Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/338



There are foure great galeons of 350 tunnes a piece, which are in Arica men of warre, with a Generall, Admirall, Viceadmirall, with great store of souldiers which keepe this hauen: for the viceroy hath intelligence that there are certeine Englishmen of war comming thither. This hauen of Arica is the best harbour in all the South sea: for all the siluer which commeth from the mines of Potossi, is shipt in this harbour, and so brought to Lima. And likewise all the commodities which come from Spaine, and all the kings quicksiluer, is vnladen in this harbour, and so caried to the city of Lima and other places, where the mines of siluer are.

A letter of the Licentiate Christopher Vslano to Gonsaluo de Solana in the city of Encisa in Spaine, written from the city of Potossi in Peru the 20 of Iuly 1590, touching a great plague in Peru, and the shortnesse of the passage from the riuer of Plate into Potossi in Peru.

The last yeere 1588 I receiued letters from your worship and from my sister: and since that time I haue receiued none, nor in the fleet which came to Cartagena 1589.

And this yere 1590 there hath bene great want of corne in this kingdome of Potossi: for that there hath beene no raine in this kingdome of long time. For in March the husbandmen vse to sowe their corne: and in Aprill Winter doth begin. And if in Aprill there be no raine, the corne which is sowen will consume away: and so for want of raine we haue had two badde yeres of corne. And likewise here hath bene in these countreys of Potossi, and in the city De la paz, great sicknesse among the Indians, Mullatos, and Mestiços, called the small pocks, and a certeine plague, which hath destoyed all this countrey. And there haue no olde people died, nor Spanyards, but onely this countrey people, from one yeere to 30 yeeres of age: so for want of Indians we can not worke in the mines. This sicknesse runneth al along the coast of Peru, and hath passed into the streights of Magallanes, whence we haue newes that those souldiers which were sent from Spain thither to build those forts are most of them dead, and especially the workemen which came to make the forts. The General Don Diego de Abolos hath written to his maiesty to send more souldiers and more workemen, whereby these three forts might be builded according to the kings commandement.