32 UTATLAN AND IXIMCHE. 



Again the Indians were defeated, and Alvarado entered the deserted town. In a short 

 time his army was again on the march, and for a third and last time the despairing 

 Indians offered battle ; but, as usual, the Spaniards carried all before them, and the 

 carnage amongst the Indians is described as fearful. The victorious army continued 

 its march towards Utatlan, the capital of the Quiches ; but Alvarado shall tell the tale 

 in his own words : — 



" And when the chiefs of this town found that their people were defeated they took 

 counsel with all the land and called many other provinces to them and gave tribute to 

 their enemies and induced them to join them, so that all might come together and kill 

 us. And they agreed to send and tell us that they had wished to be friends, and that 

 again they gave obedience to our Lord the Emperor, so that I should enter the city of 

 Utatlan, where they afterwards brought me, thinking that I would camp there, and 

 that when thus encamped, they would set fire to the town in the night and burn us all 

 in it, without the possibility of resistance. And in truth their evil plan would have 

 come to pass but that God our Lord did not see good that these infidels should be 

 victorious over us, for this city is very strong, and there are only two ways of entering 

 it, one over thirty steep stone steps, and the other by a causeway made by hand, some 

 part of which was already cut away, so that that night they might finish cutting it, and 

 no horse could then have escaped into the country. As the city is very closely built 

 and the streets very narrow we could not have escaped suffocation or falling down 

 headlong in fleeing from the fire. And as we rode up, and I could see how large the 

 fort was, and that within it one could not avail oneself of the horsemen because the 

 streets were so narrow and walled in, I determined at once to clear out of it on to 

 the plain, although the chiefs of the town asked me not to do so, and invited me 

 to seat myself and eat before I departed, so as to gain time to carry out their plans. 

 But I knew the danger in which we were, and sent some men ahead of me to take 

 possession of the causeway and bridge, so that I could get out on to the plain, and the 

 causeway was already in such a condition that one could hardly get over it on 

 horseback, and outside the city were many warriors, and as they saw me pass out on to 

 the plain, they retreated somewhat, so that I did not receive much harm from them. 

 Then I concealed my real intentions so that I might capture the chiefs who were 

 taking to flight, and by the cunning with which I approached them, and through the 

 present which I gave them the better to carry out my plan, I took them captive and 

 held them prisoners in my camp. But, nevertheless, their people did not cease 

 fighting against me in the neighbourhood and killed and wounded many Indians who 

 had gone out to cut grass. And one Spaniard who was cutting grass a gunshot from 

 the camp was slain by a stone rolled down the hill. This land is very full of gulleys, 

 there are gulleys two hundred fathoms in depth, and on account of them one cannot 

 carry on war and punish these people as they deserve. And seeing that by fire and 

 sword I might bring these people to the service of his Majesty, I determined to burn 



