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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    — ■ ■ * 1 ... • »■■--* —-—-- - 1. hee give three and thirty horfermn,and a hundred and eighteen footmen of the Spanifi Nation, two Peeces of Ordnance and thirty thousand Indians, and appointed him to pitch hts campe in Culbttacan. To Gonzalo de Sandova', who was the third Captaine hee gave three and twenty horlemen, and a hundred and tbreefcore footmen, typo peeces of Ordnance, and forty thoufand Indians , with Comrniffion to choofe a place to pitch his campe. In every Vergan tine hee planted a pecce of Ordnance, fix Hargabulhes, or CroHe* bowes, and three and twenty Spaniards, men mod fit for that purpole. Hee appointed allb Captaines for each, and hi mfelfe for (general], whereof lonie ofthechiefeft of his Company began to murmur, that wentbyland, thinking that they had been in greaterdanger; wherefore they requited him to goe with the maine battaile, and not by water. Cortez little efteemed their words ; for although there was more dangerin the land then in the water, yet it did more import to have greater care in the Warrcsby water, then on the land, becaufe his men had beene in the one , and not in the other. Befides the chiefelt hopes that Cortez had to winne Mexico, were thefe Veflels, for with them he burned a great part of the Cama's of. Mexico, and the reft hee fo locked up, that they were no help unto the Mexicans, and with twelve onely Vergantines hee did annoy his enemy as much by water, as the reft of his Army did by land. All this preparation for the fiege of Mexico by land and water, with above a hundred thoufand Indians, bebdes the Spanirds above men¬ tioned , and the twelve Vergantines by water, was finifhed in this City of Tezcttco, which is a fufficient argument of the greatnefle of it at that time,maintaining wi th Pro¬ ton fit and neccflary fo many thoufandsof people, and it yeelded matter enough unto us fora large difcourfe,whilft not farre from the fight of it wee travelled in the o- pen and direft plaine Rode to Mexico. And as we talked of the greatneffc of it in for- mertimes, fo likewife weenow wondered toconfider itfo bee but a fimall Govern¬ ment, where doth conftantly refide a Spanifh Governour lent from Spain, whole power reacheth to thole borders of TlaxcaHan and Guacocingo, and to molt ofthe pet¬ ty Townesand Villages ofthe plaine, which wefe formerly under the command and power of a King; but now ate not able to make up above a thoufand Duckats a ycer, which is fuppofed to bee tbeyeerly revenues of the Governour . and Tezcuco it fielf this day judged toconlift onely of a hundred Spaniards, and three hundred Indian Inhabi¬ tants, whofechiefe riches come by gardening, and fending daily in their C anna's Herbes and Salets to Mexico.Some wealth likewife they get by their Cedar trees which grow there, and are ready timber for the buildings of Mexico. Yet now alfo are thele Cedars much decayed by the Spaniards, who have wafted and fpoiled them in their too too fumptuous buildings. Cortez onely was accufed by Pamfilo deNarvaez for that hee had fpent feven thoufand beames of Cedar trees in the worke of bisowne houfe. Gardens there were in Tezcuco formerly, that had a thoufand Cedar trees for walls and circuite, fomeoftheni ofa hundred and twenty foot long,and twelve foot in com- paffe from end to end; but now that Garden that hath fifty Cedar trees about it, is much regarded. At the end of this plain Wee pafled through Mexicalcincowhich formerly was a great Town, bur now not of above an hundred Inhabitants, and from thence to Guetlavac, a petty Village, yet mofr pleafant for the lhade of many fruit trees. Gardens, and (lately houlcs which for their recreation fome Citizens of Mexico have built there,being at the foot of the Cawfey which from this Town through the Lake reacheth about five Englifb miles to Mexico. And thus upon the third day of October 1625. wee entred into that famous and gallant City, yet not abiding in it, but onelv palling through it,till we came to a houfeof recreation,ftanding among the Gardens in k Cbapnltepec,Ti3ti)cd Saint belonging to the Dominicans of Manila in the Eaft-India's,(whither ourcourle was intended)where wee were ftatcly entertained, and abode till after Candlemafeday, the time of our fecond Ihipping at Acoapitfco (80! leagues from Mexico) by the South-Sea to CManila the chief City of the Jflands named FbUippinas. E * CHAP.