New Spain

Sosegado ya este llanto, yo pregunté á los cristianos, y dije que, si á ellos parescia, rogaría á aquellos indios que nos llevasen á sus casas; y algunos de ellos que habían estado en la Nueva-España respondieron que no se debía hablar en ello, porque si á sus casas nos llevaban, nos sacrificarian á sus ídolos; mas, visto que otro remedio no había, y que por cualquier otro camino estaba mas cerca y mas cierta la muerte, no curé de lo que decían, antes rogué á los indios que nos llevasen á sus casas, y ellos mostraron que habían gran placer de ello, y que esperásemos un poco, que ellos harían lo que queríamos;

When the weeping had died down, I asked the Christians whether they agreed that I should ask these Indians to take us to their houses. Some of them had been in New Spain. They answered that we should not even speak of it, because if the Indians took us to their houses, they would sacrifice us to their idols. But since there was no other way out, and any other path led to a nearer and surer death, I paid no attention to what they said. Instead I asked the Indians to take us to their houses. They showed that they were very glad to do it, and told us to wait a little, and they would do what we wished.

A todos pareceo bẽ pouoarẽ aqlla terra por estar ẽ boa paragẽ: que se se pouoara todolos nauios da Noua Espanha e do Peru e Sancta Marta, e Terra firme, indo pera a Espanha lhes vinha bẽ fazer ali escala: porq he por alli seu caminho: e por ser boa terra e aparelhada pera fazer proveito. Ho gouernador como seu intẽto era buscar outro tesouro como ho d'Tabalipa senor do Peru, nã se quis cõtẽtar cõ boa terra nẽ cõ Perlas em caso q muitas dellas a peso de ouro valiã: e se se a terra repartira as que os indios depois pescaram valerã mais; porq as q tinham por as furarem cõ fogo lhe fazia perder sua cor.

Everyone thought it good to settle that land, because it lay in a good position. If it were settled, all the ships from New Spain, Peru, Santa Marta and Tierra Firme could put in there on the way to Spain, since their route passes that way. It was also good land, fit for making a profit. But the governor's aim was to find another treasure like that of Tabalipa, lord of Peru. He would not be content with good land or with pearls, though many of them were worth their weight in gold. If the land had been divided among settlers, the pearls the Indians fished later would have been worth more. The ones they had lost their color because the Indians bored the holes with fire.