ble thirst, and we were all in much need of that indispensable
necessary of life. Twenty of us, among whom I was one, went on shore with
the casks as soon as possible, being warned by Alaminos to be on our guard
against a sudden attack from the natives, who had fallen upon him by
surprise when formerly on that coast. We accordingly posted a guard in an
open place near the shore, and set about digging some pits, in which we
had the satisfaction to find excellent water. We remained about an hour
washing our linens and bathing our wounds, which delay enabled the Indians
to attack us, one of our centinels giving us the alarm only a few moments
before they appeared. The Indians, who were tall, athletic men, dressed in
the skins of beasts, immediately let fly a shower of arrows, by which six
of us were wounded, and myself among the rest. We soon beat them off,
however, when they went to the assistance of another party who had come
round in some canoes, and were dragging away our boat, after wounding
Alaminos and four sailors. We followed them as quickly as possible, wading
up to our middles in the sea, and rescued the boat, after killing
twenty-two of the Indians, and making prisoners of three who were only
slightly wounded, yet died afterwards during our voyage to Cuba.

After the natives were driven away, we inquired of the soldier who gave us
the alarm of the enemy, what had become of his comrade? He reported, that
a short time before he came to us, his companion went to the water side to
cut down a palmito, and soon afterwards, hearing him cry out, being as he
supposed in the hands of the enemy, he ran towards us and gave the alarm.
The soldier thus amissing, named Berrio, was the only person who escaped
from Pontonchan unwounded. We went to seek for him, and found the palmito
he had begun to cut, around which the ground was much trodden, but no
trace of blood, from which we concluded he had been carried away alive.
Having sought him in vain for an hour, we returned on board with the water,
to the infinite joy of our companions, who were quite beside themselves on
its arrival. One man leapt into the boat immediately on its getting
along-side, and never ceased drinking till he died. We next proceeded to a
certain low island called _los Baxos de los Martyres_, where our
commanders ship struck on a sunken rock, and took in so much water that
she was near sinking; indeed we greatly feared that our utmost exertions
at the pump c