Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/270

 Çagoatespan, through which, according to my map, I would have to pass higher up this river; and he said that he did not know the way by land, but only by the river, as they all travelled that way, but that he would try to guide us through those forests, though he was uncertain whether he might reach there or not. I asked him to show me from there whereabouts it stood; and I marked it the best I could, and ordered the Spaniards of the canoes and the Chief of Iztapan to go up the river to the said town of Çagoatespan and reassure its people and those of another town, which they would come to first, called Ozumazintlan; if I arrived first I would wait for them, otherwise they should wait for me. Having despatched these men, I departed with the native guides and, leaving the town, I came to a great marsh, more than half a league in length, which we managed to pass, after the Indians our friends, had lain down branches and underbrush. We next came to a deep lagoon over which we were obliged to build a bridge for the passage of the heavy baggage and the saddles, whilst the horses crossed swimming. After that, we came to another deep lagoon, more than a league long, where the water was never below the knees of the horses, and many times up to the girths, but, as the bottom was rather solid, we crossed without accident, and reached the forest through which we cut our way as best we could during two consecutive days, until our guides said they were bewildered and knew not whither they were going. The forest was such that we could see nothing but the ground where we stood, or, looking upwards, the sky above our heads, such were the height and density of the trees; and although some climbed up them, they could not see a stone's throw ahead.

When those who were ahead with the guides opening