seventeen persons who all became Christians, as soon as they understood that there is one God who has made all things and created heaven and earth, without any further arguments or controversy because they easily believe. But with others both force and intelligence must be used, because they are not all alike. Because if these had a good beginning and a better end there will be others who will begin well and then will laugh at what has been taught them. For such force and punishment are necessary.

The first that received Holy Baptism in the island of Española was John Matthew who was baptized on the day of St. Matthew the Evangelist (September 21) in the year 1496, and later all his family; where there have been many Christians and there would be more if there had been someone to teach them and to instruct them in the Holy Catholic Faith and people to hold them in check.

And if any one should ask why I make this so easy a matter I say it is because I have seen the experiment tried especially in the case of a principal cacique Mahuuiatiuire who has continued now for three years in his good purpose saying that he will be a Christian and have but one wife because they used to have two or three and the principal ones ten, fifteen or twenty.

This is what I have been able to understand and to learn as to the customs and ceremonies of the Indians of Española, with all the pains I have taken wherein I expect no spiritual or temporal advantage.

May it please our Lord if this is useful to his government and service to give me his grace to persevere; and if it must fall out otherwise, may he take away my understanding.

The end of the work of the poor hermit Ramon Pane.*

AN EPITOME OF THE TREATISE OF FRIAR RAMON INSERTED BY PETER MARTYR IN HIS DE REBUS OCEANICIS ET NOVO ORBE.

DECADE I. LIB. IX.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.

The translation is that of Richard Eden, as revised by Michael Lok, and published in Hakluyt's Voyages, London ed. 1812. Vol. v. 209ff. I have compared the translation with the original, restoring some slight omissions and correcting some errors. E. G. B.

Our men therefore were long in the Iland of Hispaniola, before they knew that the people thereof honoured any other thing then the lightes of heauen, or hadde any other

*Historie. Ed. 1571, folios 126-145.

religion: but when they hadde beene longe conuersaunt with them, and by vnderstanding their language, drew to a further familiaritie, they had knowledge that they vsed diuers rites and superstitions: I haue therefore gathered these fewe thinges following, omitting the more trifling matter, out of a booke written by one Ramonus [Ramon] an Heremite, whome Colonus [Columbus] hadde left with certayne kinges of the Ilande to instruct them in the Christian faith. And tarrying there a long time he composed a small book in the Spanish tongue on the rites of the island. And because in manner their whole religion is none other thing then idolatrie, I will beegin at their idolles. It is therefore apparant by the images which they honour openly and commonly, that there appeare vnto them in the night seasons, certayne phantasies and illusions of euil spirites, seducing them into many fonde and foolish errours for they make certaine images of Gossampine cotton, folded or wreathed after their manner, and hard stopped within. These images they make sitting, muche like vnto the pictures of spirits and deuilles which our paynters are accustomed to paynt vpon walles: but forasmuch as I my selfe sent you foure of these Images, you may better presently signifie vnto the king vour vncle, what manner of things they are, and howe like vnto paynted deuilles, than I can expresse the same by writing. These images, the inhabitauntes call Zemes, whereof the leaste, made to the likenesse of young deuilles, they binde to their foreheades when they goe to the warres against their enemies, and for that purpose haue they those strings hanging at them which you see. Of these, they beleeue to obteyne rayne, if raine bee lacking, likewise fayre weather if they are in need of sunshine: for they think that these Zemes are the mediatours and messengers of the great God, whom they acknowledge to be onely one, eternall, without end, omnipotent, and inuisible. Thus euery king hath his particular Zeme, which he honoureth. They call the eternall God by these two names, Iocauna,

Guamaonocon, as their predecessoures taught them, affirming that hee hath a mother called by these fiue names: that is, Attabeira, Mamona, Guacarapita, Iiella, Guimazoa. Nowe shall you heare what they fable on the earth as touching the originall of man. There is in the lande, a region called Caunana, where they faine that mankinde came first out of two caues of a mountaine: and that the biggest sorte of men came forth of the mouth of the biggest caue, and the least sort out of the least caue. The rocke in the which these caues are, they call Cauta. The greatest denne, they name Cazibaxagua, and the lesse Amaiauna. They say, that before it was lawful for men to come foorth of the caue, the mouth of the caue was kept and watched nightly by a man whose name was Machochael: this Machochael, departing somewhat farre from the caue, to the intent to see what things were abroad, was sodenly taken of the sunne, (whose sight he was forbidden) and was turned into a stone. They fayne the like of diuers others, that whereas they went forth in the night season a fishing so farre from the caue, that they could not returne before the rising of the sunne (the which it was not lawful for them to behold) they were transformed into Myrobalane trees, which of themselves grow plentifully in the Iland. They said furthermore, that a certayne ruler called Vaguoniona, sent one foorth of the caue to goe a fishing, who by like chance was turned into a Nightingale, because the sunne was risen beefore hee came agayne to the caue: and that yeerely about the same time that he was turned into a bird,* he doth in the night with a mourning song bewayle his misfortune, and call for the helpe of his maister Vaguoniona: And this they thinke to bee the cause why that bird singeth in the night season. But Vaguoniona, being sore troubled in his mind for the losse of his familiar friend whom he loued so entirely, leauing the men in the caue, brought forth only the women with their suck

*By a curious error Lok has "bridge" instead of "bird".

ing children; and leauing the women in one of the Ilandes of that tract, called Mathininô, he caryed the children away with him; which poor wretches oppressed with famine, faynted and remayned on the banke of a certaine ryuer, where they were turned into frogges and cryed toa, toa, that is mamma, mamma, as children are woont to cry, for the mothers pape. And heereof they say it commeth that frogges vse to cry so pitifully in the springtime of the yeare: And that men were scattered abroade in the caues of

Hispaniola without the companie of women. They say also, that Vaguoniona himself being accustomed to wander in diuers places, and yet by a speciall grace neuer transformed once, descended to a certayne faire woman, whom he sawe in the bottome of the sea, and receiued of her certayne pibble stones of marble (which they called Cibas) and also certayne yellowe and bright plates of lattin which they call Guaninos. These necklaces to this day are had in great estimation among the kinges, as goodly jewelles and most holy reliques.

These men which we said before were left in the caves without women, went forth in the night (as they say) to wash themselves in a pond of rain water and saw a far off by the way a great multitude of certain beasts in shape somewhat like unto women, creeping as thick as ants about the myrobalane trees; And that as they attempted to take these beasts, they slipped out of their hands as they had been eels. Whereupon they consulted, and determined by the advice of the elders, that all such should be sought forth among them, as were scabbed and leprous, to the intent that with their rough and hard hands, they might the easier take hold of them. These men, they call Caracaracoles: And sent them forth a hunting to take their beasts. But of many which they took, they could keep but only four: and when they would have used them for women, they found

*The two legends that follow of the making of women and of the making of the sea were omitted by Lok although translated by Eden. Eden's version modernized has been inserted here.

that they lacked woman's priuities. Wherefore calling the elders again to counsel to consult what were best to be done in this case, their advice was that the bird which we call the Pye, should be admitted with his bill to open a place for that purpose, while in the meantime these men called Caracaracoles, should hold fast the women's thighs abroad with their rough hands. Full wisely therefore was the pye put to this office, and opened the women's priuities, and hereof the women of the Island have their origin and offspring. But now do I cease to marvel that the old Greeks did fable and write so many books of the people called Myrmidones, which they said to be engendered of ants or pismires. These and such like, the sagest and wisest of the people, preach continually to the simple sort, and rehearse the same as most holy oracles. But it is yet more childish [rather, more sober] that they fable as touching the original of the sea. For they say that there was once in the Island, a man of great power, whose name was Iaia; whose only son being dead, he buried him within a great gourd. This Iaia, grievously taking the death of his son, after a few months, came again to the gourd: The which when he had opened, there issued forth many great whales and other monsters of the sea: whereupon he declared to such as dwelt about him, that the sea was enclosed in that gourd. By which report, four brethren (borne of one woman who died in her travail) being moved, came to the gourd in hope to have many fishes. The which when they had taken in their hands, and espied Iaia coming, (who oftentimes resorted to the gourd to visit the bones of his son) fearing lest he should suspect them of theft and sacrilege, suddenly let the gourd fall out of their hands: which being broken in the fall the sea forthwith broke out at the rifts thereof, and so filled the vales, and overflowed the plains, that only the mountains were uncovered, which now contain the islands which are seen in those coasts. And this is the opinion of these wise men as concerning the origin of the sea.