any inclination to cross the river. Sandoval thanked
them for their kind offer, but previously held a consultation with us as
to whether it was advisable for all the troops to cross over at once;
and we resolved that four men should first pass over, to see how matters
stood in the township opposite, which lay close to the river side, and
to get the chief cazique, whose name was Tochel, into their power. Four
of our men accordingly went across the river, and after looking well
about them, they brought us word that everything wore the most peaceable
aspect, and were accompanied by the son of Tochel, who came with another
small present of gold. Sandoval was vastly pleased with this news, and
desired the caziques to furnish him with 100 canoes, which were fastened
two and two together, to convey the horses across the river. It happened
to be the day of Pentecost when we crossed over, and for this reason we
called the township, which lay on this river, Villa de Espiritu Santo;
also because it was the anniversary of the day on which we defeated
Narvaez under the cry of Espiritu Santo.

As this province submitted to our arms without offering any resistance,
the flower of the troops which went out with Sandoval on this occasion,
settled down here; as for instance, besides Sandoval himself, Luis
Marin, Diego de Godoy, Francisco de Medina, Francisco Marmolejo,
Francisco de Lugo, Juan Lopez de Aguirre, Hernando de Montes de Oca,
Juan de Salamanca, Diego de Azamar, Mexia Rapapelo, Alonso de Grado, the
licentiate Ledesma, Luis de Bustamente, Pedro Castellar, the captain
Briones, a certain Mantilla, myself and several other cavaliers and men
of distinction, all of whom I am unable to mention by name; but the
reader may have some idea of our numbers, when I inform him that on days
of parade, or whenever an alarm was sounded, we could always muster in
the great square above eighty men on horseback; and it must be
remembered that eighty horse at that time was more than five hundred at
the present day; for horses were very scarce then in New Spain,
excessively dear, and often not to be had at any price.

The following are the provinces which Sandoval divided into commendaries
on this occasion, after they had been fully explored by our
troops,--Guacasualco, Guazpaltepec, Tepeca, Chinanta, and the
Tzapotecas; along the banks of the river there were: Copilco, Cimatan,
Tabasco, the mountains of Cachula, the country of the Zoqueschas and of