Chief Towns of this Province.
The chief Towns of this Province, are 1. San Crux, situate at the foot of a great Mountain or Hill, but opening upon a large Plain, whose thirsty driness is well refresh’d by a certain Brook or Torrent, which issueth out of a neighboring Mountain, and a few Leagues distant from the Town maketh a pretty Lake, which supplieth the Countrey thereabouts, both with fresh Water and Fish in good plenty.
2. Barranea, a Town suppos’d to be not above threescore Leagues distant from Potosi.
3. Nova Rioia, once a Colony of Spaniards, but sack’d and spoil’d by the Salvages of these Parts about the Year 1548. and the first Discoverer of the Countrey, namely Nunno de Chaves, treacherously murder’d by a Native, since which time ’tis said to have been deserted.
CHAP. VII.
Brasile.
Situation and Description of Brasile.
Brasile by Capralis call’d San Cruz, because it was discover’d on the Day dedicated Pedro Alvarez Capralis his Expedition to Brasile. to the holy Cross, but generally Brasile, from the red Wood, which it produces in great abundance, extends, according to the Account of the Portuguese, between the Rivers Maranon and De la Plata: But according to the Division which Pope Alexander the Sixth made upon the Approbation of the Kings of Castile and Portuguese, Brasile extends not so far; for it begins in the North along the Stream Para, and ends at the River Capybora, two Leagues beyond the Town St. Vincent: Eastward it is wash’d by the Northern Ocean, and on the West separated from Peru by desolate Mountains: It lies between 4 and 22 Degrees of Southern Latitude. Historiographers differ much concerning the first Discoverer; but without contradiction the first honor belongs justly to Americus Vesputius, who being sent out by Ferdinand, King of Castile, in the Year 1497. arriv’d first with four Sail at Brasile; whither he was follow’d two years after by Vincent Aynez Pinzon, Associate to Christopher Columbus; but with ill success, for two of the Ships were cast away in a Storm, and the other two return’d sadly weather-beaten into the Spanish Haven Palos, yet not before he had made a farther Discovery of Brasile than Americus Vesputius; which so stirr’d up Emanuel, King of Portugal, that he sent Pedro Alvarez Capralis thither with five hundred Men in thirteen Ships, that so he might get sure footing on Brasile; where Landing he erected a Stone Cross, and inform’d the King of his whole Proceedings by Gasper Lemnius, with whom he sent over two Brasilians, a Man a Woman, the strangeness of whose Garb caus’d great admiration in Portugal amongst the Spectators: the Man, having a flat Nose, went stark naked, and in his nether Lip hung a Stone call’d Matara; through each Check there was stuck a piece of Brasile Wood, on his Shoulders he carry’d three long Darts, and on his Head he wore divers colour’d Feathers; the Hair about his Privities was all pluckt out, and his Membrum Virile ty’d about with a String call’d Tacoaynhaa, which he unty’d when he Urin’d; his Body was strong and well proportion’d, and painted with several Colours. The Woman wore a Lappet girt about her Middle, in which Girdle stuck a Cane Tobacco-pipe; the Lappet reach’d just to the top of her Knees, the rest of her Body was also naked; on her Head she wore a broad Hat made of Feathers, on the top of which stuck two Plumes; in her Ears hung Bells, and about her Neck three Strings of Pearl; and her Body was also painted with red and yellow Colours. Lemnius also gave so much Information concerning the fruitfulness of Brasile, that several Portuguese Families went thither, accompanied with some Italian Fryers, which scattering up and down, began to build several Villages, but were soon after most of them kill’d and eaten up by the Indians.
Anno 1549. King John the Third fitted out a great Fleet, which set Sail from Lisbon under the Command of Thomas de Sosa.