how the gouernour departed from chiaha, and at coste was in danger to haue been slaine by the hands of the indians, and by a stratageme escaped the same: and what more happened vnto him in this iourney, and how he came to co?a.
when the gouernour was determined to depart from chiaha to coste, he sent for the cacique to come before him, and with gentle words tooke his leaue of him, and gaue him certaine things, wherewith he rested much contented: in seuen daies he came to coste. the second of iulie he commanded his campe to be pitched two crossebow shot from the towne: and with eight men of his guard he went where he found the cacique, which to his thinking receiued him with great loue. as hee was talking with him, there went from the campe certaine footemen to the towne to seeke some maiz, and not contented with it, they ransacked and searched the houses, and tooke what they found. with this despite the indians began to rise and take their armes: and some of them with cudgils in their hands, ran vpon fiue or sixe christians, which had done them wrong, and beat them at their pleasure. a wise strategem. the gouernour seeing them al in an vprore, and himselfe among them with so few christians, to escape their hands vsed a stratagem, farre against his owne disposition, being as hee was very francke and open: and though it grieued him very much that any indian should be so bold, as with reason, or without reason to despise the christians, he tooke vp a cudgel, and tooke their parts against his owne men; which was a meanes to quiet them: and presently he sent word by a man very secretly to the campe, that some armed men should come toward the place where he was; and hee tooke the cacique by the hand, vsing very mild words vnto him, and with some principall indians that did accompanie him, he drew them out of the towne into a plaine way, and vnto the sight of the campe, whither by little and little with good discretion the christians began to come and to gather about them. thus the gouernour led the cacique, and his chiefe men vntill he entred with them into the campe: and neere vnto his tent, hee commanded them to be put in safe custodie: and told them, that they should not depart without giuing him a guide and indians for burthens, and till certaine sicke christians were come, which he had commanded to come downe the riuer in canoes from chiaha; and those also which he had sent to the prouince of chisca: (for they were not returned; and he feared that the indians had slaine the one, and the other.) within three daies after, those which were sent to chisca returned, and made report, that the indians had carried them through a countrie so poore of maiz, and so rough, and ouer so hie mountaines, that it was impossible for the armie to trauell that way; and that seeing the way grew very long, and that they lingered much, they consulted to returne from a little poore towne, where they saw nothing that was of any profit, and brought an oxe hide, which the indians gaue them, as thinne as a calues skinne, and the haire like a soft wool, betweene the course and fine wooll of sheepe. the cacique gaue a guide, and men for burdens, and departed with the gouernours leaue. the gouernour departed from coste the ninth of iulie, and lodged at a towne called tali: the casique came foorth to receiue him on the way, and made this speech:
excellent lord and prince, worthie to be serued and obeyed of all the princes in the world; howsoeuer for the most part by the outward phisiognomie, the inward vertue may bee iudged, and that who you are, and of what strength was knowne vnto mee before now: i will not inferre hereupon how meane i am in your presence, to hope that my poore seruices will be gratefull and acceptable: since whereas strength faileth, the will doth not cease to be praised and accepted. and for this cause i presume to request your lordship, that you will be pleased onely to respect the same, and consider wherein you will command my seruice in this your countrie.
the gouernour answered him, that his good will and offer was as acceptable vnto him, as if he had offered him all the treasures of the world, and that hee would alwaies intreate, fauour, and esteeme him as if he were his owne brother. the cacique commanded prouision necessarie for two daies, while the gouernour was there, to be brought thither: and at the time of his departure, he gaue him foure women and two men, which hee had need of to beare burthens. the gouernour trauelled sixe daies through many townes subiect to the cacique of co?a: and as he entred into his countrie many indians came vnto him euery day from the cacique, and met him on the way with messages, one going, and another comming. hee came to co?a vpon friday, the 26. of iulie. the cacique came foorth to receiue him two crossebow shot from the towns in a chaire, which his principall men carried on their shoulders, sitting vpon a cushion, and couered with a garment of marterns, of the fashion and bignes of a womans huke: hee had on his head a diadem of feathers, and round about him many indians playing vpon flutes, and singing. assoone as he came vnto the gouernour, he did his obeysance, and vttered these words following:
excellent and mightie lord, aboue all them of the earth; although i come but now to receiue you, yet i haue receiued you many daies agoe in my heart, to wit, from the day wherein i had first notice of your lordship; with so great desire to serue you, with so great pleasure and contentment, that this which i make shew of is nothing in regard of that which is in my heart neither can it haue any kind of comparison. this you may hold for certaine, that to obtaine the dominion of the whole world, would not haue reioyced me so much, as your sight, neither would i haue held it for so great a felicitie. doe not looke for me to offer you that which is your owne: to wit, my person, my lands, and subiects: onely i busie my selfe in commanding my men with all diligence and due reuerence to welcome you from hence to the towne with playing and singing, where your lordship shall be lodged and attended ypon by my selfe and them: and all that i possesse, your lordship shall vse as it were your owne. for your lordship shall doe mee a verie great fauour in so doing.
the gouernour gaue him thankes, and with great ioy they both were conferring together, till they came to the towne: and he commanded his indians to void their houses, wherein the gouernour and his men lodged. there was in the barnes, and in the fields, great store of maiz and french beanes: the country was greatly inhabited with many great townes, and many sowne fields, which reach from the one to the other. it was pleasant, fat, full of good meadowes vpon riuers. there were in the fields, many plum trees, aswell of such as grow in spaine, as of the countrie: and wild tall vines, that runne vp the trees; and besides these, there were other low vines with big and sweet grapes; but for want of digging and dressing, they had great kirnels in them. the gouernour vsed to set a guard ouer the caciques, because they should not absent themselues, and carried them with him, till he came out of their countries, because that carrying them along with him, hee looked to find people in the townes, and they gaue him guides, and men to carrie burdens: and before hee went out of their countries, he gaue them licence to returne to their houses, and to their porters likewise, assoone as he came to any other lordship, where they gaue him others. the men of co?a seeing their lord detained, tooke it in euill part, and reuolted and hid themselues in the woods, aswell those of the towne of the cacique, as those of the other townes of his principall subjects. the gouernour sent out foure captaines, euery one his way to seeke them. they tooke many men and women, which were put into chaines: they seeing the hurt which they receiued, and how little they gained in absenting themselues, came againe, promising to do whatsoeuer they were commanded. of those which were taken prisoners, some principall men were set at libertie, whom the cacique demanded: and euery one that had any, carried the rest in chaines like slaues, without letting them goe to their countrie: neither did any returne, but some few, whose fortune helped them with the good diligence which they vsed to file off their chaines by night, or such as in their trauelling could slippe aside out of the way, seeing any negligence in them that kept them: some escaped away with the chaines, and with the burdens, and clothes which they carried.
