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about him, and from the example of his uncle Montezuma, he was^ 

 afraid to truft himfelf in our hands. But the malic was foon thrown 

 off; we were attacked by great bodies of the enemy, with fuch violence 

 that it appeared as if all was beginning anew. Having been rather ta- 

 ken by furprife, they did us at firft fome mifchief, killed one foldier, 

 and two horfes j but in the end we fent them back with very little to 

 boafi: of. Cortes ordered his troops now to proceed againft that part of 

 the city where the quarters of Guatimotzin were; accordingly we began 

 upon our former fyftem, and gained ground as we had before done elfe- 

 where. When the king perceived this, ■ he delired an interview with 

 Cortes, on the fide of a large canal which was to feparate them. To 

 this Cortes readily affented, and it was to take place an the enfuing 

 morning. Cortes attended, but Guatimotzin never appeared; inftead 

 of which he fent feveral of his principal nobility, who faid that the king 

 did not think proper to come, from an apprehenfion that we might 

 flioot him during the parley. Cortes then engaged by the moft folemn 

 oaths not to do him any injury whatever, but it was of no efte6t. A 

 ridiculous farce was played here : two of the nobility who attended on, 

 the part of Guatimotzin, took out of a fack, bread, a fowl, and cher- 

 ries, which they began to eat, in order to imprefs the Spaniards with an 

 idea that they were not in want. Cortes feeing the manner in which 

 he was treated, fent back an hoftile meffage and retired; after this we 

 were left unmolefted for the fpace of four or five days. During this 

 time numbers of wretched Indians, reduced by famine, fur rounded our 

 quarters every night. Cortes pitied their miferable fituation, and hop- 

 ing that it might induce the enemy to come into terms of accommoda- 

 tion, ordered the ceffation of hofUlities to be fi:ri(5lly adhered to ; but no 

 overture of the kind was made,. 



There was in the army of Cortes a foldier who boafted of having 

 ferved in Italy, and of the great battles which he had feen there. His 

 name was Sotelo, and he was a native of Seville. This man was eter-. 

 nally talking of the wonderful military machines which he knew the 

 art of conftruding, and how he could make a ftone engine which 



flioul.d 



