Chilton 1586 It is situated at the foot of certain hills, which contain in compass by estimation above twenty leagues, compassing the said city on the one side; and a lake, which is fourteen. leagues about, on the other side. Upon which lake, there are built many notable and sumptuous cities, as the city of Tescuco: where the Spaniards built six frigates at that time. when they conquered Mexico; and where also HERNANDO CORTES made his abode five or six months, in curing of the sickness of his people, which they had taken at their coming into the country. There dwell in this city about 60,000 Indians, which pay tribute to the King. In this city [Mexico] the said HERNANDO built the finest. Church that ever was built in the Indias; the name whereof is St. Peter's. After I had continued six months in this city; being desirous to see farther the countries, I employed [invested] that which I had, and took my voyage [in 1569] towards the Provinces of the California: in the which was discovered a certain country by a Biscayan, whose name was DIEGO DE GUIARA, and called it after the name of his country, New Biscay; where I sold my merchandise for exchange of silver, for there were there certain rich mines discovered by the aforesaid Biscayan. Going from Mexico, I directed my voyage towards the south-west, to certain mines called Tamalxaltepec; and so travelled forward, the space of twenty days, through desert: uninhabited places, till I came to the Valley of St. Bartholomew, which joineth to the province of New Biscay. In all these places, the Indians are for the most part naked, and are wild people. Their common armour is bows and arrows. They use [are accustomed] to eat up such Christians as they come by. At my return to Mexico, I came along by the coast of the South Sea, through the Province of Zacatula; from thence in the Province of Coloa: where I employed the silver that I had. in a certain grain growing like an almond, called among the Indians Cacao [Cocoa beans] which in New Spain is current for money, to buy things of small value, as fruits, &c.; for. they have no small money there; and in which, also, they pay 16 CHILTON LOSES 1000 DUCATS BY DRake. Chilton. ? 1586. the King his tribute. They grind this grain to a powder, and mingle it with water; and so is made both bread and drink to them; which is a provision of great profit and good strength. From thence departing, I came to another province named Xalisco, and from thence to the port of Navidad which is sixty-six leagues from Mexico. In which port arrive, always in the month of April, all the ships that come out of the South Sea, from China and the Philippines; and there they lay their merchandise ashore: the most part whereof is mantles made of cotton wool, wax, and fine platters gilt made of earth, and much gold. The next summer following, being in the year 1570, which was the first year that the Pope's Bulls were brought into the Indias; I undertook another voyage towards the Province of Sonsonate, which is in the kingdom of Guatemala ; whither I carried divers merchandise of Spain, all by land on mules' backs. The way thitherward, from Mexico, is to the City of the Angels; and from thence to another city of Christians, eighty leagues off, called Guaxaca, in which there dwelt about fifty Spaniards and many Indians. All the Indians of this Province pay their tribute in mantles of cotton wool, and cochineal, whereof there groweth great abundance about this country. Near to this place, there lieth a port in the South Sea, called Aquatulca [Acapulco]: in which there dwelleth not above three or four Spaniards, with certain Negroes which the King maintaineth there. In which place, Sir FRANCIS DRAKE arrived in the year 1579, in the month of April [see Vol. V. p. 294] where I lost with his being there, about 1,000 ducats* [=£275 =now about £2,200]: which he took away, with much other of goods of other merchants of Mexico, from one FRANCISO GOMES RANGIFA, Factor there, for all the Spanish merchants that then traded in the South Sea. For from this port, they use to embark all their goods that go for Peru, and to the kingdom of Honduras. From Guaxaca, I came to a town named Nixapa, which *This loss was subsequent to the conclusion of CHILTON'S narrative of his personal adventures; which ends with his journey to Yucatan in pp. 25, 26. Chilton standeth upon certain very high hills in the Province of Zapatecos, wherein inhabit about the number of twenty Spaniards by the King of Spain's commandment, to keep that country in peace; for that the Indians are very rebellious and for this purpose he bestoweth on them the towns and cities that be within that Province. From hence, I went to a city called Tehuantepec, which is the furthest town to the eastward in all New Spain, which sometime did belong to [HERNANDO CORTES] the Marquis DE LA VALLE: and because it is a very fit port, standing in the South Sea, the King of Spain, upon a rebellion [!] made by the said Marquis against him, took it from him, and doth now possess it as his own. Here, in the year 1572, I saw a piece of ordnance of brass, called a Demi-Culverin, which came out of a ship called the Jesus of Lubeck [See Vol. V. pp. 223, 238], which Captain HAWKINS left in San Juan de Ülua, being in fight with the Spaniards, in the year 1568, which piece they afterward carried a hundred leagues by land, over mighty mountains, to the said city, to be embarked for the Philippines. Leaving Tehuantepec, I went still along by the South Sea, about 150 leagues, in the desolate Province of Soconusco: in which Province there groweth Cacao, which the Christians carry from thence into New Spain; for that it will not grow in any cold country. The Indians of this country pay the King their tribute in Cacao, giving him 400 Cargas (every Carge is 2,400 almonds) which Carge is worth in Mexico, 30 pieces of Rials of Plate [15s. (=£6 now)]. They are men of great riches, and withal very proud: and in all this Province throughout, there dwell not twenty Christians. I travelled through another Province called Suchetepec, and thence to the Province of Guasacapan, in both of which Provinces are very few people; the biggest town therein having not above 200 Indians. The chiefest merchandise there is Cacao. Hence, I went to the city of Guatemala, which is the chief city of all this Kingdom. In this city, do inhabit about eighty Spaniards: and here the King hath his Governors and Council, to whom all the people of the kingdom repair for justice. This city standeth from the coast of the South Sea, fourteen leagues within the land, and is very rich, 18 SECOND TRIP, IN 1570-71, TO GUATEMALA, J. Chi Chilton. ? 1586. by reason of the gold that they fetch out of the coast of Veragua. From this city, to the Eastward, sixty leagues, hath the Province of Sonsonate; where I sold the merchandise I carried out of New Spain. The chiefest city of this Province is San Salvador, which hath seven leagues from the coast of the South Sea, and hath a port lying by the sea coast, called Acaxutla, where the ships arrive with the merchandise they bring from New Spain; and from thence, lade back the Cacao. There dwell there to the number of sixty Spaniards. From Sonsonate, I travelled to Nicoya, which is the Kingdom of Nicaragua. In which port, the King buildeth all the shipping that travel out of the Indies to the Moluccas. I went forward from thence to Costa Rica, where the Indians, both men and women, go all naked; and the land lieth between Panama and the Kingdom of Guatemala. And for that the Indians there, live as warriors, I durst not pass by land: so that here, in a town called San Salvador, I bestowed that which I carried in anil [indigo], which is a kind of thing to dye blue withal, which I carried with me to the port of Cavallos [see Vol. V. p. 302. At present, called Puerto Cortes or Cabellos], lying in the Kingdom of Honduras: which port is a mighty huge river; and at the coming in of the one side of it, there lieth a town of little force, without ordnance or any other strength, having in it houses of straw. At which town, the Spaniards use yearly, in the month of August, to unlade four ships which come out of Spain laden with rich merchandise, and receive in again here, a kind of merchandise called anil, cochineal (although it be not of such value as that of New Spain), silver of the mines of Toma Angua, gold of Nicaragua, hides, and salsaparilla the best in all the Indies. All which merchandise they return [take back}, and depart from thence always in the month of April following [CHILTON evidently went this voyage in April, 1571], taking their course by the island of Jamaica: in which island, there dwell on the west side of it certain Spaniards of no great number. From this place, they go to Cape St. Antonio; which is the uttermost part of the westward of the isle of Cuba. And from thence, to Havanna, lying hard by; which is the chiefest port that the King of Spain hath in all the countries of the Indies, and of greatest importance. For all the ships Chilton from Peru, Honduras, Porto Rico, Santo Domingo, Jamaica, and all other places in his Indies, arrive there, on their return to Spain; for that in this port, they take in victuals and water, and the most part of their lading. Here they meet from all the foresaid places, always in the beginning of May, by the King's commandment. At the entrance of this port, it is so narrow that there can scarce come in two ships together; although it be above six fathoms deep in the narrowest place of it. In the north side of the coming in, there standeth a tower, in which there watcheth every day a man to descry the sail of ships which he can see on the sea: and as many as he discovereth, so many banners he setteth upon the tower, that the people of the town (which standeth within the port about a mile from the tower) may understand thereof. [See Vol. III. p. 444, for a similar arrangement at Terceira.] Under this tower, there lieth a sandy shore, where men may easily go aland: and by the tower, there runneth a hill along by the water's side; which easily, with small store of ordnance, subdueth the town and port. The port within is so large, that there may easily ride a thousand sail of ships, without anchor or cable; for no wind is able to hurt them. There inhabit within the town of Havanna, about 300 Spaniards, and about sixty soldiers; which the King maintaineth there, for the keeping of a certain castle which he hath of late erected, which hath planted in it about twelve pieces of small ordnance. It is compassed round with a small ditch, wherethrough, at their pleasure, they may let in the sea. About two leagues from Havanna, there lieth another town called Guanabacoa, in which there are dwelling about 100 Indians and from this place sixty leagues, there lieth another town named Bahama, situated on the north side of the island. The chiefest city of this island of Cuba, which is above 200 miles in length, is also called Cuba (Santiago de Cuba]; where dwelleth a Bishop and about 200 Spaniards: which town standeth on the south side of the island about a hundred leagues from Havanna. All the trade of this island is cattle; which they kill only for the hides that are brought thence into Spain. For which end, the Spaniards maintain there many negroes to kill their cattle and foster [breed] a great number of hogs, which |