256 



CORTES. 



Cortes, -were defeated in a great battle at Atumba. The Tlas- 

 "~"V""* / calans still retained their animosity against the Mexi- 

 cans, and burned to revenge the death of their country- 

 men who had fallen in the service of Cortes. 



Notwithstanding of his disasters, Cortes determi- 

 ned to persist in his design of conquering Mexico. For- 

 tune seconded his views ; r,n avowed enemy sent forces 

 to destroy him, an envious rival endeavoured to sup- 

 plant him ; he managed to seduce the forces of both, 

 arid to attach them to his service. With these reinforce- 

 ments, and ten thousand Tlascalans, he marched again 

 towards Mexico, six months after his retreat from that 

 city. His first care was to build vessels, to give him 

 the command of the lake. The Mexicans easily percei- 

 ved the advantage which this would give him; and 

 therefore their first attack was directed against his 

 fleet of brigan tines. Guatimozin the reigning emperor, 

 the nephew and son-in-law of Montezuma, hoping to 

 supply by numbers what he wanted in force, collected 

 such a multitude of canoes as covered the face of the 

 lake. The whole armament, however, was dissipated 

 with such slaughter, that the Mexicans found them- 

 selves still more inferior on this new element, than they 

 had hitherto been on land. 



Cortes at first proceeded slowly and cautiously in his 

 operations, till disconcerted by the length and difficul- 

 ties of the siege, he resolved to attempt to take the city 

 by storm. A general assault was ordered ; the Spa- 

 niards advanced with impetuosity, bearing down all op- 

 position. Cortes had taken the precaution to secure a 

 - retreat if necessary, and for this purpose appointed one 

 of his captains to fill up the canals and gaps of the 

 causeway, as the main body advanced. But this offi- 

 cer, thinking it inglorious to be thus employed whilst 

 his companions were pressing on to victory, neglected 

 the important trust committed to him, and hurried on 

 to mingle with the combatants. Guatimozin, with the 

 skill of an experienced general, instantly profited by 

 this mistake. He ordered the troops in front to slacken 

 "their efforts, to allure the Spaniards to push forwards, 

 whilst he dispatched a large body of chosen troops to 

 take possession of the great breach in the causeway 

 ' which had been left open. As soon as this movement 

 was completed, the priests struck the great drum con- 

 secrated to the god of war, when the Mexicans in front 

 rushed upon then- assailants with irresistible impetuo- 

 sity, and forced them back to the causeway, where their 

 retreat was cut off. All Cortes's efforts were now di- 

 rected to save such of his men as were precipitated in- 

 to the breach. He himself narrowly escaped being ta- 

 ken, having been seized by six Mexican captains, who 

 were hurrying him off in triumph. From this perilous 

 situation he was rescued by two of his officers, at the 

 expence of their own lives : but he lost sixty Spaniards, 

 forty of whom fell alive into the hands of the enemy 

 who, on the approach of night, were sacrificed to the 

 god of war, within sight and hearing of the Spanish 

 troops, whose minds were filled with indescribable hor- 

 ror. 



The heads of the sacrificed Spaniards were sent to 

 the principal men in the adjacent provinces, with an as- 

 surance that the god of war had declared with an audi- 

 ble voice, that every Spaniard should be destroyed 

 in eight days. This prediction was universally be- 

 lieved ; and Cortes found himself almost entirely de- 

 serted by his Indian confederates. He was therefore 

 compelled to suspend all military operations till the fa- 

 tal period should elapse ; when the Indians, convinced 

 that the god of war had deceived the Mexicans, re- 



turned with greater confidence than ever to their alii- Cortes. 

 ance with Cortes, who, according to his own account, "■" "■/"■■* 

 soon found himself at die head of a hundred and fifty 

 thousand Indians. By his brigantines and his numer- 

 ous Indian auxiliaries, he was now enabled to shut up 

 the city so completely, that famine began to make dread- 

 ful ravages amongst the besieged. The Mexican nobles 

 advised Guatimozin to retire from a place which now 

 appeared untenable; the Spaniards being already in' 

 possession of nearly three-fourths of the city. To ac- 

 complish this purpose, they endeavoured to deceive 

 Cortes by various proposals of submission ; but he was 

 too vigilant to be deceived ; Guatimozin was taken in 

 attempting to escape across the lake ; and with him fell 

 the city and empire of Mexico. See Mexico. 



Cortes had all along acted without any authority 

 from the court of Spain ; and after he had completed 

 the reduction of Mexico, an officer was sent to super- 

 sede him, to confiscate his effects, and examine into his 

 conduct. The person entrusted with this commission 

 was a man of no talents ; and being conscious of his 

 weakness, he abandoned a country which he was un- 

 worthy to govern. Cortes's authority was at last con- 

 firmed by a warrant from the crown, and he was appoint- 

 ed captain-general and governor of New Spain. His 

 enemies, however, still continued to plot against him, 

 and misrepresented his conduct so grossly, that Charles- 

 was induced to order a solemn inquest into his conduct, 

 to seize his person, and to send him, if that should be 

 thought expedient, a prisoner to Spain. Cortes dis- 

 daining to stand a trial in a country which was filled 

 with the glory of his exploits, resolved instantly to re- 

 turn to Spain, and there face Iris accusers. 



His appearance in Spain removed every doubt that 

 had been entertained with respect to his intentions. He 

 appeared surrounded with all the splendour which fame 

 and riches can confer : the emperor received him with 

 the highest marks of distinction and respect ; conferred 

 upon him the order of St Jago, the title of Marquis del 

 Valle de Guaxaca, together with the grartt of an ample 

 territory in New Spain ; and as his manners were cor- 

 rect and elegant, the emperor admitted him to the same 

 familiar intercourse with himself that was enjoyed by 

 noblemen of the first rank. 



But though Cortes was thus distinguished, the em- 

 peror was not fond of entrusting such extensive power 

 in the hands of a man whose influence might be dan- 

 gerous. Cortes therefore returned to Mexico, dignified 

 Avith new titles, but with diminished authority. The 

 supreme direction of civil affairs was placed in a board 

 called the Audience of New Spain; the military depart- 

 ment, with powers to attempt new discoveries, were 

 left in the hands of Cortes. This division of authority 

 cramped the efforts, and embittered the life of Cortes. 

 His zeal for new discoveries remained, however, una* 

 bated. Having fitted out an armament, he took the 

 command in person, and after enduring incredible hard- 

 ships, discovered the large peninsula of California. Cor- 

 tes had a considerable time before traversed an immense 

 tract of country to punish the treachery of Christoval 

 de Olid, one of his principal officers, who had attempt- 

 ed to establish an independent authority. In this ex- 

 pedition he marched three thousand miles, through a 

 country abounding with thick forests, rugged moun- 

 tains, deep rivers, thinly inhabited, and almost wholly 

 uncultivated. He was engaged in this dreadful ser- 

 vice above two years ; and though it was not distin- 

 guished by any splendid event, he displayed during the 

 course of it, greater personal courage, more fortitude ef 



3 



