Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/323

 About sunset, one of the rafts was somewhat shattered by striking a submerged log, though it was floated again by the fury of the water after half its cargo had been lost. Three hours after nightfall, I heard the shouts of Indians ahead of us, but, not wishing to leave the rafts behind, I did not go ahead to see what it meant, and, after a little, it ceased, and we heard nothing more for a while. A little later I heard it again, and it seemed to me nearer, but it ceased, and I could not ascertain what it was, as the canoe and the three rafts went ahead and I followed behind with the damaged raft, which could not travel so fast. For quite a while then no more shouts were heard, so we proceeded somewhat off our guard while I took off my helmet, for I had a high fever, and rested my head on my hands. Continuing thus, the violence of the current at the bend of the river struck us with such force that the barque and rafts were driven on the bank. It then transpired that the shouts we had heard had come from this point, for the Indians who inhabited its banks knew the river well, and foresaw that the force of the current would throw us on land at that point; so, many of them awaited us there, and, as soon as the canoe and rafts which had gone ahead reached that spot where we arrived later, they were assaulted by a volley of arrows which wounded almost everyone of their crews though knowing that most of us still remained behind, the attack of the Indians was not so furious as that which they afterwards made upon us. The people in the canoe were prevented by the strong current from coming back to warn us, so, when we were thrown on land, the Indians raised a great yell and let fly such a volley of arrows and stones that we were all of us wounded, I in the head which was the only part not protected by my mail. Our Lord permitted this to happen by a high bluff where the waters were very deep, and to this circumstance we owed our escape; for, the night being very