Text:
First text version, scholarly, translated from the 1579/1580L2Add, 1579 Latin (AB), 1580/1589 German, 1584 Latin, 1588 Spanish, 1592 Latin, 1595 Latin, 1601 Latin, 1602 German, 1602 Spanish, 1603 Latin, 1606 English, 1608/1612 Italian, 1609/1612/1641 Spanish and 1609/1612 Latin edition:
13.1. {1579/1580L2Add{NEW SPAIN.
13.2. Around the year 1518 this province was by force subjected to the Spanish government under the command and conduct of Hernando Cortez, who with great slaughter among his own people, but far greater slaughter among the inhabitants, {not in 1580/1589G & 1602G{fighting for their liberty,}not in 1580/1589G & 1602G} conquered them. It is a region rich with silver and gold. For it has many rivers yielding sands or grains of gold. At the ocean coast of this land, they fish oysters in which they find pearls.
13.3. There are many lakes, the salt water of which is converted into excellent salt through the heat of the sun. Here is great abundance of {not in 1580G{Casia fistula [sugar cane]}not in 1580G}{1588S instead{Caña fistola}1588S instead}{1608/1612I instead{Cassia in canna}1608/1612I instead}, and a kind of fruit commonly called {1601L & 1606E only{in the Mexican language}1601L & 1606E only} cacao, somewhat resembling almonds. They hold this in high esteem for they make a drink out of it of which they are fond.
13.4. The seas around it, and the rivers which water to this country abound with fish. Their rivers also breed crocodiles, whose flesh is food to the inhabitants. In various places, this creature is more than twenty feet long. It is a very mountainous country, and beset here with ragged and steep rocks {1608/1612I only{rendering it inaccessible}1608/1612I only}. So great is the diversity of languages in these regions that one cannot understand one another without an interpreter.
13.5. The principal settlements to be seen on this map which in New Spain have been established by the Spaniards are in the first place Compostela, the seat of a bishop, and one of the king's councils. Colima is also called the city of purification. Guadalajara is a town most famous, and capital of the Kingdom, namely New Galicia. Mechoacan is also a bishop see. Cacatula, the city of Angels {1580G & 1602G have instead{the English}1580G & 1602G instead}, is a metropolis and a bishopric.
13.6. Mexico is the King's city, or rather the Queen city of all the cities in the New World, situated upon the bank of a lake, or rather of a swamp. The very soil upon which the city has been built is so marshy that you cannot enter it, nor depart, except over bridges. The adjacent lake, six leagues {1580G & 1602G only{or nine Italian miles}1580G & 1602G only} long and five broad, is salty. It has no fish, except very small ones, which may more aptly be called worms. Their putrefaction, caused by the heat of summer, sometimes pollutes the air so much that it is most unwholesome to live there. Yet it is as much frequented by inhabitants and merchants as any of our own market towns. It is a large city, because it is about 3 leagues in circumference.
13.7. The other lake, adjacent to this, has fresh water and abounds with fish. At its shores, there are many settlements, as there are upon the banks of both lakes. {1601L, not in 1602G{In this city (as reported by Hieronymo Girava) Pope Paul III established the seat of an archbishop in the year 1547}1601L, not in 1602G}.
13.8. This city was conquered by the Spanish 140 years after it had first been founded, when Montezuma was its King, the ninth in number. It is a wonder how it has grown in so few years to such a large size and become so magnificent!
13.9. Whoever wants to know in greater detail about the nature, situation and customs of this city and the adjacent territory may read the reports by Hernando Cortez. They have come to us in the volume entitled Novus orbis [New World], and in the volume of Navigations printed in Venice in Italian,}1579/1580L2Add, 1579L(AB), 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S & 1602G end here}{not in 1606E{but read especially Hernando Gonzales, who in his booklet on China has the most elaborate description of this region}not in 1606E}1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602S, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612L &1609/1612/1641S end here}. {1606E only{You also find many notable discussions of it in the third Volume of M. Hakluyt's English voyages}1606E only}.
Second, vernacular text version, translated from the 1581 French, 1587 French, 1598/1610/1613 Dutch and the 1598 French edition:
13.10. {1581F{NEW SPAIN.
13.11. Around the year 1518 this Province was by force subjected to the Spanish government under the command and conduct of Hernando Cortez, who with great slaughter among his own people, but far greater slaughter among the inhabitants, fighting for their liberty, conquered them. It is a region rich with gold and silver. For it has many rivers yielding sands or grains of perfect gold. At the ocean coast of this land, the inhabitants make large profits by fishing oysters in which they find pearls.
13.12. There are various lakes, the salt water of which is converted into excellent salt through the heat of the sun. Here is great abundance of Cassia Fistula [sugar cane], and a kind of fruit called cocoa, resembling almonds, which fruit they hold in high esteem, for they make a drink of it which is very much to their liking.
13.13. The seas and rivers belonging to this country abound with fish. Their rivers also breed crocodiles, whose flesh is food to the inhabitants. Among them, you find some creatures more than twenty feet long. It is a very mountainous country, full of craggy rocks. So great is the diversity of languages in these regions that one cannot understand one another without an interpreter.
13.14. The principal settlements to be seen in this map which have been established by the Spaniards are in the first place Compostela, the seat of a bishop, and one of the king's councils. Colima is also called the city of purification. Guadalajara is a town most famous, and capital of the Kingdom of New Galicia. Mechoacan is also a bishops see. Cacatula, the city of Angels, is a capital and a bishopric.
13.15. Mexico, the King's city, or rather the Queen's city of all the cities in the New World, is situated upon the bank of a lake, or rather of a swamp. The very soil upon which the city has been built is so marshy that you cannot enter it, nor depart, except over bridges. The adjacent lake, six leagues long and five broad, is salty. It has no fish, except very small ones, which may more aptly be called worms than fish. Their putrefaction, caused by the heat of summer, sometimes pollutes the air so much that it is most unwholesome to live there. Yet it is as much frequented by inhabitants and merchants, as any market town in our regions. It is a large city, because it is about 3 leagues in diameter.
13.16. The other lake, adjacent to this, has sweet water and abounds with fish. There are many settlements on the banks of both lakes.
13.17. This city was conquered by the Spanish 140 years after it had first been founded, while Montezuma was its King, the ninth in number. It is a wonder how it has grown in so few years to such a large size and become so magnificent.
13.18. Whoever wants to know in greater detail about the nature, situation and customs of this city and the adjacent territory may read the reports of Hernando Cortez. They can be found in the volume entitled Novus orbis [New World], {not in 1598D{and in the volume of Navigations printed in Venice in Italian}not in 1598D; 1581F, 1587F & 1598F end here}{1598D only{and also at Juan González who writes extensively about it in his book about China}1598/1610/1613D only, which ends here}.