The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo Vol. 2

1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo written by himself, containing a true an…
our menhad hastened to inform Cortes of what was going forward in thisquarter, a second
and still more numerous squadron of canoes arrived,and attacked us most vigorously with
lances, stones, and arrows,wounding two of our men; but we defended ourselves with no
less vigour: and, as it was an uncommon dark night, these canoes again joined the great
body of the fleet, which had repaired to some othersmall harbour or deeper canal, where the
whole of them disembarked.These troops, who, it seemed, were not very willing to fight at
night-time,joined those which Quauhtemoctzin had sent by land, and bothtogether formed
an army of above 15,000 men.
I must here mention a circumstance, which, however, I hope thereader will not construe
into vanity on my part.
When one of the men belonging to my small detachment broughtCortes intelligence that a
number of Mexican canoes had approachedthe spot where we were stationed, he, with ten
of the cavalry, was justcoming towards us. As they approached us with the utmost silence,I
and Gonzalo Sanchez cried out to them, "Who goes there? How? can't you open your
mouths?" and then slung three or four stones at them. But Cortes, who immediately
recognized us by our voices, remarkedto Alderete, father Melgarejo, and our quartermaster
Christobalde Oli, who accompanied him, "I am in no fear with regard to thisquarter; for
here are posted two men who came with me when I first arrived in this country, and to
whom I would intrust a more importantcommand than this!" He then came up and spoke to
us himself, andobserved that our position was one of great danger, and that, in case ofneed,
we were instantly to send for assistance. Our general had scarcelyleft us when we heard
him driving a soldier back to his post, which hehad deserted. It was one of those who came
with Narvaez.
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There is likewise another circumstance which I must not forget tomention. In the battle of
the previous day, our musketeers had spent all their powder, and the crossbow-men their
arrows; Cortes, therefore, during the night-time, ordered us to collect all the arrows we
couldfind, and to furnish them with fresh feathers and points, of which wehad always a
good stock by us. With this work our crossbow-menwere occupied the whole of the night,
and Pedro Barba, captain of thatcompany, never left them for a moment; Cortes himself
looking infrom time to time to see how they were getting on.
When daylight appeared, our camp was assailed by the whole of theMexican troops from
different points at once; but as we were neverunprepared for an attack, our cavalry rushed
out towards the land side,and we others, with the Tlascallans, towards the lake, and fell so
vigorouslyon the Mexicans that we soon killed three of their chiefs, andnumbers of their
troops died of their wounds the day following. TheTlascallans behaved with uncommon
bravery, and took five Mexican chiefs whom they brought in prisoners, from whom we
learnt the exactnumber of troops which Quauhtemoctzin had ordered against us.
On our side we had only one killed, but a great number of wounded.
This battle, however, had not yet terminated; for our cavalry, inpursuing the enemy, came
up with the 10,000 warriors whom Quauhtemoctzinhad despatched to the assistance of the
others. Several ofthe officers who commanded these troops wore our Spanish swords, of
which they were not a little vain; and they said it was by our ownswords we were to be
vanquished.
Our few horse durst not encounter so large a body of the enemy, andtherefore drew off to
one side, until they should be joined by Corteswith the rest of the troops. When our general
was informed of theircritical position, he instantly sallied out, with the rest of our cavalry,
who had remained in the courtyard on account of their wounds, andall our foot, with the
Tlascallan troops. A most terrible and obstinateconflict now ensued; but at length, by dint
of heavy blows and thrusts,we repulsed the enemy, with considerable loss. On this occasion
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