate the flesh of these, as they did of the captiues. When they eate their sacrificed captiues, they made great feasts, and the Priests and religious men dranke much wine and smoke: their wine is of prunes, Whiles the Priest annoynts the cheekes and mouth of the Idole with the bloud, the others sing, and the people make their prayers with great deuotion and teares, and after goe on procession (which is not done in all Feastes.) The religious hauehave white cotton coates, and other ornaments which hang downe from the shoulders to the legges, thereby to put a difference betweene them and others. The Lay-men hauehave their banners, with that Idole which they most esteeme, and bagges with dust and bodkins, the yong-men hauehave their bowes, darts, arrowes; and the guide of all is the image of the Deuill set vponupon a launce, carried by the most ancient and honourable Priest. They goe in order, the religious singing till they come to the place of their Idolatrie, where being arriued, they spread couerings on the ground, or strew it with roses and flowers, because their Idoles should not touch the ground, and the banner being stucke fast, the singing ceaseth, and the Prelate beginning, all the rest follow, and draw bloud, some from their tongues, some from their eares, some from their member, and eueryevery man as his devotion liketh best, and with that bloud annoynt the Image. In the meane while, the youths skirmish and daunce for the honour of their Feast: they cure the wounds, with the poulder of herbs and coles. In some of these processions they hallow Mayz, besprinckling the same with the bloud of their privities, and eate it.
They may hauehave many women, but one is their lawfull wife, which they marry thus; the Priest takes the Bridegroome and the Bride by the little fingers, sets them in a Chamber at a fire, and giues them certaine instructions, and when the fire is out, they are married. If he take her for a Virgin, and finds her otherwise, he may divorce her. Many bring their wiues to the Caciques or Lords to corrupt them, esteeming it an honour. Their rPet.Mart.Dec.6.Temples were low darke rooms, which they vsed for their treasury also & armory. Before the Temple was an high Altar for the Sacrifices, whereon also the Priest played the Preacher first, and then the Butcher.
Adulterers are beaten, but not slaine; the adulterous wife is divorced, and may not marry againe, and her parents are dishonoured. Their husbands suffer them to lie with others in some Feasts of the yeere. Hee that forceth a Virgin, is a slaue, or payeth her dowrie: if a slave doe it with his Maisters daughter, they are both buried quicke. They hauehave common brothels. A thiefe hath his haire cut off, and is made his slaue from whom hee hath stollen, vntill he hath made satisfaction, which if he deferre long, he is sacrificed, They had no punishment for him which should kill a Cacique, for (they said) such a thing could not happen. The riches of Nicaragua sBotero.consisteth much in a great lake three hundred miles long, and being within twelue miles of the South Sea, doth disemboque it selfe in the North Sea, a great way off. In this lake of Nicaragua are many and great fishes. tBenzo libr. 2.ca.14. Gamara part.2. ca.32.One strange kind is that, which the Inhabitants of Hispaniola call Manati: as for these Inhabitants of the place, the Spanish iniuries hauehave chaced them thence.
This fish somewhat resembleth the Otter, is 25 foot long, twelue thicke, the head and taile was like a Cowe, with small eyes, his backe hard and hairie, hee hath onelyonly two feet at the shoulders, and those like an Elephants. The females bring forth yong, and nourish them with the vdder, like a Cowe. I hauehave seene and eaten of them (saith Benzo) the taste is like swines flesh; they eate grasse. There uPet.Mart. Dec.3.libr.8.was a King in Hispaniola, which put one of them (being presented him by his Fishermen) into a lake of standing waters, where it liued fiue and twenty yeares: when any of the seruants came to the lake and called Matto Motto, shee would come and receiue meate at their hands: and if any would be ferried ouer the lake, shee willingly yeelded her backe, and performed this office faithfully, yea shee hath carried tenne men at once singing or playing. A Spaniard had once wronged her, by casting a dart at her; and therefore after that, when she was called, shee would plunge downe againe, otherwise to the Indians shee remayned officious. Shee would bee as full of play as a Monkie, and would wrastle with them: especially shee was addicted to one young man, which vsed to feede her. This proceeded, partly from her docible nature, partly, because being taken young, shee was kept vp a while at home, in the Kings house, with bread. This fish liueth both on land and water. The Riuer swelling ouer his bankes, into the Lake, this fish followed the streame, and was seene no more. There was an other strange creature in Nicaragua (they call it Cascuij) like a blacke hogge, with small eyes, wide eares, clouen feete, a short truncke or snowt like an Elephant, of so lowde a braying, that hee would make men deafe. An other there is with a naturall purse vnderunder her bellie, wherein shee putteth her young: it hath the bodie of a Foxe, handed and footed like a Monkie. The Battes in these partes are terrible for biting. The Inhabitants neere the Riuer Suerus are not differing from the rest, but that they eate not mans flesh. Next, is that necke or narrow extent of Land stretching betweene the North and South Seas, and (as it were) knitting the two great Peninsula's of the North and South America together.
Nombre de Dios signifieth the name of GOD, occasioned by the words of Didacus Niquesa, who after disastrous aduentures elsewhere, came hither, and here bade his men goe on shore in the name of GOD; whereupon the Colonie and Plantation there, was so called: It hath a bad situation; and small habitation. Baptista Antonio the King of Spaines Surueyour counselled to bring Nombre de Dios to Puerto Bello. It was remoued from the former seate, in the yeare of out Lord 1584. Sir Thomas Baskervile burnt it, and went from thence with his armie towards Panama, in the yeare 1595.
Darien was called Antiqua Darienis, because Ancisus vowed to our Ladie at Sivill called Maria Antiqua, if she would helpe him in those Indian Conquests, hee would turne the Caciques house into a Temple: there he planted a Colonie.
It would be tedious to tell of the stirres and ciuil vnciuil brawles betwixt the Spaniards in these parts Vasques Valboa imprisoned Ancisus, and after recouered his credit by discoverie of the South-Sea. For whiles the Spaniards contended about the weight and sha…ing of their gold which a Cacique had giuen them, this Cacique being present, hurled downe the gold, not a little maruelling (as he said) that they would so much contend for that, as if they could eate or drinke it: But if they liked it so well, hee would carry them where their golden thirst should bee satisfied. Hee was deceiued in the nature of that dropsie thirst, which, as a fire quenched with oyle, receiues thence greater strength: but hee deceiued not them in his promise, bringing them to the South-Sea: where Valboa named one prouince, Golden Castile. And for that which hee spake of their strife, xBenzo libr. ….ca.23.as if they could eate or drinke those mettalles, the cruelties of the Spaniards were such, as the Indians, when they got any of them, would binde their hands and feete, and laying them on their backes, would poure gold into their mouthes, saying in insultation, Eate gold, Christian. This Valboa was put to death by Arias his father in law.
But now we hauehave mentioned the first Spaniards which planted these parts, it shall not be a misse to mention some hardships the Spaniards sustained before they could here settle themselues, which may bee an answer to those nice and delicate conceits that in our Virginian Expedition cast off all hope, because of some disasters. How the Spaniards dealt one with an other, and how the Indians dealt with them, you hauehave heard; worse hath not followed from any turbulent emulous spirit of our owne; or hostile, of the Virginian, in this Plantation. And as for famine, Nicuesa's men were so pinched, that (not to speake of those which perished) one solde yPrt.Mart: Dec.2.libr.10.an old leane mangie dogge to his fellowes for many castellans of gold: these flayed the dogge, and cast his mangie skinne, with the bones of the head among the bushes. The day following one of them findes it full of maggots, and shaking: but famine had neither eies nor sent: he brought it home, sod, and eate it, and found many customers which gaue a *Seuen shillings and six pedce.Castellan a dish for that mangie broth. An other found two toads and sodde them, which a sicke man bought for two fine shirts curiously wrought with gold. Others found a dead man, rotten, and stinking, which putrified carkasse they rosted, and eate. And thus from seuen hundred and seuentie men, they were brought so lowe, that scarse fortie (shadowes of men) remained to inhabite D…riena. Much like to this was their successe at the riuer of Plate.
What Iohn Oxenam, Sir Francis Drake, Master Christopher Newport, and other our worthy Country-men hauehave a…chieued in these parts against the Spaniards, Master Hackecluyt in his Voyages relateth. It is time for vsus to pass… beyond these Darien Straits, vntounto that other great Chersonesus or Peruvian America. (***)