at numbers from three different points,
our three companies also fought in detached bodies, and one of these,
commanded by Guiterrez de Badajoz, was ordered by Alvarado to make an
attempt on the great temple of Huitzilopochtli. This company fought most
valiantly with the enemy, and particularly with the priests, who lived
in great numbers in houses near the temple, and our men were beaten back
down the steps of this building again, up which they had advanced to a
considerable distance. Alvarado seeing this, now also commanded the two
other companies who were fighting away in another direction to assist
the other in storming the temple. The body of the enemy's forces we thus
suddenly quitted, instantly followed us, yet this did not deter us from
ascending the steps of the temple. By heavens! it was a most terrific
piece of labour to take this elevated and strongly-fortified building,
and much might be said in praise of our courage for attempting it. We
were all dreadfully wounded, yet we were determined to gain the summit
to plant our standard there, and set fire to the idols. When we had
accomplished this, we had still to fight about with the Mexicans at the
foot of the temple until night came on; for owing to their immense
numbers it was impossible to give them an entire defeat.

While we were accomplishing this splendid deed of arms on the temple of
Huitzilopochtli, Cortes was hotly engaged with the enemy in another
quarter of the town, at a great distance from us. When he saw the flames
issuing on a sudden from the summit of the chief temple, and our
standard waving there, he expressed his joy aloud, and all his troops
would gladly have been with us at that moment. But they found too many
difficulties to surmount, as the distance between us was a good mile,
and a number of bridges and canals intervening, all of which they must
have forced. Besides this they everywhere met with so determined an
opposition that it was quite impossible for them to fight their way into
the heart of the city. It was not till four days after, when the three
divisions had cleared the streets of the enemy and could meet together
without any further obstacle, that they likewise advanced up to this
temple, and Quauhtemoctzin found himself obliged to retire with the
whole of his forces into a part of the city which lay in the midst of
the lake, after we had levelled all his palaces to the ground. But even
from this quarter the Mexicans continued