The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-04-21


mand of those expeditions were ordered
to remain and go with, us to Mexico.
Cortes then Addressed the soldiers OF
Narvaez and said that 1t panied him to
see that they did not esire to go with us
to succor Pedro de Alv;.eado, with good
will. and he begged of them to forget and
leave behind them all old enmities be-
cause of what had occurred, and he prom
ised to make them all rich. He saia that
they had come to this country to better
their fortunes and that now that an OPP
portunity offered itself to serve God and
their King and enrich themselves they
ought to take advantage of it. And he
made such an impression on them that
they one and all offered to go. Bot if
they had known of the great forces OF
Mexico it is very certain they would not
have gone with us. We then set forth and
made forced marches until we reached
Tlascala.
Here we learned that from the time we.
had left the City of Mexico until Monte
yuma and his Captains had learned how
we had defeated Narvaez and captured his
forces, they had not ceased to make war
on Pedro de AlvaradO, and they had
killed seven of his sotdiers and partly
burned down his quarters, but when they
learned of our victory they had ceased to
attack him, and we also Learned that Alva-
RADIO was suffering for food and water,
which MonteZuma had failed to supply
him. This news was b,ought to us by
Tlascalan Indians.
Cortes Immediately ordered re-
view of our forces, and he found that
they amounted to 1900 foot soldiers, in
GLIDING both his own for ceS and those of
Narvaez, and ninety-slx horses and
eighty crossbow men ana some arquebus-
iers, which force Cortes considered sntfi-
Gent to enter Mexico. And besides, the
Caciques of Tlascala gave us 1000 war
riors. We then proceeded on our march
until we arrived at Tezcuco, large city,
where we found that no preparations
had been made to receive us or do us
honor, and that none of the Caciaues APP
peared. 1t being almost deserted, we con-
tinued our march and arrived in Mexico
on st. John s day of the year 1920.
AS we entered the city neither Indian
nor Cacilues appeared. The streets were
deserted and the houses seemed to be all
uninhabited. ..,-
When we reached our quarters Monte
yuma came out to embrace Cortes and to
welcome him and congratulate him on
his victory over NarvaeZ. But our Cap
tain, as he came victor, would not
listen to him, and Montezuma returned
sadly and pensively to his quarters.
Cortes now sought to learn the cause of
the rebellion OF Mexico against Alvarado,
for we we'll understood that Montezuma
was sorry for what had occurred and he
inquired if he had counseled or assisted
the attacks To this many of Alvarado' S
soldiers replied that if Montezuma had
desired il they would all have been slain,
and that on the contrary he had advised
the Mexicans against it and sought to APP
pease them in every way possible. The
story told by Pedro de Alvarado to Cortes
was that the Mexicans had made war on
him in order to liberate Montezuma and
because their god Huitzilopotzl had COM
manded them to to do so; that Narvaez
had sent Montezuma message saying
that he came to take Cortes and his fell
low robbers prisoners and carry them off
in chains. and While. they hoped that lie
would do as he. said he would, yet they
had but little faith in his promises and
they thought that in any event it would
be best to destroy the forces of Alvarsdo
before any reinforcements could reach
him. and thus regain control of their
capital and liberate, their King. And
furthermore as the affair of Narvaez pro-
gressedt for they were we'll informed ON
events as they occurred they became
Thoroughly convinced that the promises
of Cortes, to leave the country if he had
ships, were mere idle words, and dread
ing his success and speedy return they
redoubled their efforts against Pedro de
Alvarado. This was the explanation
given by that Captain to Cortes.
Cortes then asked linn why he had at
tackled the Mexicans while tLey were
dancing and offering sacrifices to their
gods. Alvarado replied because they had
concerted a plan to attack him at that
time, and that of this he was informed
by Papa and two chiefs and by other
Mexicans. Cortes then said: Il have
been told that they first asked permission
from you to hold the feast and the
Dances" To this he replied that they
only asked permission from him to throw
him off his guard and because they we're
afraid that otherwise he might make war
on them then, and that because of his
knowledge of their intended treachery
he had attacked them first. When Cor
ties heard this he was very angry and re-
piled that he had done very wrongly and
that it was an act of madness and of bad
faith. II wish,' exclaimed Cortes, that
God had released Montezuma were it not
that he would have attributed it to the
power of his idols.
Another thing that Pedro de Alyarado