402 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



lace ; and the number of the affaulters was fo great, that 

 they covered all the ground of the ftreets. Cortes did 

 not think it proper to ftand wholly upon his defence, 

 left that (hould be afcribed to cowardice, and infpire the 

 enemy with more courage. He made a fally out upon 

 them with four hundred men, part Spaniards and part 

 Tlafcalans. The Mexicans retired with little lofs, and 

 Cortes, after having made fire be fet to fome of the 

 houfes, returned to his quarters; but finding that the 

 enemy continued their hoftilities, he made the captain 

 Ordaz go out with two hundred foldiers againft them. 

 The Mexicans afFecled to be put into confufion, and to 

 fly, in order to draw the enemy to a diftance from their 

 quarters, in which they fucceeded ; for fuddenly the 

 Spaniards found themfelves furrounded by the Mexicans 

 on all fides, and attacked by a body of troops in front and 

 another behind, but in fuch a tumultuous manner, that 

 their diforder impeded their action. At the fame time 

 appeared a numerous rabble on the tops of the houfes, 

 who kept up a conftant fhower of arrows and ftones. 

 The Spaniards found themfelves now in imminent dan- 

 ger, and this occafion was certainly one of thofe on which 

 the brave Ordaz difplayed his ikill and courage. The 

 conteft was mod bloody, but with no great lofs to the 

 Spaniards, who, with their guns and crofs-bows cleared 

 the terraces, and with their pikes and fwords repelled the 

 multitude which deluged the ftreets, and at laft were 

 able to retire to their quarters, leaving many Mexicans, 

 though not more than eight of their own people, kill- 

 ed ; but they were almoft ail wounded, and even Ordaz 

 himfelf. Amongft the diftrelTes fufFered by the Spaniards 

 from the Mexicans that day, the fetting fire to different 

 parts of the quarters was one, and the fire was fo violent 



