time I will await the arrival of the
provisions, and stand guard over them, that I may not fare as badly as I
did before." And sure enough, when they arrived, he, Sandoval, and Luis
Marin took them into their own custody, and ordered them to be
distributed under their own eyes.

The following day, about noon, the army arrived in Acala, the caziques
of which place having met our general with a supply of provisions; but I
will break off here, and relate what further took place in the next
chapter.

CHAPTER CLXXVII.

_Cortes' further plans after his arrival among the Acallan
townships; how he orders the powerful cazique of Mexico
Quauhtemoctzin, and the king of Tlacupa, to be hung; his reasons for
doing this; and of other matters._

After Cortes had arrived in Gueacala, and had been thus kindly received
by the caziques, he told them all manner of fine things, through our
interpretess, Dona Marina, and he presented them with various kinds of
Spanish toys, all of which appeared vastly to amuse them. They willingly
supplied us with provisions, and Cortes questioned them as to the route
we were next to take, and whether they had seen other people like unto
us, with beards, and riding on horseback, or any strange vessels off the
coast?

To which they replied, that eight days further on there were numbers of
people with beards, who had women of Castile, horses, and three acales
(for so they term vessels) with them. Respecting our inquiries about the
direction in which we were to march, they answered by laying before us a
large piece of cotton cloth, on which were drawn all the rivers, swamps,
morasses, and townships of the country.

Cortes was excessively rejoiced at all this, and he requested the
caziques, as their population was so numerous, to bring their canoes,
and throw bridges across the river for us. To this they answered, that
their townships were indeed above twenty in number, but that the greater
part of these refused obedience to them, particularly those which lay
between the rivers. It would therefore be necessary, they added, for him
to send a number of his teules--so they termed us--thither, and command
them to furnish him with provisions.

Cortes followed their advice, and commissioned Diego de Mazariegos,
cousin to the treasurer Estrada, whom Cortes had appointed governor of
Mexico, to repair to the latter townships. Cortes was very partial to
Mazariegos, and was desirous of dist