_The fashion of their ships, as well of those that passe the seas,
as of those that doo roade riuers, which are manie and great: and
howe they doo prouide themselues of fish for all the yeare._
There is in this kingdome a great number of shippes and barkes, with the
which they sayle all a long their coastes, and vnto ilandes neere hande,
and into their riuers, the which doo runne cleane through the most part
of all their prouinces: and there dwelleth so much people vpon these
riuers in shippes and barkes, that it seemeth to be some great citie;
there is so many of them that they do esteeme that there is almost as
many people that dwell vpon the water as vpon the lande.
They make them slightly and with small cost, for they haue in all partes
of this countrie great aboundance of tymber, iron, and other thinges
necessarie for this vse: but in especiall a kinde of glew, wherewith
they doo dawbe and trimme their shippes, that is much more tougher and
stronger then the pitch which wee vse, which after it is layde on,
sticketh fast and maketh their shipping as harde as stones; the
aboundance whereof, and the great number of ship-wrightes, and againe
for that there is not on the lande roome enough for the people to
inhabite, being so many in number, causeth them to build so great a
number of shippes and barkes. They vse their shippes and barkes of many
fashions, euery one hath his proper name. Such ships as they haue to
saile long voiages be called Iuncos, but for the warre they make huge
and mightie vessels, with high castles, both on the prowe and sterne,
much after the fashion of them that come out of the Easterne Seas, and
vnto those with which the Portingales sayle into the East India. They
haue these in so great number, yt a generall may ioine together in 4
dayes an armie of more than 600. Those which they do commonly vse for
burden and to lade, are much after ye same fashion and greatnes, and
smal difference there is betweene them, but that they are lower both
before and at the sterne. There is an other sort of lesser vessels, and
are much like vnto pinases, and haue foure great ores on ech side,
whereat row sixe men at euery ore and foure at the least. These are
excellent good to rowe in and out ouer their bard hauens, or into any
place where is litle water: they do call them Bancoens. There is an
other sort that is more brode than these, which they call Lanteas, and
carie eight ores on a side, with sixe men at euerie ore. Of these two
last sorts of vessels pirates and rouers at the sea do commonly vse (for
in those seas there be very many), for that they be very nimble to fly
and to giue assalt as occasion doth serue. They haue an other sort of
vessels yt are long, like vnto a galley, but more square, being very
brode and neede little water: they do vse them likewise to transport
merchandise from one place to an other: they are swift and run vp the
riuers with smal force of the armes. Many other sorts of barks they
haue, besides the aforesaid, some with galleries and windows painted and
gylt, but chiefely those which the uiceroyes and gouernours doo make for
their recreation. Of those sortes of shipping afore sayd, which they
call Iuncos, the king hath in al his prouinces great armies, and in them
souldiers with their captaines to defend the coastes, that as well all
ships of their owne countrie, as those that doo come from other places
to traficke with them, may goe and come in safetie, and not bee spoyled
and robbed of the roauers that be there abouts. In the riuers there are
pynases well equipped appointed for the same purpose. And the king doth
out of his rentes pay all these ordinarie souldiers, and that with great
liberalitie.
The pitch wherewith they doo trimme their shippes (as we haue sayde) is
founde in that kingdome in great aboundance; it is called in their
language Iapez, and is made of lyme, oyle of fish, and a paste which
they call Vname:[131] it is verie strong and suffereth no wormes, which
is the occasion that one of their shippes dooth twise out last one of
ours: yet dooth it hinder much their sayling. The pumpes which they haue
in their shippes are much differing from ours, and are farre better:
thay make them of many peeces, with a wheele to draw water, which wheele
is set along the shippes sides within, wherewith they do easily clense
their shippes, for that one man alone going in the wheele, doth in a
quarter of an houre cleanse a great shippe, although she leake verie
much.
Many men be borne and brought vp in these shippes and barkes (as is
aforesayde), and neuer in all their liues haue beene on lande, and doo
knowe none other occupation wherewith to liue, but that which they doo
inherite of their fathers, which is, to goe in one of these shippes or
barkes, carrying and recarrying of merchandise from place to place, or
to ferrie people ouer the riuers. They haue in them their wiues and
their children, and haue like neighborhood amongst them on the riuers as
in their cities and townes, of whom they stand in little need, for they
do bring vp within their ships all things necessarie for their
sustenance, as hens, duckes, pigeons, and other foules good to be eaten:
and if they do lacke any thing, they haue it in victualing houses and
shops, which they haue amongst them on the same riuers in great
abundance: and of other superfluous thinges such as may bee founde in a
citie, they are well furnished: as of many sorts of silkes, amber, and
muske, and other things more curious then needefull. They haue also in
their shippes, pots with little orange trees and other fruits, and
gardins with flowers, and other herbes for their recreation, and in the
wide shippes pooles of water, wherein they haue great store of fish
aliue, and yet doo dayly fishe for more with nettes. This kingdome is
the best prouided of fish of any that is knowen, by reason of the great
number of these barkes, as also because they haue many fisher men at sea
and in the riuers, that continually fish with nettes and other engines
for the same purpose: and doo carrie the same fishe (in infinite number)
aliue into their pooles fiue hundreth leagues vp into the lande by the
riuers, which they doo with great ease in shifting the water euerie day,
and doo feede them with thinges fit for the nature of the fish.
The chiefe and principallest time of fishing in this countrie, is in
three monethes of the yeare, which is Februarie, March, and Aprill, at
such times as are the spring tides, which do bring the fish out of the
mayne sea into the riuers, and there they do spawne and leaue their
young: then these fisher men, who doo liue by that facultie, doo take
them and put them into their pondes, and feede and nourish them in the
ships till they come to bignesse to be solde.
Unto these fishermen repayre many barkes from diuerse partes of the
countrie to buye their fishe, and doo bringe with them wicker baskets
lyned with a certaine thicke paper for that purpose, and annoynted with
oyle, so that the water can not goe out: wherein they doo put their
fish, and do shift them euerie day, and feede them as aforesaide. All
people doo buye of this fish, although they bee verie small and leane,
and doo put them in their pondes which euerie one hath in his house (as
common vse in all that countrie is), whereas in a small time they waxe
great, fitte to be eaten. They doo feede them with a paste made of cowes
doung, buffes doung, and pigins doong.
Likewise they doo throwe of these small fishes into the mootes of their
cities, which is the occasion that they are so full of fish. But all
that breede in them do appertaine vnto the gouernors or iudges of the
cities, so that none without their expresse commandement dare fish for
them. These gouernors and iudges doo vse much to recreate themselues
vppon the riuers, and haue for the same purpose barkes made close, and
chambers in them verie curiously wrought, with windowes and galleries
likewise hanged with rich clothes, and many other thinges for their
contentment and pleasure.