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but they returned an anfwer fimilar to their former one. Both fides 

 then prepared for battle, and on the next day we came to an adion with 

 them. This battle taking place in open fields of maiz, our cavalry 

 fpeedily put the enemy to flight, with confiderable lofs, though they 

 made a ftout refinance j but our allies fought gallantly, and purfued them 

 hotly, and we took many boys, for Haves. 



The Mexicans being thus defeated, the natives came in, to fue for 

 peace; we accordingly proceeded to thetown of Tepeaca, to receive their 

 fubmiffion, and on that fpot was founded our fettlement of Segura de la 

 Frontera, the fituation being eligible, as on the road to Villa Rica, and 

 in a fertile diftrid:. The municipal officers were immediately appoint- 

 ed, and the iron brand was made here, for the purpofe of marking thofe 

 natives who were taken for flaves ; they were marked with the letter G, 

 for *' Guerra," or war. We made excurfions through the diftrid, and 

 to the towns of Cachula, (where they had put fifteen Spaniards to death 

 in the houfes,) Tecamechalco, Las Guayavas, and many others whofe 

 names I do not recoiled; taking a number of prifoners, who were im- 

 mediately branded for flaves. By thefe means, in about the fpace of fix 

 weeks, we reduced the people to order and obedience. 



At this period another prince of the blood royal was eleded to the 

 throne of Mexico, for the former one who had expelled us from that 

 city, Hvas dead of the fmall pox. The new king was named Guati- 

 motzin; he was a young man about the age of twenty five years, of ele- 

 gant appearance, very brave, and fo terrible to his own fubjeds that 

 they all trembled at the fight of him. When the intelligence reached 

 this prince of what had happened in Tepeaca, he began to be appre- 

 .henfive for his other provinces, negleding, however, nothing that it was 

 in his power to do, to induce the chiefs to continue fleady to him j and 

 he alfo fent confiderable bodies of troops to watch our movements. 



Cortes now received letters from Villa Rica informing him, that a 

 vefTel had arrived at the port, commanded by a gentleman named Pedro 



Barba, 



