We Continued Our
March Along This Open Campaign Country, Passing Several Villages Where The
Destructive Ravages Of War Were Distinctly Perceivable.
On one occasion we
met some Indians on their return from hunting, who had along with them a
huge _lion_[1] just killed, and several _iguanas_[2], a species of small
serpent very good to eat.
These people shewed us the way to their town, to
which we had to wade up to our middles through a lake of fresh water by
which it was surrounded. This lake was quite full of fish, resembling
shads, but enormously large, with prickles on their backs; and having
procured some nets, we took above a thousand of them, which gave us a
plentiful supply. On inquiry, five of the natives of this place engaged to
guide us to the settlement of our countrymen; and they were glad to get so
easily rid of us, as they were apprehensive we had come to put them all to
death.
Leaving this place, we proceeded to a town named _Tayasal_, situated on an
island in a river, the white temples, towers, and houses, of which place,
glistened from a distance. As the road now became very narrow, we thought
proper to halt here for the night, having in the first place detached some
soldiers to the river to look out for a passage. They were so fortunate as
to take two canoes, containing ten men and two women, who were conveying a
cargo of maize and salt.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 408 of 796
Words from 112806 to 113057
of 221091
