286 



cA M E %I C J. 



Chap. VI. 



■vering many Silver Mines, hath made feveral Melting-houfes, in whflfchc Silvei 

 being melted fwims upon the Lead. 



Sect. V. 



' Couliacan. 



Bounds of 

 CoHliacan. 



Towns. 



Gufman tirft 

 DifcoVerer < 

 of this Coun- 

 trey. 



Serpents 

 worihipp'd 

 by the Na- 

 tives. 



NExt to Cbiametla, Weftward and Southward ofCinoloa, lies Couliacan, Coaft- 

 ing all along the Bay of California, which it hath on the Weft 5 on the 

 Eaft it hath NewSifcay - and on the South, Xalifco. The Countrey is not 

 defective in any kind of neceffary Provifion, but more cfpecially it aboundeth with 

 Fruits of all forts. But the Spaniards look onely at the Mines, of which they have 

 fome few in this Countrey. The People were generally Cloth'd with Cotton- 

 Wooll when the Spaniards came firft amongft them, but yet never a whit the more 

 modeft, being exceedingly given to Venery, and that in a more fliamelefs and 

 beaftly manner than many other Americans who went naked. 



The Spanijh Towns are thefe, i. Hiujlula, feated on the Banks of a fair River,' 

 diftant about a days Journey from the Sea. 2. Quinola. 3. Quatrobarrios, an old 

 Town of the Natives, but new nam'd by the Spaniards. 4. El Leon, an old Bur- 

 rough. 5. Qouliacan, the chief Town of the Province. 6. St. Michael, in the Valley 

 of Jrroba, two Leagues diftant from the Sea, in a rich and plentiful Countrey, both 

 for Corn and Fruit, whither it was remov'd from the Banks of the River Orala, 

 where it firft flood • it was built by Nunne^ de Gufman in the Year i.jji. after he 

 had burnt the Towns, and deftroy'd a great number of the Natives, Inhabitants of 

 the Countrey. 



This Countrey was firft difcover'd by the aforefaid Nunne^ de Gufman (after he 

 had built Guadalajara) after this manner : Marching from Qhiametla to Piat^ala, he 

 ruin'd this Province with Fire and Sword : he likewife conquer'd the Countreys 

 of Zapuatun and Tia^tla^ the firft being a Plain, lay inclosM within high Moun- 

 tains, where the Spaniards met none but Women, till they came to a great River 

 call'd De la Sail, whofe Banks on each fide were well inhabited j the fecond juts 

 againft the Ocean, and is water'd by a River of the fame Denomination. Here, 

 within the Houfes, (which are built after a ftrange manner) lay thoufands of Ser- 

 pents mingled together, with their Heads flicking out on the top and at the fides, 

 and hiffing with open Mouth attfiofe which approached them. The Inhabitants 

 fliew'd great Reverence to thefe Serpents, becaufe (as they faid) the Devil often ap- 

 peared to them in that form. And this feems to be a Cuftome amongft them from 

 the Tradition of Eves being tempted by the Devil in the fliape of a Serpent : Nor 

 was this Superftition peculiar onely to thefe Indians, forafmuch as divers Natiohs 

 ofthe ancient Heathens of other parts of the World, worfliipp'd the Likenefs of a 

 Serpent. And even amongft the Greeks, according to flutarch, Hefychm, Clemens 

 Jlexandrinus, andothers, it was no unufual thing in their religious Worfhip to call 

 on Eva, and at the fame time to fliew a Serpent. Vlutarchm and jElianm fay, That 

 the Egyptians honour'd a Serpent for their God. The fame faith Erafmus Stella of 

 the old frupians • Sigifmund !Baro, of the Liflanders • and Alexander Guaginqs, ofthe 

 Sarmatians and Samogethes. Moreover, fome write, that in the Province of Calecat 

 are Serpents with exceeding great Heads, and weighing as much as a great Hog, 

 to which the King (hews great Reverence } fo that it feems the Devil takes delight 

 to be worfhip'd in that fliape wherein he work'd the Fall of Man -kind. 



Gufman leaving Tla^tla march'd to Sayla, where he found the gi eat River De Mu- 



. gens, 



