jos,
Y el de nada se dolia.'"

To which Cortes replied, "How often have I not offered peace to that
city! But it is not that circumstance alone which causes my grief; I am
likewise thinking of the dreadful scenes we have to go through before we
can subdue this place; though, with the assistance of God, we shall
accomplish this also."

I must now, however, quit these discourses and romances; indeed the time
was ill suited for such things. Our officers now deliberated whether or
not we should march a short distance along the causeway, which lay near
to Tlacupa; but as we had no powder left, and only a few arrows, besides
that most of our men were wounded, and as a similar attempt which Cortes
had made a month earlier on this same causeway had ended so
disastrously, it was resolved we should continue our march, lest the
Mexicans should fall upon us this very day, or during the night. From
the near vicinity of the metropolis it was easy for Quauhtemoctzin to
send a body of troops against us at any moment. We therefore broke up
our quarters here, and marched straight forward to Escapuzalco, which we
found entirely deserted by its inhabitants. From this place we came to
Tenayucan, or the town of Serpents, as we called it; (the reader will
remember what I related in a former chapter respecting the origin of
this name.) The inhabitants of this place had likewise fled. We next
came to Quauhtitlan, and the rain came down in torrents during the whole
of the day, so that we could scarcely drag one foot after the other,
from the weight of our arms and of our clothes, which were completely
drenched with water.

It was perfectly dark when we entered this township, which was also
deserted by its inhabitants. The rain came down in torrents during the
whole night, which created a great deal of mire and dirt. The
inhabitants and Mexicans, who had fled to places where we could not get
at them, kept hooting at us from the evening until next morning, without
intermission. Owing to the extreme darkness of the night, and the heavy
rain which was falling, we neither posted sentinels nor made any rounds;
there was nothing but disorder to be seen in our camp, and no one
remained at his post. I can speak from experience, for the first watch
had been assigned to me; but no officer came to make the rounds, or see
that all was right.

The next day we marched to a large township, whose name I have
forgotten. The streets were covered with mud,