the whole of his troops, in the direction of
the sea coast, the distance to which was full twenty-four miles, but our
further progress was retarded for a considerable time by a deep arm of
the sea, where we were obliged to wait until low water before we could
pass over, partly swimming and partly wading across, which detained us
until noon. In this way we at length arrived at the broad river of the
Golfo Dulce, which Cortes and six soldiers were the first to cross, in
order to reach the new town. Two canoes, one which Sandoval had captured
on the coast, and the other belonging to the colonists, were fastened
together, in which our general, with six men, and a few of his servants,
embarked, and was ferried across the water. Upon this a few of the
horses were swum across, the grooms holding the animals by the bridles,
which were kept as short as possible, for fear of the former upsetting
the canoes.

Cortes left strict commands that no one was to pass the river until
further orders, which he would send in writing. The passage across this
rapid stream was indeed excessively dangerous, and Cortes himself
regretted that he had thus risked his life unnecessarily.

CHAPTER CLXXIX.

_How Cortes entered the town founded by Gil Gonsalez de Avila; the
great joy of the inhabitants at his arrival, and what he further did
there._

The town of Buena Vista, which Avila had founded in this neighbourhood,
lay about eight miles from the broad river of the Golfo Dulce, near to
the sea shore, whither Cortes immediately repaired with his small body
of men, after crossing the river. When he entered the town, the arrival
of strangers on horseback and others on foot, in the first moments,
spread a great consternation among the inhabitants, but as soon as they
learnt that it was the man whose fame was spread through the whole of
these provinces and New Spain, they were almost overcome with joy. All
the inhabitants instantly assembled to wait upon him and to congratulate
him upon his safe arrival. Our general received them in the kindest
manner possible, and then ordered the commandant Nieto to load the two
boats belonging to the town, and all the canoes he could get with
cassave bread, and despatch them to Sandoval. The commandant immediately
set about to fulfil these commands, but was unable to collect more than
fifty pounds of this bread, as the colonists had had no other food than
the fruits which they gathered from t