The herald., 1895-05-05
PAGES 13 TO "a

were some houses and with great precau-
tion placed sentinels and watches lest he
should be surprised during the night:
When Guatemoc learned that we had
gone against Saltocan he sent in canoes
great squadrons of warriors to the assis-
tance Of the people of that place.
The next day. early in the morning.
they attacked us from the houses, which
were totally in the water with arrows and
slings. and they soon wounded ten of our
men. besides great many of the Tlasca-
lans while our horses could not reach
them because of the water. for some days
before they had bIOken the causeway that
led into the town so that we could not get
at them in any way, nor could our cross
bowmen or arquebusiers hurt those in
the canoes, for they were protected by
bulwarks, and were besides careful to keep
out of range.
Our soldiers seeing that in no way
could they get at them, and suffering from
the shower of rocks and arrows, and an
cry at the cries of the Mexicans. who
called them women and said that Malin-
che, too, was a woman who dared not fight,
but only deceived with lying words. grew
desperate and cursed the town and the
expedition both.
At this moment two Indians of Tezcu.
CO. between whom and the people of Sal
tocan there was bad blood. said that it
was only few days before that the peo-
pie of Saltocan had opened certain canals
and caused the water to cover the cause
way. and that it could be crossed with lit
tie difficulty. Thereupon. guided by these
Indians, our soldiers commenced to wade.
Sometimes they were knee deep, and at
others with the water to their waists.
The crossbowmen and arquebusiers were
in front, aud Cortes on the bank with his
horse lest they should be attacked in the
rear. When they reached the town, where
there was dry ground, the Indians rushed
tb like wolves and wOnn6p1 q
many, butour men paid them back well
for their jeers and killed and wounded SO
many of them that they soon fled in their
canoes with everything they could carry
off. But notwithstanding we got a good
spoil of gold and cotton cloth and other
Things. and the Tlascaans also carried off
good spoilof gold and salt and cotton
cloth, and in this town we captured also
a great many pretty Indian women.
AS the houses were built in the lagoon
our men did not dare to remain there
that night. but returned to where Cortes
was. and they camped in small town
about a league from Saltocan. where they
dressed their wounds. A few days after
one of our men died of an arrow wound
in the throat.
The next day Cortes went to la rye
town called Colvatitlan. but although the
indians yelled at the troops as they
passed, yet when :hey arrived at tn 9
town, they found it deserted. the popula-
ton having carried off everything Of
value. That night they stayed at Col
vatitlan and the next day marched to
large town called Teneyuca:: This was the
town which on first entering Mexico we
called 'the town of the serpents, :" be-
cause they had two immense figures of
serpents for idols. This town they also
found deserted. the people having moved
to a town still further in advance. called
Ecapuzalco. And when Cortes reached
hot MI bo f.,unH IL OLE This
was the town in which resided all the sill
versmiths and goldsmiths of Montezuma.
and which we were accustomed to call 'ei
pueblo de las Platerose.
From this town we marched to Tacuba,
which is about half league from Escapu-
zalco. This was the town where we rested
the ."noche triste" when we fed from
Mexico. Before we reached Tecuba Cortes
met great squadrons composed of the peO-
pie of the deserted towns with those of
Tacuba, assisted by squadrons of Mexi-
cans; they came upon him with such fury
that he had great difficulty in breaking
their ranks with his horsemen. But there
were so many of them and i'll such close
order that every shot and every stab
counted, so that presently he drove them
back, and that night he stayed in Tacuba.
The next day great squadrons OF war;
riors, sent over in the night time, att
tackled him with great fury and persist
ency, they being assisted each moment
by fresh squadrons from the city, which
was near at hand.
Gradually he drove them back. and
finally they broke and fled along the CAL
zada toward the city, which was only
stratagem to draw him and his men into
trap. And Cortes believing that he
had the victory, and that they were flying
through fear. pursued them along the
thought they had him far enough, there
came upon him and his soldiers such
multitude of warriors. both on the Calzada
and in canoes, that he feared that he not
only would be defeated but destroyed for
there was such multitude of them that
the soldiers could not fight to advant-
age because the causeway was narrow,
an alferez who carried banner was 50
badly wounded that he fell into che water.
The Mexicans had already seized him
and were dragging him into Canoe.
when by desperate effort he freed him self
and saved both himself and his banner
by climbing back on the Calzada.
In this fight we lost five men killed
and had great number wounded, and
Cortes, seeing that the Mexicans had en-
trapped HIM, put his men in the best or
der possible and little by little fought his
way to the shore of the lake. 1t was on
that very briuge at that time that Pedro
de Ircio made some injurious remarks to
the Alferez Juan Valante, who fell in the
water. There was bad blood betweeu