Our whole army now crossed the river, and halted about two leagues from it, waiting the return of Cortes.  At this place, three Spanish soldiers, two Indians, and a Negro deserted; preferring to take their chance among the unknown natives of the country, to a continuance of the fatigues and dangers they had experienced.  This day likewise, I had a stroke of the sun, which occasioned a burning fever or calenture.  At this period the weather changed, and for three days and nights it rained incessantly; yet we had to continue our march, lest our provisions might fail.  After two days march we came to a ridge of rocky hills, which we named the Sierra de los Pedernales, the stones of which were as sharp as knives.  Several soldiers were sent a league on each side of this bad pass in search of a better road, but to no purpose, so that we were forced to proceed.  Our horses fell at every step, and the farther we advanced it grew the worse, insomuch that we lost eight horses, and all the rest were so lamed that they could not keep up with us.  After getting over this shocking pass, we advanced towards a town called Taica, where we expected to procure provisions in abundance; but to our great mortification were unexpectedly stopped by a prodigious torrent, so swelled by the late heavy rains that it was quite impassable, and made such a noise in tumbling over its rocky bed that it might have been heard at the distance of two leagues.  We had to stop here for three complete days to construct a bridge between the precipitous banks of this river; in consequence of which delay the people of Taica had abandoned their town, removing all their provisions out of our reach.  We were all miserably disappointed at this event, finding that hunger was to be our portion after all our fatigues.  After sending out his servants in every direction, Cortes was only able to procure about a bushel of maize.  He then called together the colonists of Coatzacualco, and earnestly solicited us to use our utmost endeavours to procure supplies.  Pedro de Ircio requested to have the command on this occasion, to which Cortes assented:  But as I knew Ircio to be a better prater than marcher, I whispered to Cortes and Sandoval to prevent him from going, as he was a duck-legged fellow, who could not get through the miry ground, and would only interrupt us in our search.  Cortes accordingly ordered him to remain, and five of us set out with two Indian guides across rivers and marshes, and came at length to some Indian houses where we found provisions in abundance.  We here made some prisoners, and with their fruit, fowls, and corn, we celebrated the feast of the Resurrection to our great contentment.  That same night we were joined by a thousand Mexicans, who had been sent after us, whom we loaded with all the corn we could procure, and twenty fowls for Cortes and Sandoval, after which there still remained some corn in the town, which we remained to guard.  We advanced next day to some other villages, where we found corn