FRIAR MARCO DE NI^A ad. 



1539- 

 made in such sort as they informed mee, and they for 



my better understanding tooke earth or ashes, and 



powred water thereupon, and shewed me how they 



layd stones upon it, and how the buylding grewe up, 



as they continued laying stones thereon, untill it 



mounted aloft. I asked them whether the men of that 



Countrey had wings to mount up unto those loftes : 



whereat they laughed, and shewed mee a Ladder in as 



good sort as I my selfe was able to describe it. Then 



they tooke a Staffe and helde it over their heads, and 



said that the lofts were so high one above another. 



Likewise heere I had information of the woollen cloth [III. 370.] 



of Totonteac, where they say are houses like those of 



Cevola, and better and more in number, and that it is 



a great Province, and hath no governour. 



Here I understood that the coast of the sea trended 

 much toward the West : for unto the entrance of this 

 first desert which I passed, the coast still stretched 

 Northward : and because the trending of the coast is a Thhgradu- 

 thing of great importance, I was desirous to knowe and ^^"'^ ^^ ^^^" 

 see it: and I saw plainely, that in 1^1^. degrees the j ^J^J^^/at 

 coast stretcheth to the West, whereat I rejoyced no the least. 

 lesse, then of the good newes within land, and so I 

 returned backe to proceede on my journey. 



Through the foresayd valley I travailed five dayes 

 journey, which is inhabited with goodly people, and so 

 aboundeth with victuals, that it sufficeth to feede above 

 three thousand horsemen : it is all well watered and like a 

 garden : the burroughs and townes are halfe and a 

 quarter of a league long, and in all these villages, I 

 found very ample report of Cevola, whereof they made 

 such particular relation unto me, as people which goe 

 yeerely thither to earne their living. Here I found a 

 man borne in Cevola, who told me that he came 

 thither, having escaped from the governour or Lieu- 

 tenant of the towne ; for the Lord of these seven 

 Cities liveth and abideth in one of those townes called 

 Abacus, and in the rest he appoynteth lieu-tenants Jhacus. 



135 



