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

increasing, and seeing how many OF our
men were dead and all of us wounded,
and that although we fought like uTdvo
men we could not drive the enemy OF,
but that by day and night they kept up
the attack on us. and that our powder
was giving out and food and water also,
and the great Montezuma being dead.
and seeing that the Mexicans would not
make peace with us. but had RACED all
TIE bridges-in short, seeing death
staring us in the face, it was resolved
by Cortes and all of us that we would at
tempt to escape from the city any night
when we should find the Indians off their
guard, and to that end that evening we
sent to them a Papa who was OF great
esteem amongst them asking them to let
us go in peace in eight days, and that
we would give them all the gold. This
was to deceive them that we might make
the attempt that night. And moreover,
there was with us at this time soldier
-'amtd Botello who appeared to be very
nest man ardas h lar also, and mad been
III Rome. Some sad he was necroman-
Ger: others that he had a familiar
spirit and some called him an astrologer.
Now this Botello had said four days be-
fore, after casting horoscopes and con"
sulting omens, that unless we left Mexico
on this very night not one OF us would es-
cape with our lives.
This we determined to do, in order that
with the great loss of life and destruction
of their property we might force them to
come to terms, so that they would let us
so out of the city without any more loss.
The next day we went out against them
and every man fought as a man should,
and we killed great numbers of the ene-
NV and burned over twenty houses and
we went almost to the borders of the
lake, but we had to fight as hard to get
back to our quarters. 1t was all in vain.
our sally, and thus we returned, having
AAxx 1~~A
twenty men and nearly all of us receiv-
ing fresh wounds, and we did not win
one bridge. as they were all broken. We
found also that they had erected barri-
cades in the places where they thought
the horse could operate against them.
But the tolls and dangers through which
we had already passed were as nothing
to what we were to undergo.
In this sally, which was made on
Thursday. there went out with us Sando-
val Lares. that good horseman. and Con-
zalo Dominiguez and Juan Neasquez de
Leon and Francisco de Morla and many
other good cavaliers, both of our own and OF
Narvaez. hut those of Narvaez were
afraid as they were not so accustomed to
Indian wars as were the men Of Cortes
Iremem Der that at another time he said
that Cortes would be involved in great
difficulties and that he would be deprived
of his power and command, but that aft
erwards they would be restored to him
and that he would become great and
rich lord. But we shall leave Botello, as
we will speak of him again, and will re-
late how it was now ordered that portable
bridges of strong timbers should be made
to be used instead of those which had
been broken, and to carry them and place
them, and act as a guard until all the
baggage and horses and all the rest of the
forces had crossed. Four hundred Tlasca-
lans and $50 of our own soldiers were
acciuno1 Tho arfillarv nlnpeA
charge of $50 Tlascalans and fifty soldiers,
and in the advance guard went Gonzalo
de Sandoval, Francisco de Acebedo, sir
named 1.-The Dandy Francisco de
Lugo, Diego de Ordas, and Andreas de
Tapia and with these Captains went
eight or nine of the horsemen of Narvaez
and about 100 soldiers, all bold and hardy
men. In the middle went the prisoners
and baggage, Cortes himself, Aionzo de
Avila, Cristobal de Oil, Bernardino We
lasquez de Tapia, and others of our Cap
tains whose names l have now forgotten,
with fifty picked soldiers as the advance
guard In the rear guard were Juan Vas
uuez de Leon and Pedro de Alvarado,
with many Others on horseback and about
100 soldiers and nearly all of the forces OF
Narvaez. Three hundred Tlascalans and
thirty soldiers were placed as a guard
over the prisoner and Dona Marina and
Dona Luisa.
BY the time that all this was arranged
it was already night, and Cortes ordered
that all the gold and jewels should be
brought out that it might be divided, and
he told Alonzo de Avila and Gonzalo Mejia,
who at this time were the King officers,
to take charge of the royal fifth, aud he
gave them seven wounded horses and
mare and about eighty Tlascalans to carry
it. They loaded all they could OF the gold
and yet great heaps of it remained. Cor
ties then called Pedro Hernandez and other
secretaries of the King and said: Bear
me witness that we cannot carry off any
more of this god here we have over
500, 900 III this house and you see We
cannot carry it all away. | therefore now
give permission to each soldier TO carry
away all he can, as otherwise it will fall
into the hands of these Mexican dogs and
be lost
Many of the soldiers of Narvaez, and
even some of our own, then loaded them
selves with it. l say that | have never
been covetols of gold, and now only
thought of saving my life, for it was in
great peril, but nevertheless l did not
neglect to take from a little sack which
was there four chalchuis, which are con-
sidered very precious stones by the
Indians, and placed them in my breast
under my armoT, and even at that very
moment Cortes ordered his Mayor Domo
to take the sack Of chalchuis and guard
it, and had not hidden the stones Cortes
would have demanded them of me, and
these same stones afterwards stood me
in good stead to pay for the curing OF my
wounds and for food.