s; and we marched thither to protect them, with ten horse, one
hundred foot, and a few musketeers and crossbow-men, besides the
Tlascallan troops, and we took up our position on the maise plantations.

I myself was twice present on these expeditions. On one occasion we had
a very sharp skirmish with the Mexicans, a large body of whom had
arrived in upwards of 1000 canoes, and secreting themselves among the
maise plantations, had commenced carrying off our allies. We instantly
fell upon them, and though they fought courageously, yet we compelled
them to take to their canoes again. In this skirmish we had one man
killed and twelve wounded, of the Tlascallans from fifteen to twenty
were killed, and five were carried off alive.

The day following this skirmish we learnt that the townships Chalco and
Tlalmanalco, with their dependent villages, were desirous of making
peace with us, but were prevented from doing so by the Mexican garrisons
stationed there. They complained bitterly of the treatment which they
suffered from them; their wives were dragged away, and if handsome were
often violated in the presence of their parents and husbands.

About this time our carpenters in Tlascalla had proceeded so far with
the building of the brigantines, that the timber was ready to be put
together; we were therefore very awkwardly situated, from being so
closely bound to Tezcuco, where we had no time to make any arrangements
for transporting the brigantines hither; for now the inhabitants of this
township, then those of Mizquic, or Little Venice, then again others
which stood in alliance with us, came to beg assistance against the
Mexicans; besides this, many of our Tlascallan friends longed to return
home with their booty, consisting in gold, salt, and other matters, but
durst not venture, on account of the insecurity of the road, as the
Mexican troops were spread in all directions.

Under these circumstances, Cortes deemed that the inhabitants of
Tlalmanalco and Chalco, before all others, required our more immediate
assistance, that they might be enabled to form an alliance with us. The
other townships might defend themselves as well as they could for the
present, as it would not do to leave Tezcuco without any troops; indeed
the utmost vigilance was necessary in that town. Lugo and Sandoval
therefore received instructions to march out, with fifteen horse, two
hundred foot, a few crossbow-men and musketeers, besides our friends of
T