South America

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

SOutherne America or Pervana followeth, betweene which and new Spaine there is a Neck of Land or Isthmus which is 18.* 1.1 miles broad. Which keepeth the Country Pervana from being an Iland: and it is called the Province Dariena, from the great River Dariene. Moreover all Southerne America hath the forme of a Pyramis being broad beneath,* 1.2 and sharp toward the top, the Base whereof is neere the Isthmus Northward, the top thereof doth lesson by degrees like a Wedge even to the Straits of Magellan toward the Southerne Pole, and so endeth in a sharp point. The parts of it are many: but these 5. are the chiefe: Castella aurea, Popajana, Peruvia, Chile, and Brasilia, Castell aurea, or Castiglia del oro, was so called from the great store of Gold which it hath. It is situated by the Isthmus, which joyneth the Southerne part of America to the Northerne. The breadth of the Isthmus is 73. miles. But this part of Land is but little inhabited, in regard of the intemperatenesse of the ayre and Marshes, or standing waters. And it hath no Corne, but they gather their Maiz twice or thrice a yeere. It hath two Citties Nombre de dios by Mare dael Nort, or the North Sea, and Panama by Mare del Sur, or the South Sea. It hath Gold-bearing Rivers, and Mines of Gold, whence great store of Gold is gotten.

The Country Popayana beginneth from the North side at the Citty Antioch, and endeth on the South side at the Citty Quinto. Therefore it is bounderd on the North with Castella aurea, from which it is separate by the Citty Antioch. On the South it bordereth on the Country Pervana, and is parted from thence by the Citty Quinto: on the East it is bounderd with the Kingdome of New Granada, and the Country Pervana, which beginneuh from thence Eastward. On the West it hath the Southerne Sea. This Country is full of high rugged Mountaines.

1695. A New Body of Geography by A. Sewall & T. Child.

AMERICA PERUANA, or Southern America.

THE Southern America is parted from the Northern by the Streights of Panama, from which it is extended as far as the Streights of Magellan in the form, both of a Point and Peninsula, having on the North New Spain, on the West the South-sea, on the South Terra Australis, and on the East the North-sea, between the 12 deg. 20 min. of Northern Lat. and between 293 deg. and 348 of Longitude, which makes it to be from North to South, 1420 Leagues, and from West to East about 1200. This great Peninsula is divided into 8 principal Parts, which are sub-divided into many others, as may be seen in the following Table, with the most remarkable Cities.

Southern America hath Eight principal Parts.

• 1. Terra Firma.
  • Panama, Bish.
• 2. Peru.
  • Lima, Arch-bish.
• 3. Chili.
  • S. Jago, Bish.
• 4. Magellanica.
  • ...S. Philip.
• 5. Rio de Plata.
  • ...S. Salvador.
• 6. Brasil.
  • ...S. Salvador.
• 7. Country of Amazons.
  • ...Corupa
• 8. Several Islands.

SECT. I. TERRA FIRMA. (see main article)

SECT. II. PERU, PERUA, or Peruense Regnum. (see main article)

SECT. III. CHILI, & MAGELLANICA, Chile, aut Cile & Magellanica.

SECT. IV. RIO de la PLATA, Argentea Regio. (see main article)

SECT. V. BRASIL, Brasilia. (see main article)

SECT. VI. AMAZONIA, or the Country of the AMAZONS, Amazonum Regio. (see main article)

SECT. VII. The principal Isles in Southern America.

I shall here give you a bare Enumeration of the principal Isles which lye about the Southern America, without laying down a particular description of them, and that only to shew the situation of them. The following Table will discover them more distinctly, according to the places they adjoin to.

The Isles about the Southern America.

• 1. About Peru,
  • Zabaco, Gorgone, Gallo de Cocos, or S. Crux.
  • ...Galopegos, Plata, Pana, S. Clara, Lobos, Lobos Marinos, Lobi, Xuli, Guana.
• 2. About Chili.
  • Tortoras, Maxillones, Paxares, La Tierra Fuera, or Ilhas, John Fernando, S. Maria, Quiviqueyna, Mocha, Chiloe, Chonos, Gada, Madre de Dios, S. Croix.
• 3. About Magellanica
  • Saballa, Sybald de Vords, 3 Isles. S. Dionisius los Reios, S. Gabriel, Los Riores, Maldonade, Los Lobos, Los Parg•s, 2 Isles. Castillos, Reparo, Avoredo, S. Cataline, a barren Isle. Galle, Tacutiara, Queimados.
• 4. Isles about Brasil.
  • S. Sebastian, Dos Porc•s, Marambaia, Janeiro, S. Anna, des Franceses, Ascension, or Acomsaon, The Trinity, 5 Isles. S. Catharina, Achrolo•, Tamaraen Del Fuego, Ferdinando Noronha or Lorinhe, Penedo de S. Pedro and S. Paulo, Abrhola.
• 5. About Caribana and the North.
  • Several Islands at the mouth of the River Paria,
  • Basses, Wethalti, Des Lapins, Ca•ene, The Devil's Isle, Fonseca, a fabulous Island.