d also been fortunate
enough to save themselves by flight, confidently asserted, as we were so
long in returning, that we must have been killed. Luis Marin, who
likewise gave us up for lost, had already, as was customary at that
time, divided our Indian commendaries among the other Conquistadores,
and had written to Cortes for fresh indentures to convey the property;
besides that, he had sold off all our moveable goods by public auction.
However, after the space of twenty-three days, we again, to the surprise
of all, made our reappearance in Guacasualco, where our friends were
indeed delighted to see us, but those who had obtained our possessions
drew very long faces.

Luis Marin was at length fully convinced that he should never be able to
put down the rebellion in the provinces, unless he was allowed a
stronger body of troops, for now he was sacrificing the lives of the few
men he had to no purpose. He resolved therefore to repair in person to
Mexico, and beg Cortes for a further reinforcement, and other
necessaries, to carry on a war. He particularly cautioned the Spaniards
to remain quiet during his absence, and ordered that they should not
move to a greater distance than twenty miles from the town, unless to
procure themselves provisions.

When Marin reached Mexico, and had given Cortes an account of the state
of affairs in Guacasualco, he only furnished him with twenty soldiers,
and desired him to return thither without delay. Among these was Alonso
de Grado, whom I have so often mentioned above, and father Juan de las
Varillas, who was a profound scholar, and had come to New Spain with
Zuazo. According to his own account, he had studied in the college of
Santa Cruz, at Salamanca, and he said he was of a very distinguished
family.

Marin's instructions from Cortes were to march with all the Spaniards
who had settled in Guacasualco, and the fresh troops he brought with
him, into Chiapa, to quell the disturbances, and found a new town in
this province. We therefore equipped ourselves in the best possible
manner for this campaign, and commenced operations by clearing the road
along the line of our route, for the country was full of swamps and
dangerous mountains. We had to carry along with us heavy beams, by means
of which our horse were to pass the marshes, but even those were
insufficient in many places. In this way, with the utmost difficulty, we
arrived at Tezpuatlan, which township we could only reach by ferr