AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1539. 



and that they have certaine thinne plates of that Golde, 



wherewith they scrape off their sweat, and that the 



walks of their Temples are covered therewith, and that 



they use it in all their houshold vessels. And because 



this Valley is distant from the Sea-coast, and my in- 



struction was not to leave the Coast, I determined to 



leave the discovery thereof untill my returne ; at which 



time I might doe it more commodiously. 



Thus I travelled three dayes journey through Townes 



inhabited by the sayde people, of whome I was received 



as I was of those which I had passed, and came unto 



Vacupaatozvn ^ Towne of reasonable bignesse, called Vacupa, where 



40. ^^^g^^^ they shewed mee great courtesies, and 2:ave mee s^reat 

 from the Bay ^ - i • 1 1 1 1 • r • 



of California. Store or good victuals, because the soyle is very rruit- 



full, and may bee watered. This Towne is fortie 

 leagues distant from the Sea. And because I was so 

 farre from the Sea, it being two dayes before Passion 

 Sunday, I determined to stay there untill Easter, to 

 inform e my selfe of the Islandes, whereof I sayde 

 before that I had information. And so I sent certaine 

 Indians to the Sea by three severall wayes, whom I 

 commaunded to bring mee some Indians of the Sea- 

 coast and of some of those Islandes, that I might 

 receive information of them : and I sent Stephan 

 Dorantez the Negro another way, whom I commaunded 

 to goe directly Northward fiftie or threescore leagues, 

 to see if by that way hee might learne any newes of 

 any notable thing which wee sought to discover, and I 

 agreed with him, that if hee found any knowledge of 

 any peopled and riche Countrey which were of great 

 importance, that hee should goe no further, but should 

 returne in person, or should sende mee certaine Indians 

 with that token which wee were agreed upon, to wit, 

 that if it were but a meane thing, hee should sende 

 mee a white Crosse of one handfull long ; and if it 

 were any great matter, one of two handfuls long ; and 

 if it were a Countrey greater and better then Nueva 

 Espanna, hee should send mee a great crosse. So the 



128 



