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…
bed, in order to pass into anadjoining large apartment, where a number of idols stood, and
wherethe Indians were accustomed to hold their meetings. It seems that heforgot the two
steps which led down into it, so that he fell ratherheavily, and bruised his head severely.
This wound he had secretlydressed, nor did he himself ever mention the accident to any
one.
The next morning, very early, we again broke up our quarters, andour guides led us exactly
in the direction they had previously described,and we arrived, without anything happening
to us worthy of mention,in front of a morass, which lay at the foot of very high mountains,
where we encamped for the night. With break of day we again continuedour march, and
arrived about the hour of high mass, at atownship which lay in the midst of this extensive
morass. This townhad every appearance of having been recently built, and indeed wefound
that the houses had only been erected a few days before ourarrival. It was surrounded by a
double entrenchment, formed of the trunks of large trees, encircled by other huge poles
stuck in perpendicularly, The approaches were secured by a deep fosse, and they were
protected by a double inclosure of a circular form: one of whichwas supplied with a regular
battlement, small towers and loop-holes;the other was very high and strongly built of large
stones, and waslikewise provided with a battlement. As the other side was coveredby the
morass this place might, in every sense of the word, be called afortress.
[Pg 254]
When we entered the town we did not meet with a single inhabitant,but were surprised to
find in the houses quantities of boiled turkeysand other fowls, dressed according to Indian
fashion, with hot peppers and maise cakes, which they call tamales. We were perfectly
astonished at this great abundance, and we made all manner of speculations on so
extraordinary a sight. Another large building we found filled with bows and arrows and
small darts. We now carefully searched the surrounding neighbourhood, but we could
nowhere see any maiseplantations.
While we were thus looking about us we observed fifteen Indiansapproaching from the side
of the morass, who, on coming up,touched the ground with their hands and kissed it. These
were thechiefs of the township, and they begged of Cortes, in a half-cryingtone of voice,
not to set fire to their buildings. They had, they said,but recently settled in this spot, and
had been compelled to fortifythemselves thus strongly from fear of their enemies; whom, if
I donot mistake, they termed Lacandones. These people had burnt downtheir two former
towns which lay on the plain, had plundered them of all they possessed, and had killed
numbers of their countrymen. Onour further march we should pass over the ashes and ruins
of their former habitations. These chiefs then related the cause of their enmity, and
described their mode of warfare. Upon this Cortes inquired ofthem what had induced them
to dress so large a quantity of turkeysand other fowls? To which the chiefs replied, that they
again expectedan attack from the Lacandones, who would be sure, if victorious, tocarry off
all their property and fowls; they had therefore determined to eat up all their provisions
before the enemy arrived; but if theythemselves proved victorious, they would march into
the enemy's towns,plunder them in their turn, and so make up for their recent losses.
[Pg 255]
Cortes told them he was extremely sorry to hear of their wars, but that it was not in his
power to render them any assistance at present,as he was obliged to continue his march.
This tribe, to whom the twoother large townships also belonged, through which we passed
on thefollowing day, were termed the Mazotecs, a name which, in their language,denotes
the land or the nation of the wild deer, and this wasindeed a most appropriate appellation,
as the reader will presently see.
From this place we took two guides with us, who led us over theruins of the two townships
above mentioned, and gave us some furtheraccount of the Spaniards whom we should find
at a considerable distancefurther on.
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