The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 14: America, Part IIIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 14: America, Part III
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
city, where the king of Spaine had his gouernour: but by reason that the
Indians there destroyed the Christians, it lieth in a maner waste,
conteining in it not aboue tenne Christians with a priest. In this towne
I fell sicke, where I lay one and forty dayes, hauing no other
sustenance then fruit and water, which water I sent for aboue sixe
leagues off within the countrey. Here I remained till my companion came
to me, which had departed from me another way, reteining in my company
onely a slaue, which I brought with me from Mexico. And the last day in
Easter weeke my companion came to me, finding me in a very weake state,
by reason of the vnholesomenesse of the place. Notwithstanding my
weakenesse, I being set on an horse, and an Indian behinde mee to holde
mee, we went forward on our voyage all that day till night. The next day
in the morning we passed ouer the riuer in a canoa; and being on the
other side, I went my selfe before alone: and by reason there met many
wayes traled by the wilde beasts, I lost my way, and so trauelled thorow
a great wood about two leagues: and at length fell into the hands of
certaine wilde Indians, which were there in certaine cottages made of
straw; who seeing me, came out to the number of twenty of them, with
their bowes and arrowes, and spake vnto mee in their language, which I
vnderstood not: and so I made signes vnto them to helpe mee from my
horse; which they did by commandement of their lord, which was there
with them: and lighted downe. They caried me vnder one of their
cottages, and layed me vpon a mat on the ground: and perceiuing that I
could not vnderstand them, they brought vnto mee a little Indian wench
of Mexico, of fifteene or sixteene yeeres of age, whom they commanded to
aske me in her language from whence I came, and for what intent I was
come among them: for (sayth she) doest thou not know Christian, how that
these people will kill and eat thee? To whom I answered, let them doe
with me what they will; heere now I am. Shee replied, saying, thou
mayest thank God thou art leane; for they feare thou hast the pocks:
otherwise they would eate thee. So I presented to the king a little wine
which I had with me in a bottle; which he esteemed aboue any treasure:
for wine they will sell their wiues and children. Afterwards the wench
asked me what I would haue, and whether I would eat any thing. I
answered that I desired a little water to drinke, for that the countrey
is very hote: and shee brought me a great Venice glasse, gilded, full of
water. And maruelling at the glasse, I demanded how they came by it. She
tolde me that the Casique brought it from Shallapa, a great towne distant
30 leagues from this place on the hilles, whereas dwelt certeine
Christians, and certeine friers of the Order of S. Augustine, which this
Casique with his people on a night slew: and burning the friers
monasterie, among other things reserued this glasse: and from thence
also brought me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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