312 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



in which the Spaniards thought they muft have been to- 

 tally deftroyed. But having formed themfelves afrefh, 

 in the bed manner they could, and being encouraged by 

 the example and exhortations of their general, they ex- 

 tricated themfelves from that dangerous fituation ; and 

 coming again into the plain, they made fuch havock of 

 the enemy with their artillery and horfes, that they 

 forced them to retreat. Of the Tlafcalans a vafl: num- 

 ber were wounded, and not a few lay dead on the field. 

 Of the Spaniards, although fifteen were dangeroufly 

 wounded, one only died the next day. On this occafion 

 a famous duel happened between an officer of the Tlaf- 

 calans and one of the Chempoallefe nobles, who had 

 been fent with the mefTage from Cortes to the Tlafca- 

 lans. They fought for fome time mod bravely in fight 

 of the two armies, until at lad the Chempoallefe noble 

 prevailed ; and having thrown his antagonift to the 

 ground, cut off his head, and bore it in triumph to his 

 camp. The victory was celebrated with acclamations 

 and martial mufic. The place where the battle was 

 fought was called Teoatzinco, or place of the Divine 

 Water, and is ftill known in that country. 



That night the Spanifh army fixed their camp upon a 

 hill, where there was a tower, about eighteen miles from 

 the capital of Tlafcala. They erected barracks for the 

 accommodation of the troops, and formed entrenchments 

 for their defence. In this place the Spaniards remained 

 encamped until the peace with the Tlafcalans. 



Cortes, in order to compel the Tlafcalans, by hoftili- 

 ties, to accept of peace and the friendship which he of- 

 fered, made an excurfion on the 3d of September, with 

 his cavalry, a hundred Spanidi infantry, three hundred 

 Chempoallas, and three hundred Mexicans of the gar- 



rifon 



