as the christians went downe the great riuer on their voyage, the indians of quigalta did set vpon them, and what was the successe thereof.
the day before they departed from minoya, they determined to dismisse al the men and women of the countrie, which they had detained as slaues to serue them, saue some hundred, little more or lesse, which the gouernour embarked, and others whom it pleased him to permit. and because there were many men of qualitie, whom he could not deny that which he granted to others, he vsed a policy, saying, that they might serue them as long as they were in the riuer, but when they came to the sea, they must send them away for want of water, because they had but few vessels. he told his friends in secret, that they should carrie theirs to nueua espanna: and all those whom hee bare no good will vnto (which were the greater number) ignorant of that which was hidden from them, which afterward time discouered, thinking it inhumanitie for so little time of seruice, in reward of the great seruice that they had done them, to carrie them with them, 500. slaues left in the countrie. to leaue them slaues to other men out of their owne countries; left fiue hundred men and women: among whom were many boies and girles, which spake and vnderstood the spanish tongue. the most of them did nothing but weepe: which mooued great compassion; seeing that all of them with good will would haue become christians, and were left in state of perdition. they sailed down rio grande from minoya 17. daies before they came to the mouth thereof. there went from minoya 322. spaniards in seuen brigandines, well made, saue that the plankes were thin, because the nailes were short, and were not pitched, nor had any decks to keep the water from comming in. in stead of decks they laid planks, whereon the mariners might runne to trim their sailes, and the people might refresh themselues aboue and below: the gouernour made his captaines, and gaue to euery one his brigandine, and took their oth and their word, that they would obey him, vntill they came to the land of the christians. the gouernour tooke one of the brigandines for himself, which he best liked. the same day that they departed from minoya, they passed by guachoya, where the indians tarried for them in canoes by the riuer. and on the shore, they had made a great arbour with boughes: they desired him to come on shore; but he excused himselfe, and so went along: the indians in their canoes accompanied him; and comming where an arme of the riuer diclined on the right hand, they said, that the prouince of quigalta was neere vnto that place, and importuned the gouernour to set vpon him, and that they would aide him. and because they had said, that he dwelt three daies journie down the riuer, the gouernour supposed that they had plotted some treason against him, and there left them; and went downe with the greatest force of the water. the current was very strong, and with the helpe of ores, they went very swiftly. the first day they landed in a wood on the left hand of the riuer, and at night they withdrew themselues to the brigandines. the second day. the next day they came to a towne, where they went on shore, and the people that was in it durst not tarrie. a woman that they tooke there being examined, said, that that towne belonged to a cacique named huasene, subiect to quigalta, and that quigalta tarried for them below in the riuer with many men. certaine horsemen went thither, and found some houses, wherein was much maiz. immediately more of them went thither and tarried there one day, another day. in which they did beate out, and tooke as much maiz as they needed. while they were there, many indians came from the nether part of the riuer, and on the other side right against them somewhat carelessely set themselues in order to fight. the gouernour sent in two canoes the crossebowmen that he had, and as many more as could goe in them. they ran away, and seeing the spaniards could not ouertake them, they returned backe, and tooke courage; and coming neerer, making an outcrie, they threatned them: and assoone as they departed thence, they went after them, some in canoes, and some by land along the riuer; and getting before, comming to a towne that stood by the riuers side, they ioyned al together, making a shew that they would tarrie there. euerie brigandine towed a canoe fastened to their sternes for their particular seruice. a town burned. presently there entred men into euerie one of them, which made the indians to flie, and burned the town. the same day they presently landed in a great field, where the indians durst not tarrie. the third day. a fleet of an hundred faire and great canoes. the next day there were gathered together an hundred canoes, among which were some that carried 60. and 70. men, and the principall mens canoes had their tilts, and plumes of white and red feathers for their ensignes: and they came within two crossebow shot of the brigandines, and sent three indians in a small canoe with a fained message to view the manner of the brigandines, and what weapons they had. and comming to the side of the gouernours brigandine, one of the indians entred, and said:
that the cacique of quigalta his lord, sent him his commendations, and did let him vnderstand, that all the indians of guachoya had told him concerning himselfe, was false, and that they had incensed him, because they were his enemies; that he was his seruant, and should find him so.
the gouernour answered him, that he beleeued all that he said was true, and willed him to tell him, that he esteemed his friendship very much. with this answer they returned to the place where the rest in their canoes were waiting for them, and from thence all of them fell downe, and came neere the spaniards, shouting aloud, and threatning of them. the gouernour sent iohn de guzman, which had been a captaine of footemen in florida, with 15. armed men in canoes to make them giue way. assoone as the indians saw them come towards them, they diuided themselues into two parts, and stood still till the spaniards came nie them, and when they were come neere them, they ioyned together on both sides, taking iohn de guzman in the middest, and then they came first with him, and with great furie borded them: and as their canoes were bigger, and many of them leaped into the water to stay them, and to lay hold on the canoes of the spaniards, and ouerwhelme them; so presently they ouerwhelmed them. the christians fell into the water, and with the weight of their armour sunke downe to the bottome: and some few, that by swimming or holding by the canoe could haue saued themselues, with oares and staues, which they had, they strooke them on the head and made them sinke. when they of the brigandines saw the ouerthrow, though they went about to succour them, yet through the current of the riuer they could not goe backe. foure spaniards fled to the brigandine that was neerest to the canoes; and only these escaped of those that came among the indians. eleven spaniards drowned. they were eleuen that died there: among whom iohn de guzman was one, and a sonne of don carlos, called iohn de vargas: the rest also were persons of account and men of great courage. those that escaped by swimming, said that they saw the indians enter the canoe of john de guzman at the sterne of one of their canoes, and whether they carried him away dead or aliue they could not certainly tell.
