in Panama 10. great ships of 500, 400, 300, and 200. tuns apiece, and some 15. barkes which vse commonly to saile in the South sea to Lima, to the Valles, to Arica, and to the Philippinas. This countrey in the summer is so extreme hotte, that it is not possible to trauel in the day time: it standeth in 8. deg and 1/2. and all this coast is in 9. and 10. deg. Here is great store of adders, snakes and toades, which are in the houses, but they doe but small hurt. Here bread, wine, and bacon are very deere, by reason the countrey doth not yeeld it: for it is brought from Peru. A li. of bread is worth here 2. rials of plate: a quart of wine is solde for 4. rials: for none groweth here. Here are very few sheep, and those extreme deere.
Twenty li. of beefe may bee bought for sixe pence in Peru. The only food here for flesh, are oxen, kine, buls and heffkers: you may buy 20. li. of beefe for one rial of plate. Their smallest money of siluer is a rial of plate, and very few of them, but all pieces of 4. and 8. For the siluer mines which dayly be found in Peru be wonderfull to bee spoken of. If a man did not see the siluer made, hee would neuer beleeue it: for the very earth which commeth out of the mines, and is afterward washed, being but 3. or 4. yeres on a mount, yeeldeth great store of siluer afterward againe. But as here we get much, so our charge in meat, drinke and apparell doth cost very much. As for fruite here is none that is good, but onely muske melons, and they are sold for 6. or 8. rials apeece.
The Englishmen extremely feared in Peru. I can certifie your worship of no newes, but only, that all this countrey is in such extreme feare of the Englishmen our enemies, that the like was neuer seene nor heard of: for in seeing a saile, presently here are alarmes in all the countrey. I pray you to write vnto me as touching the wars that his Maiestie hath with our enemies, and howe his Maiestie doth preuaile. And thus I rest. From Panama in the firme land the 28. of Aug. 1590.
Hieronymo de Nabares.
