A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 04: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 04: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
the enemy kept continually sounding their warlike instruments, making
horrid yells, and threatening us with destruction next day, which they
said was promised by their gods. We brought forward our machines again at
day-break to enlarge the breaches we had made on the preceding day; but
the enemy defended themselves with great obstinacy, wounding five of our
people, and myself among the rest by the thrust of a lance, which had gone
through me, had it not been for the strength of my quilted cotton armour.
Towards evening it came on again to rain hard, and we were called off from
the attack; but as the enemy ceased to shout and make their usual noises,
I suspected they were about leaving the town, and perceived also that
their lances were mostly rested against the walls and parapets, except
about two hundred which still appeared in the hands of a part of the enemy.
On this, I and one of my comrades crept in at a small breach in the wall,
and were immediately attacked by above two hundred of these lancemen, who
would soon have dispatched us, if some of our Indian allies had not
noticed our perilous situation, and called the rest of our soldiers to our
aid, who crowded in at the breach and soon enabled us to put the enemy to
flight. These were only the rear guard of the garrison, all the rest of
the inhabitants, men, women, and children, having evacuated the town by
the opposite gate. We immediately pursued, and made many prisoners.
Leaving this place, we marched for Cinacatan, and halted for the night at
the place where _Chiapa de los Éspanoles_ is now built; from whence our
captain dismissed six of our prisoners, with a message to their countrymen,
offering to restore all the rest of the prisoners, if they would submit.
They immediately complied with this, and submitted themselves as subjects
to the Spanish monarchy. In this neighbourhood dwelt a nation called the
Guehuistlans[2], who possessed three fortified towns, and were in
rebellion against us. Leaving our baggage and wounded men in Cinacatan, we
proceeded to reduce these people to submission. They had barricaded all
the approaches to their towns by means of felled trees, which were cleared
away by the aid of our Indian allies, and we got up to one of their
fortresses, which threatened to give us infinite trouble, as it was full
of warriors, well armed both for offence and defence. But they all fled
when we mounted to the assault, leaving the place to us without resistance.
By means of two prisoners who were taken by our allies, offers of peace
and good treatment were sent to them, on condition of submission; with
which they complied, bringing with them some trifling presents of gold and
_quetzal_ feathers.
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