Of the bignesse of the kingdome of Mexico, and of some particular and notable things that are in it.
The kingdome of Mexico. This kingdome of Mexico is the firme land: on the one side it hath the north sea, and on the other side the south sea: it is not possible to declare the bredth and length thereof, for that vnto this day it is not all discouered. Euery day they doo finde and discouer new countries, as in the yeare of fourescore and three, you may perceiue by the entry which was made by Antonio de Espeio, who, with his companions, did discouer a countrie, in the which they found fifteene prouinces, al ful of townes, which were full of houses of foure and fiue stories high, the which they did name New Mexico. Nuevo Mexico, for that it doth resemble the Old Mexico in many thinges. It is towards the north, and they do beleeue that that way, by inhabited place, they may come vnto that country which is called of the Labrador (of which shal be spoken more at large hereafter).
This kingdome towards the orient dooth ioyne vnto the Peru. country of Peru, and so running by the north sea, and Nombre de Dios. reacheth vnto Nombre de Dios, which is a port of the saide Acapulco. kingdome, and from thence vnto Acapulco, which is a port in the kingdome of Mexico: and in the south sea it reacheth Panama. vnto Panama, a port of the said Peru; and in the same sea The Straites of Magellanes. it extendeth nigh vnto the Straights of Magellanes, and not farre from the river of Plata and Brasill.
To conclude, this kingdome is so great that vnto this day they cannot find the end thereof: but euery day doth discouer new countries, whereas all the Indians that they do finde are verie easie to bee reduced vnto the Catholike faith, for that they are people very docible, ingenious, and of a good vnderstanding. There is amongst them diuers languages, and verie different climes; although all generally doo vnderstande the Mexican tongue, which is most common. There are many prouinces inhabited by Indians and Spaniards, that euery one of them is as bigge as a reasonable kingdome; yet the greatest and most principall is that of Mexico, whereas are many Indians and Spaniards, which doo exceed all the rest in number: the names of them are Honduras, Guatimala, Campeche, Chiapa, Guaiaca, Mechuacan, Nueua Galicia, Nueua Viscaya, Guadiana, and others more, which I leaue out because I woulde not be tedious: in all the which, they haue either a royall audience and gouernors, or other justices, all Spaniards.
The naturall people whereof, neuer since they were conuerted haue beene found in any heresie, nor in any thing contrarie vnto the Romish faith. All these prouinces are subject and doo acknowledge that of Mexico as the principall: there whereas his maiestie hath his vizroy, an inquisition, an archbishop, and a royall audience or court of Chancerie.
This cittie of Mexico is one of the best that is in all the whole world, and is situated vpon water after the manner and fashion of Venice in Italie: in all this kingdome almost you cannot know when it is winter, or when it is summer, for that in al the whole yeare, there is smal difference betwixt the daies and the nights, by reason of the temperature of the countrie; the fieldes are greene almost all the whole yeare, and trees beare fruit also almost all the whole yeare: for when it is winter in Europa, then doo there fall dewes from heauen which dooth cause all things to budde and floure; and in the summer it doth ordinarily It rayneth almost euery day. raine, but especially in the monethes of June, July, August, and September, in the which monethes it is a maruel when it raineth not euery day; and it is to bee wondred at, for that almost it neuer rayneth but from noone forwards, and neuer passeth midnight, so that it neuer troubleth them that doo trauell by the way, for that they may beginne their iourney at midnight, and trauell vntill the next day at noone. It raineth vnreasonably, and with so great furie and force, that the time that it dooth indure, it is requisite to flie from the showers; for that many times they are so hurtfull, that one sole shower taketh away the life of a man.
Almost all the whole yeare in this kingdome they do sowe and gather as wel wheate (wherof they haue great abundance) as maiz, which is the ordinary sustentation of al the Indians, blacke moores and horse, of the which they haue The best horses in all the world. great abundance very gallant and good, both to the eye, and indeed, as in any kingdom in al the whole world that is knowne vnto this day. The brood of them was carried out of Spaine thither, when first they did discouer that country, and for that effect were chosen the best that could bee found: and for that they doo eate all the whole yeare greene grasse and maiz, which is wheat of the Indians, is the occasion that they do deserue to haue the praise aboue all other. In fine, this kingdome is one of the fertilest of victuals of al that ever we haue heard off, and of riches, for that there is in it an An infinite number of siluer mines. infinite number of siluer mines, out of the which is taken great abundance, as it is to be seene euery yeare when as the shippes doo come vnto Syuell. It is vnder the Torrida Zona, yet notwithstanding it is of the temperature as I haue said, contrarie vnto the opinion of ancient philosophers, who said that it was not inhabited. But now to excuse them, it shal not be from our purpose to declare the cause wherefore they were deceiued, and is, that in the foure monethes aforesaide, wherein the sunne hath his most force, it doth continually rayne, which is the occasion that the country is so temperate: and besides this, God doth prouide that it is visited with fresh windes, which come both out from the South and North Sea, and is so ordinarie a thing, that it is a maruell to see it calme, by reason whereof the whole kingdome is of that propertie; and although the sunne be very strong and causeth great heate, yet putting himselfe vnder any shadowe, although it bee but little, they straightwayes feele a fresh and comfortable winde, by reason of the temperature of the heauen in the manner aforesaid.
The inhabitants of this kingdome throughout al the whole yeare, neede not to augment nor diminish their apparell, neither their beddes. Also the aire and clime is so holesome, that you may lie and sleepe in the fieldes without any thing vppon you, as in any house, be it neuer so well hanged and close.
All that is discouered of this kingdome (except it be the lande of the Chichimecos, which is a kind of Indians that liueth as the Alarbes[55] do in Africa, without any house or towne)—all the rest, I say, are in peace and quietnes baptised and doctrined, and furnished with many monasteries of diuers orders of religious men, as of the order of S. Dominicke, of S. Francis, of S. Austen, and of Iesuits, besides a great number of priests that are reparted in al parts of that kingdome, so that the one and the other are continually occupied in doctrining of the naturall people and other Spaniards that are in that kingdome, of whome, although they be but a few in respect of the Indians, yet do they surmount in number more then fiftie thousand. In the principall citie of this kingdome, which is that of Mexico as An universitie in Mexico. aforesaid, there is a vniuersitie, and in it be many schooles, whereas is red any facultie, as is in Salamanca, and that by men of great sufficiencie, whose trauell is gratified with great rentes and honor. There bee also in it many great hospitals as well of Spaniards as of Indians, wheras the sicke men are cured with great charitie and comfort, for that euery one of them haue great rents and reuenues. I do not intreat of the churches and monasteries, both of friers and nunnes, which are in that cittie, nor of other particular thinges, for that thereof there is written a large historie, and my intent is to declare by way of a comentary that which the said father Costodio and frier Martin Ignacio did comon with me by word of mouth, and that I saw written and vnderstood of him at his returne from trauelling almost the whole world, and of other things that I my selfe haue experimented in certaine parts of it: so that this my discourse may more properly be called an epitome or itinerario then a historie. In this kingdome there are bred and brought vp more cattell then in any other parts knowne in all the world, as wel for the good climate and temperature of the heauen, as also for the fertility of the country. The kine and sheepe many times bring foorth twise a yeare, and the goates ordinarily thrise a yeare: so that because they haue many fields in that countrie, and much people that doo giue themselues vnto that kinde of gettings (as grasiers) is the occasion that there is so great abundance, and solde for a small price; and manie times it happeneth that the bringers vp of them doo kill tenne thousand head of them onely to profite themselues with the skinnes, in sending of them into Spaine, and leaue the flesh in the fieldes to feede the foules of the ayre, without making any more account thereof.
[55] Arabs? The word seems to have been misprinted in the original Spanish.