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le our usual strength; for, though we were covered with wounds, and
each moment received fresh ones, yet we never gave them thought, but
kept dashing in upon the foe without intermission. Cortes, Oli, Alvarado
(who had borrowed a horse from one of Narvaez's men), and Sandoval,
though all covered with wounds, were always present where the danger was
greatest. Neither did Cortes omit to cheer us on by the most animating
words, and to bring under our notice what a fine booty we should make of
the enemy's rich apparel and ornamental weapons. But it was above all
glorious to hear the brave and spirited Sandoval cry out, "On, my
fellow-soldiers? this day the victory must be ours! Our trust is in God!
We shall not lose our lives here, for God has destined us for better
things!"

In this way we continued fighting courageously, for God and the blessed
Virgin strengthened us, and St. Santiago de Compostella certainly came
to our assistance; and one of Quauhtemoctzin's chief officers, who was
present at the battle, beheld him with his own eyes, as he afterwards
affirmed. At this moment it pleased the Almighty that Cortes' attention
should be drawn to that part of the enemy's troops where the Mexican
general-in-chief was stationed with the flying standard, clothed in the
richest armour, shining with gold, and a penache of large white feathers
on his head. As soon as Cortes espied him among his glittering retinue,
he cried out to Alvarado, Sandoval, Oli, Avila, and many other officers,
"Follow me, my brave companions; these are the men we must attack!" The
words were scarcely out of his mouth, when they commended themselves to
God, and gallopped among the enemy; Cortes poised his lance, and made a
rush at the Mexican commander-in-chief, who dropped the standard; our
other officers at the same moment cutting down the other chiefs, by whom
he was immediately surrounded.[94]

The Mexican generalissimo was about to snatch up the standard again and
flee; but Juan de Salamanca, a native of Ontiveras, gallopped after him
on his splendid horse, and brought him to the ground, wrested the
standard from his hand, and the rich bunch of feathers from his head,
and presented both to Cortes, who had made the first run at the chief.
Salamanca was subsequently rewarded for this piece of heroism; for a few
years afterwards the emperor allowed him to assume a bunch of feathers
in his coat of arms, which his descendants bear to this day.

After the Mexican chief had fallen and the royal standard was lost, and
numbers of the enemy killed, they began to give way, and then fled. Our
cavalry, however, kept close at their heels, and punished them severely.
Now, indeed, we no longer felt our wounds, nor hunger, nor thirst, and
it appeared to us all as if we were beginning the attack with renewed
vigour! Our friends of Tlascalla had likewise changed into real lions,
and hacked in furiously among the enemy with, the broad swords they had
captured.

After our cavalry had returned from the pursuit, we offered up thanks
unto the Almighty for this victory, and our escape from the hands of so
numerous an enemy; for the Spaniards had never before in India
encountered so vast an army as on this occasion. It was composed of the
flower of the joint armies of Mexico, Tezcuco, and of Xaltocan; while
every Indian had entered the battle with the determination that not a
soul of us should escape alive. It was also evident, from the richness
of their arms and apparel, that a greater portion were officers and men
of distinction.

Near to the place where this terrible and bloody battle was fought lay
the township of Otumpan, by which name this battle will be known through
all times to come. The Mexicans and Tlascallans have given a faithful
representation of it in their numerous paintings of the battles we
fought up to the conquest of Mexico.

For memory's sake, I must here note down that we marched into Mexico on
the 24th of June, 1520, to Alvarado's assistance, with an army of nearly
1400 men, among which there were seventy-nine horse, eighty
crossbow-men, and a like number of musketeers, with above 2000
Tlascallan troops, and a fine park of artillery. On the 10th[95] of July
following we commenced our retreat, and on the 14th we fought the battle
of Otumpan.

I must now likewise recount the loss we sustained in that time. In five
days, including the battle of Otumpan, we lost in killed, and those who
were taken prisoners, above 870 of our troops, and above 1200
Tlascallans; to which must be added 72 men and five Spanish females, all
of Narvaez's division, whom the Mexicans put to death in Tustepec. About
the same time the Mexicans likewise murdered old Juan de Alcantara, and
three others, who were on their road from Vera Cruz to Mexico to receive
their share of the gold. Thus these persons not only lost their gold,
but their lives also. Indeed, if it be well considered, it will be found
that none of us derived any blessings from the gold the Indians gave us.
The reason why Narvaez's troops suffered more at the bridges than those
of Cortes', was from their having overloaded themselves with gold, the
weight of which prevented them from swimming, and otherwise encumbered
their movements.

After this splendid victory, we dined off some gourds which grew in the
fields, and joyfully continued our march to Tlascalla. We carefully
avoided passing through any villages, as our enemies still continued at
a distance to fly their arrows at us, and to pour out abusive language.
It was not until the approach of evening that we resolved to enter a
Mexican township, because it contained a temple and a large building, in
which we could fortify ourselves. Here we quartered our troops for the
night, dressed our wounds, and enjoyed a little repose. The Mexicans had
certainly followed us, but without venturing too nigh, and it was
visible in their countenances what they would say: "A good journey to
you, you will now quickly have passed our boundaries!" Soon after we had
left this place, the range of hills near Tlascalla came into view, and
we felt equal joy at beholding these as if our native country had been
there; yet we could not tell what the present feeling of that people
towards us might be, or whether they had remained faithful! And we were
also quite ignorant as to how matters stood at Vera Cruz, where the
enemy might also have cut the garrison to pieces.

Our whole strength now merely consisted in 440 men, twenty horses,
twelve crossbows, and seven muskets; besides that, we were all
excessively weak, and covered with wounds; our cannon, with our store of
powder lost; we were at present, therefore, doubly vigilant, and
returned fervent thanks to God for having so miraculously rescued us out
of the enemy's hand. Our troops, Cortes said, were now dwindled down
again to the same number of men with which we had first set sail from
Cuba, and entered the city of Mexico. We should therefore be
particularly cautious not to give the Tlascallan

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