umber of Mechoacan and Mexican Indians likewise perished, and many
others, who were unable to bear the fatigues, became ill, and in despair
sank down on the ground as we marched along.

As this township was quite deserted by its inhabitants, and we had no
guides left, Cortes despatched myself and another captain among the
mountains in search of other small villages. Others of our men also
crossed the broad river, which flows here, in some canoes they found,
belonging to this township, and they soon came up with a number of the
inhabitants, thirty of whom, for the greater part caziques and papas,
they persuaded, by kind words and promises, to accompany them to Cortes,
who, with the assistance of Dona Marina, spoke to them in an
affectionate manner; so that they brought us several more fowls, and a
quantity of maise. They then pointed out the route we were to take, in
order to reach the next township, which was called Izguatepec, the
distance to which place, they said, was three days' journey, or
sixty-four miles; but that on our road we should come up to another
small township, which was subject to Tamaztepec, where we were then
staying.

Before describing our further march, I must not forget to mention that a
few Mexican chiefs, who were unable to endure the pains of hunger any
longer, had secreted two or three Indians of the townships we had passed
through, among their baggage. These unfortunate beings they slaughtered
on our march, and baked them after the fashion of their country, between
heated stones, under ground, and then devoured their flesh. We
afterwards discovered that our two guides, whom we so suddenly missed,
had been served in a similar manner. When Cortes was informed of this
revolting circumstance, he ordered the caziques into his presence, and
reprimanded them for committing such atrocities, threatening to punish
them most severely if they repeated this abominable conduct. One of the
Franciscan monks likewise preached a sermon on the occasion, and he
told them many holy and edifying things. In order, however, to deter the
caziques from committing a similar offence, one of them was sentenced to
be burnt at the stake.[46]

I will not go further into the particulars of the many hardships and
privations we had to suffer. Our distress was so great, that even the
performers on the sackbut, clarion, and dulcimer, who were constantly to
have amused us with their instruments, the only hard work they had to
d