t 



C 36. ) ■ 



lafl we fucceeded in roiifing him, he fired the piece with no other effect 

 than that of wounding three of our own men. Our captain gave orders 

 to the cavalry to form in fmall bodies, and the mufqueteers, crofsbow- 

 men, and fword and buckler men, to clofe into one compad battalion, 

 whereby the cavalry and infantry fupported each other. The enemy 

 were fo numerous that had we not been' the men we were, it would 

 have gone very hard with us, and we ourfelves were aftonilhed at the 

 bravery of our adverfaries ; but good father Bartholome flood firmly 

 by us, and adminiflered comfort to us by his exhortations, promifing 

 that we fliould be rewarded for our exertions, both by God and by Csc- 

 far. Our Captain Marin likewife frequently encouraged us, calling 

 out to charge them in the name of St. Jago. We at length forced them 

 to fly before us; but as there were hard by, tradts of very rocky ground 

 where the cavalry could not follow them, frefh bodies of Indians fell 

 upon us by furprife, while we, thinking the day our own, were return- 

 ing thanks to God and our Lady. Of thefe troops a number were pre- 

 pared with long thongs to twifl round the horfes, and throw them 

 down, and they had alfo flretched out the nets which they ufed in hunt- 

 ing, for the fame purpofe. The enemy attacked us here fo defperately 

 that hardly one of our foldiers efcaped without a wound; they wrefled 

 the lances from fome of our cavalry, and killed two foldiers and five 

 horfes. In the centre of their army was a woman, aged, and immode- 

 rately fat, who was efleemed by them a goddefs, and had promifed 

 them the vidlory. They had alfo incenfe in a pan, and certain idols 

 made of flone. This woman, who had her body painted, and cotton 

 mixed with the paint, advanced without any fear among our allies, 

 who were formed by companies, and by whom this infernal deity was 

 in a very fhort time torn to pieces. 



During this time the battle raged, and we and our captain recom- 

 mending ourfelves to our Lady, and befeeching the reverend father to 

 pray for us, threw ourfelves into the thickefl of it, and forced the ene- 

 my to fly, fome to the rocks, others to the river, whereby they effed:ed 

 their efcape, being excellent fwimmers. We then halted to take breath, 



A a a / and 



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