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fuing our march, quitted the hills for a flat country thickly fet witli 

 farm houfes, in fields of maize and the maguey plant. We halted for 

 the night near a brook, and drelTed our wounds with the greafc we 

 took out of a fat Indian who was left on the field ; and although the 

 people had removed all their effecfls and provifions, their dogs, which 

 we caught when they returned to their habitations at night, afforded 

 us a very good fupper. 



On the enfuing day, after having recommended ourfelves to our 

 God, we marched out to meet the enemy. Both cavalry and infantry 

 had been duly prepared with inflrudions how to ad in the attack, the 

 former to charge, and then clear themfelves of the enemy, the latter not 

 to fuffer their ranks to be broken. Proceeding on our march, wc 

 fhortly met two bodies of Tlafcalan warriors amounting to about fix 

 thoufand in number, who attacked us valiantly with their miffilc 

 weapons, fhouting, and founding their inflruments. Cortes ordered a 

 halt, and fent to them three Indians whom we had made prifoners on 

 the preceding day, diredling them to require of their countrymen a 

 peaceable and amicable intercourfe with us, who wifhed to confider 

 them as brothers, and this notice and invitation he defired Diego de 

 Godoy a royal notary to witnefs officially. As foon as our meflfage was 

 delivered, they attacked us more violently than before, infomuch that it 

 was impoffible to endure it any longer, and Cortes therefore cried Out, 

 *' St. Jago, and at them." We accordingly attacked, and made a con- 

 fiderable flaughter of them by the firfl difcharges of our artillery, killing* 

 amongft others, three of their chiefs. 



They now retreated towards fome broken ground, where the whole 

 army of Xicotenga the general in chief, amounting to upwards of forty 

 thoufand men, was pofted under cover. In this ground the cavalry 

 could not ad:, and we were forced to pafs it as well as we could in a 

 compa<5t column, much annoyed by the enemy, who flarted up, and 

 taking the due diftance, availed themfelves of the expertnefs of their 

 archers. Thefe troops were all clad, and bore devices of white and red, 



which 



