_How Cortes assigns particular stations to the twelve brigantines,
the thirteenth being considered unfit for service._
Cortes, our officers, and the whole of the troops were now convinced
that it was impossible to fight our way to the city along the causeways,
unless we were covered on each side by a couple of the brigantines. Our
general therefore joined four of these to Alvarado's division, he
himself retaining six others near his head-quarters, which he had taken
up where Oli was stationed; the remaining two he sent to Sandoval, for
the smallest brigantine was not considered of sufficient bulk to make
head against the large canoes, and was taken out of the service
altogether, and the men distributed among the crews of the other twelve.
As soon as the brigantines arrived at our station Alvarado placed two on
each side of the causeway, which were to cover us as we advanced to the
attack of the bridges. We now fought with better success than we had
previously done for the brigantines kept off the canoes, and prevented
them from attacking our flanks; so that we now succeeded in forcing some
of the bridges, and in destroying several of the enemy's entrenchments.
The conflict, however, was no less severe; on the contrary, the Mexicans
made so good a use of their lances, arrows, and slings, that, although
our jackets were thickly quilted with cotton, they wounded the greater
part of our men; nor did they desist from the attack till night came on;
but they had the great advantage over us, that they could relieve their
troops from time to time, by pouring in fresh men, and could shower
innumerable quantities of stones, arrows, and lances, upon our
brigantines, from the tops of the houses. Indeed I cannot find a more
appropriate expression than shower, although they alone can feel its
full force who were present on the occasion. If we did at times succeed,
with the utmost exertion, to force an entrenchment or a bridge, and we
omitted to station a strong detachment to guard it, the enemy returned
in the night, made another opening in the causeway, threw up larger
entrenchments, and dug deep pits, which immediately filled with water,
and these they covered slightly over, that we might sink down into them
in the midst of the battle of the following day, when the canoes would
hasten up to profit by the confusion, and carry off our men prisoners.
For this purpose numbers of canoes were lying wait in places where they
were out of the reach of our brigantines, though they were always ready
at hand, if their assistance was required. But the enemy had provided
in another artful way to render our brigantines useless in certain spots
of the lake, by driving numbers of stakes into the water, whose tops
were just below the surface; so that it was often impossible for our
vessels to avoid them, and they consequently stuck fast, and left our
troops open to the attacks of the canoes.
I have before mentioned of what little use the cavalry was to us in our
operations on the causeway; for whenever they did drive the Mexicans
before them up to the bridges, the latter leaped into the water, and
retreated behind the entrenchments which they had thrown up on the
causeway itself, where other bodies of the enemy stood ready to receive
them armed with extremely long lances, with which, and various kinds of
projectiles, they severely wounded our horses; so that the owners of the
horses were very unwilling to risk them in such unequal conflict; for at
that time the ordinary price of a horse was from 800 to 1000 pesos.
When night came on, and released us from the attacks of the enemy, we
returned to our encampment, and attended to our wounds, which we dressed
with bandages steeped in oil. There was likewise a soldier among our
troops, named Juan Catalan, who charmed the wounds, and the Lord Jesus
blessed this man's exertions in a manner that he invariably succeeded in
his cures. Indeed, if all our wounded, each day we renewed the attack,
had remained behind in our camp, none of the companies could ever have
sallied out with more than twenty men at a time. When our friends of
Tlascalla observed how this man charmed the wounds, and how every one
who was wounded applied to him for assistance, they likewise brought him
all their wounded, and these were so very numerous, that his only
occupation throughout the day consisted in charming wounds.
Our officers and ensigns were most exposed to the enemy's weapons, and
were oftener wounded in consequence; for which reason a fresh set of men
were each day appointed to carry our tattered colours. With all these
hardships we had to suffer, it will at least be thought that we had
plenty of food. But of this we were likewise deprived, and we should
have thought ourselves fortunate if we had only had some refreshing food
for our wounded; we had not even a cake of maise! Miserable indeed was
our distress! The only means we had of keeping soul and body together
was by eating herbs and cherries, and at last we had nothing to subsist
on but wild figs; Cortes and Sandoval's divisions fared no better than
ours, and the Mexicans likewise continued the attack upon them from
morning to night. Every blessed day that came they were obliged to
advance fighting their way up to the bridges along the causeway; for the
Mexicans, and the troops which lay in the other towns of the lake,
merely awaited the morning dawn, when the signals were given from the
summit of the great temple of Huitzilopochtli to rush out upon us both
by land and water.
The operations of the besieged were carried on with perfect order, and
it was previously settled where the different bodies of their troops
were to direct the attack.
As we began to experience that our daily advancing along the causeway
each time cost us a loss of men, besides that we gained little advantage
by it, for the Mexicans returned in the night, and again took possession
of the points we had forced, we determined to alter our plan of
operations, and took up a position on a more spacious part of the
causeway, where several towers rose up together, and where we should be
able to quarter ourselves for the night. Though we were miserably off
here, and had nothing to protect us from the rain, nor to cover us from
the piercing rays of the sun, we were not to be deterred from our
purpose. The Indian females who baked our bread were obliged to remain
behind in Tlacupa, protected by our cavalry, and the Tlascallans, who at
the same time covered our rear, that the enemy might not fall upon us
from the mainland. After these precautions had been adopted, we began to
carry out our principal object, which was to make ourselves master of
the houses in the suburbs, and of the intervening canals. These last
were then immediately filled up, and the houses pulled down; for, as I
have before mentioned, it was difficult to destroy them by fire, as they
were detached, and stood in the water. It was from the tops of the
houses that we received most injury from the enemy; so that, by
destroying these, we gained a considerable advantage. Whenever we had
taken one of the enemy's entrenchments, a bridge, or forced any other
strong position, we were obliged to occupy the spot night and day with
our troops, which we regulated in the following manner:--Each company
watched by turns; the first from the evening time until midnight; the
second from midnight until a couple of hours before daylight; and the
third from that time till morning, when they were relieved by forty
other men. The watch was each time relieved by a like number, though
none of these watches left the spot; but when the following arrived, the
former lay themselves on the bare ground, and took a little repose; so
that when daylight came there were always one hundred and twenty men
collected together ready for action. On other nights, when we expected
some sudden attack, the whole of the men marched up at once, and
remained under arms until the enemy approached. We had every reason to
be upon our guard, for we learnt from several Mexican officers, whom we
had taken prisoners in the different engagements, that Quauhtemoctzin
and his generals had come to the determination of falling some day or
night suddenly upon our encampment on the causeway; and concluded that,
after they had destroyed us, they might easily make themselves masters
of the two other causeways occupied by Sandoval and Cortes. To
accomplish this finishing stroke, the nine towns lying in the lake,
besides Tlacupa, Escapuzalco, and Tenayucan, were to cooperate with
them. While we should thus be attacked on every side, they meant to
carry off the Indian females with our baggage, which we had left behind
in Tlacupa.
As soon as we received this information, we sent notice of it to the
Tlascallans and our cavalry, who were stationed at Tlacupa, and ordered
them to be particularly upon their guard, and to keep a sharp look out
all day and night. Nor was it long before the enemy put their scheme
into operation; for one midnight an immense body of Mexicans came
storming up against us; a couple of hours after another such a body; and
with daylight a third came pouring forth. At one time they moved up with
the utmost silence; at another they came fiercely along with hideous
yells; and it was terrible to behold the innumerable quantities of
lances, stones, and arrows they showered upon us. Though they wounded
many of our men, we valiantly maintained our ground, and drove them back
with great loss. The Mexicans had at the same time attacked the cavalry
and Tlascallans on the mainland at Tlacupa; the latter suffered
severely, as they were never much upon their guard during night-time.
In this way, amidst rain, wind, frost, up to our ancles in mud, and
covered with wounds, we patiently bore our fatigues, with a morsel of
maise cake, a few herbs and figs to stay our hunger, which was the more
gnawing from the incessant exertions of our bodily strength. Yet,
however bravely we might fight, we advanced but slowly, and the little
advantages we gained cost us a number of killed and wounded. The bridges
we forced were as often retaken by the enemy, and if we filled up an
opening in the causeway new gaps were made, and this continued day after
day, until the Mexicans altered their plan of operations, as will
shortly be seen.
After thus enumerating these continued scenes of bloodshed and slaughter
which took place at our station, and those of Cortes and Sandoval, the
reader will ask, what advantage we had derived in destroying the
aqueduct of Chapultepec? I must confess, very little; for the enemy
received, during the night-time, a plentiful supply of water as well as
of provisions from the towns surrounding Mexico, by means of their light
canoes.
In order to cut off these supplies, Cortes determined that two
brigantines should cruise about the lake during the whole of the night
to capture these canoes, and it was agreed that the provisions found in
them should be equally distributed among the three divisions. Although
we sensibly felt the absence of our brigantines during the attacks which
the enemy made upon us in the night-time, yet we soon began to find what
great advantage we had gained by thus diminishing the enemy's supplies.
No day passed without our brigantines capturing several of these
transports laden with maise, fowls, and other necessaries of life,
though a few always managed to elude our vessels and slip into the town.
The Mexicans, therefore, were determined if possible to rid themselves
of these troublesome brigantines, and thought of the following
stratagem: They fitted out thirty large pirogues, manned with their best
rowers and most courageous warriors, which they ran out during the
night-time and concealed them among the reeds of the lake, where they
could not be seen by the brigantines. At a short distance from the place
where the pirogues lay concealed, stakes had been driven into the water,
of which it was intended our two vessels should run foul. In the
twilight the enemy sent out two or three canoes which were covered with
green boughs, as if laden with provisions for Mexico; and these received
instructions to move off in a direction where it was presumed they would
be pursued by our brigantines.
As soon as our brigantines espied the two canoes they went in pursuit of
them, the latter keeping close into the reeds, and continually nearing
the spot where the pirogues lay in ambush. The greater exertions the
canoes made to escape, the more eager were our brigantines in pursuit,
and when these were close in upon the spot where the pirogues lay
concealed, the latter suddenly darted forth from the reeds, and attacked
the brigantines on all sides. In an instant all the officers, soldiers,
and sailors were wounded, nor could the brigantines seek refuge in
flight, as they had become entangled among the stakes. In this
unfortunate affair we lost one of the brigantines and two of our
officers, one of whom, named Portillo, a man of great courage, and who
had served in Italy, was killed on the spot; the other was Pedro Barba,
a very clever officer, who died of his wounds three days after. Both
these brigantines belonged to Cortes' division, and he was sorely
grieved at the loss we had thus sustained; but we very shortly after
paid the enemy out in their own coin, as will presently be seen.
In the meantime Cortes and Sandoval, with their divisions, had many
severe encounters with the enemy, but particularly Cortes, as he
insisted that all the houses which were taken should be immediately
pulled down, and the gaps in the causeway filled up. So that every inch
of ground was rendered secure and level, of which possession was taken.
Alvarado had received similar instructions from our general, and was not
to pass over any bridge or canal before the part which intersected the
causeway was completely filled up; nor to advance beyond any house until
it was levelled to the ground.
These commands were strictly adhered to, and with the woodwork and
stones of the houses which we pulled down we filled up the openings in
the causeways. In all these operations, and indeed during the whole of
the siege, our Tlascallan friends lent us the most efficient services.
When the Mexicans found we were thus by degrees pulling down their
houses and filling up the canals, they determined to alter their plan of
operation, and commenced by cutting a wide and deep opening in that part
of the causeway lying between us and the city; they deepened the lake on
each side of this opening, and threw up entrenchments near it; strong
stakes were then driven into the water to keep off our brigantines, or
that they might run foul of them on coming to our assistance. Besides
this, great numbers of canoes full of men were constantly lurking in
places where we could not see them, with orders not to rush out upon us
before we had advanced up to the entrenchments on the causeway.
One Sunday morning large bodies of the enemy came advancing towards us
from three different points, and fell so fiercely upon us that it was
with much difficulty we could maintain our ground. I had forgotten to
mention that Alvarado had posted half of the cavalry on the causeway,
for they no longer ran so great a risk of being killed, as most of the
houses lay in ruins, and there was more space for them to manoeuvre in,
without their being exposed to the attacks of the enemy from the
house-tops or from the lake. The enemy, as I have just said, advanced
bravely from three different points, one body from the quarter where the
deep gap had been made in the causeway, the other from the direction
where the houses lay in ruins, the third from the side of Tlacupa, so
that we were almost surrounded. Our cavalry, with the Tlascallans, had
the good fortune to cut their way through the dense crowds which fell
upon our rear, while our foot bravely opposed the two other bodies,
which, after a few moments' desperate fighting began to give ground; but
this was a mere stratagem of the Mexicans to allow us to take possession
of the first entrenchment, and after a short stand they even retreated
beyond the second. We thought we had already gained the victory, and
waded through the shallow part of the water in vigorous pursuit of the
enemy up to some large buildings and towers; while they, to deceive us
the more effectually, constantly faced about to fling their arrows at
us; and, when we in the least expected it, they suddenly turned round
upon us and in an instant we were surrounded and attacked with excessive
fury from all sides. It was impossible to resist their overwhelming
numbers, and we began to retreat towards the causeway in the best order
we could, with our ranks firmly closed. The first opening in the
causeway which we had just taken from the enemy was already occupied by
numerous canoes, so that we were compelled to make for the opening which
the enemy had recently cut, where the water was very deep, and
additional large holes had been dug. Here we had no other resource left
than to make our way, either by swimming or wading through; but most of
us got into the deep holes, when the canoes were instantly at hand to
take advantage of our perilous situation.
On this occasion five of our men were made prisoners, and immediately
taken into the presence of Quauhtemoctzin; and most of us were severely
wounded. The brigantines certainly made every attempt to assist us, but
were unable to come near enough, owing to the heavy stakes that had been
driven into the water, between which they stuck fast, and were instantly
assailed by showers of missiles from the house-tops and the numberless
canoes, by which two of the rowers were killed, and the greater part of
the troops on board wounded.
It was indeed a real wonder that all of us did not perish in these deep
gaps. I myself was in extreme danger, for several Mexicans had already
laid hands on me, but I succeeded in freeing one of my arms, and the
Almighty gave me power to cut my way through the enemy, though I was
severely wounded in the arm, and just as I had reached a place of safety
I fell down breathless and exhausted. This sudden prostration of
strength was no doubt owing to the extraordinary exertions I had made to
disengage myself from the enemy's grasp, and to the quantity of blood I
had lost. I gave myself up for lost when the Mexicans laid hold of me,
and commended my soul to God and the holy Virgin.
Alvarado, with the cavalry, had hard work to keep off the numerous
bodies who attacked our rear from the side towards Tlacupa, and had not
advanced up to this fearful passage; there was only one cavalry soldier,
recently arrived from Spain, who ventured too far, and perished with his
horse. Alvarado was already coming up to our assistance, with a small
body of horse, but fortunately not before we had made good our retreat
beyond the deep gap; for, had he arrived a few minutes earlier, we
should, no doubt, have faced about, fought our way back again into the
town, and the Mexicans would certainly have cut us off to a man.
This battle took place on a Sunday, and the Mexicans were so elated with
the victory they had gained over us, that they fell upon our camp with
renewed courage, and in so large a body that they would certainly have
taken it by storm but for our cannon and the desperate courage we
displayed for the preservation of our lives. During this night, the
whole of us remained under arms ready for action, and the horses stood
ready saddled and bridled. Cortes was excessively grieved at the defeat
we had sustained, and despatched a letter to Alvarado by one of the
brigantines in which he told him not, under any circumstances, in future
to pass beyond a gap or opening in the causeway before it had been quite
filled up; and to keep the horses saddled all day and night, and to
observe the utmost vigilance.
Our recent defeat having taught us prudence, we set about filling up the
larger opening with the utmost expedition, and completed the work in
four days; though it was a labour of great difficulty, and we were the
whole time exposed to the attacks of the enemy, who killed six of our
men and wounded several others. During the night, each company watched
by turns to prevent the Mexicans from destroying our day's work.
As the Mexicans were encamped over against us, we could observe how they
regulated their night watches: they were relieved four times during the
night, and the men posted at such distances around a large fire, which
was kept up till morning, that they could not be seen excepting at the
moments when they poked the fire or when the next watch came to relieve.
On some nights the fire became extinguished by the rain, but it was
instantly relit; though everything was done in the utmost silence and
not a word was exchanged, for they only communicated with each other by
whistling. Many a time when we heard the guard approaching to relieve
the watch, our crossbow-men and musketeers would shoot in among them at
random, but without doing them the slightest injury, as they were posted
in places which, even during broad daylight, were beyond the reach of
our fire, particularly behind a deep ditch, which they had recently dug,
and strengthened by a palisade and breastwork. The Mexicans never
omitted to return the compliment, and let fly many an arrow at us in the
same way.
The conflict on the causeway was daily renewed, and we always made our
attacks in the best order possible, so that we soon became masters of
the fosse just mentioned, behind which the enemy encamped at nights, but
we had each time to encounter vast bodies of men, and the whole of us
were more or less wounded. After fighting the whole day until nightfall,
there was naturally nothing further to be done than to return to our
former position; but each time we commenced our retreat, other bodies of
the enemy fell furiously upon us. The Mexicans were confident they
should, one time or other, be able to annihilate us during one of these
retreats, and they rushed upon us with the very fury of tigers, and came
in so close upon us that we were compelled to fight foot to foot. But
after a time, when we had got more accustomed to their mode of fighting,
we first ordered the Tlascallans off the causeway; for these were very
numerous, and delighted in combating with the Mexicans, under our
immediate protection, though they only embarrassed our movements, of
which the enemy were sly enough to take advantage. As soon as we
considered the Tlascallans sufficiently in advance of us, we firmly
closed our ranks and began our retreat, which was covered by our
crossbow-men and musketeers, and by the four brigantines, which kept up
with us, two on each side of the causeway. When we reached our
encampment we dressed our wounds with bandages steeped in warm oil, and
ate our supper off the maize-cakes, the herbs, and the figs which were
sent us from Tlacupa. When this was finished, a strong detachment was
again posted for the night at the opening in the causeway, and when
daylight broke forth the battle was renewed. Such was our life, day
after day; and however early we might march out, we always found the
enemy ready to receive us, or they had already advanced up to our
outposts and defied us to the combat under the most abusive language.
Cortes, with his division, fared no better than we did; the fighting was
continued night and day, and many of his men were killed and wounded.
For the rest, matters stood with him exactly as they did with us on the
causeway of Tlacupa, and two brigantines still continued cruizing on the
lake at night-time to intercept the canoes laden with water and
provisions for Mexico.
On one occasion two Mexicans of distinction were captured, who informed
Cortes that forty pirogues and a great number of canoes lay hid among
the reeds of the lake to make another attempt upon the two brigantines.
Our general returned these men many thanks for what they had
communicated, made them some presents, and promised to bestow
considerable lands upon them after Mexico should be taken; they then
described to him the spot where the armed pirogues lay in ambush, and
the different places where the heavy stakes had been driven in, of which
it was intended the brigantines should run foul while pursuing the
pirogues in their sham flight.
Cortes was now determined to pay the enemy out in their own coin, and in
the night-time concealed six of our brigantines in a place where the
reeds stood very thick, at about a mile distant from the spot where the
pirogues lay in ambuscade. Each brigantine was entirely covered with
green boughs, and the men on board were ordered not to make the least
noise during the whole of the night. Very early next morning, Cortes
ordered one of our other brigantines to run out as usual to waylay the
convoys of provisions going to Mexico. Both the above-mentioned
distinguished Mexicans were taken on board to point out the place where
the pirogues lay concealed, as our brigantine was purposely to steer in
that direction. As soon as the Mexicans observed the brigantine
approaching, they run out two of their canoes into the lake to allure
the brigantine to their pursuit. The stratagem was laid on both sides in
the very same way, and it was now only to be seen which should outdo the
other. Our brigantine sharply pursued the two canoes, which were moving
off in the direction of the concealed pirogues, but suddenly turned
round as if she durst not venture nearer land. The instant the pirogues
found the brigantine was turning back, they rushed forth out of the
reeds and pulled away at their utmost speed in pursuit of her. The
brigantine pretended to seek her safety in flight, and steered in the
direction where our six others lay concealed, the pirogues following
with the utmost confidence. When these were near enough, a shot was
fired as a signal to the Spanish vessels, upon which they, in their
turn, rushed out upon the pirogues and canoes with the utmost velocity,
and bored several of them into the ground. Now the other brigantine also
came up which had shammed flight, so that many of the canoes were
captured, and numbers of the enemy killed and wounded. From this moment
the Mexicans never again attempted similar stratagems on the lake, nor
durst they venture so close in our neighbourhood with their convoys of
provisions.
When the inhabitants of those towns which lay in the lake found that we
were daily gaining fresh victories both by land and water, and that our
allies of Chalco, Tezcuco, Tlascalla, and other districts, became more
and more closely united to us, they began to consider the great losses
they continually sustained, and the numbers of prisoners we took. The
chiefs of these towns, therefore, held a conference among themselves,
which ended in their sending an embassy to Cortes to sue for peace, and
humbly to beg forgiveness for the past; adding, that they had been
obliged to obey the commands of Quauhtemoctzin.
Cortes was uncommonly rejoiced to find these people were coming to their
senses, and we others belonging to the divisions of Alvarado and
Sandoval likewise congratulated ourselves on this circumstance.
Our general received the ambassadors kindly, and told them their towns
had certainly deserved severe punishment, but he would, nevertheless,
pardon them. The towns which sued for peace on this occasion were
Iztapalapan, Huitzilopuzco, Cojohuacan, Mizquic, and all the other towns
lying in that part of the lake which contained sweet water.
On this occasion Cortes declared that he would not alter his present
position until Mexico itself had sued for peace, or that the town was
conquered by force of arms.
The above-mentioned towns were now ordered to assist us with all their
canoes and troops in the siege of the metropolis, and to furnish us with
provisions. They promised faithfully to obey these commands, joined us
with all their armed men, but were very sparing with their supplies of
provisions.
In our division, under Alvarado, there was no room to quarter any of
these new troops, which those who have visited this country during the
months of June, July, and August, can easily imagine, as the whole
surrounding neighbourhood is covered with water. The fighting on the
causeways in the meantime continued without intermission, and by degrees
we had taken a number of temples, houses, bridges, and canals, which
latter we instantly filled up with the ruins of the buildings we pulled
down, and every foot of ground we gained from the enemy was instantly
secured by our troops; yet, with all our exertions and watchfulness, the
enemy still succeeded in making fresh apertures in the causeway, behind
which they threw up new entrenchments.
As the three companies of which our division was composed considered it
a dishonour that one company should constantly be employed in filling up
the canals, while the others were fighting, Alvarado, to put an end to
all feelings of jealousy, arranged that the three companies should
perform the same duties alternately.
By pursuing this mode of operation, in which we were ably assisted by
the Tlascallans, we by degrees pulled down everything before us, so that
at last the town lay open to our view. It was only in the evening, when
we returned to our encampment, that the whole of the three companies
were again under arms, as at that time we had most to fear from the
enemy.
Cortes and Sandoval had likewise similar toils to go through day and
night. On the land side they were incessantly attacked by immense bodies
of the enemy, and from the lake by innumerable armed canoes. Cortes on
one occasion marched with his division along the causeway, to force a
very broad and deep opening, which the Mexicans had strengthened by
means of a palisade and mound, defended by a large body of troops.
Cortes finding it was impossible to pass across this opening but by
swimming, ordered his men to make the attempt; but they were so
vigorously assailed by the enemy from the entrenchments, and those
stationed on the house-tops, who literally showered down stones upon
them, while the canoes attacked them from each side of the opening, that
a great number of his men were wounded, and a few killed. Here the
brigantines were rendered totally useless, by the large stakes which had
been driven into the water. Cortes and the whole of his troops were
often on the brink of destruction; as it was, he had four men killed,
and above thirty wounded. At length, by dint of hard fighting, he
succeeded in forcing this formidable point; but the day was already so
far advanced, that there was no time left to fill up the wide aperture,
and he therefore sounded a retreat, in which he had again to fight his
way through dense crowds of the enemy, who wounded the whole of his men,
and the greater part of the Tlascallans.
Quauhtemoctzin now determined to adopt a new plan of operation, and this
he commenced on St. John's day, in the summer month, the very day we
made our second entry into Mexico, after the defeat of Narvaez. This
day, it seems, the monarch had purposely fixed upon to attack the three
divisions at the same moment with the whole of his armed force, both by
land and water. It was his firm resolve to destroy us all at once, and
his idols encouraged him to make the attempt. The attack was to commence
before break of day, when it was yet dark, and the Mexicans had provided
against the possibility of our obtaining any assistance from the
brigantines, by driving numbers of additional stakes into the water.
They now fell upon us with such fierceness and determination, that they
would certainly have stormed our camp itself, if the one hundred and
twenty men who had the watch had not been veterans in service. We were
certainly very nigh our destruction, and had fifteen men wounded, of
whom two died within the space of eight days. The two following nights
the enemy sallied out in a similar manner, but we each time repulsed
them with considerable loss. Cortes and Sandoval were likewise attacked
in the same way.
Quauhtemoctzin, with his generals and papas, finding that no advantage
was to be gained over us in this way, determined to attack our position
at Tlacupa with his united forces. This was accordingly put into
practice as soon as day began to dawn, and they fell upon us from all
sides with great intrepidity, and threw our line into disorder; but at
this moment it pleased the Almighty to refresh our strength; our troops
rallied again, and in their turn fell courageously upon the infuriated
foe. Our brigantines too lent us what assistance they could, and the
cavalry, with lances fixed, spurred their horses on, while our
crossbow-men and musketeers, strove to do their utmost; we others, armed
with swords, thrusting and cutting in among the enemy most valiantly, so
that at last we drove them back. This was a more terrible battle than
any we had fought on the causeways. Alvarado himself was wounded in the
head, and eight of our men were killed. If the Tlascallans had likewise
encamped this night on the causeway, we should no doubt have suffered
more severely, as their numbers would have embarrassed our movements;
but experience had taught us prudence, and each night we ordered them to
draw off to Tlacupa, and we only considered ourselves safe when assured
they had left the causeway.
In this engagement we slew a great number of the enemy, and among the
many men we took prisoners there were four personages of high rank.
By this time the reader will certainly be wearied of reading of battles
which were every day renewed; but I have not exaggerated them, for
during the ninety-three days we lay before this great and strong city,
we were compelled to fight both day and night almost without
intermission; and certainly, of all these numerous engagements, I am at
least bound to mention the most striking occurrences. If I were desirous
of relating every circumstance I should never finish, and my book would
resemble 'Amadis de Gaule,' and other such romances, whose authors can
find no end to their pretty stories. I will, however, be as brief as
possible in my further account of this siege, and hasten on to St.
Hippolytus' day, when we subdued this vast city, and took
Quauhtemoctzin, with all his generals, prisoners. But, before we were so
far successful, we suffered great hardships, and the whole of us were
near perishing in the attempt, particularly the division under Cortes,
as the reader will shortly see.