The next day being Sunday, Fray Ignatio preached a sermon
to the Indians. He assumed, and at this time I think
the Admiral assumed, that these folk had no religion. That
was a mistake. I doubt if on earth can be found a people
without religion.
Men and women they watched and listened, still, attentive,
knowing that it had somehow to do with heaven. After
sermon and after we had prayed and sung, we fashioned
and set up a great cross upon cliff brow. Again the Indians
watched and seemed to have some notion of what we
did.
The remainder of the day we rested, and on Monday
early Roderigo Jerez, Luis Torres and Juan Lepe with
Diego Colon and two Cuba men made departure, We had
a pack of presents and a letter from the Admiral. For we
might meet some administrator or commandant or other,
from Quinsai or Zaiton or we knew not where. This was
the first of many--ah, so many--expeditions, separations
from main body and return, or not return, as the case
might be!
CHAPTER XIX
FOREST endless and splendid! We white men often
saw no path, but the red-brown men saw it. It ran
level, it climbed, it descended; then began the three
again. It was lost, it was found. They said, "Here path!"
But we had to serpent through thickets, or make
way on edge of dizzy crag, or find footing through morass.
We came to great stretches of reeds and yielding grass,
giving with every step into water.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166