Remarkable Trees.
The neighboring Territory Coiba produced Trees, whose Timber us’d for Shipping never breeds Worms, because of its acerbity; whereas on the contrary, all other Vessels in that Countrey are very subject to that inconvenience. Here also grow those famous Plague-Trees, whose very Leaves, if but falling upon one, are like Gods Arrows, mortal, and immediately kill, unless the Place whereon they light be straightway anointed with fasting Spittle: and the Coibensers say, that they know another poysonous Wood, which they use to destroy their Enemies withall.
Remarkable Journey of Moralis to the South Sea.
Whilst Arias was consulting about the beforemention’d Affairs, he sent several Comanders to divers Places, to take a survey, and give him an account of their Return of all their Discoveries. Amongst others Gasper Moralis was order’d to march towards the South Sea, to confirm the Peace which Nunnez had begun with the Kings Chiapes and Tumaccus; and chiefly to go to the Pearl-Island with sixty Men, which Nunnez was forc’d to leave, being stress’d by tempestuous Weather. Chiapes and Tumaccus were according to their promise, to prepare an Army ready for his assistance against his coming; which indeed they perform’d, so that they wanted nothing but Vessels, for the biggest of theirs could not carry above three or four Men; yet they undertaking their Enterprise, Landed seventy Men on the Island; upon which the Inhabitants under their Kings Conduct ran to meet the new Landed Forces, and crying out aloud Guazzavara, Guazzavara, they ran in amongst the Musqueteers with their woodden Swords; but the report of the Guns, mix’d with Fire, Smoak, and Bullets, soon amaz’d them: the King flying, thought by alarm to raise all the Islanders; but they being inform’d, that no People whatsoever could withstand the fire-spitting People, made Articles of agreement with Moralis, and Condition’d to deliver a hundred pound weight of the choicest Pearls to the use of the King of Castile; and as a testimony of his Friendship he was Christen’d Peter Arias, from the Governors Name of New Andalusia.
Strange Pearl.
How great the Treasure was which Moralis brought from the Pearl Island may appear by one of the Pearls, for which Pope Leo the tenth gave forty four thousand Ducats to a Venetian Merchant.
Solisius his miserable end.
Amongst the Commanders which were sent out by Arias, was also Johannes Solisius, who Sailing six hundred Leagues Southerly, along the Coast of the Caribbies, beyond Cape St. Augustine, he found the Inhabitants of Pernambuck to be no less cruel than subtile; for being invited ashore, he with some of his Men Row’d thither, where no sooner Landing, but were all kill’d and eaten in the sight of the other Sea-men aboard; at which being amaz’d they weighed Anchor, and Sail’d away, Freighted onely with Brasile Wood, to Cadiz.
Also in an unhappy hour did Johannes Pontæus put some of his Laundresses ashore on the Island Guadalupa, to wash some Linnen for him; for the Islanders coming on a sudden out of the Woods surpriz’d them, and forthwith killing without mercy, cut them in pieces, and carbonadoing, eat their broil’d Flesh hot from the Coals, while Gonsalus Badajocius Sail’d with eighty Men Westerly, and having gone sixty Leagues he went ashore, and spent some days in vain, to Court the Americans to a friendly correspondency; which whilst he was doing, he was recruited with fifty Men from Daria, Commanded by Lodowick Mercado: so both agreed together to travel over the Mountains to the South Sea.
Strange Slaves.