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Rh before the threatened rising of the rivers should stop his progress. From Aztatlan he proposed to press on to the Amazon country, reported to be ten days distant.

About the middle of July it was resolved to proceed, and Gonzalo Lopez, who after Villaroel's return to Mexico had been made maestre de campo, was sent in a northerly direction to find suitable winter quarters. Passing over flooded roads, where sometimes the water reached to the stirrups, Lopez Discovered Aztatlan, the chief town of a province of that name, and with this information he returned to the camp. A few days afterward the whole army resumed the march; but instead of three days, as expected, it required nearly a week to reach Aztatlan, on account of the rainy season and the marshy nature of the soil. Several days alone were spent by the maestre de campo with the vanguard in building two bridges over swollen rivers, which otherwise it would have been impossible for the foot-soldiers to pass. Aztatlan reached at last, they establish themselves in winter quarters, and remained there about five months. This province, situated on the northern bank of probably the actual Rio de Acaponeta, afforded food in abundance, and at first, as long as the rains did not prevent raids for plunder, all went well.