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…
terrific hurricane arose, accompanied by torrents of rain, which continued incessantly for
the space of three days, and so vast was thequantity of water that came pouring down, that
the crater of the volcano,which lies about four miles from the town of Guatimala, literally
burst, and so terrific was the volume of water that came rolling downthe mountain, that
numbers of huge stones and trees were carriedalong with it. Those who did not witness it
themselves will scarcelycredit this, for there were masses of rock carried down by the flood
which two oxen could not move, and these blocks of stone were leftthere as a memento of
this fearful tempest. Every tree was torn upby the roots, and hurried down the precipices by
the impetuosity ofthe torrent. The water had exactly the colour as if it had been mixedwith
chalk, and by the immense power of the hurricane it was raisedinto foaming billows. The
noise occasioned by the rushing of the windand water was so terrific, that persons could not
hear each other speak,and fathers were unable to render their sons any assistance.
This direful tempest commenced at ten o'clock on Sunday evening, of the 11th of
September, and the whole body of water, stones, andtrees came rolling along over the half
of the town of Guatimala, crumblingdown the houses in its progress, strongly built as they
were. A great number of men, women, and children perished in a few moments, and
everything they possessed was lost. Some houses which had withstood the torrent were
blocked up to the topmost windows by mud, pieces of rock, and large trees. During this
tempest, also, Doña Beatriz de la Cueva, the wife of Pedro de Alvarado, perished, with
several other ladies, who had fled to the chapel, to supplicate the Almighty in prayer to
preserve them from destruction in the tempest. The water and mud rushed with such
impetuosity into the chapel, that it soon gave way, and only three ladies escaped, one of
whom was Alvarado's daughter;the names of the two others I have forgotten. This young
lady, whose name was Leonora, was fortunately rescued from her perilous situation,
between scattered trees and heaps of stone, and is now the wife of thedistinguished cavalier
Don Francisco de la Cueva, by whom she hasseveral fine sons and daughters.
Many persons declared that they heard during this tempest a fearful kind of howling,
yelling, and whistling, and maintained that numbersof evil spirits came rolling along with
the large pieces of rock; for itwould not have been possible for the water of itself to have
moved thoseheavy masses of stone and large trees. In the midst of this flood peoplealso
said they saw a cow with one horn, and two monstrous-looking men, like negroes, with
horrible countenances, who kept crying out ina loud voice: "Go on! Go on! For all must be
destroyed!" If theinhabitants looked out of their doors or windows to watch the torrent,they
were seized with such sudden dread, that they fled from their houses from one street to
another, and were at length carried off by theflood, or sinking into the mud, were hurried
with it into the neighbouringriver. The Indians who lived further down the country, in the
direction in which this mass of water, mud, stones, and trees was moving, fared much
worse, for they were all drowned. May Godhave mercy on their souls!
[Pg 409]
I have above related that this dreadful tempest was looked upon as a punishment for the
blasphemous expression which the disconsolatewidow of Alvarado was said to have uttered
at the intelligence of herhusband's death. However, I have often been assured since I have
resided in Guatimala, that this lady never gave utterance to the sinfulexpressions of which
she has been accused, but that she merely said: "She wished she had perished with her
husband."
I must not omit to observe that the stones which were rolled downwith the flood are of such
magnitude, that when any stranger comesto Guatimala, they are always pointed out to him,
and he is quiteastounded at the sight.
After this unfortunate occurrence the inhabitants burned all thedead bodies they could find;
but they themselves durst no longer takeup their abode in the town, and the greater part
retired to their possessions in the country, or built huts in the fields. At length, however,
they determined to build the present town, which now stands where formerly maise was
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