A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 4 | Page 6

carrying swords and bucklers were directed to use
their points only, thrusting home through the bodies of the enemy, by
which they were less exposed to missile weapons; and the cavalry were
ordered to charge at half speed, levelling their lances at the eyes of the

enemy, and charging clear through without halting to make thrusts. We
had hardly marched half a quarter of a league, when we observed the
whole army of the enemy, covering the plain on every side as far as the
eye could reach, each separate body displaying its particular device or
standard, and all advancing to the sound of martial music. A great deal
might be said of this tremendous and long doubtful battle, in which
four hundred of us were opposed to prodigious hosts, which surrounded
us on every side, filling all the plains to the extent of two leagues. Their
first discharges of arrows, stones, and double-headed darts covered the
whole ground which we occupied, and they advanced continually till
closed upon us all around, attacking us with the utmost resolution with
lances and two-handed swords, encouraging each other by continual
shouts. Our artillery, musketry, and cross-bows plied them with
incessant discharges, and made prodigious havoc among the crowded
masses of the enemy, and the home thrusts of our infantry with their
swords, prevented them from closing up so near as they had done in the
former battle. Yet with all our efforts, our battalion was at one time
completely broken into and separated, and all the exertions of our
general was for some time unable to get us again into order; at length,
however, by the diligent use of our swords, we forced them from
among us, and were able again to close our ranks. During the whole
battle our cavalry produced admirable effects, by incessant charges
through the thickest of the enemy. We in some measure owed our
safety, under God, to the unwieldy multitude of the enemy, so that
some of the divisions could never get up to the attack. One of the grand
divisions, composed of the warriors dependant on Guaxocinga, was
prevented from taking any share in the battle by _Chichemecatecle_[7],
their commander, who had been provoked by some insulting language
by Xicotencatl respecting his conduct in the preceding engagement, of
which circumstance we received information afterwords. The
circumstance of these divisions not joining in the battle, slackened the
ardour of the rest, more especially after they had experienced the
terrible effects of our cavalry, artillery, and other offensive weapons;
and one of their greatest chiefs being killed, they at length drew off
from the fight, and were pursued to a short distance by our cavalry. In
this great battle, one only of our soldiers was killed, but seventy men
and all our horses were wounded. I had two wounds, one by an arrow

and the other by a stone, but they were not sufficient to make me unfit
for duty. Thus again masters of the field, we gave thanks to God for his
merciful preservation, and returned to our former post, first burying our
dead companion in one of the subterraneous houses, which was filled
up and levelled, that his body might not be discovered by the enemy.
We passed the ensuing night in a most comfortless situation, not being
able to procure even oil and salt, and exposed to excessive cold winds
from the snowy mountains.
Cortes sent a fresh message by three of our prisoners and those who
had carried his former message, demanding a free passage to Mexico,
and threatening to destroy the whole country in case of refusal. On their
arrival at Tlascala, they found the chiefs much cast down at their
repeated losses, yet unwilling to listen to our proposals. They sent for
their priests and wizards, who pretended to foretel future events by
casting lots, desiring them to say if the Spaniards were vincible, and
what were the best means of conquering us; likewise demanding
whether we were men or superior beings, and what was our food. The
wizards answered, that we were men like themselves, subsisting upon
ordinary food, but did not devour the hearts of our enemies as had been
reported; alleging that though invincible by day, we might be
conquered at night, as we derived all our power from the influence of
the sun. Giving credit to this response, Xicotencatl received orders to
make an immediate attack on our quarters during the night. He marched
accordingly with ten thousand warriors, and made a night attack on our
post in three places at once: But our outposts kept too good guard to be
taken by surprise, and we were under arms in a moment to receive them.
They met with so warm a reception, that they were soon forced to turn