Spaniards

Las mujeres son algunas hermosas y no poco ardientes en lujuria, amigas de españoles. Son estas mujeres para mucho trabajo, porque ellas son las que cavan las tierras y siembran los campos y cogen las sementeras, y muchos de sus maridos están en sus casas tejiendo y hilando y aderezando sus armas y ropa, y curando sus rostros y haciendo otros oficios afeminados. Y cuando algun ejército de españoles pasaba por su provincia, siendo, como aquel tiempo eran, obligados á dar indios que llevasen á cuestas las cargas del fardaje de los españoles, muchos daban sus hijas y mujeres, y ellos se quedaban en sus casas. Lo cual yo vi al tiempo que íbamos á juntarnos con el licenciado Gasca, presidente de su majestad, porque nos dieron gran cantidad de mujeres, que nos llevaban las cargas de nuestro bagaje.

Some of the women are beautiful, and not a little lustful, and fond of Spaniards. These women do a great deal of work. They are the ones who dig the ground, sow the fields, and bring in the harvest. Meanwhile many of their husbands stay at home weaving and spinning, preparing their weapons and clothing, grooming their faces, and doing other women's work. In those days the Cañares were obliged to provide Indians to carry the Spaniards' baggage on their backs. So when a Spanish army passed through their province, many gave their daughters and wives, and the men stayed at home. I saw this myself when we were on our way to join the licentiate Gasca, His Majesty's president. They gave us a great many women, who carried the loads of our baggage.

No las damas, amor, no gentilezas de caballeros canto enamorados; ni las muestras, regalos, ni ternezas de amorosos afectos y cuidados: mas el valor, los hechos, las proezas de aquellos españoles esforzados que á la cerviz de Arauco, no domada, pusieron duro yugo por la espada.

I do not sing of ladies or of love, or of the graces of knights in love. I do not sing of the signs, gifts and tender words of lovers and their cares. I sing of the courage, the deeds and the exploits of those brave Spaniards. By the sword they put a hard yoke on the neck of Arauco, which had never been tamed.

They were woont to make warre vpon all nations, and especiallie on the Canibals, so as none durst without a good strength trade by those riuers, but of late they are at peace with their neighbors, all holding the Spaniards for a common enimie. When their commanders die, they vse great lamentation, and when they thinke the flesh of their bodies is putrified, and fallen from the bones, then they take vp the carcase againe, and hang it in the Casiquies house that died, and decke his skull with feathers of all colours, and hang all his gold plates about the bones of his armes, thighes, and legges.

They used to make war on all nations, and especially on the Canibals, so that no one dared to trade along those rivers without a strong force. But lately they have been at peace with their neighbors, all of them holding the Spaniards as a common enemy. When their leaders die, they mourn them greatly. When they think the flesh of the body has rotted and fallen from the bones, they take up the remains again and hang them in the house of the dead cacique. They deck his skull with feathers of all colors, and hang all his gold plates about the bones of his arms, thighs, and legs.

Quinquaginta millibus miliarium Germanicorum in ætheris profundo sita est LEVANIA insula: iter ad eam hinc, vel ex eâ in has terras rarissimè patet: et cùm patet nostræ quidem genti facilè est; hominibus verò transportandis planè difficilimum, et cum summo vitæ periculo conjunctum: Nulli à nobis sedentarij adsciscuntur in hunc comitatum, nulli corpulenti, nulli delicati; sed legimus eos, qui ætatem veredorum assiduo usu consumunt, aut qui navibus frequenter Indias adeunt, pane biscocto, allio, piscibus duratis, et cibis abhorrentibus victitare sueti. Inprimis nobis aptæ sunt vetulæ exsuccæ, quibus indè à pueritia trita est ratio, hircos nocturnos, aut furcas, aut trita pallia inequitandi, trajiciendique per immania terrarum spacia. Nulli è Germania viri apti sunt: Hispanorum sicca corpora non respuimus.

Fifty thousand German miles up in the depths of the ether lies the island of Levania. The road to it from here, or from there to these lands, is very rarely open. When it is open, the trip is easy for our kind. But for carrying humans it is extremely hard, and it puts their lives in the greatest danger. We take no one into our company who sits still all day, and no one fat or soft. We choose people who spend their lives riding post-horses, or who often sail to the Indies, living on ship’s biscuit, garlic, dried fish, and other unpleasant food. Dried-up old women suit us best. Since childhood they have practiced riding by night on goats, pitchforks, or worn-out cloaks, and crossing huge stretches of land. No men from Germany are fit for it, but we do not turn down the dry bodies of Spaniards.

“The bloody tommahawke, so long lifted against our brethren the English, must now be buried deep, deep in the ground, never to be raised again; and whoever shall act contrary to any of these articles, must expect a punishment equal to his offence. Should a strict observance of them be neglected, a war must necessarily follow, and a second peace may not be so easily obtained. I therefore once more recommend to you, to take particular care of your behaviour towards the English, whom we must now look upon as ourselves; they have the French and Spaniards to fight, and we enough of our own colour, without medling with either nation. I desire likewise, that the white warrior, who has ventured himself here with us, may be well used and respected by all, wherever he goes amongst us.”

“The bloody tomahawk has been lifted so long against our brothers the English. Now it must be buried deep, deep in the ground, never to be raised again. Whoever acts against any of these articles must expect a punishment equal to his offense. If we neglect to keep them strictly, a war must follow, and a second peace may not be so easily won. So I urge you once more to take particular care how you behave toward the English, whom we must now look on as ourselves. They have the French and Spaniards to fight, and we have enough of our own color, without meddling with either nation. I also ask that the white warrior who has ventured here among us be well treated and respected by all, wherever he goes among us.”