FERNANDO ALARCHON a.d. 



1540. 

 we had there bin drowned : and likewise the other two 

 shippes found themselves in very great hazard, yet be- 

 cause they were lesser and drewe lesse water, their danger 

 was not so great as ours. Nowe it pleased God upon 

 the returne of the flood that the shippes came on flote, 

 and so wee went forward. And although the company 

 would have returned backe, yet for all this I determined 

 to goe forwarde, and to pursue our attempted voyage : 

 and we passed forward with much adoe, turning our 

 stemmes now this way, now that way, to seeke to find 

 the chanel. And it pleased God that after this sort we The httome oj 

 came to the very bottome of the Bay ; where wee found ^^ ^P f 

 a very mightie river, which ranne with so great fury of 

 a streame, that we could hardly saile against it. In 

 this sort I determined as wel as I could to go up this 

 river, and with two boates, leaving the third with the 

 ships, and twenty men, my selfe being in one of them 

 with Roderigo Maldonado treasurer of this fleet, and 

 Gaspar de Castilleia comptroller, and with certaine small 

 pieces of artillerie I began to saile up the river, and 

 charged all my company, that none of them should [III. 426.] 

 stirre nor use any signe, but he whom I appoynted, 

 although wee found Indians. The same day, which was They goe up 

 Thursday the sixe and twentieth of August, following ^^ ^'^"^'^^ f 

 our voyage with drawing the boats with halsers we went the^G^l^ 

 about some 6 leagues : and the next day which was Jugust. 

 Friday by the breake of day thus following our way 

 upward, I saw certaine Indians which went toward cer- 

 taine cottages neere unto the water, who assoone as they 

 saw us, ten or twelve of them rose up furiously, and 

 crying with a loud voyce, other of their companions 

 came running together to the number of 50 which with 

 all haste carried out of their cottages such things as they 

 had, and layd them under certaine shrubs and many 

 of them came running toward that part whether wee 

 approched, making great signes unto us that we 

 should goe backe againe, using great threatnings against 

 us, one while running on this side and an other 



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