Between great Amatitlan and this Town the way is plain, and lieth under a Vulcan of fire, which formerly was wont to smoak as much as that of Guatemala, but having formerly burst out at the top, and there opened a great mouth, & cast down to the bottome mighty stones (which to this day are to be seen) it hath not since been any waies troublesome unto the Countrey. In this way there was in my time a new Trapiche of Sugar erecting up by one John Baptista of Guatemala, which was thought would prove very usefull, and profitable unto the foresaid City. I had yet for the time that I lived in Amatitlan another very little village at my charge, called Pampichi at the bottome of a high mountaine on the other side of the lake over against it, which was but a Chappell of ease unto great Amatitlan, unto which I went not above once in a quarter of a yeer, and that for pastime and recreation; for this village is well in that language a compound also of Pam, in, and Pichi, flowers, for that it standeth compassed about with flowers, which make it very pleasant, and the boats or Canoa's which doe constantly stand neer the doores of the houses, invites to much pleasure of fishing and rowing about the lake.
And thus whilst I lived in Amatitlan I had the choice of three places wherein to recreate my selfe, and because the charge of many soules lay in my hands, I had one constantly to helpe me. The Towne of Amatitlan was as the Court in respect of the rest, where nothing was wanting that might recreate the mind and satisfie the body with variety and change of sustenance, both for fish and flesh. Yet the great care that did lie upon me in the worke and building of the Cloister, made me very soone weary of living in that great and pleasant Towne; for sometimes I had thirty, sometimes twenty, sometimes fewer, and sometimes fourty worke-men to looke unto, and to pay wages to on Saturday nights, which I found wearied much my braine, and hindred my studies, and was besides a worke which I delighted not in, nor had any hopes ever to enjoy it. And therefore after the first yeer that I had been there I betooke my selfe unto the Provinciall, who was in Guatemala, and againe earnestly besought him to peruse the Licence which I had from Rome to goe to England mine owne Countrey for to preach there (for that was the chiefe ground of letting me goe home, as the Generall largely expressed) where I doubted not but I might doe God great service, and in Conscience I told him I thought I was bound to employ what parts God had bestowed upon me, rather upon my own Countreymen, then upon Indians and strangers. The Provinciall replyed unto me that my Countrey men were Heretickes, and when I came amongst them they would hang me up. I told him, I hoped better things of them, and that I would not behave my selfe among them so as to deserve hanging, not daring to tell him what was in my heart concerning points of Religion. After a long discourse I found the Provinciall inexorable, and halfe angry, telling me that he and that whole Province had cast their eyes upon me, and honoured me, and were ready and willing to promote me further, and that I would shew my selfe very ungratefull unto them, if I should forsake them for my owne nation and people, whom I had not knowne from my young and tender age. I perceived there was no more to be said, and all would be in vaine, and so resolved to take my best opportunity, and with my Licence from Rome to come away unknowne unto him. But for the present I humbly beseeched him to remove me from Amatitlan, for that I found my selfe unable to undergoe that great charge, and too weake for that strong worke, that was then building. With much adoe he would be brought to this, alleadging what an honour it was to be a Founder and builder of a new Cloister, in whose walls my very name would be engraven to posterity; all which I told him I regarded not, but estemed more of my health and a quiet mind, then of such preferments and vanities. Upon which at last he condescended to my request, and gave me order to goe to Petapa, and that the Vicar of Petapa should goe to finish the worke of Amatitlan. In Petapa I lived above a twelve moneth, with great ease, pleasure and content for all things worldly and outward; but within I had still a worme of Conscience, gnawing this gourd that shadowed and delighted me with worldly contentment. Here I grew more and more troubled concerning some points of Religion, dayly wishing with David, that I had the wings of a Dove, that I might flie from that place of dayly Idolatry into England, and be at rest. I resolved therefore to put on a good courage, and relie wholly upon my God, knowing that the journey was hard and dangerous, and might bring shame and trouble unto me, if I should be taken in the way flying and brought back to Guatemala; here I weighed the affliction and reproach which might ensue unto me, after so much honor, pleasure, and wealth which I had enjoyed for about twelve yeers in that Countrey; but in another balance of better consideration, I weighed the trouble of a wounded Conscience, and the spirituall joy and comfort that I might enjoy at home with the people of God, and so resolutely concluded upon that place of Heb. 11. 25, 26, 27. with Moses, to choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God (who as Paul well observeth, I Thes. 3. 3. are appointed thereunto; and again Phil. 1. 29. unto whom it is given in the behalfe of Christ, not onely to beleeve in him, but also to suffer for his sake) then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures in Egypt. So for faith and a safe conscience I now purposed likewise with Moses to forsake Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the President the Kings owne Deputy, nor of the Provinciall, and my best friends; but to indure all this (if I should be taken) as seeing him who is invisible. I thought this was a businesse not to be conferred with flesh and blood, lest the best friend knowing of it should betray me; yet on the other side, I thought it hard to flie alone without some friend for the first two or three daies journey; and besides having many things to sell away to make mony of, I thought I were better to imploy some trusty friend, then to doe all alone. I thought of none fitter then Miguel Dalva, whom by long experience I knew to be true and trusty, and that a small mony matter would content him; whom I sent for to Pinola, and charging him with secrecy, I told him I had a journey for my conscience sake to make to Rome (I would not tell him that I intended England, lest the good old Black-more should grieve thinking never more to see me, and for the love he bare me, and interest he had many times from me, he should by discovering my intent, seek to stop me) which I would have none to know of but himselfe, not doubting but to returne againe, as he knew many had taken the like journey, and returned within two yeers.
The Black-more offered himselfe to goe with me, which I refused, telling him that the seas would be too hard for his old age to endure, and that as a Black-more in foraine Countries he might be stopped and apprehended for a fugitive; which reason he liked well, and offered himselfe to goe with mee as farre as the sea side; for which I thanked him and employed to sell me away some Mules, Wheat, and Maiz which I had, and what else might well passe through his hands. As for many rich pictures which hung in my chamber, I thought the Towne of Petapa would buy them for their Church, and propounded it unto the Governour, who willingly accepted of them. Most of my bookes, chests, cabinets, quilts, and many good peices of houshold-stuffe, by the paines and industry of Miguel (whom I kept with me for the space of two moneths before I came away) I sold to Guatemala, reserving onely two Peraca's or leatherne chests, with some bookes and a quilt for my journey. When I had sold all that I intended, I found I had in Spanish mony neer nine thousand peeces of eight, which I had got in twelve yeers that I lived in that Country. So much mony I thought would be too combersome for a long journey; whereupon I turned above four thousand of them into pearles and some pretious stones, which might make my carriage the lighter; the rest I laid up some in bags, some I sowed into my quilt, intending in the way to turne them into Spanish Pistols. Thus the chiefe provision being made of mony, I tooke care for Chocolatte and some Conserves for the way, which were soon provided. Now because I considered that my flight the first week must be with speed, and that my chests could not post day and night as my selfe intended to doe; I thought of sending my carriage four dayes at least before me; and not daring to trust any Indian of Petapa, I sent to Mixco for one speciall Indian friend whom I had there, who knew the way that I was to travaile very well; to whom I opened my mind, and offered what mony I knew would well content him, and at midnight sent him away with two Mules, one for himselfe, and another for my chests, wishing him to keep on travelling towards St. Miguel, or Nicaragua till I overtooke him. I gave him the advantage of four daies and nights, and then resolutely with my good Blackmore in my company leaving the key of my chamber in my doore, and nothing but old papers within, when all the Indians where fast sleep, I bad adieu unto Petapa, and to the whole valley, and to all my friends throughout America.
[CHAP. XXI.]
Shewing my journey from the Towne of Petapa, into England; and some chiefe passages in the way.
The chiefe thing which troubled me in my resolved purpose to come home, was the choice of the safest way; which made me utterly forsake the Gulfe (though the easiest way of all, and that sea neerest to the place where I lived) for that I knew I should meet there with many of my acquaintance, and the setting out of the ships was so uncertain, that before they departed, order might come from Guatemala to stop me; if I should go by land through Comayagua to Truxillo, and there wait for the ships, likewise I feared lest the Governour of that place by some item from the President of Guatemala might examine me, and send me backe, and that the Masters of the ships might have charge given them not to receive me into their ships. If I should goe backe to Mexico and Vera Cruz, then I called to mind, how I was troubled in that long journey, when I came first to Chiapa in company of friends, and that now alone I should certainly be much put to it, for I would not carry Miguel Dalva so far by land with me. Wherefore rejecting these three wayes, I chose the fourth, which was by Nicaragua and the Lake of Granada; and therefore I deferred my journey till the week after Christmas, knowing that the time of the frigats setting out from that lake to the Havana was commonly after the middle of January, or at Candlemas at the furthest, whither I hoped to reach in very good time. Now that I might by no means be suspected to have taken this way; before I went I left by the hand of Miguel Dalva a letter to a friend of his to be delivered to the Provinciall in Guatemala, foure dayes after my departure, wherein I kindly tooke my leave of him, desiring him not to blame me nor to seeke after me; and whereas I had a sufficient Licence from Rome, and could not get his, that I thought I might with a safe Conscience goe where I was born, leaving Linguists enough to supply my place amongst the Indians. And because he should not make enquiry after me by Nicaragua, I dated and subscribed my letter to him from the Towne of St. Antonio Suchutepeques, which was the way to Mexico and quite contrary to Nicaragua.
The next day after Twelfth day, being the seventh of January, 1637. at midnight I set out of Petapa upon a lusty Mule (which afterwards in the way I sold for fourscore peeces of eight) with Miguel Dalva alone; and the first part of the way being very hilly we could not goe so fast as our hearts would have posted; for it was breake of day before we could get to the top of the mountaine, which is called Serro Redondo, or the round hill; which is much mentioned in that Countrey, for the good pasture there which serveth for the Cattell and Sheep, when the valleys below are burnt and no grasing left for Beasts. This hill is also a great refuge to Travellers, for there they find good entertainment in a Venta, where wine and provision is sold, and is a great Lodge, for to lay up dry what carriages they bring; there is besides one of the best Estancia's or farmes of Cattell in the Countrey, where of Goats and Ewes milke is made the best cheese thereabouts. This round hill or mountaine is five leagues from Petapa, where I feared I might meet with some people of Petapa, and therefore the day now dawning I made haste by it, leaving in the lodge asleep many Indians, who attended on two Spanish Requa's of Mules, which that day were to goe to Petapa; foure leagues further from this Serro Redondo is a Towne of Indians called Los Esclavos, or the Slaves, not that now they are more slaves then the rest of the Indians, but because in the old time of Montezuma the Emperour, and the Indian Kings that were under him, the people of this Towne were more slaves then any other, for from Amatitlan (which is so called from Amat, which in the Mexican tongue signifieth Letter, and Itlan which signifieth Towne, for that it was the Towne of Letters as some say, for a rine of a tree, whereon they were wont formerly to write and expresse their minds, or because it was the place whither from all parts letters were sent to be carried about the Countrey, and to Peru) these Indians of the Towne of Esclavo's or slaves, were commanded as slaves to goe all about the Countrey with letters, or whatsoever else they should be charged with; and they were bound constantly to send every week so many of their Towne (as were appointed) unto Amatitlan, there to wait and attend the pleasure of that Towne for the conveying of letters, or any carriages to other parts.
This Towne of los Esclavos standeth in a bottome by a river, over the which the Spaniards have built a very strong stone Bridge to goe in and out of the Town, for otherwise with mules there is no passing by reason of the violent and rapid streame of the water, and many rocks in the River, from which the water falleth down with great force. From this Town (where wee onely stayed to drink a cup of Chocolatte and to bait our mules) wee went on that day to Aguachapa, being ten leagues further, and not farre from the South Sea, and the port called De la Trinidad; whither wee came towards Evening, having that day and part of the night travelled about threescore English miles up hils, and upon stony wayes from the Esclavo's unto this Town; which is much mentioned in that Country for two things. The one is for the earthen ware which is made there (as some think) exceeding that of Mixco. The other is for a place within a mile and a halfe from the Town, which the Spaniards doe credibly report and beleeve to be a mouth of hell. For out of it there is constantly ascending a thick black smoak smelling of Brimstone, with some flashes now and then of fire; the earth from whence this smoak ariseth is not high, but low. None ever durst draw nigh to find out the truth and ground of it; for those that have attempted to doe it, have been stricken down to the ground and like to lose their lives. A friend of mine a Fryer (whom I thought verily I might beleeve) upon his oath affirmed unto me, that travelling that way with a Provinciall hee resolved to goe unto the place, and satisfie himselfe of the ground and cause of the strange talke which was every where about the Country concerning that smoke. He went within a quarter of a mile of it, and presently, hee said, he heard a hideous noise, which together with the stench of the fiery smoke and brimstone, struck him into such a fear that he was like to fall to the ground, and retiring himself back with all speed was taken with a burning Feaver, which was like to cost him his life. Others report that drawing neer unto it, they have heard great cries as it were of men and women in torment, noise of iron, of chaines, and the like, which (how simply I leave it to my Judicious Reader) maketh them beleeve that it is a mouth of hell. Of my knowledge I will say no more, but that I saw the smoke, and asked the Indians what was the cause of it; and if ever they had been neer unto it? And they answered mee, that they could not imagine what might bee the cause of it, neither durst they draw nigh unto it; and that they had seen Travellers, attempting to goe neere it, and that they were all stricken either to the ground, or with some suddaine amazement, or Feaver. I told them that I would walke thither my self, and they desired mee that I would not, if I loved my life. It was not yet for all this report the feare of being so neer the Spaniards hell (as they call it) that made me haste with speed out of that Town, but fear of some messenger that might come after mee to stop my journy. For at midnight I departed from thence, and went to breake my fast to a great Town called Chalchuapan, where the Indians made very much of mee, being Pocomanes, who spake the Poconchi or Pocoman tongue which I had learned. They would willingly have had me to stay with them and preach unto them the next Sabbath, which I would have done, had not a better designe called upon mee to make haste.