a Cruz. Though the
Almighty had everywhere granted us victory, it was merely out of the
abundance of his mercy towards us. It was not right to calculate too
long upon his mercy and forbearance, for that would be tempting him. The
pitcher goes to the well until it is broken, and one morning or other we
should undoubtedly be sacrificed to the idols. God in his mercy might
certainly avert this; but then also it was necessary we should return to
Vera Cruz and there remain quiet, where we should be surrounded by our
friends and allies, the tribes of the Totonaque mountains, until we had
fitted out a vessel and sent to Diego Velasquez and to the islands for a
fresh supply of men and other necessaries. What a good thing if our
vessels had been preserved, or at least a couple, in case of accident.
But, alas! he had followed the advice of men who did not consider the
instability of fortune, and who had totally destroyed the last means of
escape.

"May God forbid," said they, "that you and those whose advice it was,
may not yet have to rue it. The measure of our miseries is already full;
our condition begins to be insupportable, and the life we lead is worse
than that of beasts of burden. When these have gone their day's journey,
their load is taken off, food is given them, and they are allowed to
take rest; we, on the contrary, are always under arms, nor do we ever
take our clothes off. He might compare the histories of the Romans, of
Alexander the Great, and of the most celebrated generals," continued
they, "and he would find that none of them ever destroyed a fleet, when
similarly situated as we were, a mere handful of men amidst numerous and
warlike tribes. He would have to answer for his own death and the
destruction of us all. He should at least attempt to save ours and his
own life, and march back to Vera Cruz, while we were still at peace with
the country. They would gladly have mentioned all this earlier to him;
but the vast numbers of the enemy by which we had been daily surrounded
had given them no opportunity; this, however, was now at last presented
them by the quiet demeanour of the foe. For the rest, the enemy would
certainly return, the three days which Xicotencatl had allowed to pass
by was merely in expectation of a fresh supply of men. We could not
think of coming to another trial of strength as we had done up to this
moment."

These and other representations they made to Cortes, and held up their
heads prett