64 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



bravery. He took on this occafion all the ditches in the 

 road of Tlacopan, and leaving four hundred archers as 

 a guard to the mod dangerous pafs, that they might fe- 

 cure his retreat, entered with the main body of his troops 

 into the city, where he had a terrible encounter with 

 the Mexicans, in which many were killed and wounded 

 on both fides. The Mexicans flattered themfelves they 

 would have been able to have defeated them in their re- 

 treat, as they paffed the ditch ; but by the arms of the 

 archers pofted there on the oppofite bank, he paffed it 

 fafely with his Tlafcalans, and returned full of glory to 

 the camp. 



In order to revenge this audacious attempt of the 

 Tlafcalans, the Mexicans one night attacked the camp 

 of Alvarado ; but having been heard in their approach 

 by the centinels, the Spaniards and allies ran to arms. 

 The engagement laded three hours, during which time 

 Cortes having heard from his camp the cannonade, and 

 fuipecting the caufe of it, it appeared to him to be a pro- 

 per time to make an entry into the city with his people, 

 who were now cured of their wounds. The Mexicans, 

 who had gone to Tlacopan, not being able to overcome 

 the refidance made by the Spaniards, returned to the 

 city, where they found Cortes with his army : they 

 fought with fpirit, but without any confiderable advan- 

 tage being gained by either party. 



At this fame time, when there was the greateft necef- 

 fity of arms and ammunition, a veflel arrived at Vera 

 Cruz, and which brought new fupplies to the Spaniards, 

 by which they were put in a date fit to continue their 

 operations. The prince D. C. Ixtlilxochitl had advifed 

 the Spanifli general not to exhaud himfelf in new af- 

 faults, in which his army might fuffer too much ; that 



without 



