ndians, who were standing under arms along the coast between
the palm trees, saw us approaching, they leaped into their canoes and
stationed themselves where we were going to land, in order to prevent
us. The shore was covered with warriors armed with all kinds of
weapons, while a terrible noise assailed our ears from their twisted
shells, drums, and fifes. Cortes ordered us to halt for a few moments
and not to fire as yet. As he was very particular in doing everything in
proper form, he desired the royal secretary, who was with us, and Diego
de Godoy, once more to request the inhabitants to allow us to come
peaceably on shore to take in fresh water. Aguilar acted as interpreter.
They were also to give them some notion, if possible, of the Lord God,
and his imperial majesty, and explain to them, that if they attacked us,
and we in defending ourselves killed any of their men, the guilt would
be upon their heads, not ours. The Indians, however, continued their
defiances, threatening to destroy us all if we came on shore. Indeed the
battle now soon began, for immediately after they commenced pouring
forth showers of arrows, the drummers to give signals for the other
troops to fall upon us in a body, and in an instant they rushed bravely
forward. They completely surrounded us with their canoes, and shot off
their arrows so quickly, that many of us were soon wounded, we being
moreover compelled for a length of time to fight up to our waists, and
sometimes even higher in the water. The place where we were attempting
to land was disadvantageous in another way, for the ground was composed
of mud and clay, in which it was impossible to move very fast,
particularly as at the same time we had to defend ourselves against the
enemy's arrows and the thrusts of their lances. Cortes himself, while
fighting in this way was obliged to leave one of his shoes sticking in
the mud in order to get on firm land. We had all, indeed, hard work to
do before we could gain the dry ground; but having once obtained this we
fell so furiously upon our enemies, under the cry of our patron St.
Jacob! that they began to retreat, but immediately again drew themselves
up in order of battle behind the wood and the trees they had cut down.
Here they made an obstinate resistance, until we likewise drove them
from this place, having forced some passages leading to the town, which
latter we entered fighting our way in. The battle now continued in the
streets, unti