he had but little comfort:  and the danger wherein all his people were of perishing in that country, which appeared before their eyes, was cause sufficient why every one of them had need of comfort, and why they did not visit nor accompany him as they ought to have done.  Luys de Moscoso determined to conceal his death from the Indians, because Fernando de Soto had made them believe that the Christians were immortal; and also because they took him to be hardy, wise, and valiant; and if they should know that he was dead, they would be bold to set upon the Christians, tho they lived peaceably by them.

As soon as he was dead, Luys de Moscoso commanded to put him secretly in the house, where he remained three days; and moving him from thence, commanded him to be buried in the night at one of the gates of the town within the wall.  And as the Indians had seen him sick, and missed him, so did they suspect what might be.  And passing by the place where he was buried, seeing the earth moved, they looked and spake one to another.  Luys de Moscoso, understanding of it, commanded him to be taken up by night, and to cast a great deal of sand into the mantles, wherein he was wound up, wherein he was carried in a canoe, and thrown into the midst of the river.

The Cacique of Guachoya inquired for him, demanding what was become of his brother and lord, the Governor.  Luys de Moscoso told him that he was gone to heaven, as many other times he did:  and because he was to stay there certain days he had left him in his place.  The cacique thought with himself that he was dead; and commanded two young and well-proportioned Indians to be brought thither; and said, that the use of that country was, when any lord died, to kill Indians to wait upon him, and serve him by the way, and for that purpose by his commandment were those come thither:  and prayed Luys de Moscoso to command them to be beheaded, that they might attend and serve his lord and brother.  Luys de Moscoso told him that the Governor was not dead, but gone to heaven, and that of his own Christian soldiers he had taken such as he needed to serve him, and prayed him to command those Indians to be loosed, and not to use any such bad custom from thenceforth:  straightway he commanded them to be loosed, and to get them home to their houses.

[1] From the “Narrative of the Gentleman of Elvas,” the author’s name being unknown, but written by one of De Soto’s companions, a Spaniard, and first printed in 1557.  The author has been supposed to be Alvaro Fernandez, but this is only a matter of conjecture.  The translation here used is that made by Hakluyt, printed in London in 1809, and included in the “Old South Leaflets.”

DRAKE’S VISIT TO CALIFORNIA

(1579)

BY ONE OF DRAKE’S COMPANIONS[1]