haue the aduantage of the Indians, if by chance they should set vpon them by night. In the waies and places conuenient, they had their Centinelles of footemen by two and two in euery stand, which did watch by turnes, and the horsemen did visit them, and were readie to assist them, if there were any alarme. The Gouernour made foure Captaines of the horsemen, and two of the footemen. The Captaines of the horsemen were, one of them Andrew de Vasconcelos, and another Pedro Calderan de Badaoiz: and the other two were his kinsemen, to wit, Arias Timoco, and Alfonso Romo, borne likewise in Badaioz. The Captaines of the footemen, the one was Francisco Maldonado of Salamanca, and the other luan Rodriguez Lobillo. While wee were in this towne of Vcita, the two Indians, which John Danusco had taken on that coast, and the Gouernor caried along with him for guides and interpretours, through carelessenes of two men, which had the charge of them, escaped away one night. For which the Gouernour and all the rest were very sorie, for they had alreadie made some roades, and no Indians could bee taken, because the countrie was 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.

Rom 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 lohn 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 Certaine caneere a Riuer: The people that were in them leaped bins of Ininto the Riuer; yet they tooke foure Indian women:

dians.

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,

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 never stand still, but are alwaies running and treuersing from one place to another: by reason whereof neither crossebow nor arcubuse 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 part 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. John 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 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.

CHAP. IX.

How this Christian came to the land of Florida, and who he was and what conference he had with the Gouer

nor.

T

His Christians name was John Or- Iohn Ortiz, liued 12. tiz, and he was borne in Siuil, of yeeres, among worshipful parentage. He was 12. the Floridians yeeres in the hands of the Indians. of Veita and He came into this Countrie with Mocoço. Pamphilo de Narua ez, 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 lohn 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 Veita their Lord. And those of the brigandine sought not to land, but put themselues to sea, and returned to the Island of Cuba. Veita commanded to bind John 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 Veita 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,

iournie from Veita.

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 Veita 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, Mocoço dwel- there came another Lord, calied Mocoço, who leth two daies dwelleth two daies iourny from the Port, and burned his towne. Veita 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 and they report, that when he will haue them doe that sacrifice vnto him, he speaketh with them, and telleth them that he is athirst, and willeth them to sacrifice vnto him. lohn Ortiz had notice by the damsell that had deliuered him from ye fire, how her father was determined to sacrifice him ye day following, who willed him to flee to Mocoço: for shee knew yt he would vse him wel: for she heard say, that he had asked for him, and said hee would bee glad to see him: and because he knew not the way, she went with him halfe a league out of the towne by night, and set him in the way, and returned, because she would not be discouered. John Ortiz trauailed all A Riuer. that night, and by ye morning came vnto a Riuer, which is in the territorie of Mocoço: and there he saw two Indians fishing; and because they were in war with the people of Vcita, and their languages were different, and hee knew not the laguage of Mocoço, he was afraid, because he could not tell them who hee was, nor how hee came thither, nor was able to answer any thing for himselfe, that they would kill him, taking him for one of the Indians of Veita, and before they espied him, he came to the place where they had laid their weapons: & assoone as they saw him, they fled toward the towne, and although he willed the to stay, because he meant to do the no hurt, yet they vnderstood him not, and ran away as fast as euer they could. And assone as they came to the towne with great outcries, many Indians came forth against him, and began to compasse him to shoote at him: John Ortiz seeing himselfe in so great danger, sheilded himselfe with certaine trees, and began to shreeke out,

and

Mocoço his towne within 2. leagues of

the sea.

and crie very loud, and to tell them that he was a Christian, and that he was fled from from Vcita, and was come to see and serue Mocoço his Lord. It pleased God that at that very instant there came thither an Indian that could speake the language and vnderstood him; and pacified the rest; who told them what hee said. Then ran from thence three or foure Indians to beare the newes to their Lord: who came foorth a quarter of a league from the towne to receiue him; and was very glad of him. He caused him presently to sweare according to the custome of the Christians, that hee would not run away from him to any other Lord: and promised him to entreate him very well; and that if at any time there came any Christians into that countrie, he would freely let him goe, and giue him leaue to goe to them and likewise tooke his oth to performe the same according to the Indian custome. About three yeeres after certaine Indians, which were fishing at sea two leagues from the towne, brought newes to Mocoço that they had seene ships: and hee called John Ortiz, and gaue him leaue to go his way: who taking his leaue of him, with all the haste he could came to the sea, and finding no ships, he thought it to be some deceit, and that the Cacique had done the same to learne his mind. So he dwelt with Mocoço nine yeeres, with small hope of seeing any Christians. Assoone as our Gouernor arriued in Florida, it was knowne to Mocoço, & straightway he signified to John Ortiz, that Christians were lodged in the towne of Vcita: And he thought he had iested with him, as hee had done before, and told him, that by this time he had forgotten the Christians, and thought of nothing else but to serue him. But he assured him that it was so, and gaue him licence to goe vnto them saying vnto him, that if hee would not doe it, and if the Christians should goe their way, he should not blame him, for hee had fulfilled that which he had promised him. The joy of lohn Ortiz was so great, that hee could not beleeue that it was true: notwithstanding he gaue him thankes, and tooke his leaue of him: and Mocoço gaue him tenne or eleuen principall Indians to beare him companie: and as they went to the port where the Gouernour was, they met with Baltasar de Gallegos, as I haue declared before. Assoone as he was come to the campe, the Gouernour commanded to giue him a sute of apparrell, and very good armour, and a faire horse; and enquired of him, whether hee had notice of any countrie, where there was any gold or siluer? He answered, No, because he neuer went ten Paracossi 30. leagues compasse from the place where he dwelt: leagues from But that 30. leagues from thence dwelt an Indian Puerto de SpiLord, which was called Paracossi, to whom Mocoço rito Santo.

and