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to rob and murder them. They admitted that a Mexican garrifon had 

 been in their town, but it had retired on the arreft of the officers of 

 Montezuma. They therefore prayed that we would grant them our 

 favor- 

 As foon as this was explained to Cortes, he gave orders to his 

 troops not to fufier any of the allies to advance. This order was 

 fpeedily communicated, but they were already plundering the people in 

 the fuburbs, at which Cortes was greatly enraged, and ordering the 

 captains into his prefence, he commanded them to return what had been 

 taken, adding, that they deferved the punifliment of death for their 

 mifreprefentations, when their real and evident intention was, to rob 

 and facrifice their neighbours : an injuftiee which we were bound to 

 prevent or redrefs. The chiefs of Cempoal, duly imprefled by thefe 

 menaces, inftantly furrendered their prifoners and plunder. Cortes 

 then, with an enraged countenance commanded them to quit the place 

 for the night, which they accordingly did. This conduct won the 

 hearts of the people of the dillridi, and both chiefs and priefts liftened 

 attentively to, and were convinced by, the truths which Cortes told 

 them relative to our holy faith, and his exhortation to quit their abo- 

 minable worfhip and cuftoms, infomuch that, calling in the people of 

 the neighbouring diftridts, the whole engaged under allegiance to his 

 Majeftyj after having done which, they made heavy complaints of the 

 tyranny of Montezuma. 



On the enfuing morning, Cortes called for the chiefs of Cempoal, 

 -and effedled a permanent reconciliation between them and his people. 

 We then departed by a different route, and being much fatigued, we 

 halted in a town which was in the diflrid: of the place we had left. It 

 happened here that a certain foldier named De Mora, took two fowls 

 from the houfe of one of the inhabitants, and Cortes on hearing of it 

 was fo incenfed at fiich an outrage being committed in a peaceable 

 country, that he immediately hung him up, but Captain de Alvarado 

 drawing his fword, cut the rope juft in time to fave the poor man's 



lifej 



