The Lady of Cofitachequi

e tanto q viera partio pera Cutifachiqui, no caminho se tomaram tres indios, os quaes dissera que a senora daqlla terra tinha ja dos christãos noticia e os estaua esperado em hú pouo seu. Ho gouernador por hú delles lhe mandou oferecer sua amizade e fazerlhe saber como hia pera la, ho gouernador chegou e logo viera pera elle quatro almadias, e hũa dellas vinha hua hirmã da cacica e chegando ao gouernador disse estas palavras. Excelẽte senor minha hirmã por mim mãda beijar as mãos a V. S. e dizerlhe q a causa porq ella nã vẽ em pessoa he parecer-lhe q mais ho serue qdando como queda dando ordẽ a q cõ brevidade se faça prestes todas as suas almadias pera que V. S. passe e q d'scanse porq logo será seruido. Ho Gouernador lhe deu os agardecimẽtos e ella se tornou pera outra parte do rio.

As soon as they had come, he set out for Cutifachiqui. On the way three Indians were taken. They said that the lady of that land already had news of the Christians and was waiting for them in one of her towns. Through one of them the governor sent to offer her his friendship and to let her know he was coming. When the governor arrived, four canoes came to him at once. In one of them came a sister of the cacica. She came up to the governor and spoke these words: "Excellent lord, my sister sends me to kiss Your Lordship's hands. She asks me to tell you why she does not come in person. She thinks she serves you better by staying where she is, giving orders to make all her canoes ready quickly so that Your Lordship may cross. Rest, for you will soon be served." The governor thanked her, and she went back to the other side of the river.

Dahi a pouco espaço sahio a cacica do pouo e hú andor em que certos indios principaes até ho rio a leuaram. Entrou em hua almadia que tinha toldada a popa, e no sollo estaua jaa lançada sua esteira estẽdida e ẽ cima dous coxins hu sobre outro dõde se ella assentou e cõ seus principaes e outras almadias de indios que a acõpanhavã. Foy pera õde ho Gouernador estaua e como chegou fez a fala seguinte. Excelẽte senor a vinda de V. S. a estas suas terras seja muy boa, ainda que minha possibilidade se nã yguale a a võtade e meus seruiços nã seja cõformes ao q eu d'sejo e hum tã poderoso principe como V. S. lhe merece, pois a võtade he mais diria de receber q todos os tesouros do mundo q sem ella se ofereça cõ muy certa e crara lhe ofereço minha pessoa, terras e vassallos e este pobre seruiço:

A short while later the cacica came out of the town in a litter, and some leading Indians carried her to the river. She got into a canoe with an awning over its stern. Her mat was already spread on the floor, with two cushions on top, one on the other, and there she sat. With her leading men, and other canoes of Indians around her, she went to where the governor was. When she arrived, she made this speech: "Excellent lord, welcome to these lands, which are yours. My means do not match my goodwill, and my services do not match what I wish or what so powerful a prince as Your Lordship deserves. But goodwill is worth more than all the treasures of the world offered without it. With sure and open goodwill I offer you my person, my lands, my people, and this poor gift."

e vendo a Cacica q os christãos estimaua as perlas, disse ao gouernador, que mandasse buscar certas sepulturas que naquelle pouo estauam, q acharia muitas: e se quisesse mãdar aos q despouoados estauã podiam carregar todos seus cauallos: foram buscadas as daqlle pouo, acharam se catorze arrobas de perlas e meninos e aves formados dellas. A gẽte era morena, bẽ d'posta e proporcionada e mais polida q nhuã da q se vio em toda a terra da Frolida e andauam todos calçados e vestidos.

Seeing that the Christians prized the pearls, the cacica told the governor to have certain graves in that town searched, for he would find many there. If he wanted to send to the graves in the empty towns, they could load all their horses. The graves of that town were searched, and fourteen arrobas of pearls were found, along with figures of children and birds made of them. The people were brown, well built and well proportioned, and more refined than any seen in the whole land of Florida. All of them wore shoes and clothes.