Diario las Américas., 1958-07-24
thv
Neigh.bor
Bv ANTONIO RUIZ

MEXICO (Contlnued)- After
the ships were scuttled, the little
Spanish army Skirted Mount ORR
zaba, q towering peak three thou
sand feet higher than any noun
tain in Europe. The soldier armor
felt like fire under the tropical
sun by day and like ice in the bit
ing cold at night. At Tlaxcala,
they fought the local cacique's
army of $4,000 soldiers, we'll train.
ed and very brave. Cortes had
only 400 Spaniards, Is horses, a
few cannon, clumsy and old-fash-
Toned, which some times failed to
20 off, and less than 1000 Toto
nee allies.
The battle was long and bitter,
yet the Spaniards won. Their horses
and cannon struck terror in the
hearts of the natives. Their armor
protected them from the arrows.
of the Indians who, besides, had
the habit Of trying not to kill the
Spaniards, to take them alive, so
that they could sacrifice them on
their affairs. But a man in armor
was almost impossible to take
alive. Another reason for Cortes
victory was that the Tlaxcalans
q~uarreled among themselves, right
in the midst of the battle.
1t turned out that the Tax
calanS, also hated M0ctezuma's
men, who were preventing any
salt OF cotton from going into Tax
Gala. When the Tlaxcalans realiz-
ed how powerful the little Spanish
army was, they hoped to persuade
Cortes to help them against Moe
tezuma. Cortes finally moved into
the city Of Tlaxcala as among
friends.
After q much needed rest, the
SpaniardS went on to Cholula,
where they were welcomed, but
they soon found out that street
barricades and traps had been set
against them. In the dead OF night,
a Cholulan woman, out OF kind.
ness, came to warn Dona Marina.
"Flee from the white men,, she
told her, land come to live with
me, for tomorrow they are all
going to be killed. MocteZuma has
ordered our men to kill everyone
of them"
Dona Marina could have fled,
but instead she decided to tell
Cortes, who just before dawn led
his troops in a vicious attack, strik-
ing before they were ready, and
killing more than 5000 of them.
After every battle, he Immediately
offered peace to his enemies, if
they would pledge allegiance to
the King of Spain. The Cholulans
accepted, and by November, 1919,
Cortes was master most of the
country from the seacoaSt to the
edge of the Valley of Mexico.
Moctezuma blocked certain roads
and invited Cortes to enter his ca
pital by means of a broad high
way. Cortes, however, feared an
ambush and chose instead to go by
a high and difficult road far above
the snow line which skirted the
volcano, Popocatepetl. Suddenly,
the S~paniards saw, far below them,
not one but thirty cities sprinkled
around a large irregular-shaped
lake, at the edge of a broad pla-
teau now known as the Valley Of
Mexico. This community was Te-
nochtitlan, capital of Moctezuma's
empire.
When he reached the valley, Cor
ties received visits of ambassadors
from several towns asking him to
help them against the dreaded
Moctezuma. Ambassadors also
came from Moctezuma, with a new
message, telling Cortes not to enter
Tenochtitlan, Moctezuma offering
to pay him a large amount of gold
every year, which would be deliver
ed to the seacoast. But Cortes or
dered his army to advance. The
next day they stopped in a town
on the edge of the lake, and four
Mexican noblemen arrived to tell
Cortes that a nephew of the En-
epror was coming to see him.
A great and imposing process
sion of Mexicans followed, all rich
ly dressed, with the Emperor's nep-
hew riding in a litter which was a
sort of a travelling throne made of
carved wood, with beautiful de-
signs worked in green feathers,
and decorated with gold, silver and
precious stones. When the Prince
alighted, the Indians swept the
ground before him with brrooms.
The Prince told Cortes very EN-
phatically that the Spaniards YER
not to 90 any father. Cortes, as
usual, smiled, spoke loving
words" gave the Prince a few pre-
sents, and sent him away in the
most friendly manner. Immediate
ly, he ordered his army to march
forward Continued tomorrow