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 officers shared the hardships with the meanest soldiers, and the horses stood always
ready saddled, one half on the causeway, the otherat Tlacupa. Whenever we filled up any
opening, the Mexicans weresure to return and open it again, and throw up more formidable
entrenchmentson the opposite side. Our allies of the towns which layin the lake, who had
up to this moment assisted us with their canoes,began to fall off after they had lost so many
of their men and numbersof their canoes, and though they lent no aid to the Mexicans, yet
theyonly awaited the final issue of the siege to forsake us altogether.
Sandoval, Tapia, Lugo, and the other officers who had arrived fromthe other divisions, now
thought it high time to return to their owntroops and inform Cortes as to how matters stood
with us. They accordinglyhastened back to our general's head-quarters, and told himhow
valiantly Alvarado and his men were defending themselves, andthe great vigilance which
was observed in his camp.
Sandoval, who was always a good friend to me, told Cortes on thisoccasion how he had
found me, with several others, up to my middlein the water fighting away to rescue one of
the brigantines; adding,that had it not been for us, she must undoubtedly have been lost
with all the men on board. What he further added in my praise I will not mention, as it
concerns my own person, but it was often repeated byothers and sufficiently known to all
the troops.
When Cortes learnt what excellent order we observed in our camp,his heart grew lighter,
and he commanded the divisions to keep out ofthe way of the enemy as much as possible,
and confine themselves to the defence of the respective encampments, on which the
Mexicans renewed the attack every morning by throwing in darts, stones, and other
missiles. But after we had strengthened our encampment by a deep and broad ditch we
considered ourselves more secure, and remainedquiet for the four following days. Cortes
and Sandoval allowing their troops a like period of rest, and certainly we stood much in
need of it, for we were all wounded and quite enfeebled by continuedfighting, and the little
nourishment we received. On that terrible daythe loss of the three divisions amounted to
sixty men and seven horses.The short repose we enjoyed was most beneficial to us, but we
hadnow to deliberate on our future plan of operation.
[Pg 91]
CHAPTER CLIII.
The new plan of operation which we adopt in the siege, and how allour allies
return to their several homes.
For the next five days we stood at night under arms on the causeway,the brigantines lying
on each side in the lake, while one half ofour cavalry kept patrolling about Tlacupa, where
our baggage andbaking-house were; the other half being stationed near our camp. Assoon
as the day began to dawn, the Mexicans renewed the attack uponour encampment, which
they were determined to take by storm.
Similar attacks were likewise made on the encampments of Sandovaland Cortes, until we
changed our plan of operation. The Mexicansin the meantime made solemn sacrifices every
day in the large templeon the Tlatelulco, and celebrated their feasts. Each time the infernal
drum resounded from the temple, accompanied by the discordantnoise of shell trumpets,
timbrels, horns, and the horrible yells andhowlings of the Mexicans. Large fires were kept
up on the platformof the temple during the whole night, and each night a certain numberof
our unfortunate countrymen were sacrificed to their cursed idols, Huitzilopochtli and
Tetzcatlipuca, who, in the discourses which the papas held with them, promised that we
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