nd
about a mile in diameter. From this elevation they could plainly discern
the great city of Mexico, with the whole of its lake, and the
surrounding townships; for this mountain only lies about forty-eight
miles from Mexico.

After Ordas had well viewed everything and sufficiently enjoyed and
wondered at the sight of Mexico and its suburbs, he again returned with
the two soldiers and the Indians of Huexotzinco to Tlascalla. The
inhabitants there considered this undertaking to be extremely
venturesome, and even we ourselves who had never seen a burning mountain
before, were perfectly astonished at the account which Ordas gave Cortes
of his hazardous enterprise. Indeed at that time it might well be
termed hazardous! Subsequently, to be sure, several other Spaniards and
Franciscan monks ascended to the mouth of this volcano, but Ordas was
nevertheless the first who had ventured. When, therefore, he afterwards
again returned to Spain, he begged permission of his majesty to bear a
volcano in his coat of arms. These arms are at present borne by his
nephew of the same name, living at Puebla. As long as we remained in
this country we never again saw the mountain throw out so much fire, or
heard of its making such a heavy rumbling noise, as on this occasion,
and not until the year 1539 did it burst out again.

Enough, however, of this mountain; we now pretty well know what it is.
Subsequently we saw many other volcanoes, as those of Nicaragua and
Guatimala; after which that of Huexotzinco is scarcely worth noticing. I
have still to mention that in Tlascalla we found houses built of wood,
in the shape of cages, in which numbers of Indians, of both sexes, were
confined, and fattened for their sacrifices and feasts. We never
hesitated a single moment to break them down and liberate the prisoners.
These unfortunate beings, however, never durst leave our side, and this
was the only means of saving them from being butchered. From this moment
Cortes gave orders to break open these cages wherever we came, for we
found them in every township. We all showed our horror of these
atrocities, and earnestly reproved the caziques for it, who then
promised no longer to kill and devour human beings. I say they promised,
but that was all, and if we were but an instant out of sight the same
barbarities were committed. It is now, however, high time to think of
our march to Mexico.

CHAPTER LXXIX.

_How our captain Hernando Cortes and