Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/301

 house; whereupon Bisborol rose, and went out: and when he came againe, Cadamusta demanded of him, where he had been; and he answered that he had been with his Cobras or snakes which called him. In the Indies there be many of these kinde of snakes, and some full of poison, which notwithstanding the Indian people vse to carrie about their necks, and put them into their bosomes and vnder their armes: which at some soundes that the people make will daunce, and doe diuers things at commandement.

There was a Portugall that sometime told me, that beyond the Cape of Bona Sperança towards Sofala, Quiloa, and Melinde, where he had been, there were certaine birds, which would come to the Black Moores at their call, and according as the Moores did remooue, so the birds would doe, from one tree to another: and they vsed to follow them till they did light vpon some tree, from whence they could not remooue. And as the Negros went vp the tree they should finde waxe and honie thereupon, not knowing whether it grewe there naturally or not. In the same countrey also vnder ground in Ant holes they did finde much honie and waxe, which the Antes did make, being somewhat bitter.

Vpon the sea coast also they found certaine fishes, which commonly went vpright in the waters hauing their faces and natures of women, which the fishermen of those places were acquainted with.

In the yeere 355. before Christ it is said that the Spanyards sailed through the maine sea till they came vnto the flats of India, Arabia, and those coasts adioyning, whereunto they caried diuers marchandises, which trade they vsed in great ships. And sailing to the northwest they came vnto certaine flats, which with the flowing of the sea were couered, and with the ebbe were discouered finding there many Tunnies of great bignes, where they commonly vsed to fish them to their great profit, because they were the first vntill that time that they had seene, and were greatly esteemed.

The time of Alexander Magnus, as appeereth by the ages of the world, was before the comming of Christ 324 yeeres: we all know that he was borne in Europe: but he trauailed into Asia