Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/271

 found a fort made by the king of Peru against the Indians of the mountaines. Wherefore Piçarro and his men were very glad in that they had found a people of so good vnderstanding and discretion, being rich also in gold and siluer and well apparelled. At this port of Tumbez hee tooke 30000 pezos of golde in trucke of marchandize: and hauing too few men to proceede any further, hee carried two Indians with him to learne the language and returned backe for Panama. Vpon this discouery Francisco Piçarro thought it expedient to trauell into Spaine to craue of the king the conquest of this land. Whither being come, the king granted his request. And with the money which be carried ouer with him he hired a great number of men with a fleete of ships, and brought also along with him foure of his brethren very valiant and hardy men. And being come to Panama he straightway went on his voyage for Peru, being accompanied with his partner Diego de Almagro. They sailed first to the Island called Isla del Gallo; where Francisco Piçarro and his brethren went on land, and left Diego de Almagro in the ships. And the whole number which afterward landed on the maine land were 60 horsemen and 120 footemen, with two great field-*peeces.

But before we proceede any farther, we thinke it not amisse to describe vnto you the situation of Peru, and the naturall disposition of the inhabitants:  This countrey was called Peru by the Spaniards, of a riuer so named by the Indians, where they first came to the sight of gold. From which riuer standing vnder the line, till you come to Copiapo the first towne on the coast of Chili, stretcheth the land of Peru, for the space of eight hundred leagues: vpon sixe hundred whereof from Atacama to Tumbez did neuer drop of raine fall, since the flood of Noah: and yet it is the fruitfullest land for all kind of victuals and other necessaries for the sustentation of mans life that is to be found in all the world besides.

The reason why it raineth not in this land is because it beeing a plaine countrey and very narrow and low, situate betweene the Equinoctiall and the tropique of Capricorne, there runneth on the West frontier not aboue twentie leagues from the sea called Mar del Sur. Eastward thereof, a mighty ridge of high mountaines couered with snow, the height of which mountaines so draweth the moisture of the cloudes vnto it selfe, that no raine falleth vpon the vallies of Peru.