394 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



to become fpies, and to give the king an account of 

 every thing which happened; but Cortes did not con- 

 lider them as fuch, although neither did he place much 

 confidence in them. He made his journey through 

 Cholula, where he was joined by the captain Velafquez, 

 who was returned from Coatzacualco, having been fent 

 there by Cortes to fearch for a more commodious har- 

 bour for the (hips. There Cortes alfo received a con- 

 fiderable fupply of provifions. which were fent him by 

 the fenate of Tlafcala; but he had not the four thou- 

 fand men he demanded ; either becaufe they durft not 

 enter into new wars againfl the Spaniards, as Bernal Diaz 

 affirms, or becaufe they were unwilling to remove them- 

 felves fo far from their native country, as is reported by 

 other hiftorians ; or from feeing Cortes with forces fo 

 inferior in number to thofe of his enemy, they dreaded 

 another defeat in the expedition. Some days before he 

 arrived at Chempoalla, Cortes was joined by the fol- 

 dier Tobilla, with three hundred pikes from Chinantla, 

 and in Tapanacuetla, a village about thirty miles diftant 

 from that city, he was joined by the famous captain San- 

 doval with fixty foldiers from the garrifon of Vera Cruz. 



At length after having made new propofals to Nar- 

 vaez, and having diftributed fome gold among the par- 

 tizans of this arrogant general, Cortes entered into 

 Chempoalla at midnight with two hundred and fifty ^v) 

 men, without horfes, or any other arms than pikes, 

 fwords, fhields, and daggers, and marching without the 

 fmalleit noife or rumour to the greater temple of that 



city, 



(x) Bernal Diaz fays, that Cortes went to Chempoalla with two hundred 

 and fix men; Torquemada makes two hundred and fixty-fix, befides five cap- 

 tains; but Cortes, who knew better than them, Lifhrms, they were two hun- 

 dred and fifty. 



