we soon began to find what
great advantage we had gained by thus diminishing the enemy's supplies.
No day passed without our brigantines capturing several of these
transports laden with maise, fowls, and other necessaries of life,
though a few always managed to elude our vessels and slip into the town.
The Mexicans, therefore, were determined if possible to rid themselves
of these troublesome brigantines, and thought of the following
stratagem: They fitted out thirty large pirogues, manned with their best
rowers and most courageous warriors, which they ran out during the
night-time and concealed them among the reeds of the lake, where they
could not be seen by the brigantines. At a short distance from the place
where the pirogues lay concealed, stakes had been driven into the water,
of which it was intended our two vessels should run foul. In the
twilight the enemy sent out two or three canoes which were covered with
green boughs, as if laden with provisions for Mexico; and these received
instructions to move off in a direction where it was presumed they would
be pursued by our brigantines.

As soon as our brigantines espied the two canoes they went in pursuit of
them, the latter keeping close into the reeds, and continually nearing
the spot where the pirogues lay in ambush. The greater exertions the
canoes made to escape, the more eager were our brigantines in pursuit,
and when these were close in upon the spot where the pirogues lay
concealed, the latter suddenly darted forth from the reeds, and attacked
the brigantines on all sides. In an instant all the officers, soldiers,
and sailors were wounded, nor could the brigantines seek refuge in
flight, as they had become entangled among the stakes. In this
unfortunate affair we lost one of the brigantines and two of our
officers, one of whom, named Portillo, a man of great courage, and who
had served in Italy, was killed on the spot; the other was Pedro Barba,
a very clever officer, who died of his wounds three days after. Both
these brigantines belonged to Cortes' division, and he was sorely
grieved at the loss we had thus sustained; but we very shortly after
paid the enemy out in their own coin, as will presently be seen.

In the meantime Cortes and Sandoval, with their divisions, had many
severe encounters with the enemy, but particularly Cortes, as he
insisted that all the houses which were taken should be immediately
pulled down, and the gaps in the causeway filled