172 



HISTORY 



OF 



MEXICO. 



over the enemies of the ftate. They hung up the head 

 in fome very lofty place, and after the fidn of the body 

 was dried, they filled it with cotton, and hung it up in 

 the royal palace, in memory of the glorious deed ; in 

 which circumftance however, their adulation to him was 

 confpicuous. 



When any city was to be befieged, the greateft anxie- 

 ty of the citizens was to fecure their children, their wo- 

 men and tick perfons ; for which purpofe they fent them 

 oiF, at an early opportunity, to another city, or to the 

 mountains. Thus they faved thofe defencelefs indivi- 

 duals from the fury of the enemy, and obviated an un- 

 neceflary confumption of provifions. 



For the defence of places they made ufe of various 

 kinds of fortifications, fuch as walls, and ramparts, with 

 their bread-works, palifadoes, ditches, and intrench- 

 ments. Concerning the city of Qiiauhquechollan, we 

 know that it was fortified by a ftrong {lone wall, about 

 twenty feet high, and twelve feet in thicknefs (/). 



The conquerors, who defcribe to us the fortifications 

 of this city, make mention likewife of feveral others, 

 among which is the celebrated wall which the Tlafcalans 

 built on the eaftern boundaries of the republic, to defend 

 themfelves from* the invafion of the Mexican troops, 

 which were garrifoned in Iztacmaxtitlan, Xocotlan, and 

 other places. This wall, which ftretched from one 

 mountain to another, was fix miles in length, eight feet 

 in height, befides the breaft-work, and eighteen feet in 

 thicknefs. It was made of Hone, and ftrong fine morter 

 (k). There was but one narrow entrance of about eight 



feet 



(i) In the ninth book we fhall give a defer iption of the fortifications of 

 Quauhquechollan. 



(k) Bernal Dias fays, that the Tlafcalan wall was built of ftone and lime, 



and 



