other neighboring districts, many Indians went with him to the rivers and gathered gold, two thirds of which he gave for their labor. Higher up in the hills many Indians, armed with bows, arrows, lances and shields much better than ours, had come out to meet him, declaring no Mexican should set foot in their territory, but the teules might come and welcome. Here, when the people wash for gold, the dust comes out in curly shape. Pizarro brought also caciques from that country who, bearing a present of gold, told how their people held the Mexicans in abhorrence and offered themselves as vassals of the king.
Cortes received Pizarro and the caciques with pleasant speeches and after he assured the caciques that they might rely on our friendship to serve them at all times, he dismissed them with two Mexican chiefs to see them in safety to their borders. Our captain now asked Pizarro what had become of the other soldiers he had taken in his company. Pizarro answered that he had ordered them to remain behind, for the soil seemed so fertile, the mines so rich, the people so peaceful, that he wished them to form a settlement and lay out farms for growing cacao, maize, and cotton, and breeding cattle, and to go about and examine the gold mines. Cortes said nothing at the time, but we heard later that in private he severely upbraided Pizarro for having exceeded
