how there were seuen brigandines builded, and how they departed from minoya.

assoone as they came to minoya, the gouernor commanded them to gather all the chaines together, which euerie one had to lead indians in; and to gather all the yron which they had for their prouision, and al the rest that was in the camp: and to set vp a forge to make nailes, and commanded them to cut downe timber for the brigandines. and a portugall of ceuta, who hauing bin a prisoner in fez, had learned to saw timber with a long saw, which for such purposes they had carried with them, did teach others, which helped him to saw timber. and a genowis, whom it pleased god to preserue (for without him they had neuer come out of the countrie: for there has neuer another that could make ships but hee) with foure or fiue other biscaine carpenters, which hewed his plancks and other timbers, made the brigandines: and two calkers, the one of genua, the other of sardinia did calke them with the tow of an hearb like hempe, whereof before i haue made mention, which there is named enequen. and because there was not enough of it, they calked them with the flaxe of the countrie, and with the mantles, which they rauelled for that purpose. a cooper which they had among them fell sicke, and was at the point of death: and there was none other that had any skill in that trade: it pleased god to send him his health: and albeit he was verie weake, and could not labour; yet 15. daies before they departed, he made for euery brigandine two halfe hogs heads, which the mariners call quarterets, because foure of them hold a pipe of water. taguanate two daies iourney aboue minoya. the indians which dwelt two daies iournie aboue the riuer in a prouince called taguanate, and likewise those of nilco and guacoya, and others their neighbours seeing the brigandines in making, thinking, because their places of refuge are in the water, that they were to goe to seeke them: and because the gouernour demanded mantles of them, as necessarie for sailes, came many times, and brought many mantles, and great store of fish. and for certaine it seemed that god was willing to fauour them in so great necessitie, moouing the minds of the indians to bring them: for to goe to take them, they were neuer able. for in the towne where they were, assoone as winter came in, they were so inclosed and compassed with water, that they could go no farther by land, then a league, and a league and an half. the great vse of horses. and if they would go farther, they could carrie no horses, and without them they were not able to fight with the indians, because they were many: and so many for so many (numbers being equal) on foote they had the aduantage of them by water and by land, because they were more apt and lighter, and by reason of the disposition of the countrie, which was according to their desire for the vse of their warre. they brought also some cords, and those which wanted for cables were made of the barkes of mulberrie trees. they made stirrops of wood, and made ankers of their stirrops. the mightie increasing of the riuer for two moneths space, to wit, all march and april. in the moneth of march, when it had not rained a moneth before, the riuer grew so big, that it came to nilco, which was nine leagues off: and on the other side, the indians said, that it reached other nine leagues into the land. in the towne where the christians were, which was somewhat high ground, where they could best goe, the water reached to the stirrops. they made certaine rafts of timber, and laid manie boughes vpon them, wheron they set their horses, and in the houses they did the like. but seeing that nothing preuailed, they went vp to the lofts: and if they went out of the houses, it was in canoes, or on horseback in those places where the ground was hiest. so they were two moneths, and could doe nothing, during which time the riuer decreased not. the indians ceased not to come vnto the brigantines as they were wont, and came in canoes. at that time the gouernour feared they would set vpon him. hee commanded his men to take an indian secretly of those that came to the towne, and to stay him till the rest were gone: and they tooke one. the gouernour commanded him to bee put to torture, to make him confesse, whether the indians did practise any treason or no. the grand conspiracie of the indians against the christians. hee confessed that the caciques of nilco, guachoya, and taguanate, and others, which in al were about 20. caciques, with a great number of people, determined to come vpon him; and that three daies before, they would send a great present of fish to colour their great treason and malice, and on the verie day they would send some indians before with another present. note well. and these with those which were our slaues, which were of their conspiracie also, should set the houses on fire, and first of all possesse themselues of the lances which stood at the doores of the houses; and the caciques with all their men should bee neere the towne in ambush in the wood, and when they saw the fire kindled, should come, and make an end of the conquest. the gouernour commanded the indian to be kept in a chaine, and the selfesame day that he spake of there came 30. indians with fish. thirtie indians of the cacique of guachoya haue their right hands cut off. he commanded their right hands to be cut off, and sent them so backe to the cacique of guachoya, whose men they were. he sent him word, that he and the rest should come when they would, for he desired nothing more, and that hee should know, that they thought not any thing which he knew not before they thought of it. hereupon they all were put in a very great feare: and the caciques of nilco and taguanate came to excuse themselues: and a few daies after came he of guachoya, and a principall indian and his subiect, said, he knew by certaine information, that the caciques of nilco and taguanate were agreed to come and make warre vpon the christians. assoone as the indians came from nilco, the gouernour examined them, and they confessed it was true. hee deliuered them presently to the principall man of guachoya, which drew them out of the towne and killed them. another day came some from taguanate, and confessed it likewise. the right hands and noses of traitours cut off. the gouernour commanded their right hands and noses to be cut off, and sent them to the cacique, wherewith they of guachoya remained very well contented: and they came oftentimes with presents of mantles and fish, and hogs, which bred in the countrie of some swine that were lost by the way the last yeere. assoone as the waters were slaked, they perswaded the gouernour to send men to taguanate: they came and brought canoes, wherein the footemen were conueied downe the riuer, and a captaine with horsemen went by land; and the indians of guachoya, which guided him, till they came to taguanate, assaulted the towne, and tooke many men and women, and mantles, which with those that they had alreadie were sufficient to supplie their want. the riuer increaseth but once a yeere when the snowes doe melt in march and aprill. the brigandines being finished in the moneth of iune, the indians hauing told vs, that the riuer increased but once a yeere, when the snowes did melt, in the time wherein i mentioned it had alreadie increased, being now in sommer, and hauing not rained a long time, it pleased god, that the flood came vp to the towne to seeke the brigandines, from whence they carried them by water to the riuer. a miraculous accident. which, if they had gone by land, had been in danger of breaking and splitting their keeles, and to bee all vndone; because that for want of iron, the spikes were short, and the planckes and timber very weake. the indians of minoya, during the time that they were there, came to serue them (being driuen thereunto by necessity) that of the maiz which they had taken from them they would bestow some crummes vpon them. and because the countrie was fertill, and the people vsed to feed of maiz, and the christians had gotten all from them that they had, and the people were many, they were not able to sustaine themselues. those which came to the towne were so weake and feeble, that they had no flesh left on their bones: and many came and died neere the towne for pure hunger and weaknesse. the gouernour commanded vpon grieuous punishments to giue them no maiz. yet, when they saw that the hogges wanted it not, and that they had yeelded themselues to serue them, and considering their miserie and wretchednes, hauing pity of them, they gaue them part of the maiz which they had. and when the time of their embarkment came, there was not sufficient to serue their own turnes. that which there was, they put into the brigandines, and into great canoes tied two and two together. they shipped 22. of the best horses, that were in the camp, the rest they made dried flesh of; and dressed the hogges which they had in like manner. they departed from minoya the second day of iulie, 1543.