Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/583

Rh point. Around the stand, or mast, an immense concourse of people had gathered, and when the new king arrived it was signalled by deafening cheers of the multitude assembled to do honor to the new king.

After the new king had ascended upon the top of the mast and platform, and after a few minutes pause and rest, he cast his eyes upon the multitude of people below him. He bowed with great politeness, and then spoke with a clear and loud voice, saying, "Chalco seeks to set me on the throne; the heavens will not permit it; I would rather die than to live and be guilty of treason to your country," and which he had no sooner said, threw himself from the high mast, falling to the ground head foremost and instantly died. This act the Chalcos looked upon in bad faith, and so enraged them that they immediately went to work with wild excitement and killed nearly all the rest of Montezuma prisoners. This barbarous outrage was afterwards avenged by King Montezuma, who thought much of his brother. King Montezuma recruited his army, and marched with a large force and fell upon the Chalcos and subdued them and several other tribes, leaving only the Tlascallians unattacked, so that the Aztecs might have a neighboring enemy to attack to fetch in prisoners for their offerings on feast days.

Wednesday, May 31, 1848.—This morning at daylight we left camp Chalco and marched along lively until we arrived in mid towering Cordillera (chain of mountains). Here we stopped to refresh ourselves with a fresh supply of water, after which we all looked back toward the great valley and city of Mexico; and for fifteen minutes we penciled, and looked for the last time upon this historic valley; gazed on a picture; expands as far as the eye can reach on rich cultivated fields, floating garden, maguey or polque plants; its glittering lakes, and the city with its one hundred and sixty white domes; the castle of Chapultepec with its lofty tower and clumps of noble trees around it; the snow-clad volcanic mountains, Popocatapetl, Iscotafelt, and others, which sometimes kiss the passing