T E S 
H E R N A N 
tleighbouiirig Parts^ Cortes fent fome Commanders to re- 
duce thofe that ftiil held out •, enjoining them to try all 
gentle and fair Means •, and gave out that he would re- 
turn to Tlafcala. The chief Men of 'Tepeaca entreated 
him, that fince they \vGre become the King of Spain's 
Subjedls, purfuant to the Oath they had taken, he would 
not forfake them *, but, in cafe he could not avoid go- 
ing, he would leave fome Spaniards there, or elfe they 
fhould be deftroyed : Cortes anfwered, that he would en- 
deavour to fatisfy them, and that they need not fear the 
"Mexicans^ for he hoped in God they iliould foon fee 
them quite difabled *, and thinking the Situation of that 
City very convenient to fecure the Way to Villa Rka^ as 
commanding the Paffes through which the Spaniards 
came into thefe Parts-, and that the Province was in the 
Midft of the Country, near to the Republic of Tlafcala, 
Guaxacingo^ and Chulula^ on which it bordered and on 
another Side upon the Culuas, who, being fo clofe by, 
might occafion new Commotions there : Upon all thefe 
Confiderations, and to pleafe tht'Tepeacans^ who had de- 
fired a Garrifon of him, he fent for the Alcaldes and 
Regidores of the Council, who were with him, and told 
them it was convenient to fettle a Colony there, for the 
Reafons aforefaid who approving of it, he appointed 
the proper Officers, and Jerom de Aguilar to be Regidore, 
being always ready to requite thofe that deferved it. He 
called this Place Segura de la Frontera^ i. e. the Secu- 
rity of the Frontier, becaufe founded upon the afore- 
faid Motives, and becaufe it lay on the Frontiers of 
^Sultta* 
6. It has been before obferved, that for the better car:= 
lying on the War againft the Spaniards^ the Mexicans 
had thought fit to elebb Guatimozin for their Emperor, 
the Nephew and Son-in-law to Motezuma: He was a 
young Man about twenty-five Years old, of fo much 
Spirit and Vigilance, that, contrary to the Manner of his 
PredecefTor, he entirely gave himfelf up to the Care of the 
Public *, being defiroiis, immediately, to fhew the Ad- 
vantages of Government when placed in proper Hands : 
He knew what the Spaniards were doing in the Province 
bi Stepeaca, and, forefeeing the Defigns they might form, 
when affifted by the united Forces of the Flafcalans^ and 
other neighbouring Provinces \ he began to have thofe 
reafonable Apprehenfions, which are neceffary to prudent 
Meafurcs. 
Cortes received an Account that his Army was upon 
the Frontiers, which was confirmed by three or four No- 
bles, fent by the Cazique of Guacachula^ a populous City, 
jhtuate on the Road to Mexico^ and a Place which the 
new Emperor looked on as one of the Ramparts of his 
Empire. They came to requeft Succour againft the 
Mexicans^ complaining of their Violences, and offering 
to take up Arms againft them, fo foon as the Spaniards 
fhould come within Sight of their Town. They made 
the Undertaking appear eafy and juft faying, that their 
Cazique ought to affift as a Vaffal of the King of Spain. 
Cortes aflced them what Force the Enemy had in thofe 
Parts ? They told him twenty thoufand in the Diftribl of 
their City, and ten thoufand more in another City, cal- 
led Tzucan., four Leagues from them but that, in Gua- 
cachula., and its Dependencies, they could raife a very 
confiderable Number of Men, who would be glad of an 
Opportunity to take up Arms. Cortes examined them 
very carefully, that he might difcover the Intentions of 
their, Cazique ; and they gave fo good an Account of 
themfelves, as fully convinced him of their Sincerity 
and, though he fhould have had fome remaining Sufpi- 
cion, he would, at that time, have differnbled it ; for, 
in cafe the Treaty could not have been depended on, it 
was neverthelefs neceffary to drive away the Enemy, and 
fiibje<5l the frontier Towns before the Mexicans came with 
a greater Force to defend them. 
Corits applied himfelf fo earneftly to this Enterprize, 
that the very fame Day he formed an Army of three 
hundred Spaniards., twelve or thirteen Horfe, and above 
thirty thoufand TTafcalans., under the Command of Chri~ 
fiopher de Olid-, and after he had made this Difpofition, 
he put his Defign in Execution with fo much Expedi- 
^tion, that the Army marched next Morning. Olid car- 
2 
ried the Envoys, fent from Guacachiila, with him, and 
had Orders to advance with Circumfpeftion, till he came 
near the City ; and. in cafe he fufpeded any Treacliery* 
to engage the Mexicans in fome advantageous Poft, and 
break them before they attacked the Town. They all 
marched on very chearfully, till, at fix Leagues from Fe- 
peaca, and almoft at the fame Diftance from Guacachula.,^ 
they found it rummured among the Peafants of the Coun- 
try, but without any good Foundation, that the Empe- 
ror of Mexico was on the March with his whole Force, 
to relieve thofe Cities. 
The Soldiers of Na?-vaez believed the Report, and fo 
multiplied the Enemies Forces in their Imagination* 
that, without hearkening to Reafon, or obeying Orders, 
they infolently protefted that they would march no far- 
ther: So th.?x Chrifiopher de Olid grew angry, and in a 
contemptuous Manner bid them return ; threatning them 
with the Difpleafure of Cortes, fince they were not 
touched with the Diffionour of their Retreat. But as he 
was preparing to profecute his March without them, 
there happened a new Accident, which, if it did not al- 
together ffiake his Conftancy, yet retarded the Succefs 
of the Expedition. They faw feveral Bodies of Men 
defeending from the neighbouring Mountains, and ad- 
vancing with more than ordinary Diligence ; and ChrV 
fiopher de Olid, believing the Mexicans were coming to at- 
tack him, drew up his Men in order, in which he a£t- 
ed rightly for too much Care never did hurt in an Ar- 
my. But fome Llorfe, whom he had fent before to gain 
Intelligence, returned with an Account, that it was the 
Cazique of Guaxacingo, with his confederate Caziques, 
who were come to affift the Spaniards in their War againft 
the Mexicans, who had ravaged their Frontiers, and 
threatened their Dominions. Upon this. Olid ordered 
their Troops to halt, and the Caziques to come before 
him, which was prefently done. 
But that which ffiould have given them all entire Satif* 
faftion, occafioned a fecond Uneafinefs in the Soldiers. 
It began amongft the Flafcalans, and next infefted the 
Spaniards for they both declared, that thofe People were 
not to be trufted ; and that they were fent by the Mexi- 
cans to ferve them by falling on the Spaniards during the 
Engagement. Chrifiopher de Olid heard them, and, with- 
out enquiring fufficientlyinto the Matter, entered into their 
Sufpicions prefently, feized thofe Caziques, andfent them 
away toT epeaca, for Cortes to determine concerning thera# 
An inconfiderate Adlion, by which he ran the rifque 
of raifmg a Difturbance between his own People and 
thofe who really came as his Friends. The Prifoners 
were brought before Cortes, complaining with a good deal 
of Reafon of Olid. Cortes heard them with great Kind- 
nefs, and, ordering their Irons to betaken off, endeavoured 
to regain their good Opinion. But upon further Con- 
fideration he found it would be neceffary to carry on this_ 
Enterprize inPerfon ^ the Diftruft which his Indian 
had of each other, and the Uneafinefs among the Spaniards, 
feeming to threaten fome fatal Event. He prefently fet out, 
and in a few Hours came up with the Army : There 
every body was pleafed with his Prefence, Things looked 
in quite another Manner, and the Storm that was b^eginning 
to gather difperfed •, he reprimanded Olid, for not fending 
him an Account of the Accident, fince he was fo near, 
and for difeovering his Jealoufy by the Imprifonment of 
the Caziques ; and, having joined all the Forces, without 
any farther Delay he marched on to Guacachula, order- 
ing the Envoys from that City, to go and inform their 
Caziques where he was, and , what Force he had brought 
along with him. 
The Mexicans were pofted on the farther Side of the 
City, but on the firft Notice from their Sentinels they ad- 
vanced with fo much Speed, that by the Timie the Spa- 
'niards came within Mufket-ffiot they had formed their 
Army, and poffeffed themfelves of the Road, with an 
Intention to try their Strength under Cover of the Town. 
The Viftory was very vigoroufiy difputed ; the Mexicans 
not only defending themfelves, but advancing with all 
the Signs -of Refolution to maintain their Ground to the 
utmoft ; v/hen the Cazique of Guacachula laid hold 
of this Occafion to give a Proof of his Fidelity, falling 
on , 
