o whom
the honour of Jugurtha's capture was due was never decided."

After relating this circumstance, Cortes added, that he would lay the
matter before the emperor for his imperial decision as to who could
claim some memento of the monarch's capture in his armorial bearings.
They would therefore have to await a decision on this point from Spain.
This, indeed, arrived after the lapse of two years, by which Cortes was
permitted to place a series of kings in his escutcheon; as, for
instance, Motecusuma and Quauhtemoctzin, kings of Mexico, Cacamatzin of
Tezcuco, the kings of Iztapalapan, Cojohuacan, and Tlacupa, and another
powerful king, who was a relative of Motecusuma, and lord of
Matlaltzinco and of other provinces, and was said to have the best claim
to the throne of Mexico. I must now say something of the dead bodies and
skulls which we saw in that quarter of the town where Quauhtemoctzin had
retreated. It is a real fact, and I can take my oath on it, that the
houses and the canals were completely filled with them, a sight which I
am unable to describe; and we were scarcely able to move along the
streets, and through the courtyards of the Tlatelulco, on account of the
number of dead bodies. I have certainly read of the destruction of
Jerusalem, but should not like to decide whether the carnage was equally
great there as it was here; but this I know, that most of the troops, as
well of the town itself as those from the townships and provinces which
stood under the dominion of Mexico, were most of them slain; that bodies
lay strewed everywhere, and the stench was intolerable; which was the
reason why, after the capture of Quauhtemoctzin, the three divisions
drew off to their former stations. Cortes himself became indisposed that
day, from the horrible stench.

Our troops in the brigantines had now a great advantage over us in
making booty, for they were able to get at all the houses that lay in
the lake, in which the Mexicans had concealed all their wealth; and also
to those places in the lake which were thickly grown with reeds, and
whither those Mexicans, whose houses were pulled down during the siege,
fled with all their property; besides which, they had had frequent
opportunities, while foraging in the country, to plunder several
distinguished Mexicans, who had fled to seek refuge among the Otomies.
We other soldiers, who fought away on the causeways and mainland,
derived no such benefits; all we got were severe w