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147 castaneda's account. 147 should say there was not a horse that did not break away, except two or three which the Negroes pro- tected by holding large sea nets over them with the helmets and shields which all the rest wore; and some of them dashed up on to the sides of the ravine so that they got them down with great difficulty. If it had struck them while they were upon the plain, the army would have been in great danger of being left without its horses as there were many which they were not able to cover. The hail broke many tents and battered many helmets, wounded many of the horses, and broke all the crockery of the army and the £:courds, which was no small loss because they do net have any crockery in this region." After this new experience, our party was not as j^ibilant as they were, being injured and wet. Doubts as to the reception they were to receive from the natives helped to bring on a night of gloom, but the knocker of blues came out in glorious splendor tipp- ing the prairies with that most desired by the Span. iards, (gold), not the filthy stuff, but the pure unalloyed article whose intrinsic value is above any known substance, for it creates life and the staff thereof. It is concluded to remain here for a few days after the fearful storm and to reconnoiter and see if the natives could not be induced to commune with them, as they are observed from the distance in num- erous paxties. The general has now implicit faith in Ysopete, but the reverse in Turk; so the second day after the st.o"' ■> he is brought into the presence of the princi-