o their assistance. God only knows how
perilous the situation of the three divisions became by the expedition
against these warlike tribes, as most of our troops were suffering from
severe wounds and lacked all manner of refreshments! Much indeed might
be said in praise of the victories which Sandoval gained over the enemy,
but I will not detain my reader with them, but merely state that he
speedily returned to his division. He brought in prisoners with him, two
of the most distinguished personages of Matlaltzinco, and restored peace
to the country. We certainly derived great advantages from this
expedition; our allies were protected from any further attacks, a new
and dangerous foe was put down, and it proved to Quauhtemoctzin that the
power of his allies in the provinces was very feeble; for the Mexicans
had triumphantly cried out to us in the last battles, that the warriors
of Matlaltzinco, and of other provinces, would march against us; and
then, as their gods had promised them, we should all be destroyed.

After the successful termination of this expedition Cortes again offered
terms of peace to Quauhtemoctzin, in the same way as on the former
occasion, and told him that the emperor, our master, again offered him
terms of peace, that the city might not be totally destroyed, which was
the only reason we had staid hostilities for the last five days. He
ought to reflect that he had scarcely any provisions and water left for
his troops and the unfortunate inhabitants, and that two thirds of the
city lay in ruins. He might convince himself by questioning the two
chiefs of Matlaltzinco, whom he expressly sent to him on this occasion,
what he had to expect from their country in the shape of assistance. To
this message, which Cortes accompanied by offers of sincere friendship,
Quauhtemoctzin would not deign an answer, but ordered the two chiefs of
Matlaltzinco to leave the city and return to their homes. Immediately
after this our three divisions were, if possible, attacked with greater
fury than on any previous occasion; and whatever numbers of these
infuriated beings we might kill, they were not to be deterred, and it
seemed as if they only sought death. Under the cry of, "Tenitoz rey
Castilla? Tenitoz Axaca?" which in their language means: What will the
king of Spain say to this? What will he now say? They showered forth
upon us volumes of lances, arrows, and stones, so that the whole
causeway was completely covered with