to serve in
his army fought with reluctance and with little courage. In this way,
then, they defended their country as well as they could. The greatest
overthrow they ever experienced was from the Cholullans, whose town lay
about a day's march from Tlascalla. The inhabitants there were a most
deceitful set. In that town it was that Motecusuma usually assembled his
troops, whence they generally commenced their march during night-time."

Maxixcatzin here observed, "That Motecusuma had strong garrisons in
every town, besides the warriors who marched out from the metropolis to
the field of battle. Every province was compelled to pay him tribute,
consisting in gold, silver, feathers, precious stones, cotton stuffs, as
well as Indians of both sexes: some of whom he took into his service,
and some were sacrificed. He was altogether such a powerful and wealthy
monarch, that he accomplished and obtained everything he desired. His
palaces were filled with riches and chalchihuis stones, on which he
seized wherever he came. In short, all the wealth of the country was in
his possession."

They then gave such an account of the magnificence and splendour of his
court, that if I here felt inclined to repeat what they told us, I
should never finish; also of the number of his wives; some of whom he
now and then gave in marriage to his relations; the great strength of
his metropolis, how it lay in the midst of a lake, and the great depth
of the latter. Several causeways, they added, led to this city, which
were intersected in various places, over which wooden bridges were
built, under which canoes could pass; but, if they were removed, the
space between every two sections became an island, and all entrance to
the town was completely cut off. Nearly the whole of the houses of the
city were built in the water, and it was only possible to get from one
building to another by means of drawbridges or canoes. Balconies were
attached to each house, which were provided with a kind of breastwork,
so that the inhabitants were able to defend themselves from the tops of
the houses. Yet the whole town was well supplied with sweet water from
the spring of Chapultepec, which lay about two miles from the town,
whence the water was partly conveyed to the houses by means of pipes,
partly in boats through the canals, and then retailed to the
inhabitants.

With respect to the weapons employed by this nation, they consisted in
two-edged lances, which they