how the gouernour luys de moscoso departed from guachoya, and went to chaguate; and thence to aguacay.
some were glad of the death of don ferdinando de soto, holding for certaine, that luys de moscoso (which was giuen to his ease) would rather desire to be among the christians at rest, then to continue the labours of the warre in subduing and discouering of countries; whereof they were alreadie wearie, seeing the small profit that insued thereof. the gouernour commanded the captaines and principall persons to meet to consult and determine what they should doe. and being informed what peopled habitation was round about, he vnderstood that to the west, the countrie was most inhabited, and that downe the riuer beyond quigalta was vninhabited, and had little store of food. he desired them all, that euerie one would giue his opinion in writing, and set his hand to it: that they might resolue by generall consent, whether they should goe downe the riuer, or enter into the maine land. their general resolution to trauell by land westward. all were of opinion, that it was best to go by land toward the west, because nueua espanna was that way: holding the voyage by sea more dangerous, and of greater hazard, because they could make no ship of any strength to abide a storme, neither had they master, nor pilot, compasse, nor chart, neither knew they how farre the sea was off, nor had any notice of it: nor whether the riuer did make any great turning into the land, or had any great fall the rocks, where all of them might be cast away. and some which had seene the sea-chart, did find, that from the place where they were by the sea coast to noua espanna, might bee 400. leagues, little more or lesse; and said, that though they went somewhat about by land in seeking a peopled countrie, if some great wildernesse which they could not passe did not hinder them, by spending that sommer in trauell, finding prouision to passe the winter in some peopled countrie, that the next summer after they might come to some christian land, and that it might fortune in their trauel by land to find some rich countrie, where they might doe themselves good. the gouernour, although he desired to get out of florida in shorter time, seeing the inconueniences they laid before him in trauelling by sea, determined to follow that which seemed good to them all. on monday the fifth of iune, he departed from guachoya. the cacique gaue him a guide to chaguate, and staied at home in his owne towne. they passed through a prouince called catalte: and hauing passed a wildernesse of sixe daies iournie, the twentieth day of the moneth he came to chaguate. the cacique of this prouince had visited the gouernour don ferdinando de soto at autiamque, whither he brought him presents of skinnes, and mantles and salt. and a day before luys de moscoso came to his towne, we lost a christian that was sicke; which hee suspected that the indians had slaine. hee sent the cacique word, that he should command his people to seeke him vp, and send him vnto him, and that he would hold him, as he did, for his friend: and if he did not, that neither he, nor his, should escape his hands, and that hee would set his countrie on fire. presently the cacique came vnto him, and brought a great present of mantles and skinnes, and the christian that was lost, and made this speech following:
right excellent lord, i would not deserue that conceit which you had of me, for all the treasure of the world. what inforced me to goe to visit and serue the excellent lord gouernour your father in autiamque, which you should haue remembred, where i offered my selfe with all loyaltie, faith and loue, during my life to serue and obey him? what then could be the cause, i hauing receiued fauours of him, and neither you nor he hauing done me any wrong, that should mooue me to doe the thing, which i ought not? beleeue this of mee, that neither wrong, nor any worldly interest, was able to make me to haue done it, nor shall be able to blind me. but as in this life it is a naturall course, that after one pleasure, many sorrowes doe follow: so by your indignation, fortune would moderate the ioy, which my heart conceiueth with your presence; and that i should erre, where i thought surest to haue hit the marke; in harboring this christian which was lost, and vsing him in such manner, as he may tell himselfe, thinking that herin i did you service, with purpose to deliuer him vnto you in chaguate, and to serue you to the vttermost of my power. if i deserue punishment for this, i will receiue it at your hands, as from my lord, as if it were a fauour. for the loue which i did beare to the excellent gouernour, and which i beare to you hath no limit. and like as you giue me chastisement, so will you also shew me fauour. and that which now i craue of you is this, to declare your will vnto me, and those things, wherein i may bee able to doe you the most and best seruice.
the gouernour answered him, that because he did not find him in that towne, hee was incensed against him, thinking he had absented himselfe, as others had done: but seeing he now knew his loyaltie and loue, he would alwaies hold him as a brother, and fauour him in all his affaires. the cacique went with him to the towne where he resided, which was a daies iournie from thence. salt made of salt springs of water. they passed through a smal town, where there was a lake, where the indians made salt: and the christians made some one day while they rested there, of a brackish water, which sprang neere the towne in ponds like fountaines. the gouernour staied in chaguate sixe daies. there he was informed of the habitation that was toward the west. they told him, that three daies iournie from thence was a prouince called aguacay. the day that he departed from chaguate, a christian, called francisco de guzman, the base sonne of a gentleman of siuill, staied behind, and went to the indians, with an indian woman which he kept as his concubine, for feare he should be punished for gaming debts, that he did owe. the gouernor had trauelled two daies before he missed him; hee sent the cacique word to seeke him vp, and to send him to aguacay, whither he trauelled: which hee did not performe. from the cacique of aguacay, before they came into the countrie, there met him on the way 15. indians with a present of skinnes, fish and rosted venison. the gouernour came to his towne on wednesday, the fourth of iulie. he found the towne without people, and lodged in it: he staied there about a day; during which, he made some roades, and tooke many men and women. there they had knowledge of the south sea. here there was great store of salt made of sand, which they gather in a vaine of ground like peeble stones. and it was made as they make salt in cayas.
