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Our faithful allies of Ceiripoal being apprehenfive of the vengeance of 

 the Mexicans, now petitioned for leave to. return to their homes. 

 Cortes difmifled them with handfome prefents, and having written to 

 Juan de Efcalante, informing him of his determination, we fet forward 

 cm our march. 



We quitted Cholula in great regularity, fending out our cavalry 

 patrolcs to reconnoitre, fupported by light infantry, our arms in order, 

 and the cavalry by threes in front. Marching on thus, ** With the 

 *' beard always upon the fhoulder," we arrived at a little place called 

 the hamlet of Ifcalpan, in a mountainous ridge in the diftri(5t of Guaxo- 

 cingo, four leagues diftant from Cholula, where we were met by the 

 chiefs, accompanied by others who inhabit the fldrts of the volcano. 

 They brought prefents of provifions and gold, of trifling value, telling 

 Cortes he ftiould receive it, not confidering how much it was worth, 

 but the inclination of thofe who gave it. They advifed us againft 

 going to Mexico, as being a very ftrong city and the inhabitants war- 

 hkc, and they alfo told us, that on afcending the next mountain, we 

 fhould find two roads, very broad, one whereof went to a place called 

 Chalco, the other to Talmanako, both, places fubjecft to the Mexicans. 

 That the one road was vtry open and convenient, the other difficult, 

 being obflrudted by large pine tuees felled acrofs it, and that the firfl: 

 mentioned road, had an ambufcadc of Mexicans laid hard by it, among 

 fome rocks, in order to fall upon us as we pafTed; they therefore recom- 

 mended us to go by that where the trees had been felled, offering to 

 fend a number of their people to dear it. Cortes expreffed his gratitude 

 for their advice, faying that by God'S permiflion he would purfue his 

 route, accordingly. 



Early on the morning of the next day we fet forward on our march, 

 and reached the fummit of the ridge about twelve o'clock, where we 

 found the roads as they had been defcribed to us, fome of the felled 

 trees being to be feen at this day. Here we halted a little in order to 

 confider how we Ihould proceed, and Cortes calling upon the ambaffa-. 



dors 



