to reduce a town by famine; he is
all impatience to fight his way in.

After Cortes had maturely considered this plan, he sent word by means of
brigantines to Alvarado and Sandoval to desist from the daily attacks
upon the town. This new method of conducting the siege was greatly
favoured by the circumstance that our brigantines stood no longer in
fear of the stakes which the enemy had driven into the lake, for if
there was a stiffish breeze and the men vigorously plied their oars, the
brigantines were sure each time to break through them. By this means we
became complete masters of the lake, and all the detached buildings
which stood in the water. When the Mexicans saw the great advantage we
gained over them in this way they became considerably disheartened.

In the meantime we continued the combat on the causeways, and in the
space of four days we had with great difficulty and labour filled up the
wide opening in front of our camp. Two companies repelling the attacks
of the enemy, while the third was occupied in filling up the aperture.
Cortes did the same with his division, and himself assisted in dragging
along beams and planks to make the causeway more safe. Sandoval was
similarly engaged on his causeway, and now the brigantines were able to
lend us considerable assistance, since they no longer feared the stakes.

In this way we continually kept advancing nearer and nearer to the city,
though the enemy constantly renewed their attacks upon us, and that with
so much fury and intrepidity that it was often with difficulty we could
repulse them. But the Almighty had strengthened our arms, and our
crossbow-men and musketeers did great execution among the crowded ranks
of the enemy; yet we had still every evening to retreat along the
causeway to our encampment, which was not the easiest part of the day's
work, as the enemy, still big with the recent victory they had gained
over us, fought with great confidence. At one time they fell upon us
from three sides, and wounded two horses, but thank heavens we cut our
way through, slaughtered a considerable number of them and made many
prisoners. On our side we had likewise several wounded, but this did not
discourage us, we each day returned to the conflict, dressed our wounds
at night with bandages steeped in warm oil, supped off vegetables,
maize-cakes, and figs, and then posted our watches for the night.

The hellish rejoicings on the summit of the large temple were still