tigation had been made and torture had been given to
some Indians, it came out that the cacique and the chiefs were without
any blame, and it was certified that, neither by word nor deed, had they
done anything to the hurt of the Spaniards, but that two chiefs had said
that because their ancestors had never been subject to anyone neither
they nor the cacique ought to submit themselves [to the Spaniards]. But
notwithstanding this, by what was known then and afterwards, it was
believed that the Indians always loved the Spaniards and that their
friendship with them was not feigned.[77] The troops did not set out on
their journey because the rigor of winter [was at its height] and it
rained a great deal every day, so it was determined to allow the height
of the rainy season go by, principally because of the fact that many
bridges had been ill-treated and broken, to mend which was essential.
When the season in which the rains ceased arrived, the Governor had the
fifty cavalrymen, the cacique the men he had and make ready. All of
these, with the captain whom he gave them, put themselves on the march
for Xauxa by way of the city of Bilcas,[78] where, it was understood,
the enemy were because the roads were cut up by the many winter rains
and the rivers were swollen; although there was no bridge over many of
them, the Spaniards crossed on their horses with great trouble, and one
of them was drowned. Arrived by [long] marches at the river which is
four leagues from Bilcas, it was learned that the enemy had gone on to
Xauxa. And the river being swollen and furious, and the bridge burned,
it was necessary for them to stop and build it anew, for, without it, it
would have been impossible to cross the river, either in those boats
which are called _balsas_ or by swimming or in any other way. Twenty
days the camp was here in order to mend the bridge, for the officers
[maestros] had much to do, because the water was high and kept breaking
down the osier ropes which were put in place. And if the cacique had not
had so great a number of men to build the bridge and to cross over by it
and pull over the ropes of osiers, it would not have been possible to
build it. But having twenty-four thousand warriors, and by crossing [the
stream] again and again to attempt [to set in place the ropes] making
use of cords and _balsas_, at last they succeeded in placing the osier
ropes and when they had been passed across [the river], the bridge was
built i