128 
/ 
'^he Expedition of H 
obliged to take otherMeafures ^ for the fame Canoes came 
out Mexico^ which advanced, encreafing continually 
in Numbers. The firft that drew near, rowing gently, 
were about five hundred, waiting for the reft to come 
up j and, in a fhort Time, thofe that came out of the 
City, and other neighbouring Places, made fo great aNum- 
bdV, that it was judged they were four thoufand, which, 
with the Motion of their Feathers and Arms, afforded a 
Sight both beautiful and terrible, and feemed to cover 
the Lake. 
Cortes drew up his Fleet in form of a Half-Moon, 
that he might extend his Front : Fie confided in the Va- 
lour of his Soldiers, and the Advantage of his Brigan- 
tines, every one of which was able to make Head againft 
a great Part of the Enemy’s Fleet. With this Aflurance 
he advanced towards the Mexicans^ to let them fee he 
did not decline Battle ; and then ordered his Men to lie 
upon their Oars, and reft •, that they being refreftied, 
he might break in upon the Enemy with the greater 
Force y- for thie Calmnefs of the Day left the whole to the 
Labotir of the Mexicans^ who did the fame, and perhaps, 
for the fame Reafoii ; but of a fudden there came a Land- 
Breeze, which taking the Brigantines aftern, gave them 
all the Force that was neceflary to fall upon the ^Mexicans. 
They began the Attack with the Artillery, and then 
the Brigantines made up with Sails and Oars, overfetting 
all that flood in the Way ; the Fire-Arms and Crofs- 
Bows made their Difcharges without lofing a Shot ; the 
Wind too was favourable, driving the Smoke upon the 
Enemy, blinding them, fo th^ft they were obliged to 
retire to avoid it ; the Brigantines themfelves ftaving 
the fmaller \ eftels. The Nobles of Mexico^ who were 
in the firft 500 Canoes, made fome Oppofition •, but the 
reft were all Diforder and Confufion, the Canoes run- 
ning foul upon, and overfetting, one another. The Enemy 
loft moft of their Men, and their Fleet was>entirely broke 
and defeated. The Brigantines purfuing the miferable 
Remains with their Cannon-Shot, till they forced them 
into the Canals of the City of Mexico. This Vicftory was 
of great Moment, on account of the Reputation the Bri- 
gantines gained, of being invincible ; and becaufe it 
was a great Difcouragement to the Mexicans^ to fee 
themfelves deprived of that Part of their Power, which 
confifted in the Management and Swiftnefs of their Ca- 
noes, not for the Number of them that they then loft, 
which was inconfiderable, in regard of what they had 
ftillleft; but becaufe they were convinced that they were 
incapable of fuftaining the Shocks of the Brigantines. 
19. The Night was palled but indifferently *, and in 
the Morning, when the Brigantines were preparing to 
fail for Iztapalapa., they difcovered a confiderable Num- 
ber of Canoes, that were making the beft of their way 
towards Ciiyoacan ; whereupon he refolved to fuccour 
that Place firft where it was immediately wanted. It 
was not poffible to come up v/ith the Enemy’s Fleet. 
But he arrived foon after them, at the Time when Olid 
was engaged on the Caufway, and obliged to make a 
P'ront againft the Ipnemy that defended it, and to the Ca- 
noes on each Side, and was on the Point of retiring, 
and lofing the Ground he had gained. Neceffity taught 
the 'Mexicans as much as the Art of War could have 
done for theDefenceof their Caufways: They had drawn 
up towards the City the Bridges that were over the Paf- 
fages, by which the Waters of the great Lake difcharged 
themfelves into the other, and fixed Timber and Planks 
behind them, in fuch a Manner, that they might mount 
in Ranks, to charge from the Top; they left Trenches, 
at proper Diftances, with Water running before them, 
which obftrucled the Accefs. After this Manner they 
had fortified the three Caufways attacked by the Spani- 
ards.^ who, in each, were obliged to take almoft the 
fame Meafures to overcome the fame Difficulties. 
The Fire-arms and Crofs-bows played upon thofe 
who appeared above the Trench, whilft others handed 
Fafcines to fill the Ditch, after which they brought up a 
Piece of A.rtiilery, and in a few Difcharges cleared the Paf- 
fage, filling up the next Ditch vcith the Ruins of its own 
Fortification. 0 /zi had juft made himfelf Ivl after of the 
firft Ditch, when the Mexican Canoes arrived. But, on 
Sight of the Brigantines, all thofe on that Side fled with 
ERNAN Cortes, Book I. 
the utmoft Difigence, and none fuffered but thofe who 
could not get out of the Reach of the. Cannon. But 
becaufe the Mlexicans.) on the otiier Side, who thought 
themfelves fecure, continued the Engagement, Cortes 
ordeied the Ditch in the Rear of OUd to be widened, 
to make a Paftage for three or four Brigantines ; at the 
firft Sight of which all the Canoes fled, ""and the Enemy 
who defended the next Bridge, finding themfelves expofed 
to the great Shot from both the L^and and the Water, 
retired in ^Diforder to thelaft Rampart next the City. 
That Night the Troops took reft, without abandoning 
the Ground they had gained upon the Caufway, and the 
next Morning continued their March, with little or no 
Oppofition, ’till, coming to the laft Bridge, which was 
at^ the Entrance into Mexico.^ they found it fortified 
with ftronger Works, Trenches cut in the Streets, and 
defended by fuch a M^ultitude of People that the Enter- 
prize feemed hazardous, but the Difficulty did not fully 
appear till they were engaged. The Artillery from the 
Brigantines made a miferable Slaughter of the People, 
who were in Crowds, in the Openings of the Streets, 
whilft Olid was employed in filling up the Ditch, and 
ruining the Fortifications of the Caufway, which, when 
he had done, he charged the Mexicans., who defended 
them, making room for the confederate Troops, under 
his Command, to come up. The Enemy, at the fame 
Time, were fupported by Troops from the City, and 
made an obftinate Refiftance on all Sides, but they foon 
loft fome Ground ; and then Cortes^ who could not bear 
theSiownefs with which they retreated, landed with thirty 
Spaniards^ and gave fo much Life to the Attack, that 
the Enemy quickly turned their Backs, and the chief 
Street of Mexico was gained. 
Another Difficulty occurred ; for the Mexicans that 
fled had pofleffed themfelves of a Temple near the En- 
trance of the City, covering all the Outfide with fuch 
Numbers of Men, that the whole Building appeared 
like a Hill of Arms and Feathers. They defied the 
Spaniards with as much Boldnefs as if they had been 
always Conquerors. Cortes^ provoked at their Pride, 
when they had juft before ffiewn fo much Cowardice, 
ordered three or four Pieces of Artillery to be landed ; 
the firft Difcharge whereof made them fenfible of their 
Danger, and the Spaniards were foon obliged to point 
their Cannon lower, againft thofe that fled to the inner 
Part of the City. Thus all that Part of the City was 
forfaken ; for thofe who fought from Windows and the 
Tops of the Houfes went oft' with the reft, fo that the 
Army advanced, and the Temple was gained without 
Oppofition. That Day the Mexicans fuftained a very 
great Lofs of Men. The Idols were caft into the Fire, 
and ferved to make Illuminations for the Vi< 5 tory. 
Cortes was fatisfied that he had gained Footing in the 
City ; and, finding the Temple capable of more than 
ordinary Defence, he not only rclblved to lodge his 
Troops there that Night, but had Thoughts of main- 
taining that Poft, to ftreighten the Enemy, and of re- 
moving his Quarters from Cuyoacan thither. He commu- 
nicated his Defign to his Captains, but they oppofed it 
with fuchArguments that Ccr/£’.r was convinced, and accord- 
ingly, the next Day, he retired to Cuyoacan., protebled 
on each Side by his Brigantines ; fo that the Enemy durft 
not difturb his March. I'he fame Day he proceeded to 
Iztapalapa^ where he was put to the laft Extremity : He 
had pofleffed himfelf of the Buildings on the Land, and 
lodged his Army there^ fortifying himfelf the beft he 
could ; but the Enemy, who retired to that Part in- 
the Water, endeavoured from their Canoes to do him 
all the Damage they could. Sandoval had made great 
Plavock among thofe that approached, ruined fome 
Houfes, and had overthrown two or three Succours from 
Mexico., that came to attack him by Land : And that 
Day the Enemy forfaking a large Houfe, which was but 
a little from tl^ Land, he refolved to feize it, in order 
to enlarge his J^iarters. He made a Paffage with Faf- 
cines, and gbt into the Houfe with fome of his People ; 
but he had fcarce entered when a great Number of Canoes, 
which had lain in arnbuHi, advanced with a Multitude of 
T’eople, who threw themfelves info the Water, and, 
taking away the Fafcines, cut off Sandovads Retreat, by 
which 
I 
