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their Towns in Bottoms, and their Scouts on the Flills; 
y/ho, when they difcovered any Strangers, made Fires to 
give Notice from one Place to another, and the People 
aifembled to defend themfelves. 
4 . The J^lafcalans Embaffador returned Home, carry- 
ing off about leventy Indians killed in the Adlion, to bury 
them ; and Cortes ordered the dead Horfes to be interred 
that the Indians might not be daily put in miind, by feeing 
them, that they could kill the reft. The Army was 
then, as has been faid, within the Territories of ‘Tlafcala, 
and all that Province, from Villa^ Rica thither, was called 
Catafia^ which, though large, was not populous ; be- 
'caufe Motezuma had, fome time before, deftroyed it. 
The Country is like Ajidaluzia^ rich, hot, and fruitful, 
having many frefn Waters, which produce much Fifti, 
Forefts of Wild Trees, and Oaks bearing large Leaves, 
but fmaller Acorns than thofe in Spain. At Sun-fetting 
■Cortes encamped near a Brook, on a convenient Spot of 
Ground ; and they kept Guard, by an hundred at a time, 
having been undifturbed that Night." The next Day they 
came to certain Houfes ot 0/cwzA, where they found fome 
of them dead of the Wounds they had received ; They 
burnt the Houfes, and, for Want of better Provifions, 
fed upon Tunis, a fort of Fruit that Country produces ; 
becaufe they law the Indians eat them. 
The next Day Cortes proceeded, and being come to a 
troublefome Pals, commanded every way by Hills ; be- 
fore they began to enter it a Dog barked : One Lores., a 
Smith, and an able Horfeman, made up to the Place, 
killed tv/o Indians he met, and the reft fled. Here the 
other twoZmy)i 9 ia//^?»Meirengers Cortes had fent to Llafcala, 
came fweating, lamenting, much abufed, and in fuch 
a Fright that they could fcarce fpeak : They proftrated 
themfelves on the Ground, laid hold of Cortes’s Feet and 
faid, The wicked T'lafcalans., breaking through the Im- 
munities of EmbalTies, had bound them to be facrificed 
to the God of Victory ; that they unbinding each other 
that Night, had made their Efcape •, and that they in- 
tended to facrifice all the Spaniards in the fame manner. 
Soon after their Arrival, about a thoufand Indians well 
armed, appeared on a little Plill, who attacked the 
Spaniards with great Cries, and Vollies of Darts, Stones 
and Arrows. Cortes^ by Means of the Interpreters de- 
fired them to be quiet, becaufe he would willingly have 
Peace, fignifying the fame to them. He perceiving they 
did not forbear, fell on, and they artfully gave way, re- 
tiring till they drew the Spaniards into an Ambulh of 
' thirty thoufand, that lay in little Hollows that were by 
the Pafs. The Spaniards were in a defperate Condition, 
confidering the Multitude of their Enemies who charged 
them where they had not room to ftir. But the En- 
couragement given by Cortes^ telling them. They now 
fought for their Lives, and did no Wrong to thofe that 
had attacked them, infufed frefli Courage, Here Luch, 
one of the -Noblemen of Zempoalla told Marina he fore- 
• faw the Death of them all ; for it was impolTible that one 
Man fhould get off alive. Marina told him, the God of 
the Chriftians, who was powerful, and loved them, would 
deliver them out of that Danger. 
Not long after, the Spaniards and their confederate 
Indians., fighting manfully to avoid being facrificed, got 
out of that Streight, where the Llafcalans behaved them- 
felves in fuch a furious manner, that feveral of them 
■ came to clofe with the Spaniards ; and others laid hold of 
the Horfemens Spears as they rode before to make way 
for the Foot ; and the confederate Indians leaping into 
the Water, Cortes^ every nov/-and-then turned to the In- 
fantry, and bad them remember. That the planting the 
■ Faith of Jefus Chrift depended on the Prefervation of 
' their Perfons. That they might expebl very great Rewards 
■ befides, that being Spaniards they ought not to defpond, 
which their Nation never did. At length they extricated 
themfelves froimamong- thofe deep.RoaN and Brooks, and 
> got into the plain Fields, v/here the Horfes having room 
to run, and the Cannon to play, terrified the Indians., 
■and killed many. rfo that, not able to endure it, they 
^retired to a rifmg Ground and there fortified themfelves. 
Mn this Figlit 
ibme of the Spaniards were wounded. 
but not one killed, and many Indians died upon the Spot, 
as did others afterwards of their Wounds. The Spaniards 
rejoiced, and with loud Voices returned Thanks to God, 
for having delivered them out of that Danger ; nor was 
there any Want of Joy among the Indians, their Friends, 
who embracing the Spaniards, congratulated their Efcape. 
The Gentlemen of Zempoalla commending Marina, re- 
lated her Prediclion, and fhe declared flie had never been 
afraid. 
Such was the Pofture of Affairs, when an Indian who 
commanded one Part of the Enemy’s Army, making 
Signals of Peace, came down where Cortes was with 
fome of his prime Men about him, and faid. That Ex- 
perience had convinced him, that he and his were invin- 
cible and immortal Gods, therefore defired him that the 
War might ceafe, and he would prevail with the Com- 
manders On his fide, that they fhould be reconciled, and 
permit him to enter into Tlafcala. Cortes chearfully 
anfwered. That he had already offered them his Friend- 
fhip, and, tho’ he had fuffleient Caufe to be otherwife, that 
he would ftill be their Friend. The Commander went 
back to the Tlafcalans, who beat him fo unmercifully 
that he was near Death. He returned to Cortes, faying, 
Thefe wicked Men would deftroy him. Cortes ordered 
him to be dreffed, and bade him, fmee they were to be en- 
gaged with his Countrymen, ftand apart, with a Token 
he gave him that he might not be hurt. In flcirmifli- 
ing before the Battle begun there were feveral notable 
Ablions ; among the reft one of the four Indians whom 
Cortes had fent on his Embaffy to Plafcala, knowing a 
Captain who in that City had feized him, afked Leave of 
Cortes to challenge him, who encouraged and allowed of 
the Challenge, direbling a Spaniard to draw near v/hen 
they were engaged, that if his Indian fhould be in danger 
he might not perifh. 
The Fight was begun in the Sight of both the Armies, 
with their Swords and Targets, but at the Conclufion, the 
Zempoallan killed the Llafcalan, and cut off his Head. 
The confederate Indians celebrating the Vidiory with 
mighty Cries, and the Spaniards perceiving that 
Cortes rejoiced at it, and looking' upon that as an 
happy Prefage of his future Viblory, founded their 
Trumpets and beat their Drums. Between the two 
Armies was a very narrow and dangerous Pafs, which 
the Tlafcalans defended, and the Spaniards were of Ne- 
ceffity to march that way. James de Ordaz boldly 
clofed with the Enemy, pufhing them, and gaining 
Ground, though Showers of Arrows fell on him and his 
Men ; At length he gained the Pafs, and then the Horfes 
were led through. The Tlafcalans having loft that Pafs 
fo proper to be defended, left the Field and marched clear 
off ; and the Spaniards being very well pleafed that they 
might be ftill advancing, took up their Quarters in a 
little Tower that ftood in an Eminence called Tracozizinco 
where there was a Temple with a little Town, which was 
afterwards called of Victory. They with extraordinary. 
Diligence made Barracs of Boughs and Straw, the In- 
dians working at them with muchAlacrity, becaufe Cortes 
pleafed them, and they were ready to ferve upon all 
Occafions upon that Account, and to avoid falling into 
the Hands of their Enemies. All that Night, being the 
firft of September, ftrift Watch was kept, and Cortes him- 
felf was upon the Guard with the third Part of his Men 
at the Morning Watch, which was moft apprehended, 
but no Enemy appeared j becaufe it was not their Cuftom 
to fight in the Night. 
The next Day Cortes thought fit to fend Meffengers to 
defire the Tlafcalans to permit him to proceed freely 
on his Way, fince it was not his Defign to do them 
any Harm, nor was he going to join the Confederacy 
againft the King of Mexico but only to perform what his 
Mafter the King of Spain had commanded him. In the 
mean time leaving Pedro de Aherado with half of the 
Forces, he marched with the other half, and the Horfe- 
men. He burnt four or five Towns, and returned with 
four hundred Prifoners and no Lofs, though the Enemy 
charged him all the way to his Quarters, where he w^as 
told the Tlafcalan Commander had anfwered his 
Meffage^ 
