Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/236

 [*Sidenote: Sugar, hides, copper mines.]

riches that now this Iland affordeth are sugar (for here are many Ingenios or sugar-houses) and great store of hides by reason of the abundance of cattell; there are copper mines also, which is the cause that they haue such store of copper-money, for their gold mines be all exhausted and the golde which they haue commeth from other places.

This Iland being (as is beforesaide) destitute of the first inhabitants, and the Spaniardes lacking men to worke in their Ingenios, and to looke vnto their cattell, they were forced to bring Negros thither out of Guinea, where they haue so ncreased, that the Iland is nowe as full of them, as it was of the naturall inhabitants; so that the Spaniardes carrie Negros from this Iland to the maine lande and there sell them.

The chiefest victuall that they haue in this Iland, is a kinde of roote called Iuca, which being eaten as it commeth new out of the ground is present death: bnt first they boyle it and after presse it, and the liquor that is strained therefrom is deadly poyson: howbeit this roote being pressed so dry, that there remaineth no moisture in it, they mingle and temper the same with water, and so make cakes therof, which are very sauory and good to eat, and this is all the bread which they haue in those Ilands. There go from hence yerely into Spaine 7 or 8 ships at the least full fraighted with sugar, aud hides.

Neere vnto Hispaniola lyeth another greater Iland called Cuba, it is like vnto Hispaniola, although there is not so much sugar. The principall towne of this Ilande is called Hauana, which hath an excellent harborough belonging thereunto. The townesmen are very rich by reason of the fleetes that come from Nueua Espanna, and Tierra firma which touch there; for the safeguarde of which fleetes and of the towne it selfe there is a castle built neere the said harborough kept with Spanish souldiers; neither is there any castle or souldiers in all the Ilands but onely here. There is also another Iland inhabited with Spaniards called Boriquen or Sant Iuan de Puerto rico. It is but little, yet euery way as plentifull as the other two are; and therfore I omit to speake thereof.

But now to prosecute my discourse of the port-townes vpon the maine land:

Eastwarde and Southward from Margarita there are no townes inhabited by Spaniards or Portugals, till you come to Fernambuck vpon the coast of