Gouernour did come to speake with him hee should cast his hands about his necke and choke him Who wheÌ„ he saw opportunitie laid hands on the Gouernour and before he cast his hands about his necke he gaue him such a blow on the nostrils that hee made them gush out with blood and presently all the rest did rise He that could get any weapons at hand or the handle wherewith he did grind the Maiz sought to kill his master or the first hee met before him and hee that could get a lance or sword at hand bestirred himselfe in such sort with it as though he had vsed it all his life time One Indian in the market place enclosed betweene 15. or 20. footemen made a way like a bull with a sword in his hand till certaine halbardiers of the Gouernour came which killed him Another gat vp with a lance to a loft made of canes which they build to keepe their Maiz in which they call a Barbacoa and there hee made such a noise as though tenne men had been there defending the doore they slew him with a partisan The Indians were in all about two hundred men They were all subdued Two hundred Indians taken And some of the youngest the Gouernour gaue to them which had good chaines and were carefull to looke to them that they gat not away Al the rest he commanded to be put to death being tied to a stake in the midst of the market place and the Indians of the Paracossi did shoote them to death CHAP. XII How the Gouernour came to Apalache and was informed that within the land there was much gold THe Gouernour departed from Napetuca the 23. of September he lodged by a Riuer A Riuer where two Indians brought him a buck from the Cacique of Vzachil The next day he passed by a great towne called Hapaluya Hapaluya a great towne and lodged at Vzachil Vzachil and found no people in it because they durst not tarrie for the notice the Indians had of the slaughter of Napetuca He found in that towne great store of Maiz french beanes and * Aboboras pompions which is their foode and that wherewith the Christians there sustained themselues The Maiz is like course millet and the pompions are better and more sauorie then those of Spaine From thence the Gouernour sent two Captaines each a sundry way to seeke â—he Indians They tooke an hundred men and women of which aswel there as in other places where they made any inrodes the Captaine chose one or two for the Gouernour and diuided the rest to himselfe and those that went with him They led these Indians in chaines with yron collars about their neckes and they serued to carrie their stuffe and to grind their Maiz and for other seruices that such captiues could doe Sometimes it happened that going for wood or Maiz with them they killed the Christian that led them and ran away with the chaine others filed their chaines by night with a peece of stone wherewith they cut them and vse it in stead of yron Those that were perceiued paid for themselues and for the rest because they should not dare to doe the like another time The women and young boyes when they were once an hundred leagues from their Countrie and had forgotten things they let goe loose and so they serued and in a very short space they vnderstood the language of the Christians From Vzachil the Gouernour departed toward Apalache and in two daies iournie hee came to a towne called Axille Axille and from thence forward the Indians were carelesse because they had as yet no notice of the Christians The next day in the morning the first of October he departed from thence and commanded a bridge to bee made ouer a Riuer A Riuer which hee was to passe The deepe of the Riuer where the bridge was made was a stones cast and forward a crossebow shot the water came to the waste and the wood whereby the Indians came to see if they could defend the passage and disturbe those which made the bridge was very hie and thicke The crossebowmen so bestirred themselues that they made them giue back and certain plancks were cast into the Riuer whereon the men passed which made good the passage The Gouernor passed vpoÌ„ Wednesday which was S. Francis his day and lodged at a towne which was called Vitachuco Vitachuco subiect to Apalache he found it burning for the Indians had set it on fire From thence forward the countrie was much inhabited and had great store of Maiz. Hee passed by many granges like hamlets On Sunday the 25. of October October 25 he came to a towne which is called Vzela Vzela and vpon Tuesday to Anaica Apalache Anaica Apalacâ—e where the Lord of all that Countrie and Prouince was resident in which towne the Campemaster whose office it is to quarter out and lodge men did lodge all the companie round about within a league and halfe a league of it There were other townes where was great store of Maiz Pompions French Beanes and Plummes of the Countrie which are better then those of Spaine and they grow in the fields without planting The victuals that were thought necessarie to passe the winter were gathered from these townes to Anaica Apalache Apalache within 10. â—â—aâ—ues of the sea The Gouernour was informed that the sea was ten leagues from thence Hee presently sent a Captaine thither with horsemen and footemen And sixe leagues on the way he found a towne which was named Ochete Ochete and so came to the sea â—he â—â—a and found a great tree felled and cut into peeces with stakes set vp like mangers and saw the skulles of horses Hee returned with this newes And that was held for certaine which was reported of Pamphilo de Naruaez that there hee had builded the barkes wherewith he went out of the land of Florida and was cast away at Sea Presently the Gouernour sent Iohn Danusco with 30. horsemen to the port de Spiritu Santo where Calderan was with order that they should abandon the port and all of them come to Apalache He departed on Saturday the 17. of Nouember In Vzachil and other townes that stood in the way he found great store of people alreadie carelesse Hee would take none of the Indians for not hindring himselfe because it behooued â—im to giue them no leasure to gather themselues together He passed through the townes by night and rested without the townes three or foure houres In tenne daies he came to the Port de Spirito Santo The Port de Spiritu Santo tenne daies iournie from Apalache He carried with him 20. Indian women which he tooke in Ytara and Potano neere vnto Cale and sent them to Donna Isabella in the two carauâ—ls which hee sent from the Port de Spirito Santo to Cuba And he carried all the footemen in the brigandines and coasting along the shore came
to Apalache And Calderan with the horsemen and some crossebowmen on foote went by land and in some places the Indians set vpon him and wounded some of his men Assoone as he came to Apalache presently the Gouernour sent sawed plankes and spikes to the sea-side wherewith was made a piragna or barke wherein were embarked 30. men well armed which went out of the Bay to the Sea looking for the brigandines Sometimes they fought with the Indians which passed along the harbour in their canoes Vpon Saturday the 29. of Nouember Nouem 29. there came an Indian through the Watch vndiscouered and set the towne on fire and with the great wind that blew two parts of it were consumed in a short time On Sonday the 28. of December Decem. 28. came Iohn Danusco with the brigandines The Gouernour sent Francisco Maldonado a Captaine of footemen with 50. men to discouer the coast Westward and to seeke some Port because he had determined to go by land and discouer that part That day there went out eight horsemen by commandement of the Gouernor into the field two leagues about the towne to seeke Indians for they were now so emboldened that within two crossebow shot of the camp they came and slew men They found two men and a woman gathering French Beanes the men though they might haue fled yet because they would not leaue the woman which was one of their wiues they resolued to die fighting and before they were slaine they wounded three horses whereof one died within a few daies after Calderan going with his men by the Sea-coast from a wood that was neere the place the Indians set vpon him and made him forsake his way and many of them that went with him forsooke some necessarie victuals which they carried with them Three or foure daies after the limited time giuen by the Gouernour to Maldonado for his going and comming being alreadie determined and resolued if within eight daies he did not come to tarrie no longer for him he came and brought an Indian from a Prouince which was called Ochus Ochus 60. leagues West of Apalache sixtie leagues Westward from Apalache where he had found a good Port of good depth and defense against weather And because the Gouernor hoped to find a good countrie forward he was very well contented And he sent Maldonado for victuals to Hauana with order that he should tarrie for him at the Port of Ochus which hee had discouered for hee would goe seeke it by land and if he should chance to stay and not come thither that summer that then hee should returne to Hauana and should come againe the next summer after and tarrie for him at that port for hee said hee would doe none other thing but goe to seeke Ochus Francisco Maldonado departed and in his place for Captaine of the footemen remained Iohn de Guzman Chap 11. Of those Indians which were taken in Napetuca the treasurer Iohn Gaytan had a young man which said that he was not of that Countrie but of another farre off toward the Sunrising and that it was long since he had trauelled to see Countries and that his Countrie was called Yupaha and that a woman did gouerne it and that the towne where she was resident was of a wonderfull bignesse and that many Lords round about were tributaries to her and some gaue her clothes and others gold in abundance Abundance of gold and hee told how it was taken out of the mines and was moulten and refined as if hee had seene it done or the diuel had taught it him So that all those which knew any thing concerning the same said that it was impossible to giue so good a relation without hauing seene it And all of them as if they had seene it by the signes that he gaue beleeued all that he said to be true CHAP. XIII How the Gouernour departed from Apalache to seeke Yupaha and of that which happened vnto him ON Wedensday the third of March March the 3. 1540. of the yeere 1540. the Gouernor departed from Anaica Apalache to seeke Yupaha He commanded his men to goe prouided with Maiz for sixtie leagues of desert The horsemen carried their Maiz on their horses and the footemen at their sides because the Indians that were for seruice with their miserable life that they lead that winter being naked and in chaines died for the most part Within foure daies iournie they came to a great Riuer A great Riuer and they made a piragua or ferrie bote and because of the great current they made a cable with chaines which they fastened on both sides of the Riuer and the ferrie bote went along by it and the horses swam ouer being drawne with capstans Hauing passed the Riuer in a day and an halfe they came to a towne called Capachiqui Capachiqui Vpon Friday the 11. of March they found Indians in armes The next day fiue Christians went to seeke morters which the Indians haue to beate their Maiz and they went to certaine houses on the backside of the Campe enuironed with a wood And within the wood were many Indians which came to spie vs of the which came other fiue and set vpon vs. One of the Christians came running away giuing an alâ—rme vnto the Campe. Those which were most readie answered the alarme They found one Christian dead and three sore wounded The Indians fled vnto a lake adioyning neere a very thicke wood where the horses could not enter The Gouernour departed from Capachiqui and passed through a desert On Wednesday the 21. of the moneth he came to a towne called Toalli And from thence forward there was a difference in the houses For those which were behind vs were thatched with straw and those of Toalli Toalli were couered with reeds in manner of tiles These houses are verie cleanly Some of them had walles daubed with clay which shewed like a mudwall In all the cold Countrie the Indians haue euery one a house for the winter daubed with clay within and without and the doore is very little they shut it by night and make fire within so that they are in it as warme as in a stoue and so it continueth all night that they need not clothes and besides these they haue others for summer and their kitchins neere them where they make fire and bake their bread and they haue barbacoas wherein they keepe their Maiz which is an house set vp in the aire vpon foure stakes boorded about like a chamber and the floore of it is of cane hurdles The differeÌ„ce which Lords or principall mens houses haue from the rest besides they be greater is that they haue great galleries in their fronts and vnder them seates made of canes in manner of benches and round about them they haue many lofts wherein they lay vp that which the Indians doe giue them for tribute which is Maiz Deeres skins and mantles of the Countrie which are
of fortune If from this day forward we may be capable of this benefit that your Lordship will hold vs for your owne we cannot faile to be fauoured and maintained in true iustice and reason and to haue the name of men For such as are void of reason and iustice may bee compared to brute beasts For mine owne part from my very heart with reuerence due to such a Prince I offer my selfe vnto your Lordship beseech you that in reward of this my true good will you will vouchsafe to make vse of mine owne person my Countrie and subiects The Gouernour answered him that his offers and good wil declared by the effect did highly please him whereof he would alwaies be mindfull to honour and fauour him as his brother This Countrie from the first peaceable Cacique vnto the Prouince of Patofa which were fiftie leagues is a fat Countrie beautifull An excellent Countrie for 50. leagues and very fruitfull and very well watered and full of good Riuers And from thence to the Port de Spirito Santo where wee first ariued in the land of Florida which may bee 350. leagues little more or lesse is a barren land and the most of it groues of wild Pine-trees low and full of lakes and in some places very hie and thicke groues whither the Indians that were in armes fled so that no man could find them neither could any horses enter into them Which was an inconuenience to the Christians in regard of the victuals which they found conueied away and of the trouble which they had in seeking of Indians to bee their guides CHAP. XIIII How thâ— Gouernour departed from the Prouince of Patofa and went through a desert where he and all his men fe l into great distresse and extreme miserie IN the towne of Patofa the youth which the Gouernour carried with him for an interpretour and a guide began to some at the mouth and tumble on the ground as one possessed with the diuell They said a Gospell ouer him and the fit left him And he said that foure daies iournie from thence toward the Sunne rising was the prouince that he spake of The Indians of Patofa said that toward that part they knew no habitation but that toward the Northwest they knew a Prouince which was called Coça a verie plentifull countrie which had very great townes in it The Cacique told the Gouernour that if he would go thither he would giue him guides and Indians for burdens and if he would goe whither the youth spake of that he would likewise giue him those that he needed and so with louing words and offers of courtesie they tooke their leaues the one of the other Hee gaue him seuen hundred Indians to beare burdens He tooke Maiz for foure daies iournie Hee trauelled sixe daies by a path which grew narrow more and more till it was lost altogether He went where the youth did lead him Two swift Riuers and passed two Riuers which were waded each of them was two crossebow shot ouer the water came to the stirrops and had so great a current that it was needfull for the horsemen to stand one before another that the footemen might passe aboue them leaning vnto them Another greater Riuer He came to another Riuer of a greater current and largenes which was passed with more trouble because the horses did swim at the comming out about a lances length Hauing passed this Riuer the Gouernor came to a groue of pinetrees and threatned the youth and made as though hee would haue cast him to the dogges because he had told him a lie saying 〈◊〉 daies 〈…〉 it was but foure daies iournie and they had trauelled nine and euery day 7. or 8. leagues and the men by this time were growne wearie and weake and the horses leane through the great scanting of the Maiz. The youth said that hee knew not where hee was It saued him that he was not cast to the dogges that there was neuer another whom Iohn Ortiz did vnderstand The Gouernour with them two and with some horsemen and footemen leauing the Campe in a groue of pinetrees trauelled that day 5. or 6. leagues to seek a way and returned at night very comfortlesse and without finding any signe of way or towne The next day there were sundrie opinions deliuered whether they should goe backe or what they should doe and because backward the Countrie whereby they had passed was greatly spoiled and destitute of Maiz and that which they brought with them was spent and the men were very weake and the horses likewise they doubted much whether they might come to any place where they might helpe themselues And besides this they were of opinion that going in that sort out of order that any Indians would presume to set vpon them so that with hunger or with warre they could not escape The Gouernour determined to send horsemen from thence euery way to seeke habitation and the next day he sent foure Captaines euery one a sundrie way with eight horsemen At night they came againe leading their horses or driuing them with a sticke before for they were so wearie that they could not lead them neither found they any way nor signe of habitation The next day the Gouernour sent other foure with as many horsemen that could swim to passe the Ose and Riuers which they should find and they had choice horses the best that were in the Campe. The Captaines were Baltasar de Gallegos which went vp the Riuer and Iohn Danusco downe the Riuer Alfonso Romo and Iohn Rodriguez Lobillo went into the inward parts of the land The Gouernour brought with him into Flâ—rida thirteene sowes The great increaâ—e of â—â—â—ne and had by this time three hundred swine He commanded euery man should haue halfe a pound of hogs flesh euery day and this hee did three or foure daies after the Maiz was all spent With this small quantitie of flesh and some sodden hearbs with much trouble the people were sustained The Gouernour dismissed the Indians of Patofa because hee had no food to giue them who desiring to accompanie and serue the Christians in their necessitie making shew that it grieued them very much to returne vntill they had left them in a peopled Countrie returned to their owne home Iohn Danusco came on Sunday late in the euening and brought newes that he had found a little towne 12. or 13. leagues from thence he brought a woman and a boy that he tooke there With his comming and with those newes the Gouernour and all the rest were so glad that they seemed at that instant to haue returned from death to life Vpon Monday the twentie sixe of Aprill the Gouernour departed to goe to the towne which was called Aymay Aymay and the Christians named it the towne of Reliefe He left where the Camp had lien at the foote of a Pinetree a letter buried and letters carued in the barke of the pine the contents whereof
footemen one souldier with a firebrand to set fire on the houses that the Indians might haue no defense all his men being set in order hee commanded an harcubuz to bee shot off The signe being giuen the foure squadrons euery one by it selfe with great furie gaue the onset and with great hurt on both sides they entred the towne The Frier and the Priest and those that were with them in the house were saued which cost the liues of two men of account and valiant which came thither to succour them The Indians fought with such courage that many times they draue our men out of the towne The fight lasted so long that for wearinesse and great thirst many of the Christians went to a poole that was neere the wal to drink which was all stained with the blood of the dead and then came againe to fight The Gouernour seeing this entred among the footemen into the towne on horseback with certaine that accompanied him and was a meane that the Christians came to set fire on the houses and brake and ouercame the Indians who running out of the towne from the footemen the horsemen without draue in at the gates again where being without all hope of life they fought valiantly after the Christians came among thē to handy blowes seeing themselues in great distresse without any succour many of them fled into the burning houses where one vpon another they were smothered and burnt in the fire The death of 2500. Indians The whole number of the Indians that died in this towne were two thousand and fiue hundred little more or lesse Of the Christians there died eighteene of which one was Don Carlos brother in law to the Gouernour and a nephew of his and one Iohn de Gamez and Men Rodriguez Portugals and Iohn Vazquez de Villanoua de Barca Rota all men of honour and of much valour the rest were footemen Besides those that were slaine there were an hundred and fiftie wounded with 700. wounds of their arrowes and it pleased God that of very dangerous wounds they were quickly healed Moreouer there were twelue horses slaine and seuentie hurt All the clothes which the Christians carried with them to clothe themselues withall and the ornaments to say Masse and the perles were all burnt there and the Christians did set them on fire themselues because they held for a greater inconuenience the hurt which the Indians might doe them from those houses where they had gathered all those goods together then the losse of them Here the Gouernour vnderstood that Francisco Maldonado waited for him at the Port of Ochuse and that it was sixe daies iournie from thence The Port of Ochuse sixe daies iournie from Mauilla and he dealt with Iohn Ortiz to keepe it secret because he had not accomplished that which he determined to doe and because the perles were burnt there which he meant to haue sent to Cuba for a shew that the people hearing the newes might be desirous to come to that Countrie He feared also that if they should haue newes of him without seeing from Florida neither gold nor siluer nor any thing of value it would get such a name that no man would seeke to goe thither when he should haue neede of people And so he determined to send no newes of himselfe vntill hee had found some rich Countrie CHAP. XX. How the Gouernour departed from Mauilla toward Chicaça and what happened vnto him FRom the time that the Gouernour entred into Florida vntill his departure from Mauilla there died an hundred and two Christians some of sicknesse and others which the Indians slew He staied in Mauilla because of the wounded men eight and twentie daies all which time he lay in the field It was a well inhabited and a fat Countrie there were some great walled townes Great and walled townes and many houses scattered all about the fields to wit a crossebow shot or two the one from the other Vpon Sonday the eighteenth of Nouember 18. Of Nouember when the hurt men were knowne to bee healed the Gouernour departed from Mauilla Euery one furnished himselfe with Maiz for two daies and they trauelled fiue daies through a desert they came to a Prouince called Pafallaya vnto a towne named Taliepataua Taliepataua and from thence they went to another called Cabusto Cabusto neere vnto it ran a great Riuer A great Riuer The Indians on the other side cried out threatning the Christians to kill them if they sought to passe it The Gouernour commanded his men to make a barge within the towne because the Indians should not perceiue it it was finished in foure daies and being ended he commanded it to be carried one night vpon sleds halfe a league vp the Riuer In the morning there entred into it thirtie men well armed The Indians perceiued what was attempted and those which were neerest came to defend the passage They resisted what they could till the Christians came neere them and seeing that the barge came to the shore Canauarales they fled away into the groues of canes The Christians mounted on horsebacke and went vp the Riuer to make good the passage whereby the Gouernour and his companie passed the Riuer There were along the Riuer some townes well stored with Maiz and French Beanes Some townes From thence to Chicaça the Gouernour trauelled fiue daies through a desert Hee came to a Riuer A Riuer where on the otherside were Indians to defend the passage He made another barge in two daies and when it was finished the Gouernour sent an Indian to request the Cacique to accept of his friendship and peaceably to expect his comming whom the Indians that were on the other side the Riuer slew before his face and presently making a great shout went their way Hauing passed the Riuer the next day being the 17. of December December 17. the Gouernour came to Chicaça a small towne of twentie houses And after they were come to Chicaça Chicaça they were much troubled with cold Snow and much cold because it was now winter and it snowed while most of them were lodged in the field before they had time to make themselues houses This Countrie was very well peopled and the houses scattered like those of Mauilla fat and plentifull of Maiz and the most part of it was fielding they gathered as much as sufficed to passe the winter Some Indians were taken among which was one whom the Cacique esteemed greatly The Gouernour sent an Indian to signifie to the Cacique that he desired to see him and to haue his friendship The Cacique came vnto him to offer him his person Countrie and subiects and told him that he would cause two other Caciques to come to him in peace who within few daies after came with him and with their Indians The one was called Alimamu the other Nicalasa They gaue a present vnto the Gouernour of an hundred and fiftie conies
They espied thirtie Indians comming ouer a plaine which the Cacique sent to discouer the Christians determination and assoone as they had sight of them they tooke themselues to flight The horsemen pursued them and slue tenne and tookâ— fifteene And because the towne whither the Goueâ—â—â— went was neere vnto the Riuer he sent a Captaiâ—â—ith as many men as he thought sufficient to carrie 〈◊〉 barges vp the Riuer And because in his trauelling by land many times he went farre from the Riuer to compasse the creekes that came from it the Indians tooke occasion to set vpon them of the barges and put them in great danger because that by reason of the great current they durst not leaue the shore and from the bancke they shot at them Assoone as the Gouernour was come to the towne A towne hee presently sent crossebowmen downe the Riuer which came to rescue them and vpon the comming of the barges to the towne hee commanded them to bee broken and to saue the iron for others when it should bee needfull Hee lay there one night and the day following hee set forward to seeke a Prouince called Pacaha which hee was informed to bee neere vnto Chisca Pacaha neere vnto Chisca Great townes where the Indians told him there was gold He passed through great townes of Aquixo which were all abandoned for feare of the Christians Hee vnderstood by certaine Indians that were taken that three daies iournie from thence dwelt a great Cacique whose name was Casqui Hee came to a small Riuer where a bridge was made by which they passed that day till Sunset they went all in water which in some places came to the waste and in some to the knees When they saw themselues on dry land they were very glad because they feared they should wander vp and downe as forlorne men al night in the water The first towne of Casqui At noone they came to the first towne of Casqui they found the Indians carelesse because they had no knowledge of them There were many men and women taken and store of goods as mantles and skinnes Another towne as well in the first towne as in another which stood in a field halfe a league from thence in sight of it whither the horsemen ran This Countrie is higher drier and more champion then any part bordering neere the Riuer that vntill then they had seene There were in the fields many Walnut trees Walnut â—rees with soft shels bearing soft shelled Walnuts in fashion like bullets and in the houses they found many of them which the Indians had laid vp in store The trees differed in nothing else from those of Spaine nor from those which we had seene before but onely that they haue a smaller lease There were many Mulberrie trees and Plum trees Many Mulberrie trees and plum trees which bare red plums like those of Spaine and other gray somewhat differing but farre better And all the trees are all the yeere so fruitfull as if they were planted in orchards and the woods were verie thinne The Gouernour trauelled two daies through the Countrie of Casqui before hee came to the towne where the Cacique was and the most of the way was alway by champion ground which was full of great townes Many great townes so that from one towne you might see two or three He sent an Indian to certifie the Cacique that hee was comming to the place where hee was with intent to procure his friendship and to hold him as his brother Whereunto he answered That he should be welcome and that he would receiue him with speciall good wil and accomplish all that his Lordship would command him Hee sent him a present vpon the way to wit skinnes mantles and fish And after these complements the Gouernour found all the townes as he passed inhabited with people which peaceablie attended his comming and offered him skinnes mantles and fish The Cacique accompanied with many Indians came out of the towne and staied halfe a league on the way to receiue the Gouernour and when hee came to him he spake these words following Right high right mighty and renowned Lord your Lordship is most hartilie welcome Assoone as I had notice of your Lâ—rdship of your power and your perfections although you came into my Countrie killing and taking captiues the inhabitants thereof and my subiects yet I determined to conforme my will vnto yours and as your owne to interpret in good part all that your Lordship did beleeuing that it was conuenient it should be so for some iust respect to preuent some future matter reuealed vnto your Lordshâ—p and concealed from me For well may a mischiefe be permitted to auoid a greater and that good may come thereof which I beleeue will so fall out For it is no reason to presume of so excellent a Prince that the noblenesse of his heart and the effect of his will would permit him to suffer any vniust thing My abilitie is so small to serue you as your Lordship deserueth that if you respect not mine abundant good will which humblie offereth all kind of seruice I deserue but little in your presence But if it bee reason that this be esteemed receiue the same my selfe my Countrie and subiects for yours and dispose of me and them at your pleasure For if I were Lord of all the world with the same good will should your Lordship by me be receiued serued and obeyed The Gouernour answered him to the purpose and satisfied him in few words Within a while after both of them vsed words of great offers courtesie the one to the other and the Cacique requested him to lodge in his houses The Gouernour to preserue the peace the better excused himselfe saying that hee would lodge in the fields And because it was very hot they camped neere certaine trees a quarter of a league from the towne The chie e towne 〈◊〉 Câ—â— que oâ— Caâ—quâ— The Cacique went to his towne and came againe with many Indians singing Assoone as they came to the Gouernour all of them prostrated themselues vpon the ground Among these came two Indians that were blind The Cacique made a speech to auoid tediousnesse I will onely tell in few words the substance of the matter Hee said that seeing the Gouernour was the sonne of the Sunne and a great Lord he besought him to doe him the fauour to giue sight to those two blind men The blind men rose vp presently and very earnestly requested the same of the Gouernour He answered That in the high heauens was he that had power to giue them health and whatsoeuer they could aske of him whose seruant he was And that this Lord made the heauens and the earth and man after his owne likenesse and that he suffered vpon the crosse to saue mankind and rose againe the third day and that he died as he was man and as touching his diuinitie he was and is immortall and that he ascended
behalfe to see what his Lordship would command him to doe for he was readie at his commandement The Gouernour and all his companie were verie glad For in no wise could they trauell without an interpretour The Gouernour commanded him to be kept safe and bad him tell the men that came with him that they shuld returne to the Cacique and signifie vnto him that he pardoned him for that which was past and thanked him much for his presents and interpretour which he had sent him and that he would bee glad to see him and that he should come the next day to talke with him After three daies the Cacique came The Cacique of Tulla and 80. Indians with him and himselfe and his men came weeping into the Camp in token of obedience and repentance for the errour passed after the manner of that Countrie Many Oxe hides with wooll on them as oft as sheepes wooll Comara H stor Gener cap. 2â—5 Many Oxen towâ—rd the North. He brought a present of many oxe hides which because the Countrie was cold were verie profitable and serued for couerlets because they were very soft and wolled like sheepe Not farre from thence toward the North were many oxen The Christians saw them not nor came into the Countrie where they were because those parts were euill inhabited and had small store of Maiz where they were bred The Cacique of Tulla made an oration to the Gouernour wherein he excused himselfe and offered him his Countrie subiects and person Aswell this Cacique as the others Tâ—e gâ—eat eloquence oâ— the â—â—dians and all those which came to the Gouernour on their behalfe deliuered their message or speech in so good order that no oratour could vtter the same more eloquentlie CHAP. XXVII How the Gouernour went from Tulla to Autiamque where he passed the winter THe Gouernour enformed himselfe of all the Countrie round about and vnderstood that toward the West was a scattered dwelling and that toward the Southeast were great townes especially in a Prouince called Autiamque tenne daies iournie from Tulla which might be about 80. leagues and that it was a plentiâ—ull Countrie of Maiz. And because winter came on and that they could not trauell two or three moneths in the yeere for cold A winter of twâ— or t ree moneths waters and snow and fearâ—ng that if they should stay so long in the scattered dwelling they could not be susteined and also because the Indians said that neere to Autiamque was a great water and according to their relation the Gouâ—rnour thought it was some arme of the Sea And bâ—cause he now desired to send newes of himselfe to Cuba that some supplie of men horses might be sent vnto him for it was aboue three yeeres since Donna Isabella which was in Hauana or any other person in Chrâ—stendome had heard of him and by this time he had lost 250. men and 150. horses he determined to winter in Autiamque and the next spring to goe to the sea cost and make two brigantines and send one of them to Cuba and the other to Nueua Espanna that that which went in safetie might giue newes of him Hâ—ping with the goods which he had in Cuba to furnâ—â—h hims lfe againe and to attempt the discouery and conquest toward the West for he had not yet come where Cabeça de Vaca had been Thus hauing sent away the two Caciques of Cayas and Tulla he tooke his iournie toward Autiamque Quipana fiue daies â—uâ—â—â—e from Tulâ—a â—ee trauelled fiue daies ouer very rough mountaines and came to a towne called Quipana where no Indians could betaken for the roughnesse of the Countrie and the towne being betweene hilles there was an ambush laid wherewith they tooke two Indians which told them that Autiamque was sixe daies iournie from thence and that there was another Prouince toward the South eight daies iournie off plentifull of Maiz and very well peopleâ— which was called Guahate Guahate But because Autiamque was neerer and the most of the Indians agreed of it the Gouernour made his iournie that way In three daies he came to a towne called Anoixi Anoixi He sent a Captaine before with 30. horsemen and 50. footemen and tooke the Indians carelesse hee tooke many men and women prisoners Within two daies after the Gouernour came to another towne called Catamaya Catamaya and lodged in the fields of the towne Two Indians came with a false message from the Cacique to know his determination Hee bad them tell their Lord that hee should come and speake with him The Indians returned and came no more nor any other message from the Cacique The next day the Christians went to the towne which was without people they tooke as much Maiz as they needed That day they lodged in a wood and the next day they came to Autiâ—mque Au amque siâ—e◠〈◊〉 ournie from Quiâ—ana They found much Maiz laid vp in store and â—râ—nch beanes and walnuts and prunes great store of all sorts They tooke some Indians which were gathering together the stuffe which their wines had â—idden This was a champion Countrie and well inhabited The Gouernour lodged in the best part of the towne and commanded presently to make a fense of timber round about the Campe distant from the houses that the Indians might not hurt them without by fire And measuring the ground by pases hee appointed euery one his part to doe according to the number of Indians which he had presently the timber was brought by them and in three daies there was an inclosure made of very hie and thicke posts thrust into the ground and many railes laid acrosse Hard by this towne passed a Riuer A 〈◊〉 that came out of the Prouince of Cavas and aboue and beneath it was very well peopled Thither came Indians on the Caciques behalfe with a present of mantles and skinnes and an halting Cacique subiect to the Lord of Autiamque Lord of a towne called Tietiquaquo Tietiquaquo came many times to visit the Gouernour and to bring him presents of such as hee had The Cacique of Autiamque sent to know of the Gouernour how long time hee meant to stay in his Countrie And vnderstanding that he meant to stay aboue three daies he neuer sent any more Indians nor any other message but conspired with the lame Cacique to rebell Diuers inrodes were made wherein there were many men and women taken and the lame Cacique among the rest The Gouernour respecting the seruices which he had receiued of him reprehended and admonished him and set him at libertie and gaue him two Indians to carrie him in a chaire vpon their shoulders The Cacique of Autiamque desiring to thrust the Gouernour out of his Countrie set spies ouer him And an Indian comming one night to the gate of the inclosure a souldier that watched espied him and stepping behind the gate as he came in he gaue him such a thrust that he
fell downe and so he carried him to the Gouernour and as hee asked him wherefore he came not being able to speake hee fell downe dead The night following the Gouernor commanded a souldiour to giue the alarme Great prouidence and to say that he had seene Indians to see how ready they would be to answere the alarme And hee did so sometimes as well there as in other places when he thought that his men were carelesse reprehended such as were slacke And as well for this cause as in regard of doing their dutie when the alarme was giuen euery one sought to be the first that should answere They staied in Autiamque three moneths with great plentie of Maiz French beanes Walnuts Prunes and Conies Three moneths abode in Autiamque which vntill that time they knew not how to catch And in Autiamque the Indians taught them how to take them which was with great sprindges which lifted vp their feete from the ground And the snare was made with a strong string whereunto was fastened a knot of a cane which ran close about the neck of the conie because they should not gnaw the string They tooke many in the fields of Maiz especiallie when it freesed or snowed Frost and snow A moneth of snow The Christians staied there one whole moneth so inclosed with snow that they went not out of the towne and when they wanted firewood the Gouernour with his horsemen going and comming many times to the wood which was two crossebow shot from the towme made a path-way whereby the footemen went for wood In this meane space some Indians which went loose killed many conies with their giues and with arrowes These conies were of two sorts Conies of two sorts some were like those of Spaine and the other of the same colour and fashion and as big as great Hares longer and hauing greater loines CHAP. XXVIII How the Gouernour went from Autiamque to Nilco and from thence to Guacoya VPon Monday the sixt of March 1542 March 6. 1542. the Gouernour departed from Autiamque to seeke Nilco which the Indians said was neere the Great riuer with determination to come to the Sea and procure some succour of men and horses for hee had now but three hundred men of warre and fortie horses and some of them lame which did nothing but helpe to make vp the number and for want of iron they had gone aboue a yeere vnshod and because they were vsed to it in the plâ—ine countrie Tâ—e deaâ—h of Ioâ—n Oâ—tiâ— anâ— the great 〈◊〉 him being he â—â—â—erpâ—etour it did them no great harme Iohn Ortiz diâ—d in Autiamque which grieued the Gouernor very much because tâ—at without an Interpretour hee feared to enter farre into the land where he might be lost From thence forward a youth that was taken in Cutifachiqui did serue for Interpretour which had by that tâ—me learned somewhat of the Christians language The death of Iohn Ortiz was so great a mischiefe for the discouering inward or going out of the land that to learne of the Indians that which in foure words hee deâ—lâ—red they needed a whole day with the youth and most commonly hee vnderstood quite contrarie that wâ—ich was asked him whereby it often happenâ—â— that the way that they went one day and sometimes two or three daies they turned backe and went astray through the wood here and there The Gouernour spent ten daies in trauelling from Autiamque to a prouince called Ayays Ayays A Riuer and came to a towne that stood neere the Riuer that passeth by Cayas and Autiamque There hee commanded a barge to be made wherewith he passed the Riuer When he had passed the Riuer there fell out such weather that foure daies he could not trauell for snow Great snow about the twentith of March. Assoone as it gaue ouer snowing he went three daies iourney through a Wildernesse and a countrie so low and so full of lakes and euill waies that hee trauelled one time a whole day in water sometimes knee deepe sometimes to the stirrup and somtimes they swamme He came to a towne called Tutelpinco abandoned and without Maiz Tutelpinco there passed by it a lake that entred into the riuer A great lake which carried a great streame and force of water Fiue Christians passing ouer it in a periagua which the Gouernour had sent with a Captaine the periagua ouerset some tooke hold on it some on the trees that were in the lake One Francis Sebastian an honest man of Villa noua de Barca Rota was drowned there The Gouernour went a whole day along the lake seeking passage and could finde none nor any way that did passe to the other side Comming againe at night to the towne hee found two peaceable Indians which shewed him the passage and which way hee was to goe There they made of canes and of the timber of houses thatched with canes rafts wherewith they passed the lake Rafts wherewith they passed the lake They trauelled three daies and came to a towne of the territorie of Nilco called Tianto Tianto Thâ—re they tooke thirtie Indians and among them two principall men of this towne The Gouernour sent a Captaine with horsemen and footmen before to Nilco because the Indians might haue no time to carrie away the prouision They passed through three or foure great townes Three or â—â—uâ—e great â—â—â—â—es and in the towne where the Cacique was resident which was two leagues from the place where the Gouernour remained they found many Indians with their bowes and arrowes in manner as though they would haue staied to fight which did compasse the towne and assoone as they saw the Christians come neere them without misdoubting them they set the Caciques house on fire and sled ouer a lake that passed neere the towne through which the horses could not passe The next day being Wednesday the 29. of March March 29. the Gouernour came to Nilco Nilco he lodged with all his men in the Caciques towne which stood in a plaine field which was inhabited for the space of a quarter of a league and within a league and halfe a league were other very great townes Vâ—rie great townes wherein was great store of Maiz of French beanes of Walnuts and Prunes This was the best inhabited countrie The beâ—t Counâ—rie of Flâ—rida that was seene in Florida and had most store of Maiz except Coça and Apalache There came to the campe an Indian accompanied with others and in the Caciques name gaue the Gouernour a mantle of Marterns skinnes Mâ—râ—erns â—kinnes A cordon of perles and a cordon of perles The Gouernour gaue him a few small Margarites which are certaine beades much esteemed in Peru and other things wherewith he was very well contented He promised to returne within two daies but neuer came againe but on the contrarie the Indians came by night in canoes and carried away all the Maiz
and command mee as your owne The Gouernour answered him that he forgaue him all which was past that from thenceforth hee should do his dutie that he would hold him for his friend and that he would fauour him in all things Within foure daies hee departed thence and comming to the Riuer he could not passe The â—â—uer gâ—â—â—e â—â—passâ—le 〈◊〉 at Naguatex because it was growne very bigge which seemed to him a thing of admiration being at that time that it was and since it had not rained a moneth before The Indians said that it increased many times after that manner without raining in all the countrie Coâ—â—â—â—res â—a Sâ—a to the â—â—â—â—aâ—d It was supposed that it might bee the tide that came into it It was learned that the flood came alway from aboue and that the Indians of all that countrie had no knowledge of the Sea The Gouernour returned vnto the place where he had lodged before and vnderstanding within eight daies after that the Riuer was passeable he departed He passed ouer and found the towne without people A towne he lodged in the field and sent the Cacique word to come vnto him and to bring him a guide to goe forward And some daies being past seeing the Cacique came not nor sent any bodie hee sent two Captaines sundrie waies to burne the townes Townes burned and to take such Indians as they could finde They burnt great store of victuals and took many Indians The Cacique seeing the hurt that he receiued in his countrie sent sixe principall Indians with three men for guides which knew the language of the countrie through which the Gouernour was to passe Hee departed presently from Naguatex and within three daies iourney came to a towne of foure or fiue houses which belonged to the Cacique of that prouince which is called Nissoone Nissoone it was euill inhabited and had little Maiz. Two daies iourney forward the guides which guided the Gouernour if they were to goe Westward guided him to the East and sometimes went vp and downe through very great woods out of the way The Gouernour commanded them to bee hanged vpon a tree and a woman that they tooke in Nissoone guided him and went backe againe to seeke the way In two daies he came to another miserable towne called Lacane Lacane an Indian was taken in that place that said that the countrie of Nondacao Nondacao was a countrie of great habitation and the houses scattering the one from the other as they vse to bee in mountains and had great store of Maiz. The Cacique came with his men weeping like them of Naguatex for this is their vse in token of obedience hee made him a present of much fish and offered to doe what he would command him Hee tooke his leaue and gaue him a guide to the prouince of Soacatino CHAP. XXXIIII How the Gouernour went from Nondacao to Soacatino and Guasco and passed through a desert from whence for want of a guide and an interpretour he returned to Nilco THe Gouernour departed from Nondacao toward Soacatino and in fiue daies iournie came to a Prouince called Aays Aays The Indians which inhabited it had no notice of the Christians but assoone as they saw that they entred into their country they assembled themselues and as they came together 50. or 100. they came foorth to fight while some fought others came and charged our men another way and while they followed some others followed them The fight lasted the greatest part of the day till they came to their towne A towne Some horses and men were wounded but not to any hurt of their trauelling for there was no wound that was dangerous There was a great spoile made of the Indians That day that the Gouernour departed from thence the Indian that guided him said that in Nondacao he had heard say that the Indians of Soacatino had seene other Christians whereof they all were very glad thinking it might be true and that they might haue entred into those parts by Nueua Espanna and that if it were so it was in their owne hand to goe out of Florida if they found nothing of profit for they feared they should lose themselues in some wildernes This Indian led him two daies out of the way The Gouernour commanded to torture him He said that the Cacique of Nondacao his Lord had commanded him to guide them so because they were his enemies and that hee was to doe as his Lord commanded him The Gouernour commanded him to be cast to the dogs and another guided him to Soacatino Soacatino whither hee came the day following It was a verie poore Countrie there was great want of Maiz in that place Hee asked the Indians whether they knew of any other Christians They said that a little from thence toward the South they heard they were He trauelled 20. daies through a Countrie euill inhabited 20. daies trauell toward the South where they suffered great scarcitie and trouble For that little Maiz which the Indians had they had hidden and buried in the woods where the Christians after they were well wearied with their trauell at the end of their iournie went to seeke by digging what they should eat At last comming to a Prouince that was called Guasco Guasco here they found some Turkie stones and mantles of cotton wooll Chap. 35. they found Maiz wherewith they loaded their horses and the Indians that they had From thence they went to another towne called Naquiscoça Naquiscoça The Indians said they had no notice of any other Christians The Gouernour commanded to torment them They said that they came first to another Lordship which was called Naçacahoz Naçacahoz and from thence returned again to the West from whence they came The Gouernour came in two daies to Naçacahoz Some women were taken there among whom there was one which said that she had seene Christians and had been taken by them and had run away The Gouernour sent a Captaine with 15. horsemen to the place where the woman said she had seene them to see if there were any signe of horses or any token of their being there After they had gone three or foure leagues the woman that guided them said that all that she had told them was vntrue And so they held all the rest that the Indians had said of seeing Christians in the land of Florida And because the Countrie that way was poore of Maiz and toward the West there was no notice of any habitation they returned to Guasco They returned to Guaâ—co The Indians told them there that 10. daies iournie from thence toward the West was a Riuer called Daycao whither they went sometimes a hunting and killing of Deere and that they had seene people on the other side but knew not what habitation was there There the Christians tooke such Maiz as they found and could carrie and going 10. daies iournie through a wildernesse
30. in others 40. leagues from North to South It hath 6. townes of Christians to wit S. Iago Baracôa Bayamo Puerto de Principes S. Espirito and Hauana Euery one hath betweene 30. and 40. households except S. Iago and Hauana which haue about 60. or 80. houses They haue Churches in each of them and a Chaplen which confesseth them and saith Masse In S. Iago is a Monasterie of Franciscan Friers it hath but few Friers and is well prouided of almes because the countrie is rich The Church of S. Iago hath honest reuenew and there is a Curat and Prebends and many Priests as the Church of that Citie which is the chiefe of all the Island There is in this countrie much gold and few slaues to get it For many haue made away themselues because of the Christians euill vsage of them in the mines A steward of Vasques Porcallo A wittie stratagem which was an inhabitour in that Island vnderstanding that his slaues would make away themselues staied for them with a cudgill in his hand at the place where they were to meete and told them that they could neither doe nor thinke any thing that hee did not know before and that hee came thither to kill himselfe with them to the end that if hee had vsed them badly in this world hee might vse them worse in the world to come And this was a meane that they changed their purpose and turned home againe to doe that which he commanded them CHAP. VI. How the Gouernour sent Donna Isabella with the ships to Hauana and he with some of his people went thither by land THe Gouernour sent from S. Iago his Nephew Don Carlos with the ships in company of Donna Isabella to tarrie for him at Hauana which is an hauen in the West part toward the head of the Island 180. leagues from the Citie of Saint Iago The Gouernour and those which staied with him bought horses and proceeded on their iournie The first towne they came vnto was Bayamo 〈◊〉 they were lodged foure and foure and sixe and sixe as they went in company and where they lodged they tooke nothing for their diet for nothing cost them ought saue the Maiz or corne for their horses because the Gouernor went to visit them from towne to towne and seased them in the tribute and seruice of the Indians Bayamo is 25. leagues from the Citie of S. Iago Neere vnto the towne passeth a great Riuer which is called Tanto it is greater then Guadiana and in it be very great Crocodiles which sometimes hurt the Indians or the cattell which passeth the Riuer In all the countrie are neither Wolfe Foxe Beare Lion nor Tiger There are wild dogges which goe from the houses into the woods and feed vpon swine There be certaine Snakes as bigge as a mans thigh or bigger they are very slow they doe no kind of hurt From Bayamo to Puerto dellos principes Puerto dellos Principes are 50. leagues In al the Island from towne to towne the way is made by stubbing vp the vnderwood and if it bee left but one yeere vndone the wood groweth so much that the way cannot be seene and the paths of the oxen are so many that none can trauell without an Indian of the Countrie for a guide for all the rest is very hie and thicke woods From Puerto dellos principes the Gouernour went to the house of Vasques Porcallo by sea in a bote for it was neere the sea to know there some newes of Donna Isabella which at that instant as afterward was knowne was in great distresse in so much that the ships lost one another and two of them fell on the coast of Florida and all of them endured great want of water and victuals When the storme was ouer they met together without knowing where they were in the end they descried the Cape of S. Anton The Cape of S. Antonio a countrie not inhabited of the Island of Cuba there they watered and at the end of 40. daies which were passed since their departure from the City of S. Iago they ariued at Hauana The Gouernour was presently informed thereof and went to Donna Isabella And those which went by land which were one hundred and fiftie horsemen being diuided into two parts because they would not oppresse the inhabitants trauelled by S. Espirito which is 60. leagues from Puerto dellos principes The food which they carried with them was Caçabe bread which is that whereof I made mention before and it is of such a qualitie that if it be wet it breaketh presently whereby it happened to some to eate flesh without bread for many daies They carried dogges with them and a man of the Country which did hunt by the way or where they were to lodge that night they killed as many hogges as they needed In this iournie they were well prouided of beefe and porke And they were greatly troubled with Muskitos especially in a lake which is called the mere of Pia which they had much adoe to passe from noone till night the water might be some halfe league ouer and to be swome about a crossebow shot the rest came to the waste and they waded vp to the knees in the mire and in the bottome were cockle shels which cut their feete very sore in such sort that there was neither boote nor shooe sole that was hole at halfe way Their clothes and saddels were passed in baskets of Palme trees Passing this lake stripped out of their clothes there came many muskitos vpon whose biting there arose a wheale that smarted very much they strooke them with their hands and with the blowe which they gaue they killed so many that the blood did runne downe the armes and bodies of the men That night they rested very little for them and other nights also in the like places and times They came to Santo Espirito Santo Espirito which is a towne of thirtie houses there passeth by it a little Riuer it is very pleasant and fruitfull hauing great store of Oranges and citrons and fruites of the Countrie One halfe of the companie were lodged here and the rest passed forward 25. leagues to another towne called la Trinidad La Trinidad of 15. or 20. households Here is an hospitall for the poore and there is none other in all the Island And they say that this towne was the greatest in all the Countrie and that before the Christians came into this land as a ship passed along the coast there came in it a very sicke man which desired the Captaine to set him on shore and the Captaine did so and the ship went her way The sicke man remained set on shore in that countrie which vntill then had not been haunted by Christians whereupon the Indians found him carried him home and looked vnto him till he was whole and the Lord of that towne maried him vnto a daughter of his and had warre with all the inhabitants round
full of marish grounds and in many places full of very hie and thicke woods CHAP. VIII Of some inrodes that were made into the Countrie and how there was a Christian found which had bin long time in the power of an Indian Lord. FRom the towne of Vcita the Gouernour sent the Alcalde Mayor Baltasar de Gallegos with 40. horsemen and 80. footemen into the Countrie to see if they could take any Indians and the Captaine Iohn Rodriguez Lobillo another way with 50. footemen the most of them were swordmen and targettours and the rest were shot and crossebowmen They passed through a countrie full of bogges where horses could not trauell Halfe a league from the campe they lighted vpon certaine cabins of Indians neere a Riuer Certaine cabins of Indians The people that were in them leaped into the Riuer yet they tooke foure Indian women And twentie Indians charged vs and so distressed vs that wee were forced to retire to our campe being as they are exceeding readie with their weapons It is a people so warlike and so nimble that they care not awhit for any footemen For if their enemies charge them they runne away and if they turne their backs they are presently vpon them And the thing that they most flee is the shot of an arrow They neuer stand still but are alwaies running and trauersing from one place to another by reason whereof neither crossebow nor aâ—cubuse can aime at them and before one crossebowman can make one shot an Indian will discharge three or foure arrowes and he seldome misseth what hee shooteth at An arrow where it findeth no armour pierceth as deepely as a crossebow Their bowes are very long and their arrowes are made of certaine canes like reedes very heauie so strong that a sharpe cane passeth thorow a target Some they arme in the point with a sharpe bone of a fish like a chisel and in others they fasten certaine stones like points of Diamants For the most put when they light vpon an armour they breake in the place where they are bound together Those of cane do split and pierce a coate of maile and are more hurtfull then the other Iohn Rodriguez Lobillo returned to the Campe with sixe men wounded whereof one died and brought the foure Indian women which Baltasar Gallegos had taken in the cabins or cotages Two leagues from the towne comming into the plaine field he espied ten or eleuen Indians among whom was a Christian which was naked and scorched with the Sunne and had his armes razed after the manner of the Indians and differed nothing at all from them And assoone as the horsemen saw them they ran toward them The Indians fled and some of them hid themselues in a wood and they ouertooke two or three of them which were wounded and the Christian seeing an horseman runne vpon him with his lance began to crie out Sirs I am a Christian slay me not nor these Indians for they haue saued my life And straightway he called them and put them out of feare and they came foorth of the wood vnto them The horse men tooke both the Christian and the Indians vp behind them and toward night came into the Campe with much ioy which thing being knowne by the Gouernour and them that remained in the Campe they were receiued with the like CHAP. IX How this Christian came to the land of Florida and who he was and what conference he had with the Gouernour THis Christians name was Iohn Ortiz Iohn Ortiz liued 12. yeeres among the Floridians of Vcita and Mocoço and he was borne in Siuil of worshipful parentage He was 12. yeeres in the hands of the Indians He came into this Countrie with Pamphilo de Naruaez and returned in the ships to the Island of Cuba where the wife of the Gouernour Pamphilo de Naruaez was and by his commandement with 20. or 30. other in a brigandine returned backe againe to Florida and comming to the port in the sight of the towne on the shore they saw a cane sticking in the ground and riuen at the top and a letter in it and they beleeued that the Gouernour had left it there to giue aduertisement of himselfe when he resolued to goe vp into the land and they demanded it of foure or fiue Indians which walked along the sea shore and they bad them by signes to come on shore for it which against the will of the rest Iohn Ortiz and another did And assoone as they were on land from the houses of the towne issued a great number of Indians which compassed them about and tooke them in a place where they could not flee and the other which sought to defend himselfe they presentlie killed vpon the place and tooke Iohn Ortiz aliue and carried him to Vcita their Lord. And those of the brigandine sought not to land but put themselues to sea and returned to the Island of Cuba Vcita commanded to bind Iohn Ortiz hand and foote vpon foure stakes aloft vpon a raft and to make a fire vnder him that there he might bee burned But a daughter of his desired him that he would not put him to death alleaging that one only Christian could do him neither hurt nor good telling him that it was more for his honour to keepe him as a captiue And Vcita granted her request and commanded him to be cured of his wounds and assoone as he was whole he gaue him the charge of the keeping of the Temple because that by night the wolues did cary away the dead corpses out of the same who commended himselfe to God and tooke vpon him the charge of his temple One night the wolues gate from him the corpes of a little child the sonne of a principal Indian and going after them he threw a darte at one of the wolues and strooke him that carried away the corps who feeling himselfe wounded left it and fell downe dead neere the place and hee not woting what he had done because it was night went backe againe to the Temple the morning being come and finding not the bodie of the child he was very sad Assoone as Vcita knew thereof he resolued to put him to death and sent by the tract which he said the wolues went and found the bodie of the child and the wolfe dead a little beyond whereat Vcita was much contented with the Christian and with the watch which hee kept in the Temple and from thence forward esteemed him much Three yeeres after hee fell into his hands there came another Lord called Mocoço Mocoço dwâ—lleth two daies iournie from Vcita who dwelleth two daies iourny from the Port and burned his towne Vcita fled to another towne that he had in another sea port Thus Iohn Ortiz lost his office and fauour that he had with him These people being worshippers of the diuell are wont to offer vp vnto him the liues and blood of their Indians or of any other people they can come by
like blankets they make them of the inner rinde of the barkes of trees and some of a kind of grasse like vnto nettles which being beaten is like vnto flaxe A grasse like flaxe The women couer themselues with these mantles they put one about them from the wast downeward and another ouer their shoulder with their right arme out like vnto the Egyptians The men weare but one mantle vpon their shoulders after the same manner and haue their secrets hid with a Deeres skin made like a linen breech which was wont to be vsed in Spaine The skins are well corried Excellent colours and they giue them what colour they list so perfect that if it be red it seemeth a very fine cloth in graine and the blacke is most fine and of the same leather they make shooes and they die their mantles in the same colours The Gouernour departed from Toalli the 24. of March he came on Thursday at euening to a small Riuer A small Riuer where a bridge was made whereon the people passed and Benit Fernandez a Portugall fell off from it and was drowned Assoone as the Gouernour had passed the Riuer a little distance thence he found a towne called Achese Achese The Indians had no notice of the Christians they leaped into a Riuer some men and women were taken among which was one that vnderstood the youth which guided the Gouernour to Yupaha whereby that which he had reported was more confirmed For they had passed through Countries of diuers languages and some which he vnderstood not The Gouernour sent by one of the Indians that were taken to call the Cacique which was on the other side of the Riuer Hee came and made this speech following Right high right mightie and excellent Lord those things which seldome happen doe cause admiration What then may the sight of your Lordship and your people doe to mee and mine whom we neuer saw especially being mounted on such fierce beasts as your horses are entring with such violence and furie into my Countrie without my knowledge of your comming It was a thing so strange and caused such feare and terrour in our mindes that it was not in our power to stay and receiue your Lordship with the solemnitie due to so high and renowned a Prince as your Lordship is And trusting in your greatnesse and singular vertues I doe not onely hope to be freed from blame but also to receiue fauours and the first which I demand of your Lordship is that you will vse me my Countrie and subiects as your owne and the second that you will tell mee who you are and whence you come and whither you goe and what you seeke that I the better may serue you therein The Gouernour answered him that hee thanked him as much for his offer and good will as if hee had receiued it and as if hee had offered him a great treasure and told him that he was the sonne of the Sun and came from those parts where he dwelt and trauelled through that Countrie and sought the greatest Lord and richest Prouince that was in it The Cacique told him that farther forward dwelt a great Lord and that his dominion was calle Ocute He gaue him a guide and an interpretour for that Prouince The Gouernour commanded his Indians to bee set free and trauelled through his Countrie vp a Riuer very well inhabited A 〈◊〉 very 〈…〉 He departed from his towne the first of Aprill and left a very high crosse of Wood set vp in the middest of the market place and because the time gaue no more leasure hee declared to him onely that that crosse was a memorie of the same whereon Christ which was God and man and created the heauens and the earth suffered for our saluation therefore he exhorted them that they should reuerence it and they made shew as though they would doe so The fourth of Aprill the Gouernour passed by a towne called Altamaca Altamaca and the 10. of the moneth he came to Ocute Ocute The Cacique sent him two thousand Indians with a present to wit many conies and partriges Conies Patriges Hens Dogges bread of Maiz two hens and many dogs which among the Christians were esteemed as if they had been fat wethers because of the great want of flesh meate and salt and hereof in many places and many times was great need and they were so scarse that if a man fell sicke there was nothing to cherish him withall and with a sicknesse that in another place easilie might haue been remedied he consumed away till nothing but skinne and bones were left and they died of pure weaknes some of them saying If I had a slice of meate or a few cornes of salt I should not die The Indians want no fleshmeat for they kill with their arrowes many deere hennes conies and other wild fowle for they are very cunning at it which skill the Christians had not and though they had it they had no leasure to vse it for the most of the time they spent in trauell and durst not presume to straggle aside And because they were thus scanted of flesh when sixe hundred men that went with Soto came to any towne and found 30. or 40. dogs he that could get one and kill it thought himselfe no small man and he that killed it and gaue not his Captaine one quarter if he knew it he frowned on him and made him feele it in the watches or in any other matter of labour that was offered wherein hee might doe him a displeasure On Monday the 12. of Aprill the Gouernour departed from Ocute The Cacique gaue him two hundred Tamenes to wit Indians to carrie burdens hee passed through a towne the Lord whereof was named Cofaqui Cofaqui and came to a prouince of an Indian Lord called Patofa Patofa who because he was in peace with the Lord of Ocute and with the other bordering Lords had many daies before notice of the Gouernour and desired to see him He came to visit him and made this speech following Mightie Lord now with good reason I will craue of fortune to requite this my so great prosperitie with some small aduersitie and I will count my selfe verie rich seeing I haue obtained that which in this world I most desired which is to see and bee able to doe your Lordship some seruice And althâ—ugh the tongue bee the image of that which is in the heart and that the contentment which I feele in my heart I cannot dissemble yet is it not sufficent wholly to manifest the same Where did this your Countrie which I doe gouerne deserue to be visited of so soueraigne and so excellent a Prince whom all the rest of the world ought to obey and serue And those which inhabit it being so base what shall bee the issue of such happines if their memorie doe not represent vnto them some aduersitie that may betide them according to the order
The Riuer of Daycao which seeâ—â—th to be Râ—o del oro they came to the Riuer which the Indians had told them of Ten horsemen which the Gouernour had sent before passed ouer the same and went in a way that led to the Riuer and lighted vpon a companie of Indians that dwelt in verie little cabins who assoone as they saw them tooke themselues to flight leauing that which they had all which was nothing but miserie and pouertie The Countrie was so poore that among them all there was not found halfe a peck of Maiz. The horsemen tooke two Indians and returned with them to the Riuer where the Gouernour staied for them He sought to learne of them what habitation was toward the West There was none in the Camp that could vnderstand their language The Gouernour assembled the Captaines and principall persons to determine with their aduice what they should doe And the most part said that they thought it best to returne backe to Rio grande or the Great Riuer of Guachoya because that in Nilco and thereabout was store of Maiz saying that they would make pinaces that winter and the next sommer passe down the Riuer to the seaward in them and comming to the Sea they would goe along the coast to Nueua Espanna For though it seemed a doubtfull thing and difficult by that which they had already alleaged yet it was the last remedie they had For by land they could not goe for want of an Interpretour No trauellâ—ng by land without an interpretour And they held that the countrie beyond the Riuer of Daycao where they were was that which Cabeça de Vaca mentioned in his relation that he passed of the Indians which liued like the Alarbes hauing no setled place and fed vpon Tunas and rootes of the fields and wilde beasts that they killed Which if it were so if they should enter into it and finde no victuals to passe the winter they could not chuse but perish For they were entred alreadie into the beginning of October and if they staied any longer they were not able to returne for raine and snowes nor to sustaine themselues in so poore a countrey The Gouernour that desired long to see himselfe in a place where hee might sleepe his full sleep rather then to conquer and gouerne a countrie where so many troubles presented themselues presently returned back that same way that he came CHAP. XXXV How they returned to Nilco and came to Minoya where they agreed to make ships to depart out of the land of Florida WHen that which was determined was published in the Campe there were many that were greatly grieued at it for they held the Sea voyage as doubtfull for the euill meanes they had and of as great danger as the trauelling by land and they hoped to finde some rich countrie before they came to the land of the Christians by that which Cabeça de Vaca had told the Emperour and that was this That after hee had found clothes made of cotton wooll Gold siluer and prâ—ciou◠〈…〉 hee saw gold and siluer and stones of great value And they had not yet come whâ—re hee had been For vntill that place hee alwaies trauelled by the Sea coast and they trauelled farre within the land and that going toward the West of necessitie they should come where hee had been For he said That in a certain place he trauelled many daies and entred into the land toward the North. And in Guasco they had alreadie found some Turkie stones Tuâ—kie stone and man les 〈…〉 and mantles of cotton wooll which the Indians signified by signes that they had from the West and that holding that course they should draw neere to the land of the Christians But though they were much discontented with it and it grieued many to goe backward which would rather haue aduentured their liues and haue died in the land of Florida then to haue gone poore out of it yet were they not a sufficient part to hinder that which was determined because the principall men agreed with the Gouernour And afterward there was one that said hee would put out one of his owne eyes to put out another of Luis de Moscoso because it would grieue him much to see him prosper because aswell himself as others of his friends had crossed that which hee durst not haue done seeing that within two daies hee should leaue the gouernment From Daycao where now they were to Rio grande or the Great Riuer was 150 leagues 150 leagues betweene the Riuer of Daycao and Rio grande which vnto that place they had gone Westward And by the way as they returned backe they had much adoe to find Maiz to eate for where they had passed the countrey was destroyed and some little Maiz that was left the Indians had hidden The townes which in Naguatex Naguatex they had burned whereof it repented them were repaired againe and the houses full of Maiz. This countrie is well inhabited and plentifull In that place are vessels made of clay Fine earthen vessels which differ very little from those of Estremoz or Monte-mor In Chaguate Chaguate the Indians by commandement of the Cacique came peaceably and said that the Christian which remained there would not come The Gouernour wrote vnto him and sent him inke and paper that he might answere The substance of the words of the letter was to declare vnto him his determination which was to goe out of the land of Florida and to put him in remembrance that he was a Christian that hee would not remaine in the subiection of Infidels that hee pardoned him the fault which he had done in going away to the Indians that hee should come vnto him and if they did stay him that hee would aduertise him thereof by writing The Indian went with the letter and came again without any more answere then on the back side his name and his seale that they might know he was aliue The Gouernour sent twelue horsemen to seeke him but he which had his spies so hid himselfe that they could not find him For want of Maiz the Gouernour could not stay any longer to seeke him Hee departed from Chaguete and passed the Riuer by Aays Aâ—ys going downe by it hee found a towne called Chilano Câ—ilaâ—o which as yet thâ—y had not seen They came to Nilco Nâ—lâ—â— found so little Maiz as could not suffice till they made their ships because the Christians being in Guachoya in the seede time the Indians for feare of them durst not come to sow the grounds of Nilco and they knew not thereabout any other countrie where any Maiz was and that was the most fruitfull soile that was thereaway and where they had most hope to finde it Euery one was confounded and the most part thought it bad câ—unsâ—ll to come backe from the Riuer of Daycao and not to haue followed their fortune going that way that went ouer land For by
Sea it seemed impossible to saue themselues vnlesse God would worke a miracle for them for there was neither Pilot nor Sea-chart neither did they know where the Riuer entred into the Sea neither had they notice of it neither had they any thing wherewith to make sailes nor any store of Enequem which is a grasse whereof they make Okam which grew there and that which they found they saued to calke the Pinaces withall neither had they any thing to pitch them withall neither could they mâ—ke ships of such substance but that any storme would put theÌ„ in great danger and they feared much it would fall out with them as it did with Pamphilo de Naruaez which was cast away vpon that coast And aboue all other it troubled them most that they could finde no Maiz for without it they could not bee sustained nor could doe any thing that they had neede of All of them were put to great confusion Their chiefe remedy was to commit themselues to God and to beseeeh him that he would direct them the way that they might saue their liues And it pleased him of his goodnesse that the Indians of Nilco came peaceablie and told them that two daies iourney from thence neere vnto the Great Riuer were two townes whereof the Christians had no notice and that the prouince was called Minoya and was a fruitfull soile that whether at this present there was any Maiz or no they knew not because they had warre with them but that they would be very glad with the fauour of the Christians to goe and spoyle them The Gouernour sent a Captaine thither with horsemen and footmen and the Indians of Nilco with him Hee came to Minoya Minoya Two great â—ownes and found two great townes seated in a plaine and open soile halfe a league distant one in sight of another and in them he tooke many Indians and found great store of Maiz. Presently he lodged in one of them and sent word to the Gouernour what hee had found wherewith they were all exceeding glad They departed from Nilco in the beginning of December Thâ— beginning of December and all that way and before from Chilano they endured much trouble for they passed through many waters and many times it rained with a Northren winde Raine wiâ—h Northren wind â—xceeding cold and was exceeding cold so that they were in the open field with water ouer and vnderneath them and when at the end of their daies iourney they found drie ground to rest vpon they gaue great thanks to God With this trouble almost all the Indians that serued them died And after they were in Minoya many Christians also died and the most part were sicke of great and dangerous diseases which had a spice of the lethargie At this place died Andrew de Vasconcelos The death of Andrew Vasconcelos and two Portugals of Eluas which were very neere him which were brethren and by their surname called Sotis The Christians lodged in one of the townes which they liked best which was fensed about and distant a quarter of a league from the Great Riuer The Maiz that was in the other towne was brought thither and in all it was esteemed to bee 6000. hanâ—gs or bushels And there was the best timber to make ships that they had seene in all the land of Florida wherefore all of them gaue God great thankes for so singular a fauour and hoped that that which they desired would take effect which was that they might safely bee conducted into the land of the Christians CHAP. XXXVI How there were seuen Brigandines builded and how they departed from Minoya ASsoone as they came to Minoya the Gouernor commanded them to gather all the chaines together which euerie one had to lead Indians in and to gather al the yron which they had for their prouision and al the rest that was in the Camp and to set vp a forge to make nailes and commanded them to cut downe timber for the brigandines And a Portugall of Ceuta who hauing bin a prisoner in Fez had learned to saw timber with a long saw which for such purposes they had carried with them did teach others which helped him to saw timber And a Genowis whom it pleased God to preserue for without him they had neuer come out of the countrie for there was neuer another that could make ships but hee with foure or fiue other Biscaine carpenters which hewed his plancks and other timbers made the brigandines And two calkers the one of Genua the other of Sardinia did calke them with the tow of an hearb like hempe Enequen is an herbe like Hempe whereof before I haue made mention which there is named Enequen And because there was not enough of it they calked them with the flaxe of the Countrie Flaxe of the countrie and with the mantles which they rauelled for that purpose A cooper which they had among them fell sicke and was at the point of death and there was none other that had any skill in that trade it pleased God to send him his health And albeit he was verie weake and could not labour yet 15. daies before they departed he made for euery brigandine two halfe hogs heads which the mariners call quarterets because foure of them hold a pipe of water The Indians which dwelt two daies iournie aboue the Riuer in a Prouince called Taguanate Taguanate two daies â—â—urney aboue Minoya and likewise those of Nilco and Guacoya and others their neighbours seeing the brigandines in making thinking because theiâ— places of refuge are in the water that they were to goe to seeke them and because the Gouernour demanded mantles of them as necessarie for sailes came many times and brought many mantles and great store of fish And for certaine it seemed that God was willing to fauour them in so great necessitie moouing the minds of the Indians to bring them for to goe to take them they were neuer able For in the towne where they were assoone as winter came in they were so inclosed and compassed with water that they could go no farther by land then a league a league an half And if they would go father they could carrie no horses The great vse of horses without theÌ„ they were not able to fight with the Indians because they were many and so many for so many on foote they had the aduantage of them by water and by land because they were more apt and lighter and by reason of the disposition of the Countrie which was according to their desire for the vse of their warre They brought also some cords and those which wanted for cables were made of the barkes of Mulberrie trees Mulberrie trees They made stirrops of wood made ankers of their stirrops In the moneth of March when it had not rained a moneth before the Riuer grew so big that it came to Nilco The mightie increasiâ—g of tâ—e 〈◊〉 for