no means to pass from there, nor to come in my rear, unless I
first sent them orders to that effect; and then I alighted from my
{200} horse, and we came to an entrenchment that had been raised in
front of a bridge, which we carried by means of a small field-piece,
and the archers and musketeers, and then proceeded along the causeway,
which was broken in two or three places, where we encountered the
enemy. So great was the number of our allies, who ascended the
terraces and other places, that it did not appear possible anything
could stop us. When we had gained the two bridges, the entrenchments
and the causeways, our allies followed along the street without taking
any spoils; and I remained behind with about twenty Spanish soldiers on
a little island, for I saw that some of our Indians were getting into
trouble with the enemy; and in some instances they retreated until they
cast themselves into the water, and with our aid were enabled to return
to the attack. Besides this, we were on the watch to prevent the enemy
from sallying forth out of the cross-streets in the rear of the
Spaniards, who had advanced on the main street and at this time sent us
word that they had made much progress, and were not far from the great
square of the market-place; adding, that they wished to push forward,
for they already heard the noise of the combat in which the Alguazil
mayor and Pedro de Alvarado were engaged on their side of the city. I
answered them that they must by no means go forward without leaving the
bridges well filled up, so that, if it became necessary to beat a
retreat, the water might present no obstacle or impediment, for in this
consisted all the danger. They sent to me a message in reply, the
amount of which was that the whole they had gained was in good
condition, and that I might go and see if it was not so. But
suspecting that they had disregarded the orders and left the {201}
bridges imperfectly filled up, I went to the place and found they had
passed a breach in the road ten or twelve paces wide, and the water
that flowed through it was ten or twelve feet deep. At the time the
troops had passed this ditch, thus formed, they had thrown in it wood
and reed-canes, and as they had crossed a few at a time and with great
circumspection, the wood and canes had not sunk beneath their weight;
and they were so intoxicated with the pleasure of victory that they
imagined it to be sufficiently firm. At the moment I reach