_Of the Iland of Santo Domingo, called Hispaniola, and
of their properties._
[Sidenote: The Iland Hispaniola or Santo Domingo.]
[Sidenote: Mightie riuers in Spain.]
[Sidenote: A peece of virgin gold so bigge as a twopennie wheaten loaf.]
[Sidenote: Cannafistola.]
[Sidenote: Gold and pearles.]
[Sidenote: Bread of a roote called Casaue.]
The Iland Hispaniola, which by an other name is called 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 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
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 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 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
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.
[Sidenote: Of three millions of men not two hundred left.]
[Sidenote: Tiburones.]
In this ilande (as saith the reuerende bishop of Chiapa in 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 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.