to goe, and found a strong
fort made, where the Indians staied for him, and many of them walked on
the top of it with their weapons, hauing their bodies, thighes and armes
okered and died with blacke, white, yellow and red, striped like vnto
paines, so that they shewed as though they went in hose and doublets: and
some of them had plumes, and others had hornes on their heads, and their
faces blacke, and their eies done round about with strakes of red, to
seeme more fierce. Assoone as they saw that the Christians approched, with
a great crie sounding two drummes with great furie they sallied foorth to
receiue them. Iohn Dannusco and those that were with him, thought good to
auoid them, and to acquaint the Gouernour therewith. They retired to a
plaine place, a crossebowshot from the fort in sight of it, the footemen,
the crossebowmen, and targetters placed themselues before the horsemen,
that they might not hurt the horses. The Indians sallied out by seuen and
seuen, and eight and eight to shoote their arrowes, and retired againe:
and in sight of the Christians they made a fire, and tooke an Indian, some
by the feete, and some by the head, and made as though they went to cast
him into the fire, and gaue him first many knocks on the head: signifying,
that they meant so to handle the Christians. Iohn Danusco sent three
horsemen to aduertise the Gouernour hereof. He came presently: for his
intent was to driue them from thence, saying, that if he did it not, they
would be emboldened to charge him another time, when they might doe him
more harme. He made the horsemen to alight, and set his men in foure
squadrons: The signe being giuen, they set vpon the Indians, which made
resistance till the Christians came neere the fort, and assoone as they
saw they could not defend themselues, by a place where a brooke passed
neere the fort, they ran away, and from the otherside they shot some
arrowes: and because at that instant we knew no ford for the horses to
passe, they had time enough to get out of our danger. Three Indians were
slaine there, and many Christians were hurt, whereof within few daies,
there died fifteene by the way. All men thought the Gouernour to bee in
fault, because he sent not to see the disposition of the place on the
other side of the Riuer, and to know the passage before hee set vpon them.
For with the hope they had to saue themselues by flight that way, when
they saw none other meanes, they fought til they were b