swamunI EARL? BISTORT? OF THE CREEK INDIANS 231 
Nanipacna. Being threatened with starvation here, De Luna senl a 
sergeant major with six captains and 200 soldiers Qorthward in search 
of Coosa, whither some of his companions had accompanied DeSoto 
20 years before, and which they extolled highly. They came first to a 
place railed Olihahali, of which we shall speak again, and after a short 
stay there continued still farther toward the north. The narrative 
continues as follows: 
The whole province was called Coza, taking its name from the most famous city 
within Its boundaries. It was God's will that they should soon get within sight of 
thai place which had been so Ear famed and so much thought about and, yet, it did 
not have above thirty houses, or a few more. There were seven little hamlets in 
its district, live of them smaller and two larger than < loza itself, which name prevailed 
for the fame it had enjoyed in its antiquity. It looked so much worse to the Spaniards 
for having been depicted so grandly, and they had though! it to be so much better. 
Its inhabitants had been said to be innumerable, the site itself as being wider and 
more level than Mexico, the springs had been said to be many and of very clear water, 
food plentiful and gold and silver in abundance, which, without judging rashly, was 
that which the Spaniards desired most. Truly the land was fertile, but it lacked 
cultivation. There was much forest, but little fruit, because as it was not cultivated 
the land was all unimproved and full of thistles and weeds. Those they had brought 
along as guides, being people who had been there before, declared that they must 
have been bewitched when this country seemed to them so rich and populated as 
they had stated. The arrival of the Spaniards in former years had driven the Indians 
up into the forests, where they preferred to live among the wild beasts who did no harm 
to them, but whom they could master, than among the Spaniards at whose hands they 
received injuries, although they were good to them. Those from Coza received the 
guests well, liberally, and with kindness, and the Spaniards appreciated this, the more 
so as the actions of their predecessors did not call for it. They gave them each day 
four fanegas 1 of corn for their men and their horses, of which latter they had fifty and 
none of which, even during their worst sufferings from hunger, they had wanted to 
kill and eat, well knowing that the Indians were more afraid of horses, and that one 
horse gave them a more warlike appearance, than the fists of two men together. But 
the soldiers did not look for maize; they asked most diligently where the gold could 
be found and where the silver, because only for the hopes of this as a dessert had they 
endured the fasts of the painful y >urney. Every day little groups of them went search- 
ing through the country and they found it all deserted and without news of gold. 
From only two tribes were there news about gold — one was the Oliuahali which they 
had just left ; the others were the Napochies, who lived farther on. Those were enemies 
to those of Coza, and they had verystubborn warfare with each other, the Napochies 
avenging some offense they had received at the hands of the people of Coza. The latter 
Indians showed themselves such good friends of ihe Spaniards thai our men did not 
know what recompense to give them nor what favor to do them. The wish to favor 
those who humiliate themselves goes hand in hand with ambition. The Spaniards 
have the fame of not being very humble and the people of Coza who had surrendered 
themselves experienced now their favors. Not only were they careful not to cause 
them any damage or injury, but gave them many things they had brought along, 
outside of what they gave in the regular exchange f< »r maize. Their gratitude went even 
so far that the sergeant major, who accompanied the expedition as captain of the 200 
men, told the Indians that if they wanted his favor and the strength of his men to 
make war on their enemies, they could have them readily, just as they had been ready 
' About the same number of English bushels. 
