481) They were naked, wearing their haire long vnto their hammes as the
Sauages vse to do, and were Spanyards borne, yet so well accustomed to the
fashion of the countrey, that at the first sight they found our maner of
apparell strange; After that I had questioned of certaine matters with
them, I caused them to be apparelled, and to cut their haire; which they
would not loose, but lapped it vp in a linnen cloth, saying that they
would cary it into their countrey to be a testimony of the misery that
they had indured in the Indies. In the haire of one of them was found a
little gold hidden, to the value of fiue and twenty crownes, which he gaue
vnto me. And examining them of the places where they had bene, and how
they came thither, they (M482) answered me that fifteene yeeres past,
three shippes, in one of which they were, were cast away ouer against a
place named Calos vpon the Flats which are called The Martyres, and that
the king of Calos recouered the greatest part of the riches which were in
the sayd shippes, trauelling in such sort that the greatest part of the
people was saued, and many women; among which number there were three or
foure women maried, remaining there yet, and their children also, with
this king of Calos. I desired to learne what this king was. They answered
me, that he was the goodliest and the tallest Indian of the countrey, a
mighty man, a warrier, and hauing many subiects vnder his obedience. They
tolde me moreouer, that he had great store of golde and siluer, so farre
foorth that in a certaine village he had a pit full thereof, which was at
the least as high as a man, and as large as a tunne: all which wealth the
Spanyards fully perswaded themselues that they could cause me to recouer,
if I were able to march thither with an hundred shot, besides that which I
might get of the common people of the countrey, which had also great store
thereof. (M483) They further also aduertised me, that the women going to
dance, did weare about their girdles plates of golde as broad as a sawcer,
and in such number that the weight did hinder them to dance at their ease;
and that the men ware the like also. The greatest part of these riches was
had, as they sayd, out of the Spanish shippes, which commonly were cast
away in this straight; and the rest by the traffique which this king of
Calos had with the other kings of the countrey: Finally, that he was had
in great reuerence of his subiects; and that hee made them