I I 2. 
^he Expedition ofn E R N A N C O Pv T E Book I, 
that they were not able to make ufe of their Weapons j 
and this new Afiault proved a Relief to the Spaniards, 
tor the Mexicans were eafiiy routed, and all of them in 
a Manner being killed, their Bodies were fufficient to fill 
up the Canal, with no other Trouble than the flinging 
them in, • where they ferved to fupply the want of a 
Bridge, for the Army to pafs over. After this Manner, 
fome Writers relate it, though others fay, that they 
luckily found a Beam of fufficient Breadth, which the 
Enemy had left whole in the fecond Bridge, on which 
the Soldiers paffed over in Files, guiding the Horfes 
through the Water by the Bridles. 
14. Cortes paffed with the firft Body of his People, 
and, ordering Juan de Xarmillo to take Care to form the 
Men as faft as they arrived, he returned, without De- 
lay, to the Caufway, with the Captains Sandoval^ Olid, 
Davila, de Morla and Dominguez : He entered the Engage- 
ment, animating thofe who fought as well by his Prefence 
as by his Example ; he reinforced his Troop, with as 
many Soldiers as he thought neceffary to flop the Enemy 
on both Sides of the Caufway, and ordered the reft to 
file off from the Centre, caufing the Artillery to be 
thrown into the Water, to free the Paffage, and facili- 
tate the March. Cortes at laft retired, with all he could 
pick up of the Rear-Guard, and as he was penetrating 
through the fecond Space of the Caufway, with little or 
no Oppofition, he was joined by Jlverado, who owed 
his Life to little lefs than a Miracle of Refolution j for 
having found himfelf clofely befet on every Side, his 
Horfe killed under him, and one of the Canals ftill be- 
fore him in his way, he fixed his Lance or Spear in the 
Bottom of the Lake, and, railing his Body by Force, 
and fupporting his Weight in the Air, by the Strength 
of his Arm caft himfelf on the other Side 5 a furprizing 
bold Aftion, which has fince been looked upon as fome- 
thing furpaffing Nature •, and Alverado himfelf, when he 
afterwards refledfed upon the Diftance, and the Succefs 
he had met with in the Attempt, eafiiy became fenfible 
of the Difproportion there was between the Fad itfelf, 
and the Feafibility of it. 
The Army gained the firm Land by the firft Appear- 
ance of the Day, and halted near Dahuca, not without 
fome JealoLily of that Town, which was very populous, 
and in the Intereft of the Mexicans, but they took Care 
not immediately to quit the Neighbourhood of the Lake, 
that they might give Time to thofe who could efcape 
from the Battle to fave thcmfelves j nor was that Precau- 
tion unneceffary, for feveral Spaniards and Tlafcalans 
found the Advantage of that Stop, who, by their Va- 
lour and good Management, got off by fwimming to 
the Shore, where they hid themfelves in the Fields of 
Maize in the Morning. Thefe gave the General an Ac- 
count that the laft Divifion of the Rear Guard was en- 
tirely cut offj and Cortes having drawn up his Troops, 
found that he had loft about two hundred Spaniards, 
rnort thzn one thoMmdi Tlafcalans, forty-fix Horfes, and 
all the Mexican Prifoners, which laft not being able to 
make themfelves known in the Confufion and Obfeurity 
of the Night, v/ere treated as Enemies by thofe of their 
own Nation: Dh.t Spaniards snert fatigued and difeouraged, 
their Numbers diminifhed, and the Artillery all loft, 
expefting every Moment to be attacked, and the Place 
of their Retreat far off ; and among fo many Motives of 
Concern, their Misfortune received a great Addition, by 
the Lofs of fome principal Captains, in which Number, 
thofe of the greateft Note were A?nador de Larez, Fran- 
eifeo de Morla, and Francifeo de Salcedo, who loft their 
Lives, all difeharging their Duties with extraordinary 
Valour. Juan Velafquez de Leon, who retreated in the 
very laft of the Rear Guard, likewife loft his Life, op- 
pfefled by Multitudes, after having endured incredible 
Fatigue, ftiewing an invincible Courage, even to the 
lateft Gafp ^ a Lofs, which was generally lamented, for 
all Men refpefted him, as the fecond Perfon in the 
Army. 
Cortes fat down upon a Stone to reft himfelf a little, 
while his Officers were putting the Troops in order, and 
difpofing them, to profecute their March. Lie found 
himfelf fo 'opprelTed with Concern, that he never more 
flood in Need of all his Magnanimity to temper his Grief. 
He fumm.oned all his Conftancy to his Affiftance ; and, 
at the fame Time he gave his Orders, animated his 
People, and exerted himfelf with his wonted Alacrity. 
He enquired for the Aftrologer, either in order to repri- 
mand him for the Part he had in haftening the March, 
or to divert his Melancholy, by rallying him upon his 
Science ; but he was told, he v/as killed in the firft 
Affault, off the Caufway ; that W retch having met 
with the Fate common to thofe of his Profeffion. But, 
in the midft of thofe Misfortunes, it was no fmail Con- 
folation to Cortes, and the whole Army, that Donna 
Marina and Hieronimo de Aguilar had found Means to 
efcape from the Battle, in the terrible Confufion of that 
Night: They being the principal Inftruments of the 
Conqueft, and no lefs neceffary than they had been be- 
fore j for without them, it was altogether impoffible to 
engage the Friendftiip of the Nations they were going to 
feek ; nor was it lefs happy, that the Mexicans did not 
follow the Chace, for they gave Time for the Spaniards 
to breathe after their fatigue, and to march in better 
Order, and with lefs Hafte, mounting the difabled Men 
on the Strongeft of the Horfes. This Stop of the Mexi- 
cans proceeded from an unexpeded Accident, which may 
be attributed to the Providence of God. The Sons of 
Motezuma who had attended on their Father, during his 
Continuance in the Quarters, together with all the Mexi- 
can Prifoners, who were laft under Convoy, with the 
Baggage, were unfortunately killed by the Enemy , , and 
in the Morning, the Indians allured by the Spoils of the 
Dead, beheld pierced through with their own Arrows 
the Bodies of thofe unhappy Princes, whom tiiey reve- 
renced with that kind of Adoration they once did their 
deceas’d Father. They flood amazed, ftupified, and 
confounded at the Sight, without daring to pronounce 
the Caufe of their Aftoniftiment. Llowever, it was not 
long before the News was carried through the Troops, 
and they were ail feized with Fear, and that kind of fud- 
den Terror, which the Antients called Panic. 
The Mexican Chiefs refolved to fend an Account of 
this Accident to the new Emperor ; and he, who was 
forced to affedt a Concern, out of Compliance with 
thofe whofe Grief was unfeigned, commanded the Army 
to halt : Beginning the Ceremony of the Funeral with 
Outcries and Lamentations, which ufed to precede the 
Obfequies, whilft the Prieft, followed by all who had re- 
mained in the City, came to receive their Royal Bodies, 
in order to condudt them to the burying Place of their 
Anceftors. It was to the Death of thofe Princes, that 
the Spaniards were indebted for the firft Recovery from 
their Confufion, and that feafonable Refpite ; but they 
lamented, notwithftanding, their untimely Fate, and par- 
ticularly Cortes, who loved thofe Princes, refpedled in 
them the Memory of their Father, and had founded Part 
of his Hopes in the right of the Elder. Cortes, in the 
mean while, diredled his March towards Tlafcala, with 
Guides of that Nation, his Army continually in order 
of Battle, as not being without Sufpicion of fome De- 
fign in the Enemies Delay ; and upon fuch Occafions 
Diffidence is oftener attended with Succefs than too con- 
fident Security. It was not long before fome Corps of 
armed Indians appeared, who followed the Army, with- 
out approaching within Shot. Thefe were the Inhabitants 
of Tabuca, Efcaptigaleo, and Tenecuga, whom the Mexicans 
had fum.moned, to obferve the Motions of the Spaniards 
on the March, till fuch Time as they had difeharged 
themfelves of their Duty towards the Sons of Motezuma. 
Cortes extended his Front, where he pofted his Eire- Arms 
and Crofs-Bows, being obliged to engage in the open 
Field, without having any Place of Security to retire to. 
As many of the Indians, as had Courage enough 
to venture near, died without Difeouragement to the 
reft. The Horfe fallied out to ftcirmiffi, and made 
a very great Slaughter ; But the Number of the Ene- 
my continually increafed, and their Arrows and Slings 
did confidera.ble Damage ; the Spaniards were tired, 
and without Hopes of repulfmg that enormous Mul- 
titude, and now their Valour began, to ftacken for 
want of Strength; when Cortes, who behaved himfelf 
in the Battle like a Soldier, without forgetting the Duty 
of a General, obferved a Rifing-ground at no great 
I ' Diftanca 
