Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/218

 small territory lying between the one conquered by Pedro de Alvarado and the other by Cristobal de Olid. Including this small bit, the land conquered along the North Sea comprises a territory of more than four hundred leagues which is now subject to Your Majesty, and on the southern coast the conquered country extends from one sea to the other, without interruption, for more than five hundred leagues, with the exception of two provinces, one of which is called Zaputecas and the other Mixes, which lie between the province of Tecuantepeque and that of Chinanta and Guaxaca and that of Guazaqualco. The mountains here are rugged and difficult, so that they can hardly be crossed, even on foot, for twice I have sent people to conquer them but they have never been able to do anything against these Indians, who are well armed and entrenched in their mountains. They fight with lances twenty-five and thirty palms long, very thick, and well made, with points of flint, and they have defended themselves with these and killed some Spaniards, and have done, and are doing, great mischief to their neighbours who are Your Majesty's vassals, assaulting them by night and burning their towns and killing them; to such an extent have they done this that many towns have rebelled and joined with them. To prevent this spreading, although I am at present short of men, I collected one hundred and fifty foot soldiers — the cavalry being useless — most of them crossbowmen and musketeers, and four field pieces with necessary ammunition. This force I put under the command of Rodrigo Rangel, alcalde of Espiritu Santo, who, last year, had already marched against these same Indians but could not rout them on account of the rainy season which obliged him to return after two months spent in their province.