and Veita, with al the rest of that coast paied tribute, and that hee peraduenture might haue notice of some good countrie: and that his land was better then that of the sea coast, and more fruitfull and plentifull of maiz. Whereof the Gouernour receiued great contentment: and said that he desired no more then to finde victuals, that hee might goe into the maine land, for the land of Florida, was so large, that in one place or other there could not chuse but bee some rich Countrie. The Cacique Mocoço came to the Port to visit the Gouernor, and made this speech following. Right hie and mightie Lord, I being lesser in mine owne conceit for to obey you, then any of those which you have vnder your command; and greater in desire to doe you greater seruices, doe appeare before your Lordship with so much confidence of receiving fauour, as if in effect this my good will were manifested unto you in workes: not for the small seruice I did vnto you touching the Christian which I had in my power, in giuing him freely his libertie, (For I was bound to doe it to preserue mine honour, and that which I had promised him :) but because it is the part of great men to vse great magnificences: And I am persuaded, that as in bodily perfections, and commanding of good people, you doe exceede all men in the world, so likewise you doe in the parts of the minde, in which you may boast of the bountie of nature. The fauour which 1 hope for of your Lordship is, that you would hold mee for yours, and bethinke your selfe to command me any thing, wherein I may doe you service. The Gouernour answered him, That although in freeing and sending him the Christian, he had preserued his honour and promise, yet he thanked him, and held it in such esteeme, as it had no comparison; and that hee would alwaies hold him as his brother, and would fauour all things to the vtmost of his power. Then he commanded a shirt to be giuen him, and other things, wherewith the Cacique being verie well contented, tooke his leaue of him, and departed to his owne towne. CHAP. X. How the Gouernour sent the ships to Cuba: and left an hundred men at the Hauen de Spirito Santo, and himself with the rest of his people went into the maine land. F Rom the Port de Spirito Santo where the Gouernour lay, he sent the Alcalde Mayor Baltasar de Gallegos with 50. horsemen, and 30. or 40. footemen to the prouince of Paracossi, to view the disposition of the countrie, and enforme himselfe of the land farther inward, and to send him word of such things as he found. Likewise he sent his shippes backe to the Island of Cuba, that they might returne within a certaine time with. victuals. Vasques Porcallo de figueroa, which went with the Gouernour as Captaine Generall, (whose principall intent was to send slaues from Florida, to the Island of Cuba, where he had his goods and mines,) hauing made some inrodes, and seeing no Indians were to be got, because of the great bogs and woods y were in the Countrie, considering the disposition of the same, determined to returne to Cuba. And though there was some difference between him & the Gouernor, whereupon they neither dealt nor conuersed together with good countenance, yet notwithstanding with louing words he asked him leaue and departed from him. Baltasar de Gallegos came to the Paracossi: There came to him 30. Indians from the Cacique, which was absent from his towne, and one of them made this speech: Paracossi. Paracossi, the Lord of this prouince, whose vassals we are, sendeth vs vnto your worship, to know what it is that you seeke in this his Countrie, and wherein he may doe you ser uice. Baltasar de Gallegos said vnto him, that hee thanked them very much for their offer, willing them to warne their Lord to come to his towne, and that there they would talke and confirme their peace and friendship, which he much desired. The Indians went their way, and returned the next day, and said, that their Lord was ill at ease, and therefore could not come, but that they came on his behalfe to see what he demanded. He asked them if they knew or had notice of any rich Countrie where there was gold or siluer. They told them, they did and that toward the West, there was a Prouince which was called Cale; and that others that inhabited other Countries had warre with the people of that Countrie, where the most part Paracossi. Acela. Tocaste. Another towne. part of the yeere was sommer, and that there was much gold: and that when those their enemies came to make warre with them of Cale, these inhabitants of Cale did weare hats of gold, in manner of head peeces. Baltasar de Gallegos, seeing that the Cacique came not, thinking all that they said was fained, with intent that in the meane time they might set themselues in safetie, fearing, that if he did let them goe, they would returne no more, commanded the thirty Indians to be chained, and sent word to the Gouernour, by eight horsemen, what had passed: whereof the Gouernour with al that were with him, at the Port de Spirito Santo receiued great comfort, supposing, that that which the Indians reported, might be true. Hee left Captaine Calderan at the Port, with thirtie horsemen, and seuentie footemen, with prouision for two yeeres, and himselfe with all the rest marched into the maine land, and came to the Paracossi, at whose towne Baltasar de Gallegos was: and from thence with all his men tooke the way to Cale. He passed by a little towne, called Acela, and came to another, called Tocaste: and from thence hee went before with 30. horsemen, and 50. footemen toward Çale. And passing by a towne, whence the people were fled, they saw Indians a little from thence in a lake; to whom the Interpretour spake. They came vnto them and gaue them A swift Riuer, an Indian for a guide: and hee came to a Riuer with a great current, and vpon a tree, which was in the midst of it, was made a bridge, whereon the men passed: the horses swam ouer by a hawser, that they were pulled by from the otherside: for one, which they droue in at the first without it, was drowned. From thence the Gouernour sent two horsemen to his people that were behind, to make haste after him; because the way grew long, and their victuals short. Hee came to Cale, and found the towne without people. Hee tooke three Indians which were spies, and tarried there for his people that came after, which were sore vexed with hunger and euill waies, because the Countries was very barren of Maiz, low, and full of water, bogs, and thicke woods; and the victuals, which they brought with them from the Port de Spirito Santo, were spent. Wheresoeuer any towne was found, there were some beetes, and hee that came first gathered them, and sodden with water and salt, did eate them without any other thing: and such as could not get them, gathered the stalkes of Maiz and eate them, which because they were young had no Maiz in them, when they came to the Riuer which the Gouernour had passed, they A Lake. Cale. found found palmitos vpon low Palmetrees like those of Andaluzia. There they met with the two horsemen which the Gouernour sent vnto them, and they brought newes that in Cale there was plentie of Maiz; at which newes they all reioyced. Assoone as they came to Cale, the Gouernour commanded them to gather all the Maiz that was ripe in the field, which was sufficient for three moneths. At the gathering of it the Indians killed three Christians, and one of them which were taken told the Gouernour, that within seuen daies iournie, there was a very great Prouince, and plentifull of Maiz, which was called Apalache. And presently hee departed from Cale with 50. horsemen, and 60. footemen. He left the master of the Campe Luys de Moscoso with all the rest of the people there, with charge that hee should not depart thence vntill he had word from him. And because hitherto none had gotten any slaues, the bread that euery one was to eate, he was faine himselfe to beate in a morter made in a peece of timber with a pestle, and some of them did sift the flower through their shirts of maile. They baked their bread vpon certaine tileshares which they set ouer the fire, in such sort as heretofore I haue said they vse to doe in Cuba. It is so troublesome to grind their Maiz, that there were many that would rather not eate it, then grind it: and did eate the Maiz parched and sodden. CHAP. XI. How the Gouernour came to Caliquen, and carrying from thence the Cacique with him went to Napetuca, where the Indians sought to haue taken him from him, and in an assault many of them were slaine, and taken prisoners. He II. day of August 1539. the Gouernour depart- in another called Potano, and the Potano. third day at Viinama, and came to Vtinama. another towne, which they named the towne of The towne of Euill peace. Euil peace; because an Indian came in peace, saying, That he was the Cacique, and that he with his people would serue the Gouernour, and that if he would set free 28. persons, men and women, which his men had taken the night before, he would command prouision to be brought him, and would giue him a guide to instruct him in his way: The Gouernour commanded them to be set at libertie, and to keepe him in safegard. The next day in the morning there came many many Indians, and set themselues round about the towne neere to a wood. The Indian wished them to carrie him neere then ; and that he would speake vnto them, and assure them, and that they would doe whatsoeuer hee commanded them. And when he saw himselfe neere vnto them he brake from them, and ran away so swiftly from the Christians, that there was none that could ouertake him, and all of them fled into the woods. The Gouernour commanded to loose a grayhound, which was alreadie fleshed on them, which passing by many other Indians, caught the counterfait Cacique, which had escaped from the Christians, and held him till they came to take him. From Cholupaha. A Riuer. Caliquen. thence the Gouernour lodged at a towne called Cholupaha and because it had store of Maiz in it, they named it Villa farta. Beyond the same there was a Riuer, on which he made a bridge of timber, and trauelled two daies through a desert. The 17. of August, he came to Caliquen, where he was informed of the Prouince of Apalache: They told him that Pamphilo de Naruaez had bin there, and that there hee tooke shipping, because hee could find no way to goe forward: That there was none other towne at al; but that on both sides was all water. The whole companie were very sad for these newes; and counselled the Gouernour to goe backe to the Port de Spirito Santo, and to abandon the Countrie of Florida, lest hee should perish as Naruaez had done: declaring, that if he went forward, he could not returne backe when he would, and that the Indians would gather vp that small quantitie of Maiz which was left. Whereunto the Gouernour answered, that he would not go backe, till he had seene with his eies that which they reported: saying, that he could not beleeue it, and that wee should be put out of doubt before it were long. And he sent to Luys de Moscoso to come presently from Cale, and that he tarried for him here. Luys de Moscoso and many others thought, that from Apalache they should returne backe; and in Cale they buried their yron tooles, and diuers other things. They came to Caliquen with great trouble; because the Countrie, which the Gouernor had passed by, was spoiled and destitute of Maiz. After all the people were come together, hee commanded a bridge to bee made ouer a Riuer that passed neere the towne. Hee departed from Caliquen the 10. of September, and carried the Cacique with him. After hee had trauelled three daies, there came Indians peaceably, to visit their Lord, and euery day met vs on the way playing vpon flutes: which is a token that they vse, that men may know that they come in peace. They said, that in our A Riuer. way |