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Amongft others who courted the alKance of the Spaniards after the 

 conqueft of Mexico, were the people called the Tutepeque Zapote- 

 cans. They applied very earneftly for our affiftance againft a nation 

 which was in hoftility to them, named likewife the Tutepeques, whom 

 they reprefented as poffeffing a very rich country. Accordingly in the 

 year one thoufand five hundred and twenty two, Alvarado, by the or- 

 der of Cortes, marched from Mexico with one hundred and eighty fol- 

 diers, infantry and cavalry, with an order to take twenty more in his 

 march to the province of Guaxaca, and alfo to vifit certain rocky dif- 

 trid:s faid to be in rebellion. He was forty days upon his route from 

 Mexico to Tutepeque; on his arrival he was hofpitably received, and 

 lodged in the moft populous part of the city, where the houfes join- 

 ed, and were roofed with ftraw, it not being the cuftom of that 

 country to have terraces on their houfe-tops, as the climate is very ful- 

 try. By the advice of Olmedo it was determined that our troops fhould 

 remove to a more open part of the town, left, in cafe of any treachery 

 on the part of the people, their quarters fliould be fet fire to. When 

 they were fixed the chief of the town brought them provifions, and 

 every day fome rich prefent of gold. Alvarado defired a pair of ftirrups 

 of this metal, which was done according to the pattern. In a few days 

 after, the chief was made prifoner, on an information from the Indi- 

 ans of Teguantepeque,- who were in hofWity to thefe, of his intention 

 to burn the Spaniards in the quarters which they had firft afligned to 

 them in the temples. Some of the Spaniards fay, it was to 

 extort gold from himj however it was, he died in prifon, after Alva- 

 rado had got from him to the value of thirty thoufand crowns. Appa- 

 rently his death was owing to vexation, though Fra Bartholome did 

 what he could to confole and encourage him. His fon was permitte4 

 to fucceed him in the chieftainry. Alvarado obtained from him more 

 than he had got from the father, and then proceeded to eftablifh a co- 

 lony which he named Segura, as the colonifls were moftly from Tepe- 

 aca, named by us Segura de la Frontera. 



Alvarado then fet out on his return, with all his wealth j for Cortes 



had 



