e river Guacasualco, and what further happened._

As soon as Sandoval arrived in the township of Tustepec, messengers of
peace came to him from every part of the province, and there were only a
few Mexican chiefs who durst not make their appearance, on account of
the sixty Spaniards, with their wives, (all of Narvaez's corps,) who had
been massacred in this place. It was two months after this tragical
affair that I arrived at Tustepec with Sandoval, and I took up my
quarters in a kind of tower, which had been a temple. In this same tower
my unfortunate countrymen had sought refuge when they were attacked by
the inhabitants, and had defended themselves until hunger, thirst, and
wounds put an end to their existence. I selected this tower, which was
very high, to rid myself of the moschitoes, which swarmed in this
neighbourhood, and plagued us all day long; besides which, I was here in
the immediate vicinity of Sandoval's quarters, which rendered mine
doubly convenient to me.

Sandoval was very desirous of getting the above-mentioned chiefs into
his power, and at length succeeded in capturing the principal one, who
was tried, and sentenced to the stake. Several other Mexicans were
brought in at the same time with this chief, but though they had equally
deserved death, they were allowed to go at large, and thus one had to
suffer for all. Sandoval then sent to the townships of the province of
the Tzapotecs, which lay about forty miles further on, desiring them to
despatch messengers of peace to him; but they refusing to do so, he
ordered off the captain Briones (who had commanded one of the
brigantines, and had, as he himself assured us, signalized himself in
the Italian wars,) against them, with one hundred men, among whom there
were thirty crossbow-men and musketeers, besides one hundred auxiliaries
of the allied provinces. The Tzapotecs were duly apprized of Briones's
approach, and lay in ambush for him, from which they fell suddenly upon
him, and wounded more than a third part of his men, of whom one died
soon after. The Tzapotecs inhabit the most rugged and inaccessible
mountain districts, where no cavalry can approach, and even the foot
soldiers could with difficulty move along narrow paths, one behind the
other; besides which, these mountains are enveloped in everlasting
mists, and the dew is always falling, which renders the ground so
slippery that it is dangerous to move along. The lances of this people
were also