Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/288

 to be seene. And to this day many of these Ilands and countreies are called by the names of Batochina, Bocho-China, which is as much to say, as the countreies of China. Further it appeereth by histories, that the arke of Noe rested vpon the north parts of the mountaines of Armenia, which stands in 40. degrees and vpwards: and that immediately thereupon Scythia was first peopled, for that it is an high land, and appeered first after the flood.

And seeing the prouince and countrey of the Tabencos is one of the chiefest of all Tartarie, as they report, it is to be thought that they were of the most ancient inhabitants, and men of the most ancient nauigations, the seas being as calme as the riuers be in those parts lying betweene the Tropicks, where the daies and nights do not much differ, as well in the howers, as in y^e temperature: where there blow no outragious windes, to cause the waters to rise or to be troubled.

And by late experience it is found, that the small barks wherein they saile haue onely a great high bough in the middest of the barke, standing in steed both of mast and saile, and the master holdeth onely an oare in his hand to stirre withall: and so they saile swiftly along the coast; and the rest of the passengers sit onely vpon certaine poles, which are fastened in the barke, which they call Catamarones, and so they passe without rowing.

It is further said, that the people of China were sometimes Lords of the most part of Scythia, and sailed ordinarily along that coast, which seemeth to reach vnto 70. degrees toward the north. Cornelius Nepos is the author of this; who particularly affirmeth, that in the time that Metellus the fellowe consul of Afranius, was Proconsul in France, the king of Sueuia sent vnto him certaine Indians, which came thither in a ship from this countrey, comming by the north and by the flats of Germanie. And it is probable that they were people of China, for that they from 20. 30. and 40. degrees vpwards haue strong ships and clynchers, that can well brooke the seas, and indure the cold and intemperature of such northerly regions. As for Cambaia there is shipping also in it, and the people by report haue vsed the seas many yeeres: but it seemeth not that they were any of them