a harbor by the Aztecs. Two battlemented towers protected the entrance to the dock, and formed the extremes of the strong walls leading to the arsenal, which faced the street. The main feature of this building was a large tower, known properly as the fort, the strongest in the city. Pedro de Alvarado appears to have been the first commandant; and Rodriguez de Villafuerte took charge of the fleet.[1]The
fort concluded, Cortés regarded the city as secure; and
- ↑ Oviedo, iii. 517. He went for a time to Zacatula as lieutenant. Herrera, dec. iii. lib. ii. cap. viii., intimates that Villafuerte was also made commandant, but not so Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 158, whose indication of Alvarado is supported by the fact that he erected his house in front of the fort. Pedro de Salazar de la Pedrada was sent out in 1526, by the emperor, to take charge of the fort, and secure it from the suspected partisans of Cortés. Samaniego was lieutenant. Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xiii. 371; Cortés, Escritos Sueltos, 114-15. Cortés describes the reception place for the vessels as 'un cuerpo de casa de tres naves,. . . y tienen la puerta para salir y entrar entre estas dos torres.' Cartas, 310. The fleet was long preserved for service, to judge by Motolinia's statement, 'estan hoy dia en las atarazanos.' Hist. Ind., i. 16.
nection with grant of lots, yet Father Pichardo, one of the highest authorities on the history of Mexico city, places it at the terminus of Santa Teresa street, 3 blocks below, wherein he is followed by many writers. The eastern location was required to give the fleet free access to the lake, without hinderance from causeways.
