1 24 l^he Expedition ofU 
abundance of Refrefliments for all the Troops j nor did 
he forget to have -the Viftory celebrated with Rejoicing, 
after the iifual Manner of that People. 
The Inhabitants of Chaleo^ as Subjects of the Mexi- 
can Empire, were Enemies to the ‘TlafcalanS’, and had, 
befides, perpetual Difputes with them about their Fron- 
tiers : But this Night all their Quarrels were forgot, at 
the Defire of the Chalquefes. The Spaniards v/ere Me- 
diators at the Treaty, and, the Chiefs of both Nations be- 
ing alTembled, Peace was concluded ; Sandoval and Lugo 
undertaking to get it confirmed by Cortes, and the Llaf- 
calans to have it ratified by the Republic. This Affair 
thus finifhed, they returned to Cortes, who highly com- 
mended both the Spanijh Officers, the Soldiers under 
theit Command, and all the Indian Auxiliaries. He fet 
the eight Mexican Captains at Liberty, and fent them 
with Propofals of Peace to their Emperor •, not that he 
hoped any thing from it, farther than fhewing the Juftice 
of the War to all the People in that Part of the Xd orld, 
by obliging the Enemy to draw it upon themfelves, by 
repeated Retufals of all Terms of Accommodation. 
1 5. About this timt Cortes was informed that the Bri- 
gantines were finifiied, by the Induftry and Care of Mar- 
tin Lopez, and the Republic of I’lafcala granted him ten 
thoufand Men to carry thefe Veffels from the Place where 
they were built to the Lake, wffiich they accordingly 
performed •, and, if we confider it attentively, this will ap- 
pear one of the wifeft Contrivances of this great Captain, 
and the happy Execution of it, one of the moft fur priz- 
ing things performed by the Spaniard's, in the Courfe of 
this Expedition. He was no fooner acquainted with this, 
than he again took the Field, and had feveral Engage- 
ments vdth the Enemy, in moft of which he was fuc- 
cefsful ; but, at the Attack of a Place called Lacuha, 
he was compelled to retreat. A Veffel arrived at this 
time at Vera Cruz, and, in her, Julian de Alderte, a Na- 
tive of Lordefillas, with the Charafter of the King’s Trea- 
furer. Father Urrea, of the Order of St. Francis, Anto- 
nia de Cararvaial, Geronimo Ruiz de la Moto, Alonfo Diaz, 
de la Reguera, and feveral Soldiers of Diftindlion, 
with a very confiderable Succour of Arms. They im- 
mediately marched to Llafcala, and there had an Effort 
to condudt them faff to Lezcuco, themfelves carrying the 
firft News of their Arrival. 
Soon after there arrived Meffengers, difpatched in 
hafte from the Caziques of Chaleo and Thamanako, to 
demand Succour •, for the Emperor Guatimozin, as appear- 
ed by his Condifdl, applied himfelf entirely to the Arts 
of War and had confidered that there was no better 
way to compafs his Defign, than by feizing on that Fron- 
tier, whereby he might cut oft” their Communication with 
Llafcala, and prevent Succours from Vera Cruz ; a Point 
of fo much Confequence, that Cortes found himfelf ab- 
folutely obliged to protedt thofe Allies, to whofe Fide- 
lity he owed the Prefervation of this Pafs. He imme- 
diately difpatched Sandoval to their Relief, with three 
hundred Spaniards, twenty Horfe, and fome Companies 
of Llafcala and L'ezcuco. Sandoval marched with fuch 
Diligence, that his Succour arrived very opportunely. 
The Caziques had affembled all their Troops, which, 
i dined to thofe, made a very confiderable Body. The 
'Enemy was not far off their Army, having lodged the 
Night before at Guajlepeque, and it was refolved to attack 
them before they entered the Territories of Chaleo. In 
the mean time the Mexicans, depending upon the Num- 
ber of their Forces, poffeffed themfelves of fome hollow 
Ways, in order to wait their coming in a Place where 
they might be feciire againft the Plorfe. 
The Spaniards faw the Difficulty when they came to 
the Charge, and Sandoval liooSt in need of all his Refo- 
lution to diflodge the Enemy from the Poll ; which, how- 
ever, they did, Sword in hand, but not without Lofs. 
The Mexicans loft a great Number in this Conflidt ; how- 
ever, they thought themfelves ftrong enough to rally, and 
draw up upon the Plain : But Sandoval, having overcome 
the Difficulty of the Paffage, attacked them fo brifldy 
that they had not time to form. The Van-guard 
continued the Fight with defperate Fury, but foon gave 
Way, and difperffd i and the Spaniards followed with fo 
ERNAN Cortes, Book I. 
much Vigour, that the Mexicans loft the greateft Part of 
their Troops. Sandoval remained Mafter of the Field, 
and chofe a Place for his Army to halt in, and take a 
little reft, refolving to advance that Night to Guajlepeque. 
But fcarce had the Troops began to enjoy the Repofe 
they fo much wanted, wffien the Scouts gave the Alarm 
fo warmly, that it was neceflary to form the Army with 
all Expedition. A Body of fourteen or fifteen thoufand 
Mexicans were advancing fo near^ that the Spaniards 
could hear their Drums and Horns. Thefe Troops were 
fent as a Reinforcement to thofe whicii had marched from 
M.exico before. The Spaniards advanced tb receive thofe 
new Comers, and attacked them fo feafonably, that they 
made Way for the Horfe to charge ; who made fuch a 
Slaughter of the Enemy, that they were foon obliged to 
retire to the Town of Guajlepeque ■, but the Spaniards 
followed them fo elofe, that they entered the Place at 
the fame time, and maintained the Entrance;' till the 
reft of the Troops coming up, they divided into the 
feveral Streets, and Sword in Hand drove the Enemy 
out of the Town. The Mexicans loft great Numbers, 
and the reft fled. This Town was fo large, that Sandoval 
was refolved to quarter there that Night ; and the Spa-- 
niards, with the greateft Part of their Allies, lay under 
Cover. 
He was foon after obliged to take the Field again the 
Enemy having rallied and Cortes himfelf came quickly 
after into the fame Country, where he had feveral En- 
gagements with the Mexicans, not much to his Advan- 
tage ; for, confiding in the Bravery of his Troops, and 
defpifing too much the Inexpertnefs of the Indians, he 
attacked them even in the moft difficult Pofts, and there- 
by gave them fuch Advantages, as he found it very dif- 
ficult to ftruggle with. Yet his old and new Allies re- 
m.ained firm and faithful, which induced him to accept 
the Invitation given him of going to Guajlepeque, in or- 
der to refreffi himfelf and his Army and, before he 
well arrived there, he found himfelf called to frefli Toils^ 
by the News that the Mexicans had affembled a very 
powerful Army at ^latlavaca, fo that it was abfolutely 
neceffary for him to march thither. 
1 6. This large and famous Capital of an Indian Prin- 
cipality, ^latlavaca, was a populous Town, ftrong by 
Nature ; fituate between Baraheo’s, or Breakings of the 
Earth, above eight Fathoms deep, wliich ferved as a 
Ditch to the Place, and Paffage for the Water that de- 
feended from the Mountains. The Army arrived at this 
Place, after having fubdued all the Towns which lay in 
their Way, without any Difficulty. The Mexicans cover- 
ed the Banks with fuch a Number of Soldiers, that the 
Paffage feemed impoflible : But Cortes drew up his Army 
at a convenient Diftance •, and, while the Spaniards and 
the Confederates endeavoured to divert the Army with 
their Fire-arms and Arrows, he went to view the Baranco^ 
and, finding it at fome Diftance lower much narrower, 
he immediately ordered two or three Bridges to be made 
of Trees, cut at the Root, which reached from one Side 
to the other ; and which, laid together as well as was 
poffible, made a Road for the Infantry to pafs. 
The Spaniards of theTan-gnard, leaving the Llafcalans 
to keep the Enemy in play, immediately paffed over, 
and formed a Battallion on the other Side of the Ditch, 
which was continually augmented by the Allies. But 
the Mexicans, who Were quickly fenfible of their Negli- 
gence, poured down upon thofe tlrat had paffed with 
fo much Refolution, that they had much to do to keep 
their Ground ; and the Succefs had been very doubtful, 
if Cortes had not opportunely arrived ; who, whilft the 
Foot v/ere getting over,- had found out a Paffage for the 
Horfe ; which, though very difficult and dangerous, 
was of great Ufe fin the extreme Danger to which the 
Spaniards were reduced. The Plorfe wheeled in order 
to charge the Mexicans in the Rear, which they did j af- 
fifted by fome Foot, who had paffed the Ditch by the 
Means of two or three Trees, which were fallen down 
by their own Weight, and lay acrofs the Baranco. But 
the Mexicans, who now faw the Danger that threatened 
them in theMidft of their Fortifications, gave themfelves 
ior loft j and, difperfing, fought only to efcape in the 
