TEXT: Richard Hakluyt, Epistle Dedicatorie 'To the right honourable, the right worshipfull Counsellors, and others the cheerefull adventurors for the advancement of that Christian and noble Plantation in Virginia', dated 'From my lodging in the Colledge of Westminster, this 15 of Aprill, 1609', prefixed to Virginia richly valued, by the description of the maine land of Florida, her next neighbour (London: Felix Kyngston for Matthew Lownes, 1609; reissued 1611 as The Worthye and Famous History of the Travailes, Discovery, & Conquest of that great Continent of Terra Florida). SOURCE EDITIONS: (a) The Discovery and Conquest of Terra Florida by Don Ferdinando de Soto..., ed. William B. Rye, Hakluyt Society 1st ser. no. 9 (London, 1851), pp. 1-7 (reprint from the 1611 issue; original spelling; the italic type of the original is lost in OCR); (b) OCR of the 1609 original, John Carter Brown Library copy (blackletter/roman, garbled). URLS FETCHED: https://archive.org/download/discoveryconques00ryewrich/discoveryconques00ryewrich_djvu.txt ; https://archive.org/download/virginiarichlyva00knig/virginiarichlyva00knig_djvu.txt DATE FETCHED: 2026-09-14 ============================================================================== ----- (a) Rye 1851, pp. 1-7 ----- in Paules Church-yard, at the Signe of the Bishops head. 1611. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, THE RIGHT Worshipfull Counsellors, and others the cheerfull adventurors, for the advancement of that Christian and noble Plantation in Virginia. THIS worhe, right honourable, right loorshipfnll, and the rest, though small in shew yet great in substance, doth yeeld much light to our enterprise now on foot ; whether you desire to hnoio the present and future commodities of our cotmtrie ; or the qualities and co7iditions of the inhabitants, or ivhat course is best to be taken with them. Touching the commodities, besides the generall report of Cabe^a de Vaca^ to Charles the Emperour ( who first travelled through a great part of the Inlcmcl of Florida, next adjoining upon our Virginia) That Florida was the richest countrie of the world ; and, that after hee had found clothes made of cotton wooU, he saw gold and silver, and stones of great value : I refer re you first to the rich mines of gold reported cimp. 35. to be in the province of Yupaha, and described in the twelfth chaptter of this Treatise to come icithin our limits. And againe, to the copper hatchets found in Cutifachiqui, standing upon the River of Santa Helena, which were said to have a mixture of gold. It seemeth also that the last chronicler of ' See also chap. ii. B THE EPISTLE the JVest Indies, Antonio de Herrcra, speahing of the foresaid lliver of Santa Helena, icliich standeth in 32 degrees and an halfe, alhideth to the province of Yupaha, in these icords : ^cirniV*^ Ycl oro, y plata, que hallaron, no era de aquella tierra, sino dc 60 leguas, a dcntro al nortc, de los pueblos dichos Ota- pales J Olagatanos, adonde so intiende, que ay minas de oro, plata, y cobre. That is to sag, that the gold and silver tohich they found, was not of that coimtrie {of Santa Helena), hut 60 leagues distant towards the north, of the townes called Otapales and Olagatanos, tvhere we understand that there are mines of gold, silver, and copper. By which reckoning these rich mines are in the latitude of 35 degrees and afi hcdfe. I desire you likewise to take knoidedge of the famous ciinp. 15. golden province of Chisca, stretching further to the north, xohereof the cacique of Coste gave notice to Ferdinando de Soto, in the towne o/Cliiaha, affirming, that there were mines of copper, and of another mettall of the same colour, save that it teas finer, and of a farre more perfect lustre, and farre better in sight, and that they used it not so much, because it teas softer. A?id the selfe same thing was before told the governour in Cutifacliiqui : who sent two Cliristians from Chiaha, with certaine Indians which knew the countrie of Cbisca, and the language thereof, to vieio it, and to make Chap. 23. report of that which they shoidd finde. We likeioise reade not long after, that the governour set forward to seeke a pro- vince called Pacaha, ivhich hee was informed to he neere unto Chisca, where the Indians told him that there was gold. ci.ap. 24. ^^^ in another place hee saith : That from Pacaha hee sent thirtie horsemen and fif tie footmen to the province o/Caluca, to see if from thence he might travell to Chisca, where the Indians said, there was a worke of gold and copper. So that here is foure times mention, and that in sundrie places, of the rich and famous golde mines of Chisca, and that they lie beyond the mountaines towards the 7iorth, over which they were not able to travell for the roughness thereof. But what DEDICATORIE. 3 neede I to stand upon forren testimonies^ since Master Thomas Heriot/ a man of much judgement in these causes, signified unto you all, at your late solemne meeting at the house of the right honourable the Earle of Exeter^' hoio to the southivest of our old fort in Virginia, the Indiayis often informed him, that there was a great melting of red mettall, reporting the mariner in ivorking of the same. Besides, our oivne Indians 1 Thomas Hariot, or Harriot, the emmeiit mathematician and astro- nomer ; born 1560, died 1621. He was mathematical tutor to Sir Walter Raleigh ; and in 1585 accompanied the first party of colo- nists to Virginia. Here he was "imployed in the discovery and sur- veying thereof, and in making what knowledge he could of the commo- dities it yielded, and concerning the inhabitants, and their manners and customs." Three years later, he published the result of his labours in a small quarto volume, bearing the following title : " A briefe and true Report of the new found land of Virginia . . . discovered by the English colony there seated by Sii* Richard Greinuile, knight, in the yeere 1585, which remained under the government of Rafe Lane, Esquier, one of her maiesties equieres, during the space of twelve monethes, at the speciall charge and direction of the Honourable Sir* Walter Raleigh. By Thomas Hariot, servant to the above named Sir Walter, a member of the colony, and there imployed in discovering." This account was republished in 1590, in folio, by the celebrated Frankfort engraver, Theodor de Bry, who added, as he says in his Dedication to Sir Walter, "figures, cott in copper, which doe leuelye represent the forme and maner of the inha- bitants of the same countrye, Avith theirs ceremonies, soUemne feastes, and the manner and situation of their townes or villages." Hakluyt, it seems, was the first to encourage him to publish the work, and he also supplied him with the descriptions to accompany his plates. In his preface to the " gentle reader", De Bry says : " consideringe therefore that yt v/as a thinge worthie of admiration, I was verye willinge to ofier vnto you the true pictures of those people wich by the helf of Maister Richard Hakluyt of Oxford, minister of God's word, who first incouraged me to publish the worke, I creaued out of the verye original of Maister Jhon White, an Englisch paynter, who was sent into the contrye by the queenes maiestye, onlye to draw the description of the place, lyuelye to describe the shapes of the inhabitants, their apparell, manners of liuingeand fashions, att the speciall charges of the worthy knight Sir Walter Ralegh, who bestowed no small sume of monnyo in the serche and discouerye of that countrye from te yeers 1584 to the ende of the years 1588." 2 Thomas Cecil, second Lord Burleigh, created Earl of Exeter in 1605 ; died in 1622. ^ THE EPISTLE have lately revealed either this or another rich mine of copper or gold, in a toivne called Ritanoe, 7ieere certaine mountaines lying west of Roanoac. Another very gainfidl commoditie is, the huge quantitie of excellent perles, and little hahies and birds made of them, that 10 ere found in Cutifacliiqui. The ahundance whereof is reported to he such, that if they would have searched divers chiip. 14. graves in townes thereabout, they might have laded many of their horses. Neither are the Turkic stones and cotton tvooll found at Guasco^ to he forgotten, ?ior passed over in silence. But that, ivhich I make no small account of, is, the mid- titude of oxen, which, from the heginning of the 16 to the end of the ^6 chapter, are nine several times made mention of ; and that cdong from Chialia, Coste, Pacalia^ Coligoa, and TuUa, still totcard the north, to wit, toivard us, there was such store of them, that they could keepe no come for them ; and that the Indians lived upon their flesh. The haire of these oxen is likeioise said to he like a soft tvooll, hetweene the coarse and fine tvooll of sheepe ; and that they use them for coverlets, because they are very soft and woolled like sheep ; and not so onely, but they make bootes, shooes, targets, and other things necessarie of the same. Besides the foriner benefits, their young ones may be framed to the yoke, for carting and tillage of our ground. And I am in good hope, that ere it be long tve shall have notice of their being neerer us, by that tvhich I reade in the Italian relation of Cabcya de Vaca/ the first finder of them ; which writeth. That they spread themselves within the countrie above foure hundred leagues. Moreover, Yasques de Coronado, and long after him, Antonio de Espejo ftvhose voiages arc at large in my third volume^ J , travelled many leagues among these heards of ^ See chap, xxxiv and xxxr. " See Ramusio Navigationi, torn. iii. ' The titles of the works refeiTed to by Hakluyt are as follows : — 1. "The Relation of Francis Vas(;iucz de Coronado, captaine generall of the people DEDICATUKIE. 5 oxen^ and found them from 33 degrees ranging very far re to the north and 7iortheast. A fourth chiefe commoditie wee may accotmt to he the great number of mulherrie trees, apt to feede silhe-ioormes to mahe silke : tvhereof there was such plentie in mamj places, that, though they found some hempe in the countrie, the Spaniards made ropes of the harks of them for their hrigan- dines, when they were to put to sea for Nova Hispania.^ A fifth is the excellent and perfect colours, as black, white, greene, yellow, and red, and the materials to dye toithall, so often spoken of in this discourse : among which, I have some hope to bring you to the knoivledge of the rich graine of Cochonillio, so much esteemed, aiid of so great price. I speake nothing of the sever all sorts of passing good grapes for wine and raisons. Neither is it the least benefit, that they found salt made by chap.sKtsa the Indians at Cayas, and in two places of the provitice of Aguacay : the manner also hoiv the inhabitants make it, is very well ivorth the observation. One of the chief est of all the rest may be the notice of the chap.suts^ South Sea, leading us to Japan and China, tvhich I finde whicli were sent in the name of the emperoiirs majestie to the countrey of Cibok, newly discovered, which he sent to Don Antonio de Mendo§a, viceroy of Mexico, of such things as happened in his voyage from the 22 of Aprill in the yeere 1540, which departed from Culiacan forward ; and of such things as hee found in the countrey which he passed." (Vol. iii, p. 373.) 2. " A briefe relation of two notable voyages ; the first, made by frier Augustin Ruys, a Franciscan, in the yeere 1581 ; the second by Antonio de Espejo in the yeere 1583 ; who, together with his company, discouered a land wherein they found fifteene provinces all full of townes, conteining houses of foure and five stories high, which they named New Mexico ; for that, in many respects, it resembleth the province of old Mexico. This land is situate to the north of Nueva Espanna, and stretcheth from 24 to 34 degrees and better ; by the which, and by other inhabited lands, it is thought that men may travell even to Terra de Labrador. Taken out of the history of China, written by Frier Juan Gonzalez de Mendoca, and printed in Madrid, 1586." (Vol. iii, p. 383.) ' Kew Spain or Mexico. 6 THE EPISTLE here twice to he spoken of. Whereof long since I have written a discourse, which I thinke not fit to he mcide over common. For closing up this point, the distances of places, the qualities of the soiles, the situations of the regions, the diversities and goodnesse of the fruits, the severall sorts of heasts, the varietie of fowles, the difference hetweene the inha- hitants of the mountaines and the plaines, and the riches of the inland in comparison of the sea-coast, are judicially set doivne in the conclusion of this hooke, whereunto for mine owne ease I refer re you. To come to the second generall head, which in the hegin- ning I proposed, concerning the manners and dispositions of the inhabitants ; among other things, I finde them here noted to he very eloquent and well spoken, as the short orations, interpreted by John Ortiz, which lived twelve yeeres amoyig them, make sufficient p>roofe. And the author, which teas a gentleman of Eluas, in Portugal, emploied in all the action, whose name is not set doivne, speaking of the cacique of Tulla, saith, that as ivell this cacique, as the others, and all those which came to the Governour on their behalf e, delivered their message or speech in so good order, that no oratour could utter the same more eloquently. But for all their f aire and cu7ining speeches, they are not overmuch to he trusted, for they he the greatest traitors of the world, as their mani- fold most craftie contrived and bloody treasons, here set down at large, doe evidently prove. They be also as uncon- stant as the wethercock, and most readie to take all occasions of advantages to doe mischief e. They are great liars and dissemblers ; for ivhich faults oftentimes they had their deserved paiments. And many times they gave good testi- monie of their great valour and resolution. To handle them gently, while gentle courses may he found to serve, it will he without comparison the best ; but if gentle 2^olishing will not serve, then ive shall not want hammcrours and rough masons DEDICATORIE. 7 enow, I meane our old soldiours trained up in the Nether- lands, to square and prepare them to our Preachers hands. To conclude, I trust by your Honours and Worships wise instructions to the 7iohle governour, the tvorthy experimented hieutenant and Admirall, and other chief e managers of the businesse, all things shall be so prudently carried, that the painfull Preachers shall be reverenced and cherished, the valiant and forward soldiour respected, the diligent rewarded, the cotoard emboldened, the toeake and sick relieved, the mutinous suppressed, the reputation of the Christians among the salvages preserved, our most holy faith exalted, all pagan- isme and idolatrie by little and little utterly extinguished. And here reposing and resting myselfe upon this sweete hope, I cease, beseeching the Almightie to blesse this good work in your hands to the honour and glorie of his most holy name, to the inlargement of the dominions of his sacred Maiestie, and to the generall good of all the worthie adven- turers and undertakers. From my lodging in the Colledge of TVestmifister, this 15 of Apr ill, 1609. By one ptiblicly and anciently devoted to God's service, and all yours in this so good action, RICHARD HAKLUYT. ----- (b) 1609 original OCR (JCB copy), the region containing the Ritanoe passage ----- eg ‘é ‘ iia i) iz ‘ I Dy Bien, The Epiftle Dedicatorie. nawhich were faid to haue a mixture of gold. It [ecmeth alo shat the laft Chronicler of the Weft Indies, Antonio de _ Herrera, (peaking of the forefaid. River of Santa Helena, : which flandeth in 32.degrees and an halfe, alludeth to the Decad.3 lib.%. pronince of Y upaha,za thefe words : Yel oro,y plata,que alte hallaron, no erade aquellatierra, fino de 60.leguas, adentroal norte, de los pueblos dichos orapales y.Ol4- gatanos,adonde fe intiende,que ay: minas.de oro,plata, y cobre. That isto fay, That the gold and filuer which they found, was not of that countrie (of Santa Helena) but 60. leagues diflant toward the North, of the townes called Ota- pales amd Olagatanos,where we underfland that there are mines of gold, filuer, and copper. By which reckoning thefé rich mines are in the latitude of 35.degrees and an balfe. I defire you likewife to take knowledge of the famous golden pronince of Chifca, firetching further to the North wheres Chap.13. of te Cacique of Cofte gane notice to Ferdinando de So- to in the towne of Chiaha,affirming,that there were mines of copper,and of another mettall of the fame colour, faue that itwas finer, and of afarre more perfect lufire, and farre bet- teria fight,and that they ufed it not fo much, becaufe it was fofter. And the felfefame thing was before told the Gouernour an Cutifachiqui: who fent two Chriftians from Chiaha with certaine Indians which knew the countrie of Chifca, and the language thereof, to view it, and to make report of — Chap.23- phat which they fhould finde. We likewife reade not long af- | er,that the Gouernour fet forward tofeckea prouince called Pacaha, which hee was informed to be neere unto Chitca, where the Indians told him, that there was gold. “And in Chap.24. another place hee {aith , That from Pacaha hee fent thirtie harfemen and fiftie footmensto the proxince of Catu ca, tofee if fron thence he might tranell to C hifca,where the Indians Said, there wasa morke of gold and copper. So thas here is. ie ee ; ie Soure: The Epiftie Dedicatorie. four times mention, and that in fanctrie places, of the rich and famous olde mines of Chifca,and that they lie beyond tise mountaines toward the North, ouer which ey were not able to tramell for the roughnes thereof. But what neede 110 frandvpon forren teftimonies, fince Mafler Thomas He: Mot, 4 man of much indgement in thefe caufes, fignified un- —. toyowall,at your late folemne meeting at the houfeof the right ——— honcurable she Earle of Exeter, how to the Southweff of our old fort in.N ivginia, the Indians often informed him, that there was a great melting of red mettall,reporting the man- _ ner in working of the fame. Befides, our owne Indians hane lately renealed either this or another rich mine of copperor =~ gold in atowne called Ritanoe, neere certaine mountaines hing Weft of Reanoat.. | Another very gainfull commeditie is, the huge quantitie __ of excellent perles,and little babies and birds made of them; ‘that were foundin Curifachiqui. The abundance whereof is reported to be (uch, that if they would hane fearched diners Chap.14. Sraues ip townes thercabout, they might haue laded many of their horfes. Neither are the Turkie ftones and cotton wool: found at Guafco tobe forgotten ,nor paffed oner in filence: But that, which I make no (mall account of, is,the multi- tude of Oxen, which, from: the beginning of the 16.to the end of the 26.Chapter,are nine (enerall times made mention of, and that along from Chiaha,Cofte, Pacaha,Coligoa, and Tulla, (lil toward the North, to wit, toward vs, there was (uch flore of them, that they could-kecpe no corne for them: and that the Indians lined vpox their flefh.T he haire of thee Oxenis likewifefaidto be likea foft wool, betweene the courfeand fine wooll of foeepe : and that they vfé then for-couerlets,becanfe they are very foft and woolled ike fheep: ard not fo onely, bit they make bootes, fhaoes, targets, ana osher things nece(farie of the fame. Befides the former bene- 2 theese, a) ae eae. | z'_ = The Epiftie Dedicatorie. fits, their young ones may be framed tothe yoke, for carting and tillage of our ground. And 1 amin good hope, that ere it be long we fhall bane notice of their being neerer vs, by that which I reade in the Italian relation of Cabeca de Vaca, the firft finder of thems which writeth, That they fpread themfelues within the countrie aboue foure hundred leagues. Moreoner,Vafques de Coronado, andlong af- ter him, Antonio de E{pejo (whofe vorages are at larzein my third volume ) trauelled many leagues amcng thefé beards of Oxen, and found them from 33. degrees ranging very farreto the North and Northeaft. : : A fourth chiefe commoditie wee may account to bethe great number of AMulberrie trees, apt to feede Silke-wormes so make filke « whereof therewas fuch plentiein many places, shat ,though they found fome hempe in the countrie, the Spa- niards made ropes of the barks of them for their brigandines, when they were to put to (eafor Noua Hifpania. 7 A fifth 1s the excellent and perfect colours,as black, white,