HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



419 



Spaniards, authors are, as in other affairs, of various 

 opinions (q) ; we are apt to think the computation true 

 which has been made by Gomara, who appears to have 

 made the mod diligent enquiries, and to have informed 

 himfelf both from Cortes and the other conquerors ; that 

 is, there fell, beiides four hundred and fifty Spaniards^ 

 more than four thoufand auxiliaries, and among them, 

 as Cortes fays, all the Cholulans ; almoft all the prifon- 

 ers the men and women who were in the fervice of the 

 Spaniards, were killed (r), alfo forty-fix horfes ; and all 

 the riches they had amaffed, all their artillery, and all 

 the manufcripts belonging to Cortes, containing an ac- 

 count of every thing which had happened to the Spani- 

 ards until that period, were loft. Among the Spaniards 

 who were miffing, the mo ft confiderable perfons were, 

 the captains Velafquez de Leon, the intimate friend of 

 Cortes, Amador de Laviz, Francifco Morla, and Fran- 

 cifco de Saucedo, all four, men of great courage and 

 merit. Among the prifoners who were killed was Ca- 

 camatzin, that unfortunate king, and a brother and fon, 



and 



(q) Cortes fays, that one hundred and fifty Spaniards [perifhed ; but he ei- 

 ther defignedly leffened the number for particular ends, or there was fome 

 miftake made by the copyift or firft printer of that letter. B. Diaz numbers 

 eight hundred and feventy to have fallen ; but in this account he includes, not 

 only thofe who were killed on that unlucky night, but alfo thofe who died be- 

 fore he reached Tlafcala. Solis reckons only upon two hundred, and Torque- 

 mada two hundred and ninety. Concerning the number of auxiliary troops 

 which perifhed then, Gomara, Herrera, Torquemada, and Betancourt, are 

 agreed. Solis fays only, that more than two thoufand Tlafcalans were miffed : 

 but in this he dees not agree with the computation made by Cortes, or other 

 authors. 



(Y) Ordaz affirms, that all the prifoners were killed ; but he ought to have 

 excepted Cuicuitzcatzin, whom Cortes had already placed on the throne of 

 Acolhuacan ; becaufe we know from the account of Cortes, that he was one of 

 the prifoners, and on the other hand, it is certain that he was killed afterwards 

 in Tezcuco. 



