tood in the water, and he therefore resolved to
attack those which he was best able to get at. Quauhtemoctzin then sent
off a large body of troops to the assistance of the town, with commands
to cut through the causeway in Sandoval's rear. Cortes observing a vast
number of canoes going in the direction of Iztapalapan, instantly
steered with the brigantines for the same place, and ordered Oli, with
the whole of his division, to shape his course thither along the
causeway. They found the Mexicans already hard at work in cutting
through the causeway, and concluded from this that Sandoval was
destroying the houses which stood in the water. They found him, as they
had suspected, already in the heat of an engagement with the enemy, who,
however, retired on the approach of the brigantines.

Cortes now ordered Sandoval to quit Iztapalapan with his troops, and to
take up his position at Tepeaquilla, in front of the causeway, which
leads from this place to Mexico. This Tepeaquilla is at present
dedicated to our dear lady of Guadaloupe, where so many miracles have
happened, and still daily take place.

CHAPTER CLI.

_How Cortes assigns particular stations to the twelve brigantines,
the thirteenth being considered unfit for service._

Cortes, our officers, and the whole of the troops were now convinced
that it was impossible to fight our way to the city along the causeways,
unless we were covered on each side by a couple of the brigantines. Our
general therefore joined four of these to Alvarado's division, he
himself retaining six others near his head-quarters, which he had taken
up where Oli was stationed; the remaining two he sent to Sandoval, for
the smallest brigantine was not considered of sufficient bulk to make
head against the large canoes, and was taken out of the service
altogether, and the men distributed among the crews of the other twelve.

As soon as the brigantines arrived at our station Alvarado placed two on
each side of the causeway, which were to cover us as we advanced to the
attack of the bridges. We now fought with better success than we had
previously done for the brigantines kept off the canoes, and prevented
them from attacking our flanks; so that we now succeeded in forcing some
of the bridges, and in destroying several of the enemy's entrenchments.
The conflict, however, was no less severe; on the contrary, the Mexicans
made so good a use of their lances, arrows, and slings, that, alth