There came at that time, a Spaniard also from Vera Crux, with certaine newes, that there had arriued a ship, whiche had brought thirtie Souldiers besides the mariners of the shippe, with eight horses, great store of pouder, shotte, crossebowes, and Harquebushes. The plesent newes reioyced much our men, wherevpon Cortes sente forthwith to Tlaxcallan for the Vergantines, Gonzalo de Sandoual, with two hundered Spaniards, and fiftéene horsemen, and commaunded that in their way they shold burne and destroy the towne where the fourty fiue Spaniardes, and thrée hundered Tlaxcaltecas were slayn, with fiue horses moe, when Mexico was last besieged: and yt village is in ye iurisdiction of Tezcuco, and bordereth vpon the territorie of Tlaxcallan, yea, and for that purpose hée would gladly haue corrected and punished the dwellers of Tezcuco, but time then permitted not ye same, although they had deserued more punishment than the others. For why? in their town they were sacrifised and eaten, yea & the walles painted with their bloud, shewing moreouer perfit tokens, how it was spaniards bloud. They pluckt off also the horses skinnes & tanned thē in the heare, and afterwards hung them vppe, with the horseshoes in their great temple, & next vnto them, the spaniards garmētes, for a perpetual memory.
Sandoual went vnto that place with determinate entēt to follow his cōmission, & also before he came to ye place, he found writtē in a house wt a cole, these words: here in this house was a prisoner ye vnfortunate Iohn Iust, who was a gentleman, and one of the fiue horsemen that wer taken. But the people of that towne, being many, fledde when they saw the Spaniardes approch neare vnto thē. But Sandoual followed them, and slewe many of them: he toke also prisoners, manye women and children, who yelded themselues vnto his mercie, and their bodies for slaues. He séeing so little resistance, and beholding the pitiful mone of the wiues for their husbandes, and the children for their fathers, had compassiō on them, and wold not destroye their towne, but rather caused the dwellers to come again, and pardoned them, with othe, that hereafter they shoulde serue them truely, and be vnto them loyal friends. In this sorte was the death of the Christians reuenged, yet Sandoual asked them howe they slewe so manye Christians without resistaunce, marye (quoth they) we made an ambush in an euil and narrow way, ascending vp a hill, and there as they went vppe by one and one we spoyled them, for there, neyther horses nor other weapon could defend or help thē, so yt we tooke them prisoners and sente them to Tezcuco, where, as is before declared, they were sacrificed in the reuengement of the imprisonment of Calama.
Hovv the Vergantines vvere brought frō Tlaxcall to Tezcuco.
Nowe when the enemies which murdered the Spaniardes, were reduced and chastened, Sandoual procéeded forwarde towarde Tlaxcallan, and at the border of that prouince, he mette with the Vergātines whiche were broughte in pieces, as tables, planches, and nayles, with all other furniture, the whyche eight thousand men caryed vpon their backes.
There came also for their safeconduicte twentie thousande men of warre, and a thousande Tamemez, who were the carriers of victuals, and seruantes. Thē the Spanishe Carpenters sayde vnto Sandoual, that for as muche as they were nowe come into the countrey of enimies, it might please him to haue regarde thervnto, for daungers that myght happen: he allowed wel theyr iudgement.
Nowe Chichimecatetl, being a principal man and a valiant also, was captaine of a thousande men & desired to haue the vantguard with the Tymber, and hauing had the same charge hithervnto, it should be an affrent for him, to be put from it, and gaue manye reasons in hys behalfe. But notwithstanding his request, he was entreated to take the reregarde. And that Tutipil and Teutecatl captaines, very principal gentlemen, should haue the vantgard, with ten thousand men. In the myddest were placed the Tamemez, and those that carryed the foyst, with all the apparell of the Vergantines. Before those two captaynes, went a hundered Spaniardes, and eight horsemen, and behind and last came Sandoual with all the residue, and seuen horsemen. But now although Chichimecatetl was offended, touching his firste charge, now much more bycause the Spaniardes were not in his company, saying (quoth he) ye take me not for valiant, or else not faithful. That matter being pacified, and euery thing in good order, they toke their way towarde Tezcuco, with a marueylous noyse, crying, Christians, Christians, Tlaxcallan, Tlaxcallan, and Spayne.
On the fourth day they entred into Tezcuco, in verye good order, with the sounde of drummes, snayle-shelles, and other like instrumentes of Musicke, and againste their entry into the Citie, they put on al their brauerye of clothes, and bushes of feathers, whiche truely was a gallant sight: they were sixe houres, in entryng into the towne, keping their array.
Cortez came forth to receyue them, and gaue greate thankes vnto the gentlemen, and all the company, and prouided them of good lodgings and entertaynement.