The Christians stayed there one whole month so inclosed with snow, that they went not out of the town: and when they wanted firewood, the Governor with his horsemen going and coming many times to the wood, which was two crossbow shots from the town, made a pathway, whereby the footmen went for wood. In this mean space, some Indians which went loose, killed many conies with their gyves, and with arrows. These conies were of two sorts, some were like those of _Spain_, and the other of the same color and fashion, and as big as great hares, longer, and having greater loins. Upon Monday the 6th of March, 1542, the Governor departed from _Autiamque_ to seek _Nilco_, which the Indians said was near the great river, with determination to come to the sea, and procure some succor of men and horses; for he had now but three hundred men of war, and forty horses, and some of them lame, which did nothing but help to make up the number; and for want of iron they had gone above a year unshod; and because they were used to it in the plain country, it did them no great harm. _John Ortiz_ died in _Autiamque_, which grieved the Governor very much; because that without an interpreter he feared to enter far into the land, where he might be lost. From thenceforward a youth that was taken in _Cutifachiqui_ did serve for interpreter, which had by that time learned somewhat of the Christians' language. The death of _John Ortiz_ was so great a mischief for the discovering inward, or going out of the land, that to learn of the Indians, that which in four words he declared, they needed a whole day with the youth; and most commonly he understood quite contrary that which was asked him; whereby it often happened that the way that they went one day, and sometimes two or three days, they turned back, and went astray through the wood here and there. The Governor spent ten days in traveling from _Autiamque_ to a province called _Ayays_; and came to a town that stood near the river that passeth by _Cayas_ and _Autiamque_. There he commanded a barge to be made, wherewith he passed the river. When he had passed the river there fell out such weather, that four days he could not travel for snow. As soon as it gave over snowing, he went three days' journey through a wilderness, and a country so low, and so full of lakes and evil ways, that he traveled a whole day in water, sometimes knee deep, sometimes to the stirrup, and sometimes they swam. He came to a town called _Tutelpinco_, abandoned, and without maize. There passed by it a lake, that entered into the river, which carried a great stream and force of water. Five Christians passing over it in a periagua, which the Governor had sent with a captain, the periagua overset. Some took hold on it, some on the trees that were in the lake. One _Francis Sebastian_, an honest man of _Villa nova de Barca Rota_, was drowned there. The Governor went a whole day along the lake, seeking passage, and could