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How, having settled to go to Mexico, we destroyed all our ships and marched across the mountains; and how after fierce battles we came to peace with the people of Tlaxcala.

conspiracy set on foot by the Velasquez faction—a plan to seize a ship and sail away to Cuba—Cortes had now to quell. When he had accomplished this, he ran aground all the ships in order to leave no source of trouble and possibility of further mutiny when we were inland; we who were his friends counselling him not to leave a single ship as source of trouble in port. He then set out for Cempoala, ordering all the soldiers to meet there and receive commands for our march to Mexico. He summoned also the caciques of the mountain tribes in revolt against Montezuma and told them they must ally themselves with us and assist the Spaniards who remained behind in building the church, fortress and houses of Vera Cruz. They readily promised to do what might be asked, and we fitted ourselves for the march.

The best road for us to take, our friends of Cempoala agreed, was through the province of Tlaxcala,