Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/136

ing the market-place, except a water course and its barricade near the small tower of which I have spoken, we attacked it, and the standard bearer and two or three other Spaniards threw themselves into the water, so the defenders immediately abandoned the pass, which we filled and made passable for the horsemen. While we were repairing it, Pedro de Alvarado arrived by the same street with four horsemen, to our mutual satisfaction, for this was the way to speedily finish the war. Pedro de Alvarado left a file of guards in the rear, not only for the purpose of preserving what had been won, but also for his protection, and, as the pass was quickly repaired, I, with some horsemen, went to view the marketplace, and ordered that the others should not advance beyond that pass. Afterwards we reconnoitred the square for a short time, inspecting its arcades whose roofs were full of the enemy. As the square was very large, and they saw the horsemen moving about there, they did not dare to attack. I ascended that large tower which adjoins the market-place, in which, and in others also, we found the heads of the Christians whom they had killed and offered to their idols, as well as those of the Indians of Tascaltecal, our friends between whom and the Mexicans there was a very ancient and cruel feud. I saw from that tower that we had without doubt captured seven-eighths of the city, and, seeing that such a number of the enemy could not possibly hold out in such straits, chiefly because those houses left them were so small and each built over the water, and above all because of the great famine prevailing amongst them, for we found the gnawed roots and bark of trees in the streets, I determined to suspend fighting for a day and devise some measure to save this multitude of people from perishing. The harm done them caused me such compassion and distress that I continually importuned them with offers of peace, but they answered that in no