244 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



any avail to Atonaltzin. In the very firft conflifl: his ar- 

 my was totally defeated, many of his foldiers were killed, 

 and almoft all his confederates ; the few who efcaped the 

 fury of the Mexicans fell by the hands of the Mixtecas, 

 in revenge for the unfortunate ifTue of the battle. Ato- 

 naltzin furrendered to Montezuma, who not only re- 

 mained in poffelTion of the city, and the ftate of Coaixtla- 

 huacan, but proceeding farther made hirafelf mafter of 

 Tochtepec, Tzapotlan, Tototlan, and Chinantla, and in 

 the two following years of Cozamaloapan, and Quauht- 

 ochto. The caufe of thefe lad wars was the fame with 

 many others, namely, the inhabitants of thefe places 

 having in time of peace put fome merchants and couriers 

 of Mexico to death. 



The expedition undertaken in 1457 againfl Cuetlachu 

 lan^ or Cotafla, proved far more difficult, and more ce- 

 lebrated. This province lituated as we mentioned before 

 on the coaft of the Mexican gulf, and founded, or at leaft 

 inhabited, by the Olmecas, who were driven out by the 

 Tlafcalans, was extremely populous. We are ignorant 

 of the occafion of the war ; we know, however, that the 

 Cotaftefe forefeeing the ftorm which threatened them, 

 called the Huexotzincas and Tlafcalans to their affiftance. 

 The two lafi: feeling high refentment for the lofs of Coa- 

 ixtlahuacan, and thirfling for revenge, not only agreed 

 to afTift the other, but perfuaded the Cholulans alfo to 

 enter into the confederacy. Thefe three republics fent 

 numerous forces to Cotafla to wait for the enemy. Mon- 

 tezuma, on his part, raifed a great and brilliant army, in 

 which the flower of the nobility of Mexico, Acolhua, 

 Tlatelolco, and Tepaneca enlifted. Among other per- 

 fons of didindlion in this army were Axajacatl^ the gene- 

 ral, Tizocj and Ahuiizoil^ all three brothers, and of the 



royal 



