Hiflorie of the Indies 



to cut downe . It hath bin needefuil (pafling through 

 fome panes of the 'l#Jics y efpecially where they newly 

 cntred)to make their way,in cutting downe trees, and 

 pulling vp bufhes, fb that (as fome religious men have / 

 written that have tried it) they coulde not fometimes 

 have paffed above a league in a day.One of our brothers 

 (a man worthy of creditc) reported vnto vs,that being 

 ftraied in the mountaines, not knowing which way he 

 fhouldepafTe,hefell among fuch thickebufhcs,thathe 

 was forced to go vpon them, without fetting foote to 

 the ground, by the fpace of fifteene whole dayes : and 

 to fee the Sunne , or to marke fome way in this thicke 

 forreft full of wood,he was forced to climbe to the top 

 of the higheft trees to difcover. He that fhall reade the 

 difcourfe of his travel!, how often hce was loft.,and the 

 wayes he pafled, with the ftrange adventures that hap- 

 penedvntohiin, the which I have written briefly, be- ^ 

 ing fj worthy the knowledge, and having. my felfe tra- * 

 veiled alittle over the mountaines at the Indies, were it 

 but the eighteenc leagues betwixt Nomlre de Dios and 

 Panama, may vv^ll iudge what great forrefts there are. 

 So as having no winter in thofe parts,to nip them with 

 colde, and the humiditie of the heavens, and earth be 

 ing fo great, as the mountaines bring foorth infinit for- / 

 refts, and the plaines which they^alLfe'iww , great * A 

 plenty of grafle: there is no want oiFpafture f or feeding, 

 of timber building, nor of wood for fewell.lt is impof- 

 fible to let downe the differenccTanHlormes offb ma- 

 nyjvildetrees , for that the names of the greateft parte 

 are vnknowne. 



Cedars in olde time fo much efleemed, are there ve- 

 ly comrnon,both for buildings and ftippes, and they 

 arc of diverle fortes, fome white, and fomeredde^vcry 



V 3 odori- 



