may be called Amerige; that is, the land of Americus, or America.  Now, truly sience these regions are more widely explored, and another fourth part is discovered by Americus Vespucius, I do not see why any one may justly forbid it to be named Amerige; that is, Americ’s Land, after Americus, the discoverer, who is a man of sagacious mind; or call it America, since both Europe and Asia derived their names from women.”

    Vespucius, in spite of several voyages, discovered very little in
    America.  The continent ought not to have been named alter him.

A BATTLE WITH THE INDIANS

(1497)

As described by Americus Vespucius[1]

Desiring to depart upon our voyage natives made complaint to us how at certain times of the year there came from over the sea to this their land, a race of people very cruel, and enemies of theirs:  and (who) by means of treachery or of violence slew many of them, and ate them:  and some they made captives, and carried them away to their houses, or country:  and how they could scarcely contrive to defend themselves from them, making signs to us that (those) were an island-people and lived out in the sea about a hundred leagues away:  and so piteously did they tell us this that we believed them:  and we promised to avenge them of so much wrong:  and they remained overjoyed herewith:  and many of them offered to come along with us, but we did not wish to take them for many reasons, save that we took seven of them, on condition that they should come (i.e., return home) afterward in (their own) canoes because we did not desire to be obliged to take them back to their country:  and they were contented:  and so we departed from those people, leaving them very friendly toward us:  and having repaired our ships, and sailing for seven days out to sea between northeast and east:  and at the end of the seven days we came upon the islands, which were many, some (of them) inhabited, and others deserted:  and we anchored at one of them:  where we saw a numerous people who called it Iti:  and having manned our boats with strong crews, and (taken ammunition for) three cannon shots in each, we made for land:  where we found (assembled) about 400 men, and many women, and all naked like the former (peoples).

They were of good bodily presence, and seemed right warlike men:  for they were armed with their weapons, which are bows, arrows, and lances:  and most of them had square wooden targets:  and bore them in such wise that they did not impede the drawing of the bow:  and when we had come with our boats to about a bowshot of the land, they all sprang into the water to shoot their arrows at us, and to prevent us from leap-lug upon shore:  and they all had their bodies painted of various colours, and (were) plumed with feathers:  and the interpreters who were with us told us that when (those) displayed themselves