HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



67 



rounded with intrenchments. The Spaniards that day 

 remained matters of three of the four quarters of the 

 capital, the befieged being now reduced to the part of 

 Tlatelolco, which, on account of there being more water 

 in it, was more flrong and fecure. 



From a Mexican woman of rank, taken in the laft af- 

 fault, the Spanifli general learned the miferable Mate of 

 the city, through the fcarcity of provisions and the dif- 

 cord prevailing among the befieged : for the king, and 

 his relations, and many of the nobles, were determined 

 to die rather than furrender ; while the people were 

 difcouraged and weary of the fiege. Her account was 

 confirmed by two deferters of inferior rank, who were 

 impelled by hunger to come to the camp of Cortes. 



Upon gaining this intelligence, Cortes refolved not to 

 let a day pafs without entering the city, until he took or 

 ruined it ; he therefore returned with his army on the 

 twenty-fifth, and got poffeffion of a large road, in which 

 there was fo great a ditch that the whole day was not 

 time fufEcient to flop or fill it up. They demolifhed or 

 burned all the houfes of that quarter, in fpite of the re- 

 finance of the enemy. The Mexicans, on beholding the 

 allies bulled in razing the houfes, cried out to them, 

 " Demolifii, ye traitors ! lay thofe houfes in ruin, for 

 " afterwards you will have the labour of repairing 

 cc them." " We," anfwered the allies, " will unquef- 

 " tionably rebuild them, if you fliould be conquerors ; 

 " but if you fhould be conquered, yourfelves mull re- 

 " build them, and your enemies inhabit them." The 

 Mexicans being unable to repair the buildings, made lit- 

 tle fortifications of wood on the roads to annoy the be- 

 fiegers from them as they had done from the terraces ; 

 and to impede the motions of the Cavalry, they ftrewed 



the 



