f 



Strange Battel. 



r«t*utha*Hm % a City. 



pic*. 



A M E %,I C A. Chap. III. 



to a Neighboring Prince their Enemy ,and one that maintain'd a continual War 



acainft thefe Cannibals, 



Here Cortex fent Articles of Peace to Taxmarus the King of the Countrey, but 

 he fleiehtinghis proffer came down upon him into the Field with forty thou- 

 fand Men, drawn from the City Potancbapum , which contain'd above twenty 

 thoufand Houfes,all built of Stone : And indeed the Spaniards had here feen their 

 laft day, had not Corte*. drawn by a feeming advantage the Enemies under his 

 Canon ,' and fent his fmall Party of Horfe to attend the motion of the Rear^ 

 when fo foon as they had fir'd their Canon, making great Execution, the 

 Front routed, and the Rear terrifVd with the noife and fmoke of the Guns, they 

 alfo broke, being at the fame inftant Charg'd with the Horfe , which were fo 

 terrible to them that never faw Horfes, nor fuch Service on Horfeback before, 

 that in a fliort time the whole Body of fo great an Army was utterly diffipated, 

 and the triumphing Conquerors took pofTeffion of the empty City <Potanchanum, 

 where Solacing, they ftaid a whole Moneth. Then from hence they Sail'd to 

 Colvaca, where, upon the requeft of the Natives, they fettled a Colony. Amongft 

 the Prefents which Were there given to the Spaniards , were fome of their 

 CM—B.M of^t own Volumes , Books , whofe Leaves were made of the innermoft Rind of a 

 " Tree, and a kind of Pafte , made of their Meal , glew'd together; the Cha- 

 rafter's ftood at fome diftance one after another, rang d like our Chrift-Crofs <Hpu>, 



otJ,$,C. ' '■ .'; 



Here Corte*. was amaz'd to behold their (lately Temples, the Floors whereof 



were cover'd with Embroyder'd Tapeftry, befet with Precious Stones, to 



which great multitudes flock'd, being very zealous to perform their Dcvou- 



When their Seed is put into the Ground, or come to its full growth, they of- 

 fer young Children to their Zeme K , richly Cloth'd, having been fatten'd fome 

 Weeks before : When they want Children they kill their Slaves, and in de- 

 fault of them, they pacifie them with Dogs. 



The ViBims that go to be Sacrific'd, they Worfhip with all Adoration, Bow- 

 ing and Congying before them. 



Their Zeal in this their Idol- Worfliip may appear from a ftrange Cuftom, 

 obferv'd by them when they enter their Temple, w£ they either draw Blood 

 out of their Tongues, Lips, Ears, Bread, Knees, or Palm of their Hands,which 

 they throw into the Air, fuppofing thereby to be pardon'd by their indulgent 



Gods. 



In the City Zempoal, Corte^ found five Slaves, who being kept clofe Prifon. 

 crs, were to be Sacrific'd the next day ; but he releafing them , did upon the 

 importunate requeft of the Quines, or Priefts, and promi.fes of great ranfoms, 

 and their telling of him that the Zeme^ would fpoil all their Seed and Plants 

 that year, if they did not go on with thefe Offerings, reftor'd the Prifoners 

 again . who, though the enjoyments of all happineffes in the other World were 

 promis'd them by their Prieft, and great aflurance given thereof; yet they 

 were not forward, but return d, unwilling to fuffer, though by fo gainful a Sa- 

 crifice. 



At the Zeme*. Feet hung abundance of Mens Bones bundled up together, and 

 under them were Written the Names of their Enemies , whofe Flefh had been 

 either Sacrific'd or eaten. 



Twelve Leagues beyond Zempoal, Cortex built a new City near the River 

 Grifaha, and call'd itFera Crux, which Z>»fgo Vdafaues refented fo ill, it being 



Strange Sacrifeji.' 



Strtiije Idol-Worlhif . 



jr«ifM/,aCir)r. 



SfflWmndtttiilUoIi: 



