how they came to the riuer of panuco in nueua espanna.

in all the coast wheresoeuer they digged they found fresh water: there they filled their vessels; and the procession being ended, embarked themselues, and going alwaies in sight of the shore they sailed sixe daies. iohn danusco said that it would doe well to beare out to seaward: for he had seene the seacard, and remembred that from rio de las palmas forward the coast did runne from north to south, and thitherto they had runne from east to west, and in his opinion, by his reckoning, rio de las palmas could not be farre off, from where they were. at the northside of the gulfe of mexico is verie low land, saue in this one place. that same night they put to sea, and in the morning they saw palme leaues floting, and the coast, which ranne north and south: from midday forward they saw great mountaines, which vntill then they had not seene: for from this place to puerto de spiritu santo, where they first landed in florida, was a very plaine and low countrey: and therefore it cannot be descried, vnlesse a man come very neere it. by that which they saw, they thought that they had ouershot rio de palmas that night, which is 60. leagues from the riuer of panuco, which is in nueua espanna. they assembled all together, and some said it was not good to saile by night, lest they should ouershoot the riuer of panuco: and others said, it was not well to lose time while it was fauourable, and that it could not be so neere that they should passe it that night: and they agreed to take away halfe the sailes, and so saile all night. two of the brigandines, which sailed that night with all their sailes, by breake of day had ouershot the riuer of panuco without seeing it. of the fiue that came behind, the first that came vnto it was that wherein calderan was captaine. a quarter of a league before they came at it, and before they did see it, they saw the water muddie, and knew it to be fresh water: and comming right against the riuer, they saw, where it entred into the sea, that the water brake vpon a shold. and because there was no man there that knew it, they were in doubt whether they should goe in, or goe along, and they resolued to goe in: and before they came vnto the current, they went close to the shore, and entred into the port: and assoone as they were come in, they saw indian men and women apparelled like spaniards: whom they asked in what countrey they were? the riuer of panuca: the towne 15. leagues from the mouth of the riuer. they answered in spanish, that it was the riuer of panuco, and that the towne of the christians was 15. leagues vp within the land. the ioy that all of them receiued vpon these newes cannot sufficiently be expressed: for it seemed vnto them, that at that instant they were borne again. and many went on shore and kissed the ground, and kneeling on their knees, with lifting vp their hands and eyes to heauen, they all ceased not to giue god thankes. those which came after, assoone as they saw calderon come to an anchor with his brigandine in the riuer, presently went thither, and came into the hauen. the other two brigandines which had ouershot the place, put to sea to returne backe to seeke the rest, and could not doe it, because the wind was contrarie and the sea growne: they were afraid of being cast away, and recouering the shore they cast anchor. while they rode there a storme arose: and seeing that they could not abide there, much lesse endure at sea, they resolued to runne on shore; and as the brigandines were but small, so did they draw but little water; and where they were it was a sandie coast. by which occasion the force of their sailes draue them on shore, without any hurt of them that were in them. as those that were in the port of panuco at this time were in great ioy, so these felt a double griefe in their hearts: for they knew not what was become of their fellowes, nor in what countrey they were, and feared it was a countrey of indian enemies. they landed two leagues below the port: and when they saw themselues out of the danger of the sea, euery one tooke of that which he had, as much as he could carrie on his backe: and they trauelled vp into the countrey, and found indians, which told them where the fellowes were; and gaue them good entertainement: wherewith their sadnes was turned into ioy, and they thanked god most humbly for their deliuerance out of so many dangers.