WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 155 



the end of this time they took the city, on Tuesday, August 13, day 

 of St. Hippolytus; there had died in its defense over 100,000 Mexi- 

 can Indians, including many of the nobility of that tribe ; some 50 

 Spaniards fell, 6 horses, and a few of the friendly Indians. Now 

 that the city was lost because of the havoc wrought by death among 

 its citizens, King Quautimoc started to escape by the lake in a large 

 canoe, in company with Guacozin, lord of Tacuba, and others. When 

 this was seen by the crew of Capt. Garcia Holguin's brigantine, they 

 chased him and finally this captain caught the savage King and handed 

 him over to Marques Fernando Cortes. So that put an end to the 

 siege of the city, the empire of the Mexicans, and that of the Devil, 

 who had kept them blinded and deceived for so many centuries ; and 

 the light of the Holy Gospel came in, through which God our Lord 

 is revered, acknowledged, and adored by all those tribes. 



432. And so in memory of such a great victory and of the capture 

 of that huge teeming city, on the 13th of August, day of the glorious 

 patron and martyr St. Hippolytus, every year they celebrate a most 

 solemn festival ; they take out the banner under which the city was 

 captured ; it is followed by the members of the City Council, two 

 Judges of the Circuit Court, then the Viceroy and all the nobility of 

 the city on horseback; and the oldest Alderman, who that year fills 

 the post of Alferez Mayor (Chief Ensign), carries it, walking on 

 the Viceroy's left, and the oldest Judge on his right ; and with great 

 solemnity they carry it to San Hipolito ; on that day there is a great 

 celebration, and the flag bearer is allowed to remain seated. 



Chapter XIX 



Of the Great City of Mexico, and the Sumptuous Temples It 

 Contains ; and of Its Neighborhood. 



433. The great city of Mexico, court and capital of the realms 

 of New Spain, is located by its great lake at i9°3o' N., 22 leagues 

 WNW. of the city of Puebla de Los Angeles. It is the official resi- 

 dence of the Viceroy, the Archbishop, and the Inquisition ; it has a 

 Circuit Court presided over by the Viceroy, with eight Judges and 

 an Attorney, and another Court with four Alcaldes de Corte and an 

 Attorney. The Circuit Court has for its jurisdiction and district, the 

 whole of the Archdiocese with that of Michoacan on the W., Tlaxcala, 

 Oaxaca, and Yucatan — from the extreme E. of Yucatan to Michoacan 

 on the W., over 300 leagues ; to the W. it borders on that of Guadala- 

 jara, which belongs to Nueva Galicia. It extends N. and S. another 

 300 leagues and over, from the State of Panuco and Tampico to the 



