I haue bin tedious in this relation, more than a commentarie doth require, but I haue doone it by reason it is a newe thing and little abrode as yet, and it seemeth to mee not to giue discontent vnto the reader. And now me thinketh it shall bee well that I doo returne vnto my matter first begunne, and to proceede and go forwardes in the voyage and description of the new worlde, returning vnto the citie of Mexico, there where as I did digresse for to declare the discouerie of the Newe Mexico.
CHAP. XI.
Departing from the citie of Mexico, they go vnto the port of Acapulco in the South Sea, whereas they doo imbarke themselues from the Ilandes Philippinas; they passe by the Ilandes of Theeues, and do declare the rites and condition of that people.
From the citie of Mexico they go to imbarke themselues or take shipping at the port of Acapulco, which is in the South Sea, and is eleuated from the poole nineteen degrees, and ninetie leagues from the citie of Mexico: in al which way there be many townes inhabited with Indians and Spaniards.
Being departed from this port, they sayle towards the southwest, till they come into twelue degrees and a halfe, to seeke prosperous wind to serue their turne, which the mariners do cal Brizas, and are northerly windes, which are there of such continuance and so fauourable that, being in the moneths of Nouember, December, and Januarie, they haue no neede to touch their sayles, which is the occasion that they do make their voyages with so great ease. So that for that, and for the few stormes that happened in that passage, The sea of Ladies. they do cal it the Mar de Damas (which is the sea of Ladies). They sayle alwayes towards the west, following the sunne when as she departeth from our hemispherie. In this South Sea they sayle fortie daies without seeing anie lande: at the end whereof they came to the ilandes of Velas, which by another name are called De los Ladrones; there are seuen or eight of them; they doo lye north and south, and are inhabited with much people, in the order as you shall vnderstand.
These ilands are in 12 degrees, but there are different opinions of the leagues that are betwixt the port of Acapulco and those ilands; for vnto this day there is none that hath vnderstood the certaintie thereof, for that their nauigation lieth from the east vnto the west, whose degrees there haue bin none that euer could measure. Some say, this iourney hath a thousande and seuen hundred leagues, others a thousand and eight hundred; but the opinions of the first we vnderstand to be most certaine.
White people as bigge as gyants. All these ilands are inhabited with white people, of comely faces, like vnto those of Europa, but not of their bodies, for that they are as bigge as gyants, and of so great force and strength: for one of them hath taken two Spaniardes, of a good stature, the one by one foot, and the other by the other, with his handes, and hath lifted them both from the grounde with so great ease, as though they had bin two children. They go naked from top to toe, as well women as men; yet some of them were woont to weare an aporne made of a deares skinne before them of halfe a yeard long, for honesties sake, but they are but a fewe in number, in respect of those that weare nothing before them. The weapons which they do vse be slinges, and darts hardened in the fire, and are with both the one and the other very expert throwers.
They do maintaine themselues with fish which they do take on the coast; and of wild beasts which they do kill in the mountaines, in ouertaking of them by swiftnesse of foot.