e of Huitzilopochtli. I will
not detail the severe struggle we had against one house in particular,
which was very strongly fortified, nor the critical position our horse
were placed in. For whenever our cavalry galloped in upon the enemy's
ranks, our horses were assailed by so many arrows, stones and lances,
that they were immediately covered with wounds; while their riders,
however courageously they fought, could make but little impression upon
the foe. If they pushed further on, the Mexicans either jumped into the
canals or into the lake, where the cavalry could not follow them, and
where a whole forest of lances stared them in the face: equally
fruitless were all our attempts to set fire to their houses, or pull
them down, as they stood, in the midst of the water, and were connected
to each other by drawbridges only. If at times we did succeed in firing
a house, it took a whole day in burning down, nor did the fire spread,
from the buildings being at too great distance from each other, and
their being surrounded by water, so that all our efforts that way
completely failed. At last we succeeded in fighting our way up to the
foot of the great temple, but at that instant a body of above four
thousand of the enemy rushed up the steps for its defence; besides that,
other troops were already stationed on the top of this building, armed
with long lances, stones and arrows. For a length of time the guns of
our towers and the attacks of our cavalry could make no impression on
the enemy, while our horses were scarcely able to step firmly on the
smooth pavement of the court yards, but every moment slipped out and
fell down. Though our cannon mowed down ten or fifteen of the enemy at a
time, and a great many others were cut down by our sabres, yet their
numbers were so vast that we could not beat them back, we therefore now
determined to quit our towers, which were almost broken into pieces; and
leaving them at the foot of the temple, we began fighting our way up the
steps of the building.

Here Cortes displayed astonishing courage, though this, I may say, was
never wanting in him. What a bloody and terrific conflict was this! The
reader should have seen how we were covered with blood and wounds! Above
forty of our men lay dead at our feet; but at last, with the aid of
Providence, we succeeded in reaching the point where we had erected the
image of the holy Virgin. It was, however, no longer there; for
Motecusuma, as we subsequ