t and expert
in feates of armes, that any one of them was able to order the people
there; and forasmuch as matters of warre were subiect to casualtie, and it
was vncertaine which part should overcome, they wished him to saue
himselfe, to the end, that if it fel out that they should end their daies
there, as they determined, rather then to be ouercome, there might remaine
one to gouerne the Countrie. For all this hee would not haue gon away: but
they vrged him so much, that with fifteene or twentie Indians of his owne,
hee went out of the towne, and carried away a skarlat cloke, and other
things of the Christians goods; as much as hee was able to carrie, and
seemed best vnto him. The Gouernour was informed how there went men out of
the towne, and hee commanded the horsemen to beset it, and sent in euery
squadron of footemen one souldier with a firebrand to set fire on the
houses, that the Indians might haue no defense: all his men being set in
order, hee commanded an harcubuz to bee shot off. The signe being giuen,
the foure squadrons, euery one by it selfe with great furie, gaue the
onset, and with great hurt on both sides they entred the towne. The Frier
and the Priest, and those that were with them in the house were saued,
which cost the liues of two men of account, and valiant, which came
thither to succour them. The Indians fought with such courage, that many
times they draue our men put of the towne. The fight lasted so long, that
for wearinesse and great thirst many of the Christians went to a poole
that was neere the wal, to drink, which was all stained with the blood of
the dead, and then came againe to fight. Thie Gouernour seeing this,
entred among the footemen into the towne on horseback, with certaine that
accompanied him, and was a meane that the Christians came to set fire on
the houses, and brake and ouercame the Indians, who running out of the
towne from the footemen, the horsemen without draue in at the gates again,
where being without all hope of life, they fought valiantly, and after the
Christians came among them to handy blowes, seeing themselues in great
distresse without any succour, many of them fled into the burning houses,
where one vpon another they were smothered and burnt in the fire. (M636)
The whole number of the Indians that died in this towne, were two thousand
Indians and fiue hundred, little more or lesse. Of the Christians there
died eighteene; of which one was Don Carlos, brother in law