Chap. III. AMERICA. 



done without his knowledge,that he petition'*! the Council of Quba to give Sen- 

 tence of Death againft the Founder : But vvhilft Corte^ expected an anfvver 

 from the EmbaiTadors (which were lent to the Spanijh Court to give account 

 of the neceflity of building a City there) he travell'd eighty Leagues Wefterly. 

 The Zcmpoalenfers accompanied him in great Troops, hoping by that means 

 to fliake off the yoke of the mighty King Wlontezttma, againft whom they were 

 then defign'd. Qorte^ coming into the Territory of Sincucbimalar , was in the 

 Name of Montezuma, by one of his Princes, courteoufly entertain'd in a great 

 Village, fcituate on a fteep Mountain, without any Path or Way leading to it, 

 but by two high Ladders. Sincucbimalar lies furrounded with Hills, whole 

 tops feem to touch the Clouds. Coming down from the Village, they tra- 

 vell'd through a barren and cold Valley, where they fuffer'd fuch great Incon- 

 veniences by want of Provifions and Water, and exceeding coldnefs of the 

 Weather, that many of them periiVd. After that, they afcended a pleafant 

 Hill, on whofe fummit flood a Chappel, with a handfom Steeple, and hedg'd 

 about with great heaps of Wood, brought thither by the Inhabitants for the 

 ufe of their Sacrifices. At the foot of this Mountain was a fruitful Valley 

 water'd by a pleafant River, on whofe Banks a certain Prince nam'd Cacatamf 

 nus had a Palace, built of Stone, and containing many Rooms, and convenient 

 Lodgings. Somewhat higher to the Land, appear'd more of the like Stru- 

 ctures, which were all under Montezuma's Jurifdiction • but the neighboring 

 Countrey Tlaxcalla , whofe Inhabitants were famous for their Valor, would 

 never receive any Laws from Montezuma. 



Corte^ no focmer fet footing in this Countrey, but he was fet upon by a thou* 

 fand of the Inhabitants,who at the firft AlTault kill'd two of the Spanijh Horfe, 

 yet after this bold Charge, the Aflailants fled, and on the next day defiYd 

 Peace; whereupon the Spaniards march'd quietly into the Countrey, when a 

 confus'd Company, or Forlorn*Hope, making a horrible No ife, fet upon them ; 

 but after a flight Skirmifh, they v fled to their Main Body, which immediately 

 drawing up, being at leaft a hundred thoufand, hemm'd in the handful of Spa* 

 niardsy and fo were ready to fwallow them, leaving them no Angle to efcape at. 

 Thus invironed, they were aflailed on every fide, fighting till Sun-fet, and 

 had undoubtedly been utterly deftroy'd, had not Corte^ ply'd his fix Pieces of 

 Cannon, difcharging continually Volley after Volley upon them.; and though 

 the Execution was very much, yet the Sound and report of their Ordinance 

 was more terrible to them that were out of the reach of the Bullet, and made 

 more to the gaining fo great a Victory, E ear conquering more than Slaughter - 

 fo that by the Evening, defpairing either of their Safety or better Fortune, the 

 whole Army disbanding fled : But the purfuing Conquerors firing five of 

 their Villages, remain'd Matters of the Field ; yet they, though thus totally 

 routed, taking frefli Courage (a wonderful thing !) reinfore'd them, and fet 

 upon the Spanijh Camp, with no lefs than 150000 Fighting Men : Yet not* 

 withftanding fo vaft an Army, Corte^ fo well ordered his fmall parcel of Men, 

 an4 fo valiantly led on upon all Advantages, that he in like manner defeated 

 , this, as they thought, Invincible Preparation. Thus flefli'd with fo much Blood 

 of the Natives , he raged every where, giving no Quarter where-ever he 

 went. 



Mean while Quefitangal, a neighboring Prince, having alio raifed an Army 

 with which he defign'd, being aflifted by darknefs, craftily to fall into the Spa* 

 nisb Quarters by Night, fubtilly diflembling , fent Embafladors the day be- 

 fore, 



S3 



Orchis Exploit** 



tlaxcalla. 



