A straunge vvall.
Cortes seyng the long tarying of the messengers he departed from Zaclotan without any intelligence from Tlaxcallan. Our cāp had not marched much after their departure from that place, but they came to a great circuite of stone made without lyme or morter, being of a fadom and a half high, and twentie foote brode with loupe holes, to shoote at: that wall crossed ouer all the valley from one mountayne to another, and but one onely entraunce or gate, in the whiche the one wall doubled against the other, and the way there was fourtie paces brode, in such sort, that it was an euill and perilous passage, if any had bene there to defend it. Cortes demaunded the cause of that circuite, and who had buylte it, Iztacmixtlitan that wente to beare him company, tolde him that it was but a deuision from their countrey and Tlaxcallan, and that their antecessors had made the same to disturbe the entrance of the Tlaxcaltecas in time of warre, who came to robbe and murther them, bycause of the friendship betwixte them and Mutezuma, whose vassals they were.
That strange and costly wall, séemed a thing of greate maiestie to our Spanyardes, and more superfluous than profitable, yet they suspected that the Tlaxcaltecas were valiant warriers, who had suche defense made agaynst them. And as Cortes and his army stoode beholding thys worke, Iztacmixtlitan thought he had bin afrayde to procéede forward, and prayed him (for so much as he was his Lordes friend) not to passe that way, nor yet through the Countrey of Tlaxcallan, for so muche as he wente to visite his maister, for (quoth he) if they knowe you to be my Lordes friende, they will séeke youre displeasure, as they haue done to others, and I will prouide you of guides to leade you continually through the dominion of Mutezuma, where you shall be well receyued and prouided, vntil you come to Mexico.
But Mamexi and the others of Zempoallan willed hym to refuse that offer and counsell in any wise, alleadgyng that it was an onely pretence to separate them from the friendship of that prouince, whose people were good, honorable, and valiant, and that Iztacmixtlitans perswasion was to prohibite theyr helpe and succoure agaynst Mutezuma, willing hym earnestly to giue no credite vnto hys sayings, for he and his allyes are false Traytors, and meante to bryng hym into some snare, where they myghte kill both him and his company, and féede vppon theyr fleshe.
Cortes for a space was amazed at ye talke of ye one and the other, but in conclusion he accepted the councell of Mamexi, for that he hadde conceyued a better opinion of the Zeampoallanezes his allyed friendes, than of the others. And setting all feare asyde, he tooke the way to Tlaxcallon, byddyng Iztacmixtlitā farewell, and with thrée hundred Souldyers on a ranke, he entred the way in the wall, and procéeded in good order all the way forwardes, carrying the Ordinance ready charged, and he himselfe the leader of all his army, yea and sometimes he woulde be halfe a league before them, to discouer and make the way playne.
And hauing gone the space of thrée leagues from that circuite, he commaunded his footemen to make hast, bycause it was somewhat late, and he with his Horsemen went to descrye the way forwardes, who ascendyng vp a hyll, two of the formost horsemenne mette with fiftéene Indians armed with swordes and Targets and tuffes of feathers, whiche they vse to weare in the warres. These fiftéene were spyes, and when they sawe the Horsemen, they beganne to flye with feare, or else to gyue aduise.
Then approched Cortez with other thrée horsemen, calling to them to stay, but by no meanes they woulde abyde: then syxe Horsemen ranne after them, and ouertooke them, & ioyned all togither, with determination rather to dye than to yéelde, shewing them signes to stande still: yet the Horsemen comming to lay handes on them, they prepared themselues to battayle, and foughte, defendyng themselues for a whyle. In thys fyghte the Indians slewe two of theyr Horses, and as the Spanyardes doe witnesse, at two blowes they cutte off a Horse head, bridle and all. Then came the rest of the Horsemenne, and the army approched, for there were in syghte néere fiue thousande Indians in good order, to succoure theyr fiftéene fyghting menne, but they came too late for that purpose, for they were all slayne wyth the anger that was taken for the killyng of the two Horses, and woulde not render themselues in tyme: yet notwythstandyng theyr fellowes foughte, vntyll they espyed oure armye commyng, and the Ordinance, then they returned, leauyng the fielde to oure menne, but oure Horsemenne followed them, and slewe aboute 70. persons of them, withoute receyuing anye hurte.
A subtill message.
Thys done, the Indians sente vnto Cortes two of the foure messengers whiche hadde bin sente thither before wyth other Indians, saying, that the Tlaxcaltecas knewe nothyng of the thynges that were happened, certifying lykewyse that those with whome hée hadde fought were of other comunities, and not of their iurisdiction, béeyng sorowfull for that whyche hadde passed: and for so muche as it happened in theyr Countrey, they woulde willingly pay for the two Horses whyche were slayne, praying them to come in good time to theyr Towne, who woulde gladly receyue them, and enter into theyr league of friendshippe, bycause they séemed to bée valiante menne: but all was a fayned and a false message.