agua_, a few miles south from
the river _Tampico_, into which, as will be found in the sequel, the
other five brigantines had got at the beginning of the storm. In this
case, the two brigantines had run upon a spit which separates that lake
or lagoon from the sea.--E.]

The two men who had gone in search of the five brigantines, found them
in the river Tampico, so that the whole company met at the end of eight
days, all barefooted and almost entirely naked, having only some scanty
coverings of the skins of deer, bears, and other animals. The governor
of Panuco treated them with much attention, and sent advice of their
situation to the viceroy of Mexico, who ordered them to be sent without
delay to that city, and sent them four horse-loads of shirts, shoes, and
other necessaries, besides medicines and sweetmeats. After recovering
from their fatigues, the men were ready to destroy their officers for
not having settled in Florida, where there was such plenty of pearls and
rich furs. On their march to Mexico, which was made in several
detachments to avoid mischief, the people everywhere ran to see them
pass as so many monsters. At Mexico they were clothed and kindly treated
by the rich inhabitants; and as discord soon broke out again among them,
for having abandoned so fine a country as Florida, the viceroy appeased
them by promising to undertake the enterprise speedily in person along
with them, when they should all have good pay, and that he would provide
for them in the mean time. When clothed, some of the adventurers
returned into Spain, others remained in Mexico, and others went into
Peru, while some entered into monasteries; and thus all these brave
soldiers were dispersed.

Those persons who had been sent by the late general, Ferdinand de Soto,
when he first advanced into the interior of Florida, to bring him
supplies from the Havannah, faithfully obeyed his orders, as they sailed
from thence four several years, and plied all along the coast to find
him, but could never hear any tidings of him or any of his men, till, in
the year 1543, arriving at Vera Cruz in October, they learnt that the
remains of the expedition had been conducted to Mexico.--_This relation
has been faithfully taken from that which was transmitted to the king,
immediately after the close of that unfortunate enterprise_.

END OF THE FIFTH VOLUME.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A General History and