o the camp of Pedro de Alvarado, or our own. All being
assembled in the square, so large a multitude of the enemy charged upon
us from all directions that we had as much as we could do to keep them
back; and that, too, in places where, before this defeat, the enemy
would have fled before three horse and ten foot. Immediately after, in
a lofty tower filled with their idols that stood near the square, they
burned perfumes and fumigated the air with certain gums peculiar to
this country, that greatly resembled _anime_, which they offer to their
idols in token of victory. Although we endeavored to throw obstacles
in the way of the enemy, it was out of our power, as our people were
hurrying back to the camp.

"In this defeat thirty-five or forty Spaniards, and more than a
thousand of our allies, were slain by the enemy, besides more than
twenty Christians wounded, among whom was myself in the leg. We lost
the small field-piece that we had taken with us, and many crossbows,
muskets and other arms. Immediately after their victory in order to
strike terror into the Alguazil mayor and Pedro de Alvarado, the enemy
carried all the Spaniards, both living and dead, whom they had taken,
to the Tlaltelulco which is the market-place, and in some of the lofty
towers that are situated there they sacrificed them naked, opening
their breasts and taking out their hearts to offer them to the idols.
This was seen by the Spaniards of Alvarado's division from {205} where
they were fighting, and from the whiteness of the naked bodies which
they saw sacrificed they knew them to be Christians; but although they
suffered great sorrow and dismay at the sight, they effected a retreat
to their camp after having fought gallantly that day, and carried their
conquests almost to the market-place, which would have been taken if
God, on account of our sins, had not permitted so great a disaster. We
returned to our camp, such was the grief we felt, somewhat earlier than
had been usual on other days; and in addition to our other losses, we
had been told that the brigantines had fallen into the hands of the
enemies, who attacked them in their canoes from the rear; but it
pleased God this was not true, although the brigantines and the canoes
of our allies had been seen in danger enough, and even a brigantine
came near being lost, the captain and the master of it being wounded,
the former of whom died eight days afterward."

This modest account of the bra