ciiAi'. X.] CAVALRY IN THE 16th CENTURY. 253 



a career of conquest that reads more like an extract from 

 an extravagant romance than a page of authentic history. 



The first great battle took place at Tabasco, on the 

 25th March, 1519, when, with his small army, Cortez won 

 a decisive victory over an Indian force of 40,000 men, 

 drawn up in five divisions of 8,000 each. Cortez directed 

 an attack on the enemy's position in front, with the main 

 portion of his men, aided by the fire of the artillery, 

 while he made a detour himself and fell upon their rear 

 with the sixteen horsemen who formed his small cavalry 

 contingent. The attack was bravely resisted in front, 

 and the battle was continued for more than an hour, the 

 Spaniards being sorely pressed by the immense hordes of 

 Indians which swarmed around them. Soon however a 

 tumult and confusion arose in the rear of the enemy's 

 lines, and over their heads were seen the Spanish 

 chivalry, their horses dashing and plunging through the 

 thickest ranks, their war-cries sounding loud and clear, 

 and their sabres flashing in the morning sun as they 

 delivered crushing blows in every direction.^ 



This sudden charge of sixteen horsemen virtually 

 defeated an army of 40,000 brave soldiers, till then 

 gallantly striving, and with some success. The surprise, 

 the attack in rear, the monstrous apparition of mounted 

 men, so new and so fearful a sight, caused a panic to 

 seize the whole mass, and the main Spanish line charging, 

 the entire force threw down their arms and fled from the 

 field. 



It is a curious fact, and is corroborative of the usual 

 explanation of the origin of the fable of the Centaurs, 

 that these poor Indians, seeing the mounted men, 

 believed the horse and his rider to be one and the same 

 animal.^ They were naturally intensely terrified at the 

 sight of them. 



The next fighting took place with the Tlascalans, the 

 people of a small republic, which lay between Mexico 

 and the sea. Their military system was somewhat 

 similar to that of the Aztecs. A species of feudal tenure 

 is said to have existed among them, as well as an order 



• Prescott, i. 156. ^ jbid. i. 157. 



