f>
A y{w Survey tf the Weft-Indies.

mountains, or elfe to bring them where he was, their fear was fo great.    Cortez for
the King his God-child and favourite made unto them this anfwer, faying, Be ye
of good courage, and fear ye not.    Alfo I pray you to command your wives and
families to make no alteration, but rather quietly to abide in your houfes.    And con-
cerning the enemies I am glad of their coming, for ye fhall fee howl will  deal with
them.    But the enemies went not to Huaxuta, as it was thought ; nevertheleffe Cortez
having intelligence where they were, went out to encounter them with two pieces of
Ordinance, twelve Horfemen and two hundred Spaniards , and with ma"ny Indians of
Tlaxcallan.   He fought with the enemy , and flew but few, for they fled to the water,
and fo efcaped in their Canoa's. Thus did Cortez in Tezcuco defend himfelf and friends
from the great power of the Mexicans, who dayly attempted to be revenged on him,
and the new Chriftian King whom he had made.    But Cortez thinking that place the
moft convenient to lanch his Vergantines to the water, and hearing that they were fi-
nifhed at Tlaxcallan , fent Gonzalo de Sandoval to bring them from Tlaxcallan ; who
at the border of that Province met with them being brought in pieces,astables,planks
and nayles, with all other furniture, the which eight thoufand men carried upon their
backes.    There came alfo for their condud twenty  thoufand men of War, and a
thoufand Tamemez, who were the Carriers of viduals and fervants.    Chichimecatetl,
a principall and valiant Indian and Captain of a thoufand men had the Rere-gard.
And Tupitil and Teutecatl, very principall gentlemen, had the Vant-gard with ten
thoufand men.    In the midft were placed the Tamemez, and thofe that carried the
Foyft with all the appareil of the Vergantines.   Before thofe two Captains went a
hundred Spaniards, and eight Horfe-men, and behind and laft came Gonzalo de San-
doval with all the refidue, and feven Horfemen.    Thus they took their way towards
-Tezcuco,  with a marvellous   noife,   crying,  Chriftians,  Chriftians,  Tlaxcallan,
Tlaxcallan, and Spain.    When they came to Tezcuco, they entred in in very good
order, with the found of Drummes, Snail fhels, and other like inftruments of mufick ;
and againft their entry into the City, they put on all their bravery of clothes, and
bufhes of feathers, which was a gallant fight ; they were fix hours in entring into the
Town, keeping their array.   At the fame of this many Provinces came to fubmit
and offer their fervice unto Cortez, fome for fear of deftrudion, and others for the ha-
tred which they bare to the Mexicans ; fo that now Cortez was ftrong both with Spa-
niards and Indians ; and his Court at Tezcuco was as great, or greater then Montezu-
ma's formerly had been at Mexico.   And here Cortez made his preparation for the fiege
of Mexico with all haft, and furnifhed himfelf with fcaling ladders, and other necef-
faries fit for fuch a purpofe. His Vergantines being nayled and throughly ended,he made
a fluce, or trench of halfe a league of length, twelve foot broad and more, and two
fadome in depth.   This worke was fifty dayes a doing, although there were four
hundred thoufand men daily working ; truly a famous work and worthy of memory,
which hath made Tezcuco glorioufly mentioned, though now almoft decayed in the
great number of inhabitants.   The Dock or Trench being thus finifhed, the Vergan-
tines were calked with towe and cotton wooll, and for want of Tallow  and oyle,
they were (as fome Authors report) driven to take mans greafe; not that Cortez per-
mitted them to flay men for that effed, but of thofe which were flain in the Warres,
and of fuch as fallied dayly out of Mexico to hinder this work, and fighting were flain.
The Indians, who were cruell and bloudy Butchers, ufing facrifice of mans flefh, would in
this fort open the deadbody and take out the greafe.   The Vergantines being lanched,
Cortez muftered his men, and found nine hundred Spaniards, ofthe which were four-
fcore and fix Horfe-men, and a hundred and eighteen with Croffe-bowes, and Harga-
bufes ;  and all the refidue had fundry weapons, as Swords,  Daggers, Targets,
Launces, and Halberts.   Alfo they had for armour, Corflets, coats of May le, and
Jackes. They had moreover three great Pieces of caft Iron, fifteen fmall pieces of brafle,
and ten hundred weight of powder, with flore of fhot, befides a hundred thoufand
Indians men of Warre.   On Whitfunday all the Spaniards came into the  field, that
great plain below the high mountain fpoken of before, where Cortez made three
chief Captaines, among whom he divided his whole Army.   Unto Pedro de Alva-
rado the firft Captain he appointed thirty Horfe-men, and a hundred and feventy
Foot-men of the Spaniards^ two pieces of Ordinance, and thirty thoufand Indians,
commanding him to campe 'mTkcopan,   Unto ChriftovaldeOUd the fecond Captain
he
7