C 334 ) 



is called Tiltepeque. After it had been brought to fubmiffion the go- 

 vernment of it was afTigned to a foldier named Ojeda, who now lives in 

 St. Ildefonfo. Sandoval who was a good humoured man began to joke 

 with Briones at his return, upon the bad fuccefs of his expedition, alk- 

 ing him if ever he had feen the like in Italy ; for Briones was always 

 giving accounts how he had fevered men in two, and cut their heads 

 ^ off, &c. He was not pleafed with Sandoval's jocularity, and fwore he 

 had rather fight the Turks and Moors, than the Zapotecans. This 

 expedition was of little ufe, but on the contrary injurious. There was 

 another diftrid: of the Zapotecans which was called Xaltepeque, the 

 people of which were at war with their neighbours, and immediately 

 on being fummoned waited on Sandoval with handfome prefents, and a 

 confiderable quantity of gold partly formed into toys, and the reft in ten 

 little tubes ; their chiefs wore very long robes of cotton reaching to the 

 feet, richly embroidered, and refembling the upper robes of the Moors. 

 They applied to him for fome of his foldiers to affift them againft their 

 enemies named the Minxes. This the ftate of his force did not permit 

 him to comply with, but he promifed to tranfmit an application to Mex- 

 ico for a reinforcement for them, and in the interval would fend fome of 

 his men to fee the country and the nature of the paffes; but his real ob- 

 jed: was to examine* their mines. Thus he difmiffed them all except 

 three, fending eight of us upon the bufinefs I have mentioned. 



There were two of the fame name in this party, for we had three 

 Caftillos in our army. I who at that time prided myfelf upon my drefs, 

 was named Caftillo "the gallant." My namefake who went on his ex- 

 pedition was a man of very flow fpeech, not replying to a queftion for 

 a length of time, and then he came out with fome abfurdity ; he was 

 named Caftillo "the thoughtfull." The other who was very fmart and 

 ready in all he faid was called Caftillo "the prompt." But to have done 

 with our witticifms and proceed with my narrative. On our arrival, 

 the Indians turned over the earth in three different rivers, and in each 

 they found gold, filling four tubes of the fize of the middle finger with 

 it, and with thefe we returned. Sandoval thought that all our fortunes 



were 



