310 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



This day, which was the 31ft of Auguft, fome armed 

 Indians lhewed themfelves at a diftance. The cavalry, 

 which was advanced before the army, in endeavouring 

 to come up with them to gain intelligence of the refolu- 

 tion of the fenate, had two horfes killed, and three others 

 and two men wounded ; a lofs mo ft fenfibly felt in fo 

 fmall a troop of horfe. A body then appeared, ima- 

 gined to confift of about four thoufand men, which was 

 immediately charged upon by the Spaniards and allies, 

 and in a mort time defeated, with the death of fifty Oto- 

 mies. A little after arrived two of the Chempoallefe 

 meffengers, with fome Tlafcalans, who paid their com- 

 pliments to Cortes in the name of the fenate, and made 

 him acquainted with the permiflion which was granted 

 him to go with his army to Tlafcala, blaming the Oto- 

 mies for the hoftilities which they had fufFered, and of- 

 fering to pay him for the horfes which they had killed. 

 Cortes pretended to believe them, and declared his gra- 

 titude to the fenate. The Tlafcalans took their leave, 

 and carried their dead off the field to burn them. Cortes, 

 on his part, buried the two horfes which had been killed, 

 that the fight of them might not encourage the enemy 

 to new hoftilities. 



The following day the Spanifh army marched to the 

 neighbourhood of two mountains, where there were 

 fome fteep grounds and precipices. There the other two 

 Chempoallefe meffengers, who had remained ftill in 

 Tlafcala, arrived bathed in fweat and tears, accufing the 

 Tlafcalans of treachery and cruelty ; for that, regardlefs 

 of the rights of nations, they had ill ufed, imprifoned, 

 and deftined them for facrifices, which fate they efcaped 

 by fetting each other free. This account of the Chem- 

 poallefe was certainly falfe, as it was altogether impofii- 



ble, 



/ 



