_How Cortes reviews the whole of his troops, and we are supplied
with two hundred and fifty very long new lances, by the
Tchinantecs._
As soon as Cortes was apprized of Narvaez's arrival in New Spain, and
had received every information respecting the magnitude of his armament,
he despatched a soldier who had served in the Italian campaigns, and who
possessed an extensive knowledge of weapons and of the best method of
fixing points to lances, into the province of the Tchinantecs,[78*] where
some of our men had gone in search of gold mines. The Tchinantecs were
deadly enemies to the Mexicans, and had only a few days previously made
an alliance with us. This people used a species of lance, which was
much longer than our Spanish lances, and furnished with a sharp
double-edged point made of flint.[79]
Cortes had heard of this weapon, and sent word to the Tchinantecs to
forward him three hundred of such lances, from which however he desired
they would take off the flint points and substitute a double one of
metal, as they had abundance of copper in their country. The soldier who
was despatched with these orders took a pattern of the point required
with him. Cortes' wishes were readily complied with, and as the
inhabitants of every township of that province set diligently to work,
the lances were soon finished and they turned out most satisfactory.
Besides this, Cortes desired the soldier Tovilla to ask the Tchinantecs
to send 2000 of their warriors, all armed with similar lances, on Easter
day, into the district of Panguenequita,[80] and there make inquiries
for our camp. The caziques willingly complied with our request, and they
also gave Tovilla above 200 of their warriors, all armed with the same
lances, to accompany him now on his return to our camp. The rest were to
follow with another of our men, called Barrientos, who had been
despatched into their country in search of mines, and he may have been
from forty to forty-eight miles further inland. The lances which Tovilla
brought with him proved most excellent, and he immediately taught us how
to use them, particularly against the cavalry.
Upon this Cortes reviewed the whole of his troops, and we found,
including all the officers, drummers and pipers, without father Olmedo,
our numbers amounted to 260 men, among whom were five cavalrymen, a few
crossbow-men, less musketeers, and two artillerymen. Considering the
smallness of our numbers we reposed our greatest hopes in the use we
intended making of our lances, in which fortunately we were not
disappointed, as will afterwards be seen.
[78*] The real name of this province was Chinantla, but our author calls
the inhabitants Chichinatecas. (p. 310.)
[79] Hierro is the Spanish word for iron, and Bernal Diaz always uses
Hierro for the point of a lance; otherwise one would suppose,--when he
says of the Chinantecs, "Hizieron los hierros muy mas perfetamente,"
etc., i.e. "they made the irons (points) much more perfect;"--that the
working of iron was known in the country long before the arrival of the
Spaniards; but it is evident, from what he says four lines below, that
these points were made of copper. (p. 311.)
[80] Panguenequita, probably another name for Tapanigueta. (p. 311.)