All These Indians Had Close Cotton Dresses, Having A Narrow
Cloth Round Their Waists, Being More Decent Than The Natives Of Cuba,
Where The Women Only Use This Piece Of Dress.
Next day the same chief came
off with twelve large canoes, inviting our captain to go on shore,
repeating frequently con-escotoch, con-escotoch, which we understood to
mean, come to our town, and from this circumstance we named the place
Punta de Cotoche.
We resolved to accept the invitation, but using the
precaution to go in a body at one embarkation, as we saw many Indians on
shore. We therefore hoisted out our own boats, and in them and the canoes
and our own small bark, we proceeded to the land. After landing, we halted
to consider what we should do, and as the cacique still urged us by signs
to accompany him, we marched on in good order, fifteen of our men being
armed with cross-bows and ten with muskets. As we were passing some thick
woods, the cacique suddenly called aloud to a body of Indians which he had
posted there in ambush, who immediately sallied out, pouring in a flight
of arrows, by which fifteen of our soldiers were wounded. These Indians
wore thick coats of quilted cotton, and besides their bows and arrows,
were armed with lances, shields, and slings, and had their heads
ornamented with feathers. After discharging their arrows they advanced to
attack us with their lances; but our sharp swords, and the repeated
discharges of our muskets and cross-bows, soon drove them to a distance,
leaving fifteen of their men dead on the field.
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