e siluer, a small
quantitie of golde painted skinnes, and other things, with a thousand
thankes, which the Paracoussy gaue me, which promised that if in any
enterprise of importance I should haue neede of his men, he would furnish
mee with three hundreth and about.

(M458) While I thus trauailed to purchase friends, and to practise one
while with one here, an other while with another there, certaine Souldiers
of my company were suborned vnder hand by one named La Roquette of the
Countrey of Perigort, which put in their heads that hee was a great
Magician, and that by the secrets of Art-magicke he had discouered a Mine
of golde and siluer farre vp within the Riuer, whereby (vpon the losse of
his life,) euery Souldier should receiue in ready Bullion the value of
tenne thousand Crownes, beside and aboue fifteene hundred thousand should
be reserued for the Kings Maiestie: wherefore they allied themselues with
La Roquette and another of his confederates, whose name was Le Genre, in
whom (M459) notwithstanding I had great affiance. (M460) This Genre
exceeding desirous to enrich himselfe in those parts, and seeking to be
reuenged, because I would not giue him the carriage of the Paquet into
France, secretly enfourmed the Souldiers that were already suborned by La
Roquette, that I would depriue them of this great gaine, in that I did set
them dayly on worke, not sending them on euery side to discouer the
Countreys: therefore that it were a good deede, after they had made mee
vnderstande so much, to seeke meanes to dispatch me out of the way, and to
choose another Captaine in my place, if I would not giue them victuals
according to their disordinate appetite. (M461) Hee also brought mee word
hereof himselfe, making a large discourse vnto mee of the good affection
of the Souldiers, which all besought mee that I would conduct them to the
Countrey where the Mine was: I made him answere that all could not goe
thither, and that it was necessary before their departure to settle our
Fortresse in such estate, that those which which were to stay at home
behind should remaine in securitie against the Indians which might
surprise them. Furthermore, that their manner of proceeding seemed strange
vnto mee, for that they imagined, that the Kings Maiestie was at the
charges of our voyage for none other ende, but onely to enrich them at
their first arriuall, in as much as they shewed themselues much more giuen
vnto couetousnesse, then vnto the s