rrows,
which they managed as dexterously as their husbands, and some armed only
with stones exposed themselves courageously in the heat of the action.
The foremost of the Spanish main body, which had fallen greatly behind
the van little thinking of what was to happen, on hearing the noise of
trumpets, drums, and shouts, gave the alarm to the rest, and hastening
forwards came up about the close of the engagement. At this time many of
the Indians got over the wall into the fields, and endeavoured to make
head against the newly arrived Spaniards, but were soon slain. On the
arrival of the Spanish main body, about twelve fresh horsemen made a
furious charge on a large body of Indian men and women who still
continued the battle in the market-place, and soon routed them with
great slaughter. This ended the fight about sunset, after it had lasted
nine hours, being on St Lukes day in the year 1541[166].

[Footnote 166: The date of 1541 seems here erroneous, Soto having
landed in 1539, and spent only one winter in the country, the
transactions in this part of the text ought only to refer to the year
1540.--E.]

During the night and next day, Soto ordered the best possible care to be
taken of the wounded, some of whom died for want of proper necessaries,
no bandages, lint, oil, or medicines being to be had, as all these
things had been plundered along with the other baggage at the
commencement of the battle by the Indians, and having been carried into
the town were all there burnt along with the houses. Forty-eight
Spaniards were slain in this battle; thirteen others died shortly of
their wounds, and twenty-two some time afterwards, so that the entire
loss was eighty-three men, besides forty-five horses, which were much
missed, as the cavalry constituted the main strength of the army. It was
reckoned that eleven thousand Indians perished, four thousand of whom
were found dead without the town, and young Tascaluza among them. The
dead bodies within the town were computed at three thousand, as the
streets were all full of them; and it was believed that upwards of four
thousand were consumed by fire in the houses, for above a thousand
perished in one house, as the fire began at the door and they were all
stifled. When the Spaniards afterwards scoured the country round, many
were found to have died of their wounds in various parts, and some of
them four leagues from the town. The body of the cacique Tascaluza could
not be found, wh