Malacca some time back; this man was a perfect master of the Spanish
language, and, with the assistance of one of the islanders of Subuth
as interpreter, who knew the language of the Moluccas, our men managed
all their communications. This slave had been present at the battle of
Mauthan, and had received some slight wounds in it. For which reason
he lay all day long nursing himself. Serrano, who could manage nothing
without him, spoke to him very harshly, and told him that he had not
ceased to be a slave and bondsman because Magellan was dead, but that
the yoke of slavery would be heavier, and that he would be severely
flogged unless he did the services required of him more zealously.
This slave conceived an intense hatred of us from these words; but,
concealing his anger, he went a few days after to the Chief of Subuth,
and told him that the greed of the Spaniards was insatiable, that they
had resolved and determined, after they had conquered the King of
Mauthan, to make a quarrel with him and take him away prisoner, and
there was no other remedy possible than to anticipate their treachery
by treachery. The savage believed it all. He made peace secretly with
the King of Mauthan and the others, and they plotted our destruction.
Serrano, the commander, with all the rest of his officers, who were
about twenty-seven in number, were invited to a solemn banquet. They,
suspecting no evil—for the savages had cunningly dissimulated in
everything—land, careless and unsuspecting, as men who were going to
dine with the chief would do. Whilst they were feasting they were set
upon by those who had been placed in ambush. Shouts were raised on all
sides, and news flew to the ships that our men were murdered, and that
everything on the island was hostile to us. Our men see from the ships
that the beautiful cross which they had hoisted on a tree was hurled to
the ground, and kicked to pieces by the savages with great fury. But
the remaining Spaniards, who had stopped on board, when they knew of
their comrades’ murder, feared some still greater treachery. Wherefore,
when they had weighed anchor, they begin to set sail quickly. Shortly
after, Serrano was brought down to the shore bound most cruelly, and
he begged them to redeem him from so harsh a captivity. He said he had
prevailed upon them to permit his being ransomed, if our men would only
do it.
Though our men thought it shameful to leave their commander in
this way, yet, fearing fraud and treachery, they put out to sea,
leaving Serrano on the shore, weeping bitterly, and imploring the
help and assistance of his fellow-countrymen with great and grievous
lamentation. The Spaniards sailed along, sad and anxious, having lost
their commander and their shipmates, not only alarmed by their loss and
by the slaughter of their mates, but because their number was reduced
so low that it was quite insufficient for the management of three
ships. Wherefore they hold a council, and, having taken the votes, they
agree that there was nothing better to do than to burn some one of the
three ships, and keep only two.
So they go to an island near, Cohol[444] by name, and transfer the
equipment to the other two ships, and burn the third. Then they sailed
to the island called Gibeth. Though they found that it was rich in
gold and ginger and many other things, yet they thought it better not
to stay there long, because they could not, by any kindness, attract
the Indians to them. And their scantiness of number prevented their
fighting. Thence they went to the island Porne (Borneo). There are two
great and rich islands in this archipelago, one of which was called
Siloli, the king of which had six hundred children; and the other Porne.
Siloli was greater than the one called Porne. For it takes nearly
six months to sail round it, but Porne only three. But just so much
as the former is larger, so much is the latter better situated as
regards fertility of soil, and more famed also for the size of a city
of the same name as itself. And, as Porne must be considered of more
importance than any of the other islands which they had examined, and
seemed to be the source whence the others received their good customs
and civilization (cultum vitæ), I have resolved to touch, in a few
words, upon the customs and laws of these peoples. All these islanders
are Caphræ, that is, heathen, and worship the sun and moon. They
ascribe the rule of the day to the sun, but that of the night to the
moon; the former they call male, and the latter female; and them, too,
they call the parents of the stars, which they deem to be all gods,
though small ones. They salute the rising sun with certain hymns before
they worship it. This they do also to the moon, when it shines at
night, to whom they pray for children, and fruitful increase of cattle,
and abundant fruits of the earth, and other things of that sort.
But they practise justice and piety, and specially do they love peace
and quiet, but war they greatly detest, and they honour their king as
a god whilst he is bent upon peace. But if he be too desirous of war,
they rest not till he has fallen by the hand of the enemy in battle.
Whenever he has determined to wage war, which is rarely done, he is
placed by his subjects in the vanguard, where he is compelled to bear
the whole onslaught of the enemy. Nor do they fight against the enemy
with any spirit until they know that their king is dead; then, first do
they begin to fight for their liberty and for their future king, nor
has there ever been seen among them a king who began a war who has not
died in battle. Wherefore they rarely wage war, and think it unjust to
extend their territories; but the special care of all is not wantonly
to attack either the neighbouring or the distant peoples. But if at any
time they are attacked, they meet force by force (par pari referunt).
But lest the mischief should spread farther they look immediately to
making peace. There can be nothing more honourable among them than
to be the first to ask for peace, nor more disgraceful than to be
anticipated in asking for it, and they think it shameful and hateful to
refuse it to anyone, even if he had attacked them without provocation.
And all the neighbouring people unite against the one (who refuses
peace) for his destruction, as against a cruel and impious man. Whence
it happens that they almost always enjoy quiet and repose. There is no
robbery among them, and no murder. No one but his wives and children
may speak to the king, except by means of canes, which they place to
his ear from a distance, and whisper what they wish through them. They
say that man, after his death, has no feeling, as he had none before
his birth. They have small houses, built of logs and of earth, partly
roofed with rubble, and partly with palm leaves. [Ædes habent exiles ex
lignis & terra constructas, partim rudere, partim palmatis frondibus
coopertas.] It is, though, quite certain that in Porne there are twenty
thousand houses. They marry as many wives as they can afford, and live
on food, which bird-fowling or fishing supplies them with. They make
bread of rice, and a drink which drops from the severed branches of the
palm, as we said before.
Some carry on traffic in the neighbouring islands, to which they go
in junks; some devote themselves to hunting; some to fishing; and
others to agriculture. They have dresses of cotton, and almost all the
animals that we have, except the sheep, the ox, and the ass; but their
horses are very small and feeble. The produce of camphor, of ginger,
and of cinnamon, is great among them. Thence our men, having saluted
this king, and heaped him with presents, directed their course to the
Moluccas, which had been pointed out to them by the same king. They
came to the shores of the island of Solo, where they heard that there
were pearls as big as dove’s eggs, and sometimes as hen’s eggs, but
which can only be fished up from the very deepest sea. Our men brought
no large pearl, because the season of the year did not allow of the
fishery. But they testify that they had taken an oyster in that region,
the flesh of which weighed forty-seven pounds. For which reason I could
easily believe that pearls of that great size are found there; for it
is clearly proved that pearls are the product of shell-fish. And to
omit nothing, our men constantly affirm that the islanders of Porne
told them that the king wore in his crown two pearls of the size of a
goose’s egg. Hence they went to the island of Gilo, where they saw men
with ears so long and pendulous, that they reached to their shoulders.
When our men were mightily astonished at this, they learnt from the
natives that there was another island not far off where the men had
ears not only pendulous, but so long and broad, that one of them would
cover the whole head, if they wanted it (cum ex usu esset). But our
men, who sought not monsters but spices, neglecting this nonsense, went
straight to the Moluccas, and they discovered them eight months after
their admiral, Magellan, had fallen in Mauthan. The islands are five in
number, and are called Tarante, Muthil, Thidore, Mare, and Matthien:
some on this side, some on the other, and some upon the equinoctial
line.
One produces cloves, another nutmegs, and another cinnamon. All are
near to each other, but small and rather narrow.
The kings (of?) Marmin began to believe that souls were immortal a
few years ago, induced by no other argument than that they saw that
a certain most beautiful small bird never rested upon the ground nor
upon anything that grew upon it; but they sometimes saw it fall dead
upon the ground from the sky. And as the Mahometans, who travelled to
those parts for commercial purposes, told them that this bird was born
in Paradise, and that Paradise was the abode of the souls of those who
had died, these kings (reguli) embraced the sect of Mahomet, because
it promised wonderful things concerning this abode of souls. But they
call the bird Mamuco Diata, and they hold it in such reverence and
religious esteem, that they believe that by it their kings are safe
in war, even though they, according to custom, are placed in the fore
front of battle. The common folk are Caphræ, and of almost the same
manners and laws as the islanders of Porne; they are rather poor, as
would be likely with people in whose land nothing grows except spices.
These they willingly barter for poisons, namely, arsenic and what is
commonly called sublimate of mercury, and for linens, in which they
generally are dressed; but for what purpose they use these poisons,
we have not yet found out. They live on sago bread and fish, and
sometimes on parrots, and they shelter in low huts. What need of many
words. Everything there is humble, and of no value, but peace, quiet,
and spices. The best and noblest of which, and the greatest good
possible, namely, peace, seems to have been driven by men’s wickedness
from our world to theirs. But avarice and the insatiable greed of the
belly, have driven us to seek for spices in their unknown world. (Adeo
hominum protervia salubria quaeque haud longius satis nequet protudere
neque quæ luxus et libidinis appetere.) But, our men having carefully
inspected the position of the Moluccas and of each separate island, and
also having inquired about the habits of the kings, went to Thedori,
because they learnt that in that island the supply of cloves was far
above that of the others, and that its king also surpassed the other
kings in wisdom and humanity. So, having prepared their gifts, they
land, and salute the king, and they offer the presents as if they had
been sent by Cæsar. He, having received the presents kindly, looks up
to heaven, and says: “I have known now for two years from the course of
the stars, that you were coming to seek these lands, sent by the most
mighty King of Kings. Wherefore your coming is the more pleasant and
grateful to me, as I had been forewarned of it by the signification of
the stars.”
And, as I know that nothing ever happens to any man which has not been
fixed long before by the decree of fate and the stars, I will not be
the one to attempt to withstand either the fates or the signification
of the stars, but willingly and of good cheer, will henceforth
lay aside the royal pomp and will consider myself as managing the
administration of this island only in the name of your king. Wherefore
draw your ships into port, and order the rest of your comrades to land;
so that now at last, after such a long tossing upon the seas, and so
many dangers, you may enjoy the pleasures of the land and refresh your
bodies. And think not but that you have arrived at your king’s kingdom.
Having said this, the king, laying aside his crown, embraced them one
by one, and ordered whatever food that land afforded to be brought.
Our men being overjoyed at this, returned to their comrades, and told
them what had happened. They, pleased above measure with the friendly
behaviour and kindness of the king, take possession of the island.
And when their health was completely restored, in a few days, by the
king’s munificence, they send envoys to the other kings, to examine
the wealth of the islands, and to conciliate the other kings. Tarante
was the nearest, and also the smallest, of the islands; for it has a
circumference of a little more than six Italian miles. Mathien is next
to it, and it, too, is small. These three produce a great quantity of
cloves, but more every fourth year than the other three. These trees
only grow on steep rocks, and that so thickly as frequently to form a
grove. This tree is very like a laurel (or bay tree) in leaf, closeness
of growth, and height; and the gariophile which they call clove from
its likeness (to a nail, clavus) grows on the tip of each separate
twig. First a bud, and then a flower, just like the orange flower is
produced.
The pointed part of the clove is fixed at the extreme end of the
branch, and then growing slightly longer, it forms a spike. It is at
first red, but soon gets black by the heat of the sun. The natives keep
the plantations of these trees separate, as we do our vines. They bury
the cloves in pits till they are taken away by the traders.
Muthil, the fourth island, is not larger than the rest, and it
produces cinnamon. The tree is full of shoots, and in other respects
barren; it delights in dryness, and is very like the tree which bears
pomegranates. The bark of this splits under the influence of the sun’s
heat, and is stripped off the wood; and, after drying a little in the
sun, it is cinnamon. Near to this is another island, called Bada,[445]
larger and more ample than the Moluccas. In this grows the nutmeg, the
tree of which is tall and spreading, and is rather like the walnut
tree, and its nut, too, grows like the walnut; for it is protected
by a double husk, at first like a furry calix, and under this a thin
membrane, which embraces the nut like network. This is called the
Muscat flower with us, but by the Spaniards mace, and is a noble and
wholesome spice. The other covering is a woody shell, like that of
hazel-nut, and in that, as we have already said, is the nutmeg. Ginger
grows here and there in each of the islands of the archipelago. It
sometimes grows by sowing, and sometimes spontaneously; but that which
is sown is the more valuable. Its grass is like that of the saffron,
and its root is almost the same too, and that is ginger. Our men were
kindly treated by the chiefs in turn, and they, too, submitted freely
to the rule of Cæsar, like the King of Thidori. But the Spaniards, who
had but two ships, resolved to bring some of each (spice) home, but to
load the ships with cloves, because the crop of that was most abundant
that year, and our ships could contain a greater quantity of this kind
of spice. Having, therefore, loaded the ships with cloves, and having
received letters and presents for Cæsar from the kings, they make ready
for their departure. The letters were full of submission and respect.
The gifts were Indian swords, and things of that sort. But, best of
all, the Mamuco Diata; that is, the Bird of God, by which they believe
themselves to be safe and invincible in battle. Of which five were
sent, and one I obtained from the captain (con gran prieghi), which
I send to your reverence, not that your reverence may think yourself
safe from treachery and the sword by means of it, as they profess to
do, but that you may be pleased by its rareness and beauty. I send also
some cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves, to show that our spices are not
only not worse, but more valuable than those which the Venetians and
Portuguese bring, because they are fresher. When our men had set sail
from Thedori, one of the ships, and that the larger one, having sprung
a leak, began to make water, so that it became necessary to put back
to Thedori. When the Spaniards saw that this mischief could not be
remedied without great labour and much time, they agreed that the other
ship should sail to the Cape of Cattigara, and afterwards through the
deep as far as possible from the coast of India, lest it should be seen
by the Portuguese, and until they saw the Promontory of Africa, which
projects beyond the Tropic of Capricorn, and to which the Portuguese
have given the name of Good Hope; and from that point the passage to
Spain would be easy. But as soon as the other ship was refitted, it
should direct its course through the archipelago, and that vast ocean
towards the shores of the continent which we mentioned before, till it
found that coast which was in the neighbourhood of Darien, and where
the southern sea was separated from the western, in which are the
Spanish Islands, by a very narrow space of land. So the ship sailed
again from Thedori, and, having gone twelve degrees on the other side
of the equinoctial line, they did not find the Cape of Cattigara, which
Ptolemy supposed to extend even beyond the equinoctial line; but when
they had traversed an immense space of sea, they came to the Cape of
Good Hope and afterwards to the Islands of the Hesperides. And, as
this ship let in water, being much knocked about by this long voyage,
the sailors, many of whom had died by hardships by land and by sea,
could not clear the ship of the water. Wherefore they landed upon one
of the islands, which is named after Saint James, to buy slaves. But
as our men had no money, they offered, sailor fashion, cloves for the
slaves. This matter having come to the ears of the Portuguese who were
in command of the island, thirteen of our men were thrown into prison.
The rest were eighteen in number. Frightened by the strangeness of this
behaviour, they started straight for Spain, leaving their shipmates
behind them. And so, in the sixteenth month after leaving Thedori, they
arrived safe and sound on the sixth of September, at the port near
Hispalis (Seville). Worthier, indeed, are our sailors of eternal fame
than the Argonauts who sailed with Jason to Colchis. And much more
worthy was their ship of being placed among the stars than that old
Argo; for that only sailed from Greece through Pontus, but ours from
Hispalis to the south; and after that, through the whole west and the
southern hemisphere, penetrating into the east, and again returned to
the west.
I commend myself most humbly to your Reverence. Given at Vallisoleti,
on the 23rd of October, 1522.
Your most Reverend and Illustrious Lordship’s
Most humble and constant servant,
+Maximilianus Transylvanus+.
* * * * *
(Printed at) Cologne, in the house of Eucharius Cervicornus, in the
year of the Virgin’s Child, 1523, in the month of January.
EXTRACTS FROM
A DERROTERO OR LOG-BOOK
OF THE VOYAGE OF FERNANDO DE MAGALLANES IN
SEARCH OF THE STRAIT, FROM THE CAPE
OF ST. AUGUSTIN. FRANCISCO ALBO, 1519.
_Copied from the Original in “Simancas en un legajo suelto”.
Additional MS., British Museum, 17, 621.
(Published by Navarrete.)_
Tuesday, 29th day of November, I began to take the altitude of the sun
whilst following the said voyage; and whilst in the vicinity of Cape
St. Augustine, and in 7° altitude on the S. side, and at a distance
from the said cape a matter of 27 leagues to S.W. Wednesday, 30th of
said month, I took the sun in 76°, and its declination was 22° 59′, and
its polar altitude was 8° 59′, and the course was S.S.W.
On the 1st December, Thursday, the sun had 78° meridian altitude, and
23° 4′ declination, and our distance (from the equator) 11° 4′, and the
course was S.S.W.
Friday, the 2nd of the said month, I took the sun in barely 80°, and
its declination was 23° 3′, the altitude was just 13°, and the course
S.S.W.
Saturday, the 3rd of the said month, I took the sun in 82° 15′, which
had 23° 13′ declination, and our distance was 14° 58′, and the course
was S.S.W.
Sunday, the 4th of the said month, the sun had 83° altitude, and 23°
17′ declination; and our distance came to be 16° 17′, and the course
was S.S.W.
Monday, 5th of the said month, I took the sun in barely 84°, and it had
23° 21′ declination; and our distance to the South came to be 17° 13′,
and the course was S.S.W. ¼ W.
Tuesday, 6th of the said month, the sun had 85° meridian altitude, and
23° 25′ declination; and the height to the S. Pole came to be 18° 25′;
the course was S.W. ¼ S.
Wednesday, 7th of the said month, I took the sun in 86° 30′, and it had
23° 29′ declination; our distance from the line came 18° 57′, and the
course was to W.S.W.
Thursday, 8th of the said month, I took the sun in 86° 30′, and it had
23° 29′ declination; and so our altitude came to be 19° 59′, and the
course was S.W., and we sounded here, and found bottom at 10 fathoms;
and this day we saw land, flat beaches, and it was the day of the
Conception of our Lady.
Friday, 9th of the said month (December), I took the sun in 88°, and
its declination was 23° 31′; and our distance from the equinoctial line
towards the South part came to be 21° 31′, and the course was S.S.W.,
and we arose in the morning to the right of St. Thomas, on a great
mountain, and south slopes along the coast in the S.S.W. direction;
and on this coast, at 4 leagues to sea, we found bottom at 25 fathoms,
free from shoals; and the mountains are separated one from another,
and have many reefs round them; and in Brazil and St. Thomas there are
many rivers and ports; and going along the coast 6 leagues there are
many shoals 2 leagues out to sea, and there is a depth of 12 fathoms on
them, and 10, and 8; but the coast runs N.E. and S.W. to Cape Frio, and
there are many islands and rivers.
At Cape Frio there is a very large river, and to the N.E., at three
leagues distance, there is the peak of a high mountain and three
islands; and the cape is in 23°, and at the said cape there are three
islands, and you leave them outside. Passing the said cape there is
a large bay, and at its entrance there is a low island, and the bay
within is very large, with many ports; it extends two leagues from the
mouth, and it is called Bay of St. Lucy; and if you wish to pass the
island, you leave it on the left hand, and (the entrance) is narrow;
but there is a depth of 7 fathoms, and a foul bottom; but outside
there is a depth of 20 to 25 fathoms, and within, where there is
anchorage, there are 18 fathoms. In this bay there are good people,
and plenty of them, and they go naked, and barter with fish-hooks,
and looking-glasses, and little bells, for victuals. There is a good
deal of brazil wood, and this bay is in 23°, and we entered here the
day of St. Lucy, and remained till the day of St. John, which is the
27th of the month of December; and we set sail the same day, and went
to W.S.W., and found seven islets, and to the right of them there is
a bay, and it is called the Bay of Kings; it has a good entrance, and
in this neighbourhood, on the 31st of the month, I took the sun in 86°
45′, and its declination was 22° 8′, and our latitude came to be 25°
23′.
Sunday, 1st of January of the year 1520, I took the sun in 84°, and it
had 21° 23′ declination; and the altitude from the pole came to be 27°
29´; and on the days after the first day we went to S.W., and the other
to W. and the fourth day to S.W. ¼ S. Thursday, the 5th, the sun was in
85° 30′ of altitude, and 23° 19′ of declination; so that our distance
from the line came to be 29° 49′, and the course was S.W. ¼ S.
On the 6th, the day of the Kings, the sun was in barely 80°, and had
21° 8′ of declination; and the altitude from the pole came to be 31°,
and the course was S.W.¼ W.
Saturday, the 7th, I took the sun in 78°; it had 20° 56′ of
declination, and our parallel was 32° 56′; the course was to S.W. ¼ S.,
and we went along the coast.
On the 8th I did not take the sun, but we went to S.W. ¼ S., and at
night we sounded and found 50 fathoms; and we altered the course, and
went on the 9th of the said month to W.S.W.; and in the morning we
sounded, and found 15 fathoms, and we went till midday, and saw land,
and there I took the sun in 76°, and it had 20° 31′ of declination; and
at night we anchored in a bottom of 12 fathoms—34° 31′.