The next morning we left Aute,* and traveled all
day before coming to the place I had visited. The
journey was extremely arduous. There were not
horses enough to carry the sick, who went on increas-
ing in numhers day hy day, and we knew of no cure.
It was piteous and painful to witness our perplexity
and distress. "We saw on our arrival how small were
the means for advancing farther. There was not any
where to go ; and if there had been, the people were
unable to move forward, the greater part being ill, and
those were few who could be on duty. I cease here
to relate more of this, because any one may suppose
what would occur in a country so remote and malign,
so destitute of all resource, whereby either to live in
it or go out of it ; but most certain assistance is in Grod,
our Lord, on whom we never failed to place reliance.
One thing occurred, more afflicting to us than all the
rest, which was, that of the persons mounted, the
greater part commenced secretly to plot, hoping to
secure a better fate for themselves by abandoning the
Governor and the sick, who were in a state of weak-
ness and prostration. But, as among them were many
hidalgos and persons of gentle condition, they would
not permit this to go on, without informing the Go-
vernor and the officers of your Majesty; and as we
showed them the deformity of their purpose, and
placed before them the moment when they should
desert their captain, and those who were ill and feeble,
and above all the disobedience to the orders of your
Majesty, they determined to remain, and that whatever
might happen to one should be the lot of all, without
any forsaking the rest.
After the accomplishment of this, the Governor
called them all to him, and of each apart he asked
advice as to what he should do to get out of a country
so miserable, and seek that assistance elsewhere
which could not here be found, a third part of the
people being very sick, and the number increasing
every hour; for we regarded it as certain that we
should all become so, and could pass out of it only
through death, which from its coming in such a place
was to us all the more terrible. These, with many
other embarrassments being considered, and entertain-
ing many plans, we coincided in one great project,
extremely difficult to put in operation, and that was to
build vessels in which we might go away. This ap-
peared impossible to every one : we knew not how to
construct, nor were there tools, nor iron, nor forge,
nor tow, nor resin, nor rigging; finally, no one thing
of so many that are necessary, nor any man who had
a knowledge of their manufacture; and, above all,
there -was nothing to eat, while building, for those who
should labor...
Before we embarked there died more than forty
men of disease and hunger, without enumerating those
destroyed by the Indians. By the twenty-second of
the month of September,* the horses had been con-
sumed, one only remaining ; and on that day we em-
barked in the following order : In the boat of the
Governor went forty-nine men ; in another, which he
gave to the Comptroller and the Commissary, went as
many others ; the third, he gave to Captain Alonzo del
Castillo and Andres Dorantes, with forty-eight men;
and another he gave to two captains, Tellez and Pena^
losa, with forty-seven men. The last was given to the
Assessor and myself, with forty-nine men. After the
provisions and clothes had been taken in, not over a
span of the gunwales remained above water ; and more
than this, the boats were so crowded that we could not
move : so much can necessity do, which drove us to
hazard our hves in this manner, running into a turbu-
lent sea, not a single one who went, having a know-
ledge of navigation.