ons were, until a good
opportunity should offer itself of gaining them over to his side. I have
likewise been assured that, if he found these provinces did not produce
much gold or silver, he was determined to return to Mexico, and assure
Cortes that his only reason for making that secret agreement with
Velasquez was to procure troops and provisions at the latter's expense;
the best proof of which would be his having taken possession of the
country in Cortes' name.

Let us in the meantime allow Oli to build his new town, for it was not
till eight months after that Cortes received intelligence of his revolt,
when I will return to this subject. I must now relate what took place in
Guacasualco, and how I, with the captain Luis Marin, was despatched to
subdue the province of Chiapa.

CHAPTER CLXVI.

_How we who were left behind in Guacasualco were constantly occupied
in tranquillising the rebellious provinces; how Luis Marin, by
command of Cortes, marches into Chiapa, to subject that province;
myself and father Juan de las Varillas being particularly desired by
Cortes to join him in this campaign._

A considerable number of us veteran Conquistadores and persons of
quality had settled ourselves in the province of Guacasualco, and the
lands which had been divided among us were of very considerable extent,
lying dispersed among the provinces of Guacasualco, Citla, Tabasco,
Cimatan, and Chontalpa, stretching across the mountains of Cachulazoque
and Guilenes as far as Cinacatan; including also Chamula, the town of
Chiapa, Papanaustla, and Pinula, in the neighbourhood of Mexico;
further, the provinces of Chaltepec, Guazcatepec, Chinanta, and Tepeaca,
besides several townships. But in the beginning most of the provinces we
had subdued in New Spain each time rebelled when the different
proprietors came to demand their tribute, and they were frequently put
to death by the inhabitants; which was also the case in Guacasualco,
where the whole of the townships had from time to time rebelled against
us; so that we were constantly obliged to march in small detachments
from one district to another, in order again to bring the inhabitants to
obedience.

Among others, the inhabitants of Cimatan likewise revolted, and
peremptorily refused to obey our mandates; and our captain Luis Marin,
not wishing to send any strong detachment of his troops thither at
first, despatched myself, Rodrigo de Enao, Francisco Mar