po l^he Expedition (^/'Hernan Cortes, Book L 
public fent that fmall Prefent, which was not fo incon- 
fiderable, for want of good Will, but by Reafon of the 
Poverty of their Country *, and that if he had any Com- 
mands, they would ferve him very readily. Cortes thinking 
the Meffengers had been fincere, very pleafantly told them. 
That though he valued the Prefents, he made more ac- 
count of their Good-will, and coveted nothing more than 
making them his Friends. The next Day the "l^lafcalans 
fent fifty Men, who brought Provifions, aiked how the 
Men did, and what they meant to do ? Cortes faid they 
were all very well, and gave Thanks for the Prefent •, and 
thefe Men growing familiar, walked about the Camp, 
and obferving every thing therein, and particularly the 
Horfes Teeth; a Zempoallan Gentleman taking parti- 
cular Notice of them, told Cortes he looked upon thefe 
Men as Spies/ and that they had fome private talk with 
the Indians of TztaaSluchitlan : Upon this, Cortes or- 
dered one of them to be taken up, whom he examined 
by his Interpreters, ufing Threats if he did not confefs 
the Truth. He owned that they had been all fent to dif- 
cover which Way they might burn the Barracs, for which 
Purpofe they defigned to march with a great Army by 
Night, thinking that the Guns, Horfes, and Weapons, 
were lefs to be feared in the dark. 
Others having confirmed this Account, he caufed the 
Hands of feven of thofe Men, and the Thumbs of others, 
to be cut off, though much againft his Inclination, but 
believing it might be of ufe for the future ; and bid them 
go tell their General, Xicotencatl^ that he would ferve all 
the Spies, that fell into his Hands, after that Manner ; 
and that he might advance with his Army, for that he 
would always find the Spaniards invincible by Night or by 
Day. Thofe Men with their Hands cut off, ftruck a 
great Confternation among Xicotencatl % Forces, beget- 
ting an Opinion, that the Spaniards had fome Spirit 
that difcovered their Thoughts to them, for which Rea- 
fon they durft fend no more Spies or Provifions. Cortes, 
after this Information, enlarged his Trenches, and for- 
tified his Camp, providing every thing till Sun-fet, when 
he perceived that the Enemies Army was advancing to 
put their Defign in Execution ; and judging it moft con- 
venient not to fuffer them to come up to his Quarters, 
he boldly marched out to meet them, which he thought 
would terrify them the more, as fuppofing their Inten- 
tion had not been known. 
He accoutred all the Horfes with large Breaft-plates, full 
of Hawks-Bells, that the Noife might make them feem the 
more ; directing they Ihould ftrike the Enemies on their 
Faces, with their Spears, becaufe they were wont to lay 
hold off, and fnatch them away. Then, having told the 
Soldiers that they muft overcome that Multitude by dint 
of Valour, he fell on at the very time when the Spies, 
whofe Hands had been cut off, were relating what had 
befallen them, which much troubled the General and 
all that heard it, but they were much more aftonijfhed to 
fee themfelves fo unexpededly alTaulted, fo that they 
inftantly difperfed and fled, without making any Oppo- 
fition ; and though a great Slaughter was made, Cortes 
took care to put a Stop to the Purfuit, for fear they 
fhould be drawn into fome Place of Difadvantage. The 
next Day Cortes feeing his Men chearful, faid to them. 
That fince God had, till then, fo vifibly aififted them, 
they would be all very much to blame if they did not 
proceed on what they had fo well begun with Refolution, 
and to that Purpofe it was requifite to prefs hard upon 
the Tlafcalans, to the End, they might afterwards prove 
the furer Friends, for that nothing could be more ad- 
vantageous to them, in New Spain, than to be in Confe- 
deracy with that Commonwealth, which was to be com- 
pafled by profecuting the Vidories they had gained. 
All the Commanders and Soldiers promifed to fol- 
low and go wherever he would lead them ; Xicoten- 
catl being much out of Countenance at the Difafters he 
had met with, retired to Tlafcala ; Maxifcatzin, and the 
other Lords, told liim it had been better to have fol- 
lowed the firft Advice, and faved the Lives of fo many, 
and therefore it was in vain to perfift obftinate^y to the 
Lofs of the Reputation of that Republic. Cortes feeing 
no Enemy appear in the open Country, went up to the 
% 
top of the Temple, where his Quarters were, whence 
he difcovered feveral Towns, and abundance' of Smokes 
towards the Mountains ; then coming down, he told his 
Captains he believed that to be a large Place, and fince 
no Enemy appeared, it was proper not to lofe Time, 
but to put in Execution what had been agreed on. As 
foon as it was Night, having before taken a view of the 
Country, he refolved to try his Fortune, and entered upon 
a great Road, with half his Infantry, and, all his Horfe^ 
judging that Way would lead him to the Smokes he had 
feen. They had fcarce gone a League, before a Horfe 
fell, which Cortes ordered to be fent back to the Quarters, 
and prefentiy two more fell one after the other, and in 
this Manner there fell five. 
The Soldiers begged of Cortes to turn back, and do 
what they defigned by Day, becaufe they looked upon 
this as an ill Omen : He, with an undaunted Courage, 
prayed them for the Love of God, whofe Caufe they had 
in hand, not to regard fuperftitious Obfervations, but to 
hold their Way, fince he went himfelf foremoft, and 
that the Horfes might return to the Place from whence 
they came. He had fcarce fpoke thefe Words, when his 
Horfe fell, which he wondered at, whereupon all his 
Men urging that it was a vain Thing to proceed, and 
fome, that he would ruin all ; he, in a fevtre Manner, 
told them they ought to confider that great Undertakings 
were not to be carried on without Difficulties, that they 
Ihould try to march a-foot, leading the Horfes, to fee what 
that Accident tended to : When they had marched far after 
this Manner, the Horfes were all well, and they could never 
find what occafioned their pafi; Diftemper, though fome fan- 
cied it might have been fome Sorcery of the Indians, much 
pradtifed among them, but Cortes faid it was the Cold 
of the Night which gave them the Gripes. They pro- 
ceeded thus till they came into fome ftony Grounds, 
from which they extricated themfelves with Difficulty, 
and fpying Fire, made towards it. They found two 
Men and two Women in a Houfe, who condufted them 
to the Mountains, where Cortes had feen the Smoke. 
Before it was Day they came to fome Villages, where 
the Fright was greater than the Hurt ; and being inform- 
ed that Cintancingo, a large Town, was by, they foon 
came to it, the Surprize occafioning much Confufion : 
Some Harm was done at firft, but the People running 
away in the utmoft Confternation, Cortes ordered that 
no Perfon Ihould be killed, and nothing taken, fo that 
the Diforder ibon ceafed, and the Inhabitants returned to 
their Houfes. Cortes went up to a high Place, whence 
he difcovered fuch a multitude of Houfes, that he was 
aftonilhed, and alking what Places thofe were, received 
an Anfwer that it was the City of SClafcala, and the Vil- 
lages about it ; he called all his Men, and faid, what 
would it have availed to have deftroyed the People of G'«- 
tancingo, fince there are fo many yonder ? Then turning to 
Alonfo de Grando, who was chief Alcalde, he aiked him 
what he thought was fit to be done, confidering the mul- 
titude of People they had difcovered? He anfwered, 
that they fhould return to the Sea and write to James Ve- 
lafquez to fend Supplies, becaufe if any crofs Accident 
or Sicknefs Iliould happen among them, it was certain 
they Ihould be all devoured by the Indians. Cortes was 
much concerned at this Anfwer, and elpecially for its 
touching upon James Velafquez : However, he replied, 
that he ought to confider that if they muft certainly die, 
it was better to perilh in the Profecution of their Defign 
than in running away. 
7. He then went to reft him by a Spring, without the; 
Town, whither the Chiefs of the Country reforted to him, 
with abundance of unarmed Men, carrying a quantity of 
Provifions. They thanked him for having done no hurt, 
as he might ; offered to obey him, and interceed with the 
Lords ofl'lafcala for a Peace : He entertained them very 
kindly, promifing his Friendihip, provided they were 
lincere, and fo returned to his Quarters, adviling the Sol- 
diers not to fpeak ill of the Day till it was paft, for he 
hoped that the War with ’Ilafcala was at an End, as 
they would find it, and if fo, God had much Profperity 
in ftore for them. Thofe he had left in his Quarters 
were very melancholy, fearing fome Difafter, becaufe of 
