petuca, the treasurer Iohn Gaytan had a young man, which said, that
he was not of that countrie, but of another farre off toward the
Sunrising, and that it was long since he had trauelled to see countries;
and that his countrie was called Yupaha, and that a woman did gouern it;
and that the towne where she was resident was of a wonderfull bignesse,
and that many lords round about were tributaries to her; and some gaue her
clothes, and others gold in abundance; and hee told, how it was taken out
of the mines, and was moulten and refined, as if hee had seene it done, or
the diuel had taught it him. So that all those which knew anything
concerning the same, said that it was impossible to giue so good a
relation, without hauing seene it; And all of them, as if they had seene
it, by the signes that he gaue, beleeued all that hee said to be true.
Chap. XIII. How the Gouernour departed from Apalache to seeke Yupaha, and
of that which happened vnto him.
On Wednesday the third of March, of the yeere 1540. the Gouernor departed
from Anaica Apalache to seeke Yupaha. He commanded his men to goe prouided
with Maiz for sixtie leagues of desert. The horsemen carried their Maiz on
their horses, and the footemen at their sides; because the Indians that
were for seruice, with their miserable life that they lead that winter,
being naked and in chaines, died for the most part. Within foure daies
iournie they came to a great Riuer: and they made a piragua or ferrie
bote, and because of the great current, they made a cable with chaines,
which they fastened on both sides of the Riuer; and the ferrie bote went
along by it; and the horses swam ouer, being drawne with capstans. Hauing
passed the Riuer, in a day and an halfe, they came to a towne called
Capachiqui. Vpon Friday the 11. of March, they found Indians in armes. The
next day fiue Christians went to seeke morters, which the Indians haue to
beate their Maiz, and they went to certaine houses on the backside of the
Campe enuironed with a wood: And within the wood were many Indians which
came to spie vs; of the which came other fiue and set vpon vs. One of the
Christians came running away, giuing an alarme vnto the Campe. Those which
were most readie answered the alarme. They found one Christian dead, and
three sore wounded. The Indians fled vnto a lake adioyning neere a very
thicke wood, where the horses could not enter. The Gouernour departed from
Capachiqui, and passed through a d
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