two mouths, of which one trended to the Sirocco (S.E.), and the
other to the Garbin (S.W.). On that account the captain again sent
the two ships, _St. Anthony_ and _Conception_, to see if the mouth
which was towards Sirocco had an outlet beyond into the said peaceful
sea. One of these two ships, named _St. Anthony_, would not wait for
the other ship, because those who were inside wished to return to
Spain: this they did, and the principal reason was on account of the
pilot[213] of the said ship being previously discontented with the said
captain-general, because that before this armament was made, this pilot
had gone to the Emperor to talk about having some ships to discover
countries. But, on account of the arrival of the captain-general, the
Emperor did not give them to this pilot, on account of which he agreed
with some Spaniards, and the following night they took prisoner the
captain of their ship, who was a brother[214] of the captain-general,
and who was named Alvar de Meschite; they wounded him, and put him in
irons. So they carried him off to Spain. And in this ship, which went
away and returned, was one of the two above-mentioned giants whom we
had taken, and when he felt the heat he died. The other ship, named the
_Conception_, not being able to follow that one, was always waiting
for it, and fluttered hither and thither. But it lost its time, for
the other took the road by night for returning. When this happened,
at night the ship of the captain and the other ship went together to
discover the other mouth to Garbin (S.W.), where, on always holding on
our course, we found the same strait. But at the end[215] we arrived at
a river which we named the River of Sardines, because we found a great
quantity of them. So we remained there four days to wait for the other
two ships. A short time after we sent a boat well supplied with men
and provisions to discover the cape of the other sea: these remained
three days in going and coming. They told us that they had found the
cape, and the sea great and wide. At the joy which the captain-general
had at this he began to cry, and he gave the name of Cape of Desire
to this cape, as a thing which had been much desired for a long time.
Having done that we turned back to find the two ships which were at the
other side, but we only found the _Conception_, of which ship we asked
what had become of her companion. To this the captain of the said ship,
named John Serrano (who was pilot of the first ship which was lost,
as has been related), replied that he knew nothing of her, and that
he had never seen her since she entered the mouth. However, we sought
for her through all the strait, as far as the said mouth, by which
she had taken her course to return. Besides that, the Captain-General
sent back the ship named the _Victory_ as far as the entrance of the
strait to see if the ship was there, and he told the people of this
ship that if they did not find the ship they were looking for, they
were to place an ensign on the summit of a small hill, with a letter
inside a pot placed in the ground near the ensign, so that if the ship
should by chance return, it might see that ensign, and also find the
letter which would give information of the course which the captain was
holding. This manner of acting had been ordained by the captain from
the commencement, in order to effect the junction of any ship which
might be separated from the others. So the people of the said ship did
what the captain had commanded them, and more, for they set two ensigns
with letters; one of the ensigns was placed on a small hill at the
first bay, the other on an islet in the third bay, where there were
many sea wolves and large birds. The captain-general waited for them
with the other ship near the river named Isles: and he caused a cross
to be set upon a small island in front of that river, which was between
high mountains covered with snow. This river comes and falls into the
sea near the other river of the Sardines.
If we had not found this strait the captain-general had made up his
mind to go as far as seventy-five degrees towards the antarctic pole;
where at that height in the summer time there is no night, or very
little: in a similar manner in the winter there is no day-light, or
very little, and so that every one may believe this, when we were in
this strait the night lasted only three hours, and this was in the
month of October.
The land of this strait on the left hand side looked towards the
Sirocco wind, which is the wind collateral to the Levant and South; we
called this strait Pathagonico. In it we found at every half league
a good port and place for anchoring, good waters, wood all of cedar,
and fish like sardines, missiglioni, and a very sweet herb named appio
(celery).[216] There is also some of the same kind which is bitter.
This herb grows near the springs, and from not finding anything else we
ate of it for several days. I think that there is not in the world a
more beautiful country, or better strait than this one. In this ocean
sea one sees a very amusing chase of fish, which are of three sorts, of
an ell or more in length, and they call these fish Dorades, Albacores,
and Bonitos; these follow and pursue another sort of fish which flies,
which they call Colondriny,[217] which are a foot long or more, and are
very good to eat. When these three sorts of fish find in the water any
of these flying fish, immediately they make them come out of the water,
and they fly more than a cross bow-shot, as long as their wings are
wet; and whilst these fishes fly the other three run after them under
the water, seeing the shadow of those that fly: and the moment they
fall into the water they are seized upon and eaten by the others which
pursue them, which is a thing marvellous and agreeable to see.
+Vocables des Geants Pathagoniens.+
_Milan Edition._
Le chef Her...idem.
Yeulx Ather...oter.
Le nez Or...id.
Les silz Occhechl...id.
Paupieres des yeulx Sechechiel...id.
Aux deux narines Orescho...id.
La bouche Xiam...chian.
Les leures Schiane...schiaine.
Les dentz Phor...for.
La langue Schial...id.
Le menton Sechen...secheri.
Les cheueulx[218] Ajchir...archiz.
Le visaige Cogechel.
La gorge Ohumer...ohumez.
La copa[A] (le cou) Schialeschin.
Les epaulles Peles.
Le coude Cotel.
La main Chene.
La paulme de la main Canneghin.
Les oreilles Sane...id.
Les esselles Salischin...id.
La mamelle Othen...oton.
La poitrine Ochy...ochii.
Le corps Gechel.
Le vit Scachet...sachet.
Le couillons Scancos...sachancos.
Le con Isse...id.
Le foutre Johoi.
Les cuisses Chiaue...id.
Le genouil Tepin...id.
Le cul Schiachen...schiaguen.
Les fesses Hoy...hoii.
Le braz Mar...riaz.
Le poulse Ohoy...holion.
Les jambes Choss...id.
Les piedz Teche...ti.
Alcalcagno[218] There...tire.
La cheuille du pied Perchi...id.
Le doit Cori...id.
Les ongles Colim...colmi.
Le cueur Chol...tol.
Le grater Ghecare...id.
Homo sguerzo[218] Calischen...id.
Au jeune Calemi...id.
L’eau Oli...holi.
Le feu Ghialeme...gialeme.
La fumée Jaiche...giache.
La fortune (storm) Ohone...id.
Le poisson Hoi...id.
Le manger Mecchiere...id.
Une escuelle Elo...etlo.
A combatre Oamaghei...ohomagse.
Alle frezze[218] Sethe...seche.
Ung chien Holl...id.
Ung loup Ani...id.
A aller loing Schien.
A la guide Anti.
Aladorer[219] Os...id.
Ung papegault[220] Cheche.
La caige doyseau Cleo...id.
Al missiglion[218] Siameni...id.
(oyster)
Drap rouge Terechai...id.
Al cocinare[218] Ixecoles...irocoles.
La ceincture Cathechin...id.
Une oye Chache...cache.
La plante ou Cartschem...caotchoni.
sole du pied
Nous Chen.
Si ou ouy Rei.
L’or Pelpeli...id.
Petre lazure[221] Secheghi...sechey.
Le soleil Calexchem...id.
Les estoilles Settere...id.
La mer Aro...id.
Le vent Om...oni.
A la pignate[218] Aschame...id.
A demander Ghelhe...gheglie.
Vien icy Haisi...hai.
Au regarder Conne...id.
A aller Rhei...id.
A la nef[222] Theu...id.
A courir[223] Hiam...tiam.
Al struzzo Hoihoi.
vcelo[218][224]
A ses œufs[225] Jan.
La pouldre Qui.
d’herbe[225]
Mangent[226] Capac...id.
Le bonnet Aichel...id.
Coulernoire Amet...oinel.
Rouge Theiche...faiche.
Jaulne Peperi...id.
Le diable grand Setebos...id.
Les petitz diables Cheleule...id.
[†]
[*: The Italian words mixed up in the French MS. show that this MS.
was written by Pigafetta, and not translated from his Italian.]
[†: None of these words resemble those given by the Jesuit, Falkner,
from the language of the Moluche tribe.]
All these words are pronounced in the throat, because they pronounce
them thus.
These words were given me by that giant whom we had in the ship,
because he asked me for _capac_, that is to say bread, since they thus
name that root which they use for bread, and _oli_ that is to say
water. When he saw me write these names after him, and ask for others
he understood (what I was doing) with my pen in my hand.[227] Another
time I made a cross and kissed it in showing it to him; but suddenly he
exclaimed Setebos! and made signs to me that if I again made the cross
it would enter into my stomach and make me die. When this giant was
unwell[228] he asked for the cross, and embraced and kissed it much,
and he wished to become a Christian before his death, and we named him
Paul. When these people wish to light a fire they take a pointed stick
and rub it with another until they make a fire in the pith of a tree
which is placed between these sticks.
(_In the Milan Edition here begins Book II._)
Wednesday, the twenty-eighth of November, 1520, we came forth out
of the said strait, and entered into the Pacific sea, where we remained
three months and twenty days without taking in provisions or other
refreshments, and we only ate old biscuit reduced to powder, and full
of grubs, and stinking from the dirt which the rats had made on it
when eating the good biscuit, and we drank water that was yellow and
stinking. We also ate the ox hides which were under the main-yard,[229]
so that the yard should not break the rigging:[230] they were very
hard on account of the sun, rain, and wind, and we left them for four
or five days in the sea, and then we put them a little on the embers,
and so ate them; also the sawdust of wood,[231] and rats which cost
half-a-crown[232] each, moreover enough of them were not to be got.
Besides the above-named evils, this misfortune which I will mention
was the worst, it was that the upper and lower gums of most of our
men grew so much[233] that they could not eat, and in this way so
many suffered, that nineteen died, and the other giant, and an Indian
from the county of Verzin. Besides those who died, twenty-five or
thirty fell ill of divers sicknesses, both in the arms and legs, and
other places, in such manner that very few remained healthy. However,
thanks be to the Lord, I had no sickness. During those three months
and twenty days we went in an open sea,[234] while we ran fully four
thousand leagues in the Pacific sea. This was well named Pacific, for
during this same time we met with no storm, and saw no land except two
small uninhabited islands, in which we found only birds and trees. We
named them the Unfortunate Islands; they are two hundred leagues apart
from one another, and there is no place to anchor, as there is no
bottom. There we saw many sharks, which are a kind of large fish which
they call Tiburoni. The first isle is in fifteen degrees of austral
latitude,[235] and the other island is in nine degrees. With the said
wind we ran each day fifty or sixty leagues,[236] or more; now with the
wind astern, sometimes on a wind[237] or otherwise. And if our Lord
and his Mother had not aided us in giving us good weather to refresh
ourselves with provisions and other things, we should all have died of
hunger in this very vast sea, and I think that never man will undertake
to perform such a voyage.
[Illustration: +Pigafetta’s Map of Magellan’s Straits.+]
When we had gone out of this strait, if we had always navigated to the
west we should have gone[238] without finding any land except the Cape
of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, which is the eastern head of the strait
in the ocean sea, with the Cape of Desire at the west in the Pacific
sea. These two capes are exactly in fifty-two degrees of latitude of
the antarctic pole.
The antarctic pole is not so covered with stars as the arctic, for
there are to be seen there many small stars congregated together,
which are like to two clouds a little separated from one another, and
a little dimmed,[239] in the midst of which are two stars, not very
large, nor very brilliant, and they move but little:[240] these two
stars are the antarctic pole. Our compass needle still pointed a little
to its arctic pole; nevertheless it had not as much power as on its
own side and region.[241] Yet when we were in the open sea,[242] the
captain-general[243] asked of all the pilots, whilst still going under
sail, in what direction they were navigating and pointing the charts.
They all replied, by the course he had given, punctually [pricked in];
then he answered, that they were pointing falsely (which was so), and
that it was fitting to arrange the needle of navigation, because it
did not receive so much force as in its own quarter. When we were in
the middle of this open sea we saw a cross of five stars, very bright,
straight, in the west, and they are straight one with another.[244]
During this time of two months and twelve days we navigated between
west and north-west (maestral), and a quarter west of north-west, and
also north-west, until we came to the equinoctial line, which was at
[a point] one hundred and twenty-two degrees distant from the line
of repartition. This line of delimitation is thirty degrees distant
from the meridian,[245] and the meridian[246] is three degrees distant
from the Cape Verd towards the east.[247] In going by this course we
passed near two very rich islands; one is in twenty degrees latitude
in the antarctic pole, and is called Cipanghu; the other, in fifteen
degrees of the same pole, is named Sumbdit Pradit. After we had passed
the equinoctial line we navigated between west, and north-west and a
quarter west, by north-west. Afterwards we made two hundred leagues to
westwards, then changed the course to a quarter of south-west, until
in thirteen degrees north latitude, in order to approach the land of
Cape Gaticara,[248] which cape (under correction of those who have made
cosmography), (for they have never seen it), is not placed where they
think, but is towards the north, in twelve degrees or thereabouts.
After having navigated sixty leagues[249] by the said course, in
twelve degrees latitude, and a hundred and forty-six of longitude,
on Wednesday, the 6th of March, we discovered a small island in the
north-west direction,[250] and two others lying to the south-west.
One of these islands was larger and higher than the other two. The
captain-general wished to touch at the largest of these three islands
to get refreshments of provisions; but it was not possible because the
people of these islands entered into the ships and robbed us, in such
a way that it was impossible to preserve oneself from them. Whilst we
were striking and lowering the sails to go ashore, they stole away
with much address and diligence the small boat called the skiff, which
was made fast to the poop of the captain’s ship, at which he was much
irritated, and went on shore with forty armed men, burned forty or
fifty houses, with several small boats, and killed seven men of the
island; they recovered their skiff. After this we set sail suddenly,
following the same course. Before we went ashore some of our sick men
begged us that if we killed man or woman, that we should bring them
their entrails, as they would see themselves suddenly cured.
CHAPTER.
It must be known that when we wounded any of this kind of people with
our arrows, which entered inside their bodies, they looked at the
arrow, and then drew it forth with much astonishment, and immediately
afterwards they died.[251] Immediately after we sailed from that
island, following our course, and those people seeing that we were
going away followed us for a league, with a hundred small boats, or
more, and they approached our ships, showing to us fish, and feigning
to give it to us. But they threw stones at us, and then ran away, and
in their flight they passed with their little boats between the boat
which is towed at the poop and the ship going under full sail; but they
did this so quickly, and with such skill that it was a wonder. And
we saw some of these women, who cried out and tore their hair, and I
believe[252] that it was for the love of those whom we had killed.
CHAPTER.
These people live in liberty and according to their will, for they
have no lord or superior; they go quite naked, and some of them wear
beards, and have their hair down to the waist. They wear small hats,
after the fashion of the Albanians; these hats are made of palm leaves.
The people are as tall as us, and well made: they adore nothing,
and when they are born they are white, later they become brown, and
have their teeth black and red. The women also go naked, except that
they cover their nature with a thin bark, pliable like paper, which
grows between the tree and the bark of the palm. They are beautiful
and delicate, and whiter than the men, and have their hair loose and
flowing, very black and long, down to the earth. They do not go to work
in the fields, nor stir from their houses, making cloth and baskets of
palm leaves. Their provisions are certain fruits named Cochi, Battate;
there are birds, figs a palm long,[253] sweet canes, and flying fish.
The women anoint their bodies and their hair with oil of cocho and
giongioli (sesame). Their houses are constructed of wood, covered with
planks, with fig leaves, which are two ells in length: they have only
one floor: their rooms and beds are furnished with mats,[254] which
we call matting,[255] which are made of palm leaves, and are very
beautiful, and they lie down on palm straw, which is soft and fine.
These people have no arms, but use sticks,[256] which have a fish bone
at the end. They are poor, but ingenious, and great thieves, and for
the sake of that we called these three islands the Ladrone Islands. The
pastime of the men and the women of this place, and their diversion,
is to go with their little boats to catch those fish which fly, with
hooks made of fish bones. The pattern of their small boats is painted
here-after, they are like the fuseleres,[257] but narrower. Some of
them black and white, and others red. On the opposite side to the sail,
they have a large piece of wood, pointed above, with poles across,
which are in the water, in order to go more securely under sail: their
sails are of palm leaves, sewed together, and of the shape of a lateen
sail, fore and aft. They have certain shovels like hearth shovels,[258]
and there is no difference between the poop and the prow in these
boats, and they are like dolphins bounding from wave to wave. These
thieves thought, according to the signs they made, that there were no
other men in the world besides them.
Saturday, the 16th of March, 1521, we arrived at daybreak in sight of
a high island, three hundred leagues distant from the before-mentioned
Thieves’ island. This isle is named Zamal.[259] The next day the
captain-general wished to land at another uninhabited island near the
first,[260] to be in greater security and to take water, also to repose
there a few days. He set up there two tents on shore for the sick, and
had a sow[261] killed for them.
Monday, the 18th of March, after dinner, we saw a boat come towards
us with nine men in it: upon which the captain-general ordered
that no one should move or speak without his permission.[262] When
these people had come into this island towards us, immediately the
principal[263] one amongst them went towards the captain-general with
demonstrations of being very joyous at our arrival. Five of the most
showy[264] of them remained with us, the others who remained with the
boat went to call some men who were fishing, and afterwards all of
them came together.[265] The captain seeing that these people were
reasonable,[266] ordered food and drink to be given them, and he gave
them some red caps, looking glasses, combs, bells, ivory, and other
things. When these people saw the politeness of the captain, they
presented some fish, and a vessel of palm wine, which they call in
their language Uraca;[267] figs more than a foot[268] long, and others
smaller and of a better savour, and two cochos.[269] At that time they
had nothing to give him, and they made signs to us with their hands
that in four days they would bring us Umai, which is rice, cocos, and
many other victuals.
To explain the kind of fruits above-named it must be known that the
one which they call cochi, is the fruit which the palm trees bear. And
as we have bread, wine, oil, and vinegar, proceeding from different
kinds, so these people have those things proceeding from these palm
trees only. It must be said that wine proceeds from the said palm
trees in the following manner. They make a hole at the summit of the
tree as far as its heart, which is named palmito, from which a liquor
comes out in drops down the tree, like white must, which is sweet, but
with somewhat of bitter.[270] They have canes as thick as the leg, in
which they draw off this liquor, and they fasten them to the tree from
the evening till next morning, and from the morning to the evening,
because this liquor comes little by little. This palm produces a fruit
named cocho, which is as large as the head, or thereabouts: its first
husk is green, and two fingers in thickness, in it they find certain
threads, with which they make the cords for fastening their boats.
Under this husk there is another very hard, and thicker than that
of a walnut. They burn this second rind, and make with it a powder
which is useful to them. Under this rind there is a white marrow of a
finger’s thickness, which they eat fresh with meat and fish, as we do
bread, and it has the taste of an almond, and if anyone dried it[271]
he might make bread of it. From the middle of this marrow there comes
out a clear sweet water, and very cordial, which, when it has rested
a little, and settled, congeals and becomes like an apple.[272] When
they wish to make oil they take this fruit, the coco, and let it get
rotten, and they corrupt this marrow in the water, then they boil it,
and it becomes oil in the manner[273] of butter. When they want to make
vinegar, they let the water in the cocoa-nut get bad, and they put it
in the sun, when it turns to vinegar like white wine. From this fruit
milk also can be made, as we experienced, for we scraped this marrow
and then put it with its water, and passed it through a cloth, and
thus it was milk like that of goats. This kind of palm tree is like
the date-palm,[274] but not so rugged. Two of these trees can maintain
a family of ten persons: but they do not draw wine as above-mentioned
always from one tree, but draw from one for eight days, and from the
other as long. For if they did not, otherwise the trees would dry up.
In this manner they last a hundred years.[275]
These people became very familiar and friendly with us, and explained
many things to us in their language, and told us the names of some
islands which we saw with our eyes before us. *The island where they
dwelt is called Zuluam, and it is not large.*[276] As they were
sufficiently agreeable and conversible we had great pleasure with
them. The captain seeing that they were of this good condition, to do
them greater honour conducted them to the ship, and showed them all
his goods, that is to say, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg,
mace,[277] gold, and all that was in the ship. He also had some shots
fired with his artillery, at which they were so much afraid that they
wished to jump from the ship into the sea. They made signs that the
things which the captain had shown them grew there where we were going.
When they wished to leave us they took leave of the captain and of us
with very good manners and gracefulness, promising us to come back to
see us. The island we were at was named Humunu; nevertheless because we
found there two springs of very fresh water we named it the Watering
Place of good signs,[278] and because we found here the first signs of
gold. There is much white coral to be found here, and large trees which
bear fruit smaller than an almond, and which are like pines. There were
also many palm trees both good and bad. In this place there were many
circumjacent islands, on which account we named them the archipelago
of St. Lazarus, because we stayed there on the day and feast of St.
Lazarus. This region and archipelago is in ten degrees north latitude,
and a hundred and sixty-one degrees longitude from the line of
demarcation.
Friday, the 22nd of March, the above-mentioned people, who had
promised us to return, came about midday, with two boats laden with the
said fruit cochi, sweet oranges, a vessel of palm wine, and a cock, to
give us to understand that they had poultry in their country, so that
we bought all that they brought. The lord of these people was old,
and had his face painted, and had gold rings suspended to his ears,
which they name Schione,[279] and the others had many bracelets and
rings of gold on their arms, with a wrapper of linen round their head.
We remained at this place eight days: the captain went there every
day to see his sick men, whom he had placed on this island to refresh
them: and he gave them himself every day the water of this said fruit
the cocho, which comforted them much. Near this isle is another where
there are a kind of people who wear holes[280] in their ears so large
that they can pass their arms through them; these people are Caphre,
that is to say, Gentiles, and they go naked, except that round their
middles they wear cloth made of the bark of trees. But there are some
of the more remarkable of them who wear cotton stuff, and at the end
of it there is some work of silk done with a needle. These people are
tawny,[281] fat, and painted, and they anoint themselves with the
oil of coco nuts and sesame,[282] to preserve them from the sun and
the wind. Their hair is very black and long, reaching to the waist,
and they carry small daggers and knives, ornamented with gold, and
many other things, such as darts,[283] harpoons, and nets to fish,
like...,[284] and their boats are like ours.
The Monday of Passion week, the 25th of March, and feast of our Lady,
in the afternoon, and being ready to depart from this place, I went to
the side of our ship to fish, and putting my feet on a spar to go down
to the store room,[285] my feet slipped, because it had rained, and I
fell into the sea without any one seeing me, and being near drowning
by luck I found at my left hand the sheet of the large sail which was
in the sea, I caught hold of it and began to cry out till they came to
help and pick me up with the boat. I was assisted not by my merits,
but by the mercy and grace of the fountain of pity. That same day we
took the course between west and southwest,[286] and passed amidst four
small islands, that is to say, Cenalo, Huinanghar, Ibusson, and Abarien.