The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo Vol. 2

1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo written by himself, containing a true an…
the last, thereby drawing off the enemy's attention from us; and while they were busily
engaged in plundering our trunks we found time to set the canoesafloat, and to push off
from the shore. Thus, through the great mercyof God, we made our escape by means of
these canoes, and passedacross this deep and broad river, which abounded with alligators;
butin order to elude the pursuit of these Cimatecs, we were obliged toconceal ourselves for
the space of eight days among the mountains.In the meantime the news of our disaster had
reached Guacasualco, and the four Indians, who had also been fortunate enough to save
themselves by flight, confidently asserted, as we were so long in returning,that we must
have been killed. Luis Marin, who likewise gave us up for lost, had already, as was
customary at that time, divided our Indiancommendaries among the other Conquistadores,
and had written toCortes for fresh indentures to convey the property; besides that, hehad
sold off all our moveable goods by public auction. However, afterthe space of twenty-three
days, we again, to the surprise of all, made our reappearance in Guacasualco, where our
friends were indeed delightedto see us, but those who had obtained our possessions drew
very long faces.
Luis Marin was at length fully convinced that he should never be able to put down the
rebellion in the provinces, unless he wasallowed a stronger body of troops, for now he was
sacrificing thelives of the few men he had to no purpose. He resolved thereforeto repair in
person to Mexico, and beg Cortes for a further reinforcement, and other necessaries, to
carry on a war. He particularlycautioned the Spaniards to remain quiet during his absence,
and ordered that they should not move to a greater distance than twenty miles from the
town, unless to procure themselves provisions.
[Pg 179]
When Marin reached Mexico, and had given Cortes an account of the state of affairs in
Guacasualco, he only furnished him with twentysoldiers, and desired him to return thither
without delay. Among thesewas Alonso de Grado, whom I have so often mentioned above,
and fatherJuan de las Varillas, who was a profound scholar, and had come to NewSpain
with Zuazo. According to his own account, he had studied inthe college of Santa Cruz, at
Salamanca, and he said he was of a verydistinguished family.
Marin's instructions from Cortes were to march with all the Spaniardswho had settled in
Guacasualco, and the fresh troops he brought with him, into Chiapa, to quell the
disturbances, and found a new town inthis province. We therefore equipped ourselves in the
best possible manner for this campaign, and commenced operations by clearing the road
along the line of our route, for the country was full of swampsand dangerous mountains.
We had to carry along with us heavy beams,by means of which our horse were to pass the
marshes, but even those were insufficient in many places. In this way, with the utmost
difficulty,we arrived at Tezpuatlan, which township we could only reachby ferrying across
a broad river in canoes, for which purpose we hadfirst to run up the river to a considerable
distance. From this placewe arrived at Cachula, which lies high among the mountains, in
theprovince of Chiapa, and must not be confounded with a township ofthe same name,
prettily situated in the neighbourhood of la Puebla de los Angeles. Leaving Cachula, we
passed through several smalltownships dependent on it; here we made ourselves a perfectly
new road along the river, which flows from Chiapa, for there was previously no road
whatever in this place. The inhabitants of the surroundingdistricts lived in perpetual fear of
the Chiapanecs, who at that time were the most warlike people of New Spain. I will not
even except the Tlascallans, the Mexicans, the Zapotecs, or the Minges; nor were the
monarchs of Mexico ever able to subdue them; besides which, their population was
extensive, and their warlike spirit universallydreaded. They were continually at war with
their neighbours ofCinacatan, the tribes on the lake Quilenayas, and with the Zoques; in
short, they levied contributions on all the surrounding townships,dragged the inhabitants
forcibly away to sacrifice them to their gods,and devoured their flesh at their festive orgies.
They posted troops in all the narrow passes of Teguantepec, to lay wait for the trading
Indianmerchants, thereby often destroying all intercourse between the differentprovinces.
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