7^ "The Expedition <^Hernan Cortes, Book I. 
3. Cortes arrived at the Town a little while before 
Alonfo Davila^ who had been hindered by fome Marfhes 
and I.akcs in his Way ; and having joined his Troops 
to the Batallion, and diftributed proper Inftrudlion tor 
breaking down the Paliladoes (without giving time 
either to the Indians to recover themfelves, or to his 
ov/n Soldiers to reHtd on the DifRculty) gave the Sig- 
nal to begin the Attack, only flopping to fay. My 
Friends^ here we miiji lodge this Night. The Soldiers 
went on together with equal Refolution, and turning 
afixie a Shower of Arrows with their Shields, and even 
with their Swords, gained the Foot of the Palifado j the 
Intervals of which were of Service at that time for the 
Difcharge of the Fire-arms and Crofs-Bows, which quick- 
ly drove the Enemy from their Polls, and gave an Op- 
portunity to thofe who were not engaged to beat down 
Part of their Palifadoes. The Spaniards entered with- 
out Difficulty, becaufe the Indians retired to the inner 
Part of the Town ; but it was foon perceived that they 
had flopped tip the Streets, where they again made head, 
but with fmall Effedl, for they were embarraffed by their 
own Numbers i and while fome were retiring from one 
Work to another, they put the refl, who would have 
fought, into Diforder. 
In the Centre of the Town there was a void Space, 
where the Indians made their utmoft Efforts, but after 
a fhort Refinance, turned their Backs and fled into the 
Woods. Cortes would not follow the Chace, that he 
might give his Soldiers time to refrefh, and the Fugi- 
tives an Opportunity to fue for Peace, taking Counfel 
from their Defeat. Thus did the Spaniards gain Tahafeo^ 
a large Town, and well provided for Defence, for the 
Indians had fent away all their Families and Effedls, and 
flored the Place with Provifions •, fo that tho’ there was 
nothing found to gratify Avarice, there was nothing 
wanting which Neceffity required. Fourteen or fifteen 
were wounded, in this Engagement, in which died a 
confiderable Number of Indians. Of the Wounded there 
was no Account, becaufe they took care to carry them 
off, it being a Point of honour amongfl them to conceal 
their L.ofs from the Enemy. That Night the Troops 
were quartered in that Part of the Town in which they 
laft engaged. Cortes went his Rounds, and polled his 
Sentinels with as much Care and Exailnefs, as if he had 
had an Army of Enemies in View, well knowing Cauti- 
on is as neceffary as Valour in a Commander. 
The nextDay the Country appeared quite deferred, and 
fo far as the Eye could reach there was not the ieall 
fign of an Enemy. However, Cortes did not think it 
proper to march out of his Quarters •, this great Still- 
nefs made him fufpicious, and his Apprehenfions were 
increafed when he underftood that his Interpreter Mel- 
chior., who came from Cuba, had deferred them that very 
^ Night, leaving his Chrillian Habit hanging on a Tree. 
It was he that induced them to renew the War, acquaint- 
ing them with the fmall Number of our Soldiers, that 
they were not immortal, nor their Fire-arms Thunder 
and Lightning, as they imagined ; the Dread of which 
had made them defirous of Peace. But this Crime did 
not go long unpunilhed, for the fame Barbarians whom 
he had perfuaded to take up Arms, being vanquilhed 
a fecond time, revenged themfelves on the Advifer of 
the War, by making him a miferable Sacrifice to their 
Idol. 
In this Uncertainty Cortes refolved to fend out Pedro 
de Aherado., and Francifeo de Lugo., each with an hun- 
dred Men by different ways to view the Country, with. 
Orders, if they found an xAi’my in the Field, to retire to 
their Quarters without engaging with unequal Numbers. 
This Relblution was immediately executed, and Fran- 
eifeo'de Lugo, after little more than an Hour’s March, 
fell into an Ambufeade ol numberlefs Indians, who at- 
tacked him on all Sides, and that with fuch Fury, that 
he was obliged to draw up his little Batallion into a 
Square. The Number of the Enemy increafed, and the 
Spaniards began to be tired, when it pleafed God that 
Alverado, v/ho had taken a different Road from his 
Companion, met with a Marlh, which obliged him to 
turn afide, and brought him v/here the Report of the 
Fire-arms gave him Notice of the Engagement. Ahe- 
rado marched flirait to the Noife, and dilcovered the 
Enemies Squadrons : Upon which he advanced with all 
the Hafte poffible, under Cover of a Wood ; and fend- 
ing an Indian of Cuba to Cortes to advife him of the Ac- 
cident, drew up his Men, and fell upon the Enemy with 
fo much Refolution, that tlie Indians, furprized at the 
fudden Affault, left them the Paliage free, and, without 
giving the Spaniards time to break them, difperfed of 
themfelves. 
Uiis Succour gave Francifeo de Lugo^s Soldiers time 
to oreathe, and as foon as the . two Captains had joined 
their Troops and doubled their Ranks, they charged 
another Batallion of the Enemy, who ftopt up the way 
that they might not execute the Orders they had receiv- 
ed to retreat. Here again they found Refiftance, but in 
fine, they made way through them with their Swords, 
marching forward, though continually attacked, and 
fometimes almoft borne down ; fome fought while others 
took Breath ; and whenfoever they mended their Pace 
to gain Ground, they were charged by the whole Body 
ot the Enemy, who immediately, upon their facing about, 
got out of tlieir Reach, retiring with the fame Swiftnefs 
that they attacked ; the Motions of this Multitude of 
Barbarians, refembling the roiling of the Sea when the 
Waves are driven back by the Wind. The Spaniards 
had marched about three C^iarters of a League, conti- 
nually plying their Weapons, when Neman Cortes ap- 
peared at a Diftance j who upon the Notice given him 
by Aherado, was coming to their Relief with all the reft 
ot his Troops. As foon as the Indians fpied him, they 
made a Halt, giving thofe they purfued time to march 
off, and continued a while looking on by way of threat- 
ning, or to fignify that they were not afraid. Yet after- 
wards they difperfed in feveral fmall Bodies, and left 
the Field. Cortes returned to his Quarters without en- 
gaging fiirther, becaufe it was requifite to take care of 
the Wounded, being eleven in both Companies, of which 
Numbqr two died ; and this was reckoned at that time 
a very great Lofs. ' 
Some Prifoners were taken upon this Occafion, and 
Cortes ordered Jerem de Aguilar to examine them fepa- 
rately, to know what it was thofe Indians founded their 
Obftinacy on, and what Forces they had to fupport it. 
Their Anfwer differed in fome Circumftances, but they 
agreed in declaring that all the Caziques, in the neigh- 
bouring Countries, were fummoned to the Afllftance of 
Fabafeo, and that the next Day a very powerful Army 
was to be drawn together, to make an End of the 
Spaniards at once, of which Number the Body that had 
attacked the two Companies under Francifeo de Lugo, 
and Pedro de Aherado, was but a fmall Detachment. 
This Intelligence gave Cortes fome Uneafinefs, where- 
upon he rdblved to call his Captains together, and ad- 
vifed with them what was proper to be done. He laid 
before them the Difficulties in which they were engaged, 
their fmall Numbers, and the great Preparations the In- 
dians had made to deftroy them, without concealing 
the leaft Circumftances of what the Prifoners had declar- 
ed. He then proceeded to confider how far their Glory 
was concerned, reprefenting to them their own Valour, 
the Nakednefs and Weaknefs of their Neighbours, and 
how eafily they had defeated them at Fabafeo, at their 
Landing ; but above all, he urged the ill Confequences 
of turning their Backs upon thofe Barbarians, which 
would be a Difgrace of fo much Corifequence, that, in 
his Opinion, they muft either entirely lay afide the En-' 
terprize of New Spain, or proceed no farther, till they 
had either eftabliffied Peace, or fubdued that Province j 
but, that he only propofed this, being refolved toacl as 
ffiould be judged moll convenient. 
Every one gave his Opinion, and they all agreed that 
it was not pradlicable to depart that Country, till they 
had reduced the Inhabitants : Whereupon Cortes proceed- 
ed to make the neceffaiy Difpofitions for that Enterprize. 
He ordered the wounded Men to be- carried on board, 
die Florfes to be landed, the Artillery to be in a Readi- 
nefs,- and every thing to be in Order by 'the next Morn- 
ing. As foon as it was Day, giving the Command of 
the Foot to Biego de Ordaz, he and the other Com- 
manders mounted on Horfeback, and kept Pace with 
V 
