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he has written eighty thoufiind we (hould read one thoufand. All this 

 he has done in order to make his narrative the more agrcablc. In my 

 hiflory I tell the truth, word for word as it happened, without looking 

 to ornaments of rhetoric; for I confider myleif obiiged to adhere to mat- 

 ter of fadt, and do not deal in flatteries. 



We now fet out on our march, to puniih the dillnCls of Cachukj, 

 Tepeaca, and Tecamachalco, without artillery or lire arms ot any kind, 

 for all had been left in the ditches of Mexico. Our force confilled of 

 fixteen cavalry and four hundred and twenty infantry, moilly armed 

 with fword and target, with about four thoufand Tiafcalans. We halt- 

 ed at night, at the diftance of three leagues from Tepeaca; but the peo- 

 ple of the place had deferted their houfes on our approach. We made 

 fome prifoncrs on our way, by whom Cortes lent to the chiefs, to in- 

 form them, that we came for the purpoie of obtaining juftice for the 

 murder of eighteen Spaniards, who had been without any caufe put to 

 death in crofling their territories; and alfo to know the reaibn of their 

 entertaining Mexican troops, and to warn them, that if they did not 

 immediately treat with us for peace, we would make war againft them 

 with fire and fword. However terrible our language was, that of their 

 anfwer conveyed by our mellengers and two Mexicans, was much more 

 fo ; for the Mexicans were elevated by their fuccefles againfl us at the 

 bridges. Cortes treated them very kindly, and declared every wifh to 

 forget and forgive the paft, but all could not do ; they fent back for an- 

 fwer, that if we did not return immediately, they would put us all to 

 death and make a feaft upon our bodies. 



Upon this Cortes called a council of the officers, and it was then 

 determined, that a full ftatement of all which had pafTed fhould be of- 

 ficially drawn up by a royal notary, whereby all the Mexicans and allies 

 of the Mexicans who had killed Spanifh fubjedts, after having given 

 obedience to his Majefly, fhould be declared in a ftate of flavery. This 

 being duly drawn up and attefted, we once more fent to require them 

 to come m, giving them notice of the confequences of their contumacy, 



H h 2 but 



