this worke, right honourable, right worshipfull, and the rest, though small in shew, yet great in substance, doth yeeld much light to our enterprise now on foot: whether you desire to know the present and future commodities of our countrie; or the qualities and conditions of the inhabitants, or what course is best to be taken with them.
chap. 35. touching the commodities, besides the generall report of cabe?a de vaca to charles the emperour (who first trauelled through a great part of the inland of florida, next adioyning vpon our virginia) that florida was the richest countrie of the world; and that after hee had found clothes made of cotton wooll, he saw gold and siluer, and stones of great value: i referre you first to the rich mines of gold reported to be in the prouince of yupaha, and described in the twelfth chapter of this treatise to come within our limits: and againe, to the copper hatchets found in cutifachiqui, standing vpon the riuer of santa helena, which were said to haue a mixture of gold. decad. 3. lib. 8. cap. 8. it seemeth also that the last chronicler of the west indies, antonio de herrera,124 speaking of the foresaid riuer of santa helena, which standeth in 32. degrees and an halfe, alludeth to the prouince of yupaha, in these words: y el oro, y plata, que hailaron, no era de aquella tierra, sino de 60. leguas, adentro al norte, de los pueblos dichos otapales y olagatanos, adonde se intiende, que ay minas de oro, plata, y cobre. that is to say, that the gold and siluer which they found, was not of that countrie (of santa helena) but 60. leagues distant toward the north, of the townes called otapales and olagatanos, where we vnderstand that there are mines of gold, siluer, and copper. by which reckoning these rich mines are in the latitude of 35. degrees and an halfe. chap. 15. i desire you likewise to take knowledge of the famous golden prouince of chisca, stretching further to the north, whereof the cacique of coste gaue notice to ferdinando de soto in the towne of chiaha, affirming, that there were mines of copper, and of another mettall of the same colour, saue that it was finer, and of a farre more perfect lustre, and farre better in sight, and that they vsed it not so much, because it was softer. and the selfsame thing was before told the gouernour in cutifachiqui: who sent two christians from chiaha with certaine indians which knew the countrie of chisca, and the language thereof, to view it, and to make report of that which they should find. chap. 23. we likewise reade not long after, that the gouernour set forward to seeke a prouince called pacaha, which hee was informed to bee neere vnto chisca where the indians told him, that there was gold. chap. 24. and in another place hee saith: that from pacaha hee sent thirtie horsemen and fiftie footmen to the prouince of calu?a, to see if from thence he might trauell to chisca, where the indians said, there was a worke of gold and copper. so that here is fours times mention, and that in sundrie places, of the rich and famous golden mines of chisca, and that they lie beyond the mountaines toward the north, ouer which they were not able to trauell for the roughnes thereof. but what neede i to stand vpon forren testimonies, since master thomas heriot, a man of much iudgement in these causes, signified vnto you all, at your late solemne meeting at the house of the right honourable the earle of exeter, how to the southwest of our old fort in virginia, the indians often informed him, that there was a great melting of red mettall, reporting the manner in working of the same. besides, our owne indians haue lately reuealed either this or another rich mine of copper or gold in a towne called ritanoe, neere certaine mountaines lying west of roanoac.
chap. 14. another very gainfull commoditie is, the huge quantitie of excellent perles, and little babies and birds made of them; that were found in cutifachiqui. the abundance whereof is reported to be such, that if they would haue searched diuers graues in townes thereabout, they might haue laded many of their horses. neither are the turkie stones and cotton wooll found at guasco to be forgotten, nor passed ouer in silence.
but that, which i make no small account of, is, the multitude of oxen, which, from the beginning of the 16. to the end of the 26. chapter, are nine seuerall times made mention of, and that along from chiaha, coste, pacaha, coligoa, and tulla, still toward the north, to wit, toward vs, there was such store of them, that they could keepe no corne for them: and that the indians liued vpon their flesh. the haire of these oxen is likewise said to be like a soft wooll, betweene the course and fine wooll of sheepe: and that they vse them for couerlets, because they are very soft and woolled like sheep: and not so onely, but they make bootes, shooes, targets and other things necessarie of the same. besides the former benefits, their young ones may be framed to the yoke, for carting and tillage of our ground. and i am in good hope, that ere it be long we shall haue notice of their being neerer vs, by that which i reade in the italian relation of cabe?a de vaca, the first finder of them; which writeth, that they spread themselues within the countrie aboue foure hundred leagues. moreouer, vasquez de coronado, and long after him, antonio de espejo (whose voiages are at large in my third volume) trauelled many leagues among these herds of oxen, and found them from 33. degrees ranging very farre to the north and northeast.
a fourth chiefe commoditie wee may account to be the great number of mulberrie trees, apt to feede silke-wormes to make silke: whereof there was such plentie in many places, that, though they found some hempe in the countrie, the spaniards made ropes of the barks of them for their brigandines, when they were to put to sea for noua hispania.
a fifth is the excellent and perfect colours, as blacke, white, greene, yellow, and red, and the materials to dye withall, so often spoken of in this discourse: among which i haue some hope to bring you to the knowledge of the rich graine of cochonillio, so much esteemed, and of so great price. i speake nothing of the seuerall sorts of passing good grapes for wine and raisons.
chap. 31 and 32. neither is it the least benefit, that they found salt made by the indians at cayas, and in two places of the prouince of aguacay: the manner also how the inhabitants make it, is very well worth the obseruation.
chap. 31 and 32. one of the chiefest of all the rest may be the notice of the south sea, leading vs to iapan and china, which i finde here twice to be spoken of. whereof long since i haue written a discourse, which i thinke not fit to be made ouer common.
for closing vp this point, the distances of places, the qualities of the soiles, the situations of the regions, the diuersities and goodnesse of the fruits, the seuerall sorts of beasts, the varietie of fowles, the difference betweene the inhabitants of the mountaines and the plaines, and the riches of the inland in comparison of the sea coast, are iudicially set downe in the conclusion of this booke, whereunto for mine owne ease i referre you.
to come to the second generall head, which in the beginning i proposed, concerning the manners and dispositions of the inhabitants: among other things, i finde them here noted to be very eloquent and well spoken, as the short orations, interpreted by iohn ortiz, which liued twelue yeeres among them, make sufficient proofe. and the author, which was a gentleman of eluas in portugall, emploied in all the action, whose name is not set downe, speaking of the cacique of tulla, saith, that aswell this cacique, as the others, and all those which came to the gouernour on their behalfe, deliuered their message or speech in so good order, that no oratour could vtter the same more eloquently. but for all their faire and cunning speeches, they are not ouermuch to be trusted: for they be the greatest traitors of the world, as their manifold most craftie contriued and bloody treasons, here set down at large, doe euidently proue. they be also as vnconstant as the wethercock, and most readie to take all occasions of aduantages to doe mischiefe. they are great liars and dissemblers; for which faults often times they had their deserued paiments. and many times they gaue good testimonie of their great valour and resolution. to handle them gently, while gentle courses may be found to serue, it will be without comparison the best: but if gentle polishing will not serue, then we shall not want hammerours and rough masons enow, i meane our old soldiours trained vp in the netherlands, to square and prepare them to our preachers hands. to conclude, i trust by your honours and worships wise instructions to the noble gouernour, the worthy experimented lieutenant and admirall, and other chiefe managers of the businesse, all things shall be so prudently carried, that the painfull preachers shall be reuerenced and cherished, the valiant and forward soldiour respected, the diligent rewarded, the coward emboldened, the weake and sick relieued, the mutinous suppressed, the reputation of the christians among the saluages preserued, our most holy faith exalted, all paganisme and idolatrie by little and little vtterly extinguished. and her reposing and resting my selfe vpon this sweete hope, i cease, beseeching the almightie to blesse this good work in your hands to the honour and glorie of his most holy name, to the inlargement of the dominions of his sacred majestie, and to the generall good of all the worthie aduenturers and vndertakers. from my lodging in the colledge of westminster this 15. of aprill, 1609.
by one publikely and anciently deuoted to gods seruice, and all yours in this so good action, richard hakluyt.
