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they were to be fummoned intelligibly, three times, in prefence of a 

 royal notary and proper witnelTes, and in cafe they perfifted, I was to. 

 make war on, and compel them to fubmit. The orders which I re- 

 ceived from the general 1 now have in my polTeflion, figned and feakd 

 by him, and coimterfigned by his fecretary, A. Valiente. I found the 

 people peaceable, but in a few months after, in confequence of the fet- 

 tlers of Guacacualco being withdrawn, they broke out again. Howe- 

 ver they being in the ftate that I have mentioned, I made no delay, but 

 fet out with my detachment to rejoin Cortes at Iquinapa. 



The general, with the reft of his troops, leaving Guacacualco, 

 proceeded to Tonala, crofTcd a river to Ayaqualulco, crofted another river, 

 and, feven leagues diftant an arm of the fea, upon a bridge of half a 

 quarter of a league in length j a moft aftoniftiing work in fuch a fttua- 

 tion, and conftruded by the natives of the country under the infpedtion 

 of two captains, fettlers of Guacacualco. They then proceeded to a large 

 river named Mazapa, which flows by Chiapa, and is named by mari- 

 ners Rio de dos Bocas; this they crofted in double canoes, and proceed- 

 ing through fome villages, came to Iquinapa, where my detachment 

 joined them. We then crofted another river on wooden bridges, alfo 

 an arm of the fea, and came to a great town named Copilco, where the 

 province of Chontalpa begins » which was very populous, covered with 

 plantations of cocoa, and perfedly tranquil. 



From Copilco we marched to Nicaxuxuica, and to Zagutan, paf- 

 fing another river, in which the general loft fome articles of his bag- 

 gage. The laft mentioned town was found by us in a ftate of peace, 

 but the inhabitants fled during the night. Cortes ordered paities out 

 to fearch the woods and make prifoners, which was a very inconfiderate 

 thing, and produdtive of bad confequences j we found, it is true, after 

 much trouble, feven chiefs and fome others, but they all made their 

 efcape from us again during the night, and we were thus left without 

 guides. At this period arrived at our quarters fifty canoes from Tabafco^ 



loaded' 



