( ) 



this enquired who was the regular fucceflbr, and being informed that 

 it was the brother of the late head cacique, he appointed him to the 

 chieftainry. As foon as the inhabitants had returned, and order was 

 reftored, he fummoned together all the priefts and chiefs, in order to 

 exhort them upon the fubjedt of religion, adviling them to renounce 

 their odious practices, and as an inflance of the inefficacy of their idols, 

 he reminded them of the manner in which they had been lately deceived 

 by their falJfe promifes. He therefore propofed that they fliould be 

 pulled down and broken to pieces, and an altar and crofs erecfted in 

 their place. The latter was immediately done, but as to the proftration 

 of the idols, by the advice of the reverend father it was poftponed for a 

 time, from motives of prudence, and a juft conlideration of the uncer- 

 tainty of our fituation. 



The city of Cholula much refembled Valladolid, being in a fertile 

 plain, very thickly inhabited; it is furrounded by fields of maize, pep- 

 per, and maguey. They had an excellent manufad:ure of earthenware, 

 of three colours, red, black, and white, painted in different patterns, 

 with which Mexico and all the neighbouring countries were fupplied, 

 as Caftille is by thofe of Talavera and Plafencia. The city had at that 

 time above a hundred lofty white towers, which were the temples of 

 their idols, one of which was held in peculiar veneration. The prin- 

 cipal temple was higher than that of Mexico, and each of thefe buildings 

 was placed in a fpacious court. 



The Mexican troops which had been pofted in ambufcade, with 

 ramparts and trenches to oppofe to the cavalry, hearing what had hap- 

 pened to their affociates, made a rapid retreat to their city, and carried 

 the news to their monarch ; but he had already heard his misfortune 

 from two of his ambaffadors who had been with us. It is faid that he 

 immediately ordered a facrifice to his gods, and fhut himfelf up at his 

 devotions for two entire days, with ten of his chief priefls, in order to 

 obtain an anfwer from them, relative to his future dcfliny. The reply 

 which they gave was to this effed ; that he fhould fend an embafly to 



exculpate 



