Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/272

 were forgotten, although I was uneasy at hearing nothing from the canoes. Walking about this village and inspecting it, I found a cross-bow arrow stuck in the ground, by which I knew that the canoes had been there, for all of the men in them were archers; this grieved me, leading me to believe they had fought there and been killed, since none of them appeared. To ascertain the truth, if possbile, I sent some of my people, in certain small canoes which were found there, to explore the river on the other side. They soon met a great number of Indians, and saw many cultivated fields, and, proceeding on their way, they reached a large lake where all the people of the town, partly in canoes and partly on small islands, had collected; who, when they saw the Christians, came to meet them very confidently, though without understanding what they said. Thirty or forty were brought to me, and, after I had spoken to them, they said that they had burned their town at the instigation of the chief of Çagoatespan, and had gone to the lakes out of fear; and that, afterwards, some Christians of my party, had come there in canoes, accompanied by natives of Iztapan, from whom they heard of the good treatment shown to everybody, which had reassured them; and that the Christians had stopped there two days waiting for me, but, as I had not come, they had gone up the river to another town, called Petenecte, accompanied by the brother of their chief and four canoes full of people to help them in case that other town should be hostile; and that they had been given all the provisions they needed. I greatly rejoiced at this news, and believed them, seeing they came so confidently to me, and were so well disposed. I, therefore, prayed them to immediately