Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/601

Rh Pat, divided the power, in the east, centre, and south respectively. The white men proposed to follow up the advantage by harassing the foe, carrying the war into their midst, and affirming the progress made by pushing the cantonments farther and farther, obtaining prisoners, and compressing the revolution within ever-narrowing limits. This plan met with a certain degree of success in the Valladolid region; but below, round Tihosuco, greater resistance was encountered, and the Indians turned the tables by laying siege to this town, and Saban, one of the new cantonments, maintaining it obstinately for months, despite the efforts for relief, and encouraging their comrades in the north to firmer resistance, so much so that they ventured to attack Valladolid itself. West of the central campaign ground extended the mountainous district of Chenes, within a dozen leagues of Campeche, where the rebels still held forth, almost in the midst of the cultured settlers. Stirred by comrades driven from the eastern fields, they became so daring as to provoke Campeche to special expeditions against them; but although the troops generally overcame all resistance, the foe proceeded only to reoccupy their ground, and maintain a harassing guerrilla conflict from the fastnesses.

For the southern canıpaign, centring round Bacalar, a double aim was proposed. This region bordered on Belize, occupied by the British under treaties of 1783 and 1786 for purposes of trade alone, yet gradually came to be regarded as a colonial possession.