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relative to the condu6t of the fon of Chichimecatecle on the former oc- 

 cafion: this being obferved by the others, flackened their ardour, and 

 the lofs of one of their greatefl chiefs killed, at length caufed them to 

 draw off their forces and retire, purfued by our cavalry, though but for 

 a very little diftance, owing to their excefTive fatigue. Thus being 

 again mafters of the field, we returned our thanks to God for his mercy. 

 One of our foldiers was killed, above feventy and all the horfes were 

 wounded. I received two wounds, one by a ftone, the other by an 

 arrow j but they were not fuch as to prevent my doing duty ; indeed if 

 wounds had exempted \is, few would have been fit for it. 



We now returned to our former poft, having buried our dead m 

 . one of the fubterraneous dwellings already mentioned, filling and level- 

 ling it, that our lofs fhould not be perceived by the enemy. How 

 wretched and comfortlefs was our fituation after our hardfliips and 

 dangers ! We could not procure even oil and fait ; and the cutting winds 

 of the Sierra Nevada, made us ftiiver again. 



Cortes now fent three of his prifoners, together with thofe who 

 liad carried the former meflage, to repeat his demand of a free paffage 

 to Mexico, with threats of deftrud:ion in cafe it was refufed. When 

 our mcflengers arrived at Tlafcala, they found the chiefs of that nation 

 much difgufted with their misfortunes and loffes ; ftill they heard our 

 propofals with a very unwilling ear, and fent for their priefls, and cer- 

 tain wizards who divine and foretell by cafting lots, in order to learn 

 from them, if we were vincible, and which were the mofl likely means 

 of fucceeding againft us ; alfo, if we were fupernatural beings, and what 

 our food confifled of. It feems their wizards informed them, that we 

 were human beings, and fubfifted as fuch, not eating the hearts of thofe 

 we killed, as they had been told, and that though invincible by day, 

 we were to be conquered by night, for that all our force was derived 

 from the prefence of the fun. This being believed, orders were imme- 

 diately fent to their General Xicotenga to make an attack upon us during 

 the night. Accordingly, he marched againil us with a force of ten 



O 2, thoufand 



