( ) 



for the night, in a place fubje6l to Tezcuco named Aculma. Here a 

 difagreeable affair had hke to have taken place. It appeared that De 

 Oli had fent forward to take quarters, and had appropriated every houfe 

 in the town to his own company, marking them by putting green 

 branches on the terraces, fo that when Alvarado's detachment arrived, 

 we had not a place to lodge in. Our foldiers immediately ftood to their 

 arms to fight thofe of De Oli, and the two captains had already chal- 

 lenged each other, but feveral of the more moderate officers interfering, 

 they were pacified for the prefent. An exprefs was immediately fent to 

 Cortes, who wrote to everyone of any influence amongft our detachments, 

 condemning the fteps which had been taken, and earneftly recommend- 

 ing a reconciliation. After this Alvarado and De Oli never were friends. 



We continued our march for two days more, by Mexican cities 

 "Which were abandoned, the laft of which was Guatitlan; and on the 

 third, pafling the towns of Tenayuca and Efcapuzalco where we found 

 our allies * waiting for us, we proceeded to Tacuba. 



The enemy gave notice by their noifes that they were about us in 

 great numbers, and our two detachments, it was fettled, fhould on the 

 enfuing day go to cut the aquedud: of Chapultepeque. At the time ap- 

 pointed, we fet out with our allies, and though the enemy attacked us 

 in our march, w^e fucceeded, deftroying the pipes, fo that from that day, 

 no more frefh water came to Mexico. It was now determined to try 

 our fortune againft the city, and fee if we could not at leaft get pofTcffion 

 of a bridge upon the caufeway of Tacuba. When we arrived there, the 

 immenfe number of boats, and of their troops on the land, was a fub- 

 jed: of aftonifhmcnt. By the firft volley of their arrows they killed three 

 and wounded thirty of our foldiers j neverthelefs we advanced to the 

 bridge, the enemy, as it were by flratagem, receding, and now we were 

 upon a caufeway twenty feet wide, expofed as a butt to the arrows of 

 thofe on the water on both our flanks. Our mufquetry and crofsbows 

 had no eflfed: whatever on their canoes they were fo well proteded j as 



to 



* The whole number of whom amounted to feventy thoufand. 



