were
unable to move. Two of these, who appeared to be men of distinction,
assured us that we should be attacked on the following day by the whole
armed force of the country.

This night we spent in burying our dead and in dressing the wounds of
our men. Our captain was himself very unwell, as he had lost much blood;
and by standing so long on the field of battle had chilled his wounds.
We observed the utmost vigilance during this night: the horses stood
saddled, and the whole of us were ready for action at a moment's notice,
for we were almost certain that the enemy contemplated some sudden
attack. We considered our position in every respect dangerous, as with
all our firing and courageous fighting we had not been able to drive the
foe from the field of battle, and we soon discovered that we had to deal
with bold and intrepid warriors. Our cavalry were therefore commanded to
charge the enemy's line in small bodies, five abreast, and to poise
their lances at the face. Several of us veteran Conquistadores had
frequently cautioned the new recruits to adopt this mode of attack, but
many of them had neglected this good advice, and imagined they had done
enough by merely wounding their antagonist. Four of the less experienced
ones had paid dearly for this neglect, for the Indians wrested the
lances out of their hands and wounded them and their horses with their
own weapons. In this battle, six or seven of the enemy had boldly set
upon each horse at a time, and laid hold of them with their hands; one
of the men they had already dragged by force from his saddle, and they
would undoubtedly have carried him off and sacrificed him to their idols
if we had not hastened up to his assistance.

During this night we came to the determination of marching early the
next day against the town of Chiapa itself. And, indeed, it might in
every respect be termed a town, so fine an appearance had the houses,
besides being so regularly built. Its population amounted to above 4000
souls, in which that of the many surrounding townships is not included,
though the whole of them were subject to Chiapa. Early next morning,
accordingly, we marched forward for this place and observed the utmost
military precaution; but we had scarcely advanced one mile when we came
up with the united forces of this province. The enemy, with surprising
swiftness and accoutred in their most splendid war costume, fell upon us
from all sides at once under the most hideou