150 FISHING! IN BALSAS. 



LIB. in. escam populis ^Ethiopum. Peter Melendez the Adelan- 

 ~ tado did often speake of this kinde of fishing. Whereof 

 Monardes makes mention in his booke. There is an 

 other fishing which the Indians do commonly vse in the 

 sea,, the which, although it be lesse, yet is it worthy the 

 report. They make as it were faggots of bul-rushes or drie 

 sedges well bound together, which they call Balsas; having 

 carried them vppon their shoulders to the sea, they cast 

 them in, and presently leape vppon them. Being so set, 

 they lanch out into the deepe, rowing vp and downe with 

 small reedes of eyther side, they goe a league or two into 

 the sea to fish, carrying with them their cordes and nettes 

 vppon these faggots, and beare themselves thereon. They 

 cast out their nettes, and do there remaine fishing the 

 greatest parte of the day and night, vntill they have filled 

 vp their measure, with the which they returne well satis 

 fied. Truely it was delightfull to see them fish at Callao of 

 Lima, for that they were many in number, and every one 

 set on horsebacke, cutting the waves of the sea, which in 

 their place of fishing are great and furious, resembling the 

 Tritons or Neptunes, which they paint vppon the water, 

 and beeing come to land they drawe their barke out of the 

 water vpon their^ backes, the which they presently vndoe, 

 and lay abroade on the shoare to drie. There were other 

 Indians of the vallies of Yea w 7 hich were accustomed to goe 

 to fish in leather, or skinnes of sea-wolves, blowne vp with 

 winde, and from time to time they did blowe them like 

 balles of winde, lest they should sinke. In the vale of 

 Caiiete, which in olde time they called Huarco, there were 

 a great number of Indian fishers : but because they resisted 

 the Ynca when he came to conquer that land, he made 

 shew of peace with them, and therefore to feast him they 

 appoynted a solemne fishing of manie thousand Indians, 

 which went to sea in their vessels of reeds; at whose re 

 turne, the Ynca, who had layde many souldiers in ambush, 



