LETTER FROM FELICIANO CIEZA a.d. 



1597- 

 the villages and countrey of those rebels, which did joine 

 with the Frenchmen, and tooke many of them prisoners. 

 So they told me that there were ten great French ships 

 of warre which were at an anker in Rio Grande. 



Likewise I was informed, that there is a Frenchman 

 called Daurmigas, which hath discovered and found 

 great store of silver in a place called Copaoba. The ^ rich silver 

 silver hath bene tried and melted, it is very g^ood and ^J^^^ fi^^^. at 

 line Sliver, and there is great quantitie. i he man ^,f/yj^-;^ ^i^^ 

 which told me of this hath beene in the mine, and dayes jouj-ney 

 hath scene it tried and melted. And 1 have bene my ofParajua. 

 selfe once in the place: it is but 6 dayes journey L^^^- /"i?-] 

 from this Captaineship. 



Furthermore this Frenchman told me that one 

 Monsieur Mifa a french Captaine, and a kinsman of 

 the governour and Viceadmirall of Diepe in Nor- 

 mandie, had one of his armes strooken off at the 

 siege of the castle of Cabodelo ; who is departed from 

 Rio Grande, with determination to come backe hither 

 againe the next yeere in the moneth of Januarie fol- 

 lowing, and to inhabite in this countrey of Paraiba, 

 which is 20 leagues from Fernambuck, because of the 

 great store of silver, which they have alreadie found 

 here. 



Moreover I am enformed that a noble man of France 

 called The earle of Villa Dorca doth intend to come 

 upon this coast with a great fleete from Rochel. It 

 were good that your Majestic would send into France 

 to knowe the certainetie thereof. 



The Frenchman likewise told me that all the Canibals All the Car.i- 



of Petip^uar have ioyned themselves in companie with ^^^^^uP^^^- 



^ „ . -J -' . . ^ ^ . p-uar joxnr 



certame l^renchmen, which were cast away in two ^ith t^^ 



ships upon this coast. The one of these ships which Frenchmen 



were cast away was one Rifoles, and the other ship against the 



was this mans. And those Frenchmen which came Portugals. 



upon this coast did joyne themselves with those 



Canibals which did rebell, and did divide themselves 



into two squadrons. So I sent presently to Manuel 



67 



