LETTER FROM THOMAS CANDISH a.d. 



1588. 

 to suffer mee to circompasse the whole globe of the 

 world, entring in at the Streight of Magellan, and 

 returning by the cape de Buena Esperanza. In which 

 voyage I have either discovered or brought certeine 

 intelligence of all the rich places of the world that 

 ever were knowen or discovered by any Christian. I 

 navigated alongst the coast of Chili, Peru, and Nueva 

 Espanna, where I made great spoiles : I burnt and 

 sunke 19 sailes of ships small and great. All the 

 villages and townes that ever I landed at, I burnt and 

 spoiled : and had I not bene discovered upon the coast, 

 I had taken great quantitie of treasure. The matter 

 of most profit unto me was a great ship of the kings 

 which I tooke at California, which ship came from the 

 Philippinas, being one of the richest of merchandize 

 that ever passed those seas, as the kings register and 

 merchants accounts did shew: for it did amount in 

 value to * in Mexico to be solde. Which goods (for 

 that my ships were not able to conteine the least 

 part of them) I was inforced to set on fire. From 

 the cape of California, being the uttermost part of all 

 Nueva Espanna, I navigated to the Islands of the 

 Philippinas hard upon the coast of China; of which 

 countrey I have brought such intelligence as hath not 

 bene heard of in these parts. The statelinesse and 

 riches of which countrey I feare to make report of, 

 least I should not be credited : for if I had not knowen 

 sufficiently the incomparable wealth of that countrey, 

 I should have bene as incredulous thereof, as others 

 will be that have not had the like experience. I 

 sailed along the Hands of the Malucos, where among 

 some of the heathen people I was well intreated, where 

 our countrey men may have trade as freely as the 

 Portugals, if they will themselves. From thence I 

 passed by the cape of Buena Esperanza, and found 

 out by the way homeward the iland of S. Helena, 

 where the Portugals use to relieve themselves : and 

 from that iland God hath suffered me to returne into 



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