C 415 ) 



arrived, he proceeded up the river to a fpacious lake with good anchor- 

 age, which extended to the diftance of fix leagues, and the whole of 

 the adjacent country was liable to he inundated. Proceeding higher he 

 found the current more ftrong, and at length came to fome fhallows 

 which his veffels could not pafs; he accordingly difembarked, and pro- 

 ceeding by a narrow road, paffed through different villages. In the 

 firft he took fome natives to ferve as guides, and in the fecond he found 

 plenty of corn, and fowls, amongft which were pheafants, pidgeons, 

 and partridges. Thefe laft 1 have frequently obferved domefticated 

 among the Indians. Purfuing his route, he came near a large town 

 named Cinacan Tencintle, fituated amongft fine cocoa plantations, and 

 in which he heard the found of mufic, the Indians being engaged in 

 a drunken feftival. Coftes waited until a fit opportunity, concealed in 

 a wood, and then fuddenly rufhing out, made ten men and fifteen wo- 

 men prifoners. The reft attacked him with arrows and darts, but our 

 people clofed with them and cut to pieces eight of their chiefs. When 

 the natives found that the affair was going againft them they thought 

 it high time to fubmit; and accordingly four old men, two of whom 

 were prieflis, came, apparently very much tamed, to petition Cortes for 

 the prifoners, and brought with them a few trifles of gold. Cortes pro- 

 mifed to deliver his prifoners on receiving a good fupply of provifions 

 which they affured him of, and he pointed out to them where the fhips 

 lay. It appears that a mifunderflanding afterwards happened between 

 Cortes and the natives, relative to the delivery of his captives, he wifh- 

 ing to retain three women to make bread. They in confequence pro^- 

 ceeded to hoililities again,; Cortes received a wound; in the fece, twelve 

 alfo of his foldiers were wounded, and a boat deftroyed. He then re- 

 turned after an abfence of twenty fix days^ fuffering dreadfully by the 

 mofqaitos. He wrote to Sandoval giving him an account of all that 

 had occurred: at Cinacan, which is diftant from. Guatimala feventy 

 leagues,, and ordered him to proceed to Naco ; Cortes himfelf intending 

 to eftablifli a fettlement at the place which was named Puerto de Cavallos, 

 for which purpofe he defired ten of the veterans of Guacacualco v/ith- 

 out whofe afilftance nothing was conducted properly, 



Corte&. 



