speedily and splendidly was this capital restored, that all who have seen it allow there is not in Christendom a larger, better built, or more populous city.  While thus employed, intelligence was brought to Cortes that the province of Panuco was in arms, and had killed many of the soldiers whom he had sent to make a settlement at that place.  He resolved, therefore, to proceed to Panuco in person, as all his most confidential officers were now absent on different duties.

By this time our strength had been considerably augmented, both by means of those formerly mentioned who had been on the expedition to Florida under Aillon, and by several who had come over along with Tapia, and by the arrival of many adventurers from the islands of Hispaniola, Cuba, and Jamaica.  De Oli, likewise, had now returned from Mechoacan, which he had reduced to submission, bringing with him the principal cacique of that country and several other chiefs, with a considerable quantity of gold.  Cortes therefore left a respectable garrison in Mexico, under Diego de Soto, and set out on his march for Panuco[1] with 130 cavalry, 250 infantry, and 10,000 Mexican warriors.  As this expedition was very expensive, Cortes, wished the charge to be defrayed from the royal funds, but the officers of the treasury refused, under the pretext that it had been undertaken from motives of private interest, to prevent Garray from establishing a colony in that place, and not for the public service.  The Panuchese, otherwise called the Guastecas and Naguaticas, were numerous and warlike, and had collected a force of above 70,000 warriors, with which they fought two battles against Cortes in the course of a few days, in which three Spaniards, four horses, and above a hundred Mexicans were slain; but we obtained the victory in both actions, with such slaughter of the rebels, as deprived them of all inclination to renew the war for the present.  By means of Father Olmedo and some prisoners, the Panuchese were now induced to submit.  Cortes in the next place proceeded with half his army across the river Chila, to reduce the natives who had murdered the messengers whom he sent to require their submission.  On crossing the river, the enemy fell upon our troops with great fury, but were soon defeated, and our people advanced to a town in which they found abundance of provisions.  Some of our soldiers, on going into a temple next morning, found the remains of some of our men, and even recognized their features, a melancholy sight to us all; but we carefully collected and buried their remains.  From this place our detachment marched to another, where the enemy concealed some of their troops among houses, intending to fall upon our men when the cavalry had dismounted; but as their plan was discovered it failed of success, yet they fought valiantly for half an hour, even rallying three times, contrary to the usual custom of the Indians, and three of our soldiers were so badly wounded that they afterwards died.