A relation of the commodities of Nova Hispania, and
the maners of the inhabitants, written by Henry
Hawks merchant, which lived five yeeres in the sayd
countrey, and drew the same at the request of M.
Richard Hakluyt Esquire of Eiton in the county of
Hereford
, 1572.
SAINT John de Ullua is an Island not high above the
water, where as now the Spanyards upon M. John
Hawkins being there, are in making a strong fort. In
this place all the ships that come out of Spaine with
goods for these parts, do unlade : for they have none other
port so good as this is. The comming into this place
hath three chanels, and the best of all is the Northermost, which goeth by the maine land: and on every
side of the chanels there are many small rocks as big
as a small barrell: they wil make men stand in doubt
of them, but there is no feare of them. There is
another Island there by, called The island of sacrifices,
whereas the Spanyards did in times past unlade their
goods: and for that, they say, there are upon it spirits
or devils, it is not frequented as it hath bene. In these
places the North wind hath so great dominion, that oftentimes it destroyeth many ships and barks. This place
is given to great sicknesse. These Islands stand in 18
degrees and a halfe, and about the same is great plenty
of fish.
Five leagues from S. John de Ullua is a faire river;
it lieth Northwest from the port, and goeth to a little
towne of the Spanyards called Vera Cruz, and with small
vessels or barks, which they call frigats, they cary all
their merchandize which commeth out of Spaine, to the
saide towne: and in like maner bring all the gold, silver,
cochinilla, hides, and all other things that the shippes
cary into Spaine unto them. And the goods being in
Vera Cruz, they cary them to Mexico
, and to Pueblo
de los Angeles, Sacatecas, and Saint Martin, and divers
other places so farre within the countrey, that some of
them are 700 miles off, and some more, and some lesse,
all upon horses, mules, and in waines drawen with oxen,
and in carres drawen with mules.
In this towne of Vera Cruz within these twenty yeres,
when women were brought to bed, the children new
borne incontinently died; which is not so now in these
dayes, God be thanked.
This towne is inclined to many kinde of diseases, by
reason of the great heat, and a certeine gnat or flie which
they call a musquito, which biteth both men and women
in their sleepe; and assoone as they are bitten, incontinently the flesh swelleth as though they had bene bitten
with some venimous worme. And this musquito or gnat
doth most follow such as are newly come into the countrey. Many there are that die of this annoyance.
This towne is situated upon the river aforesayd, and
compassed with woods of divers maners and sorts, and
many fruits, as orenges and limons, guiaves, and divers
others, and birds in them, popinjayes both small and
great, and some of them as big as a raven, and their
tailes as long as the taile of a fezant. There are also
many other kinde of birds of purple colour, and small
munkeys, marvellous proper.
This hote or sicke countrey continueth five and forty
miles towards the city of Mexico
; and the five and forty
miles being passed, then there is a temperate countrey,
and full of tillage: but they water all their corne with
rivers which they turne in upon it. And they gather their
Wheat twise a yere. And if they should not water the
ground where as their corne is sowen, the country is so
hote it would burne all.
Before you come to Mexico
, there is a great towne
called Tlaxcalla, which hath in it above 16000 households. All the inhabitants thereof are free by the kings
of Spaine: for these were the occasion that Mexico
was
woonne in so short time, and with so little losse of
men. Wherefore they are all gentlemen, and pay no
tribute to the king. In this towne is all the cochinilla
growing.
Mexico
is a great city; it hath more then fifty thousand
households, whereof there are not past five or sixe thouhand houses of Spanyards: all the other are the people
of the countrey, which live under the Spanyards lawes.
There are in this city stately buildings, and many monasteries of friers and nunnes, which the Spanyards have
made. And the building of the Indians is somewhat
beautifull outwardly, and within full of small chambers,
with very small windowes, which is not so comly as the
building of the Spanyards. This city standeth in the
midst of a great lake, and the water goeth thorow all
or the most part of the streets, and there come small
boats, which they call canoas, and in them they bring
all things necessary, as wood, and coales, and grasse for
their horses, stones and lime to build, and corne.
This city is subject to many earthquakes, which oftentimes cast downe houses, and kil people. This city is
very well provided of water to drinke, and with all maner
of victuals, as fruits, flesh and fish, bread, hennes and
capons, Guiny cocks and hennes, and all other fowle.
There are in this city every weeke three Faires or
Markets, which are frequented with many people, aswell
Spanyards as the people of the countrey. There are in
these Faires or Markets all maner of things that may be
invented, to sell, and in especiall, things of the countrey.
The one of these Faires is upon the Munday, which is
called S. Hypolitos faire, and S. James his faire is upon
the Thursday, and upon Saturday is S. Johns faire. In
this city is alwayes the kings governour or viceroy,
and there are kept the Termes and Parliaments. And
although there be other places of justice, yet this is above
all: so that all men may appeale unto this place, and
may not appeale from this city, but onely into Spaine
before the king: and it must be for a certeine summe:
and if it be under that summe, then there is no appellation
from them. Many rivers fall into this lake which the city
standeth in: but there was never any place found whither
it goeth out.
The Indians know a way to drowne the city, and
within these three yeeres they would have practised the
same: but they which should have bene the doers of
it were hanged: and ever since the city hath bene well
watched both day and night, for feare least at some time
they might be deceived: for the Indians love not the
Spanyards. Round about the towne there are very many
gardens and orchards of the fruits of the countrey,
marvellous faire, where the people have great recreation. The men of this city are marvellous vicious; and
in like maner the women are dishonest of their bodies,
more then they are in other cities or townes in this
countrey.
There are neere about this city of Mexico
many rivers
and standing waters which have in them a monstrous
kinde of fish, which is marvellous ravening, and a great
devourer of men and cattell. He is woont to sleepe upon
the drie land many times, and if there come in the meane
time any man or beast and wake or disquiet him, he
speedeth well if he get from him. He is like unto a
serpent, saving that he doth not flie, neither hath he
wings.
There is West out of Mexico
a port towne which is
on the
South sea, called Puerto de Acapulco, where
as there are shippes which they have ordinarily for the
navigation of China
, which they have newly found. This
port is threescore leagues from Mexico
.
There is another port towne which is called Culiacan
,
on the
South sea, which lieth West and by North out
of Mexico
, and is 200 leagues from the same: and there
the Spanyards made two ships to goe seeke the streight
or gulfe, which, as they say, is betweene the Newfoundland
and Groenland
; and they call it the Englishmens
streigth: which as yet was never fully found. They
say, that streight lieth not farre from the maine land
of China
, which the Spanyards account to be marvellous
rich.
Toward the North from Mexico
there are great store
of silver mines. There is greater quantitie of silver found
in these mines toward the North, then there is any other
parts: and as the most men of experience sayde alwayes,
they finde the richer mines the more Northerly. These
mines are commonly upon great hilles and stony ground,
marvellous hard to be laboured and wrought.
Out of some of the mines the Indians finde a certeine
kinde of earth of divers colours, wherewith they paint
themselves in times of their dances, and other pastimes
which they use.
In this countrey of Nova Hispania there are also mines
of golde, although the golde be commonly found in rivers,
or very neere unto rivers. And nowe in these dayes
there is not so much golde found as there hath bene
heretofore.
There are many great rivers, and great store of fish
in them, not like unto our kindes of fish. And there are
marvellous great woods, and as faire trees as may be
seene, of divers sorts, and especially firre trees, that may
mast any shippe that goeth upon the sea, okes and pineapples, and another tree which they call Mesquiquez: it
beareth a fruit like unto a peascod, marvellous sweet,
which the wilde people gather, and keepe it all the yere,
and eat it in stead of bread.
The Spanyards have notice of seven cities which old
men of the Indians shew them should lie towards the
Northwest from Mexico
. They have used and use dayly
much diligence in seeking of them, but they cannot find
any one of them. They say that the witchcraft of the
Indians is such, that when they come by these townes
they cast a mist upon them, so that they cannot see
them.
They have understanding of another city which they
call Copalla: and in like maner, at my beeing in the
countrey, they have used much labour and diligence in
the seeking of it: they have found the lake on which
it should stand, and a canoa, the head whereof was
wrought with copper curiously, and could not finde nor
see any man nor the towne which to their understanding should stand on the same water, or very neere the
same.
There is a great number of beasts or kine in the
countrey of Cibola, which were never brought thither
by the Spanyards, but breed naturally in the countrey.
They are like unto our oxen, saving that they have long
haire like a lion, and short hornes, and they have upon
their shoulders a bunch like a camell, which is higher
then the rest of their body. They are marvellous wild and
swift in running. They call them the beasts or kine of
Cibola.
This Cibola is a city which the Spanyards found now
of late, without any people in the same, goodly buildings,
faire chimneys, windowes made of stone & timber excellently wrought, faire welles with wheeles to draw their
water, and a place where they had buried their dead
people, with many faire stones upon the graves. And
the captaine would not suffer his souldiers to breake up
any part of these graves, saying, he would come another
time to do it.
They asked certeine people which they met, whither
the people of this city were gone: and they made answere,
they were gone downe a river, which was there by, very
great, and there had builded a city which was more for
their commodity.
This captaine lacking things necessary for himselfe
and his men, was faine to returne backe againe, without
finding any treasure according to hi's expectation: neither
found they but fewe people, although they found beaten
wayes, which had beene much haunted and frequented.
The captaine at his comming backe againe, had a great
checke of the governour, because he had not gone forwards, and scene the end of that river.
They have in the countrey, farre from the sea side,
standing waters, which are salt: and in the moneths of
April and May the water of them congealeth into salt,
which salt is all taken for the kings use and profit.
Their dogs are all crooked backt, as many as are of
the countrey breed, and cannot run fast: their faces are
like the face of a pig or an hog, with sharpe noses.
In certeine provinces which are called Guatimala, &
Soconusco, there is growing great store of cacao, which
is a berry like unto an almond: it is the best merchandize
that is in all the Indies. The Indians make drinke of
it, and in like maner meat to eat. It goeth currantly for
money in any market or faire, and may buy any flesh,
fish, bread or cheese, or other things.
There are many kinde of fruits of the countrey, which
are very good, as plantans, sapotes, guiaves, pinas,
aluacatas, tunas, mamios, limons, orenges, walnuts very
small and hard with little meat in them, grapes which the
Spanyards brought into the countrey, and also wilde
grapes, which are of the countrey, and are very small,
quinses, peaches, figs, and but few apples, and very small,
and no peares: but there are melons and calabacas or
gourds.
There is much hony, both of bees and also of a kind of
tree which they call magueiz. This hony of magueiz is
not so sweet as the other hony is, but it is better to be
eaten only with bread, then the other is; and the tree
serveth for many things, as the leaves make threed to
sowe any kinde of bags, and are good to cover and thatch
houses, and for divers other things.
They have in divers places of the countrey many hote
springs of water: as above all other, I have seene one in
the province of Mechuacan. In a plaine field without
any mountaine, there is a spring which hath much water,
& it is so hot, that if a whole quarter of beefe be cast into
it, within on halfe houre it will be as well sodden as it will
be over a fire in halfe a day. I have seene halfe a sheepe
cast in, and immediatly it hath bene sodden, and I have
eaten part of it.
There are many hares, and some conies. There are no
partridges, but abundance of quailes.
They have great store of fish in the
South sea, and
many oisters, and very great. The people do open the
oisters, and take out the meat of them, and dry it as they
do any other kinde of fish, and keepe them all the yeere:
and when the times serve, they send them abroad into the
countrey to sell, as all other fish. They have no salmon,
nor trowt, nor pele, nor carpe, tench, nor pike in all the
countrey.
There are in the countrey mighty high mountaines, and
hilles, and snow upon them: they commonly burne; and
twise every day they cast out much smoke and ashes at
certeine open places, which are in the tops of them.
There is among the wilde people much manna. I have
gathered of the same, and have eaten it, and it is good:
for the Apothecaries send their servants at certeine
times to gather of the same for purgations, and other
uses.
There are in the mountaines many wilde hogs, which all
men may kill, and lions and tygres; which tygres do
much harme to men that travell in the wildernesse.
In this countrey, not long since, there were two poore
men that found a marvellous rich mine; and when these
men went to make a register of the same (according to
the law and custome) before the kings officers, they
thought this mine not meet for such men as they were:
and violently tooke the sayd mine for the king; and
gave no part thereof unto the two poore men. And
within certaine dayes the kings officers resorted thither
to labor in the mine, & they found two great mighty
hilles were come together; so they found no place to
worke in. And in the time while I was among them,
which was five yerees, there was a poore shepheard, who
keeping his sheepe, happened to finde a well of quickesilver; and he went in like maner to manifest the same,
as the custome and maner is; the kings officers dealt in
like order as they did with the two poore men that found
the rich mine, taking it quite from the shepheard: but
when they went to fetch home the quicke-silver, or part
thereof, they could never finde it againe. So these things
have bene declared unto the king, who hath given commandement, that nothing being found in the fields, as
mines, and such like, shall be taken away from any man.
And many other things have bene done in this countrey,
which men might count for great marvels.
There is great abundance of sugar here, & they make
divers conserves, & very good, and send them into Peru
,
where as they sell them marvellous well, because they
make none in those parts.
The people of the countrey are of a good stature,
tawny coloured, broad faced, flat nosed, and given much
to drinke both wine of Spaine and also a certeine kind of
wine which they make with hony of Magueiz, and roots,
and other things which they use to put into the same.
They call the same wine Pulco. They are soone drunke,
and given to much beastlinesse, and void of all goodnesse.
In their drunkennesse they use and commit Sodomy; and
with their mothers and daughters they have their pleasures
and pastimes. Whereupon they are defended from the
drinking of wines, upon paines of money, aswell he that
selleth the wines as the Indian that drinketh the same.
And if this commandement were not, all the wine in
Spaine and in France were not sufficient for the West
Indies onely.
They are of much simplicity, and great cowards, voide
of all valour, and are great witches. They use divers
times to talke with the divell, to whom they do certeine
sacrifices and oblations: many times they have bene taken
with the same, and I have seene them most cruelly
punished for that offence.
The people are given to learne all maner of occupations
and sciences, which for the most part they learned since
the comming of the Spanyards: I say all maner of arts.
They are very artificiall in making of images with feathers,
or the proportion or figure of any man, in all kind of
maner as he is. The finenesse and excellency of this is
woonderfull, that a barbarous people as they are, should
give themselves to so fine an arte as this is. They are
goldsmiths, blackesmiths, and coppersmiths, carpenters,
masons, shoomakers, tailors, sadlers, imbroderers, and
of all other kind of sciences: and they will do worke so
good cheape, that poore yoong men that goe out of
Spaine to get their living, are not set on worke: which is
the occasion there are many idle people in the countrey.
For the Indian will live all the weeke with lesse then
one groat; which the Spanyard cannot do, nor any man
els.
They say, that they came of the linage of an olde man
which came thither in a boat of wood, which they call a
canoa. But they cannot tell whether it were before the
flood or after, neither can they give any reason of the
flood, nor from whence they came. And when the
Spanyards came first among them, they did certeine
sacrifice to an image made in stone, of their owne invention. The stone was set upon a great hill, which they
made of bricks of earth: they call it their Cowa. And
certeine dayes in the yere they did sacrifice, certeine olde
men, and yoong children; and onely beleeved in the
Sunne and the Moone, saying, that from them they had
all things that were needful for them. They have in these
parts great store of cotton wooll, with which they make
a maner of linnen cloth, which the Indians weare, both
men and women, and it serveth for shirts & smocks, and
all other kind of garments, which they weare upon their
bodies: and the Spanyards use it to all such purposes,
especially such as cannot buy other. And if it were not
for this kind of cloth, all maner of cloth that goeth out
of Spaine, I say linnen cloth, would be solde out of all
measure.
The wilde people go naked, without any thing upon
them. The women weare the skinne of a deere before
their privities, and nothing els upon all their bodies. They
have no care for any thing, but onely from day to day
for that which they have need to eat. They are big men,
and likewise the women. They shoot in bowes which
they make of a cherry tree, and their arrowes are of
cane, with a sharpe flint stone in the end of the same;
they will pierce any coat of maile: and they kill deere,
and cranes, and wilde geese, ducks and other fowle, and
wormes, and snakes, and divers other vermin, which they
eat. They live very long: for I have seene men that have
beene an hundred yeres of age. They have but very litle
haire in their face, nor on their bodies.
The Indians have the friers in great reverence: the
occasion is, that by them and by their meanes they are
free and out of bondage; which was so ordeined by
Charles the emperor: which is the occasion that now
there is not so much gold and silver comming into Europe
as there was while the Indians were slaves. For when
they were in bondage they could not chuse but doe their
taske every day, and bring their masters so much metall
out of their mines: but now they must be well payed, and
much intreated to have them worke. So it hath bene,
and is a great hinderance to the owners of the mines, and
to the kings quinto or custome.
There are many mines of copper in great quantity,
whereof they spend in the countrey as much as serveth
their turnes. There is some golde in it, but not so much
as will pay the costs of the fining. The quantity of it is
such, and the mines are so farre from the sea, that it will
not be worth the fraight to cary it into Spaine. On the
other side, the kings officers will give no licence to make
ordinance thereof; whereupon the mines lie unlaboured,
and of no valuation.
There is much lead in the countrey; so that with it
they cover churches, and other religious houses: wherefore they shall not need any of our lead, as they have
had need thereof in times past.
The pompe and liberalitie of the owners of the mines
is marvellous to beholde: the apparell both of them and
of their wives is more to be compared to the apparell of
noble persons then otherwise. If their wives goe out of
their houses, as unto the church, or any other place, they
goe out with great majesty, and with as many men and
maids as though she were the wife of some noble man. I
will assure you, I have seene a miners wife goe to the
church with an hundred men, and twenty gentlewomen
and maids. They keepe open house: who will, may come
to eat their meat. They call men with a bell to come to
dinner and supper. They are princes in keeping of their
houses, and bountifull in all maner of things.
A good owner of mines must have at the least an
hundred slaves to cary and to stampe his metals; he must
have many mules, and men to keepe the mines; he must
have mills to stampe his metals; he must have many
waines and oxen to bring home wood to fine the oare; he
must have much quicke-silver, and a marvellous quantity
of salt-brine for the metals; and he must be at many
other charges. And as for this charge of quicke-silver,
it is a new invention, which they finde more profitable then
to fine their oare with lead. Howbeit the same is very
costly: for there is never a hundred of quick-silver but
costeth at the least threescore pounds sterling. And the
mines fall dayly in decay, and of lesse value: and the
occasion is, the few Indians that men have to labour their
mines.
There is in New Spaine a marvellous increase of cattel,
which dayly do increase, and they are of a greater growth
then ours are. You may have a great steere that hath
an hundred weight of tallow in his belly for sixteene
shillings; and some one man hath 20000 head of cattel of
his owne. They sell the hides unto the merchants, who
lade into Spaine as many as may be well spared. They
spend many in the countrey in shooes and boots, and
in the mines: and as the countrey is great, so is the
increase of the cattell woonderfull. In the
Island of Santo
Domingo they commonly kill the beasts for their hides
and tallow; and the fowles eat the carkeises: and so they
do in Cuba
and Porto Rico, whereas there is much sugar,
and cana fistula, which dayly they send into Spaine.
They have great increase of sheepe in like maner, and
dayly do intend to increase them. They have much
wooll, and as good as the wooll of Spaine. They make
cloth as much as serveth the countrey, for the common
people, and send much cloth into Peru
. I have seene
cloth made in the city of Mexico
, which hath beene solde
for tenne pezos a vare, which is almost foure pounds
English, and the vare is lesse then our yard. They have
woad growing in the countrey, and alum, and brasill, and
divers other things to die withall, so that they make all
colours. In Peru
they make no cloth: but heereafter
our cloth will be little set by in these parts, unlesse it
be some fine cloth. The wools are commonly foure
shillings every roue, which is five & twenty pounds: and
in some places of the countrey that are farre from the
places where as they make cloth, it is woorth nothing,
and doth serve but onely to make beds for men to lie
on.
They make hats, as many as doe serve the Countrey,
very fine and good, and sell them better cheape, then
they can be brought out of Spaine, and in like maner send
them into Peru
.
Many people are set on worke both in the one and in
the other: they spin their wooll as we doe, and in steed
of oyle, they have hogs grease: they twist not their
threed so much as wee doe, neither worke so fine a threed.
They make no kersies, but they make much cloth, which
is course, and sell it for lesse then 12. pence the vare.
It is called Sayall.
They have much silke, and make all maner of sorts
thereof, as Taffataes, Sattins, Velvets of all colours, and
they are as good as the silkes of Spaine, saving that
the colours are not so perfect: but the blackes are better
then the blackes that come out of Spaine.
They have many horses, and mares, and mules, which
the Spaniards brought thither. They have as good
Jennets, as any are in
Spaine, and better cheape then
they bee in
Spaine. And with their mules they cary all
their goods from place to place.
There is raine usually in this Countrey, from the
moneth of May, to the midst of October, every day,
which time they call their winter, by reason of the said
waters. And if it were not for the waters which fall
in these hot seasons, their Maiz, which is the greatest
part of their sustenance, would be destroyed. This Maiz
is the greatest maintenance which the Indian hath, and
also all the common people of the Spaniards. And their
horses and mules which labour, cannot be without the
same. This graine is substantiall, and increaseth much
blood. If the Miners should bee without it, they coulde
not labour their Mines: for all their servants eate none
other bread, but onely of this Maize, and it is made in
cakes, as they make oaten cakes, in some places of
England
.
The Indians pay tribute, being of the age of 20. yeeres,
4. shillings of money, and an hanege of Maiz, which is
worth 4. shillings more unto the King every yeere. This
is payd in all Nova Hispania, of as many as be of the
age of 200. yeeres, saving the Citie of Tlascalla, which
was made free, because the citizens thereof were the
occasion that Cortes
tooke Mexico
in so little a time.
And although at the first they were freed from paiment
of tribute, yet the Spaniards now begin to usurpe upon
them, and make them to till a great field of Maiz, at
their owne costes every yeere for the King, which is as
beneficial unto him, and as great cost unto them, as
though they paid their tribute, as the others doe.
The ships which goe out of Spaine with goods for
Peru
, goe to Nombre de dios, and there discharge the
said goods: and from thence they be caried over the
necke of a land, unto a port towne in the
South sea,
called Panama; which is 17. leagues distant from Nombre
de dios. And there they doe ship their goods againe,
and so from thence goe to Peru
. They are in going
thither three moneths, and they come backe againe in
20. dayes. They have seldome foule weather, and fewe
ships are lost in the
South sea. Foure yeeres past, to
wit 1568, there was a ship made out of Peru
, to seeke
Salomons Islands, and they came somewhat to the South
of the Equinoctial, & found an Island with many blacke
people, in such number that the Spaniards durst not go
on land among them. And because they had bene long
upon the voyage, their people were very weake, and so
went not on land, to know what commoditie was upon
it. And for want of victuals, they arrived in Nova
Hispania, in a port called Puerto de Navidad, and thence
returned backe againe unto Peru
, whereas they were
evil entreated, because they had not knowen more of the
same Island.
They have in this port of Navidad ordinarily their ships,
which goe to the
Islands of China, which are certaine
Islands which they have found within these 7. yeres.
They have brought from thence gold, and much Cinamom,
and dishes of earth, and cups of the same, so fine, that
every man that may have a piece of them, will give the
weight of silver for it. There was a Mariner that brought
a pearle as big as a doves egge from thence, & a stone,
for which the Viceroy would have given 3000. duckets.
Many things they bring from thence, most excellent.
There are many of these ylands, and the Spaniards have
not many of them as yet: for the Portugals disturbe
them much, and combate with them every day, saying,
it is part of their conquest, and to the maine land they
cannot come at any hand. There are goodly people in
them, and they are great Mariners, richly apparelled in
cloth of gold, and silver, and silke of all sorts, and goe
apparelled after the maner of the Turkes. This report
make such as come from thence. The men of the maine
land have certaine traffique with some of these ylanders,
and come thither in a kind of ships, which they have
with one saile, and bring of such marchandize as they
have need of. And of these things there have bene
brought into New Spaine both cloth of gold and silver,
and divers maners of silks, and works of gold and silver,
marvellous to be seene. So by their saying, there is not
such a countrey in the whole world. The maine land
is from the ylands 190. leagues: and the ylands are not
farre from the Malucos Northwards. And the people of
those ylands, which the Spaniards have, say, that if they
would bring their wives and children, that then they
should have among them what they would have. So there
goe women dayly, and the king payeth all the charges
of the maried men and their wives, that go to those
ylands. And there is no doubt but the trade will be
marveilous rich in time to come. It was my fortune to
be in company with one Diego Gutieres, who was the
first Pilot that ever went to that countrey of the Phillippinas. Hee maketh report of many strange things in
that Countrey, aswell riches, as other, and saith, if there
bee any Paradise upon earth, it is in that countrey: and
addeth, that sitting under a tree, you shall have such
sweet smels, with such great content and pleasure, that
you shall remember nothing, neither wife, nor children,
nor have any kinde of appetite to eate or drinke, the
odoriferous smels wil be so sweete. This man hath good
livings in Nova Hispania, notwithstanding hee will
returne thither, with his wife and children, and as for
treasure there is abundance, as he maketh mention. In
this countrey of Nova Hispania there are many buckes
and does, but they have not so long hornes as they have
here in England
. The Spaniards kill them with handguns and with grayhounds, and the Indians kill them
with their bowes and arrowes, and with the skins they
make chamoyce, such as we in England
make doublets
and hose of, as good as the skins that are dressed in
Flanders
, & likewise they make marveilous good Spanish
leather of them. There is a bird which is like unto a
Raven, but he hath some of his feathers white: there
is such abundance of them, that they eate all the corrupt
and dead flesh which is in the countrey. Otherwise the
abundance of carren is so much, that it would make a
marveilous corrupt aire in all the Countrey, and be so
noisome, that no man could abide it. Therefore it is
commanded there shall none of them be killed. These
birds are alwayes about Cities, and townes, where there
is much flesh killed.
The Indians are much favoured by the
Justices of the
Countrey, and they call them their orphanes. And if
any Spaniard should happen to doe any of them harme,
or to wrong him in taking any thing from him, as many
times they doe, or to strike any of them, being in any
towne, whereas justice is, they are aswell punished for
the same, as if they had done it one Spaniard to another.
When a Spaniard is farre from Mexico
, or any place of
justice, thinking to doe with the poore Indian what he
list, considering he is so farre from any place of remedy,
he maketh the Indian do what he commaundeth him, and
if he will not doe it, hee beateth and misuseth him, according to his owne appetite. The Indian holdeth his peace,
untill hee finde an opportunitie, and then taketh a
neighbour with him, and goeth to Mexico
, although it
be 20. leagues off, and maketh his complaint. This his
complaint is immediatly heard, & although it be a knight,
or a right good gentleman, he is forthwith sent for, and
punished both by his goods, and also his person is
imprisoned, at the pleasure of the Justice. This is the
occasion that the Indians are so tame and civill, as they
are: and if they should not have this favour, the
Spaniards would soone dispatch all the Indians, or the
Indians would kill them. But they may cal them dogs,
and use other evill words, as much as they will, and the
Indian must needes put it up, and goe his way.
The poore Indians wil go every day two or three leagues
to a Faire or market with a childe upon their necks,
with as much fruit or rootes, or some kinde of ware,
as cotton wooll, or cadis of all colours, as shall be not
past worth a pennie: and they wil mainteine themselves
upon the same. For they live with a marvellous small
matter.
They are in such povertie, that if you neede to ride
into the Countrey, you shall have an Indian to goe with
you all the day with your bed upon his backe, for one
royall of plate: and this you shall have from one towne
to another. Here you are to understand, that all men
that traveile by the way, are alwayes wont to carry their
beds with them. They are great theeves, and wil steale
all that they may, and you shall have no recompence at
their hands.
The garments of the women, are in this maner. The
uppermost part is made almost like to a womans smocke,
saving that it is as broad above as beneath, and hath no
sleeves, but holes on eche side one to put out their armes.
It is made of linnen cloth made of cotton wooll, and
filled full of flowers, of red cadis and blew, and other
colours. This garment commeth downe to the knees, and
then they have another cloth made after the same maner,
and that goeth rounde about their waste, and reacheth
to their shooes, and over this a white fine sheet upon
their heads, which goeth downe halfe the legge. Their
haire is made up round with an haire lace about their
head. And the men have a small paire of breeches of
the same cotton wool, and their shirts which hang over
their breeches, and a broad girdle about their middles,
and a sheete with flowers upon their backes, and with
a knot upon one shoulder, & an hat upon their heads,
and a paire of shooes. And this is all their apparell,
although it be a Casique, which they use in all the
Countrey.
The wals of the houses of the Indians, are but plaine,
but the stones are layd so close, that you shall not well
perceive the joynts betweene one stone and another, they
are so finely cut: and by the meanes that the stones are
so workmanly done, and finely joyned together, there is
some beautie in their wals. They are marvellous small
and light, as Pumie stones. They make their doores
very little, so that there can go in but one man at a
time. Their windowes, and roomes within their houses
are small, and one roome they have reserved for their
friends, when they come to talke one with another, and
that is alwayes faire matted, and kept marvellous cleane,
and hanged full of images, and their chaires standing
there to sit in. They eate their meate upon the ground,
and sleepe on the ground upon a mat, without any bed,
both the gentlemen, and other.
The Indians strike their fire with one sticke in another,
aswell the tame people, as the wilde. For they know
not how to doe it with an yron, and a stone.
In Nova Hispania every 10. or 12. leagues they have
a contrary speach, saving onely about Mexico
: so there
is a number of speeches in the Countrey.
Mutezuma which was the last King of this Countrey,
was one of the richest princes which have bene seene in
our time, or long before. He had all kinde of beasts
which were then in the countrey, and all maner of birds,
and fishes, and all maner of wormes, which creepe upon
the earth, and all trees, and flowers, and herbes, all
fashioned in silver and gold, which was the greatest part
of al his treasure, and in these things had he great joy,
as the old Indians report. And unto this day, they say
that the treasure of Mutezuma is hidden, and that the
Spaniards have it not. This King would give none of
his people freedome, nor forgive any of them that should
pay him tribute, though he were never so poore. For
if it had bene told him that one of his tributaries was
poore, & that he was not able to pay his tribute according
to the custome, then he would have him bound to bring
at such times as tributes should be payd, a quill full of
Lice, saying, hee would have none free, but himselfe.
He had as many wives or concubines, as hee would have,
and such as liked him. Alwayes whensoever he went
out of his Court to passe the time, he was borne upon
4. of his noble mens shoulders set upon a table, some
say, of golde, and very richly dressed with feathers of
divers and many colours and flowers. He washed all
his body every day, were it never so cold. And unto
this day so do all the Indians, and especially the
women.
The Spaniards keepe the Indians in great subjection.
They may have in their houses no sword nor dagger,
nor knife with any point, nor may weare upon them any
maner of armes, neither may they ride upon any horse
nor mules, in any sadle nor bridle, neither may they drinke
wine, which they take for the greatest paine of all. They
have attempted divers times to make insurrections, but
they have bene overthrowen immediatly by their owne
great and beastly cowardlinesse.
There remaine some among the wild people, that unto
this day eate one another. I have seene the bones of
a Spaniard that have bene as cleane burnished, as though
it had bene done by men that had no other occupation.
And many times people are caried away by them, but
they never come againe, whether they be men or women.
They have in the Sea ylands of red salt in great abundance, whereas they lade it from place to place about the
Sea coast: and they spend very much salt with salting
their hides, and fish: and in their Mines they occupie
great quantitie. They have much Alume, and as good
as any that is in all the Levant
, so that they neede none
of that commoditie. They have also of their owne growing, much Cana
fistula, & much Salsa Perilla, which is
marveilous good for many kind of diseases.
There are in Florida
many Jarrefalcons, and many other
kinde of hawkes, which the gentlemen of Nova Hispania
send for every yere. The Spaniards have two forts there,
chiefly to keepe out the Frenchmen from planting there.
