A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 4 | Page 4

enemy. He directed them also, when their lance was
seized by the enemy, to force it from them by the efforts of the horse,
firmly grasping the butt under the arm. At about two leagues from the
last resting-place, we came to a fortification built of stone and lime,
excellently constructed for defence, and so well cemented that nothing
but iron tools could make an impression on it. We halted for a short
time to examine this work, which had been built by the Tlascalans to
defend their territory against the incursions of their Mexican enemies;
and on Cortes ordering us to march on, saying, "Gentlemen follow your
standard the holy cross, through which we shall conquer;" we all
replied, "Forward in the name of God, in whom is our only
confidence."
After passing this barrier some distance, our advanced guard descried
about thirty of the Tlascalan troops, who had been sent to observe us.
Cortes sent on the cavalry to endeavour to take some of these men
prisoners, while the infantry advanced at a quick pace to support the
advanced guard. Our cavalry immediately attacked, but the Tlascalans
defended themselves bravely with their swords, wounding some of the
horses severely, on which our people had to kill five of them, but were
unable to make any prisoners. A body of three thousand warriors now
sallied out upon us with great fury from an ambush, and began to
discharge their arrows at our cavalry; but as our artillery and musquetry
were now ready to bear upon them, we soon compelled them to give
way, though in a regular manner, and fighting as they retreated; leaving
seventeen of their men dead on the field; and one of our men was so
severely wounded as to die a few days after. As the day was near a
close, we did not attempt any pursuit; but continued our march, in
which we soon descended from the hills into a flat country, thickly set

with farm-houses, among fields of maize and the Maguay plant. We
halted for the night on the banks of a brook, where we dressed our
wounds with the grease of a fat Indian who was slain in the skirmish;
and though the natives had carried away all their provisions, we caught
their dogs when they returned at night to the houses, and made a
comfortable supper of that unusual fare. Next day, after recommending
ourselves to God, we resumed our march against the Tlascalan army;
both cavalry and infantry being duly instructed how to act when we
came to battle; the cavalry to charge right through, and the infantry to
preserve a firm array. We soon fell in with the enemy, to the number of
about 6000 men in two bodies, who immediately attacked us with great
spirit, discharging their arrows, shouting, and sounding their martial
instruments. Cortes halted the army, and sent three prisoners to demand
a peaceable conference, and to assure them we wished to treat them as
brothers; ordering at the same time the notary Godoy, to witness this
message officially. This message had no effect, as they attacked us
more fiercely than before, on which Cortes gave the word, _St Jago,
and on them_. We accordingly made a furious onset, slaying many with
the first discharges of our artillery, three of their chiefs falling on this
occasion. They now retreated to some uneven ground, where the whole
army of the state of Tlascala, 40,000 in number, were posted under
cover, commanded by Xicotencatl, the general in chief of the republic.
As the cavalry could not act in this uneven ground, we were forced to
fight our way through as well as we were able in a compact column,
assailed on every side by the enemy, who were exceedingly expert
archers. They were all clothed in white and red, with devices of the
same colours, being the uniform of their general. Besides the
multitudes who discharged continual flights of arrows, many of them
who were armed with lances closed upon us while we were
embarrassed by the inequality of the ground; but as soon as we got
again into the plain, we made a good use of our cavalry and artillery.
Yet they fought incessantly against us with astonishing intrepidity,
closing upon us all around, so that we were in the utmost danger at
every step, but God supported and assisted us. While closely environed
in this manner, a number of their strongest warriors, armed with
tremendous two-handed swords, made a combined attack on Pedro de
Moron, an expert horseman, who was charging through them

accompanied by other three of our cavalry. They seized his lance and
wounded himself dangerously, and one of them cut through the neck of
his horse with a blow of a two-handed sword, so