302 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 73 
The next day's travel brought us to a dense forest which we traversed and we slept 
on the other side of it. The next day we traveled in the rain and slept by a spring 
and the day following, after about one league's traveling, we arrived at a big river 
called Napa Ubab, which was as thickly wooded on one bank as on the other; we 
crossed it that day and, as our provisions had given out, we slept on the opposite 
bank. While there we heard the Chacatos, who were in our company, say that they 
suffered a great many hardships and privations (hunger) , that the Apalachinos although 
great in number, did not know how to fight, and, upon seeing the palisades of the 
Chiscas, they most assuredly would run away, while they themselves would perish. 
Therefore they wished to return, but that of course, they would not be allowed to 
return, if they showed themselves on the roads. We, the said chiefs, called them 
and together we said to them, "Children, we are Christians and we bear all those 
sufferings with great patience, so you also have patience. We all will have to have 
it until we see our enemies. And should you try to return, we would take you on 
by force until you take us to the place where the palisade of the Chiscas is and you 
shall guide us. Once there, then, you may fight if you so wish to, and if not you can 
stand aside, ' ' which they really did, for only three of them fought beside us. The next 
morning we despatched spies on two different sides, and we traveled all day, night 
overtaking us on a little river, called Oclacasquis, which is Rio Colorado. That night 
some spies came back, telling us that they had seen tracks of bison and people who 
followed them (the bison). We were very anxious, because twelve of the spies 
whom we had sent out did not return all that night. In the morning we called those 
who had seen the tracks and ordered them to go ahead and see if they saw more tracks* 
and we followed them. Very soon they came running back, telling us that they had 
seen the Chiscas curing meat in smoke. We at once distributed our men on two 
wings in order to catch them between our forces and see if we could get them alive, 
but they defended themselves so that it became necessary to kill them. There were 
two. We remained there and on that day at about eight o'clock, the twelve men 
who had been missing fired a shot. We answered with another, and upon arriving 
where we were, they told us that they had lost their way, and they were greatly 
consoled at the sight of ears of corn which we had taken from the two Chiscas, con- 
sidering them (the Chiscas) to be near by. 
We continued our journey and on the seventeenth day after our departure from 
Apalache we rested for the night near a small lagoon, traveling the next day, always 
in a westerly direction. We despatched three men ahead to look for the road which 
led to the Chiscas, because the Chacatos had been overheard to say that we must be 
near to judge from the forests (or mountains) which they recognized. A short while 
afterwards the spies came back, telling us that they had found the road which led to 
the Chiscas, and we traveled until at about sunset we were on the said road. Some 
Were of the opinion that we ought to pass the night where we had been when told 
about this place, others that we ought to sleep right here in order to reach the palisade 
early in the morning, but when we were all together the chiefs decided that we were 
not to sleep at all, but to keep right on advancing, and With the help of God reach 
the said palisade, because this was the eve of Saint Matthew, the Apostle. After 
having traveled about one league we heard noises and a drum and saw big fires, and 
We noticed that the road was a track greatly beaten by people who returned to the 
palisades of the Chacatos, Panzacolas, and Chiscas who lived near the sea, and we 
retired to a height to prepare ourselves, examine our arms, and fit ourselves up. 
Then all the chiefs gathered and we held a consultation about what was to be done. 
Some proposed to wait until sunrise, others to strike at midnight, still others shortly 
before sunrise. Finally we all agreed to make it a quarter before sunrise. Thus it 
was ordered, and we admonished our men. Then we sent two men ahead of us and 
most courageously followed them, and very soon we reached them, and they told us 
