from the mainland, that it was with the utmost exertions only we were
able to cut our way through them to a large square which lay at a short
distance from the town, and where the inhabitants usually held their
markets. There we halted for a few minutes, with the whole of our
baggage, to arrange the order of our march.

Previous to quitting this place, Cortes addressed a few words to us, in
which he reminded us of our perilous position, having still to pass by
several dangerous points, where the whole armed force of Mexico was
lying in wait for us. It would, therefore, be desirable, he said, to
leave behind as much of our baggage as we could possibly spare, for it
would only encumber our movements in battle.

To this we one and all replied, that we were men who had the power to
defend our baggage, ourselves, and his person, if God lent us his
protection; and that we considered it but a small sacrifice which he
required us to make. When he saw in what an excellent disposition we
were, he commended us all to God, and arranged the order of march. The
wounded and our baggage were placed in the centre, one half of the
cavalry formed the vanguard, and the other half the rearguard; and the
crossbow-men and Tlascallans were distributed in a similar manner: for
we purposely collected our chief strength around the baggage, as the
Mexicans invariably made their first attack upon this. Our musketeers
were of no use to us, as all their powder was consumed.

In this way we began to move forward; but as soon as the Mexicans found
we were leaving the square, they concluded it was from fear, as was
indeed the case; they sallied out upon us, wounded two of our men, and
attacked our centre with great intrepidity to make themselves master of
our baggage; but they were unable to make any impression on the close
order of our ranks.

During the whole of our march to Cojohuacan, which lay about eight miles
from Xochimilco, we had continual skirmishes with the Mexicans, who took
every favorable opportunity of annoying us with lances, stones and
arrows, and then suddenly retreated beyond the canals, where we could
not follow them. In this manner we reached Cojohuacan, at ten o'clock in
the morning, and found the town quite deserted by its inhabitants.

I must here observe that there are a number of towns lying round about
Mexico, all at about eight miles distance from each other. Of these,
Xochimilco, Cojohuacan, Iztapalapan, Chohuilobusco