,
doubtless expecting to get on the track of Alarcon. But the latter had
departed from the mouth of the river at least two or three weeks before;
one writer says two months.* The same writer states that Diaz reached
the river thirty leagues above the mouth, and that Alarcon went as
far again above. This coincides very well with Alarcon's estimate of
eighty-five leagues, for Diaz did not follow the windings of the stream
as Alarcon was forced to do with his boats. At the place down the river,
Diaz found a tree bearing an inscription: "Alarcon reached this point;
there are letters at the foot of this tree." Alarcon does not, as before
noted, mention burying letters, and these were found at the foot of
a tree, so that Diaz evidently failed to reach the cross erected at
Alarcon's highest point.

* Relacion del Suceso. Alarcon must have reached his highest point
about October 5th or 6th, and the ships on the return about the 10th.
Diaz probably arrived at the river about November 1st.

Diaz now proceeded up the river again, looking for a place where he
could safely cross to explore the country on the opposite side. After
ascending from the spot where he found the letters for five or six days,
he concluded they could cross by means of rafts. In the construction of
these rafts he invited the help of the natives of the neighbourhood. He
was probably up near the Chocolate Mountains and the Cumanas, who were
hostile to Alarcon, and whose sorcerer had attempted to destroy him
by means of the magic reeds. They had been merely waiting for an
opportunity to attack Diaz, and they perceived their chance in this
assistance in crossing the river. They readily agreed to help make the
rafts, and even to assist in the crossing. But while the work was in
progress a soldier who had gone out from the camp was surprised to
observe a large number of them stealing off to a mountain on the other
side. When he reported this, Diaz caused one of the natives to be
secured, without the others being aware of it. He was tortured till
he confessed that the plan was to begin the attack when some of the
Spaniards were across the river, some in the water, and the others
on the near bank. Thus separated they believed they could easily be
destroyed. The native, as a reward for this valuable confession, was
secretly killed, and that night, with a heavy weight tied to him, was
cast into the deep water. But the others evidently suspected the trick,
for