Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/60

 forty of them, amongst whom was a Mexican captain and two other chiefs whom the Calcans delivered to the alguacil mayor to be brought to me. He sent me some of them and others he kept because, for the greater security of the Calcans he, with all the people, remained in one of their towns on the frontier of Mexico. Later, when there seemed to him no further need for his remaining, he returned to Tesaico and brought with him the other prisoners who had remained in his hands. Meanwhile we had many other encounters and skirmishes with the natives of Culua, which to avoid prolixity I do not specify.

As the road between Vera Cruz and this city of Tesaico was safe for travelling to and fro, the people of that city  Reinforce- ments Arrive at Vera Cruz had news of us every day and we of them, which before was not possible. They sent me by a messenger some crossbows and muskets and powder which pleased us greatly; and two days after, they sent me another messenger by whom they made known that three ships had arrived at the port bringing many people and horses, whom they would immediately send on to me, — aid which God miraculously sent us in proportion to our need.

I have always sought, Most Powerful Lord, to win the people of Temixtitan to our friendship by every way and means I could; on the one hand because I did not wish them to provoke their own destruction, and on the other in order to rest from the hardships of all the past wars; but principally because I knew it would conduce to Your Majesty's service. Whenever I could lay hold of anyone from the city, I would send him back to it, admonishing and requiring the inhabitants to come to terms of peace.