rectly Aztecas), a partly civilized and powerful
branch of Nahuatl Indians of Central Mexico. They had formed
a confederacy with other tribes, and now maintained a
formidable empire in the Mexican valley plateau. Their
emperor was Montezuma II, who sent messengers to remonstrate
against the advance of Cortes. The Spaniard continued his
march, entered the city, and soon made Montezuma his
prisoner, holding him as a hostage. In June, 1520, the
Spaniards were besieged in the city; during a parley
Montezuma was killed; on the night of the 30th the
Spaniards, while trying to leave the city, lost half their
men in a severe fight, and only after another battle (July
7th) escaped into Tlascala.

Reorganizing his force, strengthened by Indian allies and by
ships which he built on the lakes, Cortes, in May, 1521,
began the siege of Mexico, as historians call the Aztec
capital. Guatemotzin, the last of the Aztec emperors, made a
desperate defence, and before its capture the city was
almost destroyed. On August 12th the Spaniards made a strong
assault, which so weakened the defenders that the following
day was to be the last of the once flourishing empire.
Cortes' chief lieutenants were Pedro de Alvarado, Gonzalo de
Sandoval, and Olid, famous Spanish soldiers.

After taking the capital city, Cortes, being empowered by
Guatemotzin, conquered the whole of Mexico, which was called
New Spain, and in 1523 he was appointed governor.

On the morning of August 13, 1521, the Spanish commander again mustered
his forces, having decided to follow up the blow of the preceding day
before the enemy should have time to rally, and at once to put an end to
the war. He had arranged with Alvarado, on the evening previous, to
occupy the market-place of Tlatelolco; and the discharge of an arquebuse
was to be the signal for a simultaneous assault. Sandoval was to hold
the northern causeway, and, with the fleet, to watch the movements of
the Indian Emperor and to intercept the flight to the mainland, which
Cortes knew he meditated. To allow him to effect this would be to leave
a formidable enemy in his own neighborhood, who might at any time kindle
the flame of insurrection throughout the country. He ordered Sandoval,
however, to do no harm to the royal person, and not to fire on the enemy
at all except in self-defence.

It