I 22 , 
Expedition of H 
his Agents, beftowed feveral Marks of his Kindnefs upon 
Martin Cortes^ on account of his Son’s Merit, whom he 
promifed to reward according to his Service. 
Several Regulars were named for the Converfion of 
the Indians: He ordered a confiderable Number of Arms 
and Horfes to be embarked in the firft Fleet, and, con- 
fidering how much the utmoft Difpatch imported to 
them, he commanded the Orders to be immediately 
drawn, and fent i one was diredled to the Royal Audi- 
ence of Santa Domingo^ another to Velafquez^ ftridly en- 
joining him to defift from further interfering in that En- 
terprize, and feverely cenfuring his violent Proceedings ; 
another to Francifco Garay ^ blaming him for attempting 
any thing on New Spain: The laft was diredled to Cortes^ 
and abounded in thofe Marks of Honour and Favour, 
which Kings beftow on thofe from whom they have re- 
ceived extraordinary Services, when they do not difdain 
to own the Obligation. Thefe Difpatches were figned 
by the Emperor in Valladolid the 2zd of Odlober 1522, 
and fent away with two of the Envoys of Cortes, the other 
two remaining to follicit Succours, and receive Inffruc- 
tions that were framing for the Government of the new 
conquered Country. But to return, 
12. When our Hero refolved to renew the War, it was 
towards the Year 1520, and he had no fooner refolved 
than fo lucky an Accident happened, as gave both him- 
felf and his Soldiers fredi Spirits. A Ship arrived at 
Vera Cruz with Arms and Ammunition on the Account 
of private Merchants, but both the Captain and all his 
Men were fo charmed with the Reports they heard of 
the Riches of Mexico, that they quitted their Ship, and 
joined the Army. The next Day there was a general 
Mufter, when it appeared, that there were five hundred 
and forty Foot, and forty Horfe, together with nine 
Pieces of Cannon. The Tlafcalans furnifhed ten thou- 
fand Men, and the Confederates in Proportion. 
The Army marched that Day fix Leagues, and took 
up their Quarters in a Place called Tezmeluca, which fig- 
nifies a 'Grove of Oaks. It was a confiderable Town, 
fituate on the Mexican Confines, and in the Jurifdidtion 
of Guaxacingo, whofe Cazique took Care to provide fuf- 
ficiently for all the Troops. The Day following they 
continued their March with all neceffary Precautions. 
They received Advice, that the Mexicans were affembled 
on the other Side of a Mountain, which rendered the 
Road of fezcuco very difficult, and becaufe they came 
not to that Place till towards Evening, and it was not 
advifeable to march through fuch broken mountainous 
Ground when Night was approaching, the Army made 
a halt. In the Morning they began to mount the Hill, 
and penetrate the Woods, but they had not marched 
much above a League, when the Van-guard returned, 
with an Account that the Enemy had ftopt, up the way, 
with Trees laid a-crofs, and fliarp Stakes, which they 
had fixed in the loofe Sands, to wound the Horfes ; 
upon which Cortes faid to the Spaniards aloud, Thefe 
valiant People don’t feem very defirous to meet us, fince 
they take fo much Pains to flop up our way to them ; 
and he ordered ty^o thoufand flafcalans to join the Van- 
guard, and clear the Road, which they executed with 
fo much Expedition, that the Rear of the Army fcarce 
feemed to ftop. 
From this Place they difeovered the great Lake of 
Mexico, and upon this Occafion Cortes put his Soldiers 
in Mind of the Riches they had enjoyed, as well as of 
what they had fufibred in that City, mixing the good 
and bad, that he might animate them to Revenge. They 
likewife difeovered feveral Fires in diftant Towns, fuc- 
ceeding one another with fome Intermiffion ; and, tho* 
there was no doubt but thefe were Signals made on the 
Difeovery of the Army, they purfued their March, 
with the fame Precaution. They foon difeovered, at a 
great Diftance, the Enemy’s Army, which took up all 
the Plain, without making any Motion, feeming re- 
folved to continue in a. Poll: from whence they could 
eafily make a Retreat. The Spaniards rejoiced at the Op- 
portunity of coming fo foon to an Aftion, and the flaf- 
calans did the fame : But the Joy of the latter foon 
turned to Fury j fo that Cortes was obliged to make 
E R N A N Cortes, Book I. 
ufe of his Authority, and the Diligence of fome of his 
Captains, to prevent their running into Dilorder. 
The Mexicans were on the farther Side of a great Ba- 
ranco, or Chafm in the Earth, which muft of Neceffity 
be paired. It was made deeper by a Brook, which, col- 
ledling all the Waters from the Mountains, ran through 
it, and was at that Time confiderably fwelled. The 
Mexicans had a little wooden Bridge over it for the Ufe 
of Paffengers, which they could eafily have broke down, 
but had left on Purpofe, as was afterwards fuppofed, 
that they might deflroy their Enemies in that narrow 
Pafs, thinking it impoffible that they could ever form 
themfelves on the other Side, when fo vigoroufly op- 
pofed. After this Manner they reafoned, when at a 
Diffance from Danger ; but when they difeovered the 
Army of Cortes, which they had believed to be fo nu- 
merous, their Imaginations were ftruck with other Noti- 
ons : They wanted Courage to defend their Poft, and 
therefore began to retire by little and little, without 
turning their Backs. Cortes advanced with Speed, and 
when he came up to the Baranco, he efteemed it a Piece 
of good Fortune that the Enemy had quitted it ; for, 
notwithftanding the Spaniards found no Refiftance, they 
had fome Difficulty in paffing it. He detached twenty 
Horfe, and fome Companies of flafcalans, to keep the 
Enemy in play, without engaging farther, until fuch 
Time as the reft of his Troops were paffed. But the 
Mexicans no fooner faw them drawing up on the other 
Side of the Baranco, than they laid afide all their Policy, 
difperfing themfelves at once, fome betaking themfelves 
to the moft unfrequented Paths, and others feeking Re- 
fuge in the Mountains. 
Cortes did not care to lofe Time, but marched to 
pofifefs himfelf of T ezcuco. The Army in their March 
made fome Slaughter of the Mexicans, who had abfeond- 
ed in the Woods. The fame Night the Troops quartered 
in a Place lately forfaken by the Inhabitants, within three 
Leagues of T ezcuco, where they doubled their Sentinels, 
and were in a Manner all Night under Arms. But the 
next Day, at a little Diftance from the Town, they dif- 
eovered about ten Indians, who were coming in Hafte 
along the Road, with the Appearance of a Melfage, 
and who brought with them a Plate of Gold, in form of 
a Flag, hanging to the Top of a Lance, which was 
looked upon as a Sign of Peace. 
The Chief of them came as Embaflador from the King 
of f ezcuco, defiring Cortes to fpare his People and 
Country ; acquainting him, that he defired to be his 
Confederate, for which End he had provided good Quar- 
ters for all the Spaniards in the City ; and that the r^ of 
the Nations, under his Command, ffiould be fupplied 
with every Thing that was necelTary. Cortes put fome 
Qiieftions to him ; and, as he came well inftrudted, he 
anfwered without Flefitation ; adding, that his Mafter 
had juft Reafon to complain of the Emperor, who was 
about to execute his Revenge upon him by fome Extor- 
tions, and other Oppreffions not to be endured, for his 
having refufed him his Vote in his Eleftion, for which 
Reafon he was refolved to unite himfelf with the Spa- 
niards, as one of the moft interefted in the Ruin of that 
Tyrant. 
It does not appear from any of the Spanijh Hiftorians 
who this King of T ezcuco was •, but they all agree, that 
he was both a Tyrant and a Ufurper, fo that as foon as 
the Spattiards were in PolTeffion of the Place, the Nobili- 
ty defired Cortes to reftore their lawful Prince ; which, 
as it was an A6t of Juftice, and feemed to pro- 
mife much in favour of the Spanijh Intereft, he rea- 
dily performed, to the great Joy of the Inhabitants. 
13. As they made fome Stay in this City, Olmedo 
found Means to convert the King to the Chriftian Reli- 
gion j and he proved both a faithful, and an ufeful Ally ; 
fending fix or feven thoufand of his Subjedls to aflift in 
widening the Canals, that they might the better receive 
the Brigantines, which had been prepared in order to 
fail into the great Lake, againft the armed Canoes, which 
the Indians employed thereon. Cortes, at the fame time, 
defiring to undertake fomething to facilitate the Enter- 
prize upon Mexico, refolved to advance to the City of 
Iztapalapa, 
