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V.

1520. Attacked

by the

BOOK BUT the Mexicans, unperceived, had not only watched all their motions with attention, but had made proper difpofitions for a most formidable Mexicans. attack. While the Spaniards were intent upon placing their bridge in the breach, and occupied in conducting their horfes and artillery along it, they were fuddenly alarmed with a tremendous found of warlike inftruments, and a general fhout from an innumerable multitude of enemies; the lake was covered with canoes; flights of arrows, and showers of ftones poured in upon them from every quarter; the Mexicans rushing forward to the charge with fearless impetuofity, as if they hoped in that moment to be avenged for all their wrongs. Unfortunately the wooden bridge, by the weight of the artillery, was wedged fo faft into the ftones and mud, that it was impoffible to remove it. Difmayed at this accident, the Spaniards advanced with precipitation towards the fecond breach. The Mexicans hemmed them in on every fide, and though they defended themselves with their ufual courage, yet crouded together as they were on a narrow caufeway, their difcipline and military skill were of little avail, nor did the obfcurity of the night permit them to derive great advantage from their fire-arms, or the fuperiority of their other weapons. All Mexico was now in arms, and fo eager were the people on the deftruction of their

oppreffors,

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oppreffors, that they who were not near enough BOOK to annoy them in perfon, impatient of the delay, preffed forward with fuch ardour, as drove on their countrymen in the front with irresistible violence. Fresh warriors inftantly filled the place of fuch as fell. The Spaniards, weary with flaughter, and unable to fuftain the weight of the torrent that poured in upon them, began to give way. In a moment the confufion was univerfal; horse and foot, officers and foldiers, friends and enemies, were mingled together; and while all fought, and many fell, they could hardly distinguish from what hand the blow came.

CORTES, with about a hundred foot foldiers Their dif afters, and a few horse, forced his way over the two remaining breaches in the causeway, the bodies of the dead ferving to fill up the chafms, and reached the main land. Having formed them as foon as they arrived, he returned with fuch as were yet capable of fervice, to affift his friends in their retreat, and to encourage them, by his prefence and example, to perfevere in the efforts requifite to effect it. He met with part of hist foldiers, who had broke through the enemy, but found many more overwhelmed by the multitude of their aggreffors, or perishing in the lake; and heard the piteous lamentations of others, whom

the

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1520.

BOOK the Mexicans, having taken alive, were carrying off in triumph to be facrificed to the god of war. Before day, all who had efcaped affembled at Tacuba. But when the morning dawned, and discovered to the view of Cortes his fhattered battalion, reduced to lefs than half its number, the furvivors dejected, and most of them covered with wounds, the thoughts of what they had fuffered, and the remembrance of so many faithful friends and gallant followers who had fallen in that night of forrow, pierced his foul with fuch anguish, that while he was forming their ranks, and iffuing fome neceffary orders, his foldiers obferved the tears trickling from his eyes, and remarked, with much fatisfaction, that while attentive to the duties of a general, he was not infenfible to the feelings of a man.

and lofs.

In this fatal retreat many officers of distinction perifhed, and among these Velasquez de Leon, who having forfaken the party of his kinfman, the governor of Cuba, to follow the fortune of his companions, was, on that account, as well as for his fuperior merit, refpected by them as the fecond perfon in the army. All the artillery, ammunition, and baggage, were loft; the greater

* Noche Trifle is the name by which it is ftill diftinguifhed in New Spain.

h See Note III.

part

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part of the horses, and above two thoufand BOOK Tlafcalans, were killed, and only a very small portion of the treasure which they had amaffed was faved. This, which had been always their chief object, proved a great caufe of their calamity; for many of the foldiers having fo overloaded themselves with bars of gold as rendered them unfit for action, and retarded their flight, fell, ignominiously, the victims of their own inconfiderate avarice. Amidft fo many difafters, it was fome confolation to find that Aguilar and Marina, whofe function as interpreters was of fuch effential importance, had made their escape'.

treat of the

THE first care of Cortes was to find fome Difficult reshelter for his wearied troops; for as the Mexi- Spaniards. cans infested them on every fide, and the people of Tacuba began to take arms, he could not continue in his present station. He directed his march towards the rifing ground, and having fortunately discovered a temple fituated on an eminence, took poffeffion of it. There he found not only the shelter for which he wished, but, what was no lefs wanted, fome provifions to refresh his men; and though the enemy did

i Cortes Relat. p. 248. B. Diaz. c. 128. Gomara Cron. c. 109. Herrera, dec. 2. lib. x. c. 11, 12,

not

BOOK not intermit their attacks throughout the day,

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they were with lefs difficulty prevented from making any impreffion. During this time Cortes was engaged in deep confultation with his officers, concerning the route which they ought to take in their retreat. They were now on the weft fide of the lake. Tlafcala, the only place where they could hope for a friendly reception, lay about fixty-four miles to the east of Mexico *; fo that they were obliged to go round the north end of the lake before they could fall into the road which led thither. A Tlafcalan foldier undertook to be their guide, and conducted them through a country, in fome places marfhy, in others mountainous, in all ill-cultivated and thinly peopled. They marched for fix days with little refpite, and under continual alarms, numerous bodies of the Mexicans hovering around them, fometimes haraffing them at a distance with their miffile weapons, and fometimes attacking them clofely in front, in rear, in flank, with great boldnefs, as they now knew that they were not invincible. Nor were the fatigue and danger of those inceffant conflicts the worst evils to which they were expofed. As the barren country through which they paffed af forded hardly any provifions, they were reduced

* Villa Segnor Teatro Americanos, lib. ii. c. 11.

to

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