Vitachuco where the Cacique Vitachuco had made his bold coup.

Then when this third day of their journey was already quite dark, they came to a good plain which was clear of underbrush. Here they rested, having run or walked that day 17 leagues, the last eight of which had been in the province of Vitachuco.

On the fourth day they continued for 17 leagues more through this same province. Seven Indians felt the lance that day. At nightfall, having come to a place which was clear of brush, the Castilians deemed it wise to rest since they heard no noise to indicate that there were Indians in the surrounding district. A little past midnight, they started out again. After traveling five more leagues they came at sunrise to the river of Ochali (Ocali) where, as we have said, the Indians slew the greyhound Bruto.

They had held some hope of finding this river, like that of Osachile, with less water than when they previously had crossed it. However, they found just the contrary, for a good while before arriving there they could see that the bluffs, which, as we have said, were (two pikes) high, were completely covered with water which now overflowed into the fields.

The river was so wild and turbid and there were so many whirlpools everywhere that just the sight of it, much less the necessity of swimming it, filled them with fright. Added to this difficulty and danger was another even greater. This was that the Indians on both sides of the river had raised a hue and cry on seeing the Christians approach and had called out to each other to kill them as they attempted to cross.

Against these odds, the 30 lancers set to work to gain the opposite shore. Twelve of the best swimmers plunged into the flood to secure a beach-head, while the others set about to build a raft.

Eleven of them reached land successfully through a great gap in the opposite bluff, but the twelfth, Juan Lopez Cacho, failed to make the ex-it. His horse fell a little short of the gap and was unable to breast the fury of the water sufficiently to reach it. He then permitted himself to drift downstream to see if there were another opening through which he might escape. Even though he made many attempts to gain the land by climbing the bank, he could not succeed since it was cut like a wall and his horse was unable to find a firm footing. On witnessing

his plight, four fine swimmers plunged into the water and brought both man and beast to shore.

While the beachhead and rearguard held off attacking Indians, the raft was hauled back and forth nine trips to carry the nonswimmers and all the gear. Silvestre leaped aboard the raft on its last trip and dodged arrows until his "friends on the opposite shore tugged with great effort and pulled the vessel to the middle of the river where it was safe."

It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon when the crossing of the River Ocali was completed. Cacho was frozen "like a wooden statue and unable to move either hand or foot" by the extreme cold of the water. Consequently the cavaliers entered the town, now deserted by the Indian defenders, and built four large bonfires to thaw out.

In the middle of the night the lancers heard an army of Indians approaching. Tying Cacho in his saddle, they slipped away and "traveled at such a good pace they were six leagues beyond the place by dawn."

These men continued their journey always with the same diligence, posting through the inhabited districts to avoid having news of their approach precede them, and lancing the Indians whom they encountered near the roads to prevent their giving notice of them. In this way they passed the sixth day of their journey, either running or walking for almost 20 leagues, a part of which lay in the province of Acurea, a land inhabited by many warlike people.

On the seventh day after departure from the camp, a man named Pedro de Atienza fell sick and a few hours later while still traveling died upon his horse. His companions buried him with great pity at such a death, for in order not to lose time in their journey they had refused to believe his complaints when he had suddenly become ill. They made him a sepulchre with the axes which they carried to cut wood.

At sunset they came to the passage across the great swamp, having run and walked 20 more leagues just as they had done on the day before.

People who have not participated in the con-quests of the New World, or in the civil wars of Peru, find it difficult to believe that there are horses and men who can accomplish such long