Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/336

312 I arrived within a bow shot of the city, as many as forty prisoners were brought to me, and I made the more haste to enter. There was a great uproar in all the streets of the city. Fighting with the adversaries, and guided by the inhabitants, I reached the captains' quarters which I found surrounded by more than three thousand men striving to enter the gate. They had taken possession of the upper stories and terraces, but the captains fought so well and so steadily that they could not force an entrance; although the Culuans were few, they fought like valiant men, and besides the building was strong. When I arrived, we entered with so many natives that it was impossible to prevent the defenders being killed forthwith; for I wished to take some alive, in order to get information about matters in the capital, and to learn who was sovereign after the death of Montezuma, and about other things. I could only rescue one more dead than alive, who informed me as I shall relate hereafter. They killed many who were quartered in the city, and the survivors, learning of my coming, began to fly towards the garrison, but many of them were likewise killed in the pursuit. This tumult was so quickly heard and understood by the men of the garrison, who were on a certain elevation, commanding the city and the surrounding plain, that those who were escaping from the city encountered the others who were coming to its relief to see what had happened. The latter were altogether more than thirty thousand men, and the most brilliant troops we had yet seen, for they wore many ornaments of gold, and silver, and feathers, and, as the city was large, they began to set fire to it in the quarter where they entered. This became quickly known to the inhabitants, and I sallied forth with only horsemen, for the foot-soldiers were already very tired. We broke through the enemy, who retreated to a position which we took from them, following them up and overtaking many