HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



411 



the quarters ; Cortes went immediately to meet them 

 with the cavalry, and making way through them with 

 the utmoft difficulty and danger, he recovered the bridg- 

 es, but whilft he was retaking the laft, the Mexicans 

 had again taken the four firft, and had begun to draw 

 out the materials with which the ditches had been filled 

 up by the Spaniards. The general returned at length 

 to regain them, and then retired to the quarters with 

 his people, who were now all weary, melancholy, and 

 wounded. 



Cortes, in his letter to Charles V. reprefents the great 

 danger he was in, that day, of lofing his life, and af- 

 cribes it to particular providence that he efcaped from 

 among fuch a multitude of enemies. It is certain, that 

 from the moment they rofe againfl the Spaniards, they 

 would have been able to have deftroyed them with all 

 their allies, if they had obferved a better order in fight- 

 ing, and if there had been more agreement among the 

 inferior officers who led on the attacks ; but they could 

 not agree among themfelves, as will appear hereafter, 

 and the populace were merely actuated by their tumul- 

 tuous fury. On the other hand, it is not to be doubted, 

 that the Spaniards mud have appeared to them to have 

 been made of iron ; for they neither yielded to the dif- 

 trefs of famine, nor to the neceffity of fleep, nor to con- 

 tinual fatigue and wounds ; after having employed all 

 the day in combating with their enemies, they fpent the 

 night in burying the dead, curing the wounded, and re- 

 pairing the damages done to their quarters during the 

 day by the Mexicans, and even in the little time which 

 they allowed for repofe, they never quitted their arms, 

 but were always ready to rife before their enemy. But 

 the hardinefs of their troops will appear ftill more extra- 

 ordinary 



