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inroads, and marching with a ftrong party for that purpofe, came up 

 with the enemy at the diftance of about two leagues from Tezcuco, and 

 fo completely broke and defeated them, though with no very confidera- 

 ble lofs on their fide, that they did not (how themfeh^s there again. 



As it was refolved to lofe no time in the grand objed: of our enter- 

 prife, Sandoval attended by twenty of the principal people of Tezcuco, 

 marched with a detachment of two hundred foldiers of the infantry, 

 twenty mufqueteers and crofsbow-men included, and fifteen cavalry-, 

 from Tezcuco, in order to bring the timber to conftrucSt our (hips on the 

 lake of Mexico. Before they fet out, Cortes effeded a reconciliation be- 

 tween the Tlafcalans and the Indians of Chalco, who had long been 

 hoftile. He gave diredlions to Sandoval, after he had left the chieftains 

 of Chalco in their own town, to proceed by a place named by us Puebla 

 Morefca, the inhabitants of which had robbed and put to death up- 

 wards of forty of our foldiers, who were on their march from Vera 

 Cruz to Mexico, when we went to the relief of Alvarado. Sandoval 

 had orders to inflid: an exemplary punifhment on them, not that their 

 guilt was more than that of the people of Tezcuco, who were the lead- 

 ers of the bufinefs, but becaufe they could be punifhed with lefs incon- 

 venience. The place was put under military execution. Some few of 

 the inhabitants were made prifoners, and when Sandoval enquired of 

 them in what manner they had deftroyed the Spaniards, they informed 

 him that they were fallen on by the troops of Mexico and Tezcuco, by 

 furprize, in a narrow pafs where they could only go in fingle file, and 

 that it was done in revenge for the death of Cacamatzin. Not more 

 than three or four of thefe people loft their lives, as, Sandoval had pity 

 on them. In the temples were found many traces of the blood of our 

 countrymen upon the walls, their idols were befmeared with it, and we 

 found the fkins of two of their faces with their beards, drelTed like lea^ 

 ther, and hung upon the altars, as were alfo the ftioes of four horfes, 

 together with their fl<:ins very well dreffed. The following words were 

 found written upon a piece of marble fixed in the wall of one of the 

 houfes. *' Here was taken the unfortunate Juan Jufte, with many 



L 1 otheis 



