as an idol of beaten
gold. The canoe was fitted with sumptuous cushions, upon which the
monarch took his siestas, to the music made by dancing maidens with
bells and castanets. Fish as large as horses abounded, and sweet fruit
bigger than a soldier's helmet grew upon the trees. The monarch who
ruled over this land was long-bearded, white-haired, and wore robes of
bright-hued, rich stuffs, and slept in a garden where trees were hung
with a thousand bells, which made exquisite music when shaken by the
wind. And this king worshipped the golden image of a woman, the Queen
of Heaven, and ate from gold and silver bowls, of which the dais he
sat upon was made. He spoke with vast assurance and said he would
conduct us thither whenever we should follow.

"We journeyed northward many leagues over mountains and came to a wide
valley watered by a stream. Farther on were high mountains and we
named them Sangre de Christo and marked three mountains 'Spanish
Peaks' on our map, that we might not miss our way. One day a pious
soldier saw the barbarian with his face in a pool of water, talking
with the devil. After that we were suspicious. After many days'
journey we found the city, but alas, it was mud huts, and the only
metal was a copper plate around the old chief's neck and by which he
sat great store. There were no golden vessels, no image of the Virgin,
no golden dais and no silver bells.

"The wicked barbarian then said he had led us into the desert to die.
Our soldiers were wroth and I ordered him hanged on a considerable
tree, to let him know there was a God in heaven and a King in Spain.

"We turned our steps backward after we had set up a cross, and
journeyed into the valley. Now there were many oxen come into the
valley of the figure and color of our bulls, but their horns were not
so great. They had a great bunch upon their fore shoulders and more
hair upon their fore parts than on their hind parts. They had a
horse's mane upon their backbone and much hair from the knees
downward. They had great tufts of hair hanging from their foreheads
and it seemeth that they had beards, because of the great store of
hair at their chins and throats. In some respects they resembled a
lion, and in some others the camel. They pushed with their horns, and
they overtook and killed horses. Finally, it was a foul and fierce
beast of countenance.

"We have stayed close to the mountains where we could flee to the
rocks if they pursued us. We