CITIES OF THE MEXICANS. 



449 



but before we entered it we made a circuit through a 

 number of large courts, the smallest of which appeared 

 to me to contain more ground than the great square of 

 Salamanca, with double enclosures, built of lime and 

 stone, and the courts paved with large white cut stones, 

 or, where not paved, they were plastered and polished" 



" The ascent to the great temple was by a hundred 

 and fourteen steps." 



" From the platform on the summit of the temple, 

 Montezuma, taking Cortez by the hand, pointed out 

 to him the different parts of the city and its vicinity, all 

 of which were commanded from that place." "We 

 observed also the temples and adoratories of the adja- 

 cent cities, built in the form of towers and "fortresses, 

 and others on the causeway, all whitewashed and won- 

 derfully brilliant." 



" The noise and bustle of the market-place could be 

 heard almost a league off, and those who had been at 

 Rome and Constantinople said that for convenience, 

 regularity, and population they had never seen the 

 like." 



During the siege he speaks of being " quartered in a 

 lofty temple;" "marching up the steps of the temple;" 

 " some lofty temples which we now battered with our ar- 

 tillery ;" " the lofty temples where Diego Velasquez and 

 Salvatierra were posted ;" " the breaches which they had 

 made in the walls ;" " cut stone talten from the build- 

 ings from the terraces." 



Arrived at the great temple, instantly above four 

 thousand Mexicans rushed up into it, who for some 

 time prevented them from ascending. " Although the 

 cavalry several times attempted to charge, the stone 

 pavements of the courts of the temple were so smooth 

 that the horses could not keep their feet, and fell." 



Vol. II.— 3 L 



