MILES PHILIPS A.D. 



1580-82. 



these seas of Sur, it is not possible for him to get out of 

 them againe, so that if he perish not at sea, yet hunger 

 wil force him to land. And then againe I was com- 

 manded by the Viceroy that I should not depart the citie 

 of Mexico, but alwaies be at my masters house in a 

 readinesse at an houres warning, when soever I should be 

 called : for that notwithstanding within one moneth after 

 certaine Spaniards going to Mecameca, 18 leagues from 

 Mexico, to send away certaine hides and Cochinilla, that 

 they had there at their Stantias or dairie houses, and my 

 master having leave of the Secretarie for me to go with 

 them, I tooke my journey with them being very well 

 horsed and appointed, and comming thither and passing 

 the time there at Mecameca certaine dayes till we had 

 perfect intelligence that the fleete was readie to depart, I 

 not being past 3 daies journey from the port of S. John 

 de Ullua, thought it to be the meetest time for me to 

 make an escape, and I was the bolder, presuming upon 

 my Spanish tongue, which I spake as naturally as any of 

 them all, thinking with my selfe, that when I came to 

 S. John de Ullua, I would get to be entertained as a 

 souldiour, and so go home into Spaine in the same Fleete, 

 and therefore secretly one evening late, the moone shining 

 faire, I conveyed my selfe away, and riding so for the 

 space of two nights and two dayes, sometimes in, and 

 sometimes out, resting very little all that time, upon the 

 second day at night I came to the towne of Vera Cruz, ^^^'^ Cruz 



distant from the port of S. John de Ullua, where the f '^^""^ 5 

 1 • 11 11 11 • leagues from 



ships rode, but only 5 leagues, and here purposmg to rest 5 y^^^ ^^ 



my selfe a day or two, I was no sooner alighted, but Ullua. 



within the space of one halfe houre after, I was by ill hap 



arrested, and brought before Justices there, being taken 



and suspected to be a gentlemans sonne of Mexico, that 



was runne away from his father, who in trueth was the [III. 484.] 



man they sought for : So I being arrested, and brought 



before the Justices, there was a great hurly burly about 



the matter, every man charging me that I was the sonne 



of such a man dwelling in Mexico, which I flatly denied, 



435 



