CHAP. VII.
New Biscay.
Bounds of New Biscay.
New Biscay, by some accounted a Province of New Gallicia, hath on the South, Zacatecas; on the West, the Countrey of Cinoloa; Northward it is bounded with New Mexico; the Eastern Borders of it looking towards Florida, not yet well discover’d: so call’d by the Spaniards, onely from its neighborhood to New Gallicia. It is, as the other Provinces, exceeding rich in Silver Mines, and hath some also of Lead; which serve principally, as some say, for the refining or purging of the other Metal. The People generally are of a stout and resolute Disposition, and with much difficulty submitting to the Yoke; yea, the Spaniards themselves confess, that there remain yet to this day four great Towns unreduc’d, though they lie, as it were, in the mid-way, betwixt the Zacatecas aforesaid, and the Mines and Town of St. Barbara of this Province: The Spaniards call them Las Quatro Ceinegas, or The Four Quagmires, as lying, perhaps, in the Marshes, or in some Fenny and lower parts of the Countrey.
Towns and Cities.
The Towns which themselves hold, are, 1. St. Barbara, famous for the rich Mines about it.
2. St. Johns, equal to the other, and not above three or four Leagues distant from it.
3. Ende, the most Northerly Town which the Spaniards have in this Countrey, distant about twenty Leagues from the other.
These be all Colonies of the Spaniards, and built on purpose for securing the Mines; which when they were first discover’d by Yvarra, he order’d Roderigo del Rio to guard the same, and took up his Winter Quarters at St. Juan in a strong House, stor’d with all manner of Provisions, and erected there by him, as a place of defence against the Chichimecæ, who (though the Spaniards kept the place with strong Guards) kill’d above four hundred of their Horses and Mules; which loss no way daunted him, so as to change his Resolution of going to Topia: whither travelling, he found many snowy Mountains, and suffer’d extream Cold, which kill’d most of their Horses; being seen fifteen days after to stand so stiffly frozen, as if still alive: at last getting within the Borders of Topia, after he had suffer’d many inconveniences, he was oppos’d by the Inhabitants, till he pacifi’d them with Presents.