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priefts were about iis^ and attacking us, drove us down fix and even 

 ten of the fteps, while others who were in the corridores,, or within fide 

 the railings and concavities of the great temple, fhot fuch clouds of ar- 

 rows at us that we could not maintain our ground, when thus attacked 

 from every part. We therefore began our retreat, every man of us be- 

 ing wounded, and forty fix left dead upon the fpot. We were purfued 

 with a violence and defperation which is not in my power to defcribe, 

 nor in that of any one to form an idea of who did not fee it. During 

 all this time alfo other bodies of the Mexicans had been continually attack- 

 ing our quarters, and endeavoring to fet fire to thern. In this battle, we 

 made prifoners two of the principal priefts. I have often feen this en- 

 gagement reprefented in the paintings of the natives, both of Mexico 

 and Tlafcala, and our afcent into the great temple. In thefe our party 

 is reprefented with many dead, and all wounded. The fetting fire to the 

 temple when fo many warriors were defending it in the corridores, rail- 

 ings, and concavities, and other bodies of them on the plain ground, and 

 filling the courts, and on the fides, and our turrets demolillied, is con- 

 fidcred by them as a mofl heroic a<ftion. 



With great difficulty we reached our quarters, which we found 

 the enemy almoft in pofieffion of, as they had beaten down a part of 

 the walls ; but they defifl:cd in a great meafure from their attacks on our 

 arrival, ftill throwing in upon us however fhowers of arrows, darts, and 

 ftones. The night was employed by us in repairing the breaches, in 

 drefiing our wounds, burying our dead, and confulting upon our future 

 meafures. No gleam of hope could be now rationally formed by us, 

 and we were utterly funk in defpair. Thofe who had come with Nar- 

 vaez fhowered maledictions upon Cortes, nor did they forget Velafquez 

 by whom they had been induced to quit their comfortable and peaceable 

 habitations in the ifland of Cuba. It was determined to try if we could 

 not procure from the enemy a cefTation of hoftilities, on condition of our 

 quitting the city ; but at day break they affembled round our quarters 

 and attacked them with greater fury than ever, nor could our fire arms 

 repel them, although they did confiderable execution. 



Cortes 



