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great faloon, which being done, he defired the officers of his Majefty, 

 A. de Avila and Gonzalo Mexia, to take his Majefty's due, in their 

 charge, afligning to them for the conveyance of it eight lame or wound- 

 ed horfes, and upwards of eighty Tlafcalans. Upon thefe were loaded 

 as much as they could carry of the gold which had been run into large 

 'bars, and much more remained heaped up in the faloon. Cortes then 

 called to his fecretary Hernandez and other royal notaries and faid. 

 Bear witnefs that I can be no longer refponfible for this gold; here is 

 ** to the value of above fix hundred thoufand crowns, I can fecure no 

 ** more than what is already packed ; let every foldier take what he will, 

 /■•' better fo than that itlhould remain for thofe dogs of Mexicans." As 

 foon as he had faid this, many foldier s of thofe of Narvaez, and alfo 

 fome of ours fell to work, and loaded themfelves with trcafure. I never 

 was avaricious, and now thought more of faving my life which was in 

 much danger ; however when the opportunity thus offered, I did not 

 •omit feizing out of a cafket, four calchihuis, thofe precious ftones fo 

 -highly eftecmed amongft the Indians ; and although Cortes ordered the 

 xaflcet and its contents to be taken care of by his major domo, I lucki- 

 ly fecured thefe jewels in time, and afterwards found them of infinite 

 .advantage as a refource againil famine. 



A little before midnight the detachment which took charge of the 

 portable bridge fet out upon its march, and arriving at the firfl canal or 

 .aperture of water, it was thrown acrofs. The night was dark and mif- 

 rtjt and it began to rain. The bridge being fixed, the baggage, artillery, 

 and fome of the cavalry paffed over it, as alfo the Tlafcalans with the 

 gold. Sandoval and thofe with him paffed, alfo Cortes and his party 

 after the firft, and many other foldiers. At this moment the trumpets 

 and fhouts of the enemy were heard, and the alarm was given by them, 

 xryi-ng out, " Taltelulco, Taltelulco, out with your canoes ! the Teules 

 *' are going, attack them at the bridges." In an inflant the enemy 

 were upon us by land, and the lake and canals were covered with canoes- 

 They immediately flew to the bridges, and fell on us there, fo that they 

 intirely intercepted our line of march. As misfortunes do not come 



F f 2 fingJe, 



