_Here he doth prosecute the discouering of the New
Mexico._
[Sidenote: Iumanos.]
[Sidenote: Good salt.]
The nation that the saide Tobosos did conduct them to is called Jumanos,
who, by another name are called by the Spaniards, Patara Bueyes; their
prouince is very [large] and full of townes, with much people: their
houses made of lime and stone, and their townes traced in very good
order: al the men and women haue their faces raced,[64] and their legs
and armes: they are corpulent people, and more decent then any that they
had seene vntil that time: they haue great store of prouision, and hunt
both of beasts and foules; great store of fish, by reason of mightie
riuers that commeth from the north, and some of them as big as
Guadalquiuer, the which doth enter into the North sea: they haue many
lakes of salt water which, in certaine times of the yeare, do congeale,
and they do make thereof good salt. They are warlike people, and made
shew thereof presently; for the first night that the Spaniards had
placed themselues, with their arrowes they slew fiue horse, and hurt as
many more, and would haue left not one aliue if they had not been
defended by the guarde. When they had done this mischiefe, they left the
town, and went to a mountain which was hard by; whether as presently in
the morning went their captaine with other fiue souldiers, well armed,
with an interpreter called Peter, a naturall Indian borne, and with
faire words and perswasions he quieted them and made peace, and caused
them to descend into their towne and houses; and perswaded them to giue
aduice vnto their neighbours, that they were men that would hurt no
bodie, neither came they thither to take away their goods; the which he
obtained easely by wisedome, and in giuing vnto the caciques certaine
glasse beades and hartes[65] which they carryed for that purpose, and
other trifles: so with this, and with the good intretement done vnto
them, there went many of them in the company of the Spaniardes many
dayes, alwayes trauelling alongst the riuer side aforesayde, whereas
were many townes of Indians of this nation, the which indured twelue
dayes iourney: in all the which, the caciques gaue aduice from one towne
to another, out of the which they came forth and entertained the
Spaniards without their bowes and arrowes, and brought with them
victuals and other prouision and giftes; but in especiall hides and
shamway skins, very well dressed, so that those of Flanders do nothing
exceed them. These people are all clothed; and they found that they had
some light of the holy faith, for that they made signe vnto God, looking
vp vnto heauen, and they do cal him in their language _Apalito_, and doo
acknowledge him for Lord, by whose mightie hand and mercie they confesse
to haue receiued life, and to be a natural man, and al temporall goods.
There came many of them with their wiues and children to the religious
frier (that came with the captaine and souldiers, of whom we haue spoken
off), for to crosse and blesse them; of whom being demanded, from whence
and of whom they had the knowledge of God: they answered, that of three
Christians and one negro that passed that way, and remained there
certain daies amongst them, who, according to the signes and tokens they
gaue them, should be Aluar Nunnez Cabesa de Vaca and Dorantes, and
Castillo Maldonado, and one negro, the which escaped out of the fleete
wherewith Panfilo de Naruaz entred into Florida; and after that they had
bin many dayes captiue and slaues, they escaped and came vnto these
townes, whereas God by them did shew many myracles in healing (by the
onely touching with their handes) many diseases and sicke persons, by
reason thereof they left great fame in all that countrie. All this
prouince remained in peace and quietnesse; by which demonstration they
did accompanie and served the Spaniardes certaine dayes, trauelling
alongest the riuer side aforesaide.
[64] Streaked. See Minsheu's _Ductor in Linguas_.
[65] Misspelt for "hats", De la Porte mentioning "chapeaux" among the
presents.
Within few dayes after they came vnto a great inhabitation of Indians,
where they came foorth to receiue them, by newes that they had of their
neighbours, and brought with them many curious thinges made of feathers
of different colours, and many mantles made of cotton, barred with blewe
and white, like vnto them that are brought from China to truck for other
thinges. All of them, as well the men as women and children, were
clothed with shamway skins, very good and well dressed; yet could the
Spaniardes neuer vnderstande what nation they were, for lacke of an
interpreter that vnderstood their language. They dealt with them by
signes; and they shewed vnto them certaine stones of rich metall, and
being demaunded if they had of the same in their countrie: they answered
by the same signes, That fiue dayes iourney from thence, towardes the
northwest, there was great quantitie thereof; and howe that they would
conduct them thither and showe it vnto them, as afterwardes they did
performe, and did beare them companie two and twentie leagues, the which
was all inhabited with people of the same countrie.
So following the saide riuer they came vnto an other inhabitance of much
more people than the other past, of whom they were well receiued, and
welcomed with many presents, especially of fish; for that they haue
great store by reason of certaine great lakes not farre from thence,
wherin is bred great abundance. They were amongest these people three
dayes; in the which, both day and night, they made before them many
dances, according vnto their fashion, with a particular signification of
great ioy. They knew not how this nation was called, for lacke of an
interpreter: but yet they vnderstoode that it extended very farre and
was very great. Amongest this nation they found an Indian, a Concho by
nation, who tolde and made signes that fifteen iourneys from thence,
towardes the northwest, there was a lake which was verie broad, and nigh
vnto it very great townes, and in them, houses of three and four stories
high; the people well apparelled, and the countrie full of victuals and
prouision, who did offer himselfe to bring them thether; whereat the
Spaniards reioyced, but left to giue the enterprise, only for that they
would accomplish their intent and begon voiage, which was to go to the
north to giue ayde vnto the two religious men aforesaide. The chief and
principall thing that they noted in this prouince was, that it was of a
good temperature, and a rich countrie, great store of hunt, both of foot
and wing, many rich metals, and other particular thinges of profite.
From this prouince they folowed their iourney for the space of fifteene
daies without meeting any people: they trauelled amongst high and
mightie pine trees, like those of Spaine; at the end wherof, after they
had traueiled to their iudgments four score leagues, they came vnto a
small village of very few people, very poore, and their houses made of
strawe: they had great quantity of deere-skins, as well dressed as those
that are brought out of Flanders; great store of excellent white and
good salt. They gaue them good intertainment for the space of two daies
that they remained there; after the which they did beare them companie
twelue leagues, vnto certaine great habitations, always trauelling
alongst the riuer side towarde the north, as aforesaide, till such time
as they came vnto the countrie which is called the New Mexico. All
alongst this riuer side was planted full of white salow trees;[66] and in
some place it was foure leagues brode. Likewise there was many
walnut-trees and peare-trees, like vnto those in Spaine.
[66] Willows.
In the ende of two dayes trauaile amongest these trees, they came vnto
tenne townes, the which were situated alongst this riuer side on both
partes, besides others that appeared, but farther distant. It seemed
vnto them to haue much people, and as appeared to be more than tenne
thousande soules.
[Sidenote: Houses of 4 stories high.]
In this prouince they did receiue them courteously, and carried them
vnto their townes, whereas they gaue them great store of prouision and
hennes of the countrie, with many other things, and that with a great
good will. In these townes were houses of foure stories high, verie well
wrought and gallant chambers, and most of them had steuues or hote
houses for the winter. They are all apparelled with cotton and of deares
skinnes; the manner and apparell both of the men and of the women, is
much like vnto the Indians of the kingdome of Mexico. But that which did
cause them most for to woonder was, to see both men and women to weare
both bootes and shooes of very good lether, with three sooles of neates
leather: a thing which they haue not seene but onely there. The women go
without any thing vpon their heades; but their haire trimly kembed and
dressed. Euerie one of these townes had caciques, by whom they were
gouerned, as amongest the Indians in Mexico, with sergeantes and
officers to execute their commandement, who goe through the streetes of
the towne, and declare with a loude voice the will of the caciques, the
which is straightwayes put in vre.
[Sidenote: They worship the diuell.]
In this prouince the Spaniardes founde many idolles that they
worshipped; and in euery house they had a temple wherein they do worship
the diuell, whereas, ordinarily, they do carrie him to eat. Likewise, as
amongst Christians, in the high wayes they doo put crosses; so have they
chappelles, whereas they say, the diuell doth recreate and rest
himselfe, when as he trauelleth from one towne to another; the which
chappelles are maruellously well trimmed and painted.
In all their tyllages and ploughed groundes, of the which they haue many
and very great, they haue on the one side of them, a portall or shedde
built vppon foure pillers, whereas the labourers do eate and passe away
the heate of the day, and are people verie much giuen to labour, and doo
continually occupie themselues therein: it is a countrie full of
mountaynes and woods of pine trees. Their weapons are strong bowes and
arrowes, with their heads or pointes made of flint stone, wherewith they
will pierce and passe a shirt of mayle or plate coate. They vse also
macans, the which is a staffe of half a yeard long, made of flint, and
verie smoth, wherewith they may cut a man a sunder in the midst; they
vse also bucklers and targets made of rawe hides.