Pilgrimage, Book 9 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of Terra Australis, and Chili.
AS for the Land on the Southerne side of the Straits, it is aBotero.called the Land of Fire, either because the Discoueres saw fire thereabouts, or because that cold Climate so much needeth Fire. More Easterly, against the Cape of Good Hope, is the Land Terra di Vista. This Land about the Straits is not perfectly discouered, whether it be Continent, or Islands. The most take it for Continent, and extend it (more in their imagination then any mans experience, towards those Islands of Salomon and New Guinnee, esteeming (of which there is great probabilitie) that Terra Australis, or the Southerne Continent, may, for the largenesse thereof, take vp a fifth place in order, and the first in greatnesse, in the Diuision and Parting of the whole World.
Lopez Vaz writeth, That the Gouernours which the King of Spaine sendeth for Peru and New Spaine, hauehave a custome to discouer New Countries. The Licentiate Castro being Gouernour of Peru, sent forth a Fleet from Lima; which sayling eight hundred Leagues Westward, found certain Islands in eleuen degrees to the South of the Equinoctiall, with a kinde of people of yellowish complexion, and all naked. Here they found Hogges, Dogges, Hennes, Cloues, Ginger, Cinnamon, and some Gold. The first Island they named Izabella, the greatest Guadalcanal, on the Coast whereof they sayled a hundred and fiftie Leagues, where they tooke a Towne, and some graines of Gold hanged vp in the houses. They burnt their Towne, because they had in a suddaine surprise killed foureteene of their men. They spent foureteene moneths in this Discouerie, and named them the Islands of Salomon, that by that name men might be further induced to discouer and inhabit them, imagining, that Salomon had his Gold from thence.
N…va bBot. part.1.vol.2.Guinea was discouered by Villalobos, sent from New Spaine in the yeare 1543, going to discouer the Moluccas. The inhabitants are blacke of hue, and wittie. The Spaniards hauehave coasted it seuen hundred Leagues, and yet cannot tell whether it be an Isle or Continent.
Hesselius Gerardus hath largely set forth the Petition or Memoriall of cP Fer. de Quir, Detecti… Australis Incogenit….Peter Ferdinandez de Quir, vntounto the King of Spaine, about his Discouerie of those Southerne vnknowne Lands, for the Plantation of the same: wherein hee declareth vntounto his Maiestie, that fourteene yeares space hee had busied himselfe to no small endamagement of his State and Person about the same. The length thereof hee equalleth vntounto all Europe, and as much of Asia, as thence extendeth to the Caspian Sea: and for the wealth and riches he calls it a Terrestriall Paradise.
The Inhabitants, he affirmeth, are innumerable, some white, some like the Mulatos, and some otherwise, in colour and habite of bodie diuersified. They neither hauehave King, nor Lawes, nor Arts. They are diuided and warre one vponupon another, with Bowes, Arrowes, and other weapons, all of wood. They hauehave their Oratories and Places of Buriall. Their bread is made of three forts of rootes. They hauehave varietie of fruits, Cocos, Almonds of foure sorts, Pome-citrons, Apples, Dates: there are also Swine, Goats, Hennes, Partriches, and other Fowles; and as the Indians report, Kine, and Buffals. He saw amongst them siluer, and pearles, others added, gold: and the Coast-Countries seemed to promise great wealth within Land: Many Riuers, Sugar Canes, Bayes, Hauens, and other commodities of Lands and Seas, making shew of an other China: the aire very holsome and temperate.
He tooke possession thereof in the name of the King, and set vp a Crosse & a Chappell, in the name of The Ladie of Loretto. These Regions trend euen as high as the Aequinoctiall. When this Discouerie was made he mentioneth not; only hee sueth to the King for employment therein. It is rightly called Terra Australis Incognita, and therefore I will not take vponupon me to be your guide: in an other sense one dMercurius Britannicus.of our Countrymen hath wittily and learnedly (according to his wont) described this Countrie, and parallelled therewith the Countries of Europe, and hath let vsus see that we are acquainted in those coasts too much, and neede no Pilot or guide to conduct vsus.
But let vsus come backe to our Streits of Magellane, that wee may coast from thence and visit the Countries of Chili and Peru: for of the Westerne borders of Chica, girt in betweene the salt waues and cold Hills, little can bee said fitting our purpose.
Hauing sayled out of the Streits, we hauehave a wide Sea before vsus, and on our right hand the Countrie is so barren and cold, that I would not hold the Reader in any cold or tedious Narration thereof. We will hasten rather nearer to the Sunne, where we first encounter with Chili. This name eBotero.some extend euen to the Straits, where we hauehave placed Chica and the Patagones, others fG.Ens.l.2.c.4straiten it in shorter bounds; betweene Chica on the South; Charchas and Collao, on the North; Plata, on the East; and the Sea on the West: it is called Chill of the chilling cold, for so the word is sayd to signifie. The Hills with their high lookes, cold blasts, and couetous encrochings, driue it almost into the Sea: only a narrow Valley vponupon lowly submission to her swelling aduersaries, obtayneth roome gLop. Vaz.for fiue and twentie leagues of breadth, where it is most, to extend her spacious length of two hundred leagues on that shore: and to withstand the Oceans furie, shee paies a large Tribute of many streames, which yet in the hL. Apollon.hist.Peru.l.1.night time shee can iThe Riuers of Chili in the night time frozen.hardly performe; the miserable Hills in their Frozen charitie, not imparting that naturall bountie and dutie, till that great Arbiter the Sunne ariseth, and sendeth Day with his light-horse troupe of Sunne-beames, to breake vp those Icie Dungeons and Snowie Turrets, wherein Night, the Mountaines Gaoler, had locked the innocent Waters. Once, the poore Valley is so hampered betwixt the Tyrannicall Meteors and Elements, as that shee often kEarthquakes in Chili, and their effects.quaketh with feare, and in these chill Feuers shaketh off and looseth her best ornaments.
Arequipa lSome reckon this Town to Peru.one of her fairest Townes, by such disaster, in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred fourescore and two, fell to the ground. And sometimes the neighbour hils are infected with this pestilent Feuer, and tumble downe as dead in the plaine, thereby so amazing the fearefull Riuers, that they runne quite out of their Channells to seeke new, or else stand still with wonder; and the motiue heat failing, fall into an vncouth tympanie, their bellies swelling into spacious and standing Lakes: the tides seeing this, hold back their course, and dare not approch their sometime-beloued streames by diuers miles distance, so that betwixt these two stooles the ships come to ground indeede. The sick earth thus hauing her mouth stopped, and her stomack ouer-laied, forceth new mouths whence shee vomiteth streames of oppressing waters.
I speake not of the beasts and men which in these ciuill warres of Nature must needes bee subiect to deuouring miserie. These are the strange effects of cold and earth-quakes, not strange in Chili, where we are now arriued. The people are fierce and cruell, and some (as is reported) Gyants. Almagro one of the first Conquerours of Peru, in hope of gold, passed from thence hither: but was deceiued by the Indians which led him the wrong way. In passing the Deserts of Chili, the Aire is so piercing (as before is obserued) hAcost.l.3.c.9that men fall downe dead, or else loose their members suddenly, in manner without feeling. Ierome Costilla the Generall, one of Acosta's acquaintance, had lost three or foure Toes which fell off without any paine: many of his Armie dyed, whose bodies at his returne hee found lying there without stinke or corruption, and one Boy remayned aliue which had maintayned himselfe by eating horse flesh.
The horses also were found whole as Apollonius iL:Apollon.hist.Peru.l.3.writeth, and the men sitting on them, as if they had beene aliue, with the Bridles in their hand. In six and thirtie degrees is that famous Valley of Arauco, which defend their persons and freedome, maugre all the force and furie of the Spaniards kNuno da Silua.. These killed two of Sir Francis Drakes men, and wounded himselfe: they destroyed also three and twentie Hollanders, of the companie of Cordes: both which they did in detestation of the lOliu.de Noort.Spaniards, of whom they esteemed the English and Dutch, because of their apparell. They hauehave destroyed many of the Spaniards: they tooke the Citie Baldiuia in the yeare 1599. and slew the Spaniards. Twice before, if not oftner, they had burnt and spoiled it. Yea Baldiuia himselfe, the first Conquerour of Chili, (for Almagro stayed not) and of whom that Citie receiued name, was taken by these Indians, his horse being slaine vnderunder him. They bid him feare nothing, hee should hauehave gold enough: and making a great banquet for him, brought in the last seruice, which was a cup full of molten gold, which they forced him to drinke, saying; Now glut thy selfe with gold. This Baldiuia had entred Chili with foure hundred horse, and easily conquered that part which had beene subiect to the Kings of Peru: but the other which was the richer part held out. The Spaniards sent them word they were the Sonnes of GOD, and came to teach them the word of GOD: and if they would not yeeld to them, they would shoot fire among them. The Indians would trie this argument in the field, and there the great Ordnance so well pleaded the cause, that they beleeued and subiected themselues. The Spaniards employed them in the Mines, whence they gathered such plentie of gold that others had twentie thousand, but Baldinia himselfe had three hundred thousand Pezos by the yeare.
The Indians after, perceiuing the Spaniards to be but mortall men, rebelled: and whereas they had vsed to carrie grasse into the Folt for the Spaniards horses, they conueyed, in the same, weapons, by which meanes, being assisted of their fellowes without, they wonne the Fort, and when Baldiuia would hauehave recouered it, he lost himselfe as you hauehave heard.
Euer since, this hostilitie hath continued, and the Araucans are the lifts and barres to the Spanish conquests. Their Countrie (to consider Arauco by it selfe) is but small, about twentie leagues in length: neither could the Ingas or Kings of Peru conquer it: their manner of Warre is much like the Christians, in pitched battells placing their Bow-men among their rankes of Pike-men. To speake of other Townes which the Spaniards hauehave built in this coast, is not our purpose: when they sacked Baldiuia 1599. they feasted the Spaniards with the like golden cups cups powred hot downe their throats: they mOl.de Noort.cut of the Images heads, triumphing ouer the Spaniards Gods, as they termed them. They were then at the siege of Imperiall, an other Spanish Citie, hauing before taken Baldiuia. They plucke out the hearts of the Spaniards which they kill, and drinke in their sculls.