Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/264

 on the hill tops, our horses, being led, and without their riders, sank to their girths in the mire. In this manner, I travelled two days on the said trail, without receiving any news of the people who had gone ahead; and I was perplexed enough as to what I should do, because to go back I held as impossible, and to proceed with no certainty of the road seemed equally so. God, Who in our greatest afflictions often comes to our help, was pleased to permit that, while we were encamping in great sadness and distress, believing we were all destined to perish of hunger, two Indians should arrive, bringing letters from the Spaniards whom I had sent ahead. They informed me that upon reaching the village of Iztapan, they found that the natives had sent all their women and property across a large river, which ran close to that place, and that the village itself was full of natives, who thought the Spaniards would not be able to pass the great swamp near by; but, when they saw my men swimming across it on their horses, they had been much frightened and had begun to burn their village, which my men prevented by putting out the fire. Seeing this, all the inhabitants fled to the banks of the river, which they crossed, either in numerous canoes or by swimming, and in their haste and confusion, which were very great, many were drowned; my Spaniards, nevertheless, had succeeded in capturing seven or eight, among whom there was one who seemed to be a chief; the letter also added that they were anxiously awaiting my arrival. I cannot describe to Your Majesty the great joy the receipt of this letter caused all my people, for, as I said above, we had almost despaired of relief.

Early the next morning, I continued my march, guided by the Indians who had brought the letter, and, in this  March to Iztapan manner, I arrived at Iztapan late in the evening, where I found all the people who had gone ahead very contented; for they had discovered many