I was pleased with this and harboured no anger against any except those of the city; and that we might believe their friendship sincere, I prayed them, that inasmuch as I was determined not to raise the siege till I had taken the city by peace or war, and as they had many canoes capable of aiding me, they should prepare everything they could with as many warriors as were in their towns, to henceforward aid us on the water. I also prayed them that inasmuch as the Spaniards had few and miserable huts, and it was the rainy season, to build us as many houses in the camp as they could, and to bring adobes and beams from the houses of the city which were nearest to the camp. They answered that the canoes and warriors were prepared every day, and they served me so well in building the houses, that, between the two towers on the one side and the other and the causeway where I was lodged, they built so many that from the first house to the last, there was a distance of three or four bowshots. Your Majesty may see how broad is this causeway, which crosses the deepest part of the lake, from the fact that between these houses, built on both sides, there was
added treachery of the blackest complexion. Their chiefs appeared before the Emperor with offers of assistance, which were gratefully accepted by the hard-pressed sovereign. Their troops were assigned places, and, when the fighting began, made a feint at first of attacking the Spanish allies, but afterwards suddenly turned their arms against the Mexicans who were of course taken completely by surprise; their chiefs quickly rallied, however, and bringing up fresh troops the traitors soon got the worst of it, and, leaving many dead, and others prisoners, the remainder fled from the city. The prisoners were upbraided by Macehuatzin, lord of Cuitlahuac, who decapitated four of the principal ones with his own hand and delivered the others to Quauhtemotzin, who ordered them to be sacrificed in the temples of Mexico and Tlatelolco (Sahagun, lib. xii., cap. xxxiv.; Torquemada, lib. iv., cap. cxiii.). One of the worst effects of the defection of the lake towns was to cut off the supplies of fresh water and food, which, in spite of the vigilance of the brigantines, they had found means to transport into the beleaguered city. Henceforth hunger was added to the horrors of the siege, while the Spanish camp was enriched by supplies of fresh provisions.
