( 36« ) 



and our good friar, joined by the foldiers, fang the hymn which begins 

 ** Salve &c,'* and we returned thanks to God for the vidory. Our 

 army then advanced towards a town by the fide of a river, where we 

 remained the entire day and night, paying particular attention to the 

 concealment of our dead. 



About midnight, ten chieftains of the neighbouring diflrids came 

 down the river which is very broad and deep in five canoes ; they dif- 

 embarked at one of our pofts, and were made prifoners. Being brought 

 before our captain, they told him they belonged to a nation called the 

 Xaltepeques, againft whom the people of Chiapa had made war; their 

 objeft was, to offer their fupport, and to obtain from us a promife, 

 that in cafe of fuccefs againfl the Chiapans, we fhould fet free from 

 them the nations to which thefe Indians belonged ; in the hopes of 

 which, they promifed us afififtance to pafs the river, which could not 

 otherwife be done. This was very fatisfadory to us, and therefore 

 leaving two of their party behind, the reft went immediately to provide 

 twenty canoes. The remainder of the night was paffed under a ftri<5l 

 watch, for the drums and horns of the enemy were heard, from the 

 banks of the river, where they were colledting to attack us. As foon 

 as it was light we faw our friends arrive with the canoes j th^y alfo 

 fhewed us a. ford, though a very dangerous one, and were urgent to 

 us to lofe no time in pafiing, to h.\e the lives of fome of their coun- 

 trymen who had been made prifoners. Accordingly w^ paffed the river, 

 formed into a folid column, at the ford, which took us up to our arm- 

 pits, and where we loft one of our cavalry. On the oppofite bank 

 we were affailed by the enemy with fuch a difchargc of darts and arrows, 

 that not one of our party efcaped without two or three wounds before 

 we could get out of the water, but vaft bodies of other Indians appear- 

 ing in our ,rear, and. declaring for us, by attacking the Chiapans, they 

 were foon forced to turn their backs and fly towards their city, whither 

 we advanced: in good order, with colours frying, and accompanied by 

 our allies. On our arrival there, we found it too clofe built to be fafely 

 occupied by us^ and we therefore pitched our camp in the open field. 



Our 



