Читать книгу The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne - López de Gómara Francisco - Страница 17

Care of a good Captayne

Fortye thousande Indians

Perill of the Christians

A miracle

Al y^t nighte Cortez slept not, but rather occupyed himselfe in carrying the wounded men, & other stuffe aboord y^e Shyps, & also to disenbarke thirtéene Horses, & the residue of his mē y^t he had left aboord, y^t which he brought to passe before the sunne rising, although the Tauascans had notice thereof. Whē the sunne was risen, he had with his company made vnto God their prayers, and mustered his men, where were at that time in Campe néere fiue hundred Spanyardes, thirtéene Horses, and sixe péeces of ordinance: These Horses were the fyrste that euer came into that Countrey, whych now is called new Spayne. He planted his men and munition in good order, and thus marched forwardes toward Cintla. The Indians séeyng this preparation, began also to make readie, and to place in good order fortie thousand men in fyue cōpanies: their méeting was in ploughed lande among manye déepe lakes and pondes, very daungerous to passe, so that our men by reason thereof were brought out of order. And Hernando Cortez with his horsemen wente to séeke a better passage, and to enclose himselfe among certayne trées on their left hand, for to set vpon the enimies when time should serue. The footemen procéeded on, and passed many marishe groundes, vntill they came to the tilled land. The Indians were expert in those places wher they beganne the battayle, shooting with their bowes and slings, and throwing of dartes. And although our mē did some hurt among them with their Crossebowes, hādgunnes, and Ordinance, whē they were in place to shoote, yet the Indians pursued our men so thicke, that they could not put them off, for by pollicie, the Indians of Potonchan hadde soughte out that place: and it is to bée thoughte that they were not barbarous, nor of small vnderstanding in warres, yet notwithstanding wyth muche payne, oure men gate out of that place, and obtayned another somewhat better, and more playner grounde, whereas they myghte vse their Ordinance, and fyghte with their weapons bodye to body. But the Indians béeyng so greate a number, draue our men to so narrowe a place, that they were fayne to ioyne backe to backe for theyr owne defence, yea & for all that were in maruellous greate daunger, for they hadde no roome to vse their Ordinance, nor yet Horsemen to make them waye. They béeyng in thys perplexitie, and readie to flye, suddaynely appeared a Horseman with a speckled Horse, whome they iudged to be Captayne Morla, whych Horsemanne sette vppon the Indians, and made them retyre: and hauyng more space than before, they sette afreshe vppon the enimies, and slewe some of them. In thys meane tyme the Horsemanne vaded away, and was not séene, and wyth hys absence the Indians beganne afreshe, and enclosed the Chrystians in the same daunger that they were in before: then the Horsemanne appeared agayne néere oure menne, and made maruellous way among the enimies, wherevpon our menne séeyng this succoure, gaue the onset agayne with great courage, and slewe and hurt many Indians, but at the best season, the Horseman vanished away cleane out of sighte, and when the Indians sawe not the Horseman, with feare of whome they fledde, thinkyng that he hadde bin a Centaure, and that the Horse and man was all one incorporate, they returned agayne with liueley courage, and vsed our Christians worse than they hadde done before. Then the Horseman returned the third time, and putte the Indians to flight with great hurte, whom our footemē pursued with great slaughter.

Now at this instant came Cortez with al his company of horsemen, being wearied with the trauaile in passing such strange lakes and wildernesse, wherof the countrey is replenished. Our men being ioyful of his comming, they began to enforme him what wonders they had sene a horseman do, which came to succour them, demanding of him which of their company it was. Cortez answered and faithfully assured them, that it was none of their cōpany, bicause it was not possible for any of them to come any sooner: Then they al gaue God praise, belieuing that it was a helpe sent from heauen. Cortez said (my deare fellows) forwards, for god is with vs. Then the horsemē set vpon the Indians, and with force of lance droue them out of the marish ground, and brake their mayne battel. The Indians incontinent left the fielde, and fled into the thicke wooddes, the footemen followed them, and slue aboue thrée hundred Indians, besides many other that were hurt. There wer aboue seauenty Spaniardes wounded with arrowes and stones.

A sodaine disease

And whether it were with labour of the battel, or with excessiue heate, or with drinking the water of that place, there fel such a stitch in their loynes, that about a hūdred of them fel flat vpon the groūd, not able to go nor stand, their fellowes being forced to carry thē on their backes. But it pleased god that the same night the payne wente frō them, being in the morning wel againe. Who séeyng themselues deliuered from so manye perils, gaue moste humble thankes to the almightye god that had miraculously deliuered them. They all agréed that thrée times they had séene the straunge horseman, with the speckled horse, fight in their fauour, as is aforesaid, beléeuing generally it was a miracle, as certainely it did appeare, for the Christians did not alone sée this thing, but also the Indians dyd muche note it, for the maruelous fiercenesse wherwith he came vppon them, with such great murder, that they were amased, and almoste blynde with hys bryghtnesse, being so trodden vnder hys féete. The captiue Indians after the battayle declared the circumstance therof.