A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1540. 



I rested my selfe two dayes in Chichilticale, and to 

 have done well I should have stayed longer, in respect 

 that here wee found our horses so tyred : but because 

 wee wanted victuals, wee had no leasure to rest any 

 longer : I entred the confines of the desert Countrey on 

 The z-i^. of Saint Johns eve, and to refresh our former travailes, the 

 June. £j.g^ dayes we founde no grasse, but worser way of 



mountaines and badde passages, then wee had passed 

 alreadie : and the horses being tired, were greatly 

 molested therewith : so that in this last desert wee lost 

 more horses then wee had lost before : and some of my 

 Indians which were our friendes dyed, and one Spanyard 

 whose name was Spinosa ; and two Negroes, which dyed 

 with eating certaine herbes for lacke of victuals. From 

 this place I sent before mee one dayes journey the master 

 Don Garcia of the fielde Don Garcia Lopez de Cardenas with fifteene 

 LopezdeCar- j^Qj-g^g ^q discover the Countrey, and prepare our way: 

 wherein hee did like himselfe, and according to the 

 confidence which your Lordship reposed in him. And 

 well I wote he fayled not to do his part : for as I have 

 enformed your Lordship, it is most wicked way, at least 

 thirtie leagues and more, because they are inaccessible 

 mountaines. 

 J godly and ^q^ after wee had passed these thirtie leagues, wee 

 ^t^f'filnT^ found fresh rivers, and grasse like that of Castile, and 

 specially of that sort which we call Scaramoio, many 

 Nutte trees and Mulberie trees, but the Nutte trees differ 

 from those of Spayne in the leafe : and there was Flaxe, 

 but chiefly neere the bankes of a certayne river which 

 Rio del Lino, therefore wee called El Rio del Lino, that is say, the river 

 of Flaxe : wee found no Indians at all for a dayes travaile, 

 but afterward foure Indians came out unto us in peace- 

 able maner, saying that they were sent even to that desert 

 place to signifie unto us that wee were welcome, and that 

 the next day all the people would come out to meete us 

 on the way with victuals : and the master of the fielde 

 gave them a crosse, willing them to signifie to those of 

 their citie that they should not feare, and they should 



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