3.


found ourselves surrounded by hills and mountains which are covered with
thick forest; while corresponding to the number of hills is the number
of valleys with streams running through them. The rocks are the colour
of iron, and the natives of the country draw iron from them to make all
kinds of iron tools. What they make is of very superior quality and it
gives these parts an excellent reputation, for the metal is very fine.
Travelling then in this fashion we eventually approached a village
which lay midway along our route; and there'we met a cassave or servant
of the king, with a horse which a few days earlier had been brought from
a place over 100 leagues away, and which the king had sent me for the
rest of the journey. In reply I expressed my great thanks but said that
I did not dare to ride on the horse because of the steepness of the road;
and so I gave it to the elder son, who accompanied me on it, although he
often had to dismount because he could not ride through some of the
thickets and pass safely over some of the ravines we encountered.   When
we reached the /f.225/ village, its chief, hearing what was being said
and circulated, that I had no intercourse with women, ordered the women
to stay indoors, which they did until I heard about it, so that there
was no-one to bring water or provide other necessary services. However
when I stated that all I required was that the women should not go into
the house where I was lodging, they came out again and attended to what
was necessary.
The following day we reached the king's town and were received by
him with very special manifestations of joy. He lodged te in the new
housese tLhad been constructed with a fence around them to keep out
women. Next he sent me a young bull, an is his custom. I accepted it
to give him pleasure, but ordered it to be divided among those who had
conveyed and accompanied metand this made no little impression on the
king and his people. We discussed at length the points of our holy
faith; and since in that country unmarried girls go naked, the first thing
I asked him jas that hetsh4uld order them to dress themselves, and this
he did in a proclamation issued throughout the town.
I said the first mass on Ascension Day, when the church was
decorated with boughs and ;the altar finely ornamented. Only seven
Christians entered to heor Oass, for there were no more here. The king
wished to do the same but I4led him away by the hand, and explained to
him the reasons why this is zLot permitted to those who are not yet
baptized, adding that after :he had been baptized he would have the best
place in the church. "Since this is so, padre", he said, "baptize
me
now, for I want nothing els"e. I replied that it was necessary first
to prepare him, by teachinS him the points of our holy faith and the