A relation of the invasion and conquest of Florida by the Spaniards under the command of Fernando de Soto written in Portuguese by a gentleman of the town of Elvas, now Englished. To which is subjoyned two journeys of the present Emperour of China into Tartary in the years 1682 and 1683 : with some discoveries made by the Spaniards in the island of California, in the year 1683.

CHAP. XXXVI.

Seven Brigantines are built; the Army de∣parts from Minoya.

SO soon as our Quarters were setled at Minoya, the Governour ordered all the Chains of the Indians who were in the Camp to be knockt off, and all the Iron that was kept for a reserve, to be brought out: We set up a Forge for making the Iron-work of the Vessels, and felled wood to build them of. A Portuguese of Ceuta who being a slave at Fez had learned to sawe, taught some Souldiers the use of the Sawe, and a Geneose whom God had purposely preserved to save us, (for he alone knew the Art of building Ships, and had it not been for that man, we had been still in Florida) that Geneose, I say, being assisted by four or five Carpenters of Biscaye who prepared and fitted the Timber, undertook to build Brigan∣tines. Another Genoese, and a Catalonian of the County of Cerdagne took care to cawlk them with that Herb I told you of, which resembles Hemp, and is called Enequen; and when that fai∣led them, they supplied the want with the thread of Mantles, which they purposely undid, and mingled it with fat Earth. We had with us a

Cooper, but he was sick to extremity, and he being the onely man of his Trade that we had, we were obliged to wait till it pleased God to restore him to his health; and though he was still very weak, yet fifteen days before our departure he made two large Casks for each Brigantine, such as the Sea-men call Hogsheads. The Indians of Taguanate, which is a Province two days journey from Nilco up the River, and those of Nilco also and Guachoya, seeing that the Brigantines went forward, were perswaded that we made them for carrying away their crop which they put into the water; nevertheless, they still brought us Fish and Mantles; which the Governour exacted from them for making of Sails. God was so gracious at that time, as to continue to us the marks of his protection, by moving the Indians, to bring us in Mantles; for we had no means left to go and fetch them, because in the begin∣ning of Winter the water had surrounded the Town, leaving but one League of dry Land a∣round us; so that we could not go out on horse∣back, and without that it was impossible to re∣duce the Indians; for they were very numerous, and feared our foot so little, that they made no scruple to fight them hand to hand either by land or by water, because they are more dexterous in shooting, and nimbler than the Christians, the ground also being more proper for their way of fighting. They also brought some Ropes, of

which we made Cables; and when those failed, we made others of the rinds of Mulberry-trees. The Troopers made wooden stirrups, and gave •…•…heir Iron ones to make Anchors of. In March, •…•…hough it had not rain'd for above a month before, •…•…he River swelled so prodigiously, that it reached •…•…o Nilco, which is nine Leagues off on't; and the •…•…ndians said that it spread as far on the other •…•…ide. The Town where we were, stood on a •…•…eight; nevertheless, in the highest places the •…•…ater reached the stirrups of a Trooper. We •…•…uilt high sheads of great pieces of Timber cove∣•…•…ed with boughs for stabling our horses; and the •…•…ke was done in the houses. But these not hol∣•…•…ing out the water, we were obliged to get up •…•…o the Garrets, and never went out of doors but •…•…n Canoes, or on horseback where the ground was high. We spent two Months before the Ri∣ver returned into its Channel; in the mean time we kept a good guard about our Brigantines, •…•…nd no Indians were any more suffered to come •…•…ear them in their Canoes: for the Governour •…•…egan to have some suspicions, not without ground, that the Indians had a mind to rise; so •…•…hat he ordered that without any noise, one of •…•…hose who came to the Town should be seized, and •…•…rought to him when all the rest were gone. The •…•…rders were put in execution; and finding that •…•…he Indian would not confess any thing, he com∣manded him to be rackt. Then the Indian con∣fessed,

that the Caciques of Nilco, Guachoya, an•…•… Taguante, accompanied with other Caciques t•…•… the number of twenty, had resolved to attac•…•… the Camp with a very great Army; that t•…•… mask their Treachery, they were to send him 〈◊〉〈◊〉 great Present of Fish, three days before the At∣tack, and another Present the same day they ha•…•… pitched upon for the Enterprize: That the In∣dians who brought the Fish, combining wit•…•… those who served in the Camp, were to set fire t•…•… the houses of the Town, having first made them∣selves Masters of the Lances and other Arms tha•…•… stood before the Souldiers doors: That at the sight of the fire, the Caciques, who were to be i•…•… ambush, would fall upon us with all their men and surprize us in that disorder. The Governou•…•… ordered the Indian to be kept in Chains, and o•…•… the day he pitched upon, thirty Indians loade•…•… with Fish came to the Town. They were pre∣sently apprehended, and Moscoso ordered the noses and right arms of all of them to be cut off, and in that condition sent them back to Guachoya, whose Subjects they were, with orders to tell him, that he and all his confederated Caciques might come; that he impatiently expected them, and that he should know the Governour was infor∣med of all, even to his most secret thoughts. This example put them all into a strange fright, so that Nilco and Taguante came with great sub∣mission to justifie themselves, and some days af∣ter

Guachoya brought another Cacique a Vassal of •…•…is, who had learnt of a certain, that Nilco and •…•…aguante had really combined against the Chri∣•…•…ians; whereupon Moscoso caused some of the •…•…ndians of Nilco to be apprehended, who confessed •…•…he truth. They were delivered over to this Cacique, who put them to death without the Town; and next day Moscoso punished likewise •…•…ome Subjects of Taguante who also confessed the Treachery of their Cacique, to whom he sent them home without nose or hands. This piece of justice comforted and fully satisfied the Indians of Guachoya, and from that time they came daily •…•…ringing with them Mantles, Fish, and Hogs, of which they had got a breed by the Swine which •…•…tray'd when we passed through that Country before. Nay, they egg'd on the Governour to make War with Taguante as soon as the waters were fallen, and offered to accompany him and serve him as Guides. He sent thither some Foot, whom the Indians carried down the River in their Canoes, and a Captain with Horse by Land, who attacked the Town. They made a great many Prisoners of both Sexes, and good booty of Mantles, which came very seasonably conside∣ring the want we had of Sails. At length, in the Month of Iune, the Brigantines were finish∣ed; and though the Indians had told us that the great River overflow'd: but once a year when the Snow melted, which had already happen'd,

and that it was then Summer, when no rain l•…•…a fallen for a very long time, yet it was the will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God. that it swelled again all of a sudden at ne•…•… Moon, and, as I may say, came to find our Br•…•… gantines, which so were very easily launched whereas had we been necessitated to carry the•…•… over-land, they would have been in danger 〈◊〉〈◊〉 breaking, or bulging by the Keel, or somewher•…•… else, the nails for want of Iron were so short, an•…•… the planks so thin. The Indians of Minoya cam•…•… daily to serve us, not so much out of inclinatio•…•… as necessity, that they might gain somewhat t•…•… live on; for the Souldiers had seized all thei•…•… Maes: And seeing their Country was very fruit∣ful in that, and that they made most of thei•…•… food of it, they being so numerous knew no•…•… what to get to eat. Those who came to th•…•… Town were so famished, that they were reduce•…•… to skin and bones, and many died for meer wan•…•… The Governour had severally discharged any Maes to be given to them; but the Christians seeing that even the Hogs had their bellies full and that these poor Indians who came and took so much pains to serve them, and whose extream misery they could not but pity, charitably gave them of the Maes they had; nevertheless, through their charitableness we had not Maes enough to put on board for the use of the Army. All that remained was put into the Brigantines, and twelve great Canoes that were fastned two and

two together. First we put on board two and •…•…wenty of the best Horses, and then killed all the •…•…est, whose flesh with that of the Hogs were dried. •…•…o the Spaniards parted from Minoya, the second •…•…f Iuly, 1543.