1 
Chap. IIL for the ReduBion 
IVIeirage, and that they would, the next Day, tell him 
their Minds. This bold Anfwer, and the Advice Cortes 
had received, that One hundred and Fifty thoufand Men 
were affembled, made him put his Forces into fuch a 
Poftlire as he might not be furprized. Cortes refolved to 
be informed by the moll rational of the Prifoners about 
ail things that were convenient for him to know apd they 
anfvvered, That fince they v/ere his Prifoners, and fo Well 
ufed, they would tell him the Truth : They declared, 
that the Army was compofed of Otomies and Tlafcalans, 
all Subjefts of the Republic of Tlafcala^ though they did 
not care to have it known that their Commonwealth made 
the War, becaufe they would not have it thought, if 
they fhould be vanquillied, that it had been by their Au- 
thority ; that they hated him, becaufe they imagined 
he was going to be a Friend to their mortal Enemy 
Motezuma^ and therefore they agreed never to give over 
till they had conquered the Spaniards, and facrificed them 
to their Gods, and made a folemn Banquet of them, 
which they called heavenly ^ that the War was carried on 
at the particular Inftigation of Xkotencatl, the General 'of 
die Republic, who Oarried its Standard, which was a 
golden Eagle with its Wings difplayed, and that he 
would fee it the next Day in the Rear of the Army, be- 
caufe they were to fight j fi?r in time of Peace it was 
before: That they were about One hundred and Fifty 
thoufand Men, molt Archers, who were very much afraid 
of the Thunder, and of the great running Stags, and 
were amazed at the dreadful Wounds their Swords had 
made. 
5 . The riafcalans Army appeared, the Standard was 
feen, and the Number of Men was fo great that they 
Covered the whole Plain, all painted, adorned with great 
Plumes of Feathers, armed after their Manner with Bows 
and Arrows, Slings and Javelins, which they Call with 
fuch Dexterity that they would pierce a Door, and was 
the Weapon the Spaniards moft dreaded j long Spears, 
and Swords edged with Flint; Targets, Clubs, Head- 
pieces, wooden Gauntlets, and Greves covered withDeer^ 
Ikins ; gilt Cotton Armour for the Body Finger-thick, 
which they called Efcupiles, worn afterwards by the Spa- 
niards, who found them ufeful againfi: the Arrows, and 
convepient in the Toils they underwent, not being able 
to endure Steel . or Iron : They likewife made ufe of the 
Indian Targets, their own being foon fpoiled, and thofe 
were made of Wood, Leather, and adorned with Fea- 
thers, and others of Reeds and Cotton, being the beft, 
becaufe they did not fplit. 
The Army marched very orderly, divided in two 
Battallions, but crowded together, and every Battallion 
had Horns -and Kettle-drums, which was an extraor- 
dinary Sight, for the Spaniards had never beheld fo great 
an Army fince they difcovered the Indies. The Enemy 
halted very near the Spaniards, with a deep Trench be- 
tween them. Cortes fhev/ed himfelf highly pleafed at the 
Sight of them, and told his Men, that God gave them 
that Opportunity for his Glory, and the Honour of the 
Spanijh Nation, which would ftrike a Terror not only 
into Mot ezuma, but into ail that World. The Tlafcalans 
being highly elevated with fo mighty an Army, encou- 
raged by the.fmali Number of the Spaniards, puffed up 
with their ufuai Succefs againfi: their Enemies, fent three 
hundred Turkeys, two hundred Bafleets of Cakes of 
Zentli, that is Fifty hundred weight of Bread, which was 
an extraordinary Supply, for the Spaniards, confidering 
the Diftrefs they were in, and this, that they might 
be in better Cafe, and tafte more delicioufly when fa- 
crificed. 
When the Tlafcalans thought the Spaniards had eaten, 
Xicotencatl, in a very haughty Manner, commanded 
two thoufand Men to go and take thofe Creatures the 
Sea had fpewed up, and if they defended themfelves to 
kill them. The Two thoufand Men paifed the Trench, 
and with no lefs Intrepidity advanced to the Tower : 
The Horfemen went firfl: to receive them, the Infantry 
followed, 2.Mi C\^nafcalans, at the firfi; Encounter, were 
made fenfible of what the Spani/lj Weapons could do. 
They retired a little, but returned with greater Fury ; 
when they were fully convinced that thofe few Men were 
. Yol.il Numb. 75. 
^ New Spain. 
not to be flighted. In their Retreat they were' moft of 
them killed. The Comimander of the Army, having 
feen what had happened, fell on fo boldly, that many of 
the Indians came up to the Camp, and-fome entered 
in fpite of thofe who were left upon Guard, fight- 
ing with the Spaniards Hand to Hand. This proved a 
Day of glorious Toil, for the Fight lafted above four 
Hours, within and without the Trenches, before they 
could make room, the Indians charging and attackihg 
fo furioufiy ; till feeing a great Number killed, they be- 
gan to fiacken, being amazed that they could not kill a 
Spaniard, looking upon that as wonderful, fo that they 
ftili fought as if they had been angry with themfelves ; 
but as it grew late they retired. 
The Spaniards refted the better becaufe fhe]i knew 
the Indians would not fight in the Night, but kept a 
good Guard. The Tlafcalans did not look upon them-^' 
felves as vanquifhed, and how many Were killed could 
not be known, becaufe as they fell they hid their Dead. 
The next Day Cortes marched out into the Country, burnt 
Ibme Towns, and plundered one that had three thoufand 
Inhabitants, but few Soldiers, becaufe moft of them were 
gone to the Army. The Town was fired, many Prifon- 
ers carried away, and the Spaniards returned to their 
Quarters, at a Time when a great Number of Men were 
coming to defend that Place, but retired immediately for 
fear of the Guns, and being fatigued with Heat. The 
next Day the Tlafcalans thinking they could gain more 
Advantage over the Spaniards in narrow Places, in a 
haughty Manner fent them Provifions again, as they had 
done before ; challenging them to come into fome ftreight 
Place, but finding they did not, they boldly began the 
Attack again. They fought five Hours very defperately^ 
without being able to kill one Spaniard^ which was what 
they aimed at, but of them a prodigious Number was 
flain, becaufe as they thronged together, the Cannon, the 
Muficets, and the Crofs-bows, did dreadful Execution^ 
At length, tired and afhamed that they had not execut- 
ed their Malice, they retired in Confufion. 
The next Morning the Commanders fent Meflengers 
unto Cortes, who thus addrelTed him : Sir, if you are a 
fierce God, here are five Slaves for you to eat ; if you 
are a good God, we offer you Incenfe and Feathers; and 
if you are a Man, take then Fowls, Btead; and Cherries# 
for you and your Men to eat. Their Defign was to knoW 
whether the Spaniards were Men like themfelves; becaufe 
as they had not been able to vanquifil them, or fo much 
as kill one, they concluded they were immortal ; and fee- 
ing, on the other Hand, that they did eat and do other 
things like Mortals, they were confounded. Cortes^ who 
never wanted Prefence of Mind on any Occafion, faid 
they were all mortal Men like themfelves ; but that, be- 
caufe they believed in, and ferved one only true God, he 
did, and would always, affift them ; that they fhould 
not deal treacheroufly with him, for all would turn to 
their Prejudice ; and fince he did not defire to do them 
any harm, but to be their Friend, he advifed them not 
to be obflinate ; having delivered himfelf thus mildly^ 
he difmiffed them, returning Thanks for the Prefent. 
The next Day thirty thoufand Tlafcalans advanced, be- 
ing defirous to fignalize themfelves, and fought fo 
bravely, that tlie Battle was more bloody than the former# 
but at length retired; and it is to be obferved, that for 
the Space of ten Days the Spaniards continued in thofe 
Quarters, the Indians generally fupplied them with Fowl, 
Bread, and Cherries, only that they might have the Op- 
portunity of viewing their Order and Situation, whether 
any dead Men were buried, wounded, or dreffed, and ob- 
ferve how they looked, or whether they had more or 
fewer Forces •, yet the Spaniards, at firfl:, had no Jealoufy 
of their Defign, and, on the contrary, commended the Indi- 
ans for making War only with their Weapons, for had 
they cut off their Provifions they muft have been undone. 
6 . The Tlafcalans, intent upon feeking Revenge, and 
finding how little they could do by Force, had recourfe 
to Policy, and, in order the more to lull the Spaniards 
into Security, they fent fome Men of Note with Prefents of 
Gold and Feathers : They made many fubmiffive Bows 
to Cortes, and the eldefl of them told him, That the Re- 
A a public 
