Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/342

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from the Island of Cuba.[1] They had also with them a barke of Diego Velasques, who then was gouernour:

Iucatan. They came on land in Iucatan standing in 20. degrees of latitude at a point which they called Punta de las Duennas, that is to say, The point of the Ladies, which was the first place wherein they had seen Temples and buildings of lime and stone. The people here goe better apparelled then in any other place. They haue crosses which they worship, setting them vpon their tombes when they be buried. Whereby it seemeth that in times past they had in that place the faith of Christ among them.

The seuen cities. And some say that thereabouts were The seuen Cities. They went round about it towards the north which is on the right hand: from whence they turned backe vnto the Island of Cuba with some examples of gold, and men which they had taken. And this was the first beginning of the discouerie of New Spaine.

In the yeere 1518. Lopez Suares commanded Don Iohn de Silueira to goe to the Islands of Maldiua: and he made peace with them:[2]

Chatigam in Bengala. and from thence he went to the citie of Chatigam situated on the mouth of the riuer Ganges vnder the Tropicke of Cancer. For this riuer, and the riuer Indus, which standeth an hundred leagues beyond the citie of Diu, and that of Canton in China doe all fall into the sea vnder one parallele or latitude. And although before that time Fernan Perez had been commanded to goe to Bengala, yet notwithstanding Iohn de Silueira ought to beare away the commendation of this discouerie: because he went as captaine generall, and remained there longest, learning the commodities of the countrey, and maners of the people.

In the said yeere 1518. the first day of May Diego Velasques gouernour of the Island of Cuba sent his nephew Iohn de Grisalua with fower ships and two hundred soldiers to discouer the land of Iucatan.[3] And they founde in their way the Island of Cosumel standing towards the north in 19. degrees, and named it Santa Cruz, because they came to it the third of May. They coasted the land lying vpon the left hand of the Gulfe, and

  1. Gomar. hist. gen. lib. 3. cap. 2.
  2. Castagneda lib. 4. cap. 36. and 37. Osorius lib. 11. fol. 315. pag. 2.
  3. Pet. Martyr. decad. 4. cap. 3. Gomar. hist. gen. lib. 2. cap. 14. & cap. 17.