A.D. 

 1555. 



Vehement 

 motions in the 

 Sea. 



A strange 

 thing. 



The power of 

 nature. 



They rase 

 their skinnes. 



Fine jewels. 

 A bracelet. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



ing foorth of springs, that the mouthes of rivers are 

 opened. Whirlepooles, and fluxions are caused of such 

 other vehement motions, not only in the middest of the 

 sea, but also in creeks & streights. At certaine times 

 also, a great quantity of water is suddenly lifted up and 

 carried about with the Moone, &c. By which wordes of 

 Aristotle it doth appeare that such waters be lifted up in 

 one place at one time, and suddenly fall downe in an 

 other place at another time. And hereunto perhaps 

 perteineth it that Richard Chanceller told me that he 

 heard Sebastian Cabot report, that (as farre as I remember) 

 either about the coasts of Brasile or Rio de Plata, his 

 shippe or pinnesse was suddenly lifted from the sea, 

 and cast upon land, I wot not howe farre. The which 

 thing, and such other like wonderfull and strange workes 

 of nature while I consider, and call to remembrance the 

 narrownesse of mans understanding and knowledge, in 

 comparison of her mightie power, I can but cease to 

 marvell and confesse with Plinie, that nothing is to her 

 impossible, the least part of whose power is not yet 

 knowen to men. Many things more our men saw and 

 considered in this voyage, woorthy to be noted, whereof I 

 have thought good to put some in memory, that the 

 reader may aswell take pleasure in the variety of things, 

 as knowledge of the historic Among other things 

 therefore, touching the maners and nature of the people, 

 this may seeme strange, that their princes & noble men 

 use to pounce and rase their skinnes with pretie knots in 

 divers formes, as it were branched damaske, thinking that 

 to be a decent ornament. And albeit they goe in maner 

 all naked, yet are many of them, & especialy their women, 

 in maner laden with collars, bracelets, hoopes, and chaines, 

 either of gold, copper, or ivory. I my selfe have one 

 of their braslets of Ivory, weighing two pound and sixe 

 ounces of Troy weight, which make eight and thirtie 

 ounces : this one of their women did weare upon her 

 arme. It is made of one whole piece of the biggest part 

 of the tooth, turned and somewhat carved, with a hole in 



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