ng or river beneath the ground, so that for the distance of a
league, the path goes following its banks and the bed of the said
river. It is to be understood that in the rainy season it is full of
water. There is good hunting in the woods, especially peacocks and
pheasants. The most common animal in these woods is a leopard or false
lion, with a red skin and with spots of various colors. The natives
call it _Chacekel_. Among the birds are some which are very different
from those of the Province. I heard a little bird warble, which I knew
at once was a linnet like those of Spain; it imitated it much in its
song as in its size, though not in its plumage. There is another bird
with a body of a hen of Castile, called _Pan_. Its beak is very long
and thick; up to the middle it is yellow and the other half green; its
feathers correspond, being very yellow from below the beak to its
belly. The rest of the body is black, except under the tail, which has
a red plumage; the legs are green and in spite of so much beauty, it
utters only shrieks...."

The Padres Endeavor to Instruct the Indians. "In these affairs, besides
educating those who had been lately gathered together, although they
might never be freed from slavery, we passed our time till the 24th of
July, when we heard news that the road openers would shortly come to a
certain town of the nation of the Cehaches; and in order not to fail as
in the previous case, we priests planned to speak plainly with the
captains and to find out what their plan was to be on entering it; for
if it was not more decent and Christian than in the past, we had
determined to avoid the occasion of disturbance, by returning to the
Province, rather than see cruel deeds performed...."

The Captains Promise to Give Warning before Fighting. "The captains
... promised their assent to the advice which we might give them
hereafter, adding that, when an opportunity offered to enter any town,
a proclamation should be issued, with a penalty of death on any one who
should dare to go against it...."

A Skirmish. "At this time the Indian road openers went on with their
work, bringing as their guard the Indian musketeers from Sahcabchen,
who never did anything well, owing to the said Captain Alonso, who, on
account of his interest in their spoils, sends them out by themselves,
without any Spanish people of intelligence to oversee that their duties
are performed in a proper way. While engaged in this, th