WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 153 



ships, since he was surrounded by his enemies, countless in number, 

 the city of Mexico alone containing over 150,000 inhabitants. 



427. This crisis was succeeded by another quite as overwhelming : 

 he received word that Pamphilo de Narvaez had arrived at the port 

 with a large fleet to thwart his enterprise. And so, leaving the King 

 a prisoner under good guard in his own home with his Spaniards, he 

 traveled light down to the port with a part of his forces, and by his 

 courage and skill checkmated Narvaez and deprived him of his 

 Spaniards. On his victorious return to Mexico City, he found his 

 cause lost, for the excesses of his men had made the Indians rise in 

 rebellion. And though at the moment they tried to quell the uprising 

 by taking the King to a window for them to see that he was alive 

 and for him to tell them to quiet down, which they did at once, 

 a rumor started up again, instigated as before by a leading Indian 

 named Quautimoc whom they were trying to make king ; they called 

 Motezuma insulting names, shouting that he was a woman, and let 

 fly stones at him, from which he died ; and as the Indians had taken 

 courage from their new king, the Spaniards were forced to get out 

 of Mexico City as best they could. They retreated and went off to 

 reorganize with their friends the Tlascaltecas, by whom they were 

 kindly treated and given every aid ; and from that base they conquered 

 various districts and provided themselves with everything needed, a 

 task which took over 2 years. Then he returned with his own men 

 and the whole Tlascalteca tribe, to take Mexico City. 



Chapter XVIII 



Continuing the Theme of the Preceding Chapter ; and How Mar- 

 ques Don Fernando Cortes Besieged and Took Mexico City. 



428. When Marques Don Fernando Cortes retreated with his men 

 from Mexico City, the savages kept pursuing him with stubborn 

 fury for 2 or 3 days, until they got into the territory of Tlaxcala ; 

 there through the intercession of His Most Holy Mother, God miracu- 

 lously set them free. They recovered there, formed a league with 

 their friends and provided all things needful to fight and take the 

 great city of Mexico, not only by land but also on the water; they 

 transported timber and all other necessary materials, and on their 

 way they conquered and pacified all the territory up to their arrival 

 at the city of Texcoco on the bank of the lake in the beginning of the 

 year 1521. There he built and equipped 13 brigantines, which were 

 finished by May ; the construction was under the charge of Capt. 

 Martin Lopez, a man competent and painstaking in that profession, 

 and a fine soldier personally. 



