_Of the bignesse of the kingdome of Mexico, and of
some particular and notable things that are in it._
[Sidenote: The kingdome of Mexico.]
[Sidenote: New 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 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).
[Sidenote: Peru.]
[Sidenote: Nombre de Dios.]
[Sidenote: Acapulco.]
[Sidenote: Panama.]
[Sidenote: The Straites of Magellanes.]
This kingdome towards the orient dooth ioyne vnto the country of Peru,
and so running by the north sea, and reacheth vnto Nombre de Dios, which
is a port of the saide kingdome, and from thence vnto Acapulco, which is
a port in the kingdome of Mexico: and in the south sea it reacheth vnto
Panama, a port of the said Peru; and in the same sea 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.
[Sidenote: It rayneth almost euery day.]
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 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.
[Sidenote: The best horses in all the world.]
[Sidenote: An infinite number of siluer mines.]
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 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 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.
[Sidenote: An universitie in Mexico.]
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 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.
[Sidenote: A strange kind of tree.]
There is great aboundance of many sorts of fruites, some of them very
different from those which are gathered in our Europa, and the most part
of them: but amongst all notable things which are to be considered off
in that kingdome (which are manie), one of them is a plant called
maguay, and an ordinarie thing in all those prouinces and townes, of the
which they make so many things for the seruice and vtilitie of them that
do dwel therin, that it is hard to be beleeued of them that haue not
seene it (although in al places you haue many witnesses to it). They
take out of this plant wine, which is that which the Indians doo drinke
ordinarily, and the negros: also excellent good vinegar, honie, a kinde
of thride or yarne, wherewith they doo make mantels to apparel the
naturals, and for to sow the same apparell: the leafe haue certaine
pricks whereof they do make needels wherewith they sow their apparel,
their shooes, and slippers. The leaues of that plaint, ouer and aboue
that they are medicinal, they do serue to couer there in the place of
tyles, and being dipped in the water, they make thereof a certaine thing
like hempe which serueth for many thinges, and make thereof repaue; and
the trunke of this plant is so bigge and strong, that it serueth for
ioystes and beames whereon they doo build their houses, which commonly
is couered with strawe, or else with brode leaues of trees, as is that
of this plant.[56] All this, although it seemeth much, yet in respect it
is nothing considering the great profite that is made of this plant: as
shalbe declared vnto you when we come to intreat of the Ilands
Philippinas, where as there is great aboundance of them, as I refer it
vnto the iudgment of the reader.
[56] This is evidently a palm, and probably the mocaya, macauba, or
macaw-tree.