A.D. 



1540. 



The arro- 

 gancie of the 

 people of 

 Cibola. 



Commande- 

 ment to use 

 gentlenesse to 

 the lavages. 



There zcere 

 '^00 men with- 

 in the towne. 

 Gomara, Hist. 

 gen. cap. 213. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



and frier Luys, and Fernando Vermizzo somewhat before 

 with certaine horsemen, to seeke the Indians and to 

 advertise them that our comming was not to hurt them, 

 but to defend them in the name of the Emperour our 

 Lord, according as his majestie had given us in charge : 

 which message was delivered to the inhabitants of that 

 countrey by an interpreter. But they like arrogant 

 people made small account thereof; because we seemed 

 very few in their eyes, and that they might destroy us 

 without any difficultie ; and they strooke frier Luys with 

 an arrow on the gowne, which by the grace of God did 

 him no harme. 



In the meane space I arrived with all the rest of the 

 horsemen, and footemen, and found in the fieldes a great 

 sort of the Indians which beganne to shoote at us with 

 their arrowes : and because I would obey your will and 

 the commaund of the Marques, I woulde not let my 

 people charge them, forbidding my company, which 

 intreated mee that they might set upon them, in any 

 wise to provoke them, saying that that which the enemies 

 did was nothing, and that it was not meete to set upon 

 so fewe people. On the other side the Indians perceiving 

 that wee stirred not, tooke great stomacke and courage 

 unto them : insomuch that they came hard to our horses 

 heeles to shoote at us with their arrowes. Whereupon 

 seeing that it was now time to stay no longer, and that 

 the friers also were of the same opinion, I set upon them 

 without any danger : for suddenly they fled part to the 

 citie which was neere and well fortified, and other into 

 the field, which way they could shift : and some of the 

 Indians were slaine, and more had beene if I would have 

 suffered them to have bene pursued. 



But considering that hereof wee might reape but small 

 profite, because the Indians that were without, were fewe, 

 and those which were retired into the citie, with them 

 which stayed within at the first were many, where the 

 victuals were whereof wee had so great neede, I assembled 

 my people, and devided them as I thought best to assault 



152 



