how the gouernour went from co?a to tascaluca.

the gouernour rested in co?a 25. daies. he departed from thence the 20. of august to seeke a prouince called tascaluca: hee carried with him the cacique of co?a. he passed that day by a great towne called tallimuchase, the people were fled: he lodged halfe a league farther neere a brooke. the next day he came to a towne called ytaua, subiect to co?a. hee staied there sixe daies because of a riuer that passed by it, which at that time was very hie; and assoone as the riuer suffered him to passe, he set forward, and lodged at a towne named vllibahali. there came to him on the way, on the caciques behalfe of that prouince, ten or twelue principall indians to offer him his seruice; all of them had their plumes of feathers, and bowes and arrowes. the gouernour comming to the towne with twelue horsemen, and some footemen of his guard, leauing his people a crossebow shot from the towne, entred into it, hee found all the indians with their weapons: and as farre as he could ghesse, they seemed to haue some euill meaning. it was knowne afterward, that they were determined to take the cacique of co?a, from the gouernour, if hee had requested it. vllibahali walled about. the gouernour commanded all his people to enter the towne, which was walled about, and neere vnto it passed a small riuer. the wall, aswell of that, as of others, which afterward wee saw, was of great posts thrust deepe into the ground and very rough, and many long railes as big as ones arme laid acrosse between them, and the wall was about the height of a lance, and it was daubed within and without with clay, and had loope holes. on the other side of the riuer was a towne, where at that present the cacique was. the gouernour sent to call him, and hee came presently. after he had passed with the gouernour some words of offering his seruices, he gaue him such men for his cariages as he needed, and thirtie women for slaues. in that place was a christian lost, called man?ano, home in salamanca, of noble parentage, which went astray to seeke for grapes, whereof there is great store, and those very good. the day that the gouernour departed from thence, he lodged at a towne subiect to the lord of vllibahali: and the next day hee came to another towne called toasi. the indians gaue the gouernour thirtie women, and such men for his cariages as he needed. hee trauelled ordinarily 5. or 6. leagues a day when he trauelled through peopled countries: and going through deserts, he marched as fast as he could, to eschew the want of maiz. from toasi, passing through some townes subiect to a cacique, which was lord of a prouince called tallise, hee trauelled fiue daies: he came to tallise the 18. of september: the towne was great, and situated neere vnto a maine riuer. on the other side of the riuer were other townes, and many fields sowne with maiz. on both sides it was a very plentifull countrie, and had store of maiz: they had voided the towne. the gouernour commanded to call the cacique; who came, and betweene them passed some words of loue and offer of his seruices, and hee presented vnto him 40. indians. there came to the gouernour in this towne a principall indian in the behalfe of the cacique of tascaluca, and made this speech following:

mightie, vertuous, and esteemed lord, the great cacique of tascaluca my lord, sendeth by me to kisse your lordships hands, and to let you vnderstand, that he hath notice, how you iustly rauish with your perfections and power, all men on the earth; and that euerie one by whom your lordship passeth doth serue and obey you; which he acknowledgeth to be due vnto you, and desireth, as his life, to see, and to serue your lordship. for which cause by me he offereth himselfe, his lands and subiects, that when your lordship pleaseth to go through his countrie, you may be receiued with all peace and loue, serued and obeyed; and that in recompence of the desire he hath to see you, you will doe him the fauour to let him know when you will come: for how much the sooner, so much the greater fauour he shall receiue.

the gouernour receiued and dispatched him graciously, giuing him beades, which among them were not much esteemed, and some other thinges to carrie to his lord. and he gaue licence to the cacique of co?a to returne home to his owne countries. the cacique of tallise gaue him such men for burthens as he needed. and after he had rested there 20. daies, hee departed thence toward tascaluca. that day when he went from tallise, hee lodged at a great towne called casiste. and the next day passed by another, and came to a small towne of tascaluca; and the next day hee camped in a wood two leagues from the towne where the cacique resided, and was at that time. and he sent the master of the camp, luys de moscoso, with 15. horsemen, to let him know how hee was comming. the cacique was in his lodgings vnder a canopie: and without doores, right against his lodgings, in an high place, they spread a mat for him, and two cushions one vpon another, where he sat him downe, and his indians placed themselues round about him, somewhat distant from him, so that they made a place, and a void roome where he sate: and his chiefest men were neerest to him, and one with a shadow of deeres skinne, which keept the sunne from him, being round, and of the bignes of a target, quartered with black and white, hauing a rundell in the middest: a farre off it seemed to be of taffata, because the colours were very perfect. it was set on a small staffe stretched wide out. this was the deuice which hee carried in his warres. he was a man of a very tall stature, of great limmes, and spare, and well proportioned, and was much feared of his neighbours and subiects. he was lord of many territories and much people: in his countenance hee was very graue. after the master of the campe had spoken with him, hee and those that went with him coursed their horses, pransing them to and fro, and now and then toward the place where the cacique was, who with much grauitie and dissimulation now and then lifted vp his eies, and beheld them as it were with disdaine. at the gouernours comming, hee made no offer at all to rise. the gouernour tooke him by the hand, and both of them sate downe together on a seate which was vnder the cloth of estate. the cacique said these words vnto him:

mighty lord, i bid your lordship right hartily welcome. i receiue as much pleasure and contentment with your sight, as if you were my brother whom i dearly loued: vpon this point it is not needfull to vse many reasons; since it is no discretion to speake that in many wordes, which in few may be vttered. how much the greater the will is, so much more giueth it name to the workes, and the workes giue testimonie of the truth. now touching my will, by it you shall know, how certaine and manifest it is, and how pure inclination i haue to serue you. concerning the fauour which you did me, in the things which you sent me, i make as much account of them as is reason to esteeme them: and chiefly because they were yours. now see what seruice you will command me.

the gouernor satisfied him with sweet words, and with great breuitie. when hee departed from thence he determined to carrie him along with him for some causes, and at two daies iournie he came to a towne called piache, by which there passed a great riuer. the gouernour demanded canoes of the indians: they said, they had them not, but that they would make rafts of canes and drie timber, on which he might passe well enough. and they made them with all diligence and speed, and they gouerned them; and because the water went very slow, the gouernour and his people passed very well.

from the port de spirito santo to apalache, which is about an hundred leagues, the gouernour went from east to west: and from apalache to cutifa-chiqui, which are 430. leagues, from the southwest to the northeast: and from cutifa-chiqui to xualla, which are about two hundred and fiftie leagues, from the south to the north: and from xualla to tascaluca, which are two hundred and fiftie leagues more, an hundred and ninetie of them he trauelled from east to west, to wit, to the prouince of co?a: and the other 60. from co?a to tascaluca from the north to the south.

hauing passed the riuer of piache, a christian went from his companie from thence to seeke a woman slaue that was runne away from him, and the indians either tooke him captiue, or slue him. the gouernor vrged the cacique that he should giue account of him, and threatened him, that if he were not found, he would neuer let him loose. the cacique sent an indian from thence to mauilla, whither they were trauelling, which was a towne of a principall indian and his subiect, saying, that he sent him to aduise them to make readie victuals, and men for carriages. but, (as afterward appeared) hee sent him to assemble all the men of warre thither, that hee had in his countrie. the gouernour trauelled three daies; and the third day he passed all day through a peopled countrie: and he came to mauilla vpon monday the 18. of october. he went before the camp with 15. horsemen and 30. footemen. and from the towne came a christian, whom he had sent to the principall man, three or foure daies before, because he should not absent himselfe, and also to learne in what sort the indians were: who told him that hee thought they were in an euill purpose: for while hee was there, there came manie people into the towne, and many weapons, and that they made great haste to fortifie the wall. luys de mauilla walled. moscoso told the gouernour, that it would bee good to lodge in the field, seeing the indians were of such disposition: and hee answered, that he would lodge in the towne, for hee was wearie of lodging in the field. when hee came neere vnto the towne, the cacique came foorth to receiue him with many indians playing vpon flutes and singing: and after hee had offered himselfe, hee presented him with three mantels of marterns. the gouernour, with both the caciques, and seuen or eight men of his guard, and three or foure horsemen which alighted to accompanie him, entred into the towne, and sat him downe vnder a cloth of estate. the cacique of tascaluca requested him, that hee would let him remaine in that towne, and trouble him no more with travelling: and seeing he would not giue him leaue, in his talke he changed his purpose, and dissemblinglie fained that he would speake with some principall indians, and rose vp from the place where hee sate with the gouernour, and entred into a house, where many indians were with their bowes and arrowes. the gouernour when he saw he returned not, called him, and he answered, that he would not come out from thence, neither would he goe any farther then that towne, and that if he would goe his way in peace, hee should presently depart, and should not seeke to carrie him perforce out of his countrie and territorie.