HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



39 



as much as poffible. Cortes difembarked there, and, 

 with one hundred and fifty men, furmounting the fteep- 

 nefs and difficulty of the afcent and the refiftance of the 

 enemy, took the mount and killed all the Mexicans who 

 defended it. But they had hardly taken poffeffion of 

 it, when they perceived a fleet of boats coming againft 

 them, which had been fummoned there by a fignal of 

 fmoke, that on the firft appearance of the brigantines, 

 was made from that little mountain and from fome tem- 

 ples in that neighbourhood. The Spaniards immediately 

 re-embarked and flood without moving upon their de- 

 fence, until at length being favoured with a frefh breeze 

 which fprung up fuddenly, and increafing the velocity 

 of the brigantines, with the impulfe of the oars, they 

 rufhed violently upon the boats, breaking fome of them 

 to pieces and overfetting others. Some of the enemy 

 were killed by balls, and many were drowned ; all the 

 others fled, and were purfued for eight miles by the 

 brigantines, as far as the capital. 



The commander Olid, as foon as he difcovered from 

 a temple of Cojohuacan the engagement of the brigan- 

 tines, marched with his troops in order of battle along 

 the road which led to Mexico, took fome ditches and 

 trenches, and killed a number of the enemy. Cortes, 

 on his part, colle&ed that night all his brigantines, and 

 went with them to attack the baflion, which, as we have 

 already mentioned, was ere&ed in that angle which was 

 formed by the junction of the road of Cojohuacan with 

 the road of Iztapalapan. He made the attack by land 

 as well as water, and in fpite of the bravery with which 

 it was defended by the Mexican garrifon ported there, 

 he took it, and made a horrid flaughter, with two large 

 pieces of cannon, of the multitude which covered the 



lake 



