NICHOLAS AND ANTONIO ZENO ad. 



c. 1380-90. 

 space of thirteene yeres that he dwelt in those parts, he In the space 

 saith, that he was sent in this order to more then 25 °f l Zy^ r " 

 Lords, for they had continuall war amongst themselves, iJ^JS 25 

 this Lord with that Lord, and he with another, onely Orogio. 

 to have him to dwell with them : so that wandring up 

 and downe the countrey without any certaine abode in 

 one place, he knew almost all those parts. He saith, 

 that it is a very great countrey & as it were a new world : 

 the people are very rude and voide of all goodnesse, they 

 goe all naked so that they are miserably vexed with 

 colde, neither have they the wit to cover their bodyes 

 with beasts skins which they take in hunting, they have 

 no kinde of mettal, they live by hunting, they cary cer- 

 taine lances of wood made sharpe at the point, they have 

 bowes, ye strings wherof are made of beasts skins : they 

 are very fierce people, they make cruell warres one with 

 another, and eate one another, they have governours & 

 certaine lawes very divers among themselves. But the 

 farther to the Southwestwards, the more civiltie there is, 

 the ayre being somewhat temperate, so that there they 

 have cities and temples to idols, wherein they sacrifice 

 men and afterwards eate them, they have there some 

 knowledge and use of gold and silver. 



Now this fisherman having dwelt so many yeeres in 

 those countreys purposed, if it were possible, to returne 

 home into his countrey, but his companions despairing 

 ever to see it againe, let him goe in Gods name, and 

 they kept themselves where they were. Wherefore he 

 bidding them farwell, fled through the woods towards 

 Drogio, and was very well received of the Lord that 

 dwelt next to that place ; who knew him and was a 

 great enemie of the other Lord ; and so running from 

 one Lord to another, being those by whom he had passed 

 before, after long time & many travels he came at length 

 to Drogio, where he dwelt three yeres. When as by 

 good fortune he heard by the inhabitants, that there 

 were certaine boates arrived upon the coast : wherefore 

 entring into good hope to accomplish his intent, he went 



457 



