whom the people of Temistitan had called to their assistance. They did not venture, however, to attack during the night, but waited for daybreak.

Informed by his scouts of their intentions, and having acquainted himself with the numbers massed against him, Cortes had recourse to a stratagem. He ordered fires lighted in different places to mislead the assailants into thinking he awaited their attack in the morning; meanwhile, at the second watch of the night, he ordered the standards to be raised and the retreat to begin as best it might. One of the allies from Tascalteca had fled. Cortes was very anxious, for he was ignorant of the direction he should take on his forced march; but a Tascaltecan chief, who had escaped and who remembered having formerly gone over this country, offered his services, so they set forth under his guidance. The severely wounded were either carried or attached to the tails of horses. Those who were unable to fight, but were still capable of standing, though wounded or ill, were sent on ahead.

The rear-guard, in which marched Cortes himself with his horsemen and the small number of soldiers who were not wounded, had hardly left the night encampment a mile behind, than day began to dawn, and a multitude of the enemy assembled, following close upon their rear rank. When they became too troublesome the horsemen turned and charged them, killing a great number, and afterwards rejoining the army. The natives pursued them, fighting incessantly, for a distance of two leagues. The enemy's persistence made it impossible to continue farther, and what most inconvenienced the Spaniards was that they had brought no supplies from Temistitan and were obliged to defend themselves against the people of the country. The inhabitants living near the road left their houses, uttering cries of alarm as do shepherds when they surprise a wolf near the fold, never ceasing until well assured that the ferocious beast is gone.

Amidst these dangers they finally reached Tascalteca, where they found themselves in a friendly country. In that second battle' fought when leaving Temistitan, the Mexicans had wounded four horses with arrows. One of these horses was eaten, and as Cortes relates, he and his companions devoured its flesh with avidity. During five days they had had nothing to sustain their miserable lives but some parched maize, and even of that there was not enough. I omit many particulars which would warrant me affirming that the legendary Hercules of Greece, with his twelve labours, never faced such sufferings, such dangers in battle, or such hunger without succumbing, much less any living man. Of all our contemporaries only Spaniards are capable of withstanding such trials. This Spanish race is formed by nature to support more easily than any other, hardships of every kind, hunger, thirst, heat, cold, long watches, and openair encampments, as necessity may demand.

2

On the sixth day after leaving Temistitan in what resembled a flight, Cortes arrived at a Tascaltecan town called Guazilipan, which according to his report numbers four thousand houses. He approached cautiously, for he feared, as often happens in human affairs, that changed fortune might have altered the people's sentiments, and transformed them from friends into enemies; but they were faithful to their pledges. A distance of four leagues separates Guazilipan from Tascalteca.

When the news of the disastrous defeat that had overtaken him, as well as the account of the retreat into their territory reached them, the Tascaltecans sent two lords of the city to meet Cortes; one of them was a civil magistrate

Referring to the battle of Otumba, a most decisive engagement in which the Spaniards, according to Cortes and Bernal Diaz, performed prodigies of valour and endurance, conquering finally by the visible intervention of the Saints.

and the other a general. Other envoys arrived from Guazuzingo, the republic allied to Tascalteca. These people lavished consolations upon our people, encouraging them, promising them speedy vengeance, and offering all the resources they commanded to accomplish this result. They said: "For the present rest from your fatigues and remember your allies. The massacre of the Spaniards and of our citizens who have perished with them shall be speedily avenged. The people of Temistitan shall be punished; this we promise you." Cortes was doubtful but this promise encouraged him and he retired to Tascalteca in response to the invitation of the envoys. He distributed amongst the people of Guazuzingo gifts, which are always acceptable because of foreign make, and dismissed them full of zeal.

The Spaniards were received with enthusiasm, and were able to rest in their beds and to restore their forces with food. When Cortes first went to visit Muteczuma, he had left a small amount of gold and silver at Tascalteca; this deposit he found untouched, and the alliance faithfully observed. But what did it profit? These valuables represented the sum of 21,000 castellanos of gold, without counting the precious stones; they were packed in boxes and sent to Vera Cruz, escorted by five horsemen and fortyfive foot-soldiers. When these men entered the territory of Colua, a vassal province of Temistitan, they were captured, sacrificed to the gods, and eaten, while the treasure was divided among the people of Colua.

Cortes stopped twenty days at Tascalteca to care for his wounded and to encourage his exhausted companions, after which he sent a second convoy to Vera Cruz. This convoy returned with the satisfactory news that all was well. His companions wished him to lead them back to that colony, thinking that once united they might more successfully resist the snares and perfidy of the natives. Cortes refused to retreat farther, because he had found

VOL. II-10

the Tascaltecans and people of Guazuzingo faithful to the alliance. He succeeded in persuading his companions that they were bound to wreak vengeance for the crimes committed at Temistitan.

Towards the calends of July in the year 1520, the army set out on its march. Near Tascalteca stands a large city called Tepeaca, whose inhabitants are mortal enemies of the Tascaltecans. The people of Tepeaca had surprised, sacrificed, and eaten twelve Spaniards who traversed their country and, therefore, Cortes marched against them supported by the powerful reinforcements of Tascalteca, Guazuzingo, and Chiurutecal. Scouts brought the news that the people of Tepeaca had received reinforcements from Temistitan. To be brief and to put the matter in a few words, they and their allies were defeated and the city surrendered unconditionally. Its inhabitants took an oath of obedience to Cortes and gave hostages for their good faith. Our engines of war, the cannon, the horses, all things they had never seen nor even heard of,-quickly intimidated them; but what served Cortes best was the union of three tribes as his allies.

He chose a site in the province, where he founded a new colony and built a fortress which he named Segura de la Frontera. But he was quite decided not to trust the inhabitants, not only because it was foreseeable that they would obey orders from Temistitan and revolt, but also because Tepeaca interrupts the communications between Vera Cruz and the allies.

While these events were happening, Cortes received messengers from Vera Cruz, saying that the Panuco king had repulsed the troops which Garay had sent to found a colony on that great river. The leaders, who had been scattered and succeeded in escaping, landed at Vera Cruz, After the defeat at Tepeaca, of which the news spread throughout the neighbouring tribes, the natives were torn by conflicting sentiments.

A mountain town called Guaccachiulla secretly sent to treat with Cortes and to offer assistance against the inhabitants of the province of Colua who were allies of Temistitan, and of whom they had reason to complain because of various outrages and assaults; they had even carried off their women. Guaccachiulla is on this side of the mountains while their enemies of the province of Colua are on the other side. Cortes was informed that in the regions beyond the range an ambuscade of thirty thousand soldiers had learned that the Spaniards were advancing with the intention of entering the territory of Colua. Taking with him only two hundred foot-soldiers, thirteen horsemen, three thousand allies, and some cannon, Cortes marched against Guaccachiulla. The commanders of the ambuscade, who were sound asleep in the town, were either all killed or captured. The town of Guaccachiulla is surrounded by strong walls furnished with towers and is protected by the mountains. The soil is fertile; the town numbers about six thousand houses, built of stone and mortar, and two rivers water the plain in which it stands.

There is one other town, four leagues distant from Guaccachiulla, whose inhabitants proposed to surrender to Cortes, but their cacique fled with the Coluans and would not give his submission when invited to do so. Cortes appointed his brother in his place and promised the inhabitants that he would not revoke his decision.

Some days later Cortes marched by another road to a city called Izzuccan, also four leagues distant from Guaccachiulla. He learned that an army of Coluans was awaiting him on the road not far from the frontiers of that town. Their number was reported to be twenty thousand men, who felt certain of repulsing the invasion of their territory. Six thousand men defended the town from within, and the others were scattered in groups amongst the villages and hamlets. The women and