C0RTEZ AT TEZCOCO HIS PLANS AND ACTS. 



57 



His Spanish force consisted of nigh six hundred men, forty 

 of whom were cavalry, together with eighty arquebusiers and 

 crossbowmen. Nine cannon of small calibre, supplied with indif- 

 ferent powder, constituted his train of artillery. His army of 

 Indian allies is estimated at the doubtless exaggerated number of 

 over one hundred thousand, armed with the maquahuatil y pikes, 

 bows, arrows, and divided into battalions, each with its own 

 banners, insignia and commanders. His appeal to all the members 

 of this motley array was couched in language likely to touch the 

 passions, the bigotry, the enthusiasm and avarice of various 

 classes ; and, after once more crossing the mountains, and reach- 

 ing the margin of the lakes, he encamped on the 31st of December, 

 1520, within the venerable precincts of Tezcoco, "the place of 

 rest." 



At Tezcoco, Cortez was firmly planted on the eastern edge of 

 the valley of Mexico, in full sight of the capital which lay across 

 the lake, near its western shore, at the distance of about twelve 

 miles. Behind him, towards the sea-coast, he commanded the 

 country, as we have already related, while, by passes through 

 lower spurs of the mountains, he might easily communicate with 

 the valleys of which the Tlascalans and Cholulans were masters. 



Fortifying himself strongly in his dwelling and in the quarters 

 of his men, in Tezcoco, he at once applied himself to the task 

 of securing such military positions in the valley and in the neigh- 

 borhood of the great causeway between the lakes as would com- 

 mand an outlet from the capital by land, and enable him to 

 advance across the waters of Tezcoco without the annoyance of 

 enemies who might sally forth from strongholds on his left flank. 

 On his right, the chain of lakes, extending farther than the eye 

 can reach, furnished the best protection he could desire. Accord- 

 ingly, he first of all reduced and destroyed the ancient city of 

 Iztapalapan, — a place of fifty thousand inhabitants, distant about 

 six leagues from the town of Tezcoco, — which was built on the 

 narrow isthmus dividing the lake of that name from the waters of 

 Chalco. He next directed his forces against the city of Chalco, 

 lying on the eastern extremity of the lake that bore its name, 

 where his army was received in triumph by the peaceful citizens 

 after the evacuation of the Mexican garrison. Such were the 

 chief of his military and precautionary expeditions, until the 

 arrival of the materials for the boats or brigantines which Martin 

 Lopez, and his four Spanish assistant carpenters, bad already 

 8 



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