ey
arrived safely in Tlascalla with all their spoils.

After the lapse of four days, during which time our general and his men
had rested from their fatigues, the chiefs of several townships in the
northern districts of the country arrived in Tezcuco, with a present of
gold and cotton stuffs, and desired to be admitted as vassals of our
emperor. These townships were Tucapan, Maxcaltzinco, Naultzan, and many
others of less note.

When the chiefs of these townships were brought into Cortes' presence
they paid him the profoundest veneration, and handed over the presents
to him; then informed him that they were desirous of being on terms of
friendship with us, and of becoming subjects of the king of Spain. They
likewise said, that these townships had assisted the Spaniards in the
battle of Almeria, where the Mexican commander Quauhpopoca, on whom we
had taken so direful a revenge, had put several teules to death.

Cortes, who had always thought to the contrary, was highly delighted on
hearing this; he showed these ambassadors every kindness, and graciously
accepted of their present. No inquiries were made as to what the conduct
of these townships had latterly been; but Cortes, without any
hesitation, acknowledged them vassals of our emperor, and then dismissed
them with flattering assurances of his friendship.

About this time messengers also arrived from other townships which were
in alliance with us, to beg our general's assistance against the
Mexicans, who had fallen hostilely into their country with a large body
of troops, and had carried off numbers of them prisoners, and scalped
many others. Similar bad tidings were likewise received from Chalco and
Tlalmanalco, the inhabitants of which towns stated that their
destruction was inevitable if they did not receive immediate assistance,
as the enemy was rapidly advancing against them in great numbers. They,
however, did not merely give a verbal description of the danger they
were in, but likewise brought forth a large piece of nequen cloth, on
which they had depicted the different squadrons of the enemy's troops
which were marching against them.

Cortes was greatly perplexed to know what he should do, and scarcely
knew what answer to give, nor how he should be able to send assistance
to both places at once; many of our men were wounded, and almost worn
out with fatigue; four had died of their wounds, and eight others of
pleurisy, and of bleeding profusely from the nos