2. St. Stevan del Puerto, on the South side of the same River, eight Leagues distant from the Sea, or Gulf of Mexico, at present the Metropolis or chief Town of the Province, built by Cortesius in the place where stood old Panuco, which was likewise the Metropolis, or Head Town of the Natives, before the Spaniards burnt and destroy’d it.
3. St. Jago de las Valles, which is a Fronteer Place, and enjoyeth certain special Immunities, and some fair Possessions also for defence of the Countrey against the Salvages. It is twenty five Leagues distant from St. Stevan del Puerto, lying in an open or Champain Countrey, and is fenc’d about with a Wall of Earth.
Miles Philips his Voyage.
Miles Philips, an Englishman, put ashore by Captain John Hawkins, in the Bay of New Spain, Anno 1568., suffer’d great hardship before he came to Panuco, from whence returning, he made mention of a City lying along a River of the same denomination, (which is there not above two Bowe shoots-broad,) in a pleasant Countrey, containing two hundred Spanish Families, beside the antient Inhabitants and Negro’s, which all drive a great Trade in Salt, which is made in Pans Westward from the River: Philips travelling from Panuco to Mexico, saw by the way the Villages Nohete, by the Spaniards call’d Santa Maria, and a Cloyster of white Monks: Next he view’d Mestitlan, where some grey Monks had a House, and the Town Puchuen.
Chilton’s Journal.
Another account of this Province is taken from a Journal kept by John Chilton, four years after Philips’s Voyage; he having a Spaniard for his Convoy, left Mexico to find out Panuco; in three days time they reach’d the City Mestitlan, where he observ’d, that twelve Spanish Families liv’d amongst thirty thousand Indians. The City built on a high Mountain, full of Woods, is surrounded with Villages, through which run many brave Springs; and the Air about them is no less wholsom than the Ground fruitful; the High-ways are shaded with all sorts of Fruit-Trees.
The Village Clanchinoltepec, four times more Populous than Mestitlan, belongs to a Spanish Nobleman, who built a Cloyster there for nine Augustin Monks, of which Order there also reside twelve in the City Guaxutla.
Moreover, they travel’d over the plain Countrey Guastecan, to the Village Tancuylabo, inhabited by a tall People, with blue Painted Bodies, and Pleited Hair, hanging down to their Knees, going stark naked, but never without a Bowe and Arrow. They esteem nothing more than Salt, as being the onely Cure against certain Worms that grow between their Lips. From hence they travel’d to Tampice, in which Journey they spent nine days; and coming thither, were inform’d, that of forty Christians which dwelt in the same, the Indians had slain twelve, whilst they were gathering of Salt. From hence they came to Panuco, then in a manner deserted, because of the Indians oppressing the Spaniards, of which, at that time, there were but ten, and one Priest. Chilton falling sick here, resolv’d nevertheless to change that unwholsom Air and barren place for a better; to which purpose, getting a Horse, he took an Indian behind him for his Guide, but loosing his way in a thick Wood, happen’d amongst a Company of wild People, which dwelt in Straw Huts, twenty of them immediately surrounding him, brought him some clear sweet Water to drink, out of a Gilt Venice Glass, which having drunk, two naked Men led him into the high-way; which ended at the Gate of the Wall’d City Santo Jago de las Valles, inhabited by twenty five Spanish Families, who inform’d Chilton of the great danger which he had been in, for the People which gave him the Water were Man-eaters, who not long since, had burnt an Augustine Cloyster, built on a Mountain, had taken away, and eat the People, of which they had in all likelyhood gotten the Venice Glass; and had they not observ’d Chilton to be sickly, he had without doubt been eaten by them, and his Skin, with some of his Hair, (that being a great Ornament amongst them) been hung about their middle.
During Chilton’s stay in St. Jago, Frans de Page came thither with forty Soldiers from the Vice-Roy Henry Manriques, and took five hundred Indians, good Bowe Men out of the Neighboring Villages, Tanehipa and Tameclipa, with which he design’d to go to the Silver Mines at Zacatecas: Chilton joyning with this Company, came to the great River De las Palmas, which separates New Spain from Florida, where they spent three days in vain, seeking to find a passage over; wherefore they at last took pieces of Timber, which joyning together, and standing upon, they were Tow’d over by Swimming Indians; being gotten on the other side, they March’d over steep Mountains, and thick Wildernesses, and came at last to Zacatecas, on whose Silver Mines, the richest in all America, work’d above three hundred Spaniards daily.