er, Cortez took half of his Spanish force and the
whole of his allies, and started on an expedition to reconnoiter
the capital, and to punish some of the towns which had returned
insolent answers in reply to his summons.

The town of Xaltocan, standing on an island, was first attacked.
The dike leading to it was found to be cut through; and the
Spaniards, for a time, suffered greatly. They found a ford,
however; reached the town, and put all who resisted to the sword.

Three other towns, which had been deserted by their inhabitants,
were occupied and sacked. They then marched against Tlacopan and,
after a battle outside the town, occupied the suburbs. Another hot
fight was necessary before the town was fully taken.

Here the Spaniards halted for some days, fighting almost daily with
the Aztecs. In one encounter, Cortez allowed himself to be decoyed
on to the great causeway, upon which he had before suffered such
disaster. When he was halfway across the Aztecs turned,
reinforcements arrived from the city, swarms of canoes attacked the
Spaniards in flank; and it was only after desperate fighting, and
some loss, that they regained the mainland.

Having accomplished their object, the force returned to Tezcuco,
greatly harassed on the march by the enemy. Other expeditions were
undertaken. During these events the work of putting together the
vessels was continued and, to the great satisfaction of the
Spaniards, news reached them from the coast of the arrival of three
ships, with reinforcements: two hundred men, seventy or eighty
horses, arms, and ammunition.

When these reached Tezcuco, Cortez felt confident that he should
now be able to overcome all opposition. On the fifth of April he
again started on an expedition. Passing through some deep gorges,
he attempted to carry a mountain fortress; but was repulsed, with
loss, from the volleys of stones and rocks rolled down upon the
assailants.

After several other battles they neared Xochimilco, one of the
richest of the Aztec towns. Like Mexico, it stood in the water, but
at a small distance from the edge of the lake. This was only
captured after desperate fighting, Cortez himself having a narrow
escape of his life. The next morning at dawn, great numbers of
Aztecs landed from canoes, and fell upon the Spaniards; and it was
only after a long and desperate struggle that the latter gained the
day.

They now continued their march to Tlacopan, the enemy following
closely