village of Urribarracuxi. But Mucozo excused himself and begged that he not be commanded to do a thing that would sully his reputation and honor. He said that it seemed unjust that he supply a person to direct strangers against his brother-in-law and neighbor. Should he do so, Urribarracuxi would complain with reason that a kinsman had conducted enemies to his house and land.

Then Juan Ortiz, by command of Captain Baltasar de Gallegos, informed Mucozo that they had no need for a guide to show them the road -- it being well known that the highway over which they had come led to the village of his kinsman. He said they wanted a messenger to precede them and counsel Urribarracuxi, lest that cacique be annoyed by the coming of the Spanish and apprehensive that they intended to do him harm.

Mocozo said that now he was aware of the purpose for which they wanted the guide, and it would give him great pleasure to provide one. Moreover, that this man might be a person in whom both Indians and Spaniards could place their confidence, he would send a noble Indian who in days gone by had been a great friend of Juan Ortiz.

So the Spaniards left Mucozo's village, very gay and happy -- and even surprised that a barbarian should be so considerate on all occasions. They traveled the distance of approximately 16 or 17 leagues to Urribarracuxi's village in four days. On arriving there, they found the place abandoned. The cacique and all of his vassals had fled to the forest, notwithstanding the fact that the Indians, who had been Juan Ortiz' friend, had carried them the most amicable message that could be sent.

All along the 25 leagues that Baltasar de Gallegos and his companions traveled between the town of Hirrihigua and that of Urribarracuxi, they found many species of trees which they had known in Spain. Here, as we have said before, these trees grew wild. There were walnuts, mulberries, cherries, pines, liveoaks and oaks.

The country which was made up as much of woods as of fields, was indeed peaceful and delightful. Some marshes were encountered, but fewer as they left the seacoast and went inland.

Captain Baltasar de Gallegos now sent four horsemen, among whom was Gonzalo Silvestre, to the Governor with an account of what they had seen. They reported that there was sufficient food in Urribarracuxi's village and its vicinity to sustain the army for several days.

These men covered the distance of 25 leagues in two days without experiencing anything along the way worthy of recording.

On the day following the departures of Vasco Porcallo, the four cavaliers whom Baltasar de Gallegos had ordered back to the camp arrived with a report of what their captain had seen and heard in the lands through which he had passed. These men gave a very exact account which brought great joy to the Spaniards since with one exception everything that was told was favorable to their ambition and conquest. The exception was that beyond the village of Urribarracuxi there lay a very extensive swamp most difficult to cross.

At length the Governor left the Bay of the Holy Spirit and the village of Hirrihigua, traveling now toward the town of Mucozo where he arrived on the morning of the third day. The Governor continued his journey to the village of Urribarracuxi without experiencing anything further of note along the way.

Strangely, Garcilaso -- or his informants -- do not consider of consequence the stampede of horses at the Lake of the Rabbit, the "grievous" sun and death of Soto's steward, the exhausting march across a large plain, or the feast of green corn. It appears that these early incidents had paled in the memories of the old warriors who subsequently experienced much more dangerous and bloody adventures.

At this point, Garcilaso gives us the army's direction of travel which conflicts with Biedma's "toward the setting sun and then northwest."

From the Bay of the Holy Spirit to the village of Urribarracuxi, the Spaniards traveled always to the northeast, that is to say to the north and turning a little toward where the sun rises.

This direction and any others that you will find in the course of my history I must warn you not to take precisely lest you blame me if contrary information should appear after, God being served, the land is won. Although I have taken the utmost care to be able to write with certainty, it has not been possible for me to do so.

The first idea in the minds of these cavaliers was to conquer that kingdom and seek gold and silver. They paid no attention to anything that did not pertain to these metals. Thus they failed to accomplish other things of more import, such as tracing out the limits of the land.