hey had
with them were not sufficient for so many days, and they would want for
them later on. Besides the time was coming on when it would be
necessary for them to take in their crops from the fields and they said
that while they were doing that a Canoe should be built on purpose for
them all to cross the Lake and that they would carry the Padres with
much pleasure and little toil to the Itzaex."

The Return to Tipu. "Padre Fuensalida insisted and persisted that what
he had first proposed should be executed, namely, to cut around the
Lake. And the Indians asked Padre Juan de Orbita to dissuade the Padre
Commissario since what they said was more fitting. It seemed, at last,
indeed to be so, and that the Indians were right, and all agreed to
return to Tipu, and to build there a Canoe in which to pass across the
Lake as they offered to do.

"When they had returned to Tipu, the Cacique Don Christoval soon sent
Indian, carpenters who, on the very shore of the Lake, were to make
ready the wood for a very good Canoe. There are in that region great
logs of Cedar and other trees from which can be made and are made many
large Canoes. They built it very capacious and suitable; and the other
Indians, in the interim, gathered in their crops and assembled new
provisions in order to set out once more with the Padres for the Land
of the Itzaex."

All Precautions Taken, they Set out Once More. "Once more they all set
out as before from Tipu. They crossed the Rio Grande, which is two
leagues away, with much more trouble than before because the Waters had
risen and were still rising, as it was already near the end of
September. And having arrived once more at the Lake of Yaxhaa, where
the Canoe was in readiness, the Persons who were journeying and all
that they had with them were carried across the two leagues of water in
four trips."

Lake Yaxha is Crossed; Arrival at Lake Zacpeten. "Everything and
everybody being now on the other bank, they continued their march by
Land for some fifteen leagues as far as another Lake, which was called
Zacpeten (which is the same as saying White Island), which was shorter
than the other, being not more than a league in length...."

Here follows a short passage describing how the devil made the Indians
choose the wrong path. The reason for this suggested by Villagutierre
seems plausible, namely, that the Tipuans did not want the Itzas
converted, because if they were the Tipuans would have no