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…
of friend Ircio. "He had good reasons for saying so, and you need not reproach him, for
speaking in your dispraise to our general and myself."
These words caused a general laughter at Ircio's expense, and Sandovalpurposely procured
me this little triumph, because he knew I owed theformer a grudge.
[Pg 262]
When I came into the presence of Cortes, he thanked me in thekindest terms, and said: "I
have never found you at a loss in timeof need!"
But why should I repeat these flattering sentences? for at most theyare mere empty sounds,
and little profit to any one: at least, I gained nothing by these fine words, excepting that
when this perilous expedition was subsequently the topic of conversation in Mexico, my
namewas always mentioned with praise.
Cortes, on questioning the Indians respecting the country, learnt from them, that if we
followed the course of a certain rivulet we should arrive, after two days' journey, in a
township called Oculizti, whichconsisted of upwards of two hundred houses, but had been
deserted afew days previously by its inhabitants. We accordingly marched downthe rivulet,
and arrived at several large huts belonging to Indian merchants,who rested here on their
journeys. We passed the night inthese dwellings, and the following day we continued our
march alongthe same stream for two miles, when we came to a good road, whichbrought
us before sunset to Coliste, where we found maise and plentyof vegetables, and, suspended
in a temple, an old Spanish cap and a shoe,which had been dedicated to the idols there.
Several of our mensearched some hollows in the neighbourhood, and soon discovered two
aged Indians and four women, who were immediately brought into the presence of our
general. On being questioned by Doña Marina about the town where the Spaniards had
settled, they answered, that it layon the sea coast, about five days' journey from our camp,
but that onour road thither we should not see a single Indian township.
On this information, Cortes instantly despatched Sandoval, with sixmen on foot, to the sea
coast, in the direction the Indians had pointed out, in order to learn, if possible, what
number of Spanish troops Christobal de Oli had under his command, for at that time we
werestill ignorant of what had taken place there.
Our general's plan was to fall upon Oli during the night, when he least dreamt of our
approach, and to take him prisoner, with all histroops. Sandoval took three Indian guides
with him from Oculizti,and set out on his journey. When he had arrived on the north coast,
and was marching along the beach, he espied a canoe making for theland with sails and
paddles. He therefore hid himself behind a risingground until the vessel should have run
ashore. This canoe belongedto some Indian merchants, was laden with salt and maise, and
wasdestined for the large river which flows into the Golfo Dulce.
[Pg 263]
In the night time Sandoval sallied forth from his hiding place, capturedall the crew, then
stepped into the canoe with two of his companions and the three guides, and desired the
Indian merchants to rowhim along the coast, while the four other Spaniards followed by
land. Sandoval was sure the great river could not be far distant, and in this he was not
deceived, for he entered it soon after, and he had the goodfortune to come up with four
Spaniards of the new town founded byGil Gonsalez de Avila. These men had just arrived in
a canoe from an excursion in search of provisions, of which there was an uncommon
scarcity in the colony. The whole of the inhabitants were sufferingfrom ill health, and durst
not venture into the neighbourhood of the town to search for provisions, as they were at
enmity with the Indians,who had already killed ten of their number since Avila's departure
forMexico.
When Sandoval was approaching in the canoe, he found these Spaniardsbusily occupied in
gathering cocoa nuts. Two of them, whohad climbed up the tree, were the first to observe
the strange vessel,and they immediately called out to their companions below. Thewhole
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