Chiaha

Respondeo ho gouernador aos q apertaram cõ elle q pouoasse: q em toda aqlla terra nã auia bastimentos pera sua gẽte se poder soster hũ mes: e era necessario acudir ao porto de Ochus dõde Maldonado auia desperar, q se outra terra mais rica nã se se achasse, que aqlla podia tornar cada vez q quisessem: e antre tanto fariã os indios suas sementeiras e estaria milhor prouida de mayz, preguntou aos indios se tinhã noticia d'algũ senor grade adiante dissera que doze jornadas dalli estaua hũa prouincia q Chiaha se chamaua sogeita ao senor de Coça: logo o gouernador d'tremino hir em demãda daquella terra; e por ser home rijo e seco de palaura, e ainda q folgaua de escutar e saber o parecer de todos, d'pois que dezia ho seu nam queria q ho contradissessem e sempre fazia ho q lhe a elle parecia: e assi todos se cõformauam cõ sua vontade: e ainda q pareceo erro deixar aquella terra porque se pudera ao rredor buscar outra dõde a gente se sustentara te que alli se fizeram as sementeiras e se colhera Mayz: e nam ouue que cousa alguã lhe disiesse sabida sua detreminaçam.

The governor answered those who pressed him to settle there. In all that land, he said, there was not food enough to keep his men for a month. They also had to go to the harbor of Ochus, where Maldonado was to wait for them. If no richer land were found, they could come back to this one whenever they liked. Meanwhile the Indians would plant their fields, and the land would be better supplied with maize. He asked the Indians whether they knew of any great lord farther on. They said that twelve days' journey away was a province called Chiaha, subject to the lord of Coça. At once the governor decided to go in search of that land. He was a hard man and sparing of words. He liked to listen and hear everyone's opinion, but once he had said his own, he would not be contradicted, and he always did as he thought best. So everyone fell in with his will. It seemed a mistake to leave that land. They could have looked for another nearby where the men could live until the fields there were planted and the maize harvested. But once his decision was known, no one said a word to him.