( 285 ) 



to the cavalry their horfes were all wounded, and if they purfued the 

 enemy a little diftance on the caufeway, they were flopped by the para- 

 pet? which they had built acrofs it, and which they defended with long 

 lances ; and when our infantry advanced againft them in front, the ene- 

 my threw themfelves into the water. Thus we were fighting them for, 

 upwards of an hour, their nunjaers increaling from every part of the 

 lake, and our allies only encumbering the caufeway. Being utterly 

 unable to refift the enemy who were on the water we determined to re- 

 tire, which we did, leaving eight dead and having above fifty wounded, 

 the enemy purfuing us clofely. 



On the enfuing day, Captain De Oli proceeded with his detach--, 

 ment for Cuyoacan ; he talked in terms of difapprobation of the pre- 

 ceding expedition, laying the blame on the rafhnefs of Alvarado. We 

 all were folicitous that the two captains fhould remain together, and cer- 

 tainly their feparation was very imprudent, for had the enemy known 

 the fmallnefs of our number, they would have fallen on and deflroyed 

 either detachment, during the four or five days that we were feparated, 

 and before the arrival of Cortes with the flotilla. In thefe two pofl- 

 tions our detachments remained for the above period, without ventur- 

 ing to pay another vifit to the Mexican caufeway s. During this time 

 the enemy frequently fent bodies of their troops to the main land, and 

 annoyed us with attacks in our quarters. 



Sandoval with his detachment left Tezcuco on the fourth day after 

 the feafl of Corpus Chrifli, and marching through a friendly country, 

 arrived in front of the town of Iztapalapa. On his arrival he immedi-. 

 ately attacked the enemy in that place, and burned many of the houfes 

 which were built on the firm ground; but frefli bodies of Mexicans- 

 came both by land and Vv^ater to their relief, and while thus occupied, 

 our troops obferved a fmoke to rife from the top of a hill above the town, 

 which was anfwered in the fame manner at other points round the lake, 

 and this we found to be a fignal for the information of the enemy, that 

 our flotilla was launched; a circumftance which occaiioned them to 



