FRIAR MARCO DE NICA a.d. 



1539- 

 build mee lodgings, and to carrie foode for mee : 

 whereupon 1 hastened my way, hoping to finde Stephan 

 at the ende thereof, because in that place hee had left 

 worde that hee would stay for mee. Before I came to 

 the desert, I mette with a very pleasant Towne, by A pleasant 



reason of great store of waters conveighed thither to 



village. 



water the same. Heere 1 mette with many people 



both men and women clothed in Cotton, and some 



covered with Oxe-hydes, which generally they take for 



better apparell then that of cotton. All the people of 



this Village goe in Caconados, that is to say, with Tur- 



queses hanging at their nostrilles and eares : which 



Turqueses they call Cacona. Amongst others, the Lord 



of this Village came unto me, and two of his brethren 



very well apparelled in Cotton, who also were in 



Caconados, each of them having his collar of Turqueses 



about his necke : and they presented unto mee many 



wilde beastes, as Conies, Quailes, Maiz, nuttes of Pine 



trees, and all in great abundance, and offered mee many 



Turqueses, and dressed Oxe-hydes, and very fayre 



vessels to drinke in, and other things : whereof I 



would receive no whit. And having my garment of 



gray cloth, which in Spaine is called ^arago^a, the Lord 



of this Village, and the other Indians touched my 



gowne with their handes, and tolde mee, that of such 



Cloth there was great store in Totonteac, and that the Store of wool- 



people of that Countrey wore the same. Whereat I l^^l^loth^^^ 



. . 1 sheet^e ttt 



laughed, and sayde that it was nothing else but such j^Jonf^ac 



apparell of Cotton as they wore. And they replyed : 



We would have thee thinke that we understand, that that 



apparell which thou wearest, and that which we weare 



are of divers sortes. Understand thou, that in Cevola 



all the houses are full of that apparell which we weare, 



but in Totonteac there are certaine litle beasts, from 



whom they take that thing wherewith such apparell as 



thou wearest, is made. I prayed them to informe mee 



more playnely of this matter. And they tolde mee that 



the sayde beastes were about the bignesse of the two 



133 



