ved in Alvarado's camp to sue for peace; they handed over their
miserable present, were remarkably courteous in their behaviour, and
begged of Alvarado to pardon their late hostilities, and to acknowledge
them as vassals of our great emperor. This humble language they
accompanied by an invitation for him and his troops to return with them
to the town of Utatlan, which they said was very large, and they would
provide them excellent quarters, with every possible comfort.

Alvarado, who did not for an instant imagine they had any treacherous
designs, received the caziques very kindly, granted them the peace they
sued for, and accepted of their polite invitation. The next morning
early he drew out all his troops, and marched to Utatlan; but as soon as
the Spaniards arrived in this town they were struck with the warlike
aspect which everything wore. There were only two gates by which the
town could be entered, one of which was approached by a flight of
twenty-five steps, and the other by a causeway, which was intersected in
several places. There was also a large building, which was strongly
fortified; the houses of the town stood very close together, and the
streets were uncommonly narrow. There was neither a woman nor a child
to be seen anywhere, for these had all been concealed in the hollows
adjoining the town, and it was very late before the troops could obtain
any provisions, which even then were bad. The caziques had likewise
assumed a different tone to that of the previous day, and Alvarado was
secretly informed by some of the inhabitants of Quetzaltenanco that the
caziques of Utatlan intended to fall suddenly on his troops in the
night, and massacre them all; for which purpose they had concealed a
number of their warriors in the adjoining hollows, who were to rush
forth from their hiding-place the instant they observed the smoke rising
from the houses of the town which would be set on fire, and to fall upon
the Spaniards, who would be half suffocated by the smoke and flames,
while the inhabitants attacked them from another quarter.

The instant Alvarado was apprized of the imminent danger which
threatened him, he assembled the officers, with the whole of the men,
and informed them of what he had heard, adding, that their safety now
depended upon their leaving the town as quickly as possible, and in
gaining some level spot between the hollows, as it was then too late to
reach the open field. He then made the necessary