Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/109

 Finally Pedro de Alvarado retired to his camp, and when I arrived in ours that day and learned what had happened, it caused me the greatest grief in the world, as this was an event to encourage the enemy, and they might think that we would not again dare to enter. The reason why Pedro de Alvarado wished to take the bad pass, was, as I say, because he had overcome a great part of the Indians' force, and they showed some weakness, and chiefly because his people importuned him to capture the market-place; for, having gained that, almost the entire city would be taken, as all the forces and hopes of the Indians centred there: and, as Alvarado' s men saw that I stoutly continued to combat the Indians, they feared they suffered severe loss of many canoes, a number of slain, and others prisoners. The Aztecs had one formidable warrior of giant stature, called Tzilacatzin, who was wonderfully skilful with his sling, every stone he sent bringing down its man. He was made the aim of all the Spanish archers, and musketeers, his great stature making him easily distinguishable, but they could never hit him. On one of these days eighteen Spaniards were captured alive and sacrificed, their bodies being afterwards cut up and distributed to be eaten. Another day a furious assault led by a daring warrior of Tlatelolco called Tlapanecatl, almost succeeded in capturing the ensign Corral who carried the Spanish standard, and did carry off no less than fifty-three Castilian prisoners, besides numerous of the allies, and four horses all of whom were sacrificed in the various temples. In the rout of Alvarado, which Cortes here briefly mentions, but which was a complete disaster, five more Spaniards were taken alive, besides many Indian prisoners; a horseman and his horse were drowned, and the survivors, all badly wounded, and utterly demoralised, drew off to their camp amidst the victorious shouts of the Mexicans. The latter followed up to the very camp, but were repulsed with loss by a small battery stationed there, which was worked by an able engineer, named Medrano. The guns were so placed that they raked the entire causeway, and as the brigantines used their guns on both sides, the camp was effectively protected (Bernal Diaz, cap. cii.; Sahagun, lib. xii., cap. xxxvi.; Torquemada, lib. iv., cap. xciii.). Alvarado was an intrepid commander, and, nothing daunted by his repulse, he continued for four days to renew his attack at the same point, until, on Friday, June 28th, he finally captured the bridge. Six more Spaniards perished in these combats, besides the wounded and allies whose dead were unnumbered.