OCR Text |
Show q .i n(')OK X. '---.r---J Sv. cT. Jll. Dan~:c rous exp' dirion aW1111fl [ 7. tapahrpau. HISTO. RY F ME X I C. 0. f<;rved witl~ his per(on and troops, but alfo in the rcb~ilding of that <.:apital, for whi<:h he furnifhcd tome thouf~n~s of ar lutcct.. , maf~ns, and labourer . He djcd extrcmdy young, m 1523, and was iuc-eeJcd in the fovercignty of 'Iczcuco by his brother Don 'arlos, of whom afterwards wo (hall make honourable OlCntion. By the adV{ mcemcnt of Ix~li.lxochiti, and the civilities (hewn hilll by Cortes, t.he p•1rty of the. paniat·ds was coniiderably au~mcntcd, :u~~ ~II t~19fc f:tmilies of Tezcn o which hatl abfcntcd from f'car of hofls ls tses frorn thoii.: !hangers, finding thcmfdvcs now ft:curc, gladly returned to their hou{( s. Cortes was refolvcJ to keep his qu nrt~rs in Tezcuco, and h. d there-fore bufted himfc\f in fortifving the royal palace, wl?ere.his troops were lodged. He could not takt: any meafure more conducive to his purpoiCs. Tezcuco, the capital of. the kingdom of Acolhu:.can, and a city f gr ::tt extent, abouodcJ with every fort of provifion for the ftlpport of an army. It had good houfcs for their habitations, cxcdlent fortifications for their defcnce, and plenty of artificers for every kinJ of h!bour they rcquin.:d. The dominions of Tezcuco nlf", from bordering on thofe of Tlafcala, rendered the neceifJry communi atio:1 with that republic more eafy; the neighbourhood of the lake was CJf great importance for the conO:ruClion of the brigantines, and the advantageous fituation of that court gave the Spani<trds a knowkdge of ;Jil the movements of their enemies, without expofing them to their at-tacks. After having arr.mgcd matters in Tczcuco, Corte~ rcfolved to make an afiillllt on the city of Iztapalapan, to revenge hin1felf uron it and its citizens, for the ofrl:nces received from their ancient lord Cuitlahuatzin, whom h~:: knew to be the author of the memorable defeat of the fid1: of July. He left a garrifon of more than three hundred Spani< lr ls, and m:wy allies, und:.:r the command of 'andov<ll, in T~.::zcuco, and marched himfclf with upwards of two hundred Spaniards, and more thnn three thourand Tlafcalans, and a great many of the 'I czcucan nobility. Before they arriv~d at Iztapalap~ n, they were met hy fome tr? ps of the enemy, who fr.:igned to oppofc their entry, fighting partly on hmd, anci partly by W<lter, but retiring ns they fought, with a fhew of not being abk to withfiand the attack. The Spani<trds and Tbf-calans H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. calans thus employed in driving the enemy before them, entered the city, the houfcs of wh.ich they found in a great meafure unpeopled, the citizens having withdrawn with their wives cmd children, and the greater part of their goods, to the houfes which they had upon the little iOands in the lake; but there they were purfued by their enemies, who fought alfo in the water. The night was now well advanced, and the Spaniards, who were rejoicing at the vitl:ory which they believed they had obtained, were bufied in f:1cking the city, and the Tlafcalans were fetting fire to the honfes ; but their gladnefs · foon changed into terror, for by the fame light of the burning of the city, they obfcrved the water overflow the canals, and begin to lay the city under W<\ter. Ac; foon as the danger was difcov~..:red, a retreat was founded, and the city was in hafic abandoned, in order to return to Tezcuco; but in fpite of their diligence they came to a place where there was fo mu<:h water that the Sp::~niards paffcd it with diHiculty, and fome of the Tlafcalans were drowned, and the greateil: part of the booty loll:. Not one of them would have efcaped with life, .if, as ortes affirms, they had continued three hours longer in the city; for the citizens, in order to drown all their enemies, broke the mole of the lake, and entirely deluged the city. The next day they continued their march along the lake, .fiill harrafied by the enemy. This expedition clid not prove very agreeable to the Spaniards; but although they loft their plunder, and many were wounded, only two Spaniards and one horfe dic:d. The lofs of the enemy was a great deal more; for, betides the ruin of their hou[es, upwards of fix thoufand of them, agreeable to the account made by Cortes, were flain. The difgufi:, which this expedition gave to Cortes was foon compenflted by the obedience which he received by means of their ambaffadors from the citie.; of Mizquic, Otompan, and others in that quarter, alledging, in order to obtain his favour, that thofe fl:ates having be ' 11 folicited by the Mexicans to take arms againft the Spaniards, would never confent. Cortes1 who was continually increafing his authority, the more he augmented his party, required from them, as a necellary condition for the obt'ainmen t of his alliance, that they fhould fl!ize all the meffengers which were lent to them from Mexico, and all the Mexicans who arrived at their cities. They, though not withou~ the !43 BOOK X. ... I s 1! c T. 'DV. New confc· dcrncicM with the Spaniards. |