CHAP. XI.

Departing from the citie of Mexico, they go vnto the port of Acapulco in the South Sea, whereas they doo imbarke themselues from the Ilandes Philippinas; they passe by the Ilandes of Theeues, and do declare the rites and condition of that people.

From the citie of Mexico they go to imbarke themselues or take shipping at the port of Acapulco, which is in the South Sea, and is eleuated from the poole nineteen degrees, and ninetie leagues from the citie of Mexico: in al which way there be many townes inhabited with Indians and Spaniards.

Being departed from this port, they sayle towards the southwest, till they come into twelue degrees and a halfe, to seeke prosperous wind to serue their turne, which the mariners do cal Brizas, and are northerly windes, which are there of such continuance and so fauourable that, being in the moneths of Nouember, December, and Januarie, they haue no neede to touch their sayles, which is the occasion that they do make their voyages with so great ease. So that for that, and for the few stormes that happened in that passage, The sea of Ladies. they do cal it the Mar de Damas (which is the sea of Ladies). They sayle alwayes towards the west, following the sunne when as she departeth from our hemispherie. In this South Sea they sayle fortie daies without seeing anie lande: at the end whereof they came to the ilandes of Velas, which by another name are called De los Ladrones; there are seuen or eight of them; they doo lye north and south, and are inhabited with much people, in the order as you shall vnderstand.

These ilands are in 12 degrees, but there are different opinions of the leagues that are betwixt the port of Acapulco and those ilands; for vnto this day there is none that hath vnderstood the certaintie thereof, for that their nauigation lieth from the east vnto the west, whose degrees there haue bin none that euer could measure. Some say, this iourney hath a thousande and seuen hundred leagues, others a thousand and eight hundred; but the opinions of the first we vnderstand to be most certaine.

White people as bigge as gyants. All these ilands are inhabited with white people, of comely faces, like vnto those of Europa, but not of their bodies, for that they are as bigge as gyants, and of so great force and strength: for one of them hath taken two Spaniardes, of a good stature, the one by one foot, and the other by the other, with his handes, and hath lifted them both from the grounde with so great ease, as though they had bin two children. They go naked from top to toe, as well women as men; yet some of them were woont to weare an aporne made of a deares skinne before them of halfe a yeard long, for honesties sake, but they are but a fewe in number, in respect of those that weare nothing before them. The weapons which they do vse be slinges, and darts hardened in the fire, and are with both the one and the other very expert throwers.

They do maintaine themselues with fish which they do take on the coast; and of wild beasts which they do kill in the mountaines, in ouertaking of them by swiftnesse of foot.

In these ilands there is one the strangest costume that euer hath bin heard of or seene in all the whole world, which is, that vnto the young men there is a time limited for them to marrie in (according vnto their custome), in all which time they may freely enter into the houses of such as are married, and be there with their wiues, without being punished for the same, although their proper husbands should see them: they doo carrie in their handes a staffe or rodde, and when they do enter into the married mans house they do leaue it standing at the doore, in such sort, that if any do come after they may plainly see it: which is a token that, although it be her proper husband, he cannot enter in till it be taken away. The which custome is obserued and kept with so great rigour and force, that whosoeuer is against this lawe, all the rest do kill him.

Without king or gouernor. In all these ilands there is not as yet knowen neyther king nor lord, whom the rest should obey; which is the occasion that euery one do liue as he list and at his pleasure. These ilandes were woont to haue warre the one with the other, when occasion did force them. As it happened at such time as the Spaniardes were there in the port of the said iland, there came abord their ships to the number of two hundred small barkes or botes, in the which came many of the inhabitants thereof to sell, vnto them of the ships, hens, and nuts called cocos, patatas, and other thinges of that iland; and to buy other such things as our people did carrie with them, but in especiall yron (vnto the which they are very much affectionated), and vnto things of chrystall, and such like of small estimation. But there grew a great contention amongest them, which people of what ilande should first come vnto the shippes, and was in such order that they fell vnto blowes, and wounded the one the other maruellously, more liker beastes than men; of the which there were many slaine in the presence of the Spaniards, and would neuer leave off their contention a good while, till in the end, by way of peace, they consented a conclusion amongest themselues, but with a great noyse, which was, that those of one iland should go to the larbord of the ship, and those of the other iland should go to the starbord; with the which they were pacified, and did buy and sel at their pleasure. But at their departure from our people, in recompence of their good intertainment, they threw into the ship of their dartes hardened with fire, with the which they did hurt many of them that were aboue hatches: yet went they not away scotfree, for that our people with their hargabushes did paye them in readie monie their bold attempt.

Iron more esteemed than siluer or gold. These people do more esteeme yron than siluer or golde, and gaue for it fruites, nnames,[68] patatas, fish, rise, ginger, hennes, and many gallant mattes very well wrought, and all almost for nothing.

These ilandes are verie fertile and healthfull, and very easie to bee conquered unto the fayth of Christ, if that at such time as the ships doo passe that way vnto Manilla, they would leaue there some religious men, with souldiers to garde them till the next yeare, and might be doone with small cost. It is not as yet known what ceremonies and rites they do obserue; for that there is none that doo vnderstande their language, neither hath any beene on those ilandes, but onely as they haue passed by, which is the occasion that they cannot be vnderstood. The language which they doo vse, to any mans iudgement, is easie to be learned, for that their pronunciation is verie plaine; they call ginger asno, and for to say Take away your hargabush, they say, arrepeque. The pronunciation of their wordes is neither in the nose nor in the throte. It is vnderstood that they be all Gentiles, by certaine signes and tokens that our people haue seene them do, and that they doo worship idols, and the diuell, vnto whom they do sacrifice such as they do take in the warres of their borderers. It is thought that they doo descend of the Tartares, by some particularities that is found amongst them, the which do draw very nigh vnto some that they do vse.

These ilandes are south and north with the land of Labrador, which is nigh vnto the new found lande, and not farre distant from the ilande of Japon. It is knowen for a trueth that they do deale with the Tartares, and that they do buy yron for to sell it vnto them. The Spaniards did giue name vnto these ilandes as they passed by, the ilandes of Ladrones (which is of theeues), for that they are very bolde and subtile in their stealinges, in the which facultie the Egyptians, that are in our Europa, may go to schoole with them for the verie facultie thereof. I will declare vnto you one thing that happened in the presence of many Spaniardes, the which did cause them greatly to maruaile, which is,—there was a marriner commanded by the captaine of the ship to keepe the sterneborde side, and not to suffer any of them to enter therein; and being as one amased to see so many canoas that came thether (the which be small barkes or botes made all of one peece) one of them diued downe vnder the water, till he came there whereas the marriner was (vnmindfull of any such matter should happen) and vpon a soddaine, without seeing the other, he snatched his sword out of his hand, and went vnder the water againe therwith; the marriner made a noise, and declared the knauerie that the ilander had done vnto him, whervpon there were certaine souldiers that made their hargubushes ready to shoot at him when he appeared from vnder the water. This ilander perceiuing it, came foorth and swimmed aboue the water, shewing his handes, and made signes that he had nothing in them, which was the occasion that they did not shoot at him.

So after a while that he had beene there resting of himselfe, he returned and diued vnder the water againe, and swam so farre as he thought that the bullet of the hargubush could not reach to hurt him, and finding himselfe in securitie, he tooke the sword from betwixt his legges whereas he did carrie it in secret, and beganne to florish with the same, mocking our people whom he had so easily deceiued.

This kind of stealing, and many others which they had done, and that with great subtiltie, is the occasion that they beare the names of theeues, and all the ilandes whereas they doo dwell doo beare the name thereof, the which they will easily pardon, if they might ordinarily finde where as they might execute their inclination.