One Mark De Nizza Penetrated Farther Than Any
Of The Rest.
- Passing through Culvacan, or Culiacan, he came into the
province of Sibola, or Cinaloa, where he pretended to have found seven
cities, and that the farther he went the richer was the country in gold,
silver, and precious stones, with many sheep bearing wool of great
fineness.
On the fame of this wealth, the viceroy Don Antonio de Mendoca,
and Cortes, determined to send a force to take possession of the country;
but, as they could not agree on this subject, Cortes and his wife went
over to Spain in 1540, where he died seven years afterwards[85].
In 1538, I, Antonio Galvano, being governor of the Molucca islands, sent a
ship, commanded by Francis de Castro, towards the north, with orders to
convert as many as he could to the Christian Faith. Castro himself
baptized many; as the lords of Celebes, Maccassar, Amboina, Moro, Moratax,
and of several other places. On his arrival at the island of Mindanao, six
kings received the water of baptism from de Castro, with their wives,
children, and subjects; and I gave orders that most of these should
receive the name of John, in honour of king John III. who then reigned in
Portugal.
The Portuguese and Spaniards who have been in these islands, affirm that
there are in them a certain species of hogs, which, besides the ordinary
teeth in their jaws, have two others growing out of their snouts, and
other two behind their ears, of a large span and a-half in length[86].
There is likewise said to be a certain tree, that part of which that grows
towards the east is a sure antidote against all kinds of poison, while the
western half of the same tree is itself a deadly poison. The fruit of this
tree is like large pease; of which is made the strongest poison on earth.
There is another tree of a very singular nature, for if any one eat of its
fruit, he becomes twelve hours mad; and, on regaining his senses, cannot
remember any thing that happened during his madness. There are likewise
certain land-crabs, which have the same effect of producing temporary
madness when eaten. The islanders also pretend that there is a certain
stone in these islands of so wonderful a property, that whoever happens to
sit upon it is sure to be afflicted with rupture. It is farther worthy of
remark, that the inhabitants of these islands gild their teeth.
In the year 1539, three ships which had been ordered by Cortes to discover
the coast northwards from Culiacan, and which sailed from Acapulco, under
the command of Francis Ulloa, having touched at _St Jago de Buena
Speranca_, entered into the gulf of California, which Cortes discovered,
and sailed up that gulf till they came almost to the farther end of it, in
lat. 32 deg. N. at a place which they named _Ancon de San Andres_, because
they came there on the day of that Saint.
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