_How we commence our march from Guacasualco, and the terrible
fatigues and hardship we had to undergo for the space of two years
and three months._
The first thing Cortes did, after despatching the veedor and factor to
Mexico, was to write to his major-domo Simon de Cuenca, at Vera Cruz,
ordering him to load two small vessels with maise biscuits, six pipes of
wine, oil, vinegar, smoked hog's flesh, and other provisions, besides a
good quantity of horseshoes. Cuenca was himself to take charge of these
vessels, and to sail in along the coast until he should receive further
instructions as to the place he was to put into.
The next thing he did was to issue orders to all the Spanish settlers at
Guacasualco, with the exception of those who were ill, to join him in
this expedition. The reader will remember, from what I stated in a
former chapter, that the first Spanish colonists of Guacasualco were all
of the oldest Conquistadores of New Spain, and most of them were of
noble families. The whole of us had now hoped to enjoy some repose, and
that we should have been allowed to recover from all the great fatigues
and hardships we had undergone; and we were just bringing our lands into
a pretty good state of cultivation, when we received orders from Cortes
to accompany him in an expedition of above 2000 miles from Guacasualco,
the whole of our route lying through a hostile country; on an expedition
which lasted for two years and three months, and in which we lost
everything we took with us! Not one of us had sufficient courage to say
no; and if he had, it would have availed him nothing, for he would have
been compelled to go! We therefore equipped ourselves in the best
possible manner, caparisoned our horses, and patiently awaited our
general's commands to march out.
Cortes' whole force, including those of Guacasualco, consisted of above
250 foot, besides the musketeers and crossbow-men, 130 horse, and a
number of men recently arrived from Spain. Before leaving Guacasualco,
Cortes gave me the chief command of a detachment, consisting of 30
Spaniards and 3000 Mexicans, with instructions to march against the
Cimatans, and force them into obedience, as they still obstinately
refused to submit to our arms. The 3000 Mexicans were to be distributed
among the townships of the country, but I was particularly instructed to
abstain from all violent measures if the inhabitants were peaceably
inclined, and submitted as vassals to our emperor; neither was I to
demand anything further from them than the necessary provisions for the
troops. If they still persisted in their hostilities, I was thrice to
summon them to submit, in a manner intelligible to them, and in presence
of a notary and several witnesses; but if they refused to submit after
the third summons, I was to commence hostilities against them without
any further delay.
I am still in possession of the document containing these instructions,
which is signed by Cortes himself, and countersigned by his secretary
Alonso Valiente.
These commands I punctually obeyed, and I had the good fortune to
tranquillize the whole province; but this was of very short duration,
for when these Indians heard what a small number of Spaniards were left
behind in Guacasualco, and that the whole of the veteran Conquistadores
had marched out with Cortes, they again revolted, a few months after our
departure.
As soon as I had pacified the province of Cimatan, I again joined the
main body under Cortes, with which I came up near Iquinupa. Our general
had marched from Guacasualco to Tonala, a distance of about thirty-two
miles; he passed a river by means of canoes, and then came to the
township Ayagualulco. From this place he continued his march
twenty-eight miles further on, up to an arm of the sea, over which
Cortes threw a bridge, which was in every respect a work of wonder, and
was half a mile in length. During the whole of our march through this
country, two of our officers of Guacasualco had to go a considerable way
in advance of the army. One of these captains was Francisco de Medina, a
man of a peaceable disposition, and who knew best how to manage the
inhabitants of the country.
After we had crossed this estuary, we passed through several small
townships, until we arrived on the banks of the immense river Mazapa,
which flows from Chiapa, and is termed by the sailors _Rio de dos
bocas_. A large number of canoes lay ready for us here, fastened two and
two together, in which we ferried safely across this broad river. We
then passed through numerous small townships, and had to throw a bridge
across another estuary, and also a river, before we reached the
extensive township of Copilco, and here you enter the populous province
of Chontalpa. This country enjoyed the profoundest peace at that time,
and was everywhere covered with cacao plantations. From Copilco we
passed over Nacanuxuica to Zaqutan, after passing over another river, by
means of canoes. On our arrival in this township, the inhabitants
appeared very friendly disposed, but during the night they had all left,
and fled to the opposite shore of a broad river, between the swamps.
Cortes then ordered that we should march across the mountains, in search
of the inhabitants. This was indeed a most inconsiderate command, nor
was there any advantage to be gained thereby.
It was only with the greatest difficulty, after undergoing excessive
fatigues, that we succeeded in passing over this broad river, and all we
gained by it was the capture of seven Indian chiefs, with a few of the
common people; but even these soon ran away from us, so that at last we
had not even a single person left to guide us on our march.
While we were staying here, the chief caziques of Tabasco came to us
with fifty canoes, laden with maise and other provisions. Some of the
inhabitants of the Teapan townships, then comprehended in my commendary,
also arrived, with several canoes full of provisions.
Our further march now lay through Tepetitan and Iztapa. In our road we
had to pass the deep river Chilapa, where we were detained four days in
constructing boats to ferry over the army without danger. Further up
this river I knew there was a township, which likewise bore the name of
Chilapa. I therefore proposed to our general to despatch five of our
Indian guides to this place, and request the inhabitants to come down
with their canoes. To this Cortes readily agreed, and he ordered one of
our men to accompany the Indians thither, who succeeded so well, that
they returned with two caziques, besides six large canoes laden with
provisions. With these and the boats we had constructed, the whole of
the troops safely crossed the river; but, as I have said before, all
this cost us four whole days.
We then arrived in the township of Tepetitan, which was quite deserted
by its inhabitants, and every house had been burnt to the ground. The
inhabitants of this place, we were told, had been at war with their
neighbours, and a severe battle had recently been fought between them,
in which the former were defeated with great loss, when the enemy
destroyed their town by fire, and returned home with a great number of
prisoners.
For the next three days after we had passed the river Chilapa, our route
lay through one continued bog, in which our horses often sank up to
their girths. The next township we came to was Iztapa, where we did not
meet a living soul, for the inhabitants, from fear of us, had all fled
across a rapid river. We, however, went instantly in pursuit of them,
and after some time we came up with the caziques, and a number of men,
women, and children. Cortes, by means of Dona Marina, spoke very kindly
to them, and restored to their families four women and three men, whom
we had captured among the mountains. In gratitude for this, and in order
to show how friendly they were disposed towards us, these Indians
presented our general with several ornaments of gold, but the metal was
of an inferior quality. In this neighbourhood we halted three days, as
it contained plenty of good food for our horses, and a great abundance
of maise. Cortes considered this would be a most eligible spot to found
a colony in, as the country round about contained a number of wealthy
townships, from which a settlement would derive great advantages, and
have a constant supply of all necessaries. Here Cortes also made the
most minute inquiries of the caziques and Indian merchants as to the
route we were to take; for which purpose he laid before them a piece of
nequen cloth, he had brought with him from Guacasualco, and on which
were noted down all the townships we had to pass through up to Huyacala.
This place was termed by these Indians Great Acala, in order to
distinguish it from another, called Little Acala, and they assured us
that the greater part of our route lay through a country containing
numerous rivers, and was intersected in various places by arms of the
sea. Up to Tamaztepec alone, they said, which lay at a distance of three
days' journey, we should have to pass no less than three rivers, and one
estuary, which was exceedingly broad.
In consequence of this information, Cortes requested the caziques to
furnish us with canoes, and assist us in the construction of bridges.
This they readily consented to do, but took care not to fulfil their
promise. We, however, placed perfect confidence in what they had said,
and only took provisions for three days with us. But it appears they had
merely wished to get rid of us as speedily as possible; for, instead of
three, it took us seven days' march before we arrived at Tamaztepec, nor
did we find at any of the rivers either canoes or bridges; so that our
Indian friends had deceived us in every way. We were therefore
compelled to set to work ourselves, to construct bridges sufficiently
strong to carry our horses; every officer and soldier set diligently to
work in felling the heavy trees, and dragging them to the river side, in
all of which we were likewise greatly assisted by the Mexican warriors.
Three days were spent in the construction of this bridge, during which
time we had nothing to subsist on but grass, and a wild root called by
the Indians quecuenque, which burnt our lips and tongues. After we had
at length, with great difficulty, safely crossed this broad estuary, our
further progress was almost impeded by an impenetrable barrier of
thickets and woods, through which we were obliged to cut a road with our
swords. In this way we continued to move forward in a straight line, in
the hopes of reaching some township. One morning, as usual, when we had
again commenced marching forward in this laborious manner, Cortes
himself began to find that our position was truly miserable. He could
not help hearing how the men murmured against him, and cursed the whole
expedition, and the terrible hunger they sustained; uttering aloud that
he ought immediately to march back to Mexico, if at least he was not
desirous of starving us to death. To all this suffering was added, that
we now saw before us nothing but terrific mountains, which almost hid
the very heavens from our view. Though some of us climbed to the tops of
the highest trees, all we could see was one huge pile of mountains
frowning above the other on every side. Besides this, two of our Indian
guides had secretly decamped, and the third was so ill, that he was
unable to move along, and had so far lost his recollection, that he
could give us no information as to which way we were to bend our steps.
But as Cortes was a man who never shrunk back from any difficulty, and
whose active mind was never at a loss, he ordered the pilot Pedro Lopez
to bring him the compass, which he placed on our map of nequen cloth
above mentioned, and then desired him to point out the direction we were
to take, in order to reach the nearest township. In accordance with
Lopez's instructions, we commenced cutting our way through the woods in
an easterly direction, and moved up the mountains. It was here that our
general himself declared he should be quite at a loss what to do, if we
did not reach some township by the next day.
Although every one of us would gladly have marched back to New Spain at
this moment, yet, strengthened by hope, we continued our difficult
route, and in a short time it pleased God we should come up to a tree
which had been recently cut down, and a little further on to a small
footpath. Pedro Lopez and myself, who were a good bit in advance, with
several of the men, to explore the way, instantly hastened back to
inform Cortes of our discovery, and to assure him that some habitation
or other must be in the immediate vicinity. Our general, with the whole
of the men, were exceedingly rejoiced at this news; though we found that
we had to cross a river and several marshes before we could reach any
dwellings. By employing our utmost exertions, however, we soon
surmounted these difficulties, and we arrived at a township, from which
the inhabitants had fled on our approach, but leaving behind them a
quantity of maise, beans, and other vegetables, which tasted the more
savoury to us, as we were completely famished. Here our horses likewise
regained their strength, and we offered up our humble thanks to God for
so much mercy. On this last march, Cortes' buffoon and three soldiers,
who had recently arrived from Spain, died from exhaustion. A great
number of Mechoacan and Mexican Indians likewise perished, and many
others, who were unable to bear the fatigues, became ill, and in despair
sank down on the ground as we marched along.
As this township was quite deserted by its inhabitants, and we had no
guides left, Cortes despatched myself and another captain among the
mountains in search of other small villages. Others of our men also
crossed the broad river, which flows here, in some canoes they found,
belonging to this township, and they soon came up with a number of the
inhabitants, thirty of whom, for the greater part caziques and papas,
they persuaded, by kind words and promises, to accompany them to Cortes,
who, with the assistance of Dona Marina, spoke to them in an
affectionate manner; so that they brought us several more fowls, and a
quantity of maise. They then pointed out the route we were to take, in
order to reach the next township, which was called Izguatepec, the
distance to which place, they said, was three days' journey, or
sixty-four miles; but that on our road we should come up to another
small township, which was subject to Tamaztepec, where we were then
staying.
Before describing our further march, I must not forget to mention that a
few Mexican chiefs, who were unable to endure the pains of hunger any
longer, had secreted two or three Indians of the townships we had passed
through, among their baggage. These unfortunate beings they slaughtered
on our march, and baked them after the fashion of their country, between
heated stones, under ground, and then devoured their flesh. We
afterwards discovered that our two guides, whom we so suddenly missed,
had been served in a similar manner. When Cortes was informed of this
revolting circumstance, he ordered the caziques into his presence, and
reprimanded them for committing such atrocities, threatening to punish
them most severely if they repeated this abominable conduct. One of the
Franciscan monks likewise preached a sermon on the occasion, and he
told them many holy and edifying things. In order, however, to deter the
caziques from committing a similar offence, one of them was sentenced to
be burnt at the stake.[46]
I will not go further into the particulars of the many hardships and
privations we had to suffer. Our distress was so great, that even the
performers on the sackbut, clarion, and dulcimer, who were constantly to
have amused us with their instruments, the only hard work they had to
do, fell ill for want of food, and so an end was put to their music.
There was only one of them who managed to force out a tune now and then,
but we all grew so sick of his blowing and puffing that we told him it
sounded in our ears like the mingled howls of foxes and wolves, and that
a handful of maise to stay the cravings of hunger would be more
acceptable than all his music.
Several persons on reading this history have asked me, why we did not
kill the herd of swine which Cortes took with him? For you know, they
said, that necessity breaks through all law, and Cortes would
undoubtedly have distributed some of the flesh from time to time among
the troops. To this I answered, that Cortes' chief butler Guinea, a man
of a dubious character, gave out that the hogs had by degrees all been
devoured by the alligators and sharks in crossing the rivers. However,
in order that we might never catch sight of these swine, they were
always kept about four days' journey behind us; though I must confess
that the whole herd put together would not have fed our numerous troops
for one single day, and besides this, no one ever spoke of killing them
for fear of annoying Cortes.
In every township we came to, and in various other places wherever we
found proper trees for the purpose, particularly the ceiba tree, we cut
the form of a cross into the bark, these being much more durable than
those crosses usually constructed of two pieces of wood and stuck into
the ground; besides that, the former become more and more perceptible as
the bark grows. To these we likewise fastened scraps of paper, that
would immediately catch the eye, and on which was written: _Cortes
passed this way on such and such a day_, for the instruction of those
who might be sent after us. On our march to Ciguatepec we were
accompanied by above twenty Indians of Tamaztepec, in order to assist us
in crossing the rivers with their canoes; some of them likewise went in
advance, to acquaint the inhabitants of the townships that we came in a
friendly disposition. By this so much was gained, that those who would
otherwise have fled at our approach now quietly awaited our arrival
without evincing the least fear.