winshii] TRANSLATION OF CASTANEDA 533 



feared that the soldiers would not support them, did what had been 

 decided on, 1 although with au ill-will, and from this time on they did 

 not obey the general as readily as formerly, and they did not show any 

 affection for him. He made much of the soldiers and humored them, 

 with the result that he did what he desired and secured the return of 

 the whole army. 



Chapter 3, of the rebellion at Suya and the reasons the settlers gave for it. 



We have already stated in the last chapter that Don Garcia Lopez 

 de Cardenas came back from Suya in flight, having found that country 

 risen in rebellion. He told how and why that town was deserted, which 

 occurred as I will relate. The entirely worthless fellows were all who 

 had been left in that town, the mutinous and seditious men, besides a 

 few who were honored with the charge of public affairs and who were 

 left to govern the others. Thus the bad dispositions of the worthless 

 secured the power, and they held daily meetings and councils and 

 declared that they had been betrayed and were not going to be rescued, 

 since the others had been directed to go through another part of the 

 country, where there was a more convenient route to New Spain, which 

 was not so, because they were still almost on the direct road. This talk 

 led some of them to revolt, and they chose one Pedro de Avila as their 

 captain. They went back to Culiacan, leaving the captain, Diego de 

 Alcaraz, sick in the town of San Hieronimo, with only a small force. 

 He did not have anyone whom he could send after them to compel them 

 to return. They killed a number of people at several villages along 

 the way. Finally they reached Culiacan, where Hernando Arias de 

 Saabedra, who was waiting for Juan Gallego to come back from New 

 Spain witli a force, detained them by means of promises, so that Gallego 

 could take them back. Some who feared what might happen to them 

 ran away one night to New Spain. Diego de Alcaraz, who had remained 

 at Suya with a small force, sick, was not able to hold his position, 

 although he would have liked to, on account of the poisonous herb 

 which the natives use. When these noticed how weak the Spaniards 

 were, they did not continue to trade with them as they formerly had 

 done. Veins of gold had already been discovered before this, but they 

 were unable to work these, because the country was at war. The dis- 

 turbance was so great that they did not cease to keep watch and to be 

 more than usually careful. 



The town was situated on a little river. One night all of a sudden 2 

 they saw fires which they were not accustomed to, and on this account 

 they doubled the watches, but not having noticed anything during the 

 whole night, they grew careless along toward morning, and the enemy 

 entered the village so silently that they were not seen until they began 

 to kill and plunder. A number of men reached the plain as well as 



1 Compare t he Spanish text. 



2 Ternaux, p. 209: lL k une heure tres-avanc6e." 



