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Show SecT. XXV, .Enn·agemcnts 0 0 of the bn-ga ntincs nnd tlr:ttngems of the Mexic; ms. H I S T 0 R y 0 F M E X I C 0. woun d m· h'IS 1e g, an d not one of the bcfie:(.:l>' ers hardly came off with-out being eitht:r wounded or otherwife difcomfited. . T he Mexicans celebrated the victory for eight fucceffive days w tt~l illuminations and mufic in their temples ; they fpread tl~e fame of 1t through all the kingdom, and fent the heads of the ~pamards ~hrough a 11 t h e provm· ces o f the empire wh• o had rebelled a. gamft the crho wn, to recall them to obedience, to which many were mduced. T .ey dug the ditches again, repaired the intrenchments, and put ~he c1ty, excepting the temples and houfes ruined by the enemy, mto the il:atc it was in befo re the fiege commenced. In the mean while the Spaniards kept themfelves upon the defence · their camps curing their wounded, and recruiting themfel vc:s for mfu ture combats' ; but in order alfo that the Mexicans m1· g h t not ava1' 1 themfelves of their idlenefs, Cortes ordered the brigantines to go two by two to cruize upon the bke. The Mexicans, fe1~fi ble of the fuperiority of the Spani!h veffels and arms, and though not ab!~ to equal the la!l:, they endeavoured in fame meafur~ to match the bngantines. They had for this purpofe conil:ruc:ted thlrty large vefi'els, called by the Spaniards pcriaguas, well finiilied, and covered with thick planks, to enable them to combat in them without fo much danger of being damaged. They determined to lay an ambufcade for the brigantines in one of the finall woods, or thickets of reeds, formed by the floating fields of the lake, and fixed in feveral places large ftakes under water, that the brigantines might ftrike upon them and founder, or at t}eaft be made lefs capable of defence. Having prepared their ambuf. cade, they ient out two or three little ordinary veffels from among the reedy places of the lake, that they might, by attraCting the notice of the brigantines, l~ad them in their flight towards the plas;e of the ambufcade. The Spaniards, as foon as they faw them, gave them chace, but while they were in the heat of the purfuit, the brigantines ftruck upon the frakes, and at the fame time, the thirty large veffels came out, and attacked them on every quarter. The Spaniards were j n great danger of lofing not only their veffels, but their lives ; but while the finall guns kept the enemy in play, fome expert fwimmers bad time to clear the ftakes, upon which being freed from this hin-drance, H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. 17'1 drance, they were able to make ufe of their artillery to drive ofF the BOOK: x. enemy. The brigantines were a good deal damaged, the Spaniards· ., • ' wounded, and of the two captains who commanded them, one was killed in the fight, and the other died in three days of his wounds. The Mexicans refitted their veffels to repeat ·the firatagem, but CorteS' 'being fecretly informed of the place where they lay, difpofed himfelf a counter-ambufcade of fix brigantines, and profiting by the example of the enemy, he ordered one brigantine to cruize near the place where the Mexican vefi'els were in ambuih. Every· thing fucceeded' as he had planned, for the Mexicans, upon feeing the brigantine, pufl1cd out immediately from their ambufcade, and when they imagined themfelves rnoft certain of their prey, the other five briganti11es came out impetuoufly againfi ~hem, ~nd beg-at} to play off their artillery, with the firll:. fire of which they overfet fome of the enemy's veffels and routed the refi. The greater1 pat·t of the Mexicans periihed in the attack, fomc were made · prifeners, and among them fame nobles, whom 'Cortes thought immediately of employing to follicit fome accommodation with the court of Mexico. Thofe noble prifoners were accordingly fent to tell king, ~auhte- . SecT.XXVI. motzin that he {hould reflett how much the forces of Mexico were Fruitlef• em· d a1' Iy d1' m 1. m' lhm' g, w h1'l e , at t l1 e lr;a me tu• pe, t h 01r.e o f t h e S pam.a r d s were bk:iaff'y to the 11gof ~"-"" augmenting: that at the lafi: they would be obliged to yield to fuperior co. fi:rength; that although the Spaniards did not enter the capital to com-mit hoftilities, in order to reduce them, it would be fufficient alone to hinder them from receiving any fupplies; that they might frill fhun the difafiers which awaited them; that if they would accede to pro-pofitions of peace, he would immediately ceafe all hoftilities; the king ihould remain in quiet poffeffion of his crown, with all his gran-deur, power, and authority, which he pad hitherto enjoyed; that his fubjects fbould remain free, and mafters of all their property, without any thing being demanded from his maje!l:y, or his fubjetts, but the homage due to the king of Spain, as the fupreme lord of all that empire, whofe right had been already acknowledged by the Mexicans themfelves, as founded on, the ancient tradition of their anceil:ors; that if on the contrary he perfiil:ed in war, he would be deprived of his, €town, the 'greater part· of hls vaa~t s would lofe their l~ves, and theil'l 1 VoL. II. A a largo |