A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 33
Of Peru and Brasile.
VVHen the Portugals had firstThe Portugals discovery of Brasile. begun their Navigation by Africk into the East-Indies, some of them intending to have held their course Eastward unto Catut bonae spei, were driven so far Westward by tempest, that they landed in a large and great Country, which by a general name is called Brasilia, where they began to enter traffick, and with Towns and Castles to plant themselves, before that the Spaniard had discovered Peru, which is the South part of America. So that at this day whatsoever▪ the King of Spaine hath in Brasilia, it is in the right of the Crown of Portugal.
We may read in Guicciardine, how when the Spaniards towards the West, and the Portugals towards the East, had descried many new-found-lands, there grew great contention between them, what should be appropriated unto the one, and what might be seized on by the other: therefore for the better establishing of peace amongst them, they had both recourse unto Alexander the sixt, who was Pope in the year 1492, and somewhat before and after: and he taking on him (after the proud manner of the Bishops of Rome) to dispose of it, which belonged not unto him, did set down an order between them; which was that all the degrees of longitude, being 360. in the Globe being divided into two parts, the Spaniards should take one, and the Portugals the other: so that in this division they were to begin in those degrees, under which some of Peru standeth; from the which they counting forwards towards the East, did allow Brasilia, and 180 degrees to the Portugals Eastward, and so from Brasilia Westward to the Spaniards as many: so that he had in his portion all America accept Brasilia.A large Countrey, and much inhabited.
This Country is large, having in it many people, and several Kingdoms, which are not all possessed by the Portugals; but so, that other Christians, as namely the Frenchmen being driven out of their Country for Religion, have set foot in there, though afterwards again they have abandoned it.
What the Portugal do at this day in Brasilia, I know not: but it is likely now, that whatsoever there is held by the Christians is reputed to be under the Spaniards, as many other parts of Brasile promiscuously are: yet certaine it is, that now almost forty yeares since some of the French-men, which professed sincere religion, and could not then be suffered quietly to live in France, did provide certain shipping, and under the conduct of one Villagagno aNote. Knight of Malta, but their own country-men did go thither & continued there the space of one year, having Ministers and Preachers among them, and the exercise of the Word and Sacraments: but after by the evill counsell of some of the chief Rulers in France, which were addicted unto the Pope, the heart of Villagagno was drawn away, insomuch that he contumeliously using the Pastors, and chiefe of that company, did force them to retire into France: so that the habitation there was then utterly relinquished, and hath not si…ce been continued by any of the French.
There is a learned man one Johannes Lyreus, who was in their voyage, and hath written a Tract called Navigatio in Brasiliam, which is very well worth the reading, not only to see what did befall him and his company, but what the manners of that people, with whom they did converse. The inhabitants here are men also utterly unlearned; but men more ingenious than the common sort of the Americans; goodly of body, and straight of proportion going alwaies naked; reasonable good Warriours after their country fashion, using to fat such enemies as they take in the wars, that afterwards they may devour them, which they do with great pleasure. For divers of the People of those quarters, as the Caribees, and the Cannibals, and almost all, are eaters of mans flesh.
In this Country groweth abundanceThe abundance of Brasile wood. of that wood, which since is brought into Europe, to die red colours, and is of the place whence it commeth called Brasil wood; the trees whereof are exceeding great.
The people of Brasil, where Lyrius and his fellows lived, are called by the name of Tauvaupinambaltii, by description of whose qualities, many things may be learned concerning the rest of the inhabitants neere thereobout.
First then, they have no letters among them, and yet seem to be very capable of any good understanding: as appeared by the speech of some of them, reproving the Frenchmen for their great greedinesse and cove…ousness of gain, when they would take so much pains, as to come from another end of the world to get commodities there. Their computation is onelyonly by the Sun and Moon, whom they hold to be of a Divine nature: and although theyTheir Religion. know nothing truly concerning God, yet they have a dark opinion that the soule doth live after the seperation from the body.
The men and women throughout the whole Countrey do go starkeTheir apparell. naked, even very few of them having any thing on to cover their privities; onelyonly some of them do pull some kind of ornaments thorow their eares, and the most of them have their lower lip boared thorow with a great hole, therein putting some device or other.The proportion of the Inhabitants
They look very disguisedly, but they are wonderful straight of limb and proportion, insomuch that the Author writeth that in all the time wherein he lived among them, he saw not one crooked backt or misshapen in any part: whereof seeking to give a reason, he ascribeth it to this; that their children are never swathed, or bound about, with any thing when they are first born, but are put naked into the bed, with their parents to lie: which beds are devised of Cotton wooll, and hung up between two trees not far from the ground, in the which flagging down in the middle, men and their wives and their children do lie together.
But whether this be the true reason of the straightnesse of their bodies, it may be doubted, from the authority of S. Hierom, who in one of his treatises mentioning that the children of the noblest and▪ greatest Romans in his time were very crooked, when other which were breed of meaner parents were not so, imputeth it to this cause, that the Gentlewomen of Rome, in a kind of wantonness did not suffer their infants to be so long swathed as poorer people did, and that thereby their joynts and members not being tied and restrained within compass, did flye out of proportion.
Certainly, howsoever there may be some reasons naturally given of these things, it is much to be ascribed to the immediate will of God, who giveth and taketh away beauty at his pleasure.
The men of these parts are veryNote. strong, and able of body, and therefore either give sound strokes with their clubs where with they fight, or else shoot strong shoots with their bows, whereof they have plenty: & if any of them be taken in the wars (after they have been cramed of pur pose to be eaten of their enemies) they are brought forth to execution, wherein marvellous willingly they do yeeld themselves to death, as supposing that nothing can be more honourable unto them, then to be taken, and to die for their Country. He therefore who is to kil the other, doth with very much insolency and pride insult, over him which is to be slain; saying, thou art he which would'st have spoyled and destroyed us and ours, but now I am to recompence thee for thy pains: and the other without all fear replies, Yea, I am he that would have done it, and would have made no spare, if I had prospered in mine intent; and other such sutable words, shewing their resolution to conquer, or willingly to die in the common cause of themselves and their people. It is strangeThe Canibals or man eiters, which is the country custome. to see the inhumane and unatural custome, which many of the people of the West-Indies have; for there are whole Islands full of such Canibals as do eat mans flesh; and amongst the rest these … are famous that way; who when they are disposed to have any great meeting, or to have any solemne feast, they kill some of their adversaries, whom they keep in store for that purpose, & cutting him out into collops, which they call Boucan, they will lay them upon the coals, and for divers dayes together make great mirth in devouring them: wherein they have this fashion, very strange, that so long as they are in their eating banquet, although it continue divers daies, they do never drink at all, but afterwards, when they are disposed to fall to drinking of a certain liquor which they have amongst them, they will continue bousing at it for two or three dayes, and in the mean time never eat. In many parts both of Hispania nova, and Peru, as also in the Islands neer adjoyning,Their great use of Tobacco. they have an herbe whereof they make great use; of which some is brought into divers parts of Europe, under the name of Tobacco, Paetum, or Nicosiana, although we have also much conterfeit of the same: the people of those parts do use it as Physick, to purge themselves of humours, and they apply it also to the filling of themselves, the smoak of it being received through a leafe, or some such hollow thing▪ into the nostrils, head, and stomack, and causing the party which receiveth it, to lie as if he were drunk or, dead for a space, needing no food or nourishment in the mean while. Whereof it cannot be denied, but that it is possible that by prescript of Physick it may by serviceable for some purposes among us; although that also it be very disputable, in as much as they who speak most highly of it, must and do confess that the force of it is obstup…factive, and no other, whereby it produceth his own effects, and wise men should be wary & sparing in receiveing of such a thing. But when weNote. do consider the vaine and wanton use which many of our Country-men have of late taken up, in receiving of this Tobacco, not only many times in in a day, but even at meat, and by the way▪ to the great waste both of their purse and of their bodies, we may wel deplore the vanity of the nation, who thereby purpose themselves as ridiculous to the French, and other our neighbours. And certainly, if it were possible that our worthy, warlike, and valiant Progenitors might behold their manners (who do most delight therein) they would wonder what a generation had succeeded in their rooms, who addict themselves to so fond, and worse than effeminate passion.
Benzo, who lived among them of the West-Indies doth call the smell of it a Tartarus and hellish savour: And whatsoever looketh into those Books, which our Christians travelling thither have written concerningNote this ye Tobacconists▪ those West-Indies, shall find that the inhabitants there do use it most as a remedy against that which is called Lues venerea, whereunto many of them are subject, being unclean in their conversation; and that not only in fornication and adultery with women, but also their detestable and excrable sin of Sodomy.
After that the Spaniards had for a time possessed Hispania nova, for the desire of Gold and Pearle, some of them travelled towards the South, and as by water they found the Sea westward from Peru, which is alwaies very calme, and is by them called the South sea, as the other wherein Cuba standeth 'is termed the North sea, so by land they found that huge and mighty Country; which is called Peru, wherein the people are (for the most part) very barbarous,A discription of the people of Peru. and without God; men of great stature, yea, some of them far higher than the ordinary sort of men in Europe; using to shoot strongly with bows made of Fish-bones, and most cruel people to their enemies.
Our English people who have travelled that way, do in their writings confess that they saw upon the South of Peru very huge & tall men, who attempting upon them when they put to land for fresh water, were much frighted with their Guns, or else doubtless had offered violence unto them; which our men fearing, got them away as speedily as they could.
There was one Petrus de Cieca, a Spaniard, who when he had travelled two and twenty years, returned back again into Europe, and wrote an excellent Book of the Discovery of that whole Country. And he amongst other things doth record, that there are found in some parts of Peru, very huge and mighty bones of men that had been Gyants, who dwelt and were buried there.
Amongst these the Spaniards The riches of the Country of Peru.(partly by force, but especially by perfidious treason) did get infinite sums of Gold and Pearls, wherewith being allured, they hoped for more, by reason that a great part thereof hath under the Zona torrida, and that caused them to spread themselves here and there, as far as they durst in the country, where in some places they digged Gold out of the …rth; and in some other they found it ready digged and tried unto their hands, by the people of the Country, which had used that Trade before their comming thither.
Amongst other creatures which areA strange story of the beast Cincia. very famous in this Peru, there is a little beast called Cincia, which is no bigger than a Fox, the tale whereof is long, the feet short, and the head like a very Fox, which hath a bag hanging under her belly, whereinto she doth use to put her yong, when she seeth them in danger of any hunter or passenger.
That Petrus de Cieca (of whom mention was made before) telleth that himself saw one of them, which had no less then seven young ones lying about her: but as soon as she perceived that a man was comming neer unto her, she presently got them into her bag, and ran away with such incredible swiftness as one would not have imagined.
After the Spaniards had conquered Mexico, they discovered Peru, travelling towards the south, and as they prevailed against the Mexicans, taking part with an enemy neighbour; so finding two brothers striving in Peru, Guas…ar & Atabaliba, they so demeaned themselves in their difference that they ruined both, and got their incredible store of Gold.
The first that attempted againstthe first attempters against the Peruvians. the Peruvians, and destroyed their Kings, were James of Almagra and the two brothers of Pizarres: but dealing treacherously and cruelly with the Peruvians, they long enjoyed not their victory, but all of them died a violent death.
The people of Peru are in many places much wiser than those of Cuba, Hispaniola, and some others parts of the Continent where the Spaniards first landed, and therefore they have some orders and solemne customes among them; as among the rest, they do bury their dead with observable ceremonies, laying up their bodies with great solemnity into a large house prepared for that purpose.
They have also in one Province there a custome of carrying news & messages veryspeedily, to the end the King and Governor of the Country may presently take advertisement of any thing which falleth out, and this is not on horse-back, or by the Dromedary or Else, as they use in other places, but only men who pass over Rocks and thorow Bushes the next way, and in … set places there be alwaies fresh Posts, to carry tha… further which is brought unto them by the other.
The Spaniards have here and there scatteringly upon the sea-coasts, set up some Towns and Castles, but are not able to possess almost any thing of the land: neither have they as yet discovered the inward parts thereof …hough daily they spread themselves more and more: insomuch th…t it is supposed, that within these seven years last past they have gotten into Guiana, where in former time no …ranger of that Nation hath been.
Guiana is a country which lie…h toGuiana. …he North sea in the same height, as Peru to the South (as it is discribed) …bout five degrees from the Aequin…ctial, and that (as I take it) toward the South.
The Country is supposed to beThe rich ness an… … os the▪ cuntry. exceeding rich & to have in it many mines of gold (which have not yet been touched, or at least but very l…tely, & to be exceeding fertile, and delightful otherwise, although it lie i… the heat of Zona torrida: but there is such store of rivers & fresh waters i… every part thereof, and the soile it self hath such correspondency thereunto, that it is reported to be as green and pleasant to the eye, as any place in the world.
Some of our Englishmen did with great labour and danger pass by water into the heart of the country, & earnestly desire that some forces of …he English might be sent thither, & a Colony erected there: by reason of the distance of the place, & the great hazard, that if it should not succeed well, it might prove dishonourable to our nation; and withal, because the Spaniards have great companies and strength, although not in it, ye many wayes about it, that intendment was discontinued.
In divers parts of this Peru, and near unto Guiana; there are very many great rivers, which as they are fi… for any navigation that should be attempted to go up within the land, so otherwise they must needs yeeld health and fruitfulness to those that i…habit there. The greatest of these rivers is that which some call Oregliana, The river of the Amazone.or the river of the Amazones. And next is the river Maragnone & down towards. Magellane straights Rio de la Plata: and our English men do speak of the river Orinoque▪ in the greatest of which this is famous; that for a good spece after they have run into the main sea, yea, some write 20. or 30. Miles, they keep themselves unmixt with the salt water, so that a very great way wi…hin the sea. men may take up as fresh water, as if they were neer the Land.
The first o… our Nation that sailed…ir Walter …. leigh lid first … it to the Engl…sh. to Guiana, and made report thereof unto us, was S. Walter Raleigh, who …ravelled far up into the country upon the river Orinoque: after him, one or two voyages thither did captain Kemish make, and now lately▪ captain H…recourt, with others, have visited …hat Country,▪ where our men con…inued the space of 3. or 4. year… ▪ being kindly intreated of the natives, who much desired them to come and make some plantation amongst them hoping by them to be defended: againstThey: ha…e he▪ Spani…rds, and …ove the English. the Spaniards, whom they greatly hate and fear▪ When Sir Walter Raleigh come to Guiana, …he overthrew the Spaniards that were in Trinidado, and took Bereo their Captain or General prisoner: he loosed and set at▪liberty four or five Kings of the people of that country, that Bereo kept in chains, and sent th…m▪ home to their own: which de…d of his did win him the hearts of the people, them and make much to favour our English at this day.
Divers also of that country, which …mongst them are men of note, have been brought over into England, & here living many years▪ are by our men brought home to their-own country, whose reports and knowledge of our Nation is a cause that they have been wel entreated of these Guiancans, and much desired to plant themselves amongst them.
Our men that travelled to Guiana, A strange story.amongst other things most memorable, did report, and in writing delivered to the world, that near unto Guiana, and not far from those place; where themselves were, there were men without heads; which seemed to maintain the opinion to be true which in old time was conceived by the Historians and Philosophers, that there were Acephali, whose eies were in their breasts, and the rest of their face there also scituated: and this our English travellers have reported to be so ordinarily, and … mentioned unto them in those parts where they were, that no sober man should any way doubt of the truth thereof.
Now because it may appear that the matter is but fabulous, in respect of the truth of Gods creating of them, and that the opinion of such strange shapes and monsters as were said to be in old time, that is▪ men with heads like Dogs, some with eares down to their ankles, others with one huge foot alone, whereupon they did hop from place to place, was not worthy to be credited although Sir John Mandevile of late age fondly hath seemed to give credit and authority thereunto; yea, and long since he who took upon him the name of S. Augustine, in writing that counterfeit Book Ad▪frates in Ermo: It is fit that the cerainty of the matter concerning these in Peru should be known: & that is that in Quinbaia, Note.and some other parts of Peru, the men are borne as in other places, & yet by devises which they have, after▪ the birth of Children, when their bones and gristles, and other parts are yet tender, and fit to be fashioned, they do crush down the heads of the children unto the breasts and shoulders, and do with frames of wood, & other such devices keep them there, that in time they grew continuate to the upper part of the trunke of the body, and so seem to have no necks or heads. And again, some other of them thinking that the shape of the head is very decent, if it be long and erect after the fashion of a Sugarloaf, do frame some other to that form by such wooden instruments, as they have for that purpose, and by binding and swathing them to keep them so afterwards▪ And that this is▪ the custome of those people, and that there is no other matter in it, Petrus de Cieca, who travelled almost all over Peru, and is a grave and sober writer, in his description of those Countries▪ doth report.
There be in some parts of Peru, Their strange devises to take fowls.people which have a strange device for the catching of divers sorts of fowls, wherein they especially desire to take such as have their feathers of p…ed, orient, and various colours, and that not so much for the flesh of them, which they may eate, as for their feathers, whereof they make garments; either short, as Cloaks, or as Gowns, long to the ground, and those their greatest Nobles do wear, being curiously wrought, and by order, as appeareth by some of them being brought into England.
And here by this mention of feathers it is not … to specifie, that in the sea, which is the Ocean lyingDivers flying fishes. betwixt Europe & America, there be divers flying fishes yet whose wings are not feathers, but a thin kind of skin, like the wings of a Bat or Rearmouse: and these living sometimes in the water, and flying sometimes in the aire, are well accepted in neither place: for below, either ravenous fishes are ready to devourt them: or above the sea-fowls are continually beating at them.
Some of the Spaniards, desirous to see how far this Land of Peru did go towards the South, travelled down, till at length they found the Lands end, and a little strait or narrow Sea, which did run from the main Ocean toward Africk into the South-sea.Magellanus straits. One Magellanus was he that found this strait, and although it be dangerous, passed through it, so that of his name it is called Fretum Magellanicum, or Magellans straits.
And this is the way whereby the Spaniards do pass to the back-side of Peru and Hispania nova, and whosoever will compass the whole world (as some of our English men have done) he must of necessity (for any thing that is yet known) passe through this narrow strait. Ferdinandus Magellanus having a great mind to travel, and being very desi rous to go unto the Molucco Islands by some other way than by the back side of Africk, if it might be, did in the year 1520▪ set forth from Sivill in Spain with five ships, and travelled toward the West-Indies, & went so far towards the South, as that he came to the lands end, where he holding his course, in a narrow passage towards the West, for the space of divers daies, did at the length peaceably pass through the straights, and came into a great sea, which some after his name do call Mare Magellanicum, some others Mare pacaficus, because of the great calmness and quietness of the waters there; but most comonly it is termed the SouthThe South Sea. sea; the length whereof he passed in the space of three months and 20.The Moluccoes. daies, and came unto the Moluccoes, where being set upon by the EastIndian people himself and many of his company were slain: & yet one of his ships (as the Spaniards do write) called Victoria▪ did get away from those Moluccoes, and returning by the Cape Bonae spei on the South side of Africk came safe into Spain▪
So that it may be truly said, that if not Megellanus, yet some of hisMagellane the first that evercompased the world. company were the first that did ever compass the World, through all the degrees of longitude.
Johannes Lyrius, in the end of his Book De navigatione in Brasiliam, doth tell that Sir Francis Drake of England, when he passed through Magellane straights, and so to the Molucco Ilands, and then homeward from the East by Africk, did in a device give the Globe of the earth, with this word or Motto, Primus m… …ricumdedisti: which is not simple to be understood that never any had gone round the world before him, but that never any of fame; for Magellane himself was slain (as before is noted:) or else he did doubt of the truth of that narration, that the Ship called Fictoria did return with safety into Spaine.
The Maps which were made at first concerning America and Peru did so describe the western part of Peru, as if when a man had passed. Magellane straits, and did intend to come upward towards nova Hispania, on the further side, he must have born West, by reason that the land did shoot out with a very great Promontory, and bending that way.
But our English men which went with S. Francis Drake, did by their own experience certainly find that the land from the uttermost end of the Straits on Peru side, did go up towards the South directly, without bending to the West, and that is the cause whereof all the new Maps and Globes, especially made by the English, or by the Dutch, who have taken their directions from our men, are reformed according to this new observation.
When the Spaniards had once found an ordinary passage from the South Sea towards the Moluccoes, they never ceased to travel that way, and discovered more and more, and by that means they had found out divers Islands not known in former ages; as two for example sake: a good distance from the Molucco's, which because they be inhabited by men which do steal not only each from other, but do pilfer away all things that they can from such strangers as do land there abouts, theyInsulae Latornum. are called Insulae Latronum.
They have also descried some other neerer unto the East-Indies, whichInsulae Salomonis they now term Insulae Salomonis. But the most renowned of all are those to whom the name is given Philippinae, in remembrance of Philip Philippinae.the second King of Spaine, at whose cost they were discovered.
These Philippinae are very rich, andTheir Riches. from thence is brought abundance of costly Spices, and some other rich merchandize, yea, and Gold too.
There were also some other Islands descried by Magellanus himself,Infulas infortunatas. which he called Insulas Infortunatas, as being of quality contrary to the Canaries, which are termed the Fortunate Islands: For when he passing through the South sea, and meaning to come to the Moluccoes, (where he was slain) did land in these Islands, thinking there to have furnished himself with victuals and fresh water, he found the whole place to be Barren and not Inhabited.