Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/30

 So they set out again, and, when they saw that it continued a long way, they halted, and sent one of the soldiers to tell me what they had seen.

When I came up with the vanguard and the horsemen, we pushed ahead on that bad road, recommending ourselves to God; and I sent to order those of the rear-guard to hurry up and not be alarmed, as we would soon reach level ground. When I joined the four horsemen, we advanced in spite of many obstacles and difficulties. After marching half a league, it pleased God we should come down to level ground, where I halted to await the people. These I told, when they arrived, that all should give thanks to Our Lord, Who had brought us safely thus far, whence we could first behold all the provinces of Mexico and Temixtitan which are on the lakes and in their neighbourhood. Although we were glad at beholding them, we felt some sorrow, remembering the losses we had sustained, and we all vowed never to quit the country without victory, even if we died there. With this determination, we all advanced as merrily as if it were a pleasure party. The enemy having already observed us, instantly made many and great smoke signals all over the country, so I again exhorted and cautioned the Spaniards that they should behave as they had always done and as was expected of them, and that no one should stray aside but all should march in good order close together. Already the Indians began to yell at us from some hamlets and small towns, calling on the entire land for the people to assemble and attack us at some bridges and difficult places near by there. We made such haste, however, that we were already down in the plain before they could collect; and, marching thus, we met certain squadrons of Indians on the road in front of us, and I ordered fifteen horsemen to break through them, which they did without any loss to ourselves, killing some of them with their lances. We followed on