Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/139

 desired peace, and I answered them that I did not see amongst them their lord with whom I must treat, but when he came for that purpose I would give him a safe conduct and we would discuss peace. Seeing it was all mockery, and that they were prepared to fight with us, I ordered Pedro de Alvarado, after having admonished them many times and in order to reduce them to extreme necessity, to enter with all his people through a large quarter which the enemy held, and in which there were more than one thousand houses; and I, with those of our camp, came on foot from another side, because we could not avail ourselves of the horsemen. The fight between us and our enemies was very stubborn, but finally we won that whole quarter, and, such was the slaughter committed upon our enemies, that between killed and wounded there were more than twelve thousand.

Our allies handled the enemy most cruelly, for they would in no wise spare any life, although they were reproved and punished by us.

We returned next day to the city, and I ordered that no fighting should take place nor any harm be done to the enemy, who, when they saw such a multitude of people, and their own vassals and subjects, arrayed against them, and saw their extreme necessity, which left them not even a place to stand, save upon the bodies of their own dead, moved by the desire to escape such a great misfortune, asked us why we did not put an end to them; then suddenly they said to call me as they wished to speak to me. All the Spaniards wished that this war might finally end, and, pitying such misery, they rejoiced, believing that the Indians wanted peace; so they came gladly to call and importune me to come to a barricade where certain chiefs wished to speak to me. I knew that little profit would come of my going, but I determined at all events to go, although I knew their not surrendering all depended on the sovereign and some