HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF YUCATAN AND OF THE ITZAS

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with the benediction of God and of myself, I remaining with the three
Indians, though one was dying (and he died later) and the rest with
their strength exhausted as mine was.

"The departure of the Padres, my companions, and my beginning to
undergo new calamities, was all at the same time; for on those first
three days it was all passing through _akalchees_, or overflowed lands,
although they were dry but very much obstructed and closed up with low
and thorny trees which grew there, and with those cutting grasses which
I spoke of above, so that we were in constant trouble in passing
through them, reopening once more all the wounds which we had on our
legs. And at that time we found ourselves with bare feet and legs, and
with our clothes in pieces, without getting any more comfort from them
than to cover myself with them at night; also a steel for striking
fire, which by a miracle we saved among the heathen Ytzaes, belonged to
my companions, so that they took it with them, and I remained without
any human comfort, nor did they take anything except the said steel."