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…
I have merely mentioned all this in order to show the reader in whatan awful predicament a
general may be placed who penetrates with an army into an unknown country. Though
Cortes was greatly fearedby the troops, yet they even to a man grudged him a handful of
maiseto still his hunger, and Sandoval himself was obliged to go in searchof provisions
when he wanted any, for he durst not trust any of hismen. So little confidence did one place
in the other!
We had all safely passed the broad river, and marched about fourmiles in a straight line,
when we got fixed in a terrible morass. Hereall throwing in of trees and other materials to
make a road was fruitless.Our horses sunk in so deep, that often their heads alone were to
be seen above ground, and we thought we should never have rescued asingle one of them
alive. Yet we were ordered to march forward, forwe should again be on firm ground at the
distance of about half a bowshot.We thus continued to move on, while our army left a deep
hollowtrack behind it, formed of mud and water, the horses swimming, sometimeswading,
through the deeper parts. At length we reached firmland, and we offered up thanks to God
for our escape.
Cortes now again despatched me to the Acallan townships, in orderto induce the caziques,
with whom I had become very friendly, to sendoff some provisions to him in advance. I
instantly set out on myjourney, arrived towards evening in Acala, and despatched that very
night three Spaniards who had accompanied me, with about one hundredIndians, to Cortes,
laden with maise and other provisions. When our general gave me these instructions, he
added: "This time I willawait the arrival of the provisions, and stand guard over them, that I
may not fare as badly as I did before." And sure enough, when theyarrived, he, Sandoval,
and Luis Marin took them into their own custody,and ordered them to be distributed under
their own eyes.
The following day, about noon, the army arrived in Acala, the caziques of which place
having met our general with a supply of provisions; but I will break off here, and relate
what further took placein the next chapter.
[Pg 250]
CHAPTER CLXXVII.
Cortes' further plans after his arrival among the Acallan townships;how he
orders the powerful cazique of Mexico Quauhtemoctzin, and the king of
Tlacupa, to be hung; his reasons for doing this; and ofother matters.
After Cortes had arrived in Gueacala, and had been thus kindlyreceived by the caziques, he
told them all manner of fine things, throughour interpretess, Doña Marina, and he presented
them with variouskinds of Spanish toys, all of which appeared vastly to amuse them.They
willingly supplied us with provisions, and Cortes questioned themas to the route we were
next to take, and whether they had seen otherpeople like unto us, with beards, and riding on
horseback, or anystrange vessels off the coast?
To which they replied, that eight days further on there were numbersof people with beards,
who had women of Castile, horses, and threeacales (for so they term vessels) with them.
Respecting our inquiriesabout the direction in which we were to march, they answered by
layingbefore us a large piece of cotton cloth, on which were drawn all therivers, swamps,
morasses, and townships of the country.
Cortes was excessively rejoiced at all this, and he requested thecaziques, as their population
was so numerous, to bring their canoes,and throw bridges across the river for us. To this
they answered, that their townships were indeed above twenty in number, but that the
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