THE UNKNOWN LANDS. 171 



and stretcheth to that which is towards the Antartike or LlB - m - 

 South Pole. Neither do we know the land that lies beyond 

 the straight of Magellan, for that the greatest height yet 

 discovered is in fiftie-six degrees, as hath beene formerly 

 saide ; and toward the Artike or Northerne Pole, it is not 

 knowne how farre the land extendes, which runnes beyond 

 the Cape of Mendocjno, and the Californias, nor the bounds 

 and end of Florida, neither yet how farre it extendes to the 

 West. Of late, they have discovered a new land, which 

 they call New Mexico, where they say is much people that 

 speake the Mexicaine tongue. The Philippines and the fol 

 lowing Hands, as some report that know it by experience, 

 ranne above nine hundred leagues. But to intreate of China, 

 Cochinchina, Syam, and other regions which are of the 

 East Indies, were contrary to my purpose, which is onely to 

 discourse of the West ; nay, they are ignorant of the 

 greatest part of America, which lies betwixt Peru and 

 Bresill, although the bounds be knowne of all sides, wherein 

 there is diversitie of opinions ; some say it is a drowned 

 land, full of Lakes and waterie places ; others affirme there 

 are great and flourishing kingdomes, imagining there be 

 the Paytiti, the Dorado, and the Cassars, where they say 

 are wonderfull things. I have heard one of our Company 

 say, a man worthy of credit, that hee had seene great 

 dwellings there, and the waies as much beaten, as those 

 betwixt Salamanca and Valladolid ; the which he did see, 

 whenas Pedro de Ursua, and after, those that succeeded him, 

 made their entrie and discoverie by the great river of 

 Amazons, who beleeving that the Dorado which they sought 

 was farther off, cared not to inhabite there, and after went 

 both without the Dorado, which they could not finde, and 

 this great Province which they left. To speake the truth, 

 the habitations of America are to this day vnknowne, 

 except the extrearnities, which are Peru, Bresill, and that 

 part where the land beginnes to straighten, which is the 



