Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/247

 *man called Don Pedro de Mendoça furnished forth a great fleete of ships, wherein were shipped a thousand men, fortie mares, and twentie horses, with all other creatures to inhabite this riuer:

and comming thither he went vp into the countrey to see what riches he could there finde, leauing all his stuffe, cattle, and prouision at a place called Buenos Ayeres, so named in regard of the freshnesse of the ayre, and the healthfulnesse of his men, during their abode there: this place was eightie leagues within the riuer, and here he landed first: at this place the riuer is aboue seuen leagues broad, and very low land on both sides without trees. This riuer is very often subiect to great and sudden stormes, so that with a storme this Don Pedro lost eight of his ships, and in the rest he returned for Spaine, saying to his men, that he would goe seeke victuals, and so left the greater part of them behinde. In his way homeward he died, and the poore men which he left behind him, for the most part of them died of hunger also, because in that place there were very few Indians, and therefore but small store of victuals, onely they liued by hunting of Deere, and by fishing.

Of all the men that Don Pedro left behind him there were but two hundred remaining aliue, who in the ship-boates went higher vp the riuer, leauing in the place called Buenos Ayeres their mares and horses: but it is a wonder to see, that of thirty mares and seuen horses which the Spaniards left there, the increase in fortie yeeres was so great, that the countrey is 20 leagues vp full of horses; whereby a man may coniecture the goodnesse of the pasture, and the fruitfulnesse of the soile. The Spaniards that went this riuer passed three hundred leagues, and found the countrey ful of Indians:

who had great plenty of victuals, among whom the Spaniards dwelt as their friends, and the Indians bestowed their daughters in mariage upon them, and so they dwelt altogether in one towne, which the Spaniards called La Ascension, and it standeth on the North side of the riuer. The foresaid Spaniardes were twentie yeres in this place, before any newes of their inhabiting vpon this riuer was brought into Spaine: but waxing olde, and fearing that when they were dead, their sons which they had begotten in this countrey being very many, should liue without the knowledge of any Christians: they determined among themselues to build a ship and to send newes into Spaine with letters vnto the king of all