

z66 A M E <R^I C J. Chap, V. 



at firft had onclyonc Houfe, and a Herd of Hogs there , till upon his invitation, 

 all the neighboring People came from the tops of the Hills . inibmuch, that in a 

 fliort time, the place was Peopled by thoufands of Families. 



5. Guaxacingo, all hitherto great and ancient Towns of the Natives. 



6. Stgura de la Frontera, a Spanijh Town, built by Corte^ prefently upon the Con- 

 queft of Mexico, for the fecuring of the Confines, as the Name importcth. 



7. Vera Crux, a Town built by Corte^ and his Companions, at their firft Land- 

 ing , and where afterwards, by a Stratagem, and out of a refolution either to Con- 

 quer or Die in the Countrey , he caus'd all his Ships to be burnt, that his Soldi- 

 ers might not fo much as think of returning back from whence they came. The 

 Town was at firft built five or fix Leagues up within Land * but the place being 

 found not to be fo healthful, the Inhabitants in a fhort time deierted it, and feated 

 themfelves upon a Bay of the Sea, right over againft St. John X>' UUua. 



8. Medellin, another Spanijh Town, built likewife by Corte^ in memory of his 

 own Birth-place, which was Medellin y a fmall Town of EJlramadura, a Province of 

 Spain, but was afterwards deftroy'd by fome Spanijh Commanders, out of malice to 

 Corte%. 



Laftly, St. John D' UUua, a noted, and the moft ufual Port to all this Province, 

 and likewife to the City of Mexico it felf, from the North Sea : but of difficult en- 

 trance, efpecially to fuch as are not well acquainted with the PaiTage , or want 

 Guides, by reafon of certain Rocks and Quickfands, wherewith the Mouth of the 

 Haven is faid to be bar'd. but within, the ftation is more fafe. It hath likewife two 

 ftrong Bulwarks or Forts rais'd , on either fide of the Entrance one, to defend the 

 PaflagCj befides a ftrong Caftle, built fince Captain John Hawkins furpris'd twelve 

 Ships richly Laden within the Haven, and thirteen others that arriv'd with a new 

 Vice-Roy from Spain, valu'd at near fixty Tun of Gold , of which he might eafily 

 have made Prize, had he not trufted to the Vice-Roys Promife, to give him all fa- 

 tisfaftion he ftiould require, by which being deceiv'd , he loft all his Fleet but two 

 Ships. 



Between Tlafcala and Los Jngelos are the Fountains, out of which the River hath 

 its Original, which gliding by Machaocan and Zacatula, falls into the South Sea : 

 This River is fo exceeding full of Crocodiles , that they have made feveral places 

 which formerly were Inhabited on its Banks, utterly defolate ; for the Females lay- 

 ing generally Eggs as big as thofe of a Gooft, increafe prodigioufly 5 and were it 

 not that the Indian Mice, call'd Ichneumones, deftroy'd them, they would grow ftill 

 to greater numbers : But this Animal creeping in at the Crocodiles Mouth, eats 

 his way out of the Belly again • Water-Serpents, Hawks, <Bujfeloes 3 and efpecially 

 Tygers, are alfo their mortal Enemies , for they throwing the Crocodiles. on their 

 Backs, rend open their Bellies : They are more defirous of Mansflefli here than in 

 any other place,, becaufe the River of Tlafcala hath but fmall ftore of Fifh ; in the 

 day time they lie cover'd in the Mud, from whence they rufh forth, and fet upon 

 thofe that happen to pafs by them • they purfue the Canoos in the Water, and ftrikc 

 down the Rowers with their Tails. 



Eight Leagues beyond Tlafcalp, appears the Mountain Topatepeck, which for ten 

 years ceas'd fmoaking, till^zwo 1540. it broke forth in fuch a manner , that the 

 Countrey all about was terrifi'd therewith • for it vomited not onely a black 

 Smoak, but alfo horrible Flames, which fometimes being blow'd downward, 

 burnt the Corn in the Fields, and the Afbes thereof flying as far as Guaxocingo and 

 Qhulula, burnt a great deal of the Town to the Ground 5 every one endeavored by 

 flight to fecure themfelves, with intention never to return thither again j but the 



Flame 



Great in* 



creafc ©f 

 Ct«cediles. 



Burning 

 Mountain Fo- 

 fMlfttk. 



