Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/309

 in the country in case they were left there. I immediately sent some of my people, in five or six canoes and two barques which they had there, in various directions by sea to seek provisions.

The first expedition was to go to the mouth of a river, called Yasa, about two leagues from that settlement, and in the direction of the territory through which I had come; for I had learned that there were well provisioned towns thereabouts. Upon reaching the said river, they ascended it some leagues and arrived at some very considerable plantations; but the natives, seeing them approach, hastily concealed all their provisions in certain houses, and, carrying their women and children and goods and chattels, they all fled to the forest. When the Spaniards arrived at these houses, a pouring rain set in, so they all collected in a large house, and as they were wet through they all took off their armour, and many of them even their clothes to dry them and warm themselves; and, while in this condition, off their guard, the natives fell upon them, wounding most of them in such manner that they were forced to re-embark and to return to me without any provisions. God knows what I suffered, not only at seeing their wounds, some of which were dangerous, and because they had brought no relief for alleviating our wants, but also because those Indians would acquire more confidence at the sight of our misfortunes.

Immediately, in the same boats and canoes, I sent another and more numerous party of men, composed of Spaniards as well as Mexicans under command of one of my captains. I ordered them to cross to the other side of that great river and to follow along the coast while the barques and canoes were to go from one point to another of the land, accompanying them so as to enable them to cross the bays and rivers which were many. So they set out, and came to the mouth of the said river