Pilgrimage, Book 9 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Of the Ilands adioyning to America.
ANd now I must obey the Spaniards Law, which will aBen.li.3.c.22.admit no strangers trafficke in Peru, and are iealous of any corriuall, which shall holde longer and more familiar discourse with America, although they hauehave rather forced her to their lusts, then wooed her to their loues. I also beginne to grow weary of this trauell in an other World, willing to looke homewards; and therefore am now embarqued on the Peruvian cost, where the Peaceable Sea may free me of those former dangers whereto my Pilgrimage was subiect, in passing along snowie and fierie hills, deceitfull vnwholesome bogges, scorching sandie plaines, wildernesses, inhabited with wilde beasts, habitations peopled with wilder and more beastly men; and now by this commoditie of my Paper-barke, I may both direct my course homewards *To Leigh & London too. Siluest.in Du Bartas., and yet walke, as intending another contrary, or diuerse voyage. And euen as those heauenly Planets bPlanet signifieth a wanderer.in their Wandering and yet most constant course, are guided by the generall motion of that vniuersall Wheele, and yet forget not their owne peculiar: so I, in my wandering Discoueries propound all and eueryevery Place of the World, to be the place of my exercise and subiect of my Labour, but yet the smoke of Ithaca cIthaca was the place wher Vlysses dwelt: which (after many yeares trauell) he so much desired to see.is sweetest, and my knowing all would be but a melancholy maze, if I should not come home to fill English eares with the newes. The Reader also, by this time wearied, will be glad to heare of an end.
In this Sea we may see many Ilands which Nature hath seemed to set, as Centinells, along the coast, to holde their watch, as skowts to espie, and as Garrisons to defend their Soueraigne, Earth, lest the Ocean (by secret vnderminings, or by violent and tempestuous force, should be too busie an incroacher.
The Earth … dThe rides are stronger on the South S…a then on the N…rsh and higher by many degrees. Pet.….dec.3.l.2.… finding …selfe more strongly affa…ed then on the other, hath sommoned them all home to her borders, and placed them for her better defence in st…ions neere …ir, not suffering them to stray abroad, as in other Seas is vsuall: so that there are almost no Ilands in this wide… of Seas, the Peaceable, but neare the maine. If there be any, they are obscure, small, and not worthy our re…ation. As for those of Salo…qi and New Guinea, with their neighbours, they are reckoned to eTeira Australis.another Continent, if they be not Continent themselues, and for the Archipelago of Saint Lazaro, these Ilands may be reckoned vn…uely borderers, which wh…e …t is vncertaine, whether they should acknowledge the soueraignetie of Asia, Terra Australis, or America, are loyall to none; and therefore, where they are best knowne, are knowne by the name of fThe Ladrones or Ilands of Theeues.Theeues; a nan…e fitting their nature and disposition. Thus did Mag…llane …find them from whom (besides other things) they stole his boate, which by force he was forced to recouer. gA.Pigaletta. Pe. M.dec.5.l.6.Such did our Countrey men hNavig. Thom. Cand: sh ap Hac.in Maister Candi…hes renowned Voyage finde them, who saw also their Images of wood in the head of their boates, like the Images of the Deuill; Temple, and Saint, best fitting their devotions: and such did Oliv…r N…ort iNavig OIN. in Additament. ….pa.Aineric.finde them, who came crying about him, yron, yron, offering him … in exchange for peeces of yron, and if any opportuniue offered i… selfe, stealing closely, or openly, any thing they could lay holde on. They shot at them in vaine, so acti…e were they in druing vnderunder the water, and continuing there, as if they had beene …ted alike to both Elements. The women also, no lesse then the men. They are a beastly people, pollo…ing themselues in promiseuous lusts, and branded (many of them) with the markes of their inte…perance; the pockes hauing eaten their no…es and …ppea. They are b…owne, fa…e, long of slature: the men goe naked; the women weare a lease before them, so that they beare some resemblance to the Pictures of Adam and Eue. Their boates are twentie soote long, and but a soot and halfe broad, cunningly wrought. They are extreamely greedie of yron, of which mettall the Hollanders cast fiue peeces into the Sea, to trie them, and one of them fetcht them all our. But left these Theeues robbe vsus of our intended Deuotions, and our Reader of patience in longer stay here, wee will looke backe towards the Straits, and so compasse the other side of America. Many Ilands we may see heere neare the shore, all along as wee passe. But what should we trouble the Reader with names? I hauehave small deuotion to them, vnlesse I had some intelligence of some deuotion in them, further then that wherein they agree with the Peruuian rites, wherewith you were last tired.
In the Straits are some Ilands of small quantitie, of smaller dignitie: and who would stay there, where the Penguins *Csrtaine fowles which breed on the Ilands.are your best Hosts? the rest are Giants or Man-eating Savages: and in the next, out of the slraits, but seales, who all can yeeld but an inhospitall hospitalitiy. Neither hath prouident Nature in all those coasts of Chica, or Brasil, bin prodigall of her Iland-store, foreseeing that they would, either be vsurped by Seales and Sea-monsters, or other more vnnaturall and monstrous in humane shape, of deuillish inhumanitie, from the land. It seemes she hath beene the more sparing in the numbers, noblenesse, or quantity of Ilands in all those Seas, which we hauehave most swiftly surrowed, that she might in the great Bay more bountifully impart her plenty, and shew her excelience in that kind. This is a great field, as it were, sowne with Ilands of all sorts; the Earth seemes a louing mother, which holdes open her spacious lappe, and holdes out her s…etched armes betweene Paria and Florida: the Ocean also, as iealous of the earths more naturall inheritance and claime vntounto them, seemes to neglect his course to the Southward, and here sets in with a violent current, alway forcing his waterie forces to walke (or rather to runne and flie) these rounds, to see that the Continent keepe her hand off, and not once touch his conquered possessions; that though (like Tantalus) she seemeth alwayes to be closing her open hands, and mouth vponupon them; yet are they kept by this officious watchfulnesse of the Sea, that shee can neuer incorporate and vnice them to her selfe. Easily can they vnfolde this mysterie, that are acquainted with the site of the Earth, kPet. Mar.dec. 3.libr.6.and the swiftnesse of the Current in this vast space of Earth and Sea, setting in at Paria, and after out againe at Florida, with admirable and incredible violence.
To begin then at P…ria: (for of Orenoque and his mouth-full of Islands, and of Trinidad, that hath escaped the Riuer, and betaken her selfe wholly to Neptunes Loues, we hauehave alreadie spoken.) Here two rowes and rankes of Islands make shew and muster of themselues: the one extending East and West, the other North and South. Of the former is Margarita, which (like many a Gallant, whose backe robbeth his belly, whose bowells emptie of necessaries, alway are croaking and complaining of superfluitie in ornament and fashion) so hath shee a *Mundus m… …iebris.World of Pearles to adorne her, but wanteth water to satisfie her thirst: store of Pearles shee can communicate of her plentie; water shee is faine to borrow of her neighbours.
The like wee may say of Cubagua her next neighbour, that by her store of Pearles hath wonne suiters from our, and the American world, whom shee can neither bidde eate or drinke of her Land-hospitalitie, where Grasse and Water are wanting. But as it vsually comes to passe with these Fashion-mongers, which neglecting necessaries, must at last be neglected of their ornaments too: So this Island which sometime was so rich, notwithstanding all her Pearles, she pawned for her diet, that the Kings lBotero del lsole, l.3.fist amounted ordinarily to fifteene thousand duckats a yeare, yet now seemes almost beggered, her Pearle-fishes and Pearle-fishers, most of them gone: and now it is time for vsus to be gone from her too.
Little businesse can wee finde any further, in following that Westerne ranke, Orchilia, Oruba, and the rest, and therefore will looke Northwards, to that other Ranke wee spake of: where leauing Tobago on the right hand, wee see before vsus Granata, Saint Vincent, Saint Luciae, Dominica; and then circling to the Northwest, Desiderata. Saint Christopher, Holy Crosse, and others, whose names, without other matter of Historie, would be but tedious to the Reader. These, and a multitude of others vnmentioned, are called the Islands of the Caribes, or Cannibals. The inhabitants mP.Mart, Dec.3.l.6.eate mans flesh, and passe to other Islands with their Boates to the hunting of Men, as other Hunters doe for Beasts. Carib signifieth stranger; for so the more innocent Indians esteeme them. At home they onelyonly couer their priuities, but in time of Warre they vse many ornaments. They are nimble, beardlesse (vsing little Pincers to pull out the haires) shoot poysoned Arrowes, bore holes in their cares and nosthrills for elegancie, which the richer sort decke with Gold, the poorer with shells. From the tenth or twelfth yeare of their age they carrie leaues, to the quantitie of Nuts, all the day in either cheeke, which they take not out, but when they receiue meat or drinke. With that medicine they make their teeth blacke: they call other men Women, for their white teeth, and Beasts for their haire. Their teeth continue to the end of their liues without ach or rottennesse. When the men went on man-hunting, (which they did sometimes in long and farre expeditions) the women manfully defended the coast against their Enemies: and hence it is in Martyrs nP.Mart. Dec.3.l.9.iudgement, that the Spaniards tell of Ilands inhabited only with women: which may be oPaloephatus fab.l.1. saith the Amazones were Thracian men, close shauen, in long garments, and therefore called women: but denieth, that there was euer any such Amazonian Expedition, as Histories speake of.the true interpretation, happily, of I know not how many places in America, besides those of Asia and Africa, reported Amazonian. Pontius pP.M.Dec.1.l.2.would warre vponupon the Caniballs, but on the Island of Guadalupea his women were taken, his men slaine, himselfe forced to depart from that both Place and Enterprise. Colnmbus in his second Voyage landed on this Island, where he saw their round houses, hanging-beddes of Cotton, and certaine Images, which hee had thought had beene their Gods: but by interpreters after learned, that they were but for ornament, and that they worshipped nothing but the Sunne and Moone, although they make certaine Images of Cotton, to the similitudes of such phantasies as (they said) appeared to them in the night. They found earthen Vessells, like ours, also in their Kitchins, Mans flesh, Duckes flesh, and Goose flesh, all in one pot, and other on the Spits, readie to be layd to the fire. Entring into their inner lodgings, they found faggots of the bones of mens armes and legges, which they reserue to make heads for their Arrowes. They found in their Villages one Hall, or Pallace, to which they assemble, as to their Theatre, or Playing place. The inhabitants at the sight of the Spaniards were fledde. In their houses they found about thirtie children Captiues, which were reserued to be eaten, but they tooke them for their Interpreters. Here they had Parrots bigger then Phesants, with backes, breasts, and bellies of Purple colour. They vsed to prey on Hispaniola, and S. Iohns Island, or Buriquen: and if these, in their warres with the Caniballs, tooke any of them, they were sure to goe to pot (euen in the first sense) and to be eaten.
A little before Master Hawkins was there, in the yeare 1564, qNau.M.Iohn Hawkins, ap. Hak.to.3.a Spanish Caravell comming to water at Dominiea, one of the Caniball Islands, the Sauages cut her Cable in the night, and so shee draue on shore, and all her companie was surprised and eaten by them. In Tortuga they tolled certaine Spaniards a shore, vnderunder pretence of Traffique, and then eate them. Boriquen rBotero, vol.2.is three hundred myles long, and threescore and ten broad, trauersed with a rough Mountaine, which yeelds many Riuers. The Spaniards hauehave there some Townes. These Islands are not so well peopled as in former times: and many of them are retyring places of Rebels and Fugitiues, which take this shelter against the Spanish cruelties. Hispaniola is the next Island of name, but shall hauehave a place by it selfe, as a Mappe and Summarie of all the other.
Iamaica is almost as large as Boriquen. It is extreamely subiect to the Vracani, which are such terrible gusts of Winde, that nothing can resist them. They turne vp Trees, ouer-turne Houses, transport the Shippes from Sea to the Land, and bring with them a most dreadfull and horrible confusion. They raigne, or tyrannize rather, in August, September, and October sMar.Dec.….l.2.. The inhabitants are of quicker wits then the other Islands.
Cuba is more Northerly, and extendeth it selfe three hundred Leagues in length, and twentie in breadth, full of Mountaines, Woods, Fennes, Riuers, Lakes, both salt and fresh. This tOrt…l.Theat.Island hath had many names giuen by the Spaniards; Fernandina, Ioanna, Alpha and Omega. The Woods are replenished with Swine and Kine; the Riuers yeeld golden Sands. It hath six Spanish Colonies. Saint Iago, a Bishops See, is the chiefe Towne in the Island; and Havana is the chiefe Port of all the Indies. Ouiedo reckons two things most admirable therein: one a Valley, trending betweene two Hills three Leagues, which produceth abundance of Stones, enough to lade many Shippes, of a perfect round forme, like Bullets: The other a Fountaine, whence Bitumen, or a certaine Pitchie substance, floweth and floteth euen to the Sea, excellent for pitching of Shippes. In this Island the common people were prohibited the eating of Serpents, as being reserued for Royall dainties, and the Prerogatiue of the Kings Table.
Columbus uMart.Dec.1.l.2.sayling by this Island, lighted into a Nauigable Riuer, the water whereof was so hote, that none might endure his hand long therein. He espied also a Cano… of Fishermen, which after a strange fashion vsed to hunt Fish, and take them by the helpe of another Fish, which they kept tyed in a cord by the Boates side; and when they espied a Fish, loosed the cord; this hunting Fish presently layes hold on the prey, and with a skinne like a purse growing behind her head, graspeth it so fast, that by no meanes it can be taken from her, till they draw her vp aboue the water, and then not able to abide the ayre, she resigneth her prey to the Fishers, which leape out into the water, and take it; in recompence whereof they giuegive her part of her purchase. He found also in this Coast Waters, for the space of fortie myles, white and thicke like milke, and as though Meale had beene strewed through that Sea: other Waters hee found xBotero.spotted with white and blacke, and others all blacke. An olde man of fourescore yeares being a Gouernour in this Island, came to Columbus, and with great grauitie saluted him, and counselled him to vse his victories well, remembring, that the Soules of Men hauehave two Iourneyes, after they are departed from their bodies: The one foule and darke, prepared for iniurious and cruell persons; the other pleasant and delectable, for the peaceable, and louers of quiet.
Many other Islands might be here mentioned, and but mentioned: little to our purpose I finde in them. Of Acusamil, neere Iucatan, is alreadie spoken. Of the Lucaiae, or Iucaiae, the greatest thing is their great number, which some yP.M.Dec.7.1.esteeme aboue foure hundred. Lucaio is a generall or collectiue name, as Zeland, Lequio, Malucco. The Spaniards had carried the inhabitants, as Martyr testifieth, into seruitude, to satisfie their insatiable desire of Gold. The women of these Islands were so faire, that many of the bordering Countries forsooke their owne Countrey, and chose this for their louelove. These women weare nothing till the time of their menstruous purgation, at which time the parents make a Feast, as if shee were to be married; and after that, shee weareth before those parts Nets of Cotton, filled with leaues of hearbes. They obey their King so strictly, that if he commaund them to leape downe from an high Rocke, alledging no other reason then his will, they performe the same. But they are now, and were long since, desolate zDec.7.8., being wasted in the Mines of Hispaniola and Cuba, or by diseases and famine, to the number of twelue hundred thousand.
But I am loth to wilder my selfe further in this Wildernesse of Islands (for so hauehave the Spaniards made them:) *Dec.1.l.2.Columbus in one Voyage gaue name to seuen hundred Islands; of which I can report little, fitting this our Pilgrimage. Hispaniola is Ladie and Queene of them all, and (as it were) the common Storehouse of all their excellencies: and therefore wee will there make some longer stay.