want of water. Having concluded this, and leaving the two towns in peace, though well chastised for their refusal at the beginning, the alguacil mayor returned to Tesaico with all his people, and Your Catholic Majesty may believe that this was a most signal victory, where the Spaniards showed ery remarkable valour.
When the people of Mexico and Temixtitan learned that the Spaniards and Calcans had done them such damage, they determined to send certain captains with a large force against them.[1] As soon as the Calcans learned this, they sent to beseech me to send them some aid with all haste, and I again promptly sent the alguacil mayor, with foot soldiers and horsemen; but when he arrived the Culuans and the Calcans had already met in the field and both had fought very stoutly. God was pleased, however, that the Calcans should triumph, and they killed many of their adversaries, and captured some
- ↑ Bernal Diaz relates that Quauhtemotzin was so enraged when he heard of the defection of the Chalcans and of the hostilities against him, in which they had taken part with the Spaniards, that he despatched a force of twenty thousand warriors against them, which was transported across the lake in two thousand canoes. Sandoval had barely got back to Texcoco and had not even had time to make his report to the commander, when an express arrived from Chalco with the news that things were in a worse state than ever. Cortes, hastily assuming that Sandoval had returned too soon, leaving his mission only half accomplished, fell into a rage, and ordered Sandoval's instant return to Chalco, without hearing a word of what he had to say in explanation. Sandoval was so much hurt at this injustice that on his second return to Texcoco bringing the prisoners, he would have nothing to say to Cortes in spite of the latter's apologies and protests. The two men did afterwards make up this quarrel, and became as good friends as ever. There was also much grumbling over the partition of the slaves; first His Majesty's fifth was deducted, then the fifth belonging to Cortes, then the officers took their shares, so that by the time it came to allotting any to the soldiers there was not much of any value left. Bernal Diaz says that those who were in favour with Cortes, bought their slaves privately and had them branded, paying the price to him: many slaves also escaped or disappeared, but the soldiers were credited with their value, which was charged against them in the division of the spoils.
