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.

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    ftitioufly to deceive the fimple people , cryedout, Milag,o3 Mi/agro, M/W a mira- de3 a miracle, a miracle. By eight a clock in the morning wee came to the fight of the houlesj and made hgnes for boats to convey us into the Haven - which immediate- ly with great joy came out, and guided us one by one between thofe Rockes which make that Port as dangerous as any I have difeovered in all my travailes both upon the North and South fea. Our Waits plaiedmoftpleafantly, our Ordnance faluted both lowne and Fort over againft it, our hearts and countenances reciprocally reioyced- wee caft our Anchors, which yet were not enough to fecure our {hips in that moft dan¬ gerous Haven, but furt.h er with Cable ropes we fecured them to Iron ring* which for that purpofe are faftned into the Wall of the Fort, forfeareof theftrong’and boifte- rous Northerne winds. And thus welcoming one another to a new world many boates waiting for us, we prefemly went with joy to fee footing in Amerca * 7 CHAP. VIII. Of our Landing at VeraCrux, othermfe John de Ulhua, and of our en¬ tertainment there. :Pon the 12 day of Sipttmber, we happily arrived in Armimia that famous Towne, ca led St. John de Vlhua, otherwhe Vera Crux , famous for WS? thatltwasJhehrft beginning of the famous conqueft of that valiant and ever ^ renowned Conqueror Hernando Cortez, Here firft was that noble and generous refouuon, that never heard of policy, to finke the fhips, which had brought the firit Spaniards to that Continent, greater then any of the other three parts of the dj 5° intent thatnhey might thiiike of nothing but fuch a conqueft as'after followed, being deftituteof the helpe of their {hips, and without hopesEvermore to returneto Cuba Tucatan, or any of thofe parts from whence they had come. Here it was, that the firft five hundred Spaniards ftrengthned themfelves againft millions of enemies,and againft the biggeft fourth partofall the world. Here were the firft Ma- giftrates. Judges, Aldermen, Officers of Juftice named. The proper name of the Towne is 5. John de Vlbua, other wife called Vera Crux, from the old Harbour and Haven of Vera Crux, fix leagues from this, and fo called for that upon good Friday It was firft difeovered. But the old VeraCrux proving too dangerous an Harbour for imps, by reafon of the violence of the Northern winds • it was utterly forfaken by the Spaniard]3who removed to St. John Tie Vlbmtwhere their fhips found the firft fafe road by reafon of a Rocke, which is a ftrong defence againft the winds. And becaufe the memory of the workeof that good Fridayfhould never be forgotten; to S.JobndeVt- bua they have added the name alfo of Vera Oa^taken from that firft Haven which Was difeovered upon good Friday, Amo 151^. As fooneas we came to fhore, wee found very folemne preparations for entertain- / ir ^ ref0vte.d t0 ^ ?ea fidc 5 aI1 the Prehis and Canons of the Cathedral! Church, all the religious Orders of the feverall Convents ( which are \Fr™fCr™S\Mercenarian*> and Kuites ) being in a readineffe with their Crofles borne before them, to guide the new Viceroy of Mexico, inprocefti- on to the chiefe Cathedrall Church. The Fryers and Jefuites were quicker in going to land then the great Von the MarqueTe de Serra/vo and his Lady. Some of them kiHed the ground as holy in their opinion,for the Converfion of thofe Indians to Chri- ltianity , who before had worfhipped Idols, and facrificed to Devils, others kneeled upon their knees making fhort prayers fame to the Virgin ^othei’s to fuch Saints as they belfiafFc&ed 5 and fo betooke themfelves to the places and ftations of thofe ®f their profeffion. In the mean time all the Cannon playing both from fhips and Caftle, landed the Viceroy and his Lady and all his Traine,accomp?.nyed with Von Martin de Cfm:°^eVifitergeneral! for the ftrife between the Count of Gehej the laft Viceroy,& the Arch 01 ill op of Mexico. The great Don and his Lady being placed under a Canope of ltate,began the T* Veumto be fung with much variety of muficail inftruments, all mar- C!UngfiI wr°Ceffi the CathedralJjwhere with many lights ef burning lampes, tor- ches,& Wax candies, was to the view of all,fet upon the high A har iheir God of bread- to whom all knees werebowed5a prayer of ihanks-givicgYun^holy water by a Pieift’ fprinkled