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forcement of numbers he had obtained, continued a haughty demeanour. 

 He in this manner now addreffed the noblemen fent to him by Mon- 

 tezuma, bidding them tell their mafter, immediately to caufe markets 

 to be held and provifions fupplied, and to beware of the confequences 

 of neglecfl. Thefe lords very well und^rftood the purport of the inju- 

 rious exprelTions which he had ufed, and on their return informed the 

 King of what had pafled. Whether it was from rage at the ftory told 

 by them, or the confequence of a preconcerted plan to fall upon us, with- 

 in a quarter of an hour after, a foldier entered our quarters, wounded 

 dangeroufly, and in great hurry, and told us that the whole people were 

 in arms. This man had been fent by Cortes to bring to our quarters 

 fome Indian ladies, and amongft them the daughter of Montezuma, 

 whom Cortes, -when he marched againft Narvaez, had left in the care 

 of their relation the Prince of Tacuba. He was on his return with them 

 when he was attacked by the people who were affembled in great num- 

 bers, had broken a bridge upon the caufeway of Tacuba, and had once 

 had him in their hands and were hurrying him into a canoe to carry 

 him off for facrifice, but that he extricated himfelf from them, with two 

 dangerous wounds. 



Cortes immediately on receiving the intelligence ordered out a par- 

 ty of four hundred men, under the command of Captain de Ordaz, to 

 go and fee what foundation there was for the account given by the fol- 

 dier, and to endeavor if poffible to pacify the minds of the people. De 

 Ordaz had hardly proceeded the length of half a ftreet, when he was 

 attacked by immenfe numbers of Mexicans in the ftreets, and on the 

 terraces of the houfes, who by their firft difcharge killed eight foldiers 

 on the fpot, wounded moft of the reft, and De Ordaz himfelf in three 

 places. Finding it therefore impoffible to proceed, he retreated flowly to 

 our quarters, in doing which he loft another good foldier named Lez- 

 cano, who with a two handed fword had performed many feats of great 

 force and valour. Our quarters had been attacked by multitudes at the 

 fame moment; they poured in fuch difcharges of miffile weapons upon 

 us there that they immediately wounded upwards of forty fix, twelve of 



whom 



