, and will be enabled to correct any
errors I may have committed. I consider myself bound to make this
observation, as I was not present in this campaign, for I did not arrive
in Guatimala until the year 1524, when the inhabitants had again
revolted, just as we were about returning to Mexico from our expedition
to the Higueras and Honduras, under the captain Luis Marin. On that
occasion we had several engagements with the enemy, who had everywhere
dug deep holes and barricaded the narrow passes along the line of our
march. We were detained two whole days in the township of Juanagazapa,
or Petapa, the neighbourhood of which was full of deep hollows, and we
had several battles with the enemy, who strove to prevent our march
through a very dangerous mountain pass. Here I was slightly wounded by
an arrow, and it cost us much hard fighting before we could force this
passage. I could say a good deal of the battle we fought on this spot,
and it is with difficulty I restrain myself at present, in order to
relate all the circumstances more fully in the proper place. It was
about this time also that a rumour was spread of Cortes' death. With
respect to the inhabitants of Guatimala, I have merely further to remark
that they were not a very warlike people, nor did they ever bid any
stout resistance unless they were strongly posted in the hollows of the
mountains, and then even their arrows did us very little harm.

CHAPTER CLXV.

_How Cortes despatches an armament, under Christobal de Oli, to the
Higueras and Honduras, to subject these provinces; and what further
took place during this expedition._

Cortes was informed that the provinces of Higueras[33] and Honduras were
uncommonly rich, and possessed lucrative gold and silver mines; in which
belief he had been further strengthened by the assertions of several
sailors who had visited these parts, and affirmed that they had
witnessed with their own eyes that the Indians there fastened pieces of
gold to their fishing nets instead of lead, in order to sink them;
besides which, these sailors were of opinion there must be somewhere in
that latitude a narrow arm of the sea, which ran into the southern
ocean, and this was another reason why Cortes was desirous of exploring
those parts, particularly as he had received instructions from his
majesty to use his utmost endeavours to discover some such passage to
the southern ocean, in order to promote the trade with the s