how the gouernour sent the ships to cuba: and left an hundred men at the hauen de spirito santo, and himself with the rest of his people went into the maine land.
from the port de spirito santo where the gouernour lay, he sent the alcalde mayor baltasar de gallégos with 50. horsemen, and 30. or 40. footemen to the prouince of paracoussi, to view the disposition of the countrie, and enforme himselfe of the land farther inward, and to send him word of such things as he found. likewise he sent his shippes backe to the iland of cuba, that they might returne within a certaine time with victuals. vasques porcallo de figueroa, which went with the gouernour as captaine generall, (whose principall intent was to send slaues from florida, to the iland of cuba, where he had his goods and mines;) hauing made some inrodes, and seeing no indians were to be got, because of the great bogs and thicke woods that were in the countrie, considering the disposition of the same, determined to returne to cuba. and though there was some difference between him and the gouernour, whereupon they neither dealt nor conuersed together with good countenance, yet notwithstanding with louing words he asked him leaue and departed from him. baltasar de gallégos came to the paracossi: there came to him 30. indians from the cacique, which was absent from his town, and one of them made this speech:
paracossi, the lord of this prouince, whose vassals we are sendeth vs vnto your worship, to know what it is that you seeke in this his countrie, and wherein he may doe you seruice.
baltasar de gallégos said vnto him, that hee thanked them very much for their offer, willing them to warne their lord to come to his towne, and that there they would talke and confirme their peace and friendship, which he much desired. the indians went their way, and returned the next day, and said, that their lord was ill at ease, and therefore could not come, but that they came on his behalfe to see what he demanded. he asked them if they knew or had notice of any rich countrie where there was gold or siluer. they told them, they did: and that toward the west, there was a prouince which was called cale; and that others that inhabited other countries had warre with the people of that countrie, where the most part of the yeere was sommer, and that there was much gold: and that when those their enemies came to make ware with them of cale, these inhabitants of cale did weare hats of gold, in manner of head peeces. baltasar de gallégos, seeing that the cacique came not, thinking all that they said was fained, with intent that in the meane time they might set themselues in safetie, fearing, that if he did let them goe, they would returne no more, commanded the thirty indians to be chained, and sent word to the gouernour, by eight horsemen, what had passed: whereof the gouernour and al that were with him, at the port de spirito santo receiued great comfort, supposing, that that which the indians reported, might be true. hee left captaine calderan at the port, with thirtie horsemen, and seuentie footemen, with prouision for two yeeres, and himselfe with all the rest marched into the maine land, and came to the paracossi, at whose towne baltasar de gallégos was: and from thence with all his men tooke the way to cale. he passed by a little towne called acela, and came to another called tocaste: and from thence he went before with 30 horsemen, and 50 footemen toward cale. and passing by a towne, whence the people were fled, they saw indians a little from thence in a lake; to whom the interpreter spake. they came vnto them and gaue them an indian for a guide: and hee came to a riuer with a great current, and vpon a tree, which was in the midst of it, was made a bridge, whereon the men passed: the horses swam ouer by a hawser, that they were pulled by from the otherside: for one, which they droue in without it, was drowned. from thence the gouernour sent two horsemen to his people that were behind, to make haste after him; because the way grew long and their victuals short. hee came to cale, and found the towne without people. he tooke three indians, which were spies, and tarried there for his people that came after, which were sore vexed with hunger and euill waies, because the countrie was very barren of maiz, low, and full of water, bogs, and thicke woods; and the victuals, which they brought with them from the port de spirito santo, were spent. whersoeuer any towne was found, there were some beetes, and hee that came first gathered them, and sodden with water and salt, did eate them without any other thing: and such as could not get them, gathered the stalkes of maiz and eate them, which because they were young, had no maiz in them. when they came to the riuer which the gouernour had passed, they found palmitos vpon lowe palmetrees like those of andaluzia. there they met with the two horsemen which the gouernour sent vnto them, and they brought newes that in cale there was plentie of maiz: at which newes they all reioyced. assoone as they came to cale, the gouernour commanded them to gather all the maiz that was ripe in the field, which was sufficient for three moneths. at the gathering of it the indians killed three christians and one of them which were taken told the gouernour that within seuen dayes iournie, there was a very great prouince, and plentifull of maiz, which was called apalache. and presently he departed from cale with 50 horsemen and 60. footemen. he left the master of the campe luys de moscoso with all the rest of the people there, with charge that hee should not depart thence vntill hee had word from him. and because hitherto none had gotten any slaues, the bread that euery one was to eate, he was faine himselfe to beate in a morter made in a piece of timber with a pestle, and some of them did sift the flower through their shirts of maile. they baked their bread vpon certaine tileshares which they set ouer the fire, in such sort as heretofore i haue said they vse to doe in cuba. it is so troublesome to grind their maiz, that there were many that would rather not eate it, then grind it: and did eate the maiz parched and sodden.
