130
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF LOUISIANA.
there for his people that came after, which were sore vexed with hunger and evil ways, because the country was very barren of maize, low, and full of water, bogs, and thick woods ; and the victuals which they brought with them from the Port dc Spirito Santo, were spent. Wheresoever any town was found, there were some beets, and he that came first gathered them, and sodden with water and salt, did eat them without any other tiling ; and such as could not get them, gathered, the stalks of maize -ind eat them, which because they were young had no maize in them. When they came to the river which the Governor had passed, they found palmītos upon low palm trees like those of Andalusia. There they met with the two horsemen which the Governor sent unto them, and they brought news that in Cale there was plenty of maize, at which news they all rejoiced. As soon as they came to Oak, the Governor commanded them to gather all the maize that was ripe in the field, which was sufficient for three months. At the gathering of it the Indians killed three Christians, and one of them which were taken told the Governor, that within seven days' journey there was a very great province, and plentiful of maize, which was called Apalaclie. And presently he departed from Cole with fifty horsemen, and sixty footmen. He left the master of the camp, Luys de Moscow, with all the rest of the people there, with charge that he should not depart thence until he had word from him. And because hitherto none had gotten any slaves, the bread that every one was to eat he was fain himself to beat in a mortar made in a piece of timber, with a pestle, and some of them did sift the flour through their shirts of mail. They baked their bread upon certain tilcshares which they set over the fire, in such sort as heretofore I have said they used to do in Cuba. It is so troubloso.'io to grind their maize, that there were many that would rather not eat it than grind it ; and did eat the maize parched and sodden.
The second day of August, 1539, the Governor departed from Cale; he lodged in a little town called Tiara, and the next day in another called Polano, and the third day at Utinama, and came to another town which they named the town of Evil peace ; because an Indian came in peace, saying, that he was the cacique, and that he with his people would serve the Governor, and that if he would set free twenty-eight persons, men and women, which his men had taken the night before, he would command provision to be brought him, and would give him a guide to instruct him in his way. The Governor commanded them to be set at liberty, and to keep him in safeguard. The next day in the morning there came many Indians, and set them-