( 2>3 ) 



utterly in vain to attempt; they all ftood in the water, and only com- 

 municating by draw bridges, it was too dangerous to attempt to reach 

 them by fwimming, for they fhowered ftones from their flings, and 

 malTes of cut ftone taken from the buildings, upon our heads, from the 

 terraces of the houfes. Whenever we attempted to fet fire to a houfe, 

 it was an entire day before it took effed:, and when it did, the flames 

 could not fpread to others, as they were feparated from it by the water, 

 and alfo becaufe the roofs of them were terraced. 



We at length arrived at the great temple, and immediately and in- 

 ftantly, above four thoufand Mexicans ruflied up into it, without in- 

 cluding in that number other bodies who occupied it before, and defend- 

 ed it againfl: us with lances, fl:oncs, and darts. They thus prevented 

 our afcending for fome time, neither turrets, nor mufquetry, nor cavalry 

 availing, for although the latter body feveral times attempted to charge, 

 the fl:one pavement of the courts of the temple was fo fmooth, that the 

 horfes could not keep their feet, and fell. From the fleps of the great 

 temple they oppofed us in front, and we were attacked by fuch num- 

 bers on both fides, that although our guns fwept oflp ten or fifteen of 

 them at each difcharge, and that in each attack of our infantry we kil- 

 led many with our fwords, their numbers were fuch that we could not 

 make any eftedtual impreflion, or afcend the fl:eps. We were then for- 

 ced to abandon our turrets, which the enemy had deftroyed, and with 

 great concert, making an eflTort without them, we forced our way up. 

 Here Cortes fliewed himfelf the man that he really was. What a defpe- 

 rate engagement we then had ! every man of us was covered with blood, 

 and above forty dead upon the fpot. It was Gods will that we fliould 

 at length reach the place where we had put up the image of our Lady, 

 but when we came there it was not to be found, and it feems that Mon- 

 tezuma, adtuated either by fear or by devotion, had caufed it to be re- 

 moved. We fet fire to the building, and burned a part of the temple of 

 the gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatepuco. Here our Tlafcalan allies 

 ferved us eflentially. While thus engaged, fome fetting the temple on 

 fire, others fighting, above three thoufand noble Mexicans with their 



prieflis. 



