It is well enough and sufficiently knowne to all the countries of Andaluzia, that I Domingo Gonsales, was borne of Noble parentage, and that in the renowned City of Sivill, to wit in the yeare 1552, my Fathers name being Therrando Gonsales, (that was neere kinsman by the mothers side unto Don Pedro Sanchez that worthy Count of Almenara,) and as for my Mother, she was the daughter of the Reverend and famous Lawyer, Otho Perez de Sallaveda, Governour of Barcellona, and Corrigidor[Note_2] of Biscaia: being the youngest of 17 children they had, I was put to schoole, and intended by them unto the Church. But our Lord purposing to use my service in matters of farre other nature and quality, inspired me with spending sometime in the warres. It was at the time that Don Fernando the Noble and thrice renowned Duke D'Alva, was sent into the Low Countries, viz. the yeare of Grace 1568. I then following the current of my foresaid desire, leaving the Universitie of Salamanca (whither my Parents had sent me) without giving knowledge unto any of my dearest friends, got me through France, unto Antwerp, where in the moneth of June 1569, I arrived in something poore estate. For having sold my bookes and bedding, with such other stuffe as I had, which happily yeelded me some 30 duckats and borrowed of my Father’s friends some 20 more, I bought me a little nagge with which I travailed more thriftily than young Gentlemen are wont ordinarily to doe: Untill at last arriving within a league of Antwerp, certaine of the cursed Geuses[Note_3] set upon me, and bereaved me of horse, monie, and all: Whereupon I was faine (through want and necessitie,) to enter into the service of Marshal Cossey, a French Nobleman, whom I served truly in honourable place, although mine enemies gave it out to my disgrace that I was his horse-keepers boy. But for that matter I shall referre myself unto the report of the Count Mansfield, Mounsieur Tavier, and other men of knowne worth and estimation; who have often testified unto many of good credit yet living, the very truth in that behalfe, which indeed is this, that Mounsieur Cossey, who about that time had been sent Embassador unto the Duke D'Alva; Governour of the Low Countries, he I say, understanding the nobility of my birth, and my late misfortune; thinking it would be no small honour to him, to have a Spanyard of that qualitie about him, furnished me with horse, armour, and whatsoever I wanted, using my service in nothing so much (after once I had learned the French tongue) as writing his Letters, because my hand indeed was then very faire. In the time of warre, if upon necessitie I now and then dressed mine own horse, it ought not to be cast in my teeth, seeing I hold it the part of a gentleman, for setting forward the service of his Prince, to submit himselfe unto the vilest office. The first expedition I was in, was against the Prince of Orange, at what time the Marshall my friend aforesaid, met him making a roade into France, and putting him to flight, chased him even unto the walls of Cambray. It was my good hap at that time to defeat a horseman of the enemy, by killing his horse with my pistoll, which falling upon his leg, so as he could not stirre, he yeelded himselfe to my mercie; but I knowing mine owne weaknesse of bodie, and seeing him a lustie tall fellow, thought it my surest way to dispatch him, which having done, I rifled him of a chaine, monie, and other things to the value of 200 ducats: no sooner was that money in my purse, but I began to resume the remembrance of my nobilitie, and giving unto Mounsieur Cossey the Besa Los Manos, I got myself imediate1y unto the Dukes court, where were divers of my kindred, that (now they saw my purse full of good Crownes) were ready enough to take knowledge of me; by their meanes I was received into pay, and in processe of time obtained a good degree of favour with the Duke, who sometimes would jeast a little more broadly at my personage than I could well brook. For although I must acknowledge my stature to be so little, as no man there is living I think less, yet in asmuch as it was the work of God, and not mine, he ought not to have made that a meanes to dishonour a Gentleman with all. And those things which have happened unto, me, may be an example, that great and wonderfull things may be performed by most unlikely bodies, if the mind be good, and the blessing of our Lord doe second and follow the endeavours of the same. Well, howsoever the Duke’s merriments went against my stomacke, I framed myself the best I could to dissemble my discontent, and by such my patience accommodating myself also unto some other his humors [sic], so wan his favour, as at his departure home into Spaine, (whither I attended him) the Year 1573 by his favour and some other accidents, (I will say nothing of my owne industry, wherein I was not wanting to myself) I was able to carry home in my purse the value of 3000 crownes. At my returne home my parents, that were marvellously displeased with my departure, received me with great joy; and the rather, for that they saw I brought with me meanes to maintaine myself without their charge, having a portion sufficient of mine owne, so that they needed not to defalke any thing from my brethren or sisters for my setting up. But fearing I would spend it as lightly as I got it, they did never leave importuning me, till I must needs marry the daughter of a Portugais a merchant of Lisbon, a man of great wealth and dealings, called John Figueres. Therein I satisfied their desire, and putting not onely my marriage money, but also a good part of mine owne stock into the hands of my father-in-law, or such as he wished me unto, I lived in good sort, even like a gentleman, with great content for divers yeares. At last it fell out, that some disagreement happened between me and one Pedro Delgades a gentleman of my kinne, the causes whereof are needlesse to be related, but so farre this dissention grew between us, as when no mediation of friends could appease the same, into the field we went together alone with our rapiers, where my chance was to kill him, being a man of great strength, and tall stature. But what I wanted of him in strength, I supplied with courage, and my nimblenesse more then countervailed his stature. This fact being committed in Carmona, I fled with all the speed I could to Lisbone, thinking to lurke with some friend of my father-in-lawes, till the matter might be compounded, and a course taken for a sentence of acquittall by consent of the prosecutors. This matter fell out in the yeare 1596, even at that time that a certaine great Count of ours came home from the West-Indies, in triumphant manner, boasting and sending out his declarations in print, of a great victory he had obtained against the English, neere the Isle of Pines. Whereas the truth is, he got of the English nothing at all in that voyage, but blowes and a great losse.
Would to God that lying and vanitie had been all the faults he had; his covetousnesse was like to be my utter undoing, although since it hath proved a meanes of eternizing my name for ever with all posteritie, (I verily hope) and to the unspeakable good of all mortall men, that in succeeding ages the world shall have, if at the leastwise it may please God that I doe returne safe home again into my countrie, to give perfect instructions how those admirable devices, and past all credit of possibility, which I have light upon, may be imparted unto publique use. You shal then see men to flie from place to place in the ayre; you shall be able, (without moving or travailing of any creature,) to send messages in an instant many miles off, and receive answer again immediately; you shall be able to declare your minde presently unto your friend, being in some private and remote place of a populous citie, with a number of such like things, but that which far surpasseth all the rest, you shall have notice of a new world, of many most rare and incredible secrets of nature, that all the Philosophers of former ages could never so much as dreame off. But I must be advised, how I be over-liberall, in publishing these wonderfull mysteries, till the Sages of our State have considered how farre the use of these things may stand with the policy and good government of our countrey, as also with the Fathers of the Church, how the publication of them, may not prove prejudiciall to the affaires of the Catholique faith and religion, which I am taught (by those wonders I have seen above any mortall man that hath lived in many ages past) with all my best endeavours to advance; without all respect of temporall good, and soe I hope I shall.
But to goe forward with my narration, so it was that the bragging Captain above named, made shew of great discontentment, for the death of the said Delgades, who was indeed some kinne unto him. Howbeit he would have been intreated, so that I would have given him no lesse than 1000 ducats (for his share) to have put up his pipes, and surceased all suite in his Kinsmans behalfe; I had by this time (besides a wife) two sonnes, whom I liked not to beggar by satisfying the desire of this covetous braggart and the rest, and therefore constrained of necessity to take another course, I put myself in a good caricke that went for the East Indies, taking with me the worth of 2000 ducats to traffique withall, being yet able to leave so much more for the estate of my wife and children, whatsoever might become of me, and the goods I carried with me. In the Indies I prospered exceeding well, bestowing my stocke in jewells, namely, for the most part in diamonds, emeraulds, and great pearle; of which I had such peniworths, as my stocke being safely returned into Spaine, (so I heard it was) must needs yeeld ten for one. But myself upon my way homeward soone after we had doubled the East of Buena Speranza[Note_4], fell grievously sicke for many daies, making account by the same sicknesse to end my life, as undoubtedly I had done, had we not (even then as we did) recovered that same blessed Isle of S. Hellens, the only paradice, I think that the earth yeeldeth, of the healthfullnesse of the aire there, the fruitfullnesse of the soile, and the abundance of all manner of things necessary for sustaining the life of man, what should I speak, seeing there is scant a boy in all Spaine, that hath not heard of the same? I cannot but wonder, that our King in his wisdome hath not thought fit to plant a Colony, and to fortifie in it, being a place so necessary for refreshing of all travaillers out of the Indies, so as it is hardly possible to make a voyage thence, without touching there.
It is situate in the latitude of 16 degrees to the South, and is about 3 leagues in compasse, having no firme land or continent within 300 leagues, nay not so much as an island within 100 leagues of the same, so that it may seeme a miracle of nature, that out of so huge and tempestuous an ocean, such a little peece of ground should arise and discover itselfe. Upon the South side there is a very good harborough, and neere unto the same divers edifices built by the Portingals to entertaine passengers, amongst the which there is a pretty chappell handsomly beautified with a tower, having a faire bell in the same. Neere unto this housing there is a pretty brooke of excellent fresh water, divers faire walkes made by hand, and set along upon both sides, with fruit-trees, especially oranges, limmons, pomgranats, almonds, and the like, which beare fruit all the yeare long, as do also the fig-trees, vines, pear-trees, (whereof there are divers sorts,) palmitos, cocos, olives, plumms; also I have seene there such as we call Damaxœlas, but few; as for apples I dare say there are none at all; of garden hearbs there is good store, as of parsely, coleworts, rosemary, mellons, gourds, lettice, and the like; corne likewise growing of it selfe, incredible plenty, as wheat, pease, barley, and almost all kinde of pulse; but cheifly it aboundeth with cattell, and fowle, as goats, swine, sheepe, and horses, partridges, wild hens, phesants, pigeons, and wild fowle, beyond all credit: especially there are to be seene about the moneths of February, and March, huge flocks of a certaine kinde of wilde swans (of which I shall have cause heerafter to speak more) that like unto our cuckoes, and nightingales, at a certaine season of the yeare, doe vanish away, and are no more to be seene.
On this blessed Island did they set me ashore with a Negro to attend me, where, praised be God, I recovered my health, and continued there for the space of one whole yeare, solacing myself (for lacke of humane society) with birds, and brute beasts, as for Diego (so was the Blackmoore called.) he was constrained to live at the West end of the island in a cave. Because being alwayes together, victuals would not have fallen out so plenty: if the hunting or fowling of the one had succeeded well, the other would finde means to invite him, but if it were scant with both, we were faine both to bestirre our selves; marry that fell out very seldome, for that no creatures there doe any whit more feare a man, then they doe a goat or a cow; by reason thereof I found meanes easily to make tame divers sorts both of birds and beasts, which I did in short time, onely by muzzeling them, so as till they came either unto me, or else Diego, they could not feede. At first I took great pleasure in a kinde of partridges, of which I made great use, as also of a tame fox I had. For whensoever I had any occasion to conferre with Diego, I would take me one of them, being hungry, and tying a note about his necke, beat him from me, whereupon strait they would away to the cave of Diego, and if they found him not there, still would they beat up and downe all the West end of the island, till they had hunted him out; yet this kinde of conveyance not being without some inconvenience needlesse here to be recited; after a certaine space I perswaded Diego (who though he were a fellow of good parts, was ever content to be ruled by me,) to remove his habitation unto a promontory or cape upon the North-West part of the island, being, though a league off, yet within sight of my house and chappell; and then, so long as the weather was faire, we could at all times by signalls, declare our minds each to other in an instant, either by night, or by day; which was a thing I took great pleasure in.
If in the night season I would signifie any thing to him, I used to set up a light in the tower or place where our bell hung: It is a pretty large roome, having a faire window well glased, and the walls within being plaistered, were exceeding white; by reason thereof, though the light were but small, it gave a great shew, as also it would have done much further off if need had been. This light after I had let stand some halfe houre, I used to cover: and then if I saw any signall of light again from my companion at the cape, I knew that he waited for my notice, which perceiving, by hiding and shewing my light, according to a certaine rule and agreement between us, I certified him at pleasure what I list: The like course I took in the day to advertise him of my pleasure, sometimes by smoake, sometimes by dust, sometimes by a more refined and more effectual way.
END OF EXTRACT
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1657 Edition.
Published by Les Éditions de Londres
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ISBN : 978-1-909782-45-7