d the
troops of Guatemala to withdraw definitely from Mopan and other places.

The Road Completed as Far as the Lake. At the end of February and in
early March the two leagues of road between the camp and the lake were
completed. _Pyraguas_ had already been built and were finished by the
time the army encamped on the lake shore. Seeing such a display of
power, the Indians tried to rival it, but when they saw the galley and
_pyraguas_ they retired to their island. There were sundry attempts to
make friends with the Indians, but they showed themselves utterly
undeserving of confidence. On March 10, 1697, Don Martin Can, he who
had gone to Merida as ambassador for his uncle Canek and who was godson
of Ursua, hearing of the latter's arrival, came to him joyfully. As a
result of this the murmurs to the effect that he was a myth entirely
vanished.

Some squads of Indians approached the camp by land with arms. The
general soon saw it was but a pugnacious attempt to force the Spaniards
into a skirmish. At the same moment a large canoe beached on the shore
where the camp was. Can said that those in it were Chamaxculu and other
important Indians from Alain. They were received with all possible
cordiality, and some of the Indians were found to be those who had been
in Merida with Can. Chamaxculu was an old man of seventy years.

Quincanek Feigns Friendliness. Very soon after that Quincanek visited
the camp. He was cordially welcomed and in conversation he promised to
aid the opening of the road. Ursua discreetly decided it would be
superfluous to make any allusion at that time to the idolatry,
treachery, and other foibles of the Itzas. Everything seemed serene and
amicable. The chiefs promised to return for dinner later.

They remained where they were from March 10 to 12, 1697. During those
three days many Indian women came in canoes and unattended from Peten
to the camp. Whether their purpose was to get themselves violated and
thereby furnish an excuse to the lurking squads of Indians to attack
the Spaniards, or whether they were led by mere curiosity, is not
absolutely certain; but it is probable that the former was the case,
for when, through good discipline, Ursua managed to restrain his men,
the women made all sorts of obscene gestures to attract the soldiers,
but to no purpose.

The Hostilities Begin. Finally the day arrived on which, according to
his promise, Quincanek, was to bring Canek to dinner with Ursua. Bu