is larger than France, Spain, and Italy together. It is one of the
countries which the King of Portugal has conquered [acquired]. Its
inhabitants are not Christians, and adore nothing, but live according
to the usage of nature, rather bestially than otherwise. Some of these
people live a hundred, or a hundred and twenty, or a hundred and forty
years, and more; they go naked, both men and women. Their dwellings
are houses that are rather long, and which they call “boy”; they sleep
upon cotton nets, which they call, in their language, “amache.” These
nets are fastened to large timbers from one end of their house to the
other. They make the fire to warm themselves right under their bed. It
is to be known that in each of these houses, which they call “boy,”
there dwells a family of a hundred persons, who make a great noise. In
this place they have boats, which are made of a tree, all in one piece,
which they call “canoo.” These are not made with iron instruments, for
they have not got any, but with stones, like pebbles, and with these
they plane[164] and dig out these boats. Into these thirty or forty
men enter, and their oars are made like iron shovels: and those who
row these oars are black people, quite naked and shaven, and look like
enemies of hell. The men and women of this said place are well made in
their bodies. They eat the flesh of their enemies, not as good meat,
but because they have adopted this custom. Now this custom arose as
follows: an old woman of this place of Verzin had an only son, who was
killed by his enemies, and, some days afterwards, the friends of this
woman captured one of the said enemies who had put her son to death,
and brought him to where she was. Immediately the said old woman,
seeing the man who was captured, and recollecting the death of her
child, rushed upon him like a mad dog, and bit him on the shoulder.
However, this man who had been taken prisoner found means to run away,
and told how they had wished to eat him, showing the bite which the
said old woman had made in his shoulder. After that those who were
caught on one side or other were eaten. Through that arose this custom
in this place of eating the enemies of each other. But they do not eat
up the whole body of the man whom they take prisoner; they eat him bit
by bit, and for fear that he should be spoiled, they cut him up into
pieces, which they set to dry in the chimney, and every day they cut a
small piece, and eat it with their ordinary victuals in memory of their
enemies. I was assured that this custom was true by a pilot, named John
Carvagio, who was in our company, and had remained four years in this
place; it is also to be observed that the inhabitants of this place,
both men and women, are accustomed to paint themselves with fire, all
over the body, and also the face. The men are shaven, and wear no
beard, because they pluck it out themselves, and for all clothing they
wear a circle surrounded with the largest feathers of parrots,[165] and
they only cover their posterior parts, which is a cause of laughter and
mockery. The people of this place, almost all, excepting[166] women
and children, have three holes in the lower lip, and carry, hanging
in them, small round stones, about a finger in length. These kind of
people, both men and women, are not very black, but rather brown,[167]
and they openly show their shame, and have no hair on the whole of
their bodies. The king of this country is called Cacich, and there are
here an infinite number of parrots, of which they give eight or ten for
a looking-glass; there are also some little cat-monkeys[168] having
almost the appearance of a lion; they are yellow, and handsome, and
agreeable to look at. The people of this place make bread, which is
of a round shape, and they take the marrow of certain trees which are
there, between the bark and the tree, but it is not at all good, and
resembles fresh cheese. There are also some pigs which have their navel
on the back,[169] and large birds which have their beak like a spoon,
and they have no tongue. For a hatchet or for a knife they used to give
us one or two of their daughters as slaves, but their wives they would
not give up for anything in the world. According to what they say the
women of this place never render duty to their husbands by day, but
only at night; they attend to business out of doors, and carry all that
they require for their husband’s victuals inside small baskets on their
heads, or fastened to their heads. Their husbands go with them, and
carry a bow of vergin,[170] or of black palm, with a handful of arrows
of cane. They do this because they are very jealous of their wives.
These carry their children fastened to their neck, and they are inside
a thing made of cotton in the manner of a net. I omit relating many
other strange things, not to be too prolix; however, I will not forget
to say that mass was said twice on shore, where there were many people
of the said country, who remained on their knees, and their hands
joined in great reverence, during the mass, so that it was a pleasure
and a subject of compassion to see them. In a short time they built a
house for us, as they imagined that we should remain a long time with
them, and, at our departure thence, they gave us a large quantity of
verzin. It is a colour which proceeds from the trees which are in this
country, and they are in such quantity that the country is called from
it Verzin.
It is to be known that it happened that it had not rained for two
months before we came there, and the day that we arrived it began
to rain, on which account the people of the said place said that we
came from heaven, and had brought the rain with us, which was great
simplicity, and these people were easily converted to the Christian
faith. Besides the above-mentioned things which were rather simple,
the people of this country showed us another, very simple; for they
imagined that the small ships’ boats were the children of the ships,
and that the said ships brought them forth when the boats were hoisted
out to send the men hither and thither; and when the boats were
alongside the ship they thought that the ships were giving them suck.
A beautiful young girl came one day inside the ship of our captain,
where I was, and did not come except to seek for her luck: however,
she directed her looks to the cabin of the master, and saw a nail of a
finger’s length, *and went and took it as something valuable and new,
and hid it in her hair, for otherwise she would not have been able to
conceal[171] it, because she was naked,* and, bending forwards, she
went away; and the captain and I saw this mystery.[172]
+Some Words of this People of Verzin.+
_Milan Edition._
Millet Au mil Maize.
Flour Farine Huy.
A hook Ung haim Pinda.
A knife Ung coutteau Taesse Tarse.
A comb Ung peigne Chignap Chipag.
A fork Une forcette Pirame.
A bell Une sonnette Itemnaraca Hanmaraca.
Good, more than good Bon, plus que bon tum maraghatom.
We remained thirteen days in this country of Verzin, and, departing
from it and following our course, we went as far as thirty-four degrees
and a third towards the antarctic pole; there we found, near a river,
men whom they call “cannibals,”[173] who eat human flesh, and one of
these men, great as a giant, came to the captain’s ship to ascertain
and ask if the others might come. This man had a voice like a bull, and
whilst this man was at the ship his companions carried off all their
goods which they had to a castle further off, from fear of us. Seeing
that, we landed a hundred men from the ships, and went after them to
try and catch some others; however they gained in running away. This
kind of people did more with one step than we could do at a bound. In
this same river there were seven little islands, and in the largest
of them precious stones are found. This place was formerly called the
Cape of St. Mary, and it was thought there that from thence there was a
passage to the Sea of Sur; that is to say, the South Sea. And it is not
found that any ship has ever discovered anything more, having passed
beyond the said cape. And now it is no longer a cape, but it is a river
which has a mouth seventeen leagues in width, by which it enters into
the sea. In past time, in this river, these great men named Canibali
ate a Spanish captain, named John de Sola,[174] and sixty men who had
gone to discover land, as we were doing, and trusted too much to them.
Afterwards following the same course towards the Antarctic pole, going
along the land, we found two islands full of geese and goslings, and
sea wolves, of which geese the large number could not be reckoned;
for we loaded all the five ships with them in an hour. These geese
are black, and have their feathers all over the body of the same size
and shape, and they do not fly, and live upon fish; and they were so
fat that they did not pluck them, but skinned them. They have beaks
like that of a crow. The sea wolves of these two islands are of many
colours, and of the size and thickness of a calf, and have a head like
that of a calf, and the ears small and round. They have large teeth,
and have no legs, but feet joining close on to the body, which resemble
a human hand; they have small nails to their feet, and skin between the
fingers like geese. If these animals could run they would be very bad
and cruel, but they do not stir from the water, and swim and live upon
fish. In this place we endured a great storm, and thought we should
have been lost, but the three holy bodies, that is to say, St. Anselmo,
St. Nicolas, and Sta. Clara, appeared to us, and immediately the storm
ceased.
Departing thence as far as forty nine degrees and a half in the
Antarctic heavens (as we were in the winter), we entered into a port
to pass the winter, and remained there two whole months without ever
seeing anybody. However, one day, without anyone expecting it, we
saw a giant, who was on the shore of the sea, quite naked, and was
dancing and leaping, and singing, and whilst singing he put the sand
and dust on his head. Our captain sent one of his men towards him,
whom he charged to sing and leap like the other to reassure him, and
show him friendship. This he did, and immediately the sailor led this
giant to a little island where the captain was waiting for him; and
when he was before us he began to be astonished, and to be afraid, and
he raised one finger on high,[175] thinking that we came from heaven.
He was so tall that the tallest of us only came up to his waist;[176]
however[177] he was well built. He had a large face, painted red all
round, and his eyes also were painted yellow around them, and he had
two hearts painted on his cheeks; he had but little hair on his head,
and it was painted white. When he was brought before the captain he
was clothed with the skin of a certain beast, which skin was very
skilfully sewed. This beast[178] has its head and ears of the size of
a mule, and the neck and body of the fashion of a camel, the legs of a
deer, and the tail like that of a horse, and it neighs like a horse.
There is a great quantity of these animals in this same place. This
giant had his feet covered with the skin of this animal in the form of
shoes, and he carried in his hand a short and thick bow, with a thick
cord made of the gut of the said beast, with a bundle of cane arrows,
which were not very long, and were feathered like ours,[179] but they
had no iron at the end, though they had at the end some small white and
black cut stones, and these arrows were like those which the Turks use.
The captain caused food and drink to be given to this giant, then they
showed him some things, amongst others, a steel mirror. When the giant
saw his likeness in it, he was greatly terrified, leaping backwards,
and made three or four of our men fall down.
After that the captain gave him two bells, a mirror, a comb, and a
chaplet of beads, and sent him back on shore, having him accompanied by
four armed men. One of the companions of this giant, who would never
come to the ship, on seeing the other coming back with our people, came
forward and ran to where the other giants dwelled. These came one after
the other all naked, and began to leap and sing, raising one finger to
heaven, and showing to our people a certain white powder made of the
roots of herbs, which they kept in earthen pots, and they made signs
that they lived on that, and that they had nothing else to eat than
this powder. Therefore our people made them signs to come to the ship
and that they would help them to carry their bundles.[180] Then these
men came, who carried only their bows in their hands; but their wives
came after them laden like donkeys, and carried their goods. These
women are not as tall as the men, but they are very sufficiently large.
When we saw them we were all amazed and astonished, for they had the
breasts half an ell[181] long, and had their faces painted, and were
dressed like the men. But they wore a small skin before them to cover
themselves. They brought with them four of those little beasts of which
they make their clothing, and they led them with a cord in the manner
of dogs coupled together. When these people wish to catch these animals
with which they clothe themselves, they fasten one of the young ones
to a bush, and afterwards the large ones come to play with the little
one, and the giants are hid behind some hedge, and by shooting their
arrows they kill the large ones. Our men brought eighteen of these
giants, both men and women, whom they placed in two divisions, half on
one side of the port, and the other half at the other, to hunt the said
animals. Six days after, our people on going to cut wood, saw another
giant, with his face painted and clothed like the above-mentioned, he
had in his hand a bow and arrows, and approaching our people he made
some touches on his head and then on his body, and afterwards did the
same to our people. And this being done he raised both his hands to
heaven. When the captain-general knew all this, he sent to fetch him
with his ship’s boat, and brought him to one of the little islands
which are in the port, where the ships were. In this island the captain
had caused a house to be made for putting some of the ships’ things in
whilst he remained there. This giant was of a still better disposition
than the others, and was a gracious and amiable person, who liked to
dance and leap. When he leapt he caused the earth to sink in a palm
depth at the place where his feet touched. He was a long time with us,
and at the end we baptised him, and gave him the name of John. This
giant pronounced the name of Jesus, the Pater noster, Ave Maria, and
his name as clearly as we did: but he had a terribly strong and loud
voice. The captain gave him a shirt and a tunic[182] of cloth, and
seaman’s breeches,[183] a cap, a comb, some bells, and other things,
and sent him back to where he had come from. He went away very joyous
and satisfied. The next day this giant returned, and brought one of
those large animals before mentioned, for which the captain gave him
some other things, so that he should bring more. But afterwards he did
not return, and it is to be presumed that the other giants killed him
because he had come to us.
Fifteen days later we saw four other giants, who carried no arrows,
for they had hid them in the bushes, as two of them showed us, for we
took them all four, and each of them was painted in a different way.
The captain retained the two younger ones to take them to Spain on his
return; but it was done by gentle and cunning means, for otherwise
they would have done a hurt to some of our men. The manner in which
he retained them was that he gave them many knives, forks, mirrors,
bells, and glass, and they held all these things in their hands. Then
the captain had some irons brought, such as are put on the feet of
malefactors: these giants took pleasure in seeing the irons, but they
did not know where to put them, and it grieved them that they could not
take them with their hands, because they were hindered by the other
things which they held in them. The other two giants were there, and
were desirous of helping the other two, but the captain would not let
them, and made a sign to the two whom he wished to detain that they
would put those irons on their feet, and then they would go away:
at this they made a sign with their heads that they were content.
Immediately the captain had the irons put on the feet of both of them,
and when they saw that they were striking with a hammer on the bolt
which crosses the said irons to rivet them, and prevent them from
being opened, these giants were afraid, but the captain made them a
sign not to doubt of anything. Nevertheless when they saw the trick
which had been played them, they began to be enraged,[184] and to
foam like bulls, crying out very loud Setebos,[185] that is to say,
the great devil, that he should help them. The hands of the other two
giants were bound, but it was with great difficulty; then the captain
sent them back on shore, with nine of his men to conduct them, and to
bring the wife of one of those who had remained in irons, because he
regretted her greatly, as we saw by signs. But in going away one of
those two who were sent away, untied his hands and escaped, running
with such lightness that our men lost sight of him, and he went away
where his companions were staying; but he found nobody of those that
he had left with the women because they had gone to hunt. However he
went to look for them, and found them, and related to them all that
had been done to them. The other giant whose hands were tied struggled
as much as he could to unfasten himself, and to prevent his doing so,
one of our men struck him, and hurt him on the head, at which he got
very angry; however he led our people there where their wives were.
Then John Cavagio,[186] the pilot who was the chief conductor of these
two giants, would not bring away the wife of one of the giants who had
remained in irons on that evening, but was of opinion that they should
sleep there, because it was almost night. During this time the one of
the giants who had untied his hands came back from where he had been,
with another giant, and they seeing their companion wounded on the
head, said nothing at that moment, but next morning they spoke in their
language to the women, and immediately all ran away together, and the
smallest ran faster than the biggest, and they left all their chattels.
Two of these giants being rather a long way off shot arrows at our men,
and fighting thus, one of the giants pierced with an arrow the thigh
of one of our men, of which he died immediately. Then seeing that he
was dead, all ran away. Our men had cross-bows and guns,[187] but they
never could hit one of these giants, because they did not stand still
in one place, but leaped hither and thither. After that, our men buried
the man who had been killed, and set fire to the place where those
giants had left their chattels. Certainly these giants run faster than
a horse, and they are very jealous of their wives.
When these giants have a stomach-ache, instead of taking medicine they
put down their throats an arrow about two feet long; then they vomit a
green bile[188] mixed with blood: and the reason why they throw up this
green matter is because they sometimes eat thistles. When they have
headaches they make a cut across the forehead, and also on the arms
and legs, to draw blood from several parts of their bodies. One of the
two we had taken, and who was in our ship, said that the blood did not
choose to remain in the place and spot of the body where pain was felt.
These people have their hair cut short and clipped in the manner of
monks with a tonsure: they wear a cord of cotton round their head, to
this they hang their arrows when they go a-hunting....[189]
When one of them dies, ten or twelve devils appear and dance all round
the dead man. It seems that these are painted, and one of these enemies
is taller than the others, and makes a greater noise, and more mirth
than the others: that is whence these people have taken the custom
of painting their faces and bodies, as has been said. The greatest
of these devils is called in their language Setebos, and the others
Cheleule. Besides the above-mentioned things, this one who was in
the ship with us, told us by signs that he had seen devils with two
horns on their heads, and long hair down to their feet, and who threw
out fire from their mouths and rumps. The captain named this kind of
people Pataghom,[190] who have no houses, but have huts made of the
skins of the animals with which they clothe themselves, and go hither
and thither with these huts of theirs, as the gypsies[191] do; they
live on raw meat, and eat a certain sweet root, which they call Capac.
These two giants that we had in the ship ate a large basketful[192] of
biscuit, and rats without skinning them, and they drank half a bucket
of water at each time.
We remained in this port, which was called the port of St. Julian,
about five months, during which there happened to us many strange
things, of which I will tell a part. One was, that immediately that we
entered into this port, the masters of the other four ships plotted
treason against the captain-general, in order to put him to death.
These were thus named: John of Carthagine, conductor[193] of the fleet;
the treasurer, Loys de Mendoza; the conductor,[194] Anthony Cocha; and
Gaspar de Casada.[195] However, the treason was discovered, for which
the treasurer was killed with stabs of a dagger, and then quartered.
This Gaspar de Casada had his head cut off, and afterwards was cut into
quarters; and the conductor having a few days later attempted another
treason, was banished with a priest, and was put in that country called
Pattagonia.[196] The captain-general would not put this conductor to
death, because the Emperor Charles had made him captain of one of the
ships. One of our ships, named St. James, was lost in going to discover
the coast; all the men, however, were saved by a miracle, for they
were hardly wet at all. Two men of these, who were saved, came to us
and told us all that had passed and happened, on which the captain at
once sent some men with sacks full of biscuit for two months. So, each
day we found something of the ship of the other men who had escaped
from the ship which was lost; and the place where these men were was
twenty-five leagues from us, and the road bad and full of thorns,
and it required four days to go there, and no water to drink was to
be found on the road, but only ice, and of that little. In this port
of St Julian there were a great quantity of long capres,[197] called
Missiglione; these had pearls in the midst. In this place they found
incense, and ostriches, foxes, sparrows, and rabbits[198] a good deal
smaller than ours.[199] We set up at the top of the highest mountain
which was there a very large cross, as a sign that this country
belonged to the King of Spain; and we gave to this mountain the name of
Mount of Christ.
Departing thence, we found in fifty-one degrees less one-third (50°
40′ S.), in the Antarctic, a river of fresh water, which was near
causing us to be lost, from the great winds which it sent out; but
God, of his favour, aided us. We were about two months in this river,
as it supplied fresh water and a kind of fish an ell long, and very
scaly,[200] which is good to eat. Before going away, the captain chose
that all should confess and receive the body of our Lord like good
Christians.
CHAPTER.[201]
After going and taking the course to the fifty-second degree of the
said Antarctic sky, on the day of the Eleven Thousand Virgins [October
21], we found, by a miracle, a strait which we called the Cape of the
Eleven Thousand Virgins, this strait is a hundred and ten leagues long,
which are four hundred and forty miles, and almost as wide as less than
half a league,[202] and it issues in another sea, which is called the
peaceful sea;[203] it is surrounded by very great and high mountains
covered with snow. In this place it was not possible to anchor[204]
with the anchors, because no bottom was found, on which account they
were forced to put the moorings[205] of twenty-five or thirty fathoms
length on shore. This strait was a round place surrounded by mountains,
as I have said, and the greater number of the sailors thought that
there was no place by which to go out thence to enter into the peaceful
sea. But the captain-general said that there was another strait for
going out, and said that he knew it well, because he had seen it by
a marine chart of the King of Portugal, which map had been made by a
great pilot and mariner named Martin of Bohemia.[206] The captain sent
on before two of his ships, one named _St. Anthony_ and the other the
_Conception_, to seek for and discover the outlet of this strait, which
was called the Cape de la Baya. And we, with the other two ships, that
is to say, the flagship named _Trinitate_, and the other the _Victory_,
remained waiting for them within the Bay, where in the night we had
a great storm, which lasted till the next day at midday, and during
which we were forced to weigh the anchors and let the ships go hither
and thither about the bay. The other two ships met with such a head
wind[207] that they could not weather[208] a cape which the bay made
almost at its extremity; wishing to come to us, they were near being
driven to beach the ships.[209] But, on approaching the extremity of
the bay, and whilst expecting to be lost, they saw a small mouth, which
did not resemble a mouth but a corner,[210] and (like people giving
up hope[211]) they threw themselves into it, so that by force they
discovered the strait. Seeing that it was not a corner, but a strait of
land, they went further on and found a bay, then going still further
they found another strait and another bay larger than the first two, at
which, being very joyous, they suddenly returned backwards to tell it
to the captain-general. Amongst us we thought that they had perished:
first, because of the great storm; next, because two days had passed
that we had not seen them. And being thus in doubt[212] we saw the two
ships under all sail, with ensigns spread, come towards us: these, when
near us, suddenly discharged much artillery, at which we, very joyous,
saluted them with artillery and shouts. Afterwards, all together,
thanking God and the Virgin Mary, we went to seek further on.