JOHN CHILTON a.d. 



1572. 

 cuylabo, in which there dwell many Indians, high of 

 stature, having all their bodies painted with blew, and 

 weare their haire long downe to their knees, tied as 

 women use to doe with their haire-laces. When they 

 goe out of their doores, they cary with them their bowes 

 and arrowes, being very great archers, going for the 

 most part naked. In those countreys they take neither 

 golde nor silver for exchange of any thing, but onely 

 Salt, which they greatly esteeme, and use it for a Salt a pHnd- 

 principall medicine for certaine wormes which breed in P^^^ ^f^'- 

 their lips and in their gummes. After nine dayes travell 

 from, this place, we came to a towne called Tampice, Tampke a 

 which is a port towne upon the sea, wherein there Z'^^^^^^^^- 

 dwell, I thinke, forty Christians, of which number 

 whilest wee abode there, the Indians killed foureteene, 

 as they were gathering of Salt, which is all the trade that 

 they have in this place : it standeth upon the entrie of 

 the river of Panuco, which is a mighty great river ; and Panuco. 

 were it not for a sand that lieth at the mouth of it, 

 ships of five hundred tunne might goe up into it above 

 three score leagues. From hence we went to Panuco, 

 foureteene leagues from Tampice, which in times past 

 had bene a goodly city, where the king of Spaine had 

 his governour : but by reason that the Indians there 

 destroyed the Christians, it lieth in a maner waste, con- 

 teining in it not above tenne Christians with a priest. 

 In this towne I fell sicke, where I lay one and forty 

 dayes, having no other sustenance then fruit and water, 

 which water I sent for above sixe leagues off within the 

 countrey. Here I remained till my companion came to 

 me, which had departed from me another way, reteining 

 in my company onely a slave, which I brought with me 

 from Mexico. And the last day in Easter weeke my 

 companion came to me, finding me in a very weake 

 state, by reason of the unholesomenesse of the place. 

 Notwithstanding my weakenesse, I being set on an 

 horse, and an Indian behinde mee to holde mee, wee 

 went forward on our voyage all that day till night. The 



371 



