Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/311

Rh things, to appease the anger he supposed I felt for what had happened, desiring me to come to the city and saying that whatever I ordered would be complied with no less than before. I sent him word to say that I was not angry with him in any way, as his good will was well known to me, and that I would do as he desired.

The next day, which was the eve of St. John Baptist, I left, and slept on the road, three leagues from the capital, and on St. John's Day, after having  Cortes Re-enters Mexico heard Mass, I entered about noon, and saw few people about the city. Some of the gates at the cross streets and entrances to the streets had been removed, which I did not like, although I thought that it had been done from fear, and that my arrival would reassure them. I marched directly to the fort, in which, and in the principal mosque adjoining, all my people were quartered; and those within the fort received us with as much joy as if we had given them anew their lives, which they had already looked upon as lost, and we rejoiced all that day and night, believing that peace had been restored.

The next day after Mass I sent a messenger to Vera Cruz, to give them the good news that the Christians were alive, and that I was safe in the city. The messenger returned within half an hour, with his head all bruised and broken, calling out that the Indians in the city were in array of battle, and had raised all the bridges; and, immediately after him, such a great multitude fell upon us from all sides, that neither the roofs nor the houses could be seen for the crowd, which came on with the greatest shoutings, and most frightful yells which could be conceived in the world. With their slings, they threw so many stones into the fortress, that it seemed as if they rained from the heavens, while arrows and missiles were so thick, that all the buildings and courts were so full