J.H. van Linschoten his discours of voyages into ye East and West Indies, in foure bookes / [Translated by William Phillip].

  • Jan Huyghen van Linschoten
Date:
1598
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: J.H. van Linschoten his discours of voyages into ye East and West Indies, in foure bookes / [Translated by William Phillip]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    their wits & induſtries in this behalfto the fingular benefit of our later times, wherein there haue beene moſt excel- lent and exquiſite followers of them, as Munsters, Mercators, Theuets, Belo- vies, Ortelies, Villamonts, & many moe, that by the light and good meanes of thoſe their Predeceſſors, haue run be- yonde them many degrees, and difco. uered ſuch New worlds as were neuer knowne tu our Fathers & Forefathers; and therefore doo deferuethe greater commendation. No doubt, it is very troubleſome and laborious to iourney by land for the attaining to this know- ledge: but to trauell by Sea, is not one- ly moſt dangerous, but allo in a maner almoſt a deſperate eſtate, conſidering elpecially the great perils wherevnto it is hourely ſubiect, as namely, Rockes, Flats, Sandes, Calphes, Stormes, 7 empeſts, befides the continuall Watching and care in obſeruing the Poles Arctike, and Antarctite, the Ægainoctiall Line, the Altitude and Degrees of the Meridian, the Circle of the Zodtake , the Horizon, the Tropikes, the Longitude and Latitude of Heauen and earth, the Paralleles, the Hemiſphere, the Zenith, the Centre, and a Rablement of (uch curioſities, that are able to breake the braines of the foun- deſt man aliue. To theſe if you will add the intollerable paines, and infinite diſ- eafesthat doo ſpend their bodies, you muſt needs ſay, that they are the moſt miſerable Creatures of the worlde: So that you cannot chooſe but bee of the opinion of Anacharſis that Noble Philotapher who beeing demaunded of the dead or that of the Liuing, did redemaund againe , In which Number do jon recken thoſe that trauell on the Sea? vpon the Sea are in fo great danger of death, that they doo continually dye liuing, and liue dying. And therefore well fayd Bias (one of the ſeuen Sages) that Saylers uppom the Sea were alwayes within two ynches of their death: & true it is, which the Latyn Tyrile Poet writeth, That Man hada Hart of oke,and was fen- f | | \ cedwith atriple Corflet of Braſſe, thet frit aduentured to commit a ſlender Boat to 1 he raging Sea. A Type and Parterne of all which miferies , together with the cunning and skilfull Art of Newigation, is comprifed in this Volume whichwee haue in hand, being amoft perfect de. ſcription of the Eat and Weft Indies, or (as they are commonly called) the Fortugall and Spanifh Indies: A Worke afluredly very profitable, and commo. dious for all ſuch as are deſirous & cu. rious louers of Nouelties. Of thele Indies, though notin di. ftinguifhed tearmes of Ea/ and Weft, ſundry Hiſtoriographers and Authors of the old Morli haue made an honoura. ble Mention, & left an exceeding com- mendation thereof, for the wonderfull and rare matters, that were diſcouered by the ſeuerall Trauels & Nauigation of diuers famous Captains: as namely, Alexander the great, Celeucus, Antiochus, Patrocles, and Oneficritus,who had been all in the faide Indies, inſomuch as one of them held them to be the Third part of all the Land that is inhabited, in re. gard of the great Proninces, puiflant Ci- ties, and vnmeaſurable lands that are foundtherein e all very fruitfull, and yeelding ſuch treaſure and lich Mer- chandize, as none other place of the whole world can afford. And althogh the curioſity and labour of thefe aun- cients was very great, yet greater hath beene the trauell and induſtry of thoſe which of late time, and in ourage hath beene imployed therein. For the aun- cient Trauellers had in deedea certain kind of knowledge of this Coumtrey and People; but it was very vncertaine and vnperfect: Whereas we in our times are thoroughly learned and inſtructed ces, Cities, Riuers, Hauens and Trafficks of them all: So that nowe it is become knowne tothe whole world. Firſt the Portingalls (being great Merchants by reafon of theirskil in Nauigation, which in our dayes is growne to a more full perfection, then euer it hath beene in times paſt:) they I fay firſt diſcodered A 3 the
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