how the gouernour went from autiamque to nilco, and from thence to guacoya.

vpon monday the sixt of march 1542, the gouernour departed from autiamque to seeke nilco, which the indians said was neere the great riuer, with determination to come to the sea, and procure some succour of men and horses: for hee had now but three hundred men of warre, and fortie horses, and some of them lame, which did nothing but helpe to make vp the number: and for want of iron they had gone aboue a yeere vnshod: and because they were vsed to it in the plaine countrie, it did them no great harme. the death of iohn ortiz, and the great misse of him being their interpretour. iohn ortiz died in autiamque; which grieued the gouernour very much: because that without an interpretour hee feared to enter farre into the land, where he might be lost. from thence forward a youth that was taken in cutifachiqui did serue for interpretour, which had by that time learned somewhat of the christians language. the death of iohn ortiz was so great a mischiefe for the discouering inward, or going out of the land, that to learne of the indians, that which in foure words hee declared, they needed a whole day with the youth: and most commonly hee vnderstood quite contrarie that which was asked him: whereby it often happened that the way that they went one day, and sometimes two or three daies, they turned backe, and went astray through the wood here and there. the gouernour spent ten daies in trauelling from autiamque to a prouince called ayays; and came to a towne that stood neere the riuer that passeth by cayas and autiamque. there hee commanded a barge to be made, wherewith he passed the riuer. great snow about the twentieth of march. when he had passed the riuer there fell out such weather, that foure daies he could not trauell for snow. assoone as it gaue ouer snowing, hee went three daies iourney through a wildernesse, and a countrie so low, and so full of lakes and euill waies, that hee trauelled one time a whole day in water, sometimes knee deepe, sometimes to the stirrup, and sometimes they swamme. he came to a towne called tutelpinco, abandoned, and without maiz: there passed by it a lake, that entered into the riuer, which carried a great streame and force of water. fiue christians passing ouer it in a periagua, which the gouernour had sent with a captaine, the periagua ouerset: some tooke hold on it, some on the trees that were in the lake. one francis sebastian, an honest man of villa noua de barca rota, was drowned there. the gouernour went a whole day along the lake seeking passage, and could finde none, nor any way that did passe to the other side. comming againe at night to the towne hee found two peaceable indians, which shewed him the passage, and which way hee was to goe. there they made of canes and of the timber of houses thatched with canes, rafts wherewith they passed the lake. they trauelled three daies, and came to a towne of the territorie of nilco, called tianto. there they tooke thirtie indians, and among them two principall men of this towne. the gouernour sent a captaine with horsemen and footmen before to nilco, because the indians might haue no time to carrie away the provision. they passed through three or foure great townes; and in the towne where the cacique was resident, which was two leagues from the place where the gouernour remained, they found many indians with their bowes and arrowes, in manner as though they would haue staied to fight, which did compasse the towne; and assoone as they saw the christians come neere them without misdoubting them, they set the caciques house on fire, and fled ouer a lake that passed neere the towne, through which the horses could not passe. the next day being wednesday the 29. of march the gouernour came to nilco: he lodged with all his men in the caciques towne, which stood in a plaine field, which was inhabited for the space of a quarter of a league: and within a league and halfe a league were other very great townes, wherein was great store of maiz, of french beanes, of walnuts, and prunes. the best countrie of florida. this was the best inhabited countrie, that was seene in florida, and had most store of maiz, except coca, and apalache. there came to the campe an indian, accompanied with others, and in the caciques name gaue the gouernour a mantle of marterns skinnes, and a cordon of perles. the gouernour gaue him a few small margarites, which are certaine beades much esteemed in peru, and other things, wherewith he was very well contented. he promised to returne within two daies, but neuer came againe: but on the contrarie the indians came by night in canoes, and carried away all the maiz they could, and made them cabins on the other side of the riuer in the thickest of the wood, because they might flee if wee should goe to seeke them. the gouernour seeing hee came not at the time appointed, commanded an ambush to be laid about certaine store-houses neere the lake, whither the indians came for maiz: where they tooke two indians, who told the gouernour, that hee which came to visit him, was not the cacique, but was sent by him vnder pretence to spie whether the christians were carelesse, and whether they determined to settle in that country or to goe forward. presently the gouernour sent a captaine with footmen and horsemen ouer the riuer; and in their passage they were descried of the indians, and therefore he could take but tenne or twelue men and women, with whom hee returned to the campe. this riuer which passed by nilco, was that which passed by cayas and autiamque, and fell into rio grande, or the great riuer, which passed by pachaha and aquixo neere vnto the prouince of guachoya: and the lord thereof came vp the riuer in canoes to make warre with him of nilco. on his behalf there came an indian to the gouernour and said vnto him, that he was his seruant, and prayed him so to hold him, and that within two daies hee would come to kisse his lordships hands: and at the time appointed he came with some of his principal indians, which accompanied him, and with words of great offers and courtesie hee gaue the gouernour a present of many mantles and deeres skinnes. the gouernour gaue him some other things in recompense, and honoured him much. hee asked him what townes there were downe the riuer? he answered that he knew none other but his owne: and on the other side of the riuer a prouince of a cacique called quigalta. so hee tooke his leaue of the gouernour and went to his owne towne. within few daies the gouernour determined to goe to guachoya, to learne there whether the sea were neere, or whether there were any habitation neere, where hee might relieue his companie, while the brigantines were making, which he meant to send to the land of the christians. as he passed the riuer of nilco, there came in canoes indians of guachoya vp the streame, and when they saw him, supposing that he came to seeke them to doe them some hurt, they returned downe the riuer, and informed the cacique thereof: who with all his people, spoiling the towne of all that they could carrie away, passed that night ouer to the other side of rio grande, or the great riuer. the foure names of rio grande. gouernour sent a captaine with fiftie men in sixe canoes downe the riuer, and went himselfe by land with the rest: hee came to guachoya vpon sunday the 17. of april: he lodged in the towne of the cacique, which was inclosed about, and seated a crossebow shot distant from the riuer. here the riuer is called tamaliseu, and in nilco tapatu, and in co?a mico, and in the port or mouth ri.