Htitorie of the Indies, lib , i . 69 



fage, without apparant danger of fhip- wrackc: and al 

 though their fhippes hadbeene fufficient,yet had they 

 no knowledge of the Aftrolabeor Compaffe. If then 

 they had beene but eight or tennedayes at Sea with, 

 out fighi of land , they muft of neceflitie loole them- 

 fclves , having no knowledge where they were : wee 

 know many Ilandes well peopled with Indians , and 

 their vfuall navigations, the which wasfuch,as they 

 may well performe in Canoes and boats, without any 

 Compaffe to fayle by. Whenas the Indians of Peru, 

 which remayne at Tom&es, did fee our firft Spanifli 

 hippes faylingto ?^,and viewed the greatnefle of 

 their failes,being fpread,and of the bodies of the fhips, 

 they ftoode greatly amazed , not beeing able to per- 

 fvvade themfelves that they were (hippes,having never 

 feene any of the like forme and greatnefle, they fuppo- 

 fed they had bcene rockes. But feeing them advance, 

 and not to fincke, they flood tranfported with amaze 

 ment, vntill that beholding them necrer, they difcove- 

 red men with beards that walked in them, whom then 

 they held for fomegods or heavenly creatures, Where T 

 by it appeares , how ftrange it was to the Indians to 

 have great Ships. There is yet an other rcafon, which 

 confirmes vs in the forefayd opinion , which is , that 

 thefebeaftes (which we fay are not likely to have been 

 tranfported by Sea to the Indies,} remayne onelyon 

 the maine Land.and not in any Ilands 7 foure dayes ior- 

 ney from the maine Land. I have made this fearch for 

 proofe thereof, for that it feemes to me a point of great 

 importance, to confirme me in mine opinion,that the 

 confines of the ladies, Europe, Apt , and Affricke have 

 fome communication one with another,or at the leaft, 

 approch very neere together. There are in ^fmmct 



F 3 and 



