HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



45 



and, amongft others, Cortes himfelf, who boafts of the 

 feafonablenefs and importance of his aid. That prince 

 remained with thirty thoufand men in the camp of Cor- 

 tes, and the other twenty thoufand were diftributed in 

 the camps of Sandoval and Alvarado. This fupply of 

 the king of Tezcuco was quickly followed by the confe- 

 deracy of the Xochimilcas and the Otomies, the moun- 

 taineers, with the Spaniards, which new troops added 

 twenty thoufand men to the army of Cortes. 



There was nothing wanting to this general for th« 

 completion of the liege, but the prevention of the fup- 

 plies which were introduced by water into the city. Re- 

 taining feven of the brigantines, he therefore fent the 

 other fix towards that part of the lake which was be- 

 tween Tlacopan and Tepejacac, that there they might 

 be ready to alTift the camps of Sandoval and Alvarado, 

 when thofe commanders fliould require it; but while 

 not employed by them, they were to cruize two by 

 two, and endeavour to intercept all the veffels which 

 were tranfporting either men or provifions to the city. 



Cortes, finding he had now a fufEcient number of al- 

 lied troops, determined, in the courfe of three days, to 

 make an entry into the city. He gave the neceffary 

 orders for this purpofe, and on the day appointed he 

 marched with the greater part of his cavalry, with three 

 hundred infantry, feven brigantines, and innumerable 

 multitudes of allies. They found the ditches open, the 

 intrenchments thrown up, and the enemy well prepared 

 to refift them ; but notwithstanding this, they took all 

 the ditches and entrenchments, which were formed be- 

 tween them and the principal fquare of Tenochtitlan. 

 Here the army made a halt, Cortes not permitting them 

 to proceed forward, without leaving all the difficult paffes 



which 



