446 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



and that in this battle there were so many enemies to 

 every one of us, that they could have buried us under 

 the dust they could have held in their hands, but that 

 the great mercy of God aided us throughout. What 

 Gomara asserts may be the case, and I, sinner as I am, 

 was not permitted to see it. "What I did see was 

 Francisco de Morla riding in company with Cortez and 

 the rest upon a chestnut horse. But although I, unwor- 

 thy sinner that I am, was unfit to behold either of these 

 apostles, upward of four hundred of us were present. 

 Let their testimony be taken. Let inquiry also be made 

 how it happened that, when the town was founded on 

 that spot, it was not named after one or other of these 

 holy apostles, and called St. Jago de la Vittoria or St. 

 Pedro de la Vittoria, as it was Santa Maria, and a church 

 erected and dedicated to one of these holy saints. 

 Very bad Christians were we, indeed, according to the 

 account of Gomara, who, when God sent us his apos- 

 tles to fight at our head, did not every day after ac- 

 knowledge and return thanks for so great a mercy !" 



Setting out on their march to Mexico, they arrived at 

 Cempoal, entering which, he says, " We were surprised 

 with the beauty of the buildings." " Our advanced 

 guard having gone to the great square, the buildings of 

 which had been lately whitewashed and plastered, in 

 which art these people are very expert, one of our horse- 

 men was so struck with the splendour of their appear- 

 ance in the sun, that he came back in full speed to 

 Cortez to tell him that the walls of the houses were of 

 silver." 



Offended by the abominable custom of human sacri- 

 fices, Cortez determined to suppress by force their idol- 

 atrous worship, and destroy their false gods. The 

 chiefs ordered the people to arm in defence of their 



