the whole of our Tlascallan friends, and a company of the
best warriors of Tezcuco. Of our own officers Cortes selected Alvarado
and Oli; Sandoval remaining behind for the protection of Tezcuco, and of
our brigantines. We were indeed obliged to be particularly on our guard,
for Mexico lay close at hand, nor could we altogether place confidence
in the Tezcucans, as the Mexicans had so many friends and relations
among them. Before his departure Cortes left especial orders with
Sandoval and Lopez to expedite the building of the brigantines, and only
allowed them fifteen days more to finish and launch them. He then, after
having attended mass, set out on his march. In the neighbourhood of
Xaltocan he came up with a large body of Mexicans, who had taken up a
strong position, from which they imagined to make a successful attack
upon the Spaniards and their horses. Cortes here placed himself at the
head of the cavalry, and, after our musketeers and crossbow-men had
fired in among the enemy, he charged their line full gallop, and killed
several of them. The Mexicans then retreated to the mountains, where
they were pursued by the Tlascallans, who slew above thirty more of
their numbers. The first night Cortes encamped in a small hamlet,
ordered frequent patrols, posted sentinels in all quarters, and observed
every military precaution, as there were many considerable townships in
this district. Here we learnt that Quauhtemoctzin had despatched large
bodies of troops to the assistance of Xaltocan, which were stationed in
canoes on the lake.

Very early next morning we were attacked by the joint forces of the
Mexicans and Xaltocans. They kept pouring forth showers of arrows and
stones upon us from the small islands which rose among the marshes, by
which ten Spaniards and numbers of Tlascallans were wounded. Here our
cavalry was completely useless, as they could not pass through the
water, which lay between them and the enemy; for they had previously cut
through the causeway which led to Xaltocan, and thereby inundated the
country. Our musketeers and crossbow-men certainly kept up a brisk fire
upon the Mexicans, but here again they had found means to shield their
bodies, by raising up boards alongside of their canoes.

Thus all our endeavours proved fruitless, while the enemy kept
continually mocking and jeering at us; in derision calling our men old
women, and Malinche himself a man of no courage, but whose whole art lay
in decei