The Soldiers Found Themselves Much Deceived By The Reports Of The Friars Who Had Been In Those Parts, As Already Mentioned Under The Year 1538, Who Said That The Country Was Rich In Gold, Silver, And Precious Stones.

Not being willing, therefore, to return empty-handed to Mexico, they went to the town of _Acuco_, where they heard of _Axa_ and _Quivira_, the king of which was reported to worship a golden cross, and the picture of the Queen of Heaven, or the blessed Virgin.

In this journey, the Spaniards endured many hardships, but the Indians fled every where before them, and one morning, they found thirty of their horses had died during the night. From _Cicuic_ they went to _Quivira_, a distance of 200 leagues in their estimation, the whole way being in a level country; and they marked their route by means of small hillocks of cow dung, that they might be the better able to find their way back. At one time they had a storm of hail, the hailstones being as large as oranges. At length they reached Quivira, where they found the King _Tatarax_, whose only riches consisted in a copper ornament, which he wore suspended from his neck. They saw neither cross, nor image of the virgin, nor any indication whatever of the Christian religion. This country, according to their report, was very thinly inhabited, more especially in its champaign or level parts, in which the whole people wandered about with their cattle, of which they have great abundance, living much in the same manner with the Arabs in Barbary, removing from place to place according to the seasons, in search of pastures for their cattle. The cattle belonging to these Indians are almost as large as horses, having large horns, and bear fleeces of wool like sheep, on which account the Spaniards gave them that name. They have abundance of another kind of oxen or cattle, very monstrous in their form having hunches on their backs like camels, with long beards, and long manes like horses. The Indians live by eating these oxen, and by drinking their blood, and clothe themselves in their skins. Most of their food is raw, or at least slightly roasted, as they have no pots in which to boil their food. They cut their meat with certain knives made of flint. Their fruits are damsons, hazel-nuts, melons, grapes, pines, and mulberries. They have dogs of such vast strength, that one of them will hold a bull, be he never so wild. When the Indians remove from place to place, these dogs carry their wives, children, and household stuff on their backs; and are so strong as to carry fifty pounds at once[98]. I omit many other circumstances of this expedition, because the plan I have prescribed requires brevity[99].

In the year 1542, when Diego de Frietas was in the port of Dodra, in the kingdom of Siam, three Portuguese of his crew deserted, and went in a junk towards China.

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