The English-American his travail by sea and land: or, a new svrvey of the West-Indias. Containing a journall of three thousand and three hundred miles within the main land of America ... With a grammar, or some few rudiments of the Indian tongue, called, Poconchi. Of Pocoman / By the true and painfull endevours of Thomas Gage.

  • Thomas Gage
Date:
1648
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The English-American his travail by sea and land: or, a new svrvey of the West-Indias. Containing a journall of three thousand and three hundred miles within the main land of America ... With a grammar, or some few rudiments of the Indian tongue, called, Poconchi. Of Pocoman / By the true and painfull endevours of Thomas Gage. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    116/258 (page 96)
    knew not what to make of them, till wee came unto the Cloifter. After our bieakfaft the Indians (hewed us a little fport in the Market place, running races on hoi fe-back, and playing at Iaegode Canna's-, which is to meet on horfeback, with broad Targets todefend their heads and (houlders while parting by they hurleCane?,or darts one at a- nother, which thole Indians afted with great dexterity.. Thus the good Prior of Ckiapa feafted us, and permitted us to injoy cur liberty as long as it feemes it had beene agreed upon by letters between him and the Provincial], which was till it might be dinner time in the Cloifter of Chiapa, where wee were to bee before noone. The time drew neere, and we had from St. Philip to the City of Chiapa fometwoEnglifh milestoride; Wherefore the Prior commanded our Mules to bee brought; thewaitsand tiumpetsgavewarningtotheTownofourdeparture; andfo with many horfemen , with dances, Mufick and ringing of Bells wee were as ftately and joyfully conduced out of the Town, as wee had beenindufted intoic. At the firft halfe miles end the Prior gave thankes unto the Indians, and de- fired them to return, the Cloifter being neer where wee expefted another kinde of entertainment, not ufing in the City and Cloifter that pon’pe and ftate, which in the Country might bee allowed. The Indians tooke their leaves of us • and on we Went with onely two as guides before us. Within halfe a mile ofthe City,the Prior and a companion of his flopped, and tooke out of his pocket an order from the Pro- vinciall,which he read unto us, tothiseffed, That whereas wc hadforfaken our law- full Superior Ca vo in the way to Philippine, and w ithout his licence had come unto the Province of Chiapa^ hee could not in confidence butinfliftfome puniftmenc upon us before he did enable us to abide there as members under him;therefore hee did tti i ft- ly command the Prior of Chiapa, thatasfoone as wee fhould enter into his Cloifter, heefhould (hut us up two by two in cur chambers, as in prifons, forthree daics, net fuffering us to goe out to any place, fave onely to the publick place of reftdion (called RefeftoryJ where all the Fryers met together to dine and fup, where at ncontimewe were to prefent our felves before all the Cloifters fitting upon the bare ground,and there to receive no other dinner,but only bread and watcr5but at fupper we might have in our chambers,or Prifons, what the Prior would be pleafed to allow us. This was the Pe¬ nance enjoined upon us by the wife and cunning Provincial!. This newes at the firft was but fowre fawce, or a dry Poftpaft after a double fumptuous breakfaft; it was a dolefull ditty tousafterourMufick, and dances, to heare of a treble faft after our feaft; to heare ofimprifonment after fo great liberty. We now began foremen berthe Pro- vincialls winnings at Tables the night before , and the myftery thereof» and be¬ gan to thinke how comfortable his boxes of Cbocolatte would be unto us after a meale of bread and water. Now wee called to minde the (hort dinner the Prior had told us at Sc .Philips wee were like to have that day, and of the liberty hee bad us then make much of. But the good Prior feeing us fad upon a fuddaine, and our countenances changed, fmiled upon us, wifhing us not to thinke the worfe of him, nor of the Pro¬ vincial! , who did that out of Policy,and to flop the Crioliansmouths,whomhe knew would murmur,if no punilhment were inflifted Upon us. Heeaffured us, after our im- prifonment, of honours and preferments, and that as long as wee were with him, wee fhould want no incouragement. and that after a bread and water dinner heecould fend us to our chambers a Supper,that fhould ftrongly fupport our empty ftomack?,and furre and line them well for the next foure and twenty houres. With thefe incouragements on wee went to the Cloifter of Chiapa, where wee were welcomed by molt of the Fry¬ ers, but in fomefew wee noted a ft owning and difaffefted countenance. We were no fooner conduced to our chambers, when the bell founded to dinner for the reft, and cry ed aloud to us Penance with bread and water. Downe wee wTent to the common dining place, and thanks being given, the Fryersfitting round the tables, wee foure Philippinian Jonahs ( fo feme Criolians were pleafed to term us) betook our felves to the middle of the Refeftory,where without culhions,ftooles, feats or forms, wee fare upon the bare ground crofle legged like Tailors, afting humility now for our difobedi- ence unto flovenly CV-yo.While the firft difh was prefented round the tables,to each of us wasprefented a loafeof reafonable bigneffe, and a potof pure Cryftall water, where¬ of wee fed and dranke moft heartily though with full ftomacks from a double breakfaft before. Yet even herein this publick Aft of fliame and difgrace ( which weekrew Was ufuall among Fryers for lefle faults then curs) we had this comfort, that we had