others that I am unable
to enumerate them all. The country furnished quantities of maise and
various leguminous plants, and particularly maguey, from the sap of
which the inhabitants make their wine.[37] In the town itself various
kinds of earthenware pots are made, embellished with black and white
colours, which are burnt in; with these it supplies Mexico and the
neighbouring provinces. In this respect Cholulla is equally celebrated
in this country, as the towns Talavera and Valencia are in Spain. At
that time Cholulla had above a hundred very high towers, the whole of
which were cues or temples, on which the human sacrifices were made and
their idols stood. The principal cu here was even higher than that of
Mexico, though the latter was, indeed, magnificent and very high.[38] It
is said to have contained one hundred courts, and an idol of enormous
dimensions, (the name of which I have forgotten,) which stood in great
repute, and people came from various parts to sacrifice human beings to
it and bring offerings for the dead.[39] I well remember when we first
entered this town, and looking up to the elevated white temples, how the
whole place put us completely in mind of Valladolid.

I must now say a few words respecting the troops which Motecusuma had
despatched here. These lay in ambush in the immediate vicinity of the
town, and had planted stakes in the ground, and dug deep holes to render
our cavalry incapable of acting. But when they were informed of what had
taken place there, they immediately returned to Mexico to bring the
intelligence to Motecusuma. However rapidly their departure may have
been, we, nevertheless, were immediately apprized of it by the two
distinguished personages who were with us. Motecusuma was excessively
vexed and grieved at the news, and instantly ordered a number of Indians
to be sacrificed to his warrior god Huitzilopochtli, that he might
reveal to him whether he should obstruct our march to Mexico, or allow
us peaceable entrance into his metropolis. Two whole days did he spend
with his papas in devotional exercises, and in sacrificing human beings
to his idols, and at length was advised by them to send us ambassadors
to apologise for the occurrence at Cholulla. He was further to allow us
to march into Mexico, under every show of friendship; but when we had
entered the town to deny us provisions and water, break down the
bridges, shut us in, and put us all to the sword. If they attacked us