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found it to confill: of an extenfive plain on the fun^mit of a perpendicu- 

 lar rock ; the entrance was by an aperture not much larger than twice 

 the fize of the mouth of an oven. It was completely filled with men, 

 women, and children, but they had not a fingle drop of water, and about 

 twenty of their warriors were killed, and many wounded. Their pro- 

 perty was all packed up in bales, and here was alfo a confiderable tri- 

 bute, colleded in order to be fent to Mexico. I had brought four of 

 my Indian fervants with me, and began to load them, and alfo four of 

 the natives ; upon which Captain De Ircio came and told me to lay down 

 the packs immediately, or he would report me to the general, afking if 

 I had not heard his orders not to touch a grain of maize. I replied that 

 I had heard the orders that the maize fhould not be taken, and that was 

 the reafon why I took the packages ; but he would not fuffer any of it 

 to go, and on our return reported me to Cortes, expelling that Ifhould 

 receive blame ; but Cortes was not fo difpofed, faying on the contrary, 

 that he was forry I had not got the fpoil, and that the dogs fhould keep 

 their property, and laugh at us, after all the mifchief which they had 

 done. De Ircio on this wifhed to return thither; but Cortes told him 

 that the time did not then admit of it. By this, the chiefs had arrived 

 from the firft fortrefs, the garrifon of which agreed to fubmit, and wif 

 returned, being compelled by want of water, to the town of Guaztepe- 

 que, where was the noble garden I have before mentioned. In this 

 garden our whole force lodged for the night ; I certainly never had feen 

 one of fuch magnificence, and Cortes and the treafurer Alderete, after 

 they had walked through and examined it, declared that it was admira- 

 ble, and equal to any that they had ever feen in Caflille. 



On the enfuing day we marched for Cuernabaca. The Mexicans 

 who were in that town came out and attacked us, but we defeated and 

 drove them to a town named Tepuztlan, which we took by furprife, 

 making a great booty of Indian women, and other fpoil s. Cortes fum- 

 moned the chiefs three or four times, to fubmit, and on their refufal to 

 come in, and in order to ftrike terror into others, fet fire to about one 

 half of the houfes. At this time the chiefs of a diflrid named Yauh- 



tepeque 



