aid he hoped to God they might all become good
Catholic Christians. I felt highly delighted with all this; for, as
these people were my own property, I naturally took a more particular
interest in their welfare.

Though Chamula had again submitted to our arms, the townships of
Guegustitlan still obstinately held out, notwithstanding all our kind
messages to the caziques; we had, therefore, no other resource left than
to march against them, and subdue them by force of arms. Each of these
townships (for there were three) was strongly situated, and we therefore
left our allies, with the baggage, in the camp, our captain only taking
the most nimble and active of the Spanish troops with him, besides 300
warriors of Cinacatan. The distance to Guegustitlan was sixteen miles;
but the enemy had everywhere cut down trees and constructed barricades
along the line of our march to obstruct the cavalry; however, with the
assistance of our Indian friends, we soon cleared these obstacles out of
our way, and it was not long before we attacked one of the three
townships. The place was well fortified and filled with warriors fully
equipped for war; we, nevertheless, stormed the town, although it was
even more difficult of access than Chamula. The enemy had not waited to
offer any resistance to our arms, and we found the town quite deserted
by its inhabitants, who had also carried off all their store of
provisions; but it was not long before our Indian friends brought in two
of the inhabitants prisoners, whom our captain immediately liberated,
desiring them to go and call their countrymen. We staid one whole day in
this place, during which time the inhabitants of all three townships
submitted themselves as vassals to our emperor, and presented us with a
small quantity of gold and some quetzal feathers, which are of great
value in this country.

After we had returned to our camp we deliberated whether or not we
should follow up Cortes' instructions, and lay the foundations of a town
in this neighbourhood. Many of us were in favour of doing so, but
others, who had lucrative possessions in Guacasualco, were quite
opposed to it, and said we should have no shoes for the horses; that the
most of us were wounded, and we were altogether too small in numbers to
think of settling in a country so thickly populated: besides that, all
the townships were strongly situated among steep mountains, inaccessible
to our cavalry. But those who objected most t