We Were All Very
Averse From This, But As Rangel Produced His Commission From Cortes, We
Were Under The Necessity To Obey, And Accordingly Set Out On The
Expedition, With About 100 Horse And Foot.
We soon arrived at a pass among
lakes and marshes, where the Indians had thrown up a strong circular
Entrenchment of large trees and pallisades, having loop-holes to shoot
through, and where they gave us a very warm reception with a flight of
darts and arrows, by which they killed seven horses, and wounded Rangel
and eight of our men. We had often told him what stout warriors these
Indians were, and he now declared that in future the old conquerors should
command him, and not he us, for he would not have been now in such
jeopardy if he had listened to our advice. When our wounded men and horses
were dressed, he requested me to go forward to reconnoitre, on which I
took two comrades, and a fierce dog belonging to Rangel, desiring the
infantry to follow close behind, but that Rangel and the cavalry might
keep at a good distance in the rear. In this order we pursued our march
for Cimatan, and soon fell in with another post, fortified like the former,
and as strongly defended, whence the Indians assailed us with a shower of
arrows, which killed the dog, and wounded us all three. On this occasion I
received a wound in my leg, and had seven arrows sticking in my cotton
armour. I immediately called to some of our Indian auxiliaries, who were a
little way behind, to desire all the infantry to come up immediately, but
that all the cavalry must remain behind, as otherwise they would certainly
lose their horses. We soon drove the Indians from their entrenchments; but
they took refuge among the marshes, where we could not pursue them without
running the risk of sinking at every step.
Having passed the night at an Indian village, we proceeded forwards next
day, when we were opposed by a body of Indians posted in a marsh on the
border of an open plain. In spite of every thing we could say, Rangel made
a charge upon them with his cavalry, and was the first to tumble head
foremost into the marsh, where the Indians closed in upon him, in hope of
taking him alive for sacrifice. By great exertions we rescued him from
their hands, half drowned and badly wounded. The country being very
populous, we very soon found a village which the natives had abandoned,
where we went for the purpose of refreshment, and to dress our wounded men:
But had hardly been there a quarter of an hour, when the enemy attacked us
with such violence, that we had much ado to repel them, after they had
killed one of our men and two horses. Poor Rangel complained grievously of
his wounds and bruises, and was so infested by mosquitoes and other vermin,
which abound greatly in that country, that he could not rest either day or
night. He, and some of the soldiers who had belonged to Garay that
accompanied him, grew very sick of their expedition, in which nothing had
been got except three hard fought battles, in which eleven horses and two
soldiers had been slain, and many others wounded, on which account they
were very desirous to get home again; yet Rangel was averse from having it
appear that a retreat was his choice, and got, therefore, a council of
those who were of his own opinion to propose that measure. At this time, I
and about twenty more had gone out to try if we could make any prisoners,
and had taken five among some gardens and plantations near the village. On
my return, Rangel called me aside, and informed me that his council had
determined on a retreat, and desired me to persuade the rest of the
detachment to come into that opinion. "How, Sir," said I, "can you think
of a retreat? What will Cortes and the world say of you, when they hear of
your retreating in two successive expeditions, without having done any
thing? You cannot surely return without disgrace, till you have reached
the head town of these Indians. I will go forward on foot with the
infantry to reconnoitre: Give my horse to another soldier, and you may
follow in the rear with the cavalry." "You give good advice, said Rangel,
and we will march on." This was done accordingly, to the great regret of
many of our companions, and we advanced in good order to Cimatan, the
principal town of the district, where we were saluted as usual by a shower
of arrows. We entered the town, however, which was abandoned by the enemy,
yet took several prisoners, whom I dismissed, with an invitation to the
chiefs to come in and make peace with us; but they never returned. Rangel
was very angry at me on this account, and swore that he would make me
procure Indians for him, in place of those whom I had liberated. To pacify
him, I went among the neighbouring marshes with thirty soldiers, where we
picked up several stragglers, whom we brought to him. But he dismissed
these likewise, in hopes to induce the rest to submit, yet all to no
purpose. Thus ended the two famous expeditions against the Zapotecans and
Cimatanese, and such was all the fame acquired by Rangel in the wars of
New Spain. Two years afterwards, we effected the conquest of both these
countries, the natives of which were converted to our holy religion, by
the grace of God, and through the exertions of Father Olmedo, now grown
weak and infirm, to the great regret of all who knew him, as he was an
excellent minister of the gospel.
Cortes had now collected 80,000 crowns in gold, and had caused a superb
golden culverin to be made as a present for the emperor, on which the
following motto was engraved:
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