CHAP. III.
Of the Iland of Santo Domingo, called Hispaniola, and of their properties.
The Iland Hispaniola, which by an other name is called The Iland Hispaniola or Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo, by reason that it was discouered as that day, it is in eighteene degrees, and was the first that way discouered in the Indias, by the captaine Christopher Colon, worthie of immortall memorie; it was inhabited in the yeare of 1492. This iland is in compasse more than sixe hundredth leagues; it is diuided into fiue kingdomes, the one of them is now called the Vega, which, at the time that it was discouered was called Neagua; it hath foure score leagues in compasse, and stretcheth all of them from the north vnto the south; out of the which sea, as doth testifie the reuerende of Ciapa in his booke, doth enter onely into the kingdome, thirtie thousand Mightie riuers in Spain. riuers and running brookes, twelue of them as great as Ebro, Duero, and Guadalquiuer in Spaine. The foresaide bishop doth also speake of an other maruaile, which is, that the most part of these riuers, those which do distil and run from the mountaines, which is towardes the west, are very rich of gold, and some of it very fine, as is that which is taken out of the mynes of Cibao, which is very well knowen in that kingdome, and also in Spaine, by reason of the great A peece of virgin gold so bigge as a twopennie wheaten loaf. perfection thereof: out of the which myne hath been taken out a piece of virgin golde, so bigge as a twopennie wheaten loafe, and did weigh three thousand and sixe hundred castillianos,[50] the which was sonke and lost in the sea, in carrying of it into Spaine, as doth testifie the aforesaid reuerend bishop. In this Ilande there is greater quantitie of cattell than in the other Ilande of Puerto Rico; and there is made much sugar, and gathered much ginger and Cannafistola. cannafistula, and also manie sortes of fruits, such as is in Spaine, as others different of the countrie, and that in abundance: there are also great store of hogs, whose fleshe is as holesome and as sauorie as is mutton in Spaine, and is verie good cheape: a heyfor is bought for eight ryalles of plate, and all other thinges of that countrie after the rate, although that the marchandice of Spaine is verie deere. It is a Gold and pearles. countrie of very much golde, if there were people for to take it out: and manie pearles. In all this ilande they gather no wheate, but in the bishopricke of Palensuela; although in many other places the ground would yeeld it very well if they would sowe it. But nature, which was woont to supplie necessities, dooth accomplish the lacke of wheate to giue them in steede thereof a roote, which dooth growe in that iland in great quantitie and abundance, and dooth serve Bread of a roote called Casaue. them for bread, as it did vnto the naturall people of that countrie, when the Spaniards went thither. It is white, and is called casaue, the which being grinded and brought into meale, they doo make bread thereof for their sustinence, the which, although it is not so goode as that which is made of wheat meale, yet may they passe therewith and sustaine themselues.
[50] The castellano, which is still used in Spain and its dependencies as a weight for gold, is equivalent to 71 grains English.
This countrie is verie hoat, by reason whereof their victuals are of small substance. The principall citie of that iland is called Santo Domingo, (for the reason abouesaid), in the which is an archbishop and a royall audience, or chaunoerie. This citie is built on the sea side, and hath to it a great riuer, the which dooth serue them for their port or hauen, and is verie secure. There is in it three monasteries of religious friers, and two of nunnes.
In this ilande (as saith the reuerende bishop of Chiapa in Of three millions of men not two hundred left. his booke) there were, when as the Spaniards came first thether, three millions of men naturall Indians, of the which at this day there is not two hundred left, and yet the most part of them be sonnes vnto Spaniardes, and blacke mores borne of the Indians women. All their sugar milles and other places are inhabited with negros, of the which there may be in that ilande about twelue thousand. It is a holsome countrie vnto them that dwell therein. The sea is ful of whales, and that in abundance, which are seene by such as do come in their ships, and many times they are in feare of them. But aboue all other, there is an infinite Tiburones. number of great fishes called tiburones,[51] and are in great skuls:[52] they are marueilously affected vnto humaine flesh, and wil folow a shippe fiue hundred leagues, without leauing of it one day. Many times they haue taken of the fishes, and do finde in their bellies all such filth as hath beene throwne out of their shippe in many dayes sailing, and whole sheepes heads with hornes and all. If they chance to finde a man in the waters side he wil eat him all: if not, all that he doth fasten on he doth sheare it cleane away, be it a legge or an arme, or half his body, as many times it hath beene seene, and they doo it very quickly, for that they haue many rowes of teeth in their heads, which be as sharpe as rasers.
[51] Sharks.
[52] Schools.