Most Serene King, Now that I have returned, I report to Your Majesty what we have discovered. We departed on 17 January 1524 from Deserta (Ilhas Desertas), an uninhabited islet near Madeira, with the Dauphine and a crew of fifty men.

We had provisions, weapons, and other war instruments and naval ammunition to last eight months. We set the course westward with a light and gentle wind blowing from the east and covered eight hundred leagues (about 4,800 kilometers) in only twenty-five days. On 24 February, around 4 p.m., we encountered a storm so violent that I believe no sailor has ever seen anything like it.

Only with divine help and thanks to the solidity of the ship—glorious in name and fortunate in destiny, capable of resisting the mighty impact of the waves—did we manage to save ourselves. We continued our navigation westward with a slight deviation north. In another twenty-five days we covered more than four hundred leagues (about 2,400 kilometers) and found ourselves facing a land that had never been seen by ancient or modern man.

When we approached within a quarter of a league (about one and a half kilometers) we noticed it was inhabited, judging from the great fires lit on the beach. But we found neither a harbor nor an inlet where we could stop, so we dropped anchor offshore and sent the boat to land. We saw many people coming to the beach, but when they saw us approaching, they fled.

We tried to reassure them with various gestures, and some of them approached expressing great joy at seeing us, showing surprise at our clothing, our appearance, and the color of our skin. We went ashore, and what we were able to learn about their life and customs I will briefly relate to Your Majesty. They go completely naked, but cover their genitals with skins of small animals similar to martens, attached to a tightly woven grass belt with the tails of other animals hanging from it down to their knees. The rest of the body they keep bare, as well as the head.

Some, however, wear garlands of bird feathers. They are brown in color, not very different from Ethiopians (Africans of the equatorial regions). They have black, thick hair, not very long, which they wear tied behind the head in the shape of a small tail. As for their physique, they are well proportioned, of medium height—sometimes taller than us—with broad chests, strong arms, well-formed legs, and other body parts well structured. They have black, large eyes, with an attentive and lively gaze.

They are not endowed with great physical strength, but they are sharp-witted and are agile runners, very resistant. We were unable to learn their life and customs in greater detail because we stayed ashore for only a short time and because we had disembarked with only a few men, leaving the ship anchored offshore. The shoreline, covered entirely with fine sand, rises fifteen feet (about one and a half meters) and is about fifty paces wide. Beyond it the land appears broad and—being elevated—overlooks the sandy shore with beautiful countryside and plains covered with vast forests, in some areas sparse, in others dense, with trees of such varied colors and so beautiful and pleasant to behold that it is difficult to describe in words.

This land is rich in animals (deer, roe deer, hares, and the like), in lakes and ponds of fresh water with various species of birds sufficient to satisfy all the pleasures of hunting. The air is healthy, pure, and tempered between heat and cold. The sky is clear and bright, with rare rains.

We left this place, continuing along the coast which curved again toward the east (in an east-northeast direction) and noticed on the shoreline a very large number of fires and a great multitude of people. Dropping anchor offshore, because there was no harbor, we were forced to send the boat ashore with twenty-five men to replenish our water supply. But the sea, in that stretch of open beach, crashed violently against the shore with huge waves, and it was impossible to land without risking losing the boat. Meanwhile, we saw many people rushing to the beach, making signs of friendship and inviting us to come ashore.

On this occasion I had the opportunity to witness an extraordinary episode, as Your Majesty will understand. We sent one of our young sailors swimming to deliver to the natives some trinkets, such as rattles, mirrors, and small ornaments.

When he came within four arm-lengths of them, he threw the objects onto the beach and began to swim back. But he was struck by a wave so violently that he fell stunned and was dragged ashore. Seeing this, the natives rushed toward him and—taking him by the head, legs, and arms—carried him a short distance away. Finding himself carried in this way, the young man, terrified, let out loud cries. They did the same in their own language, making signs for him to calm down and be at peace. Then they laid him on the ground, in the sun, at the foot of a small hill and began making great gestures of wonder. They observed his white skin with amazement, examined him carefully, and removed his shirt and trousers.

After stripping him, they lit a large fire and brought him close to the flames. Seeing this, the sailors who remained in the boat became very frightened—as always happens when sailors face something new—and thought the natives intended to roast him and eat him.

Meanwhile, the sailor regained consciousness, and after spending some time among the natives, signaled that he wished to return to the ship. They showed him great affection, continuing to touch and embrace him, and accompanied him to the sea. To be more certain of his safety, they climbed a high hill and followed him with their eyes until he boarded the boat.

They are black in color like the others (we met before), with very shiny skin and of medium height. They show little strength, but have a lively intelligence. Leaving this place, always following the coast which extended considerably northward, we arrived—after fifty leagues (about 300 kilometers)—at another land that appeared much more beautiful and covered with vast forests where we dropped anchor. Twenty of us went inland about two leagues (12 kilometers) and noticed that the people had hidden in the forest.

These natives seemed to us lighter-skinned than those seen before. They dress in certain grasses that hang from tree branches and which they weave with various cords of wild hemp. They go bareheaded like the others. They feed mostly on very tasty legumes (beans), which they have in abundance and in varieties different in color and size from those used by us. They also practice fishing, catching fish and birds with bows and snares. Their bows are made of hard wood and the arrows of reed, with fish bones or bones of other animals placed at the tips. In this region, animals are fiercer than in Europe because they are continually harassed by hunters. We saw many of their small boats made from the trunk of a single tree, twenty feet long (6 meters) and four feet wide (1.20 meters).

They use neither stones nor iron nor other metals to make them. In this land that we explored for two hundred leagues (1200 kilometers) we never saw a single stone. They use fire, burning the trunk only enough to create the concave shape of the boat, and use the same process to form the bow and stern so that the vessel can cut through the waves.

La terra, in its shape, fertility, and beauty, is like the previous one. The forests are not very dense and are full of trees of various kinds, though not particularly aromatic, because the region is more northern and colder. We noticed many wild grapevines that climb and wrap themselves around the trees as they do in northern Italy. If these vines were cultivated properly, they would certainly produce excellent wines, for I tasted their fruit several times and found it pleasant and sweet. For the natives, vines are important; indeed, wherever they grow, the natives clear away the undergrowth around them to help their growth.

We found wild roses, violets, lilies, and many types of herbs and aromatic flowers different from ours. We did not have the opportunity to see their houses because they were located inland. From many signs we observed, we believe they are made of wood and plant fibers. We also think—based on various clues and indications—that many of them sleep outdoors. We believe that the other natives of the lands seen earlier live in the same way. We remained three days in this place with the anchors dropped offshore, due to the lack of harbors in the area. We then decided to resume our navigation along the coast (which we named Arcadia, for the beauty of the trees), following a northeast course.

We traveled only during the day, and at nightfall we dropped anchor. The area was very green and wooded, but without harbors. From time to time we saw beautiful headlands and small streams. We found a man who came near the beach to see what kind of people we were. He was cautious and suspicious. He observed us but did not allow us to come near him (moving away whenever we tried to approach).

He was handsome, naked, with his hair tied in a knot and with an olive complexion. We were twenty men on land and, through much persuasion, we managed to make him come within two arm-lengths. He showed us a burning piece of wood as if he wished to give us the gift of fire. We demonstrated how we could ignite gunpowder with flint and steel, and he trembled with fear. We fired a shot: he stood petrified and prayed, preaching like a friar. Pointing to the sky, and looking at the ship and the sea, he seemed to want to bless us. After one hundred leagues (600 kilometers), we reached a very beautiful place located between two hills, between which flowed a great river toward the sea. We entered the river with the boat and went ashore.

We found it very populated. The natives had an appearance similar to the others we had seen. Dressed with feathers of various birds, they came toward us joyfully, shouting with amazement and showing us the best place to dock. We arrived at another island, fifteen leagues away (90 kilometers), where we found a beautiful bay. Before entering it, we saw about twenty boats full of people who, shouting in wonder, surrounded the ship. They did not come closer than fifty paces and, once they stopped, they observed the vessel, our appearance, and our clothing. Then, all together, they let out a great cry to express their joy at seeing us. We managed to reassure them by imitating their gestures, and they drew near enough for us to throw them rattles, small mirrors, and various trinkets.

They took them, looked at them laughing, and without fear boarded the ship. Among them were two kings, so handsome and vigorous that it is difficult to describe them. The first was about forty years old; the other was a young man of twenty-four. They were dressed in the same manner. The older one wore, over his naked body, a deer skin worked like Damask fabric, with various embroideries. He wore nothing on his head, and his hair was tied behind his neck with different kinds of bindings. Around his neck he wore a large chain adorned with stones of various colors. The clothing of the younger one was similar. These are the most beautiful and mild-mannered people we encountered on the whole journey. They are taller than us, bronze-colored—some leaning more toward white and others toward yellow. Their face is slender, their hair long and black, which they take great care of, their eyes black and quick, their appearance sweet and gentle, in the manner of the ancients (resembling the composure of classical statues). Their women are equally beautiful and well-formed, very kind, elegant, and pleasant in appearance.

Their customs and the modesty of their women are of the highest order. They go naked, wearing only a decorated deer skin, like the men. Some women wear precious lynx skins on their arms. They keep their heads uncovered, with their hair braided into plaits that hang over their chest. Married adult women wear hairstyles similar to those used by women in Egypt and Syria. They wear earrings of all kinds, in the oriental manner, and so do the men. Among other things, we noticed many thin copper plates, which they value more than gold.

Gold is not appreciated because of its color. Among all metals, gold is considered the least valuable because it is yellow, and they abhor yellow. The colors they love most are blue and red. Among the things we gave them, they valued most the rattles, blue crystals, and other small ornaments to wear on the ears and neck.

Most Serene King, now that I have returned, I report to Your Majesty what we have discovered. We departed on 17 January 1524 from Deserta (Ilhas Desertas)… **(⚠️ This paragraph is a duplicated Italian section in your document. Do you want me to KEEP it in English or REMOVE it?)**

(If to keep: I will translate it fully. If to remove: I will delete it in Block 3.)

They showed no interest in silk or gold cloths, nor in other types of fabrics, and they did not care to have them. The same was true of metals such as steel and iron: we showed them our weapons several times, but they showed no interest nor did they ask for them. They merely admired the ingenuity of their manufacture. They did the same with mirrors: they looked at them briefly and, laughing, returned them. They are very generous: they are willing to give away everything they have. We formed a strong friendship with them. One day, before we entered the bay with the ship, we were forced—due to bad weather—to drop anchor offshore, one league (6 kilometers) from the coast. Then they came with a great number of boats beneath the ship. Their faces were painted and smeared with various colors, and they appeared cheerful and happy. They brought us their food and showed us where to drop anchor safely inside the harbor. They accompanied us with their boats and stayed with us until we had dropped anchor. We remained in this bay for fifteen days, resupplying ourselves with the things we needed. Each day, natives came to see the ship, bringing their women with them. They are very jealous of their women. When they boarded the ship—even if they stayed a long time—they made the women wait in the boats. We begged them in every way, promising gifts of all kinds, but they did not allow their women to come aboard. We went inland several times, for five or six leagues (30–36 kilometers), and found the land indescribably beautiful and suitable for every type of cultivation: wheat, wine, oil; for there are fields twenty-five to thirty leagues (150–180 kilometers) wide, open and unobstructed by trees, of such fertility that any seed would yield an excellent harvest.

As for the forests, they can all be crossed—even by a large army. In the forests grow oaks, cypresses, and other trees unknown in Europe. We found cherry trees, plum trees, hazelnuts, and many kinds of fruit different from ours. There are countless animals—deer, roe deer, lynxes, and other species—which they catch, like the other natives, with bows and snares, their principal weapons. Their arrows are made with great skill, placing at the tip— instead of iron—emery, jasper, hard marble, and other sharp stones. They use these in place of iron to cut down trees and build their boats from a single tree trunk. With great craftsmanship, they carve from the trunk a concave shape that can comfortably accommodate fourteen or fifteen people. They have a short paddle that widens at the end, which they use at sea relying only on the strength of their arms, navigating safely and giving the boat all the speed they desire.

Going inland, we saw their houses. They are circular, about fourteen or fifteen paces wide, made simply by bending trees into semicircles and covering them with mats of skillfully woven straw that protect them from cold and rain. There is no doubt that, if they possessed refined tools like ours, they would build magnificent structures.

The entire shoreline is full of bluish, crystalline, and alabaster stones, which is why it is full of inlets and shelters for boats. They move their houses from one place to another depending on the fertility of the soil and the length of time they have stayed in a location. They carry away only the covering mats, and instantly they have new homes ready and beautiful. In each house lives the father with his family, which may be very numerous. In some houses we counted between twenty-five and thirty people. They feed mainly on legumes, like the other natives, but they cultivate them with more refined techniques, taking into account the lunar influence on seeds, the rising of the Pleiades, and other elements indicated by the ancients. Hunting and fishing are also important for their diet. They live long lives and rarely fall ill. If they are wounded, without complaining, they treat themselves with fire. We believe that most of them die of old age. They have a keen sense of compassion and generosity toward others. In misfortune they weep loudly, and in adversity they recall all their happy moments. When a relative dies, they resort to Sicilian-style mourning mixed with singing, continuing it for a long time. This is what we were able to learn about them.

Fifty leagues (300 kilometers) farther north, we discovered a mountainous land full of very dense forests made up of firs, cypresses (Canadian firs), and other such trees that grow in cold regions. The people of the area were different from all the others: while the previous ones were gentle and well-mannered, these were cruel and practiced bad habits, so savage that, no matter how many signs we made, we could never start a conversation with them. They wore skins of bears, lynxes, seals, and other animals; and fed—based on what we learned from visiting their homes several times—on game, fish, and certain fruits that are a kind of root produced spontaneously by the land. They had no legumes, nor did we see any sign of cultivation; indeed, the land was so sterile that it could not produce any seed or fruit. If they ever agreed to trade their things for ours, they placed themselves on a rocky point of the coast where the waves crashed violently.

While we stayed offshore in the boat, they would pull toward them what we offered using a rope, shouting continuously that we should not approach land and that we should immediately give them the goods in exchange. Among our items they accepted only knives, fishing tools, and sharp metals. They placed no value on ornaments. When we had nothing left to trade, without us provoking them, they made all the insulting and indecent gestures that a rude person can make, such as showing their buttocks, and burst out laughing. The land where they live is at latitude 43 and two-thirds. Against their will, we went ashore with twenty-five armed men and went inland for two or three leagues (12–18 kilometers).

When we landed, they shot arrows at us with their bows, shouting loudly, and then fled into the forests. We did not find any product in this land worth noting, apart from the vast forests. Some hills might contain metals, for we saw many with large grains of copper in their ears. We departed, following the coast in a northeast direction, which seemed to us the most beautiful, open, and free of forests, with high mountains inland descending gradually toward the shore. In a stretch of fifty leagues (300 kilometers) we discovered thirty-two islands.

The three largest we named The Three Daughters of Navarre, and all were close to the mainland, small, beautiful, mountainous, and aligned with the coast, forming magnificent harbors and canals like those of the Adriatic, Illyria, and Dalmatia. We had no contact with the inhabitants, but we believe they do not differ from the others in physical appearance and customs. Sailing between east and north, after covering one hundred and fifty leagues (900 kilometers), we reached the land discovered in the past by the English, located at a latitude of fifty degrees.

Finding ourselves short of naval equipment and provisions, after having discovered more than seven hundred leagues (over 4,200 kilometers) of new lands, we took on water and wood and decided to return to France. As for the faith professed by all these peoples we discovered, because of the difference in language we could not understand anything about it, nor were signs or gestures useful. We thought they had no faith or law; that they did not know any first cause or prime mover; that they did not venerate the sky, the stars, the sun, the moon, or other planets; nor did they practice idolatry. We found no evidence that they made sacrifices or performed acts of worship, nor that there were temples or churches in their villages. We believe they profess no religion and live in total freedom.

And this is due entirely to ignorance: for it is very easy to persuade them, and everything they saw us Christians do—regarding divine worship—they imitated with the same zeal and enthusiasm.

From the ship Dauphine, on the 8th day of July 1524.
Your humble servant,
Ianus Verrazanus.

To Leonardo Tedaldi or Tomaso Sartini, merchants in Lyon.
Send it to Bonaccorso Ruscelli.

As from the manuscript preserved in the Morgan Library in New York, the so-called “Codice Cellere”.