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tliofe we feiit, that it was our determination, if their countrymen did 

 not immediately treat, to march againft and deflroy them and their 

 town. With this refolute meflage they went once more to TIafcala. 



Our meflengers having arrived at TIafcala, waited on the chiefs, 

 the principal of them bearing in one hand our letter, and in the other a 

 dart. It was the will of heaven that the Tlafcalans fhould be now in?- 

 clined to enter into terms of accommodation. The two chiefs named 

 Maxicatzin, and Xicotenga the elder, immediately fent to invite the 

 reft, and alfo the cacique of Guaxocingo their ally, and being all af- 

 fembled, they reprefented to them, that their attacks had been ineffectual 

 on us, and deftrudtive to them, and that we were in hoftility to their 

 •inveterate enemies the Mexicans, who had made war on them for up- 

 wards of a hundred years, by which they were now deprived of fait and 

 cotton. They therefore propofcd, that their nation fhould accept our 

 alliance, and that, in order to perpetuate it, the daughters of their HrH 

 families fhould be offered to us as wives. To thefc propofals they all 

 agreed, and fent notice thereof to their general. This chief was highly 

 offended at it, and infifted on making another night attack upon us. 

 The council of TIafcala being informed of this, fent orders to fuperfede 

 hira, but the captains and warriors refufed to obey, and in confequence 

 of his violent condu<St, four of their principal and moft venerable chiefs, 

 who were appointed to wait on, and invite us to their town, were in- 

 timidated, and prevented from executing their miffion. 



Having remained two days without doing any thing, we now pro- 

 pofcd to Cortes to march to a place called Zumpacingo, the chief town 

 of the diftri€t, the people of which had been fummoned, but had treated 

 aur meffage with negle<5l. Accordingly, early in the morning we fet 

 out, under the command of Cortes who was not yet quite recovered. 

 The morning was extremely cold, the wind affeding two of our horfes 

 fo much that we were afraid they would have died. Proceeding on our 

 march, we arrived at the town before daybreak. The inftant the na- 

 tives heard of our approach, they fled from their houfes, crying, that 



the 



