which declareth how they were pursued by the indians.
the indians, seeing that they had gotten the victorie, tooke such courage, that they assaulted them in the brigandines, which they durst not doe before. 25. spaniards wounded. they came first to that brigandine wherein calderon went for captaine, and was in the rereward: and at the first volie of arrowes they wounded 25. men. there were only foure armed men in this brigandine: these did stand at the brigandines side to defend it. those that were vnarmed, seeing how they hurt them, left their oares and went vnder the deck: whereupon the brigandine began to crosse, and to goe where the current of the streame carried it. one of the armed men seeing this, without the commandement of the captaine, made a footman to take an oare and stirre the brigandine, hee standing before him and defending him with his target. the great vse of large targets. the indians came no neerer then a bowshot, from whence they offended and were not offended, receiuing no hurt: for in euery brigandine was but one crossebow, and those which wee had were very much out of order. so that the christians did nothing else but stand for a butte to receiue their arrowes. hauing left this brigandine they went to another, and fought with it halfe an houre; and so from one to another they fought with them all. strong mats a good defence against arrowes. the christians had mattes to lay vnder them, which were double, and so close and strong, that no arrow went thorow them. and assoone as the indians gaue them leisure, they fensed the brigandines with them. and the indians seeing that they could not shoote leuell, shot their arrowes at random vp into the aire, which fell into the brigandines, and hurt some of the men: and not therewith contented, they sought to get to them which were in the canoes with the horses. those of the brigandines enuironed them to defend them, and tooke them among them. thus seeing themselues much vexed by them, and so wearied that they could no longer endure it, they determined to trauell all the night following, thinking to get beyond the countrie of quigalta, and that they would leaue them: but when they thought least of it, supposing they had now left them, they heard very neere them so great outcries, that they made them deafe, and so they followed vs all that night, and the next day till noone, by which time we were come into the countrie of others, whom they desired to vse vs after the same manner; and so they did. the men of quigalta returned home; and the other in fiftie canoes fought with vs a whole day and a night: and they entred one of the brigandines, that came in the rereward by the canoe which she had at her sterne, and tooke away a woman which they found in it, and afterward hurt some of the men of the brigandines. those which came with the horses in the canoes, being wearie with rowing night and day, lingered behind; and presently the indians came vpon them, and they of the brigandines tarried for them. the gouernour resolued to goe on shore and to kill the horses, because of the slow way which they made because of them. assoone as they saw a place conuenient for it, they dried horseflesh for food. went thither and killed the horses, and brought the flesh of them to drie it aboord. foure or fiue of them remained on shore aliue: the indians went vnto them, after the spaniards were embarked. the horses were not acquainted with them, and began to neigh, and runne vp and downe, in such sort, that the indians, for feare of them, leaped into the water: and getting into their canoes went after the brigandines, shooting cruelly at them. they followed vs that euening and the night following till the next day at tenne of the clocke, and then returned vp the riuer. presently from a small towne that stood vpon the riuer came seuen canoes, and followed vs a little way downe the riuer, shooting at vs: but seeing they were so few that they could do vs but little harme, they returned to their towne. from thence forward, vntill they came to the sea, they had no encounter. they sailed downe the riuer seuenteene daies, which may be two hundred and fifty leagues iourney, little more or lesse: and neere vnto the sea the riuer is diuided into two armes; each of them is a league and an halfe broad.
