At this time there were at the said mines by a certaine occasion, an inhabitant of the cittie of Mexico, called Antonio de Espeio, a very rich man, of great courage and industrie, and verie zealous in the seruice of the maiestie of King Philip: hee was naturally borne of Cordoua, who, when that he vnderstood the great desire of the saide friers, and howe much it did import, did offer himselfe to go on that iournay, and to spend thereon part of his substance, besides the venturing of his life. So licence being granted vnto him to prosecute the same, by some that did represent the king's person, and was procured by the saide friers, there was appointed and giuen him for captaine, John de Ontiueros (who was chiefe bayley for his maiestie, in the townes which are called the foure Cienegas, which are in the gouernement of the new Biscay, seuenty leagues from the aforesaid mines of S. Barbora), and he to go with him, and gather togither men and souldiers, such as he could, for to accompany him, and helpe to follow their Christian intent.
The saide Antonio de Espeio was so earnest in this matter, that in a few dayes he had ioyned togither souldiers, and made prouision necessarie for the iourney; and spent therein a great part of his substance, and departed altogether from the valley of Saint Bartholomew the tenth of Nouember, 1582, and carry with him (for whatsoeuer should happen) one hundred and fifteene horses and mules, great stoare of weapons and munition, with victuals, and certaine people of seruice in this iourney necessarie. He directed his iourney towards the north; and at two dayes iourney they came whereas were a great companie of Indians, of those which The prouince of Conchos. he called Conchos: they were in raches[63] and in houses made of straw, who, when they vnderstoode of their comming, by relation of long time before, they went forth and entertained them with shewes of great ioy. The feeding of these people, and of al the rest of that prouince, the which is great, is of Great store of conies, hares, and venison. conyes flesh, hares, and venison, of the which they haue great aboundance. They have great store of maiz, which is wheat of the Indians, pompines and mellons, very good and in aboundance. They haue many riuers full of fish, very good and of diuers sorts: they go almost al naked; and the weapons that they doo vse are bowes and arrowes; and liue vnder the gouernement and lordship of caciques as they of Mexico: they found no idols amongst them, neither could they vnderstande that they did worship any thing; for the which they did easilie consent that the Spaniards should set vp crosses, and were very well content therewith, after that they were informed by the Spaniards the signification thereof; the which was done by interpreters that they carried with them, and by whose meanes they vnderstood of other inhabitances, whether as the said Conchos did conduct them, and did beare them company more then foure and twenty leagues; all which way was inhabited with people of their owne nation: and in al places whereas they came, they were receiued with peace, by aduice that was giuen by the caciques from one towne to another. So hauing passed the foure and twenty leagues aforesaide, they came vnto another Passaguates. nation of Indians called Passaguates, who liue after the manner and fashion of the other aforesaid Conchos, their borderers, who did vnto them as the others did, conducting them forwarde other foure dayes iourney, with aduice of the caciques as afore. The Spaniards found in this iourney Mines of siluer. many mines of siluer (according to the iudgement of them that vnderstand that faculty), and of very rich mettall. One iourney from this they came to another nation called Tobosos. the Tobosos, who, when they discouered the Spaniards, they fled vnto the mountaines, and left their townes and houses void: but more after they vnderstood that, certain yeares past, there came vnto that place certaine souldiers for to seeke mines, and carried with them captiue certaine of the natural people of that country, for which occasion they remaine as scared and feareful. The captain forthwith gaue order, that they should be called backe again, with assurance that there should be no hurt done to them; and did so much that many of them returned, of whom they made much on, and gaue them giftes, declaring vnto them by the interpreter, that they came not thither to do hurt to any; with the which they all returned and were in quiet, and consented that they should set vp crosses, and declare the mysterie of them, and they made shew that they were content therewith; and did accompany them, as the other their borderers did, vntil they had brought them into the inhabitance of another different nation, which was distant from them twelue leagues. They vse bowes and arrowes, and do go naked.
[63] Rushes for thatching. See Halliwell's Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words.
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.
[64] Streaked. See Minsheu's Ductor in Linguas.
[65] Misspelt for "hats", De la Porte mentioning "chapeaux" among the presents.
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.