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that time to find the enemy lefs alert. In order to put them the more 

 off their guard, we fent a meflage by a chief prieft, informing them, 

 that if we were permitted to quit the city unmolefted within the fpace 

 of eight days, we would furrender all the gold which was in our pof- 

 feffion. 



There was with us a foldier named Botello, of refpedable demean- 

 our, who fpoke latin, had been at Rome, and was faid to be a necro- 

 mancer; fome faid he had a familiar, and others called him an aftrolo- 

 ger. This Botello had difcovered by his figures and aftrologies, and had 

 predidtcd four days before, that if we did not quit Mexico on this night, 

 not one of us fhonld ever go out of it alive. He had alfo foretold that 

 Cortes fhould undergo great revolutions of fortune, be deprived of his 

 property, and honours, and afterwards rife to a greater ftate than ever; 

 with many other things of this kind. 



Orders were now given to make a portable bridge of very 'ftrong 

 timber, to be thrown over the canals where the enemy had broken down 

 the bridges, and for conveying, guarding, and placing this, were af- 

 figned, one hundred and fifty of our foldiers and four hundred of the 

 allies. The advanced guard was compofed of Sandoval, Azevido el Pu- 

 lido, F. de Lugo, D. de Ordas, A. de Tapia, and eight more captains 

 of thofc who came with Narvacz, having under them one hundred 

 picked foldiers, of the youngeft and moft adlive. The rear guard was 

 compofed of one hundred foldiers, moftly thofe of Narvaez, and many 

 cavalry, under the command of Alvarado and Velafquez de Leon. The 

 prifoners, with Donna Marina and Donna Luifa, were put under the 

 care of thirty foldiers and three hundred Tlafcalans; and Cortes, with 

 A. de Avila, C. de Oli, Bernardino Vafquez de Tapia and other offi- 

 cers, with fifty foldiers, compofed a referve, to adt wherever occafion 

 fhould require. 



By the time that all this was arranged night drew on. Cortes then 

 ordered all the gold which was in his apartment to be brought to the 



great 



