OCR Text |
Show BOOK X. ~ ' UISTOR ,Y ·OF M E ./I CO. the greatc!l: d1. ff•i cu 1t y' bQ un d thcmfelves to d.o fo , and from that time . (bntl faithful to the Spamards. for;::d :~t:edce~:c; wis immet\iately follow~d by that with Chalco, ~ 115 • d Jl., te 011 the cafl:ern border of the lake of f weet 1fiderable ctty an lla ' · dt cot k · that the Chalc;h~fe were dtfpofed to a nere water. for Cortes nowmg f l M . to ht.s ' party, b ut d·.u .c,d no t declare. themfelves .f or fear o th 1 e fc ex1caq gam.f on 1.1 1 t h~:::u. 1n1.a te, 1r. en t Sandoval there w1.t h twenty or. ts, two 0 1 hun d rc d Sp ant' {h.u wc. t1 ·1 try ' and a number of alhes; but, prev10u y, 1e . .J d r. T1arc"lan troops to march, who were defirous of carry- 01;uere lome 14 ... . l . 1 1 h d ing home to their own country that part of tqe booty w uc 1 t 1ey a brought off from Iztapalapan. and from thence to r~turn t9wards Ch;tlco~ and drive the Mexicans from that fiate. Sandoval ?ave the van-guard to t1 1 e Tla l('e ·,·\1 an 5 ,. 1r04 01c Mexican troop:;, who were m ambufh, chargee\ fi,ddenly upon them, threw them into diforder, killed fome of the~~ and took thejr .booty ; but the Spaniards coming up, ~efeated the Mexh ems and put them to flight. Having recovered the1r booty, the Tlafcalans continued their journey in fafety, and Sandoval marched towards Chalco i but long before he arrived at the ~ity, the groate~ pat:t of the Mexican garrifon came to meet him, wh1ch, al\ fome ~t!l:onans q[., firm, confifted of t\velve thoufand men. , A battle wa$ fought, ':'hich lafl:ed two hours, and concluded with the flaughter of many MCfxt<;am, and the flight of the refl:. The Chalchefe, apprifed of the vicrory, came with great rejoicing to meet the Spaniards, and introduced th:m in triumph into their city (e). The lord of that ftate, who had d1e~ a fhort time beforo of the fmall-pox, had, in the laft moments of h1s life, warmly recommended it to his two fons to conf~dc;ratc; with th~ Spaniards, to cultivate their friendlhip, and adopt Cortes for a father. In con[equence of his Jail: defire, thof~ tw,o yfi>uths repaired to Tez., cuco, accompanied by the Sp~ni01 army~ ~nd tpll.ny, Chalchef~ nobJe~, prefented the value of one hundred anq fifty fequins in gold to Cortes, and efl:ablifl1ed the alliance, to which they were always faithful. Th~ (t) Solis, in his accqunt of thh event, commits two geographical errors : firtl, he fuppofes the city of C'halco contiguous to Oto•npan1 whereas the court of Tel.cuco, 110d otbcr cQnftderf uhle cities of tht: kingJom of Acolhuaclll\ are. bctweetl them, ns we hav~ fl,1cwn in our ~en· graphicnl chrm of the Mexican ln~ea. Secondly, he f11ya, that the Oates of Clu1lco nnd Tlnf- • taln bordcll'cd upon each other, whereas there iaa wood of.tiftoen miles loug, and "·V31:f of the don~iniona of Huexot~inco between them. caufc H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. cnufe of rebellion, fo frequent among the people of that empire, was in feme the fear of the Spania1 arms, and the power of their alii s ; and in others, their hatred to, and impatience under, the Mexi ·an yoke. It is impofiible to expeCt confl:ant fidelity from fuhjeCl:s who are rather infim:nccd by terror than kindnefs. No throne can be more unfl:able tban that which is fupported by force of arms more than by the love of the people. Cortes, after carel'Ting the two Chalchefe youths, divided the fiate between them, either at their ow'! requcil:, or the fuggefiions of the nobility. He conferred on the eldefi the principal city, and fome other places; and on the youngefi he fettled Tlalmanal o, Chimalhuaca, and Ajotzinco. The Mexicans did not ccafe to make incurfions into, the !l:ates which had confederated with the Spaniards, but the diligence ufed by Cortes in fending fuccour to them, made their at tern pts general! y fruitlefs. Amongil: others, the Chalchefe came in the fpace of a few days to requefi the aGifi:an e of the Spaniards ; for they had learned that the Mexicans were preparing to fl:rike a fevere blow upon that fiate which had recently r nounced fnbjecrion to them. Cortes could not at this time comply with their demand; for having now finilhed all the labour of the mafl:s, the pbnks, and other apparatus of the brigantines, he had occafion for all his troops to tranfport them fafely to Tezcuco. He advifed the Chalchcfe, however, to make an alliance with the H uexotzincas, the Cholulans, and the Quauhqucchollans. They objeCted to fuch a confederacy, on account of their ancient enmity to thofe people. The Chalchcfe were hardly departed, when three meifengers came feafonably to Tczcuco fi·om Huexotzinco and ~auhquechollnn, fent by thofe lords to exprefs their apprehenfions, on account of certain ii11oke, obfcrved by the centincls whom they had pofied on the tops of the mountains, which was a firong indication of war, and to offer their troops to his command whenever he chofe to make ufc of them. Cortes availed himfelf of thjs favourable opportunity to unite thofe .ll:ates in alliance with that of Chalco, obliging them to lay afitle for their common benefit any refentment fubfifl:ing between individuals. This alliance was fo firm, that from that time forward they mutually affill:ed each other againfi: the Mexicans . VoL. II. U It BOOK X. ~ |