Purchas his pilgrimage. Or relations of the world and the religions observed in all ages and places discovered, from the creation vnto this present. Contayning a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the floud, the heathenis, Iewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since ... / by Samuel Purchas.

  • Samuel Purchas
Date:
1626
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Purchas his pilgrimage. Or relations of the world and the religions observed in all ages and places discovered, from the creation vnto this present. Contayning a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the floud, the heathenis, Iewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since ... / by Samuel Purchas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1009/1028 (page 955)
    Ghap.i4- AMERICA. The ninth'Booke. 9)’) ing behind her head, grafpeth ic fofaft, rliacby no meanes it can be taken from her,till ihcy draw her vp aboue the water, and then not able to abide the Aire , fhcrellgneth her prey to thchftiers, which leapeout into the water, and take it; in recompcncc whereof they giue her part of her purchafe. He found alfo in this Coalt Wacfis , for the fpace of fortie miles, white and thickc like Milke, and as though Mealc had bcene Ifrcwed through that Sea : o- Eottro, thcr waters he found k fpotted with white and blacke, and others all blacke. An old man of ^ foorcfcore yeeres being a Gouernour in Hand, came to Coltimbtu^ and with,great grauitie (a- luted him,and counfelled him to rfe his vifforics well, remembring , that the foulct of men haueewo lournies, after they arc departed from their bodies: The one fouleanddarke,pre- 50 pared for iniurious and cruell perfons: the other plcafant and delc^fable , for the peaceable, and iouers of quiet. Many other Hands might be hcerc mentioned, and but mentioned ; little to our purpofe I findc in them. OfAcufamil, neere lucatan, isalreadie fpoken. Of LwaUox IttSAia, the greateft thing is their great number, which fome 1 efteeme aboue fourc hundred. Lucatit 1 ?.M,Dce.7.u is a ginerall or colleftiue name, as Zelandt Lct^uio^ Mulacco, The Spaniards h?uc carried the Inhabitants, as Martyr fignifieth, into feruitude , to fttisfie tbeir inlatiable defirc of Gold. The womenof thefc Hands were lofairc, that many of the bordering Countries, forlookc their owne Counthe, and chofeihis for their loue. Thefe women ware nothing till the time of their menflruous purgation , at which time the Parents made a Fealf, as it (liee were to w 30 be married; and after that, (he weareth before thofc parts Nets olCottpp, filled with leaucs f ofHearbs. They obey their King fo ftri£fly,that if he command them to Icape downc from anhighRocke, allcdging no other reafon then his will, they pertorme the lame. But^rlity ' ^ 30 re now, and were long (ince dcfolatc, being walled in the Mines of Hifpaniola and Cu- ni Der.y.S. ] ba, or by Difcafcs and Famine, to the number of twelue hundred chouland. But 1 am loth to wilder my fclfs further m this Wilderneflcof Hands (for fohaue the Spa¬ niards made them : ) ® Ctlttmbtu in one Voyage gaue names to feuen hundred Hands; of q Dec.iJX^ which lean report little fitting this our Pilgrimage. Hifpaniola is the Lady and Qycene of them all, and (as it were) the common Store-houfe of all their excellencies: and therefore we will there make fome longer lUy« ) . ' ' / ■ii'7. ■ ■ ■ 'V •-^-----T:— -' i- ‘chap X'IIII. Of Htfj^anioU : Md a touch homewards at ^ ■ ^ermuda^ ’ > 40 ^ I. T^e Names, naturaU Rarities, and C^ea^ tures thereaf* irpaniolaorSpagnioIa » is Eaftward from Cuba, it was of thefirftlnhabi- I tants called afterwards Huir/, and hyColumbtu P and O- [ fhir. The Spaniards,call it as we firll.mentioned, and alfo Saint pr Domingo o( thechiefeCitiean Arpluepifcopall See. It contayncth m com - paffe Aue hundred apd fiftie leagues. They called phe Hand Q^fijutia, Vfhkh ^ (jgnificth C7re4r and thiokipg Sunne gaue light to no other ^ World then this%nd the other Hands adioyning. fignifieth Cr4^^w. and luch is the Hand in many places, with highCraggie Hils ,i ouerlooking the deepe and darke Vallcycs. 'But in many places it is moft beautifull and flourilhing. It feemeth to cnioy a pcrpetuJl Spring, the trecsalway flouriftiing , andthe Medowes clothed iagrccnc. The Ayreand tfie Waters are wholefome. It is in manner equally diuided with fpure great Riuers defeending from I high Mountaynes, w hereof runneth Eaft; v^ttibaniew, Weft; T^abiba, to the South; and lache, Northward. Some diuide it into fiue Prouinccs, C*ix.cmu , Hnbaba, Cm- Ubo, Bainpa, GuaccaUrima. In tlie firftof thefe there is a great, Gaue , in a hollow Rocke, vnder the root of a high Mountaync about two furlongs from the Sea; the cntric is like the <jo doores of a great Temple. Many Riuers ftole their waters from the fight of the Sun, the vfc of men, and the ordinary Officers of Neptunet Guftome-houfe, and by fecr« oaffijges came and hid themfelucs in this Ca^e. So the llandrrs imagined,fi:eing diuerg riucflTwallowed vp of o Ortel.TbeM fuColumbui cal* ed It CipMga, thinking it to , bechatUsnd t wbjch^4rnii» Faulm cals by that name ia' thcfiaft.Eei./.a* He called ic al» fo Opbir,thin, king itco bee that whence Salemen hadl * bit Gold' * ^ort.Vtc.Zol.7 i-