how the gouernour departed from the prouince of patofa, and went through a desert, where he and all his men fell 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 fome 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 co?a, 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: two swift riuers. he went where the youth did lead him, and passed two riuers which were waded: each of them was two crossebowshot 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 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 gallégos, 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 great increase of swine. the gouernour brought with him into florida thirteene sowes, 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; 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 was this: dig heere at the foot of this pine, and you shal find a letter. and this he did, because when the captaines came, which were sent to seeke some habitation, they might see the letter, and know what was become of the gouernour, and which way he was gone. there was no other way to the town, but the markes that iohn danusco left made vpon the trees. the gouernour with some of them that had the best horses came to it on the monday: and all the rest inforcing themselues the best they could, some of them lodged within two leagues of the towne, some within three or foure, euery one as he was able to goe, and his strength serued him. there was found in the towne a storehouse full of the flowre of parched maiz; and some maiz, which was distributed by allowance. here were foure indians taken, and none of them would confesse any other thing, but that they knew of none other habitation. an indian burned for his falsehood. the gouernour commanded one of them to be burned; and presently another confessed, that two daies iourney from thence, there was a prouince that was called cutifa chiqui. vpon wednesday came the captaines baltasar de gallégos, alfonso romo, and iohn rodriguez lobillo: for they had found the letter, and followed the way which the gouernour had taken toward the towne. two men of iohn rodriguez companie were lost, because their horses tired: the gouernour checked him very sore for leauing them behind, and sent to seeke them: and assoone as they came, he departed toward cutifa chiqui. in the way three indians were taken, which said, that the ladie of that countrie had notice alreadie of the christians, and staied for them in a towne of hers. the gouernour sent by one of them to offer her his friendship, and to aduertise her how he was comming thither. the gouernour came vnto the towne: and presently there came foure canoes to him; in one of them came a sister of the ladie, and approching to the gouernour she said these words:

excellent lord, my sister sendeth vnto you by me to kisse your lordships hands, and to signifie vnto you, that the cause why she came not in person, is, that she thinketh to do you greater seruice staying behind, as she doth, giuing order, that with all speed, al her canoes be readie, that your lordship may passe the riuer, and take your rest, which shall be presentlie performed.

the gouernour gaue her thankes, and she returned to the other side of the riuer. within a little while the ladie came out of the towne in a chaire, whereon certaine of the principall indians brought her to the riuer. she entred into a barge, which had the sterne tilted ouer, and on the floore her mat readie laied with two cushions vpon it one vpon another, where she sate her downe; and with her came her principall indians in other barges, which did wait vpon her. she went to the place where the gouernour was, and at her comming she made this speech following:

excellent lord, i wish this comming of your lordship into these your countries, to be most happie: although my power be not answerable to my wil, and my seruices be not according to my desire, nor such as so high a prince, as your lordship, deserueth; yet since the good will is rather to be accepted, then all the treasures of the world, that without it are offered, with most vnfaileable and manifest affection, i offer you my person, lands, and subiects, and this small seruice.

and therewithal she presented vnto him great store of clothes of the countrie, which shee brought in other canoes; to wit, mantles and skinnes; and tooke from her owne necke a great cordon of perles, and cast it about the necke of the gouernour, entertaining him with very gracious speeches of loue and courtesie, and commanded canoes to be brought thither, wherein the gouernour and his people passed the riuer. cutifa-chiqui. assoone as hee was lodged in the towne, she sent him another present of many hens. this countrie was verie pleasant, fat, and hath goodly meadows by the riuers. their woods are thin, and ful of walnut trees and mulberrie trees. they said the sea was two daies journey from thence. within a league, and a halfe a league about this towne, was great townes dispeopled, and ouergrowne with grasse; which shewed, that they had been long without inhabitants. the indians said, that two yeere before there was a plague in that countrie, and that they remooued to other townes. there was in their storehouses great quantitie of clothes, mantles of yarne made of the barkes of trees, and others made of feathers, white, greene red, and yellow, very fine after their vse, and profitable for winter. there were also many deeres skinnes, with many compartiments traced in them, and some of them made into hose, stockings and shooes. and the ladie perceiuing, that the christians esteemed the perles, aduised the gouernour to send to search certaine graues that were in that towne, and that hee should find many: and that if hee would send to the dispeopled townes, hee might load all his horses. they sought the graues of the towne, and there found fourteene rooues of perles, and little babies and birdes made of them. the people were browne, well made, and well proportioned, and more ciuill then any others that were seene in all the countrie of florida, and all of them well shod and clothed. the youth told the gouernour, that hee began now to enter into the land which hee spake of: and some credit was giuen him that it was so, because hee vnderstood the language of the indians: and hee requested that hee might bee christened, for hee said he desired to become a christian: hee was christened, and named peter; and the gouernour commanded him to be loosed from a chaine, in which vntill that time he had gone. this countrie, as the indians reported, had beene much inhabited, and had the fame of a good countrie. and, as it seemeth, the youth which was the gouernours guide, had heard of it, and that which he knew by heresay, hee affirmed that hee had seene, and augmented at his pleasure. in this towne was found a dagger, and beades, that had belonged to christians. this towne was but two daies iourney from the hauen of santa helena. in the yeere 1525. it is 32 degrees 1/2. the indians reported that christians had been in the hauen, which was two daies iourney from this towne, many yeeres agoe. hee that came thither was the gouernour, the licenciate lucas vasquez de ayllon, which went to conquer this countrie, and at his comming to the port hee died; and there was a diuision, quarrels and slaughters betweene some principall men which went with him, for the principall gouernment: and without knowing anything of the countrie they returned home to hispaniola. all the company thought it good to inhabite that countrie, because it was in a temperat climate: and that if it were inhabited, al the shippes of new spaine, of peru, santa martha, and tierra firme in their returne for spaine, might well touch there: because it was in their way; and because it was a good countrie, and sited fit to raise commoditie. the gouernour, since it was his intent to seeke another treasure, like that of atabalipa lord of peru, was not contented with a good countrie, nor with perles, though many of them were worth their weight in gold. and if the countrie had been diuided among the christians, those which the indians had fished for afterward, would haue been of more value; for those which they had, because they burned them in the fire, did leese their colour. the gouernour answered them, that vrged him to inhabit, that in all the countrie there were not victuals to susteine his men one moneth; and that it was needfull to resort to the port of ocus, where maldanado was to stay for them: and that if no richer countrie were found, they might returne againe to that whensoeuer they would: and in the meane time the indians would sow their fields, and it would be better furnished with maiz. he inquired of the indians, whether they had notice of any great lord farther into the land. they told him, that 12. daies iournie from thence, there was a prouince called chiaha, subiect to the lord of co?a. presently the gouernour determined to seeke that land. and being a sterne man, and of few words, though he was glad to sift and know the opinion of all men, yet after hee had deliuered his owne, he would not be contraried, and alwaies did what liked himselfe, and so all men did condescend vnto his will. and though it seemed an errour to leaue that countrie, (for others might haue been sought round about, where the people might haue been sustained, vntill the haruest had been readie there, and the maiz gathered) yet there was none that would say any thing against him, after they knew his resolution.