HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF YUCATAN AND OF THE ITZAS

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climbing the high ridge which we met with, we went to rest there, cold
enough from being drenched with water, even to the lint which we had
for striking fire, unable to get comfort by warming ourselves. We
offered to God the trouble we had passed and even with more fervor the
trouble which follows from sleeping in wet clothes. But remembering
that the Indians are accustomed to make fire with two dry sticks, and
having no other than the staff which I carried, we broke it, and with
this God willed that we should obtain fire. We made a great fire, with
which we not only dried our garments and underclothes, but warmed
ourselves very well. In the vicinity of the fire we went to sleep.

"On the next day when we left this place, we discovered a large plain
or meadow, which horrified us just to see it, on account of what had
happened on the preceding afternoon, but as it was free from woods, we
were happy in passing over it, and more so as we had seen in the
distance many pine trees all about it, so that, thinking of their
fruits, we had hopes of getting something to eat; but our hope was in