eral ordered that a thick set palisade of
stakes be built, including therein a few wells of fresh water. "This
village was built in triangular shape, with two water-fronts and one
land side." The artillery was placed to defend the coast, while the
Spaniards relied on the palisade for protection on the land side, until
the fort could be built. Companies were sent out to scour the country
for food, and "always brought back fowl, hogs, rice, and other things
... and some good gold." The natives to the number of one hundred came
to make peace one day. "In this town when we entered we found therein
a child Jesus. A sailor named Mermeo found it. It was in a wretched
little house, and was covered with a white cloth in its cradle, and
its little bonnet quite in order. The tip of its nose was rubbed off
somewhat, and the skin was coming off the face. The friars took it and
carried it in procession on a feast day, from the house where it was
found to the church that they had built." The natives were told that
they thus honored the child Jesus. "After the mass and the sermon,
the general went to treat with the king for friendship, telling him
that we came thither for the King of Castilla, whose land this was, who
had sent other people here before, and that they had been killed--as,
for instance, Magallanes (and when Magallanes was mentioned, the king
was much disturbed); but that he pardoned everything, on condition
that you be his friends." To this peace the natives acceded, but
as in other instances only for the moment; they failed to return
at the appointed time to conclude the preliminaries, and killed one
of the Spaniards. A body of men was sent out who captured more than
twenty of the natives, among them a niece of the king, which was the
means of getting into friendly touch with the people once more. The
"San Pedro" was ready now to set out on the return trip to New Spain
being well supplied with provisions for more than eight months. "Two
hundred persons, with ten soldiers and two fathers, the father prior,
and father Fray Andres de Aguirre," sailed with it on the first of
June. (Tomo ii, no. xxxiii, pp. 373-427.)

1565. Log of the return voyage to New Spain kept by Rodrigo de
Espinosa. [66] This man was the pilot of the small vessel "San Juan,"
commanded by Juan de la Isla. He was ordered to accompany Estevan
Rodriguez on the return passage of the "San Pedro," under the command
of Felipe de Salcedo. Setting sail on June 1