( 47 ) 



. Being thus mafters of the field, after taking breath Cortes related 

 to us how he had been retarded in his marcli by bad ground, and the 

 attacks of fome bodies of the enemy who had wounded live of his men 

 and eight horfes. The cavalry then difmounted, and under a grove of 

 trees on the field of battle, we gave thanks to God and our Lady his 

 bleffed mother with uplifted hands, for the victory which they had 

 given to us ; in confequence whereof, and on account of the day on 

 which the battle was fought, a town was afterwards founded on that 

 fpot named Santa Maria de La Vitoria. We next proceeded to take care 

 of our wounds^ which v/e bound up, and thofc of the horfes we dreffed 

 with the fat of the Indians whom we found dead thereabout. We then 

 walked over the field to examine the lofs of the enemy, which we found 

 to amount to upwards of eight hundred, dead or dying of their wounds 

 by cannon (hots, and thofe of our fmall arms or fwords ; alfo where 

 the cavalry had charged we found them to lie very thick. For the firft 

 hour of this battle we could not force the enemy to yield us an inch of 

 ground, nor did they until they faw the cavalry coming on them. 



We made five Indians prifoners, two of whom appeared to be 

 chiefs ; the day was growing late, and we were fatigued ; we therefore 

 retreated to our quarters, firft burying two of our foldiers, who were 

 killed, one by a wound in the ear, and the other by one in the throat, 

 and then, after drefiing our wounds with the fat of Indians, and having 

 placed good guards round our poft, we eat our fuppers, and went to 

 our repofe. 



In his account of this adlion Gomara fays, that previous to the ar- 

 rival of the main body of the cavalry under Cortes, Francifco de Moria 

 appeared in the field upon a grey dappled horfe, and that it was one of 

 the holy apoftles, St. Peter or St. Jago, difguifed under his perfon. I 

 fay, that all our works and vidtories are guided by the hand of our Lord 

 Jefus Chrift, and that in this battle, there were fo many enemies to 

 every one of us, that they could have buried us under the duft they 

 could have held in their hands, but that the great mercy of God aided 



us 



