From
Thence We Went To Tepetitan, Which Was Depopulated And Burnt In
Consequence Of A Civil War.
For three days of our march from the river
Chilapa, our horses were almost constantly up to their bellies
In the
marshy grounds, and when we reached a place called Iztapa, it was found
abandoned by the inhabitants; but several chiefs and others were brought
in, who were treated kindly, and made the general some trifling presents
of gold. As this place abounded in corn and grass, we halted three days to
refresh the men and horses, and it was considered by Cortes as a good
situation for a colony, being surrounded by a number of towns, which might
serve as dependencies. Cortes received information from some travelling
merchants at this place concerning the country he had to pass through,
produced to them a map painted on cloth, representing the road to
_Huy-Acala_, which signifies _great_ Acala, there being another place of
the same name. According to them, the way was much intersected by rivers,
as, to reach a place named Tamaztepec, three days journey from Iztapa,
there were three rivers and an arm of the sea to cross. In consequence of
this intelligence, the general sent orders to the chiefs to provide canoes
and construct bridges at the proper places, but neither of these things
were done. Instead of three days, our march occupied us for a whole week;
but the natives succeeded in getting quit of us, and we set out with only
provisions of roasted maize and roots for three days, so that we were
reduced to great straits, having nothing to eat but a wild plant called
_quexquexque_, which inflamed our mouths.
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