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
From this prouince they folowed their iourney for the space of fifteene
dayes without meeting any people all that while, passing thorow great
woods and groues of pine trees bearing such fruit as those of Castile:
at the end whereof, having trauelled, to their iudgement, fourescore
leagues, they came vnto a small hamlet or village of fewe people, in
whose poore cottages couered with straw they found many deeres-skinnes
as well dressed as those of Flanders, with great store of excellent
white salt. They gave our men good entertainment for the space of two
dayes while they remained there, after which they bare them company
about twelue leagues, vnto certaine great townes, alwayes travelling by
the riuer called Rio del Norte abouesayd, till such time as they came
vnto the countrey called by them New Mexico. Here all along the shore of
the sayd riuer grew mighty woods of poplar being in some places foure
leagues broad, and great store of walnut trees, and vines like those of
Castillia.
Hauing trauelled two dayes thorow the said woods of Poplar and Walnut
trees, they came to ten townes situate on both sides of the sayd riuer,
besides others which they might see further out of the way, wherein they
seemed to be great store of people, and those which they saw were aboue
ten thousand persons. In this prouince they received them very
courteously, and brought them to their townes, whereas they gaue them
plenty of victuals and hennes of the countrey, with many other things,
and that with great good will. Here they found houses of foure stories
high, very well built, with gallant lodgings, and in most of them were
Stooues for the Winter season. Their garments were of Cotton and of
deere-skinnes, and the attire both of the men and women is after the
maner of the Indians of the kingdome of Mexico. But the strangest thing
of all was to see both men and women weare shooes and boots with good
soles of neats leather, a thing which they never sawe in any other part
of the Indies. The women keepe their haire well combed and dressed,
wearing nothing els vpon their heads. In all these townes they had
Caciques, which gouerned their people like the Caciques of Mexico, with
Sergeants to execute their commandments, who goe thorow the townes
proclaiming with a loud voice the pleasure of the Caciques, commanding
the same to be put in execution. In this prouince our men found many
idols which they worshipped, and particularly they had in euery house an
Oratory for the diuell, whereinto they ordinarily cary him meat: and
another thing they found, that as it is an vse among the Christians to
erect crosses vpon the high wayes, so haue this people certain high
chapels, in which they say the diuell vseth to take his ease, and to
recreat himselfe as he trauelleth from one towne to another; which
chapels are maruellously well trimmed and painted. In all their arable
grounds, wherof they haue great plenty, they erect on the one side a
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