Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/194

 numbers of earthen jars filled with wine. During the whole day we met no people, and slept on the bare ground at a place where we found some fields of maize, with which the people and the horses somewhat refreshed themselves. In this wise, I continued for two or three days, without meeting any people, although we passed through many towns. Being in want of provisions, as we had not amongst the whole of us fifty pounds of bread, we returned to the camp and found the people I had left there doing very well, and having had no encounters. Seeing the entire population was on the other side of the lake where I had not been able to cross, I embarked my men, crossbowmen and musketeers, and the horses during one night, ordering them to cross to the other shore where others of my people would join them by land. Thus they arrived at a large town, where they surprised the inhabitants, killing a large number of them; the others were so frightened, seeing themselves surprised in the midst of their lakes, that they came to seek peace, and, in less than twenty days, the entire population offered themselves as subjects and vassals to Your Majesty.

When the country was pacified, I sent people to visit every part of it, in order to bring me reports of the towns and peoples. When these were brought, I chose  Foundation of Santistevan del Puerto the most suitable place, and founded there a town which I called Santistevan del Puerto, establishing as inhabitants those who wished to remain, and giving them in the name of Your Majesty those towns for their service. I appointed alcaldes and municipal officers, and left a captain there as my lieutenant, besides thirty horsemen and one hundred foot soldiers; I also left them a barque and a fishing boat which was brought to me with provisions from Vera