WHereas in the title of this Treatise I haue saide that in the yeare 1583. there was disco­uered a Lande contey­ning 15. Prouinces, ly­ing in or vpon the continent of Newe Spaine, which by the discouerers ther­of was named Newe Mexico, I will with as much breuitie as I may (for it I had diffusedly set downe all that haue béene therein seene and knowne, it would require a history) declare the substance of the same: which is, that in the yeare 1581. a certeine religious person of the order of Franciscans na-Frier Augustine Ruis, dwelling in the vale of S. Bartholmew, béeing giuen to vnderstande by certeine Indians called Conchos, who communicated with o­ther their neighbors néere adioining, called Passaguates, that toward y^e north partes men might traueile by land to certeine great towns, of the Spaniards [Page] neuer discouered nor knowne: preten­ding the saluation of their soules, hée craued license of the Conde of Corunna viceroy of the saide Newe Spayne, and other his superiors, to trauaile thither to learne their language, & afterward to bring them to receiue baptisme, and to preach vnto them the holy Gospell. Hauing obteined this licence, and ta­king with him two companions more of the same order, with eight souldiers who voluntarily offered to accompa­nie him, he departed, in purpose to put in practise his pretended Christian & charitable intent, & within fewe daies iourney came into a Prouince named Tiguas, distant from the mynes of S. Barbara, where they began their iour­ney, 250. leagues northward: in which land through occasion, the inhabitants killed one of his two companions. Which when the souldiers that came with him perceiued, entering into fur­ther consideration of their successe, and fearing least some thing to their great harme might thereof ensue, they deter­mined with a common consent to re­turne to the mynes of S. Barbara from [Page] whence they set foorth, in respect of the small number that they were to with­stand such matters as might happen, béeing so farre distant from the places which the Spaniards did inhabite, and from al necessary succour. But the two Fryers that remained, did not onelie dislike of their resolution, but also sée­ing so fit occasion to execute their pur­poses, and so much fruite euen ripe for Gods table, when they could no waye perswade the souldiers to proceede in the discouerie, resolued to stay in the saide prouince with onely thrée Indian boyes and one mungrell, whome they carried with them, thinking that not­withstanding they there remained a­lone, yet they shoulde bee very safe by reason of the affability and loue wher­with the inhabitantes intreated them. When the eight souldiers were thus returned to their desired place, they presently sent newes of their successe to the viceroy at Mexico, which is di­stant frō S. Barbaras mines 160 leagues The Franciscan fryers hearing of the stay of their brethren did much mislike hereof, fearing least being so alone, [Page] they might be slaine, and therfore be­gan to moue and stirre vp the mindes of sundry souldiers to accompanie an other Fryer of the same order called Frier Bernardine Beltran into the same prouince, thēce to bring the said two o­ther fryers in safetie, and to prosecute that which was before begun.

At the same time there was (through occasion) at the said mynes, a citizen of Mexico, called Anthony of Espeio, a rich man, and of great courage & indu­strie: one zealous in the seruice of the kings maiestie Don Phillip, and was borne in Cordoua. This man (vnder­standing the said fryers purpose, toge­ther with the importance of the muse, offered his person to the iourny, as al­so to spend part of his substance, and to aduenture his life therein, if he might to that ende obteine license and autho­ritie of the chiefe deputies in those pla­ces. Wherefore by the procurement of the saide Frier, there was order taken by Capteine Ontinerus, his maiesties chiefe Alcady in the towne of the soure kinges within the gouernement of Bi­scay, 70. leagues from the said mines of [Page] S. Barbara, that he might as well in per­son go forward on the sayd iourny, as al­so to gather & take vp suche souldiers as voluntarily would accompany him, to y^e end so to prosecute this his Christian an enterprise. The saide Antony of Espeyo tooke this busines so earnestly in hand, y^e in very few daies he had gathered toge­ther his souldiers and necessary prouisiō for suche a iourney, spending therein a great part of his substance: and so depar­ted from the vale of S. Bartholmew vpon the 10. of Nouember, 1582. carrying with him for all occasions that might fall out 115. horses & moiles, with much weapon, munition & furniture, and some people of seruice. He tooke his way toward y^e north and within 2. daies iourney he met with many Indians called Conchos in rowes or streets of straw houses, who whē they vnderstood of the comming of our people, came foorth ioyfully to méete them. The foode of this people, as also of all the rest of this prouince which is very large, is y^e flesh of conies, hares, & déere, wherof they haue great plenty. They haue also verie much Mais, which is the Indian wheat, goords, & abundonce of good mellons, also [Page] great store of riuers which yéelde them great quantitie of fish of diuers sortes, & for the most part they all go naked, their weapons are bowes & arrows, they lyue vnder the signiory & gouernment of Cas­sicques as the Mexicans, but there were found no Idols, neither can it be founde that they woorship any thing, which is y^e reason that they easily agréed y^e the Chri­stians should sette vp crosses, wherewith they were wel contented after they were by our people informed of the significatiō of the same, through such interpreters as they caryed with them, by whose means also they learned of other towns whither the said Conchos accompanied & guyded them, going with them aboue 24. leagues which was all inhabited with their Na­tion, & through the aduise which the Cas­sicques gaue from one towne to another, came foorth to méet them, and receiued them with peace.

Hauing thus passed these 24. leagues, they came vnto another people called Passaguates, Passaguates. who after y^e maner of y^e afore said Conchos their neighbors came forth & vsed them in the same maner as the o­ther had done, guiding them forwarde 4. [Page] daies iourney with aduise from the Cas­sicques as afore. In this iourny our peo­ple found many siluer mines in y^e iudge­ment of such as haue skill in such things, and very rich mettall.

One daies iourney beyond these, they came to another nation called Tobosos, Tobosos. who seeing & hearing of our people, fled into the woods, leauing their towns and houses desert. We afterward vnderstood that a few yeares before there had beene some soldiers which going to seek mines had led certeine of the inhabitantes cap­tiue, which was the cause of y^e feare and suspitiousnes of the rest. But the captein gaue order for the calling of them backe, with assurance that they should haue no harme, vsing so good pollicie y^t they returned & were very wel vsed, wherby enioy­ing their fauour, & by interpreters pro­mising that they shoulde haue no harme, they became quiet, & were content with the setting vp of crosses, & to heare y^e my­steries of y^e same, wherewith in outward shew they seemed to be wel pleased, and afterward accompanied them as their neighbors had done, vntill they brought them to another people about 12. leagues [Page] distant from them, they vse also bowes and arrowes, and do go naked.

The people wherto the Tobosos gui­ded them are called Iumanos, Iumanos. whome the Spaniards by an other name doo call Pa­tarabueyes. Patarabueyes Their prouince is large cōsi­sting of many towns with much people. The houses haue sellers & are of lime & stone, & the towns traced in very good or­der, al the men & womē haue their faces, armes, & legs painted, they are a corpu­lent people, & more politike then any of the former, & haue much victuall, & great store of game both of foot & winge, with plentie of fish, by reason of their great ri­uers running frō the northward, wherof some are as large as Guadalquiuir which fall into the very north sea. It hath ma­ny lakes of salt water, whiche certaine times of the yeare do curdle & they make therof very good salt. They are a warlike people and so shewed themselues, for the first night that our people pitched their campe, they shot & killed fiue horses and hurt as many more very sore, nether had left any aliue if the watch had not beha­ued themselues very well in the defence of the rest, & hauing done this mischiefe [Page] they vnpeopled the towne & fled into the woods there adioining, but the next mor­ning the Captaine with fiue souldiers, & an Interpreter called Peter, an Indian of their owne nation, went thether to them, and with very good speach quieted them and brought them to peace, so as he caused them to returne to their habitati­ons, yea & perswaded thē to certifie their neighbours that they were men that did no harme to any, neither went to take & rob them of their goods. This through his wisedome did he bring to passe & easilie obteined, & gaue vnto their Casciques cer­taine bunches of glasse beads which they caried of purpose, & hats & other childish toies: vpō this & other good vsage of them many accompanied our people certaine daies along the great riuer aforesaid, whervpon stood many townes of this na­tion, during al which iourneis (the Cas­siques giuing notice from one to an­other they came foorth without their bowes or arrowes to méet our people, & brought them much victuals with other dainties & gifts, especially skins of Cha­mois so well dressed that those of Flan­ders are no better. They go all clothed, & [Page] it was found that they had some small inckling of our Christian faith, for they made signs toward God with looking vp into heauen, whome in their language they call Appallito, & him they acknow­ledge for the Lord at whose hand & mercy they confesse that they haue receiued life & naturall being. Many of them came & brought their wiues & children, to the in­tent that the religious persons of whom we spake, which went with the soldiers might giue them their blessing. After­ward being demanded of whom they had learned that knowledge of God, they said of thrée Christians & one Negro that had passed that way & staied a while in their countrie, who by the tokens that they gaue, séemed to be Aluares Nunnes Cabe­ça de Vacca, Dorantes, Castillio Maldona­do & a Negro, who were escaped from the Armato wherwith Pamphilo of Naruaes entred into Florida, & hauing bene long slaues chanced to come to these places, where GOD wrought many strange things by them, yea & healed sundrie par­sons, whereby their name was famous throughout al that countrie. All this pro­uince séemed to remaine very quiet, in [Page] demonstration wherof they accompanied & serued our people sundrie daies along the riuer afore said. A fewe daies after they came to a populous countrie of In­dians, whose inhabitants came to receiue our people, after th [...] [...] [...]ir neighbors they vnderstood of [...] Sauiour, and brought forth many [...]gs made of fea­thers very curiously of sundrie colours, & many cotton mātels striped with blew and white, like to those that came from China, to bartare and chaunge for other things: Both men & women are apparel­led in Chamois very well dressed. Our mē could not learne the name of that na­tion for want of an Interpreter that vn­derstood their language, notwithstanding they dealt with them by signes, & when they shewed them certaine stones of very great price, demaunding whether there were any such in their land: They an­swered by signes, that about fiue daies iourney from thence toward the West there were plentie of the same, also that they themselues would guide them the­ther & shew them vnto them, which they afterward performed, accōpanying them for the space of 22 leagues, all inhabited [Page] by the same natiō. Next vnto whom they presently came along the riuer to an o­ther nation far more populous then the last, where they were very well receiued & entertained with many presents, espe­cially of fish, which was there infinit by reason of great lakes thereabout wherin the same were bred. They remained a­mong those people thrée daies, who enter­teined them night and day with diuerse dances after their manner, & sundrie de­monstratious of great ioy, but they could not learne their name for want of an in­terpreter, howbeit they vnderstood that y^e countrie stretched very far & were a gret nation. Among them they found an In­dian of the nation of the Conchos, Conchos. who by signes gaue them to vnderstand that 15. iourneis thence toward the west, there was a great & verie broad lake, & about the same many great townes, & houses of thrée or foure stories hie, the inhabitants apparelled & plentie of victuals, & promi­sed to bring them thether, where of they were very glad, & so they gaue ouer the prosecuting of the first determination ta­ken at y^e beginning of the iourney, which was to go northward to y^e end to succour [Page] the fryers aforesaid. In this prouince that which particularly was to bee noted, is, y^t y^e same was of a good temperature, a wel­thy cuntry, plenty of game aswel on wing as foote, rich in mettals, & other particular things of profit. Frō this land they trauei­led 15 daies not méeting any other people. Thus passing along through great woods of pine apples & pines like those of Castile hauing iournied by estimation 80. leagues they came to a small village or towne of a few people, in whose houses (which were poore and of straw, they found many skins of déere very well dressed, as those of Flan­ders, with much white salt and that verye good: héere they lodged them very well for the space of 2. daies that they there remai­ned, & then conueyed them 12. leagues fur­ther, still going northward by the riuer a­foresaid vntill they came to the cuntry na­med New Mexico: along the marishes of y^e same riuer grew plentie of white elms, which they cal Alamos Blanchos, like woods in some places 4. leagues large, & the lyke of walnuttrées, and many arbors of vynes like those of Castile.

Hauing iourneyed twoo daies through these groues of elmes and walnuttrees, [Page] they came to 10 villages or townes scituat on either side of y^e said riuer, besides others which they might sée further of, which sée­med to be very well peopled, as also those that they came vnto cōteined aboue 10000 soules: In this prouince they were much made of & had very good interteinment, be­ing guided frō towne to towne, & had great plenty of victuall giuen thē, as hens & ma­ny other things, & all with great good will. Here they found houses of 4 stories high, very wel builded with gallant lodgings, & in most of thē stoaues for the winter sea­son. Their garments were of cotton & of déeres skins, & the attyre both of the men & women is after the maner of the Indians of Mexico, but the strangest thing of all was that both men and women did weare shoes & bootes of good leather, with soales of cow hides, a matter neuer séene in any other of those countries before. The womē do kéepe theyr haire very well combed and dressed vp, without any thing vpon theyr heads. In all these townes they haue Cas­sicques that gouerne them in like maner as the Mexicans, with their sergeants: and officers to execute their commandements. which going thorough the towne to with [Page] an outcrie deliuer the Cassicques precepts vnto y^e people, causing the same to be put in execution. Here our men found many idols which the inhabitants did worship, & especially they haue in euery house a tēple for y^e diuell, wherinto they ordinarily carie him meat, & as it is among the Christians an vse to erect crosses in the high waies, so haue this people certaine high chapels, in in the which they say the Diuell vseth to take his ease & recreate himselfe as he tra­uelleth from one towne to an other, these chappels are very wel trimmed & painted. In all their crable grounds whereof they haue plentie, they erect on the one side a porch standing vpon foure pillers wherin the laborers do eat and make their feasts, for the people are much giuen to labour & do ordinarily follow their worke. It is a wooddie countrie full of pyne trées. The weapons that they vse are very stronge bowes & arrowes pointed with pedernall or flint, wherewith they will péerce a coat of maile, they haue also certeine staues of halfe a yard long full of sharpe flints, suf­ficient to cleaue a man asunder in the mid­dest called Imacanas, and they vse shields of raw cow hides.

HAuing remained 4. daies in this Pro­uince, not far off they came to another called the Lande of Tyguas, Tiguas. conteining 16. townes, in one whereof called Poala, they vnderstood that the inhabitants had slayne the 2. Fryers aforesaid: viz. Frier Frauncis Lopes, & Frier Augustine Ruys whom they went to séeke for, & the thrée boyes and the mungrell. When the townesmen therfore and their nexte neighbors sée our people there, their consciences accusing them, and fearing least our men came to punish thē, & to reuenge the death of the persons aforesaid, they durst not abide, but leauing their houses emptie, fled into the woodes borde­ring about them, from whence they would neuer come downe, notwithstanding sun­dry deuises which our men practised there about. They found in the townes & houses good store of victuals, with infinite num­bers of hens of that cuntry, & sundry sorts of mettals, wherof some séemed to be verie good. I am not able to shew what numbers of people this prouince might conteine, by reason (as is aforesaid) they were fledde to the thickets.

[Page]Finding those to be deceased whom they sought for, they entered in consultation whether they shuld returne into new Bis­cay from whence they came, or else go for­ward on the iourney, wherin were diuers opinions. Howbeit vnderstanding that to­ward the east parts of that prouince, and somewhat distant from thence there were some very great & rich towns, also finding themselues so néere the same, the said cap­taine Antony of Espeio with the cōsent of frier Bernardine Beltran & the most part of his companie determined to procéed in the discouerie, to sée wherto it would come, as also to giue assured & certaine notice to his maiestie, as eye witnesses of al that them­selues had séene, & so with one accord they determined that the armie should lie still there, while the captain & two more of his cōpany should prosecute their desire, which they put in practise. After two daies iour­ney they happened of another prouince wherein they sée 11. townes & much people, in their opinion aboue 40000 soules: It was a very fertile soile, and no lesse furni­shed with prouision, whose cōfines did im­mediatly adioine vnto the land of Cibola wherin are many kine, with whose skins [Page] they do apparell themselues as also with cotton, imitating in their gouernment the orders of their neighbors, there séemeth to be many rich mines, of whose mettals they found in the Indians houses, which Indi­ans haue & do worship Idols, and receiued our men with peace, giuing them victuals to eat. This being séene, as also the dispo­sition of the countrie, they returned to the campe, there to giue notice to their com­pany of all that is aforesaid.

Béeing returned to the army, they had intelligence of another cuntry called Qui­res, Quires. which stood along vpon y^e north Riuer, about 6. leagues of, & in their iourney thi­therward about 1. league frō y^e place, there came forth very many Indians to receiue them in peace, requesting them to go with them to their townes, which they accepted & were very wel enterteined. In this pro­uince they found but 5 towns, though very full of people, for they sawe aboue 15000, soules, who doe worship Idols, as doe also their neighbors. In one of these townes they foūd a parrat in a cage, as they vse in Castile: also shadows called Tirasoles, like vnto those y^t they bring frō China, wherin were painted the sun, moone, & many stars, [Page] where hauing takē y^e altitude, they foūd it to be 37. degrees & a half vnder y^e north. De­parting out of this prouince, & traueiling by the same path, within 14. leagues they foūd another prouince called Cumes, Cumes. wher they did sée other 5. cities, y^e greatest wher­of was called Cia, & was so large y^t it con­teined 8. market places, the houses tyled & painted of diuers colours, & much better then haue béene séene in the former coun­tries. The number of inhabitants séeme to be aboue 20000. soules. They gaue to our people for presents many curious mātles, with meates well dressed, & were accomp­ted to be more curious & of greater pollicy then any of them y^t yet they had séene, & of better gouernment. They shewed thē rich mettals, & the mountains not far off from whence they had them: heere also our peo­ple heard of another prouince bearing to­ward the northwest, whereunto they pur­posed to go.

Hauing trauailed about 6. leagues, they came to y^e same prouince, which was called Amages, Amages. conteining 7. towns very great, & to their iudgemēt in y^e same 30000. soules, one of these towns was very faire wherto they refused to go, as well because it stoode [Page] in a wood, as also for feare of mishap, if per chance they shuld be seperated one frō an­other. They are people in māners not vn­like their neighbors, as well furnished as they & of as good gouernment. About 15 leagues frō this prouince westward they foūd a great towne called Acoma, Acoma. cōsisting of aboue 6000 soules, standing vpō a high rocke, which was aboue 50 paces high, ha­uing no other entrance but by a ladder or payre of staiers hewen in the same rocke, which bred a great maruell in our men: al their water they haue in cesternes. The chiefe mē of this towne came peaceably to visit the Spaniards, bringing them many mantels, Chamois well dressed, & plētie of victuals. Their erable land lieth 2 leagues frō them, & the water that moisteneth the same procéedeth from a small riuer néere therto, about the which do grow many rose trées like to those of Castile. There are al­so many woods hauing in thē some mines of mettall, but they went not to sée them because the Indians be both many & very warlike. Our men remained here 3 dayes, and in one of the townes the people made them a solemne daunce, & therewith came forth in gallant garments, & plaies very [Page] ingenious wherewith they were wonder­fully delighted.

About 24 leagues frō hence toward the west, they hapned vpon a prouince in the countrie language called Zuni, Zuni. and by the Spaniards named Cibola, wherin do inha­bite very many Indians. In this citie had Frances Vasques Coronado erected many crosses and other tokens of Christianitie which yet remaine. They also found there three Indian Christians that had cōtinued there, euer since his said iourney, whose names were Andrew of Cuyoacan, Iasper of Mexico, & Antony of Guadalaiara, who had almost forgottē their owne language, but could speake that countrie speech very well, notwithstanding that in a smal time being talked withall, they easily recouered the vnderstāding of what so euer was spo­ken. Of them our men vnderstood that 60 daies iourneis of, there was a very great lake & vpō the shores thereof many goodly townes, also that the enhabitans of y^e same had plentie of gold, which was y^e better to be knowen because they al did were brace­lets & earerings thereof: also that Frances Vasques Coronado being certified thereof had gone out of this land of Cibola & pro­céeded [Page] 14 iournies thitherward, and then through want of water was forced to re­turne, determining neuerthelesse to make a second voiage thither being better fur­nished for y^e same, which he neuer perfor­med, being preuented therein by death.

Vnto the news of y^e riches aforesaid did the said Anthony of Espeio apply himself, to whose opinion the most part of his com­pany condiscended, except the Frier, who alledged y^t it was now time to returne to new Byscay, from whence they came, there to giue accompt of y^t which they had séene, whereto most of them consented, leauing their capteine with onely 9 companions y^t willingly followed him, who after know­ledge of y^e riches aforesaid, departed with his said companions, & traueiling directly toward y^e west, after hee had iourneied 28. leagues, found another very great Lande, which by estimatiō conteined 50000 souls & more. The inhabitans vnderstanding of their approch, sent them word vpon paine of death to come no néerer their townes, wherto y^e capteine answered, y^t their com­ming was no way to harme them, as they should wel perceiue, & therefore requested them not to molest them, & withal gaue to [Page] the messenger some such rewards as they had at hand, who vpon y^e same, gaue so good words of our people, y^t he mollified y^e harts of the rebellious Indiās, & obteined leaue for them to come among them, which they did with 150 of their frendes of y^e prouince of Cibola aforesaid, and the thrée Mexican Indians before mentioned.

When they came within one league of the first towne, there came foorth to méete them aboue 2000 Indians with necessarie prouision, as victuals, &c. whō the capteine rewarded with some things of smal value, which vnto them neuerthelesse séemed of greater account then so much gold. Appro­ching néerer to the towne, which was na­med Zaguato, a great number of Indians came foorth to méete them, and among the rest the Cassicques, with so great demon­stration of ioy, that they cast much meale and maiz vppon the ground for the horses to tread vpon: with such triumph they en­tered the towne, where they were muche made of, and very well lodged, which the capteine did in part requite, giuing to the chiefest among them hattes, and beades of glasse, with manie such trifles that they caryed with them for the like purpose.

[Page]The said Cassicques presently gaue notice through y^e whole prouince of y^e arriuall of these new guests, whō they reported to be a curteous people, & such as offered them no harm, intreating them to come to their towns, which they yéelded vnto, though w^t great foresight what might follow, wher­in y^e captein also vsed some pollicy, giuing them to vnderstande y^e the horses, who (as they had already béen informed, would de­uoure men) were very fierce, & therefore y^e it was necessary to make some fort of lime & stone wherin to kéepe them, to auoid such inconuenience as otherwise might fall to y^e Indians by them, which the Cassicques did so stedfastly beléeue, y^t with all spéede y^e said fort which our men required was by them finished. Moreouer vpō the capteines spéech y^e he would depart, they brought vn­to him a present of 4000. mantles of cot­ton both white & painted, a great quantity of handkerchiefes purled & stitched, & some rich mettal among which séemed to cōtein much siluer. Among these Indians they learned much concerning the great Lake aforesaid, as also of the riches thereof, and great abundance of golde.

The capteine reposing some cōfidence in [Page] this people, left there 5 of his cōpany with the rest of his Indian fréends, who thence should returne to Zuni with y^e baggage, & tooke y^e other 4 with him, procéeding with such guides as he had gotten, & hauing tra­uelled 45 leagues toward y^e west, he came to very rich mines, out of the which w^t his owne hād he tooke rich mettall & much sil­uer: these mines were in a wooddie moun­taine, whereto they might easily get vp by reason of an opē way y^e lay to the same. A­bout thē were some townes of Indians cal­led Seranos, Seranos who came forth to méet them with crosses in their hands & other tokens of peace. In these parts they foūd 2 riuers, hauing on their shores diuers arbors of very good grapes, great walnuttrées, & muche flaxe like that of Castile, & they shewed by signs y^t behind this mountain there was a riuer of 8 leagues broad, but we could not learne howe néere it was, but by their de­monstration it séemed to draw toward the north sea, also y^t vpon the edges thereof on either side there stood diuers great townes, in respect of which the towne wherin they were was but a stréet. From hence y^e Cap­teine departed toward y^e prouince of Zuni, whither he had sent his company: & being [Page] come thither, he met with his 5 cōpaniōs, & Frier Bernardine Beltran with the sol­diers, who (as is aforesaid) were before de­termined to returne, but as yet vpon cer­teine occasions not departed, whō y^e people there had very wel intreated, as they did the capteine afterward, & those that came with him, méeting him w^t tokens of great ioy, to whom they gaue much victuals for his iourny homeward, desiring him to re­turne with all conuenient spéed, & to bring with him more Castillis (for so they tearm the Spaniards) to whom they promised food sufficiēt, affirming y^e to that end they had sowne that yeare more graine then in any yeares before. At this time did the Frier & souldiers aforesaid procéed in their former determination, & concluded vpon their re­turn to y^e prouince frō whence they came, to whō also Gregory Hernandes (who had béene in al the former iourny) ioined him­selfe. These thus departed, y^e captein with the 8 souldiers procéeded in their begunne iourney vp by y^e north riuer, & hauing tra­uailed about 60 leagues toward the pro­uince of the Quires aforesaid, béeing with­in 12 leagues of the east part thereof, they found a people called the Hubates, Hubates. who re­ceiued [Page] them with peace, & gaue thē muche victuals, informing them also of very rich mines which they founde, whereout they got good & glistering mettall, & therewith returned to the towne from whence they came. This prouince conteined by estima­tion about 25000 soules, all very well ap­parelled in mantels of cotten painted, and & chamois very wel dressed: they haue ma­ny groues of pines & cedars, and their hou­ses are of 4 or 5 stories height. Heere they had notice of another people, which was a­bout one daies iourny thence, consisting of aboue 40000 soules, in which place when they came, the inhabitants would giue thē no food, nor admit them into their towns: for which cause, as also because of the dan­ger wherin they were, as also y^e some of the souldiers were not wel at ease, and them­selues very few, they departed into the cū ­tries of the Christians in July 1583. béeing guided by an Indian that went with thē, who led them another way then they wēt forth by, along a riuer called of Kine, in re­spect of the great numbers of kine y^e féede all along the banks thereof, by the which they traueiled for the space of 120 leagues, stil méeting with store of the said cattel.

[Page]Frō hence they went forward to y^e riuer of Conchos by which they entered, & thēce to y^e vale of S. Bartlemew, frō whence they first entered into their discouerie. Thether they heard y^e frier Bernardine & his cōpanie were safly come many daies before, & were frō thence gone to the towne of Guadiaua. In this towne did Antony of Espeio deli­uer y^e certeine informatiō of all y^t is afore­said, which presently he sent to y^e Conde of Corunna viceroy of y^e said kingdome, who sent the same to his maiestie & the coun­cell of the Indians, to the end they might take such order as they thought best, which they haue very carefully performed.

Let it please our Lord to further this bu­sinesse in such wise, y^t such nūbers of soules redéemed by his blood, may thorow his mercy be deliuered frō y^e thraldome of sathan: whose good wits (wherin so far as by those y^t haue dealt w^t thē may be gathered, they do far excéed those of Mexico & Peru) as it is supposed may soone be brought very rea­dily to imbrace y^e euangelicall law, & to a­bandon such iddlatry as now y^e most of thē do liue in. Which God bring to passe, as full well he can, for his glory and the en­crease of Christian faith.