HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



421 



ed. Cortes having aflembled and formed them in order, 

 marched through the city of Tlacopan, ftill haraffed by 

 fome troops of that city and of Azcapozalco, until they 

 came to Otoncalpolco, a temple fituated upon the top of 

 a fmall mountain nine miles to the weft of the capital, 

 where at prefent ftands the celebrated fan&uary or tem- 

 ple of the Virgin de los remedios, or fuccour. Here they 

 fortified themfelves as well as they could, to defend 

 themfelves with the lefs trouble from the enemy, who 

 continued to annoy them the whole day. At night they 

 repofed a little, and had fome refrefhment furniftied 

 them by the Otomies, who occupied two neighbouring 

 hamlets, and lived impatient under the yoke of the 

 Mexicans. From this place they directed their courfe 

 towards Tlafcala, their only retreat in their misfortunes, 

 through Quauhtitlan, Citlaltepec, Xoloc, and Zacamol- 

 co, annoyed all the way by flying troops of the enemy. 

 In Zacamolco they were fo famifhed, and reduced to 

 fuch diftrefs, that at fupper they eat a horfe which had 

 been killed that day by the enemy, of which the general 

 himfelf had his part. The Tlafcalans threw themfelves 

 upon the earth to eat the herbs of it, praying for affift- 

 ance from their gods. 



The day following, when they had juft begun their 

 march by the mountains of Aztaquemecan, they faw at 

 a diftance in the plain of Tonan, a little way from the 

 city of Otompan, a numerous and brilliant army, either 

 of Mexicans, as authors generally report, or, as we think 

 probable compofed of the troops of Otompan, Calpolal- 

 pan, Teotihuacan, and other neighbouring places, aflfem- 

 bled at the defire of the Mexicans. Some hiftorians 

 make this army confifl of two hundred thoufand men, 

 a number computed folely by the eye, and probably in- 



creafed 



