how the gouernour departed from mauilla toward chica?a, and what happened vnto him.

from the time that the gouernour entred into florida, vntill his departure from mauilla, there died an hundred and two christians, some of sicknesse, and others which the indians slew. he staied in mauilla, because of the wounded men, eight and twentie daies: all which time he lay in the field. it was a well inhabited and a fat countrie, there were some great and walled townes: and many houses scattered all about the fields, to wit, a crossebow shot or two, the one from the other. vpon sonday, the eighteenth of nouember, when the hurt men were knowne to bee healed, the gouernour departed from mauilla. euery one furnished himselfe with maiz for two daies, and they trauelled fiue daies through a desert: they came to a prouince called pafallaya, vnto a towne, named taliepataua: and from thence they went to another, called cabusto: neere vnto it ran a great riuer. the indians on the other side cried out, threatning the christians to kill them, if they sought to passe it. the gouernour commanded his men to make a barge within the towne, because the indians should not perceiue it: it was finished in foure daies, and being ended, he commanded it to be carried one night vpon sleds halfe a league vp the riuer. in the morning there entred into it thirtie men well armed. the indians perceiued what was attempted, and those which were neerest, came to defend the passage. they resisted what they could, till the christians came neere them; and seeing that the barge came to the shore, they fled away into the groues of canes. the christians mounted on horsebacke, and went vp the riuer to make good the passage, whereby the gouernour and his companie passed the riuer. there was along the riuer some townes well stored with maiz and french beanes. from thence to chica?a the gouernour trauelled fiue daies through a desert. hee came to a riuer, where on the otherside were indians to defend the passage. he made another barge in two daies; and when it was finished, the gouernour sent an indian to request the cacique to accept of his friendship, and peaceably to expect his comming: whom the indians that were on the other side the riuer slew before his face, and presently making a great shout went their way. hauing passed the riuer, the next day, being the 17. of december, the gouernour came to chica?a, a small towne of twentie houses. and after they were come to chica?a, they were much troubled with cold, because it was now winter and it snowed, while most of them were lodged in the field, before they had time to make themselues houses. this countrie was very well peopled, and the houses scattered like those of mauilla, fat and plentifull of maiz, and the most part of it was fielding: they gathered as much as sufficed to passe the winter. some indians were taken, among which was one whom the cacique esteemed greatly. the gouernour sent an indian to signifie to the cacique, that he desired to see him and to haue his friendship. the cacique came vnto him, to offer him his person, countrie and subiects, and told him, that he would cause two other caciques to come to him in peace; who within few daies after came with him, and with their indians: the one was called alimamu, the other nicalasa. they gaue a present vnto the gouernour of an hundred and fiftie conies, and of the countrie garments, to wit, of mantles and skinnes. the cacique of chica?a came to visit him many times; and sometimes the gouernour sent to call him, and sent him a horse to goe and come. he complained vnto him, that a subiect of his was risen against him, and depriued him of his tribute, requesting his aide against him, for he meant to seeke him in his countrie, and to punish him according to his desert. an indian stratagem. which was nothing els but a fained plot. for they determined assoone as the gouernour was gone with him, and the campe was diuided into two parts, the one of them to set vpon the gouernour, and the other vpon them that remained in chica?a. hee went to the towne where he vsed to keepe his residence, and brought with him two hundred indians with their bowes and arrowes. the gouernour tooke thirtie horsemen, and eightie footemen, and they went to saquechuma (for so was the prouince called of that chiefe man, which he said had rebelled.) they found a walled towne, without any men: and those which went with the cacique set fire on the houses, to dissemble their treason. but by reason of the great care and heedfullnesse, that was as well in the gouernors people which hee carried with him, as of those which remained in chica?a, they durst not assault them at that time. the gouernour inuited the cacique, and certaine principall indians, and gaue them hogges flesh to eate. and though they did not commonly vse it, yet they were so greedie of it, that euery night there came indians to certaine houses a crossebow shot from the camp, where the hogges lay, and killed, and carried away as many as they could. and three indians were taken in the manner. two of them the gouernour commanded to be shot to death with arrowes; and to cut off the hands of the other; and he sent him so handled to the cacique. who made as though it grieued him that they had offended the gouernor, and that he was glad that he had executed that punishment on them. he lay in a plaine countrie half a league from the place, where the christians lodged. foure horsemen went a straggling thither, to wit francisco osorio, and a seruant of the marques of astorga, called reynoso, and two seruants of the gouernour, the one his page called ribera, and the other fuentes his chamberlaine: and these had taken from the indians some skinnes, and some mantles, wherewith they were offended and forsooke their houses. the gouernour knew of it, and commanded them to be apprehended; and condemned to death francisco osorio, and the chamberlaine as principalls, and all of them to losse of goods. the friers and priests and other principall persons were earnest with him to pardon francisco osorio his life, and to moderate his sentence, which hee would not grant for any of them. while he was readie to command them to be drawne to the market place to cut off their heads, there came certaine indians from the cacique to complaine of them. iohn ortiz, at the request of baltasar de gallégos and other persons changed their words, and told the gouernour that the cacique said he had notice how his lordship held those christians in prison for his sake, and that they were in no fault, neither had they done him any wrong, and that if he would do him any fauour he would set them free. and he told the indians; that the gouernour said, he had them in prison, and that he would punish them in such sort, that they should bee an example to others. hereupon the gouernour commanded the prisoners to be loosed. march, 1541. assoone as march was come, hee determined to depart from chica?a, and demanded of the cacique two hundred men for cariages. he sent him answere, that hee would speake with his principall men. vpon twesday the eight of march, the gouernour went to the towne where he was, to aske him for the men; hee told him, he would send them the next day. assoone as the gouernour was come to chica?a, he told luys de moscoso the camp-master, that hee misliked the indians, and that he should keepe a strong watch that night, which hee remembred but a little. the indians came at the second watch in foure squadrons, euery one by it selfe, and assoone as they were descried, they sounded a drum, and gaue the assault with a great cry, and with so great celeritie, that presently they entred with the scoutes, that were somewhat distant from the campe. chica?a set on fire by the indians. and when they were perceiued of them which were in the towne, halfe the houses were on fire, which they had kindled. that night three horsemen chanced to bee skouts, two of them were of base calling, and the worst men in all the camp, and the other, which was a nephew of the gouernour, which vntill then was held for a tall man, shewed himselfe there as great a coward, as any of them: for all of them ran away. and the indians without any resistance came and set the towne on fire; and taried without behind the doores for the christians, which ran out of the houses, not hauing any leasure to arme themselues: and as they ran hither and thither amazed with the noise, and blinded with the smoke and flame of the fire, they knew not which way they went, neither could they light vpon their weapons, nor saddle their horses, neither saw they the indians that shot them. manie of the horses were burned in the stables, and those which could breake their halters gat loose. the disorder and flight was such, that euery man fled which way he could, without leauing any to resist the indians. but god (which chastiseth his according to his pleasure, and in the greatest necessities and dangers sustaineth them with his hand,) so blinded the indians, that they saw not what they had done, and thought that the horses which ran loose, were men on horsebacke, that gathered themselues together to set vpon them. the gouernour only rod on horsebacke, and with him a souldier called tapia, and set vpon the indians, and striking the first he met with his lance, the saddle fell with him, which with haste was euill girded, and so hee fell from his horse. and all the people that were on foote were fled to a wood out of the towne, and there assembled themselues together. and because it was night, and that the indians thought the horses were men on horsebacke which came to set vpon them, as i said before, they fled; and one onely remained dead, and that was he whom the gouernour slew with his lance. the towne lay all burnt to ashes. there was a woman burned, who, after shee and her husband were both gone out of their house, went in againe for certaine perles, which they had forgotten and when she would haue come out, the fire was so great at the doore that shes could not, neither could her husband succour her. other three christians came out of their lodgings so cruelly burned, that one of them died within three daies, and the other two were carried many daies each of them vpon a couch betweene staues, which the indians carried on their shoulders, for otherwise they could not trauell. there died in this hurlieburlie eleuen christians, and fiftie horses; and there remained an hundred hogges, and foure hundred were burned. if any perchance had saued any clothes from the fire of mauilla, here they were burned, and many were clad in skinnes, for they had no leasure to take their coates. they endured much cold in this place, and the chiefest remedie were great fires. they spent all night in turnings without sleepe: for if they warmed one side, they freesed on the other. some inuented the weauing of certaine mats of drie iuie, and did weare one beneath, and another aboue: many laughed at this deuice, whom afterward necessitie inforced to doe the like. the christians were so spoiled, and in such want of saddles and weapons which were burned, that if the indians had come the second night, they had ouercome them with little labour. they remooued thence to the towne where the cacique was wont to lie, because it was in a champion countrie. within eight daies after, there were many lances and saddles made. there were ash trees in those parts, whereof they made as good lances as in biscay.