Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/314

 other gulf the next morning. It was certainly the most beautiful thing in the world to behold, for, in the midst of the rockiest and most rugged mountain chain, there existed a sea of over thirty leagues in extent. I followed along the shore until towards nightfall we perceived a village, and, landing, we found an entrance to it about two thirds of a league distant; but it appeared I had been perceived, for the place was entirely deserted and empty. In the neighbouring fields we found a great abundance of green maize which we ate that night and the next morning; but, as we did not find what we came for, we took a supply of that green maize and returned to our boats, without having seen any natives of the country.

In crossing to the other side of the gulf, which was accomplished with great difficulty on account of a contrary wind we encountered, one canoe was lost, but its crew were saved by a barque, so that only one Indian was drowned. It was late in the evening when we reached the shore, so we could not land until the next morning, when we ascended a small stream with the barques and canoes, leaving the brigantine outside. Thus I reached the place where there seemed to be a trail, and, having ordered the boats and canoes to return to the brigantine on the gulf, I landed with thirty of my men and all the Indians; and, following the trail, I reached a village about a quarter of a league distant which seemed to have been abandoned by its inhabitants many days before, for the houses were choked with weeds, although there were many fine orchards of cacao and other fruit trees in the neighbourhood; I explored the town to see if there was a road leading anywhere, and finally found one, so overgrown that apparently it had not been used for some time. As I found no other I followed it, and marched that day some five leagues over mountains so rugged that we had to scramble over them with both hands and