Chap. III. ReduBion ^ N e w S P A i N. f if 
of their Crime, and they ever after ferved with extraor- 
dinary Care, to remove any Sufpicions of their Fidelity . 
However, not thinking fuch an exceffive Security which 
lays Care aQeep, and feems to invite Danger, at all con- 
fiftent with Difcretion, he ordered twelve Men for 
the Gua,rd of his Perfon, commanded by an Officer j and 
’tis likely he made choice of this Opportunity, that the 
People might without Surprize fee this new Addition 
to his Authority. 
Soon after he was perplexed with another Ahairj 
though of a different Sort, which had yet fome Circum- 
ftances of Sedition j for XkotencatU who commanded 
the fifft Troops that came from ^lafcala^ either upon 
fome Difguft, which may eafily be fuppofed, confider- 
ing his haughty Temper, or that he ftill preferved in 
his Mind fome Remains of his former Enmity, refolved 
to leave the Army. Affembling foiVie Companies, which, 
upon his earneft Intreaty, engaged to ftand by him, he 
took the Advantage of the Night for his Retreat ; and 
Cortes^ who was prefently informed of it by the Tlafca- 
Ians themfelves, was much concerned at a Behaviour of 
fuch dangerous Confequence, in fo confiderable a Com- 
mander among thofe Nations, at a Time when he^v/as 
juft ready to put his Defigns in Execution. He fent fome 
noble Indians of T ezcuco after him, to perftiade him to 
return, or at leaft to ftay till he heard what he had to 
offer ; but the Anfwer of Xicotencatl fo provoked Cortes, 
that he immediately fent three Companies of Spaniards, 
with an additional Force of Indians, with Orders to take 
him Prifoner, or kill him, in cafe of Refiftance.^ The lat- 
ter was put in Execution •, for he made an obftinate De- 
fence to the laft ; but the iSlafcalanS, who followed him, 
contrary to their own Inclination, ffiewed but little Re- 
folution upon this Occafion, and returned with the Spa- 
niards to the Army, leaving their Commander hanging 
upon a Tree. 
Some fay that the Spaniards, fent after him by Cortes, 
had private Orders to kill him, which feems the fafeftRe- 
folution that could have been taken ; but which way foever 
it was done, the extraordinary Forefight and Prudence of 
the General in managing this Affair cannot be denied, 
fmce neither the iSlafcalans of the Army, nor the Re- 
public, nor even his own Father, made the leaft Com- 
plaint for his Death ; for, having been informed fome 
Days before, that the young Man fo far forgot himfelf, 
as to fpeak ill of his Conduft, and endeavoured to dif- 
Credit, among thofe of his Nation, the Enterprize 
upon Mexico, Cortes fent an Account of it to I’lafcala *, 
and the Senate, in which his Father was prefent, an- 
fwered. That, according to the Laws of the Republic, 
whoever was guilty of Mutiny in the Army deferv- 
cd Death ; and that he might proceed againft him with 
the utmoft Rigour, if he found it neceffary ; as they 
would do, both againft Xicotencatl, and all that followed 
him, if they returned to iSlafcala. 
1 8 . Thefe Tranfadions did not hinder his attending 
to the neceffary Preparations for his great Defign. The 
Brigantines were launched by Degrees, a Work happily 
brought to a Conclufion, by the Induftry of Ma^nin 
Lopez •, and, whilft they were carrying on Board the 
Sails, Rigging, and every thing elfe wanting, Cortes re- 
viewed his Spaniards under Arms ; They confifted of nine 
hundred Men, of which, a hundred fourfeore and four- 
teen were Fire-arms and Crofs-bows, the reft were 
armed with Sword and Buckler, and Launces ; eighty-fix 
Horfe, and eighteen Pieces of Cannon ; the three largeft 
of Iron, and the other fifteen Brafs, with fufficient Stores 
of Powder and Ball. Cortes put five and twenty Spa- 
niards on board each Veffel, under the Command of a 
Captain, v/ith twelve Rowers, fix on each Side, and one 
Piece of Artillery, who immediately, embarked •, and each 
prepared to defend his own Veffel, and fuccour the reft. 
Things being thus difpofed for the Entry by the- Lake, 
Cortes refolved, by the Advice of his Captains, to pof- 
fefs himfelf, at the fame time, of the three principal Cauf- 
ways, •viz.Taciiha,Iztapalapa, and Cuyoac an, without re- 
garding that of Suchimilco. 
But, that he might avoid feparating his Troops, he 
divided his Army only into three Bodies, and committed 
the Execution of to Aherado , with the Title of 
Governor and Commanded in chief Of that Avenuec Fie 
had under his Command one hundred and fifty Spanijb 
Foot, and thirty Horfe, in three Bodies^ with thirty thou- 
hdiUd Llafcalans, and two Pieces of Artillery. The Attack 
of Cuyoacan was committed to Colonel Olid, with one 
hundred and hxtj Spani/hYoot, in three Companies, with, 
thirty Horfe, two Pieces of Artillery, and thirty thoufand 
confederate Indians. Laftly, he gave the Charge of the 
Attack of Iztapalapa to Col. Sandoval, with one hundred 
and fifty Spaniards, commanded by two Captains, with 
two Pieces of Cannon, twenty-four Horfe^ with all the 
I'roOps of Chaleo, Guaxacingo, and Chulula, amounting to 
above forty thoufand Men. 
Olid and Alverado marched together as far as Tacuha^ 
where they were to feparate, and took their Quarters iri 
that City, without any Oppofition, the fame being 
abandoned^ as were all the Towns upon the I.ake ; the 
Inhabitants that were able to bear Arms being gone to 
Mexico to defend their Capital, and the reft retired to 
the Mountains, with their Effects. There they had In- 
telligence, that the Mexicans had formed a confiderable 
Body, within half a League of the Town, to cover thO 
Aquedudts, which came from the Mountains of Chapul- 
tepeapue. Guatimozin took this feafonable Precaution as 
foon as he received News of the Motions of the Spaniards^ 
which preferved thofe Conveyances that fupplied all 
the Fountains in the City with frefh Water. There ap- 
peared on that Side two or three Rows of Pipes, made 
of Trees hollowed, fupported by an Aquedud of Lime 
and Stone •, and the ^nemy had caft up fome Trenches 
to cover it. But the two Captains marched out of Ha- 
cub a with moft of their Troops ; and though they met 
with a very obftinate Refiftance, they drove the Enemy 
from their Poll, and broke the Pipes and Aqueduft in 
two or three Places, and the Vfater took its natural 
Courfe into the Lake. Thus Olid and Aherado began 
the Siege by cutting off their Water, obliging the Mm- 
cans to feek it, at a Diftance, in the Brooks that ran 
from the Mountains, and to employ their People and 
Canoes in Carriage and Convoys. , . 
Olid marched on with his Party^ and took Poft at 
Cuyoacan ; and Cortes, allowing what Time he thought 
fufficient for Sandoval to reach Iztapalapa, took upon 
himfelf the Command on the Lake, that he might carry 
Relief where it ftiould be neceffary : He had with him 
Don Fernando, Lord of H ezcuco, and his Brother Suchel^ 
a young Man of brave Spirit, who was baptized foon 
after, and took the Name of Carlos. Cortes left a fuffici- 
ent Number of Troops in that City, to cover his Place 
of Arms, and make Excurfions to fecure the Communi- 
cation of his Quarters. Having difpofed all Things after 
he embarked, drawing up his thirteen Brigantines in a 
Line ; his Defign was to draw near to Mexico, and ftiew 
himfelf, and afterwards to fall upon Iztapalapa, being 
under fome Concern for Sandoval, who had no V effels to 
difiodge the Mexicans from that Part of the City, which 
ftood in the Water, and ferved as a Retreat for their Ca- 
noes ; But, in his Return, he difeovered at a fmall Di- 
ftance from the City, a little Ifland, a confiderabk 
Height above the Water ; on the Top of which ftood a 
pretty large Caftle, which the Enemy had poffeffed 
themfelves of, to no other End, but to provoke the Spa-^ 
niards with ill Language and Threats, from a Poft 
where they thought themfelves out of Danger of the Bri- 
gantines. 
Cortes did not leave unpunillied that Infolence, ^ in 
View of the City, the Terraces and Balconies ot which 
were filled with innumerable People, who came to fee the 
firft A£lion of the Fleet : He drew near to the Shore of 
the Ifland, and landed with one hundred and fifty of the 
Spaniards, who took two or three different Paths, that 
led to the Top : They mounted, with fome Difficulty, 
by reafon that the Enemy were numerous, and made a 
brave Defence, ’till defpairing of being able to preferve the 
Eminence, they retired to the Caftle, where they were-fo 
crowded, that they had not room to manage their Arms : 
Many periffied, though moft were faved. Having, 
by this Enterprize, ch^XiheA tht Mexicans, tho Spaniards: 
returned to their Brigantines ; but, when they were diff 
pofing themfelves to make for Iztapalapa, they were 
" obliged 
