This Noble and gallant Gentleman arriving with threescore and ten souldiers in his company as resolute as himselfe, a little above this Towne of Nombre de Dios drew a land his ship, and covering it with boughes, marched over the land with his Company guided by Black-mores, untill he came to a river. Where he cut downe wood, made him a Pinnace, entred the South-sea, went to the Island of Pearles, where hee lay ten daies waiting for a prize, which happily he got (though not so happily after kept it) for from that Island he set upon two Spanish ships, and finding them unable to fight, he speedily made them yeeld, and intercepted in them threescore thousand pound weight of gold, and two hundred thousand pound weight in barres or wedges of silver, and returned safely again to the maine land. And though by reason of a mutiny made by his owne Company he neither returned to his country nor to his hidden ship; yet was it such a strange adventure as is not to be forgotten, in that the like was never by any other attempted, and by the Spaniards is to this day with much admiration recorded.
Much part of this Castella aurea as yet is not subdued by the Spaniards, and so doubtlesse a great treasure lieth hid in it for that people and nation whose thoughts shall aspire to find it out. In the year 1637. when I chanced to be in Panama returning homewards to my Country, there came thither some twenty Indians Barbarians by way of peace to treate with the President of the Chancery concerning their yeelding up themselves to the government of the King of Spaine. But as I was informed afterwards at Carthagena, nothing was concluded upon, for that the Spaniards dare not trust those Indians, whom they have found to have rebelled often against them for their hard usage and carriage towards them. These Indians which then I saw were very proper, tall and lusty men, and well complexioned; and among them one of as red a haire as any our nation can shew; they had bobs of gold in their eares, and some of them little pieces of gold made like a halfe moone hanging upon their neither lips, which argues store of that treasure to be amongst them. Unto this country is joyning Nova Andaluzia, which hath on the North side Castella del oro, and on the South Peru; The best Cities in it are Tocoio, now by the Spaniards called St. Margarets, and another called S. Espiritu. Nova Granada is situated on the South side of Carthagena, and from the abundance and fertility of Granada in Spaine it hath taken its name. The chiefe Townes and Cities in it are six. First Tungia, which is supposed to be directly under the Æquator. The second is Tochaimum. The third, Popaian, the richest of them all. The fourth, Sta. Fee, or St. Faith, an Archbishops seat, and a Court of Justice and Chancery, governed like Panama and Guatemala, by a President and six Judges, and a Kings Attorney and two high Justices of Court, who have six thousand duckats a yeer allowed them out of the Kings treasure. The fifth City is Palma; and the sixth Merida. From Carthagena through this countrey of Granada lieth the rode way to Lima in Peru, all by land. This Country is very strong by reason of the situation of it much amongst stony rockes, which compasse and environ it, and through which there are very narrow passages. Yet it is full of pleasant valleys which do yeeld much fruit, Corne and Indian Maiz. There are also in it some Mines of silver, and many golden sanded rivers. Carthagena, which is the last Province of Castella aurea, hath also a very fruitfull soil, in the which groweth a tree, which if any one do touch, he will hardly escape a poysoning.
The chiefe Cities in it are, first Carthagena, which Sir Francis Drake in the yeer 1585. surprised, and (as the Spaniards affirme) burned most part of it, and besides inestimable sums of money, took with him from thence 230 peeces of Ordnance. I dare say now it hath not so many; yet it is reasonable well fortified; though not so strong as Portabel. It is a faire and gallant City and very rich, by reason of the pearles which are brought to it from Margarita, and the Kings revenues, which from all Nova Granada are sent thither. It is a Bishops seat, and hath many rich Churches and Cloisters. It is not governed by a Court of Justice and Chancery as Sta. Fee is, but onely by one Governour. It hath been often moved to the Councell of Spaine to have some Galleys made to runne about those Seas, and that Carthagena bee the chiefe harbour of them. From this City received England the losse of that little Island named Providence by us, and by the Spaniards Sta. Catalina, which though but little, might have been of a great, nay greater advantage to our Kingdom, than any other of our plantations in America; which the Spaniards wel understood when they set al their strength of Carthagena against it; but I hope the Lord hath his time appointed when we shall advantage our selves by it again. To this City of Carthagena cometh every yeer also in small Frigots most of the Indigo, Cochinil & Sugar, which is made in the country of Guatemala, the Spaniards thinking it safer to ship these their goods in little Frigots upon the lake of Granada in Nicaragua, & from thence to send them to Carthagena to be shipped with the Galeons that come from Portabel with the treasure of Peru, than to send them by the ships of Honduras, which have often been a prey unto the Hollanders. These frigots were thought by the Spaniards to come too neer the reach of Providence, and therefore it hath been their care and providence to remove us from this reach of their Frigots. The second great Towne of this Countrey of Carthagena is Abuida. The third Sta. Martha, which is a rich government of Spaniards, and doth much fear our English and Holland ships; it is seated on the river de Abuida, otherwise called St. John and Rio di Grand. There is also Venezuela and New-Caliz, great, rich, and strong Townes. And these three last regions, Andaluzia Nova, Nova Granada, and Carthagena are by the Spaniards called Tierra firme, or firme land, for that they are the strength of Peru from the North, and the basis of this reversed Pyramis.
Thus have I brought thee, Gentle Reader, round about America, and shewed thee the Continent of that biggest part of the world; from the which thou mayst observe the power and greatnesse of the King of Spain, who hath got under his Scepter and Dominion so many thousand miles, which were they reckoned up, would be found to be more then are about all Europe. But not only is America great and spatious by land, but also by sea, glorying in more and some greater Islands, then any other part of the world. It would but cause tediousnesse, and seem prolixity to number them all up, which is a worke hard and difficult, for that many as yet are not knowne nor inhabited, and whose goodnesse and greatnesse is not discovered; for the Islands called Lucoidas are thought to be foure hundred at least. Therefore I will omit to be over tedious and prolixe, and will but briefly speake of the best and chiefe of them, taking them in order from that part of the Continent, Carthagena, where even now I left thee. But in the first place calls upon my pen the Jewel Island called Margarita, which is situated in the sea nigh unto Castella aurea, and not farre distant from two other Islands, named Cubagna and Trinidado. True it is this Island of Margarita is by some much slighted for want of corne, grasse, trees and water; in so much that it hath been knowne sometime that an inhabitant of that Island hath willingly changed for a Tun of water a Tunne of wine. But the great abundance of pretious stones in it maketh amends for the former wants and defects; for from them is the name of Margarita imposed on that Island. But especially it yeeldeth store of pearles, those gemmes which the Latine writers call Uniones, because nulli duo reperiuntur indiscreti, they alwaies are found to grow in couples. In this Island there are many rich Merchants, who have thirty, fourty, fifty Black-more slaves only to fish out of the sea about the rockes these pearles. These Black-mores are much made of by their Masters, who must needs trust them with a treasure hidden in the waters, and in whose will it is to passe by of those they find, none, few, or many. They are let downe in baskets into the Sea, and so long continue under the water, untill by pulling the rope by which they are let downe, they make their sign to taken up. I have heard some say that have thus dealt in pearles, that the chief meat they feed their Black-mores with, is roast-meat, which maketh them their wind & breath longer in the water. From Margarita are all the pearles sent to be refined and bored to Carthagena, where is a faire and goodly street of no other shops then of these Pearle-dressers. Commonly in the moneth of July there is a ship or two at most ready in that Island to carry the Kings revenue, and the Merchants pearles to Carthagena. One of these ships are valued commonly at threescore thousand, or fourscore thousand duckats, and sometimes more; and therefore are reasonable well manned; for that the Spaniards much feare our English and the Holland ships. The yeare that I was in Carthagena, which was 1637. a ship of these laden with pearles was chased by one of our ships from the Island of Providence (by some it was thought to be our ship called the Neptune) which after a little fighting had almost brought the poore Spaniard to yeeld his pearles, and had certainly carried away that great treasure (as I was informed in Carthagena foure daies after the fight by a Spaniard who was in the ship of Margarita) had not two other ships of Holland come between to challenge from our English man that prize, alleadging their priviledge from the mighty States united for all prizes upon those seas and coast. And whilst our English and Hollander did thus strive for the Pearles, the Spanish ship ran on shore upon a little Island, and speedily unladed and hid in the woods part of the treasures, and perceiving the Hollander coming eagerly in pursuit of it, the Spaniard set on fire the ship, and neither Spaniard, English, nor Hollander, enjoyed what might have been a great and rich prize to England. From Carthagena was sent presently a man of Warre to bring home the pearles hid in the wood, which were not the third part of what was in the ship.
Jamaica is another Island under the power of the Spaniards, which is in length 280. miles, and 70. in breadth, which though it exceed Margarita in sweet and pleasant streames and fountaines of water, yet is far inferiour to it in riches. Some Hides, some Sugar, and some Tobacco are the chiefe commodities from thence. There are only two Townes of note in it, Oristana and Sevilla; here are built ships which have proved as well at sea, as those that are made in Spaine. This Island was once very populous, but now is almost destitute of Indians; for the Spaniards have slain in it more then 60,000; in so much that women as well here as on the Continent did kill their children before they had given them life, that the issues of their bodies might not serve so cruell a nation. But farre beyond the two former is the Island of Cuba, which is three hundred miles long, and seventy broad, which was first made knowne to Europe by Columbus his second navigation. This Island is full of Forrests, Lakes, and mountaines. The aire is very temperate, the soile very fertill, producing brasse of exact perfection, and some gold though drossie hath formerly been found in it. It aboundeth also with Ginger, Cassia, Masticke, Aloes, some Cinnamon, Cana fistula, Zarzaparilla, and Sugar, and hath of flesh, fish, and fowles great plenty; but especially such store of sea Tortois, and Hogs, that the ships at their returne to Spaine make their chiefe provision of them. My selfe chanced to take physicke there, and whereas I thought that day I should have a fowle or rabbet after my physicks working, they brought me a boyled peece of fresh young Porke, which when I refused to eat, they assured me it was the best dish the Doctors did use to prescribe upon such daies.
The chiefe Cities of this Island are Santiago on the Northerne shore, built by James de Valasco, a Bishops seat, and secondly, Havana, which is also on the Northerne shore, and is a safe Rode for ships, and the staple of merchandize, and (as the Spaniards call it) the key of all the West-India's, to lock up or unlock the doore or entrance to all America. Here rideth the King of Spaines Navy, and here meet all the Merchant ships from severall ports and Havens of all those Countries afore-named, whether from the Islands or from the Continent: in a word here commonly in the month of September is joyned all the treasure as I may say of America, all the King of Spains revenews, with as much more of Merchant goods, which the yeer that I was there were thought to be in all the worth of thirty millions. And the ships which that yeer there did meet to strengthen one another were 53. saile, and set out sooner that yeer then any other upon the 16. of September, having that day a faire wind to wafte them homewards through the Gulf of Bahama. Havana therefore being the store-house of all Americaes treasure, it hath been the Spaniards chiefe care to fortifie that; and truely it is so strong, that the Spaniards hold it impossible to be taken, and doe boast of foure impregnable forts, to wit at Antwerp, Millan, Pamplona, and Havana. This hath two strong Castles, the one at the point or entrance of the Haven toward the Sea; the other more within, on the other side almost over against it; which two Castles (the passage in the mouth of the haven being so narrow, that one onely ship in breast may enter) will keep and defend the Port from many hundred saile. I was my selfe in the great and chiefe Castle, and truly found it very strong, though by land I judged it might be as easily taken, as other strong Castles here in Europe have been overpowerd by a great and powerfull army. It hath in it besides many others, twelve peeces of Ordnance of brasse exceeding great, which they call The twelve Apostles. But for all this strength of the Havana, it could not once defend six or seven millions (according to the Spaniards owne account) which the one part of the Kings Navy brought from St. John de Ulhua to the sight of this impregnable fort, and protected with such twelve Apostles. It was as I take it the yeer 1629. when that ever renowned Hollander (whom like unto our Drake the Spaniards to this day fear and tremble at, calling him Pie de Palo, that is, wooden leg) waited at the Cape of St. Anthony for the Spanish fleet of Nova Hispania; which according to his expectation coming, he manly set upon it, saluting and welcoming the great treasure in it with a full side of roaring Ordnance; the sound was more dolefull then joyfull and welcome to the Spaniards, who thought it safer sleeping in a whole skinne, then to be unquieted by fighting, and with the sight of torne and mangled bodies, by Mars his furious and fiery balls, and so called a Councell of warre to resolve what they should doe to save the Kings great treasure which was intrusted to them in those ships. The result of the Councell was to flie and with some discharging of their Ordinance to defend themselves, untill they could put into a river in the Island of Cuba, not far from Havana called Matanzos. There were in that fleet of Spaine many gallants and Gentlemen, and two Judges of the Chancery of Mexico, which were that yeer sent to Madrid as guilty in the mutiny before mentioned, there was in it of my acquaintance a Dominican Frier, named Frier Jacintho de Hozes, who had been sent to those parts to visit all the Dominican Cloisters of New-Spaine, and had got of bribes at least eight thousand duckats (as I was informed the yeer after by a Frier his companion, whom he sent from Havana to Guatemala to make knowne to his friends his losse of all that hee had got, and to beg a new contribution to helpe him home) there was also in that fleet Don Martin de Carillo; who was the Inquisitor and Commissioner to judge the Delinquents in the fore-mentioned mutiny of Mexico, who was thought to have got twenty thousand duckats cleer; besides these a Bishop, and many rich Merchants, all under the command of Don Juan de Guzman y Torres Admirall to all the fleet. They all fled for their lives and goods; but the gallant Hollanders chased them. The Spaniards thinking the Hollanders would not venture up the river after them, put into Matanzos; but soone after they had entred, they found the river too shallow for their heavy and great bellied Galeons, and so run them up on ground; which done, the better and richer sort escaped to land, endeavouring to escape with what wealth they could; some got out Cabinets, some bags; which the Hollanders perceiving came upon them with bullet messengers, which soone overtooke and stopt their flying treasures. Some few Cabinets were hid, all the rest became that day the gallant Pie de Palo or the wooden legd Captaines prize for the mighty States of Holland. The Frier Hozes was got into a boat with his Cabinet under his habit, which had in it nothing but chaines of gold, diamonds, Pearles and pretious stones; and halfe a dozen Hollanders leapt into the boat after him, and snatched it from him, as his owne friend and companion related after to us in Guatemala. Don Juan de Guzman y Torres the Admirall when he came to Spaine was imprisoned, lost his wits for a while, and after was beheaded. Thus in the sight of impregnable Havana and of those 12 brazen Apostles, was Holland glorious and made rich with a seven million prize.
But before I end this Chapter, I may not forget the chiefest of all the Islands of this new world, which is called Hispaniola, & formerly by the natives Hatie, which lamenteth the losse of at least three millions of Indians murthered by her new Masters of Spaine. This Island is the biggest that as yet is discovered in al the world; it is in compasse about 1500. miles, and enjoyeth a temperate aire, a fertill soile, rich mines; and trades much in Ambar, Sugar, Ginger, Hides, and Wax. It is reported for certaine that here in twenty daies herbes will ripen and roots also and be fit to be eaten, which is a strong argument of the exact temperature of the aire. It yeeldeth in nothing to Cuba, but excelleth it in three things especially; first in the finenesse of the gold, which is here more pure and unmixed; secondly, in the increase of the Sugar, one Sugar Cane here filling twenty and sometimes thirty measures; and thirdly, in the goodnesse of the soile for tillage, the corne here yeelding an hundred fold. This fertility is thought to be caused by four great rivers, which water and enrich all the four quarters of the Island; all four doe spring from one only mountaine, which standeth in the very midst and center of the Country, Juna running to the East, Artihinnacus to the West, Jacchus to the North, and Naibus to the South.
This Countrey is so replenished with Swine and Cattell, that they become wild among the woods and Mountaines, so that the ships that saile by this Island, and want provision, goe here a shore where it is little inhabited and kill of Cattell, wild swine and bores, till they have made up a plentifull provision. Much of this Countrey is not inhabited, by reason that the Indians are quite consumed. The chief places in it are first St. Domingo, where there is a Spanish President and Chancery with six Judges and the other officers belonging to it, and it is the Seat of an Archbishop, who though hee enjoy not so much yeerly rent and revenues as other Archbishops, especially they of Mexico and Lima; yet hee hath an honour above all the rest, for that hee is the primate of all the India's, this Island having been conquered before the other parts, and so bearing antiquity above them all. There are also other rich Townes of trading, as Sta. Isabella, S. Thome, S. John, Maragna, and Porto. And thus hath my pen run over Sea and Land, Islands and most of the Continent that is subject to the Spaniards to shew thee, my Reader, the state of America at this time. It is called America because Americus Vespusius first discovered it; though afterwards Columbus gave us the first light to discern these Countries both by example and directions. Besides the factions spoken of before between the Native Spaniards and those that come from Spain, there is yet further in most parts of it, but especially in Peru a deadly faction and mortall hatred between the Biscains and the Spaniards of Castile and Estremadura, which hath much shaken the quiet state of it, and threatned it with rebellion and destruction.
There are in all America foure Archbishopricks, which are Sto. Domingo, Mexico, Lima, and Sta. Fee, and above thirty inferiour Bishops. The politick Administration of Justice is chiefly committed to the two Viceroyes residing at Lima and Mexico, and with subordination unto them unto other Presidents, Governours, and high Justices, called Alcaldes Majores; except it be the President of Guatemala, and of Santo Domingo, who are as absolute in power as the Viceroyes, and have under them Governours, and high Justices, and are no wayes subordinate to the former Viceroyes, but onely unto the Court and Councell of Spain.