try, and poor Rangel suffered so violently from the swellings in his
groins, that he cried out aloud in the agonies of pain. The rest of us,
therefore, were not a little annoyed that we were compelled to sacrifice
our time for such a man; however, he was soon convinced himself that all
his trouble was to no purpose, and he resolved to relinquish the
expedition, and to allow the men to return to their respective abodes.
Pedro de Ircio, whom Rangel had purposely taken with him to profit by
his good counsel, was the first who advised this latter step, and left
him to return to Vera Cruz, where he had settled. Rangel himself marched
back with us to Guacasualco, the warm climate of which he affirmed would
agree best with his health. This we looked upon as a greater calamity
even than marching out with him into the field of battle; however, we
were obliged to submit, and we put the best face we could on the matter.
When we had arrived in Guacasualco, he got it into his head to march to
Cimatan and Talatupan, in order to put down the insurrection which still
continued in these provinces. The inhabitants there principally confided
in the strength of their positions, which lay between rivers, swamps,
and marshy ground, where every step was attended with danger; besides
which, they were remarkably expert archers, and the arrow which flew
from their enormous bows seldom missed its aim.

In order that we might not dispute his word, Rangel produced his
instructions from Cortes, in which he was also commanded to march
against the rebellious provinces of Cimatan and Talatupan; he,
therefore, in his capacity of commander-in-chief, summoned all the
inhabitants of Guacasualco to join him in the expedition, and we stood
in such awe of Cortes' mandates that we durst not offer the slightest
opposition to Rangel's authority; and above one hundred of us, with all
our horses, about twenty-six musketeers and crossbow-men, marched out
with him. We passed through Tonala Ayagualulco, Copilco, Zacualco,
crossed several rivers in canoes; and then marched through Teutitan and
the townships of Chontalpa, until within twenty miles of Cimatan. Thus
far the whole country was in profound peace; but a little further on we
found the whole armed force of the country drawn up against us, strongly
posted between the swamps and dangerous passes, having fortified their
position by ramparts and a palisade, from which they flew their arrows
at us through loop-holes