Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/52

 In this order and agreement, they marched three days, and, on the fourth, they entered this city with much rejoicing and noise of kettle-drums when I went out to receive them. As I said above, the people were so spread out that from the entrance of the first until the last had arrived we spent six hours without the line of people being once broken. History hardly records a greater tour de force than the construction, transport, and launching of these brigantines: the glory of the conception belongs to Cortes, but the merit of its execution was due to the Tlascalans. Martin Lopez, a ship-carpenter, was in charge of the work, assisted by a few other Spaniards, but the brunt of the work and the cost were borne by the Tlascalans.

Prescott recalls two instances of similar undertakings but on a smaller scale with less distance to cover: the first was during the siege of Taranto by Hannibal, and the second at the same place, seventeen centuries later under Gonsalvo de Cordoba. Balboa also built four small boats on the isthmus of Darien, two of which he succeeded in carrying to the coast and launching successfully. For magnitude of the undertaking, distance of transport, number of men engaged, with no beasts of burden to help them, and the importance of the issue at stake, the achievement of Cortes and the Tlascalans stands alone. The arrival of the convoy at Texcoco was rightly made the occasion of a triumphal entry, to the sound of music and salutes, while the crowds enthusiastically cheered for Castile and Tlascala. It was found necessary to build a canal in which to join the parts of the brigantines together, and from which to launch them safely on the waters of the lake. In the Voyage de Thomas Gage, the author, who travelled in Mexico in 1626, says that, as the tallow and oil required in the ship building were very scarce in Texcoco, they were obtained from the dead bodies of the Indians slain in the daily skirmishes. As the fat of dead Indians was found useful for dressing wounds, there is no reason why it should not do equally well as ship's tallow. Cortes had previously built two brigantines on the lake, bringing the cordage, sails, and iron, from the dismantled ships in Vera Cruz, just to show Montezuma what the "water houses" were like, but he had also counted on using them in case of need; they had, however, been destroyed during the fighting with Alvarado, while Cortes was absent. After they had arrived, and I had thanked the chiefs for the good service they had done us, we assigned them their quarters and provided for them the best we could. They told me they wished to meet the Culuans and that I should see when I commanded it that they and their people were desirous of