154 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



429. Ihe brigantines were finished and launched in the lake on 

 the day after Pentecost Sunday that same year of 1521. Marques 

 Fernando Cortes distributed his Spaniards in the following order : 

 There were 900 infantry, among them 118 harquebussiers and cross- 

 bowmen; 86 horses; 17 small pieces of artillery, mostly of iron; 13 

 brigantines ; and 6,000 canoes which came along with them, and over 

 150,000 friendly Indians from all the tribes of the Tlascaltecas, 

 Tepeacas, Texcocanos, and others ; some joined Cortes because they 

 were deadly enemies of the Mexicans, hating them for their cruelties 

 and arbitrary acts ; such were the Tlascaltecas and Tepeacas. Others 

 came because they saw and appreciated the rising fortunes of the 

 Christians, and because they were tired of Mexican rule. 



430. Marques Fernando Cortes divided up his army into four 

 squadrons on land and one on the water. He kept for himself 300 

 Spaniards who went as his company. To Pedro de Alvarado he 

 gave 150 infantrymen, 18 harquebussiers and crossbowmen, 2 pieces 

 of artillery, 30 cavalrymen, and over 30,000 Tlascalteca Indians with 

 their captains and subordinates, all doughty soldiers, to take their 

 position in Tacuba. To Capt. Cristobal de Olid he allotted 160 in- 

 fantrymen, 18 harquebussiers and crossbowmen, 2 pieces of artillery, 

 33 cavalrymen, and 30,000 friendly Indians of the Tlaxcala tribe, 

 for him to establish his camp with all this troop in Coyoacan. To 

 Gonzalo de Sandoval he gave 150 infantrymen, 4 harquebussiers and 

 13 crossbowmen, 33 horse, and over 40,000 friendly Indians from 

 among those from Cholula, Huejotzingo, and Chalco, to go by way 

 of Iztapalapa. The 13 brigantines were under the command of Capt. 

 Martin Lopez, a man of foresight and courage ; in each brigantine, 

 its captain with 25 soldiers, of whom 6 in each were harquebussiers 

 and crossbowmen, each with his piece of artillery; one of the captains 

 was Pedro Ortes de Velasco. 



431. Thus arranged, all these squadrons on land and water set out 

 on May 22 of that year to lay siege to the great city of Mexico and 

 take it. Great deeds were performed in this siege, which I omit for 

 brevity's sake, since they are to be seen in Antonio de Herrera and 

 other authors ; they all displayed their valor on all occasions. Addi- 

 tional aid came to Marques Fernando Cortes, sent him by Don Fer- 

 nando, lord of Texcoco, of 50,000 Indians ; 20,000 more came from 

 the cities and tribes of the Xochimilcos, Chalcos, and Otomites ; so 

 he had more than 200,000 friendly Indians, and the valor of his 

 Spaniards. The siege lasted about 3 months, during which they 

 fought over 60 very fierce battles ; in some the Mexicans came out 

 victorious, for they were grand fighters and gave no odds. And at 



