( 4i6 ) 



Cortes taking with him all the Spaniards that remained at St. Gil 

 de Buena Vifla, embarked in two Ihips, and after eight days fail arrived 

 at Puerto de Cavallos, in order to plant a colony there, the lituation be- 

 ing anfwerable, and the harbour good. He appointed Diego de Godoy 

 commandant of this fettlement, which he named Natividad. He 

 thought that by this time Sandoval had arrived at Naco which was not 

 far diftant, and wrote to him there, defiring ten of the foldiers of Gua- 

 cacualco to reinforce him, as he intended to proceed to the bay of Hon- 

 duras. This letter reached us in the quarters which I laft mentioned, 

 for we had not arrived at Naco. I will fay no more of the proceedings 

 of Cortes, nor how the flies bit him day and night, and prevented his 

 reft, fo that as we afterwards heard he had like to have died or loft his 

 fenfes, from want of fleep. 



Sandoval on receiving the general's letter prefted forwards towards 

 Naco, but was obliged to halt at a place called Cuyocan, in order to 

 bring up his ftragglers who had quitted him in fearch of provifions. 

 We had alfo a river to pafs, and the natives all round were hoftile. As 

 our line of march was fo very long by the number of invalids who 

 came ftraggling after us, efpecially of the Mexicans, it became neceflary 

 to eftablifh a poft at the ferry on this river, for which purpofe Sandoval 

 left me with the command of eight men. 



One night a body of the natives fell upon us, but we were prepa- 

 red for them. They fet fire to the houfe in which we were, and thought 

 to have brought off our canoe ; but we, with the afliftance of a few 

 Mexicans, beat them off for that time, and knowing that there were 

 fome invalids lodged upon the road behind us, we on the next day 

 brought them over and all together fet out to join Sandoval. One man 

 died upon the road ; he was a Genoefe, had been fome time ill, and at 

 length funk under poverty of diet. I was obliged to leave the body be- 

 hind, for which Sandoval blamed me when I made my report. I told 

 him we had two invalids on each horfe, and my companion Bartholome 

 de Villa Nueva haughtily faid, that it was difficult enough for us to 



bring 



