Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/78

 have always stopped in Chinantla, which is the capital. I would like very much to know where the captain is, in order to write to him and make known what has happened here. If perchance you can write me where he is, and will send twenty or thirty Spaniards, I would go thither with two of the chiefs from here who wish to see and speak with the captain. It would be well for them to come now because it is the harvest time for Cacao, and the Culuans hinder it by making war. May the Lord guard the noble persons of Your Worships, according to your desire. From Chinantla, I know not what date of the month of April, of the year 1521. At the service of Your Worships, Hernando de Barrientos."

When the two Indians arrived with this letter in the province of Tepeaca, the captain, whom I had left there with certain Spaniards, sent it immediately to me at Tesaico; and we all rejoiced greatly at receiving it, because, though we had always confided in the friendship of Chinantla, sometimes the thought occurred to us that they might confederate with Culua and kill the two Spaniards. I immediately wrote, giving them an account of what had happened, and telling them to have hope, for, although they were surrounded on every side by enemies, by God's pleasure, they would very soon find themselves free and able to come and go in safety.

After having made the circuit of the lakes, during which I gathered much important information for laying siege  Canal Built at Texcoco to Temixtitan by land and water, I stopped in Tesaico, strengthening myself as best I could with people and arms, hastening to get the brigantines finished and making a canal to take them to the lake; which canal was begun immediately after the planks and joinings of the brigantines had been brought, and extended from one side of our camp to the lake. From the place where the brigantines were being joined there was quite a half a league's