62 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



came up that they held his horse fast by the feet, 

 took away his lance, and endeavoured to carry him 

 off alive, intending, as they afterward said, to sacri- 

 fice him to their gods. Bias Gonzales was the only 

 soldier near him, who, seeing his danger, threw him- 

 self on horseback, cleared a way through the In- 

 dians with his lance, and, with others who came up 

 at the moment, rescued the adelantado. Both him- 

 self and the brave Gonzales were severely wound- 

 ed, and the horse of the latter died of his wounds. 



About this time the fame of the discovery of Peru 

 reached these unlucky conquerors, and, taking ad- 

 vantage of the opportunity afforded by their prox- 

 imity to the coast, many of the soldiers deserted. 

 To follow up the conquest of Yucatan, it was indis- 

 pensable to recruit his forces, and for this purpose 

 the adelantado determined on going to New Spain. 



He had previously sent information to the king of 

 his misfortunes, and the king had despatched a royal 

 parchment to the audiencia of Mexico, setting forth 

 the services of the adelantado, the labours and losses 

 he had sustained, and charging them to give him 

 assistance in all that related to the conquest of Yu- 

 catan. With this favour and his rents in New 

 Spain, he got together some soldiers, and bought 

 vessels, arms, and other munitions of war, to pros- 

 ecute his conquest. Unluckily, as Tobasco belong- 

 ed to his government, and the Indians of that prov- 

 ince, who had been subdued by Cortez, had revolt- 

 ed, he considered it advisable first to reduce them. 



1 



