CHAP. VIII.

Here he doth prosecute the discouering of the New Mexico.

The nation that the saide Tobosos did conduct them to is Iumanos. called Jumanos, who, by another name are called by the Spaniards, Patara Bueyes; their prouince is very [large] and full of townes, with much people: their houses made of lime and stone, and their townes traced in very good order: al the men and women haue their faces raced,[64] and their legs and armes: they are corpulent people, and more decent then any that they had seene vntil that time: they haue great store of prouision, and hunt both of beasts and foules; great store of fish, by reason of mightie riuers that commeth from the north, and some of them as big as Guadalquiuer, the which doth enter into the North sea: they haue many lakes of salt water which, in certaine times of the yeare, do Good salt. congeale, and they do make thereof good salt. They are warlike people, and made shew thereof presently; for the first night that the Spaniards had placed themselues, with their arrowes they slew fiue horse, and hurt as many more, and would haue left not one aliue if they had not been defended by the guarde. When they had done this mischiefe, they left the town, and went to a mountain which was hard by; whether as presently in the morning went their captaine with other fiue souldiers, well armed, with an interpreter called Peter, a naturall Indian borne, and with faire words and perswasions he quieted them and made peace, and caused them to descend into their towne and houses; and perswaded them to giue aduice vnto their neighbours, that they were men that would hurt no bodie, neither came they thither to take away their goods; the which he obtained easely by wisedome, and in giuing vnto the caciques certaine glasse beades and hartes[65] which they carryed for that purpose, and other trifles: so with this, and with the good intretement done vnto them, there went many of them in the company of the Spaniardes many dayes, alwayes trauelling alongst the riuer side aforesayde, whereas were many townes of Indians of this nation, the which indured twelue dayes iourney: in all the which, the caciques gaue aduice from one towne to another, out of the which they came forth and entertained the Spaniards without their bowes and arrowes, and brought with them victuals and other prouision and giftes; but in especiall hides and shamway skins, very well dressed, so that those of Flanders do nothing exceed them. These people are all clothed; and they found that they had some light of the holy faith, for that they made signe vnto God, looking vp vnto heauen, and they do cal him in their language Apalito, and doo acknowledge him for Lord, by whose mightie hand and mercie they confesse to haue receiued life, and to be a natural man, and al temporall goods. There came many of them with their wiues and children to the religious frier (that came with the captaine and souldiers, of whom we haue spoken off), for to crosse and blesse them; of whom being demanded, from whence and of whom they had the knowledge of God: they answered, that of three Christians and one negro that passed that way, and remained there certain daies amongst them, who, according to the signes and tokens they gaue them, should be Aluar Nunnez Cabesa de Vaca and Dorantes, and Castillo Maldonado, and one negro, the which escaped out of the fleete wherewith Panfilo de Naruaz entred into Florida; and after that they had bin many dayes captiue and slaues, they escaped and came vnto these townes, whereas God by them did shew many myracles in healing (by the onely touching with their handes) many diseases and sicke persons, by reason thereof they left great fame in all that countrie. All this prouince remained in peace and quietnesse; by which demonstration they did accompanie and served the Spaniardes certaine dayes, trauelling alongest the riuer side aforesaide.

Within few dayes after they came vnto a great inhabitation of Indians, where they came foorth to receiue them, by newes that they had of their neighbours, and brought with them many curious thinges made of feathers of different colours, and many mantles made of cotton, barred with blewe and white, like vnto them that are brought from China to truck for other thinges. All of them, as well the men as women and children, were clothed with shamway skins, very good and well dressed; yet could the Spaniardes neuer vnderstande what nation they were, for lacke of an interpreter that vnderstood their language. They dealt with them by signes; and they shewed vnto them certaine stones of rich metall, and being demaunded if they had of the same in their countrie: they answered by the same signes, That fiue dayes iourney from thence, towardes the northwest, there was great quantitie thereof; and howe that they would conduct them thither and showe it vnto them, as afterwardes they did performe, and did beare them companie two and twentie leagues, the which was all inhabited with people of the same countrie.

So following the saide riuer they came vnto an other inhabitance of much more people than the other past, of whom they were well receiued, and welcomed with many presents, especially of fish; for that they haue great store by reason of certaine great lakes not farre from thence, wherin is bred great abundance. They were amongest these people three dayes; in the which, both day and night, they made before them many dances, according vnto their fashion, with a particular signification of great ioy. They knew not how this nation was called, for lacke of an interpreter: but yet they vnderstoode that it extended very farre and was very great. Amongest this nation they found an Indian, a Concho by nation, who tolde and made signes that fifteen iourneys from thence, towardes the northwest, there was a lake which was verie broad, and nigh vnto it very great townes, and in them, houses of three and four stories high; the people well apparelled, and the countrie full of victuals and prouision, who did offer himselfe to bring them thether; whereat the Spaniards reioyced, but left to giue the enterprise, only for that they would accomplish their intent and begon voiage, which was to go to the north to giue ayde vnto the two religious men aforesaide. The chief and principall thing that they noted in this prouince was, that it was of a good temperature, and a rich countrie, great store of hunt, both of foot and wing, many rich metals, and other particular thinges of profite.

From this prouince they folowed their iourney for the space of fifteene daies without meeting any people: they trauelled amongst high and mightie pine trees, like those of Spaine; at the end wherof, after they had traueiled to their iudgments four score leagues, they came vnto a small village of very few people, very poore, and their houses made of strawe: they had great quantity of deere-skins, as well dressed as those that are brought out of Flanders; great store of excellent white and good salt. They gaue them good intertainment for the space of two daies that they remained there; after the which they did beare them companie twelue leagues, vnto certaine great habitations, always trauelling alongst the riuer side towarde the north, as aforesaide, till such time as they came vnto the countrie which is called the New Mexico. All alongst this riuer side was planted full of white salow trees;[66] and in some place it was foure leagues brode. Likewise there was many walnut-trees and peare-trees, like vnto those in Spaine.

In the ende of two dayes trauaile amongest these trees, they came vnto tenne townes, the which were situated alongst this riuer side on both partes, besides others that appeared, but farther distant. It seemed vnto them to haue much people, and as appeared to be more than tenne thousande soules.

In this prouince they did receiue them courteously, and carried them vnto their townes, whereas they gaue them great store of prouision and hennes of the countrie, with many other things, and that with a great good will. In these townes were houses of foure stories high, verie well Houses of 4 stories high. wrought and gallant chambers, and most of them had steuues or hote houses for the winter. They are all apparelled with cotton and of deares skinnes; the manner and apparell both of the men and of the women, is much like vnto the Indians of the kingdome of Mexico. But that which did cause them most for to woonder was, to see both men and women to weare both bootes and shooes of very good lether, with three sooles of neates leather: a thing which they haue not seene but onely there. The women go without any thing vpon their heades; but their haire trimly kembed and dressed. Euerie one of these townes had caciques, by whom they were gouerned, as amongest the Indians in Mexico, with sergeantes and officers to execute their commandement, who goe through the streetes of the towne, and declare with a loude voice the will of the caciques, the which is straightwayes put in vre.

In this prouince the Spaniardes founde many idolles that they worshipped; and in euery house they had a temple They worship the diuell. wherein they do worship the diuell, whereas, ordinarily, they do carrie him to eat. Likewise, as amongst Christians, in the high wayes they doo put crosses; so have they chappelles, whereas they say, the diuell doth recreate and rest himselfe, when as he trauelleth from one towne to another; the which chappelles are maruellously well trimmed and painted.

In all their tyllages and ploughed groundes, of the which they haue many and very great, they haue on the one side of them, a portall or shedde built vppon foure pillers, whereas the labourers do eate and passe away the heate of the day, and are people verie much giuen to labour, and doo continually occupie themselues therein: it is a countrie full of mountaynes and woods of pine trees. Their weapons are strong bowes and arrowes, with their heads or pointes made of flint stone, wherewith they will pierce and passe a shirt of mayle or plate coate. They vse also macans, the which is a staffe of half a yeard long, made of flint, and verie smoth, wherewith they may cut a man a sunder in the midst; they vse also bucklers and targets made of rawe hides.