along-shore towards Villa Rica, that he might be noticed from the ship; but after we had got out of sight, we made a secret detour through the woods, and got back about midnight to the rivulet where we had left our disguised companions, where we carefully concealed ourselves.  Early in the morning, our disguised men went down to the shore, making signals to the people of the ship, in consequence of which a boat put off with six sailors, two of whom landed with casks to take in water.  Our men held down their faces to avoid being noticed, pretending to wash their hands; but on being spoken to by the men in the boat, one of them desired them to come on shore; when alarmed by the strange voice, they put off.  We were going to fire upon them, but Cortes would not permit, and they escaped.  We thus missed our object, and returned to Villa Rica, having procured six men as a reinforcement to our small force.

[1] Chempoalla appears to have been a place of considerable size, both
    from the testimony of eye-witnesses and the extent of its ruins. 
    Torquimada in one place says its inhabitants amounted to twenty or
    thirty thousand; in another place he extends their number to 50,111,
    and in his index to 150,000.  Like many others of the Indian cities in
    New Spain, it dwindled down, by the diseases and vexations of the
    sixteenth century, and at length became entirely
    depopulated.—­Clavigero, II. 21.

[2] Bernal Diaz has given no dates of the transactions of Cortes in Mexico,
    from the 21st of April till now, the 26th of July, a period of 3
    months and 5 days.—­E.

END OF VOLUME THIRD