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284 died of thirst. All finally came, and after they had given many reasons why they should be pardoned, Cortes granted their prayer and declared them vassals of our king.

Water we found very scarce in this whole district. But we marched on to the town of Oaxtepec, and there found a river flowing through a garden—the most splendid garden I have ever seen in its many kinds of fruit trees and roses and sweet-scented herbs, and in its medicinal plants and vegetables good to eat, and in its avenues and pleached alleys, and many houses adorned with pictures. Delighted, the whole of us encamped in this garden for a night, but the next morning we left for Cuernavaca.

Cuernavaca was a natural stronghold by reason of the ravines about it, eight fathoms deep, with small streams at the bottom. It was also heavily garrisoned. Our enemy, entrenched within the ravines, shot many arrows and lances at us, and hurled stones so that they fell without ceasing. A couple of miles further up our horsemen found that they might pass over, and we soldiers saw that we might climb along the branches of some trees that grew on either side of the ravines and met one another, and so we might get within. In making our passage on the branches three soldiers fell into the water below and one broke his leg. As I crept over my head grew quite dizzy. Still I got across, and as soon as twenty or