|
Amerigo Vespucci (1452-1512) |
|
Amerigo Vespucci (born in Florence in 1452), whose name was given
to the American continents by Waldsmuller in 1507, worked in Seville (where
he died) in the business house which fitted out Columbus' second expedition.
Here he gives an account of the first of his own four voyages. If his
claims are accurate he reached the mainland of the Americas shortly before
Cabot, and at least 14 months before Columbus. Letter of Amerigo Vespucci To Pier Soderini, Gonfalonier of the Republic of Florence Magnificent Lord. After humble reverence and due commendations, etc.
It may be that your Magnificence will be surprised by (this conjunction
of) my rashness and your customary wisdom, in that I should so absurdly
bestir myself to write to your Magnificence the present so-prolix letter:
knowing (as I do) that your Magnificence is continually employed in high
councils and affairs concerning the good government of this sublime Republic.
And will hold me not only presumptuous, but also idlymeddlesome in setting
myself to write things, neither suitable to your station, nor entertaining,
and written in barbarous style, and outside of every canon of polite literature:
but my confidence which I have in your virtues and in the truth of my
writing, which are things (that) are not found written neither by the
ancients nor by modern writers, as your Magnificence will in the sequel
perceive, makes me bold. The chief cause which moved (me) to write to
you, was at the request of the present bearer, who is named Benvenuto
Benvenuti our Florentine (fellow-citizen), very much, as it is proven,
your Magnificence's servant, and my very good friend: who happening to
be here in this city of Lisbon, begged that I should make communication
to your Magnificence of the things seen by me in divers regions of the
world, by virtue of four voyages which I have made in discovery of new
lands: two by order of the king of Castile, King Don Ferrando VI, across
the great gulf of the Ocean-sea, towards the west: and the other two by
command of the puissant King Don Manuel King of Portugal, towards the
south; telling me that your Magnificence would take pleasure thereof,
and that herein he hoped to do you service: wherefore I set me to do it:
because I am assured that your Magnificence holds me in the number of
your servants, remembering that in the time of our youth I was your friend,
and now (am your) servant: and (remembering our) going to hear the rudiments
of grammar under the fair example and instruction of the venerable monk
friar of Saint Mark Fra Giorgio Antonio Vespucci: whose counsels and teaching
would to God that I had followed: for as saith Petrarch, I should be another
man than what I am. Howbeit soever I grieve not: because I have ever taken
delight in worthy matters: and although these trifles of mine may not
be suitable to your virtues, I will say to you as said Pliny to Maecenas,
you were sometime wont to take pleasure in my prattlings: even though
your Magnificence be continuously busied in public affairs, you will take
some hour of relaxation to consume a little time in frivolous or amusing
things: and as fennel is customarily given atop of delicious viands to
fit them for better digestion, so may you, for a relief from your so heavy
occupations, order this letter of mine to be read: so that they may withdraw
you somewhat from the continual anxiety and assiduous reflection upon
public affairs: and if I shall be prolix, I crave pardon, my Magnificent
Lord. Your Magnificence shall know that the motive of my coming into his
realm of Spain was to traffic in merchandise: and that I pursued this
intent about four years: during which I saw and knew the inconstant shiftings
of Fortune: and how she kept changing those frail and transitory benefits:
and how at one time she holds man on the summit of the wheel, and at another
time drives him back from her, and despoils him of what may be called
his borrowed riches: so that, knowing the continuous toil which main undergoes
to win them, submitting himself to so many anxieties and risks, I resolved
to abandon trade, and to fix my aim upon something more praiseworthy and
stable: whence it was that I made preparation for going to see part of
the world and its wonders: and herefor the time and place presented themselves
most opportunely to me: which was that the King Don Ferrando of Castile
being about to despatch four ships to discover new lands towards the west,
I was chosen by his Highness to go in that fleet to aid in making discovery:
and we set out from the port of Cadiz on the 10th day of May 1497, and
took our route through the great gulf of the Ocean-sea: in which voyage
we were eighteen months (engaged): and discovered much continental land
and innumerable islands, and great part of them inhabited: whereas there
is no mention made by the ancient writers of them: I believe, because
they had no knowledge thereof: for, if I remember well, I have read in
some one (of those writers) that he considered that this Ocean-sea was
an unpeopled sea: and of this opinion was Dante our poet in the xxvi.
chapter of the Inferno, where he feigns the death of Ulysses, in which
voyage I beheld things of great wondrousness, as your Magnificence shall
understand. As I said above, we left the port of Cadiz four consort ships:
and began our voyage in direct course to the Fortunates Isles which are
called to-day la gran Canaria, which are situated in the Ocean-sea at
the extremity of the inhabited west, (and) set in the third climate: over
which the North Pole has an elevation of 27 and a half degrees beyond
their horizon [note 1: That is, which are situate at 27 1/2
degrees north latitude.] and they are 280 leagues distant from this city
of Lisbon, by the wind between mezzo di and libeccio. [note 2: South-south-west.
It is to be remarked that Vespucci always uses the word wind to signify
the course in which it blows, not the quarter from which it rises.] where
we remained eight days, taking in provision of water, and wood and other
necessary things: and from here, having said our prayers, we weighed anchor,
and gave the sails to the wind, beginning our course to westward, taking
one quarter by southwest [note 3: West and a quarter by south-west.]:
and so we sailed on till at the end of 37 days we reached a land which
we deemed to be a continent: which is distant westwardly from the isles
of Canary about a thousand leagues beyond the inhabited region [note
4: This phrase is merely equivalent to a repetition of from the Canaries,
these islands having been already designated the extreme western limit
of inhabited land.] within the torrid zone: for we found the
North Pole at an elevation of 16 degrees above its horizon, [note
5: That is, 16 degrees north latitude.] and (it was) westward, according
to the shewing of our instruments, 75 degrees from the isles of Canary:
whereat we anchored with our ships a league and a half from land; and
we put out our boats freighted with men and arms: we made towards the
land, and before we reached it, had sight of a great number of people
who were going along the shore: by which we were much rejoiced: and we
observed that they were a naked race: they shewed themselves to stand
in fear of us: I believe (it was) because they saw us clothed and of other
appearance (than their own): they all withdrew to a hill, and for whatsoever
signals we made to them of peace and of friendliness, they would not come
to parley with us: so that, as the night was now coming on, and as the
ships were anchored in a dangerous place, being on a rough and shelterless
coast, we decided to remove from there the next day, and to go in search
of some harbour or bay, where we might place our ships in safety: and
we sailed with the maestrale wind, [note 6: North-west] thus
running along the coast with the land ever in sight, continually in our
course observing people along the shore: till after having navigated for
two days, we found a place sufficiently secure for the ships, and anchored
half a league from land, on which we saw a very great number of people:
and this same day we put to land with the boats, and sprang on shore full
40 men in good trim: and still the land's people appeared shy of converse
with us, and we were unable to encourage them so much as to make them
come to speak with us: and this day we laboured so greatly in giving them
of our wares, such as rattles and mirrors, beads, spalline, and other
trifles, that some of them took confidence and came to discourse with
us: and after having made good friends with them, the night coming on,
we took our leave of them and returned to the ships: and the next day
when the dawn appeared we saw that there were infinite numbers of people
upon the beach, and they had their women and children with them: we went,
ashore, and found that they were all laden with their worldly goods [note
7: Mantenimenti. The word "all" (tucte) is feminine, and probably
refers only to the women.] which are suchlike as, in its (proper) place,
shall be related: and before we reached the land, many of them jumped
into the sea and came swimming to receive us at a bowshot's length (from
the shore), for they are very great swimmers, with as much confidence
as if they had for a long time been acquainted with us: and we were pleased
with this their confidence. For so much as we learned of their manner
of life and customs, it was that they go entirely naked, as well the men
as the women. . . . They are of medium stature, very well proportioned:
their flesh is of a colour the verges into red like a lion's mane: and
I believe that if they went clothed, they would be as white as we: they
have not any hair upon the body, except the hair of the head which is
long and black, and especially in the women, whom it renders handsome:
in aspect they are not very good-looking, because they have broad faces,
so that they would seem Tartar-like: they let no hair grow on their eyebrows,
nor on their eyelids, nor elsewhere, except the hair of the head: for
they hold hairiness to be a filthy thing: they are very light footed in
walking and in running, as well the men as the women: so that a woman
recks nothing of running a league or two, as many times we saw them do:
and herein they have a very great advantage over us Christians: they swim
(with an expertness) beyond all belief, and the women better than the
men: for we have many times found and seen them swimming two leagues out
at sea without anything to rest upon. Their arms are bows and arrows very
well made, save that (the arrows) are not (tipped) with iron nor any other
kind of hard metal: and instead of iron they put animals' or fishes' teeth,
or a spike of tough wood, with the point hardened by fire: they are sure
marksmen, for they hit whatever they aim at: and in some places the women
use these bows: they have other weapons, such as fire-hardened spears,
and also clubs with knobs, beautifully carved. Warfare is used amongst
them, which they carry on against people not of their own language, very
cruelly, without granting life to any one, except (to reserve him) for
greater suffering. When they go to war, they take their women with them,
not that these may fight, but because they carry behind them their worldly
goods, for a woman carries on her back for thirty or forty leagues a load
which no man could bear: as we have many times seen them do. They are
not accustomed to have any Captain, nor do they go in any ordered array,
for every one is lord of himself: and the cause of their wars is not for
lust of dominion, nor of extending their frontiers, no for inordinate
covetousness, but for some ancient enmity which in by-gone times arose
amongst them: and when asked why they made war, they knew not any other
reason to give than that they did so to avenge the death of their ancestors,
or of their parents: these people have neither King, nor Lord, nor do
they yield obedience to any one, for they live in their own liberty: and
how they be stirred up to go to war is (this) that when the enemies have
slain or captured any of them, his oldest kinsman rises up and goes about
the highways haranguing them to go with him and avenge the death of such
his kinsman: and so are they stirred up by fellow-feeling: they have no
judicial system, nor do they punish the ill-doer: nor does the father,
nor the mother chastise the children and marvelously (seldom) or never
did we see any dispute among them: in their conversation they appear simple,
and they are very cunning and acute in that which concerns them: they
speak little and in a low tone: they use the same articulations as we,
since they form their utterances either with the palate, or with the teeth,
or on the lips: [note 8: He means that they have no sounds in their language
unknown to European organs of speech, all being either palatals or dentals
of labials.] except that they give different names to things. Many are
the varieties of tongues: for in every 100 leagues we found a change of
language, so that they are not understandable each to the other. The manner
of their living is very barbarous, for they do not eat at certain hours,
and as often-times as they will: and it is not much of a boon to them
[note 9: I have translated "et non si da loro molto" as
"it is not much of a boon to them,." but may be "it matters
not much to them."] that the will may come more at midnight than
by day, for they eat at all hours: and they eat upon the ground without
a table-cloth or any other cover, for they have their meats either in
earthen basins which they make themselves, or in the halves of pumpkins:
they sleep in certain very large nettings made of cotton, suspended in
the air: and although this their (fashion of) sleeping may seem uncomfortable,
I say that it is sweet to sleep in those (nettings): and we slept better
in them than in the counterpanes. They are a people smooth and clean of
body, because of so continually washing themselves as they do. . . Amongst those people we did not learn that they had any law, nor can
they be called Moors nor Jews, and (they are) worse than pagans: because
we did not observe that they offered any sacrifice: nor even had they
a house of prayer: their manner of living I judge to be Epicurean: their
dwellings are in common: and their houses (are) made in the style of huts,
but strongly made, and constructed with very large trees, and covered
over with palm-leaves, secure against storms and winds: and in some places
(they are) of so great breadth and length, that in one single house we
found there were 600 souls: and we saw a village of only thirteen houses
where there were four thousand souls: every eight or ten years they change
their habitations: and when asked why they did so: (they said it was)
because of the soil which, from its filthiness, was already unhealthy
and corrupted, and that it bred aches in their bodies, which seemed to
us a good reason: their riches consist of bird's plumes of many colours,
or of rosaries which they make from fishbones, or of white or green stones
which they put in their cheeks and in their lips and ears, and of many
other things which we in no wise value: they use no trade, they neither
buy nor sell. In fine, they live and are contended with that which nature
gives them. The wealth that we enjoy in this our Europe and elsewhere,
such as gold, jewels, pearls, and other riches, they hold as nothing;
and although they have them in their own lands, they do not labour to
obtain them, nor do they value them. They are liberal in giving, for it
is rarely they deny you anything: and on the other hand, liberal in asking,
when they shew themselves your friends. . . . When they die, they use divers manners of obsequies, and some they bury
with water and victuals at their heads: thinking that they shall have
(whereof) to eat: they have not nor do they use ceremonies of torches
nor of lamentation. In some other places, they use the most barbarous
and inhuman burial, which is that when a suffering or infirm (person)
is as it were at the last pass of death, his kinsmen carry him into a
large forest, and attach one of those nets, of theirs, in which they sleep,
to two trees, and then put him in it, and dance around him for a whole
day: and when the night comes on they place at his bolster, water with
other victuals, so that he may be able to subsist for four or six days:
and then they leave him alone and return to the village: and if the sick
man helps himself, and eats, and drinks, and survives, he returns to the
village, and his (friends) receive him with ceremony: but few are they
who escape: without receiving any further visit they die, and that is
their sepulture: and they have many other customs which for prolixity
are not related. They use in their sicknesses various forms of medicines,
[note 10: That is, "medical treatment."] so different from ours
that we marvelled how any one escaped: for many times I saw that with
a man sick of fever, when it heightened upon him, they bathed him from
head to foot with a large quantity of cold water: then they lit a great
fire around him, making him turn and turn again every two hours, until
they tired him and left him to sleep, and many were (thus) cured: with
this they make use of dieting, for they remain three days without eating,
and also of blood-letting, but not from the arm, only from the thighs
and the loins and the calf of the leg: also they provoke vomiting with
their herbs which are put into the mouth: and they use many other remedies
which it would be long to relate: they are much vitiated in the phlegm
and in the blood because of their food which consists chiefly of roots
of herbs, and fruits and fish: they have no seed of wheat nor other grain:
and for their ordinary use and feeding, they have a root of a tree, from
which they make flour, tolerably good, and they call it Iuca, and another
which they call Cazabi, and another Ignami: they eat little flesh except
human flesh: for your Magnificence must know that herein they are so inhuman
that they outdo every custom (even) of beasts; for they eat all their
enemies whom they kill or capture, as well females as males with so much
savagery, that (merely) to relate it appears a horrible thing: how much
more so to see it, as, infinite times and in many places, it was my hap
to see it: and they wondered to hear us say that we did not eat our enemies:
and this your Magnificence may take for certain, that their other barbarous
customs are such that expression is too weak for the reality: and as in
these four voyages I have seen so many things diverse from our customs,
I prepared to write a common-place-book which I name Le quattro Giornate:
in which I have set down the greater part of the things which I saw, sufficiently
in detail, so far as my feeble wit has allowed me: which I have not yet
published, because I have so ill a taste for my own things that I do not
relish those which I have written, notwithstanding that many encourage
me to publish it: therein everything will be seen in detail: so that I
shall not enlarge further in this chapter: as in the course of the letter
we shall come to many other things which are particular: let this suffice
for the general. At this beginning, we saw nothing in the land of much
profit, except some show of gold: I believe the cause of it was that we
did not know the language: but in so far as concerns the situation and
condition of the land, it could not be better: we decided to leave that
place, and to go further on, continuously coasting the shore: upon which
we made frequent descents, and held converse with a great number of people:
and at the end of some days we went into a harbour where we underwent
very great danger: and it pleased the Holy Ghost to save us: and it was
in this wise. We landed in a harbour, where we found a village built like
Venice upon the water: there were about 44 large dwellings in the form
of huts erected upon very thick piles, and they had their doors or entrances
in the style of drawbridges: and from each house one could pass through
all, by means of the drawbridges which stretched from house to house:
and when the people thereof had seen us, they appeared to be afraid of
us, and immediately drew up all the bridges: and while we were looking
at this strange action, we saw coming across the sea about 22 canoes,
which are a kind of boats of theirs, constructed from a single tree: which
came towards our boats, as they had been surprised by our appearance and
clothes, and kept wide of us: and thus remaining, we made signals to them
that they should approach us, encouraging them will every token of friendliness:
and seeing that they did not come, we went to them, and they did not stay
for us, but made to the land, and, by signs, told us to wait, and that
they should soon return: and they went to a hill in the background, and
did not delay long: when they returned, they led with them 16 of their
girls, and entered with these into their canoes, and came to the boats:
and in each boat they put 4 of the girls. That we marvelled at this behavior
your Magnificence can imagine how much, and they placed themselves with
their canoes among our boats, coming to speak with us: insomuch that we
deemed it a mark of friendliness: and while thus engaged, we beheld a
great number of people advance swimming towards us across the sea, who
came from the houses: and as they were drawing near to us without any
apprehension: just then there appeared at the doors of the houses certain
old women, uttering very loud cries and tearing their hair to exhibit
grief: whereby they made us suspicious, and we each betook ourselves to
arms: and instantly the girls whom we had in the boats, threw themselves
into the sea, and the men of the canoes drew away from us, and began with
their bows to shoot arrows at us: and those who were swimming each carried
a lance held, as covertly as they could, beneath the water: so that, recognizing
the treachery, we engaged with them, not merely to defend ourselves, but
to attack them vigorously, and we overturned with our boats many of their
almadie or canoes, for so they call them, we made a slaughter (of them),
and they all flung themselves into the water to swim, leaving their canoes
abandoned, with considerable loss on their side, they went swimming away
to the shore: there died of them about 15 or 20, and many were left wounded:
and of ours 5 were wounded, and all, by the grace of God, escaped (death):
we captured two of the girls and two men: and we proceeded to their houses,
and entered therein, and in them all we found nothing else than two old
women and a sick man: we took away from them many things, but of small
value: and we would not burn their houses, because it seemed to us (as
though that would be) a burden upon our conscience: and we returned to
our boats with five prisoners: and betook ourselves to the ships, and
put a pair of irons on the feet of each of the captives, except the little
girls: and when the night came on, the two girls and one of the men fled
away in the most subtle manner possible: and next day we decided to quit
that harbour and go further onwards: we proceeded continuously skirting
the coast, (until) we had sight of another tribe distant perhaps some
80 leagues from the former tribe: and we found them very different in
speech and customs: we resolved to cast anchor, and went ashore with the
boats, and we saw on the beach a great number of people amounting probably
to 4000 souls: and when we had reached the shore, they did not stay for
us, but betook themselves to flight through the forests, abandoning their
things: we jumped on land, and took a pathway that led to the forest:
and at the distance of a bow-shot we found their tents, where they had
made very large fires, and two (of them) were cooking their victuals,
and roasting several animals, and fish of many kinds: where we saw that
they were roasting a certain animal which seemed to be a serpent, save
that it had not wings, and was in its appearance so loathsome that we
marvelled much at its savageness: Thus went we on through their houses,
or rather tents, and found many of those serpents alive, and they were
tied by the feet and had a cord around their snouts, so that they could
not open their mouths, as is done (in Europe) with mastiff-dogs so that
they may not bite: they were of such savage aspect that none of us dared
to take one away, thinking that they were poisonous: they are of the bigness
of a kid, and in length an ell and a half: [note 11: This animal was the
iguana.] their feet are long and thick, and armed with big claws: they
have a hard skin, and are of various colours: they have the muzzle and
face of a serpent: and from their snouts there rises a crest like a saw
which extends along the middle of the back as far as the tip of the tail:
in fine we deemed them to be serpents and venomous, and (nevertheless,
those people) ate them: we found that they made bread out of little fishes
which they took from the sea, first boiling them, (then) pounding them,
and making thereof a paste, or bread, and they baked them on the embers:
thus did they eat them: we tried it, and found that it was good: they
had so many other kinds of eatables, and especially of fruits and roots,
that it would be a large matter to describe them in detail: and seeing
that the people did not return, we decided not to touch nor take away
anything of theirs, so as better to reassure them: and we left in the
tents for them many of our things, placed where they should see them,
and returned by night to our ships: and the next day, when it was light,
we saw on the beach an infinite number of people: and we landed: and although
they appeared timorous towards us, they took courage nevertheless to hold
converse with us, giving us whatever we asked of them: and shewing themselves
very friendly towards us, they told us that those were their dwellings,
and that they had come hither for the purpose of fishing: and they begged
that we would visit their dwellings and villages, because they desired
to receive us as friends: and they engaged in such friendship because
of the two captured men whom we had with us, as these were their enemies:
insomuch that, in view of such importunity on their part, holding a council,
we determined that 28 of us Christians in good array should go with them,
and in the firm resolve to die if it should be necessary: and after we
had been here some three days, we went with them inland: and at three
leagues from the coast we came to a village of many people and few houses,
for there were no more than nine (of these): where we were received with
such and so many barbarous ceremonies that the pen suffices not to write
them down: for there were dances, and songs, and lamentations mingled
with rejoicing, and great quantities of food: and here we remained the
night: . . . and after having been here that night and half the next day,
so great was the number of people who came wondering to behold us that
they were beyond counting: and the most aged begged us to go with them
to other villages which were further inland, making display of doing us
the greatest honour: wherefore we decided to go: and it would be impossible
to tell you how much honour they did us: and we went to several villages,
so that we were nine days journeying, so that our Christians who had remained
with the ships were already apprehensive concerning us: and when we were
about 18 leagues in the interior of the land, we resolved to return to
the ships: and on our way back, such was the number of people, as well
men as women, that came with us as far as the sea, that it was a wondrous
thing: and if any of us became weary of the march, they carried us in
their nets very refreshingly: and in crossing the rivers, which are many
and very large, they passed us over by skilful means so securely that
we ran no danger whatever, and many of them came laden with the things
which they had given us, which consisted in their sleeping-nets, and very
rich feathers, many bows and arrows, innumerable popinjays of divers colours:
and others brought with them loads of their household goods, and of animals:
but a greater marvel will I tell you, that, when we had to cross a river,
he deemed himself lucky who was able to carry us on his back: and when
we reached the sea, our boats having arrived, we entered into them: and
so great was the struggle which they made to get into our boats, and to
come to see our ships, that we marvelled (thereat): and in our boats we
took as many of them as we could, and made our way to the ships, and so
many (others) came swimming that we found ourselves embarrassed in seeing
so many people in the ships, for there were over a thousand persons all
naked and unarmed: they were amazed by our (nautical) gear and contrivances,
and the size of the ships: and with them there occurred to us a very laughable
affair, which was that we decided to fire off some of our great guns,
and when the explosion took place, most of them through fear cast themselves
(into the sea) to swim, not otherwise than frogs on the margins of a pond,
when they see something that frightens them, will jump into the water,
just so did those people: and those who remained in the ships were so
terrified that we regretted our action: however we reassured them by telling
them that with those arms we slew our enemies: and when they had amused
themselves in the ships the whole day, we told them to go away because
we desired to depart that night, and so separating from us with much friendship
and love, they went away to land. Amongst that people and in their land,
I knew and beheld so many of their customs and ways of living, that I
do not care to enlarge upon them: for Your Magnificence must know that
in each of my voyages I have noted the most wonderful things, and I have
indited it all in a volume after the manner of a geography: and I entitle
it Le Quattro Giornate: in which work the things are comprised in detail,
and as yet there is no copy of it given out, as it is necessary for me
to revise it. This land is very populous, and full of inhabitants, and
of numberless rivers, (and) animals: few (of which) resemble ours, excepting
lions, panthers, stags, pigs, goats, and deer: and even these have some
dissimilarities of form: they have no horses nor mules, nor, saving your
reverence, asses nor dogs, nor any kind of sheep or oxen: but so numerous
are the other animals which they have, and all are savage, and of none
do they make use for their service, that they could not be counted. What
shall we say of others (such as) birds? which are so numerous, and of
so many kinds, and of such various-coloured plumages, that it is a marvel
to behold them. The soil is very pleasant and fruitful, full of immense
woods and forests: and it is always green, for the foliage never drops
off. The fruits are so many that they are numberless and entirely different
from ours. This land is within the torrid zone, close to or just under
the parallel described by the Tropic of Cancer: where the pole of the
horizon has an elevation of 23 degrees, at the extremity of the second
climate. [note 12: That is, 23 degrees north latitude.] Many tribes came
to see us, and wondered at our faces and our whiteness: and they asked
us whence we came: and we gave them to understand that we had come from
heaven, and that we were going to see the world, and they believed it.
In this land we placed baptismal fonts, and an infinite (number of) people
were baptised, and they called us in their language Carabi, which means
men of great wisdom. We took our dhparture from that port: and the province
is called Lariab: and we navigated along the coast, always in sight of
land, until we had run 870 leagues of it, still going in the direction
of the maestrale (north-west) making in our course many halts, and holding
intercourse with many peoples: and in several places we obtained gold
by barter but not much in quantity, for we had done enough in discovering
the land and learning that they had gold. We had now been thirteen months
on the voyage: and the vessels and the tackling were already much damaged,
and the men worn out by fatigue: we decided by general council to haul
our ships on land and examine them for the purpose of stanching leaks,
as they made much water, and of caulking and tarring them afresh, and
(then) returning towards Spain: and when we came to this determination,
we were close to a harbour the best in the world: into which we entered
with our vessels: where we found an immense number of people: who received
us with much friendliness: and on the shore we made a bastion [note
13: Fort or barricade] with our boats and with barrels and casks, and
our artillery, which commanded every point: and our ships having been
unloaded and lightened, we drew them upon land, and repaired them in everything
that was needful: and the land's people gave us very great assistance:
and continually furnished us with their victuals: so that in this port
we tasted little of our own, which suited our game well: for the stock
of provisions which we had for our return-passage was little and of sorry
kind: where (i.e., there) we remained 37 days: and went many times to
their villages: where they paid us the greatest honour: and (now) desiring
to depart upon our voyage, they made complaint to us how at certain times
of the year there came from over the sea to this their land, a race of
people very cruel, and enemies of theirs: and (who) by means of treachery
or of violence slew many of them, and ate them: and some they made captives,
and carried them away to their houses, or country: and how they could
scarcely contrive to defend themselves from them, making signs to us that
(those) were an island-people and lived out in the sea about a hundred
leagues away: and so piteously did they tell us this that we believed
them: and we promised to avenge them of so much wrong: and they remained
overjoyed herewith: and many of them offered to come along with us, but
we did not wish to take them for many reasons, save that we took seven
of them, on condition that they should come (i.e., return home) afterwards
in (their own) canoes because we did not desire to be obliged to take
them back to their country: and they were contented: and so we departed
from those people, leaving them very friendly towards us: and having repaired
our ships, and sailing for seven days out to sea between northeast and
east: and at the end of the seven days we came upon the islands, which
were many, some (of them) inhabited, and others deserted: and we anchored
at one of them: where we saw a numerous people who called it Iti: and
having manned our boats with strong crews, and (taken ammunition for)
three cannon shots in each, we made for land: where we found (assembled)
about 400 men, and many women, and all naked like the former (peoples).
They were of good bodily presence, and seemed right warlike men: for they
were armed with their weapons, which are bows, arrows, and lances: and
most of them had square wooden targets: and bore them in such wise that
they did not impede the drawing of the bow: and when we had come with
our boats to about a bowshot of the land, they all sprang into the water
to shoot their arrows at us and to prevent us from leaping upon shore:
and they all had their bodies painted of various colours, and (were) plumed
with feathers: and the interpreters who were with us told us that when
(those) displayed themselves so painted and plumed, it was to betoken
that they wanted to fight: and so much did they persist in preventing
us from landing, that we were compelled to play with our artillery: and
when they heard the explosion, and saw one of them fall dead, they all
drew back to the land: wherefore, forming our council, we resolved that
42 of our men should spring on shore, and, if they waited for us, fight
them: thus having leaped to land with our weapons, they advanced towards
us, and we fought for about an hour, for we had but little advantage of
them, except that our arbalasters and gunners killed some of them, and
they wounded certain of our men: and this was because they did not stand
to receive us within reach of lance-thrust or sword-blow: and so much
vigour did we put forth at last, that we came to sword-play, and when
they tasted our weapons, they betook themselves to flight through the
mountains and the forests, and left us conquerors of the field with many
of them dead and a good number wounded: and for that day we' took no other
pains to pursue them, because we were very weary, and we returned to our
ships, with so much gladness on the part of the seven men who had come
with us that they could not contain themselves (for joy): and when the
next day arrived, we beheld coming across the land a great number of people,
with signals of battle, continually sounding horns, and various other
instruments which they use in their wars: and all (of them) painted and
feathered, so that it was a very strange sight to behold them: wherefore
all the ships held council, and it was resolved that since this people
desired hostility with us, we should proceed to encounter them and try
by every means to make them friends: in case they would not have our friendship,
that we should treat them as foes, and so many of them as we might be
able to capture should all be our slaves: and having armed ourselves as
best we could, we advanced towards the shore, and they sought not to hinder
us from landing, I believe from fear of the cannons: and we jumped on
land, 57 men in four squadrons, each one (consisting of) a captain and
his company: and we came to blows with them: and after a long battle (in
which) many of them (were) slain, we put them to flight, and pursued them
to a village, having made about 250 of them captives, and we burnt the
village, and returned to our ships with victory and 250 prisoners, leaving
many of them dead and wounded, and of ours there were no more than one
killed and 22 wounded, who all escaped (i.e., recovered), God be thanked.
We arranged our departure, and seven men, of whom five were wounded, took
an island-canoe, and with seven prisoners that we gave them, four women
and three men, returned to their (own) country full of gladness, wondering
at our strength: and we thereon made sail for Spain with 222 captive slaves:
and reached the port of Calis (Cadiz) on the 15th day of October, 1498,
where we were well received and sold our slaves. Such is what befell me,
most noteworthy, in this my first voyage. Source Translation from Vespucci's Italian, published at Florence in 1505-6,
by "M. K.", for Quaritch's edition, London, 1885.
|