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…
[31] Our general, after marching in this way for another five days, and nowhere meeting
with any of the inhabitants, returned to the river Chila.
Cortes now again invited the inhabitants on the opposite side of the river to send
ambassadors to conclude peace with him, and this time hewas more successful; for, as they
had lost a great number of men, andfeared another incursion into their country, they sent
word that theywould despatch messengers of peace to us after the lapse of four days,which
time they required to collect some gold for a present. Cortestherefore patiently awaited the
time specified; but, as no one came,he then determined to attack a large township which lay
on the banksof a lake, surrounded by rivers and morasses. This place he was resolvedto
attack from the lake side, to do which he had to cross thelatter; and this he accomplished by
means of canoes fastened two andtwo together. On these a part of our troops, with a great
number ofMexicans, embarked in a dark rainy night, passed unobserved acrossthe lake,
and fell into the town before the inhabitants were in the leastaware of it. The town was
completely destroyed, and most of theinhabitants killed, our Mexican auxiliaries carrying
off a rich booty.
As soon as the inhabitants of the surrounding neighbourhood receivedinformation of this,
they no longer hesitated as to what they should do; and, in the space of five days,
messengers of peace came pouring in from all sides; the most distant mountain tribes,
whoseterritory our troops had not yet visited, alone refusing to send anyambassadors.
Cortes then laid the foundation of a town, about four miles from theriver Chila, and left
there one hundred and fifty Spaniards, among whom were twenty-seven horse, thirty-six
musketeers and crossbow-men.The whole of the townships which had sued for peace he
divided among these troops as commendaries. Of this town, which received the name of
Santisteban del Puerto, he appointed PedroVallejo commandant.
Cortes was just on the point of leaving this new town, and of marchingback to Mexico,
when he received certain information that three townships,which had previously stood at
the head of the rebellion in thisprovince, had again conspired to revolt. The inhabitants of
these threetownships had put a great number of Spaniards to death after theyhad sued for
peace and had declared themselves vassals of our emperor, and now were using every
means to persuade the population of the surrounding neighbourhood to join them in an
attack upon our new settlement, and kill every Spaniard left behind when Cortes should
have departed with the remaining troops for Mexico. Cortes havingconvinced himself of
the truth of this report, burnt the three towns to the ground, but they were subsequently
rebuilt by these same tribes.
About this time the following misfortune happened. Cortes, previous to leaving Mexico,
had sent orders to Vera Cruz for a quantityof wine, preserved fruits, and biscuits, besides a
number of horse shoes, all of which was to be forwarded to the province of Panuco. A
vesselwithout delay was despatched with these things from Vera Cruz, whicharrived safe
off the coast of Panuco, where, unfortunately, it was overtakenby a terrific storm from the
south, and went to the bottom ofthe sea: only three of the crew were saved, who clung to
some loosepieces of wood and were driven to a small island about sixteen milesfrom the
mainland, which was covered in places with white sand.
Every night great numbers of seals came on shore to sleep on thesand, and these were the
means of keeping the three men alive, who killed them and roasted their flesh at a fire
which they kindled after the Indian manner, by rubbing two pieces of wood vehemently
together.By digging a well towards the middle of the island they procured themselvesfresh
water, and at last even found a species of fig, so that theycould not at least die of hunger;
and in this way they continued tolive for the space of two months, when they were rescued
in the followingmanner.
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