there was abundance of
maise and fowls. The inhabitants here also kept pheasants, (which they
call sacachueles,) tame partridges, and pigeons. This breeding of
partridges as domestic birds I never observed in any other part of the
country but in the townships on the Golfo Dulce. From this place Cortes
took new guides, and next arrived in some townships which are called
Cinacatan-Tencintle. The whole surrounding neighbourhood was covered
with maise, cacao, and cotton plantations. When Cortes had approached
within a short distance, he heard the sound of drums, trumpets, and a
noise as if the Indians were in the midst of some festive orgie. Our
general then concealed himself with his men on a rising ground, in order
to watch for a favorable opportunity of falling upon these
Bacchanalians. This he accordingly did before they were in the least
aware of it, and captured ten men and fifteen women. The rest of the
Indians fled to their town, armed themselves, and commenced flying their
arrows at us. Cortes immediately fell upon them, and very soon cut down
eight of their chiefs, which brought the others to their senses, and
they despatched four old men, of whom two were papas, to our general,
with a trifling present in gold, and begged hard that the prisoners
might be restored to them. Cortes spoke to them through Dona Marina, who
had accompanied the detachment with her husband Juan Xaramillo, and gave
them to understand that they should send maise, fowls, salt, and a large
supply of other provisions to our vessels. If they complied with this he
would immediately restore the prisoners to their families. They
accordingly set their canoes afloat, which lay in a hollow communicating
with the river, and loaded them with the required provisions; but as
Cortes did not release all the prisoners at once, and detained three men
with their wives to bake some bread, the whole of the inhabitants again
flew to arms, and showered forth their arrows, stones, and darts upon
our troops, wounding twelve men, and Cortes himself in the face. During
this skirmish one of the canoes upset, by which part of the provisions
was lost, and one Mexican killed.

There were such swarms of moschitoes along the banks of this river as to
render it impossible for a person to live there; but Cortes bore
everything with patience, and returned to Buena Vista, which had never
before been so well supplied with provisions. The last township, where
the inhabitants had