Chap. III. for the ReduBion f EW Spain. ttt 
evident that there was no fuch Defign. The Sentinels 
difcovered that the Enemy befieged the Quarters at a 
greater Diftance than they v/ere wont, that they appeared 
more circumfpcdt than ordinary, calling up Trenches, 
and other Works, to defend the Paflage of the Canals, 
and that they had detached fome bodies of Men to the 
Lake, who were breaking down the Bridges of the principal 
Caufway, and cutting off all Communication with the 
Road which leads to Tlafcala ; a Proceeding which fully 
difcovered the Artifice of their Defigns, i 
This Intelligence Cortes received with Concern ; but, 
inured to overcome great Difficulties, he reaffumed his 
natural Calmnefs, and, upon his firfl Reflexions, which 
always pointed direXly at the Remedy, he ordered a Bridge 
of Planks to be made, wherewith to cover the Opening of 
the Caufway, capable of bearing the Weight of the Artillery, 
and fo' contrived that it might, without much Difficulty, 
be carried by forty Men: And, without lofmg more 
Time than what was neceffary for the compleating of 
this Work, he aflfembled his Captains to confult with 
them, and to take their Opinion concerning the Retreat, 
whether it fhould be made by Day or by Night. Ilis 
Commanders differed in Opinion, but the Majority of 
them inclined rather to the Night, and Cortes yielded, or 
at leaft feemed to yield to them, becaufe they were the 
Majority; but, as the greateft Minds are not exempt 
from fome Weaknefs, fo it is faid that Cortes was in a 
great Meafure influenced by the Advice of a private Man, 
whofe Name was Botello, and who paffed for a kind of 
Prophet ; this Man had the Boldnefs to declare, that if they 
marched by Night, and without Delay, they flioyld cer- 
tainly get off fafe, but, that either himfelf or his Brother 
fliould be killed. It was the Cuflom of Cortes to defpife 
his PrediXions, while he liflehed to him, and to treat 
them as ridiculous, though he fuffered them to make an 
Impreffion upon him, in which, if Company could be any 
excufe, Cortes might have pleaded the Examples of 
others, as great Heroes as himfelf. 
13. This Refolutionof retiring being thus taken in the 
Morning, it was farther agreed, to execute it immediate- 
ly, and to take the Opportunity of the fucceeding Night. 
The very fame Evening the General difpatched another 
B/Iexiccm-y as his Emballador, to the City, with Pretence 
of continuing the Treaty begun by the Prieft, giving 
them to underftand that all Things fhould be gotiready 
for their Departure, within eight Days, at farthefl. 
Cortes^ in the mean while, was diligently difpofing Mat- 
ters to begin the March, the Shortnefs of the Time mak- 
ing every Moment precious. He diflributed his Orders, 
and gave his Captains the neceffary InftruXions, provid- 
ing againft all Accidents which might happen upon the 
March, ^ with all imaginable Precaution. 
J He formed his Van Guard of two hundred Stanijh 
Soldiers, with the choicefl of the Tlajcalans^ and about 
twenty Horfe, under the ConduX of the Captains San- 
doval^ Azehedo^ Ordaz^ Lugo and Lapia ; he gave the 
Command of the Rear Guard, with a greater Number 
bothof Hoife and Foot, to Alverado^ Juan Velafquez de 
LeoUf and otnei Captains, of thofe who came with Nar- 
vaez. In the main Body or Centre, he placed the Pri- 
foners, Artillery, and Baggage, v,^ith the reft of his Army 
refolving himfelf to be employed as Neceffity fhould 
require, at the Head of one hundred choice Men, with 
the Captains Idavila^ Olid, and V afquez de T apia. Things 
being thus difpofed, he made a fhort Speech to his Sol- 
diers, laying before them the Difficulties of the Under- 
taking, upon which he enlarged a little the more, be- 
caufe it was a current Report among them, that the 
Mexicans never engaged by Night, and it was neceffary 
to infpire them with Diflrufl, left they fhould fall into 
over-great Security. He next caufed all the Gold, Sil- 
ver and Jewels, which were in the Cuflody of Chrijloval 
de Ouzman, Groom of his Chamber, to be brought into 
his Apartment, and out of it he feparated the Fifth, be- 
onpng to the King, in thofe Things which were leafl 
buiky, of which he made a formal Delivery to thofe Of- 
ficers, who had Care of the Accounts and Provifions of 
fome wound- 
ed Horfes for the Carriage thereof, in order to fpare the 
Indians, who might be in other RefpeXs ferviceable upod 
that Occafion. 
The Remainder, according to the beft Computation 
could be made, amounted to upwards of feven hundred 
thoufand Pieces of Eight, all which VCealth he left with 
little or no ReluXancy, protefting publicly, That it 
“ v/as no Time to embarrafs themfelves with it, and 
‘‘ that it would be a Shame to employ thofe Hands fo 
“ unworthily, which ought to be left free for the De- 
“ fence of Life and Reputation.''* But finding the Sol- 
diers not fo well contented with this ineftimable Lofs, he 
added, as he was going away, “ That they ought not to 
“ look upon their Retreat from thence as abandoning of 
“ that acquired Treafure, and their main Defign, but as 
“ a necdTary and indifpenfible Difpofition, in order to 
“ return with a greater Force. After the fame Manner 
“ as a Man draws back his Arm, in Order to give the 
“ greater Blow.” And withal, gave them to under- 
fland, that he fliould not think it a Crime in them to 
take away as much of that N ealth as they conveniently 
could and thougli the greateft Part of them took Care 
to go light, there were fome, and particularly thofe who 
came with Narvaez, who gave themfelves up to pillage, 
loading their Shoulders beyond what they were well able 
to bear ; a Permifllon, in whicli all the military Care and 
CircumfpeXion of Cortes feemed to be afleep. It was 
very near Midnight when they marched out of their 
Quarters, without the Sentinels or Advance Guards finding 
any thing to give them the leaft Sufpicion, and notv/ith- 
ftanding both the Wetnefs of the Weather and the Dark- ■ 
nefs of the Night favoured their Intention of marching, 
and freed them from any Jealoufy of the Enemies con- 
tinuing Abroad in their Works ; they fo punXually ob- 
served Silence, and CircumfpeXion, that Fear itfelf could 
not have wrought what Difcipline did in thofe Soldiers 5 
the portable Bridge went with the Van Guard, and 
thofe who had the Charge of it, laid it over the firfl Ca- 
nal, but the Weight of the Horfes and the Artillery 
made it ftick fo faft in the Stones, which fiqDported it„ 
that they could, by no Means, remove it to the other 
Canals, as they defigned, nor had they indeed an Op- 
portunity to do it, for before the Army had palTed the 
firfl Breach of the Caufway, they were obliged to take 
to their Arms, with the greateft Precipitation, finding 
themfelves affaulted on every Side, when they ieaft'of all 
fufpeXed any fuch Matter. 
The Addrefs with which thofe Barbarians difpofed 
their Enterprize was worthy Admiration. They ob- 
ferved with a ftill and filent Vigilance the Motions of 
tdxo Spaniards. They afiembled and diflributed, without 
Noife, the Multitude of their Troops. They took Ad- 
vantage of the Silence and Darknefs of the Night, to 
cqmpafs their Intention of drawing near without being 
difcovered. They covered the whole Length of the 
Lake on each Side of the Caufway, with armed Ca- 
noes, beginning the Attack with fo little Confufion, and 
fuch excellent Order, that the Spaniards heard their 
Shouts, and the warlike Sound of their Shells, almofl 
at the fame Time that they felt their Arrows. The 
whole Army had undoubtedly been deftroyed, if the In- 
dians had obferved the fame good Order in the Heat of 
the Engagement, as in the Beginning of the Attack ; 
but to them Difcipline was a Reftraint, and when once 
they began to be enraged, Cuftom prevailed. They 
charged in Fleaps where they perceived the Bulk of the 
Army, preffing upon each other after fuch a Manner 
that their Canoes were broke to Pieces by ftriking on 
the Caufway, and the Violence of thofe who were furi- 
oufly endeavouring to advance, proved a new Danger to 
thofe who were foremoft. 
The Spaniards made terrible DeftruXion amono- the 
naked Multitude, but they had not Strength fufficient to 
hold out fuch inceffant Exercife of their Swords and 
Spears, nor was it long before they found themfelves 
like wife attacked in F ront, and were obliged to turn 
their F aces, where the Danger grew moil preffing ; for 
the Indians, who v/ere at a Diftance, or who could not 
bear the Tedioufnefs of the Oars, flung themfelves into 
the Water, and by the Help of their Arms and natural 
■^gkity, climbed up the Caufway, in fuch Numbers, 
that 
