nd canals.

As it always happens in such cases, opinions were very different. Some
pronounced this plan to be altogether unadvisable, and were for pursuing
the present plan of operation, which was, to pull down the houses as we
advanced, and fill up the openings. Those of us who were of this opinion
gave as our principal reason for so thinking, that if we fortified
ourselves in the proposed way on the Tlatelulco, the causeways must fall
into the hands of the Mexicans, who, with the vast number of men at
their command, would undoubtedly reopen the hollows we had filled up,
and make other fresh apertures in the causeways. In this great square we
should night and day be assailed by the enemy; while our brigantines
would not be able to come to our assistance, on account of the stakes
driven in the water. In short, we should be surrounded on all sides, and
the Mexicans would be masters of the town, of the lake, and of the
surrounding neighbourhood.

This, our opinion,[23] we took care to draw up in writing, to avoid a
recurrence of what took place on our unfortunate retreat from Mexico.

Cortes indeed listened to our reasons for objecting to his plan, but
nevertheless determined that the three divisions, including the cavalry,
should make an attempt on the following day to fight their way up to the
Tlatelulco, and that the Tlascallans, with the troops of Tezcuco, and
of the towns which had recently subjected themselves to our emperor,
should cooperate with us; the latter were more particularly to assist us
with their canoes.

The following morning, accordingly, after we had heard mass, and
commended ourselves to the protection of God, the three divisions
sallied forth from their respective encampments.

On our causeway we had forced a bridge and an entrenchment, after some
very hard fighting, for Quauhtemoctzin sent out terrific masses to
oppose us; so that we had great numbers of wounded, and our friends of
Tlascalla above one thousand. We already thought victory was on our
side, and we kept continually advancing.

Cortes, with his division, had fought his way across a very deep
opening, of which the opposite sides were merely connected by an
extremely narrow path, and which the artful Mexicans had purposely so
contrived, as they justly foresaw what would take place.

Cortes, with the whole of his division, now sure of victory, vigorously
pursued the enemy, who from time to time faced about, to fly their
arrows and