A.D. 



1572. 



Rio de las 

 Palmas. 



The mines of 

 Sacatecas. 



The valley of 

 S. Michael 

 Pueblo nuevo. 

 Mechuacan. 



Copper mines. 



Campeche. 



[III. 461.] 



Merida. 



Rio de 



Tabasco, 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Indians, which we tooke out of two towns in this 

 province called Tanchipa, and Tamaclipa, all good 

 archers, and naked men, and went thence to the river 

 de las Palmas, which is of great bignesse, parting the 

 kingdome of Nova Hispania and Florida : and going 

 still along by this river the space of three dayes, seek- 

 ing passage to passe over ; and finding none, we were 

 at length inforced to cut timber to make a balsa or raft, 

 which when we had made, we sate on it, the Indians 

 swimming in the water, and thrusting it before them to 

 the other side. Within thirty dayes after, travelling 

 thorow woods, hilles, and mountaines, we came to the 

 mines of Sacatecas, which are the richest mines in all 

 the Indies, and from thence they fetch most silver : at 

 which mines there dwelt above three hundred Christians : 

 and there our captaine gave us leave to depart. So 

 we came to the valley of S. Michael toward Mexico ; 

 and from thence to Pueblo novo ; and from that place 

 to the province of Mechuacan, after which name the 

 chiefest city of that place is called : where there dwelles 

 a bishop, and above an hundred Spanyards in it : it 

 aboundeth with all kind of Spanish fruits, and hath woods 

 full of nut trees, and wild vines. Heere are many mines 

 of copper, and great store of cattell. It lieth 60. leagues 

 from Mexico, whither we came within foure dayes after. 

 The Indians of this countrey are very mighty and big 

 men. 



Afterwards I returned another way to the province of 

 Sonsonate by Vera cruz, and so to Rio Alvarado, and 

 from thence to the province of Campeche, which lieth on 

 the South side of the bay of Mexico : the chiefe towne of 

 this province is called Merida, in which is a bishop and 

 almost 100 Spanyards. The Indians of this province pay 

 all their tribute in mantles of cotton wooll and cacao. 

 There is no port in all this province for a ship of 100 tun 

 to ride in, but onely in the river of Tabasco, by which 

 river this city of Merida standeth. The chiefest merchan- 

 dize which they lade there in small frigats, is a certeine 



374 



