knowledge of nauigation, and matters of the sea, although bee had but little experience, mooued the Gouernour with his talke: and his opinion was seconded by some others. And they affirmed, that it was much better to passe by the hie sea, and crosse the gulfe, which was three of foure parts the lesser trauell, because in going along ye coast, they went a great way about, by reason of the compasse, which the land did make. John Danusco said, that he had seene the seacard, and that from the place where they were, the coast ran East and West vnto Rio de las Palmas; and from Rio de las Palmas to Nueua Espanna from North to South: and therefore in sailing alwaies in sight of land would bee a great compassing about and spending of much time; & that they would be in great danger to be ouertaken with winter before they should get to the land of the Christians and that in 10. or 12. daies space, hauing good weather, they might bee there in crossing ouer. The most part were against this opinion, and said, that it was more safe to go along the coast, though they staied the longer: because their ships were very weake and without decks, so that a very little storme was enough to cast them away: and if they should be hindred with calmes, or contrarie weather, through the small store of vessels which they had to carrie water in, they should likewise fall into great danger: and that although the ships were such as they might venture in them, yet hauing neither Pilot nor Seacard to guide themselues, it was no good counsell to crosse the gulfe. This opinion was confirmed by the greatest part: and they agreed to go along the coast. At the time wherein they sought to depart from thence, the cable of the anker of the Gouernours brigandine brake, and the anker remained in the Riuer. And albeit, they were neere the shore, yet it was so deepe, that the Diuers diuing many times could neuer find it: which caused great sadnes in the Gouernour, and in all those that went with him in his brigandine: But with a grindstone which they had, and certaine bridles which remained to some of the Gentlemen, and men of worship which had horses, they made a weight which serued in stead of an anker. The 18. of Iuly, they went foorth to sea with faire They landed and prosperous weather for their voiage. And see- May, 1539. ing that they were gone two or three leagues from Chap. 7. they the shore, the Captaines of the other brigandines went foorth to ouertooke them, and asked the Gouernour, where- 1543. fore he did put off from the shore? and that if he would leaue the coast, he should say so; and he should not do it without the consent of all: and that if hee did otherwise, they would not follow him, but that euery one would doe what the 30. of sea Iuly 18. seemed most two daies Sea. The coast shallow. Certaine seemed best vnto himselfe. The Gouernour answered, that hee would doe nothing without their counsell, but that he did beare off from the land to saile the better and safer by night; and that the next day when time serued, he would returne to the sight of land againe. They sailed with a reasonable good wind that day and the night following, and the next day Fresh water al- till euening song, alwaies in fresh water; whereat sailing in the they wondred much for they were verie farre from land. But the force of the current of the Riuer is so great, and the coast there is so shallow and gentle, that the fresh water entreth farre into the Sea. That euening on their right hand they saw creekes where certaine creekes, whither they went, and rested they rested a there that night: where Iohn Danusco with his night. reasons wonne them at last, that all consented and agreed to commit themselues to the maine Sea, alleaging, as he had done before, that it was a great aduantage, and that their voyage would be much shorter. They sailed two daies, and when they would haue come to sight of land they could not, for the winde blew from the shore. On the fourth day, seeing their fresh water began to faile, fearing necessitie and danger, they all complained of lohn Danusco, and of the Gouernour that followed his counsell: and euery one of the Captaines said, that they would no more goe from the shore, though the Gouernour went whither he would. It pleased God that the winde changed though but a little and at the end of foure daies after they had put to sea, being alreadie destitute of water, by force of rowing they got within sight of land, and with great trouRoade. ble recouered it, in an open roade. That euening the winde came to the South, which on that coast is a crosse winde, and draue the brigandines against the shore, because it blew very hard, and the anchors were so weake, that they yeelded and began to bend. The Gouernour commanded all men to leape into the water, and going between them and the shore, and thrusting the brigandines into the Sea assoone as the waue was past, they saued them till the winde ceased. An open CHAP. 1 CHAP. XL. How they lost one another by a storme, and afterward came together in a creeke. Fresh water is sands on the sea side. N the bay where they rode, after the tempest was past, they went on shore, and with mattockes, which they had, they digged certaine pits, which grew full of fresh water, commonlie where they filled all the cask, which found by digthey had. The next day they departed thence, ing in the and sailed two daies, and entred into a creeke like vnto a poole, fenced from the South winde, which then did blow, and was against them: and there they staied foure daies, not being able to get out: and when the Sea was calme they rowed out: they sailed that day, and toward euening the winde grew so strong that it draue them on the shore, and they were sorie that they had put foorth from the former harbour: for as soone as night approached a storme began to rise in the Sea, and the winde still waxed more and violent with a tempest. The brigandines lost one another: two of them, which bare more into the Sea, entred into an arme of the Sea, which pearced into the An arme of land two leagues beyond the place where the other were that night. The fiue which staied behinde, being alwaies a league, and halfe a league the one from the other, met together, without any knowledge the one of the other, in a wilde roade, where the winde and the waues droue A wild roade. them on shore for their anchors did streighten and came home; and they could not rule their oares, putting seuen or eight men to euery oare, which rowed to seaward: and all the rest leaped into the water, and when the waue was past that draue the brigandine on shore, they thrust it againe into Sea with all the diligence and might that they had. Others, while another waue was in comming, with bowles laued out the water that came in ouerboord. While they were in this tempest in great feare of being cast away in that place, from midnight forward they endured an intollerable tormēt of an infinite swarme the sea. kitoes. of Moskitoes which fell vpon them, which assoone A swarme of as they had stung the flesh, it so infected it, as grieuous Mosthough they had bin venomous. In the morning the Sea was asswaged and the wind slaked, but not the Muskitoes for ye sailes which were white seemed blacke with them in the morning. Those which rowed, vnlesse others kept them away A skumme of the sea like away, were not able to row. Hauing passed the feare & danger of the storme, beholding the deformities of their faces, and the blowes which they gaue themselues to driue them away, one of them laughed at another. They met all together in the creek where the two brigandines were, which outwent their fellowes. There was found a skumme, pitch, called which they call Copee, which the Sea casteth vp, Copee. and it is like pitch, wherewith in some places, where pitch is wanting, they pitch their ships: there they pitched their brigandines. They rested two daies, and then eftsoones proceeded on their voyage. They sailed two daies more, and landed in a Bay or arme of the Sea, where they Another deep staied two daies. The same day that they went bay. from thence sixe men went vp in a canoe toward the head of it, and could not see the end of it. They put out from thence with a South winde, which was against them: but because it was little, and for the great desire they had to shorten their voyage, they put out to sea by force of oares, and for all that made very little way with great labour in two daies, and went vnder the lee of a small Island into an arme A small Island. of the Sea, which compassed it about. While they were there, there fell out such weather, that they gaue God many thankes, that they found out such an harbour. There was Great store of great store of fish in that place, which they tooke with nets, which they had, and hookes. Heere a man cast an hooke and a line into the Sea, and tied the end of it to his arme, and a fish caught it, and drew him into the water vnto the necke: and it pleased God that hee remembred himselfe of a knife that he had, and cut the line with it. There they abode fourteene daies: and at the end daies abode in of them it pleased God to send them faire weather, for which with great deuotion they appointed a procession, and went in procession along the strand, beseeching God to bring them to a land, where they might serue him in better sort. fish. Fourteene this place. CHAP. CHAP. XLI. How they came to the Riuer of Panuco N all the coast wheresouer they digged they found fresh water: there they filled their vessels; and the procession being ended, embarked themselues, and going alwaies in sight of the shore they sailed sixe daies. Iohn Danusco said that Six daies sailing. Palme leaues. Great moun taines. side of the saue in this it would doe well to beare out to seaward for he had seene the Seacard, and remembred that from Rio de las Palmas forward the coast did runne from North to South, and thitherto they had runne from East to West, and in his opinion, by his reckoning, Rio de las Palmas could not be farre off, from where they were. That same night they put to sea, and in the morning they saw Palme leaues floting, and the coast, which ranne North and Floting of South from midday forward they saw great Mountaines, which vntill then they had not seene: for from this place to Puerto de Spiritu Santo, where they first landed in Florida, was a very plaine and Al the Northlow countrey: and therefore it cannot be descried, Gulfe of vnlesse a man come very neere it. By that which Mexico is ve they saw, they thought that they had ouershot Rio rie low land, de Palmas that night, which is 60 leagues from the one place. Riuer of Panuco, which is in Nueua Espanna. They assembled all together, and some said it was not good to saile by night, lest they should ouershoot the Riuer of Panuco: and others said, it was not well to lose time while it was fauourable, and that it could not be so neere that they should passe it that night and they agreed to take away halfe the sailes, and so saile all night. Two of the brigandines, which sailed that night with all their sailes, by breake of day had ouershot the Riuer of Panuco without seeing it. Of the fiue that came behind, the first that came vnto it was that wherein Calderan was Captaine. A quarter of a league before they came at it, and before they did see it, they saw the water muddie, and knew it to be fresh water: and comming right against the Riuer, they saw, where it entred into the Sea, that the water brake vpon a shold. And because there was no man there that knew it, they were in doubt whether they should goe in, or goe along, and they resolued to goe in: and before they came vnto the current, they |