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were all dead, to the number of one hundred and fifty and more. Al- 

 varado alfo told them that after the horfes had been killed, about eighty 

 aflembled in a body and paffed the firft aperture, upon the dead bodies 

 and heaps of luggage ; I do not perfectly recolle(ft if he faid that he paf- 

 fed upon the dead bodies, for we were more attentive to what he related 

 to Cortes of the deaths of J. Velafquez and above two hundred more 

 companions, thofe of Narvaez included, who were with him, and who 

 were killed at that canal. He alfo faid that at the other bridge God's 

 mercy faved them, and that the whole of the caufeway was full of the 

 enemy. 



As to that fatal bridge which is called the leap of Alvarado, I fay 

 that no foldier thought of looking whether he leaped, much or little, 

 for we had enough to do to fave our own lives. It muft however have 

 been as he ftated when he met Cortes, that he paffed it upon the dead 

 bodies and baggage, for if he had attempted to fuftain himfelf upon his 

 lance, the water would have been too deep for him to have reached the 

 bottom of it j and the aperture was too wide, and the fides too high for 

 him to have leaped, let him have been ever fo adtive. For my part 

 I aver that he could not have leaped it in any manner, for in about a year 

 after, when we invefted Mexico, I was engaged with the enemy on 

 that which is now called the bridge of the leap of Alvarado, for they 

 had there made breaftworks and barricades j and we many times conver- 

 fed upon the fubjed: at the fpot, and all of us agreed that it could not 

 have happened. But as feme will infift upon the reality of it I repeat it 

 again, it could not have been done, and let thofe who wifli to afcertain 

 it view the place; the bridge is there, and the depth of the water will 

 prove no lance could reach to the bottom. There was in Mexico after- 

 wards one Ocampo, a foldier who came with Garay, a prating fellow 

 and very fcurrilous, amufing himfelf with making defamatory libels. 

 Many of thofe he made upon our captains, too bad to be repeated. He 

 faid of Alvarado, that he left his companion Velafquez and two hundred 

 more, and that fear made him give that great fpring, for that as the fay- 

 ing goes, he leaped for his life. 



As 



