HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF YUCATAN AND OF THE ITZAS

Back Forward Menu

Great Want of Food. "At the end of the said three days in which we
passed through these troubles, taking a westerly direction, we again
began to break through woods and with greater difficulty (than before),
since hunger kept wearing out our strength and the ridges which we met
in the space of three days were so high in all four directions, that it
seemed impossible that men could cross them, on account of the great
height of their summits and the depth and shallowness of their ravines.
The trees of these hills of which we availed ourselves so as not to
fall, are some palms which are called _Cumes_, covered with thorns
whose sharp points are very long and cover the tree from top to bottom
as far as the roots; so that all our bodies were wounded by the said
thorns from head to foot, particularly our feet, since we went
barefoot. At this time came the day of Purification of Our Lady, when
we prepared in spirit for celebrating that day, all of us confessing
one another, as men who at every moment had death before their eyes, on
account of the great want of food. And in order to obtain the holy
indulgences of that day, we had anticipated it by finding on the