HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



437 



was not permitted by the Mexicans to manifeft his fideli- 

 ty ; that, then there were a great number of Mexican 

 officers in Quauhquechollan, and thirty thoufand men of 

 war partly in that city, partly in the places around it, 

 for the purpofe of preventing any confederacy with the 

 Spaniards : neverthelefs, he requeued him to come to 

 his affiftance, and free him from the vexations which he 

 fuffered from thofe troops. Cortes was pleafed with 

 the intelligence, and immediately fent with the fame 

 mefTengers a party of thirteen horfes, two hundred Spa- 

 niards, and thirty thoufand auxiliary troops, under the 

 command of captain Olid. The mefTengers, according 

 to the order of their lord, undertook to conduct the ar- 

 my by a way little travelled, and appriied captain Olid 

 that when they came near to the city, the Quauhque- 

 chollans were to attack with fome armed bodies the quar- 

 ters of the Mexican officers, and to endeavour to feize 

 or kill them, in order that when the Spanifh army en- 

 tered the city, it might be eafy for them to defeat the 

 enemy without their leaders. But twelve miles before 

 the army reached Quauhquechollan, the Spanifh com- 

 mander became fufpicious that the Huexotzincas might 

 be fecretly confederated with the Quauhquechollans and 

 the Mexicans, in order to deflroy the Spaniards. His 

 fufpicion, occafioned by fecret information, and render- 

 ed itill more ftrong by the numbers of the Huexotzincas, 

 who of their own accord joined the army, obliged him 

 to return to Cholula, where he made fome of the moll' 

 refpectable perfons among the Huexotzincas and the am- 

 baffadors of Quauhquechollan be feized, and fent them 

 under a ftrong guard to Cortes, that he might make 

 enquiry into this fuppofed ftratagem. 



Cortes was extremely vexed at this proceeding againft 

 fuch faithful friends as the Huexotzincas : neverthelefs 



he 



