Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/274

 provisions and a little gold. I spoke very fully to them, trying to make them understand that they were to believe in one God and serve Your Majesty; and they all offered themselves as subjects and vassals of Your Highness, and promised to obey whatever was commanded of them. The natives of Çagoatespan brought me some of their idols, and in my presence broke and burned them, and the principal chief, who until then had not appeared, arrived, bringing me a little gold, and I gave them all presents of such as I had, which pleased and reassured them very much.

There was some difference of opinion amongst them about the road I was to take to Acalan, for those of Çagoatespan said my road lay through the villages up the river and that they had caused six leagues of road to be opened expressly in that direction, and ordered a bridge to be built over a certain river which we had to cross. Others maintained that this road, besides being a very bad one, was much longer, and that the best and shortest road to Acalan was to cross the river at the town where we were, for a trail existed there which traders sometimes took, by which they would guide me as far as Acalan. Finally it was settled amongst them that this was the best road, so I sent a Spaniard ahead, with some natives of Çagoatespan, to inform the people of Acalan of my coming, and to reassure them and calm their fears. The messenger was also to ascertain whether my people, who had been charged with bringing supplies from the brigantines, had arrived or not. Afterwards, I sent four other Spaniards by land with guides who claimed to know the road, to inspect it, and see if there were any obstacles, while I waited for their answer; after they left, I was obliged to depart before hearing from them, so that the provisions provided for the journey should not be exhausted, for I was told that we would march for five or six days through a desert country. I began, therefore,