The herald., 1895-05-26

u.
ter where Guatemoc was and the lake
around and the streets and canals we're
full of dead bodies, and even the plaza OF
Tlateloco was covered with the dead, SO
that one could scarcely walk without
treading on corpses. 1t is said that great
multitudes perished at the siege of Jeru-.
salem, but whether more tha II here.
know not. only know that the
whole city was full of dead bodies; they
lay everywhere in the streets and houses
and canals. or indeed there perished a
great multitude of Indian warriors, both
OF the city and surrounding towns. and
also from provinces subject to Mexico and
such was the terrible effluvia that i'm
mediately after the capture of Guatemoc
Cortes ordered all the Captains to
withdraw their forces to their original
| camps and Cortes himself felt sick from
| it.
| The soldiers who went in the brigan-
| tines Jared much better than those of ds
who fought on land. for they got much
| spoil from some of the houses that stood
| in the lake and also from places in the
canebrakes whore the Mexicans mad hid
den their valuables and also from canoes
captured on the lakes in attempting to
reach the mainland. while we who fought
on land got nothing but lance thrusts
and wounds from arrows and stones, Tor
, whenever We captured house the Indians
had always taken away everything OF any
|
when Cortes demanded of Guatemoc
the treasure OF Montezuma, because he
replied that those in the brigantines had
got most OF it while it was being convey
| ed to the mainland.
| Guatemocc now asked Cortes to give
perm ission to all the inhabitants of the
city to move out to the towns around the
lake, for they no longer could endure the
terrible stencil of the dead bodies, and
| on Cortes acquiescing, they came
out and fol- three days and nights the
three ;auseways were covered with In
dians moving out, and IT was terrible
sight, for they were so thin from famine
that one could almost see through
them, and their bodies were OF dirty
| yellow color and they were all foul and
smelled horribly. and when Cortes sent
a party to the quarter they had left they
| found great numbers who were unable to
move because of sickness and weakness
from hunger. and there remained moth
| ing in the city that could be eaten, for
| they ate during the siege all the roots
| they could dig up, and even the bark OF
trees, and they found nothing but salt
water. The Mexicans did not eat the
| flesh of their own people. but only that OF
enemies, and during the siege they had
eaten that of our people or our allies
whom they captured. and indeed l do
! not believe there has ever been race
in the world that suffered as much as
| did the Mexicans during the ninety-three
days of this siege. After we had given
thanks to God for our victory and Cortes
had made certain solemn VOWS he order
ed a banquet prepared in Cuyoacan in
| celebration thereof, as wine had arrived
| from ship which had put into Villa
| Rica, and all of the Captains and soldiers
OF note we're invited. and when we arriy-
| ed there were not tables noI seats enough
| for:even third of those who came and
| there was great disorder. and indeed the
| juice of the plant OF Noah did not aid
| much in keeping order, for many when
they had drunk the wine, became
drunk and fell over the tables and quar-
| the feast never taken place, and they
| talked like men bereft OF reason, for
horsemen declared that thereafter they
would only ride on saddles of gold, and
even the crossbowmen declared that they
would shoot no bolts unless they we're OF
| silver.
| And after the feast the gallants insisted
on dancing with their armor on with the
| few danes who were In the camp, whom
| l will not name, and indeed many evil
| things took place at the banquet, so that
afterwards Father Olmedo of the order Of
Mercy complained to Sandoval, saying
that we ought to rather have passed our
time in thanking God than in drunken
debauchery, and Sandoval Immediately
| told Cortes, who sent for Father Olmedo.
and said to him: Father, what you have
seen has been done to solace the soldiers
for the tolls through which they haYe
| passed, and indeed permitted 1t with re-
iuctance, but now wish your reverence
would have a procession and say mass and
| preach to them and urge them not to take
by force the daughters of the Indians, but
that rather they live like Catholics and
Christians and thereby please God"
| And Father Olmedo. who did not know
| MI Sopdoval h a1 fold hin, nj that
| this came from the goodness OF his heart
and thanked him, and we had process
sion and we had mass and he preached
and many received the sacraments after
Cortes and Alvarsdo, and we returned
solemn thanks to God for our victory.
And now our allies, desiring to return
to their homes, came to ask permission
of Cortes. and they carried back with
them great spoil, more than they had
ever hoped to possess. and some of them
took back to their homes great pieces OF
the flesh Of the Mexicaps which they
had cooked and which they intended to
divide up among their relatives at the
feasts which would be made ON their re-
| turn home.
And now that we are through with the
battles that led up to the capture of Mex
! leo will tell of curious terror that took
possession of me at this time, and il any
one should say it was for lack of heart,
| will reply that l was always considered a
j good soldier, and have done whatever the
most daring among lis would do, but
when saw the Indians carry eff my COM
rades alive and day by day sacrifice them
on the .altars of their accurscd idols day
| by day, thereafter sort OF gTisy terror
| took possession of my heart and it took
strong resolution to throw it off, but COM
mending myself to Goa and his blessed
Mother. would enter the battle and I'm
mediately forget, but when not in battle
that horrid sight was ever before my eye,
and prayed God that it should not hap
pen to me. [ speak of this because it was
new feeling to me, and something /
had never felt before in all the battles
and dangers that | had taken part in.
Let those gentlemen who have been in
battles and perils explain to me why it
was that l dreaded death in this form
and in none other.
AAA AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAA