of
necessaries, which stood us in great stead.

At the end of these fifteen days (5th September), our Captain leaving
his ship in his brother's charge, to keep all things in order; himself
took with him, according to his former determination, two pinnaces for
Rio Grande, and passing by Cartagena but out of sight, when we were
within two leagues of the river, we landed (8th September), to the
westward on the Main, where we saw great store of cattle. There we found
some Indians, who asking us in friendly sort, in broken Spanish, "What
we would have?" and understanding that we desired fresh victuals in
traffic; they took such cattle for us as we needed, with ease and so
readily, as if they had a special commandment over them, whereas they
would not abide us to come near them. And this also they did willingly,
because our Captain, according to his custom, contented them for their
pains, with such things as they account greatly of; in such sort that
they promised, we should have there, of them at any time what we would.

The same day, we departed thence to Rio Grande [Magdalena], where we
entered about three of the clock in the afternoon. There are two entries
into this river, of which we entered the western most called _Boca
Chica_. The freshet [current] is so great, that we being half a league
from the mouth of it, filled fresh water for our beverage.

From three o'clock till dark at night, we rowed up the stream; but the
current was so strong downwards, that we got but two leagues, all that
time. We moored our pinnaces to a tree that night: for that presently,
with the closing of the evening, there fell a monstrous shower of
rain, with such strange and terrible claps of thunder, and flashes of
lightning, as made us not a little to marvel at, although our Captain
had been acquainted with such like in that country, and told us that
they continue seldom longer than three-quarters of an hour.

This storm was no sooner ceast, but it became very calm, and therewith
there came such an innumerable multitude of a kind of flies of that
country, called mosquitoes, like our gnats, which bit so spitefully,
that we could not rest all that night, nor find means to defend
ourselves from them, by reason of the heat of the country. The best
remedy we then found against them, was the juice of lemons.

At the break of day (9th September), we departed, rowing in the eddy,
and hauling up by the trees where the eddy failed, with great lab