how the gouernour went from nondacao to soacatino and guasco, and passed through a desert, from whence, for want of a guide, and an interpretour, he returned to nilco.
the gouernour departed from nondacao toward soacatino, and in fiue daies iournie came to a prouince called aays. the indians which inhabited it, had no notice of the christians: but assoone as they saw that they entred into their country, they assembled themselues: and as they came together 50. or 100. they came foorth to fight: while some fought, others came and charged our men another way, and while they followed some, others followed them. the fight lasted the greatest part of the day, till they came to their towne. some horses and men were wounded, but not to any hurt of their trauelling: for there was no wound that was dangerous. there was a great spoile made of the indians. that day that the gouernour departed from thence, the indian that guided him said, that in nondacao he had heard say, that the indians of soacatino had seene other christians, whereof they all were very glad: thinking it might be true, and that they might haue entred into those parts by nueua espanna; and that if it were so, it was in their owne hand to goe out of florida, if they found nothing of profit: for they feared they should lose themselues in some wildernes. this indian led him two daies out of the way. the gouernour commanded to torture him. he said, that the cacique of nondacao, his lord, had commanded him to guide them so, because they were his enemies, and that hee was to doe as his lord commanded him. the gouernour commanded him to be cast to the dogs: and another guided him to soacatino, whither hee came the day following. it was a verie poore countrie: there was great want of maiz in that place. hee asked the indians, whether they knew of any other christians. they said, that a little from thence toward the south they heard they were. 20. daies trauell toward the south. he trauelled 20. daies through a countrie euill inhabited, where they suffered great scarcitie and trouble. for that little maiz which the indians had, they had hidden and buried in the woods, where the christians, after they were well wearied with their trauell, at the end of their iournie went to seeke by digging what they should eat. guasco: here they found some turkie stones and mantles of cotton wooll. chap. 35. at last, comming to a prouince that was called guasco, they found maiz, wherewith they loaded their horses, and the indians that they had. from thence they went to another towne called naquisco?a. the indians said, they had no notice of any other christians. the gouernor commanded to torment them. they said, that they came first to another lordship, which was called na?acahoz, and from thence returned again to the west, from whence they came. the gouernour came in two daies to na?acahoz: some women were taken there: among whom there was one, which said, that she had seene christians, and had been taken by them, and had run away. the gouernour sent a captaine with 15. horsemen to the place where the women said she had seene them, to see if there were any signe of horses, or any token of their being there. after they had gone three or foure leagues the woman that guided them said, that all that she had told them was vntrue. and so they held all the rest that the indians had said, of seeing christians in the land of florida. and, because the countrie that way was poore of maiz, and toward the west, there was no notice of any habitation, they returned to guasco. the indians told them there, that 10. daies iournie from thence toward the west, was a riuer called daycao; whither they went sometimes a hunting and killing of deere: and that they had seene people on the other side, but knew not what habitation was there. the riuer of daycayo: which seemeth to be the rio del oro. there the christians tooke such maiz as they found and could carrie, and, going 10. daies iournie through a wildernesse, they came to the riuer which the indians had told them of. ten horsemen, which the gouernour had sent before, passed ouer the same, and went in a way that led to the riuer, and lighted vpon a companie of indians that dwelt in verie little cabins: who, assoone as they saw them, tooke themselues to flight, leauing that which they had; all which was nothing but miserie and pouertie. the countrie was so poore, that among them all there was not found halfe a peck of maiz. the horsemen tooke two indians, and returned with them to the riuer, where the gouernour staied for them. he sought to learne of them what habitation was toward the west. there was none in the camp that could vnderstand their language. the gouernour assembled the captaines and principall persons, to determine with their aduice what they should doe. and the most part said, that they thought it best to returne backe to rio grande, or the great riuer of guachoya; because that in nilco and thereabout was store of maiz: saying, that they would make pinaces that winter, and the next sommer passe down the riuer to seaward in them, and comming to the sea they would goe along the coast to nueua espanna. for though it seemed a doubtfull thing and difficult, by that which they had already alleaged, yet it was the last remedie they had. no trauelling by land without an interpretour. for by land they could not goe for want of an interpretour. and they held, that the countrie beyond the riuer of daycao, where they were, was that which cabe?a de vaca mentioned in his relation that he passed of the indians, which liued like the alarbes, hauing no setled place, and fed vpon tunas and rootes of the fields, and wilde beasts that they killed. which if it were so, if they should enter into it and finde no victuals to passe the winter, they could not chuse but perish. for they were entred alreadie into the beginning of october: and if they staied any longer, they were not able to returne for raine and snowes, nor to sustaine themselues in so poore a countrey. the gouernour (that desired long to see himselfe in a place where hee might sleepe his full sleep, rather then to conquer and gouerne a countrie where so many troubles presented themselues) presently returned back that same way that he came.
