An illustrated history of the New world : containing a general history of all the various nations, states, and republics of the western continent ..and a complete history of the United States to the present time .. . s step;but, in the circumstances, it was absolutely necessary. Leaving a garrison of a hundred and forty men in Mexico, undeithe command of Pedro de Alvarado, who appeared by far the fittesiperson for so responsible a post, Cortes set out with the rest of hi?force, amounting to less than two hundred soldiers, only five o^whom were cavalry, and, by rapid marches reached the Totonar
An illustrated history of the New world : containing a general history of all the various nations, states, and republics of the western continent ..and a complete history of the United States to the present time .. . s step;but, in the circumstances, it was absolutely necessary. Leaving a garrison of a hundred and forty men in Mexico, undeithe command of Pedro de Alvarado, who appeared by far the fittesiperson for so responsible a post, Cortes set out with the rest of hi?force, amounting to less than two hundred soldiers, only five o^whom were cavalry, and, by rapid marches reached the Totonarterritories, where he was reinforced by Sandoval and his small bodyof men. Altogether, Cortess army did not amount to more than afifth part of that of Narvaez. They were veterans in service, how-ever, and, under such a leader as Cortes, were prepared to attemptimpossibilities. Narvaez, in the mean time, was in close quarters atCempoalla, aware that his rival was on his march, but httle suspect-ing that he was so near. On the night of the 26th of May, 1520,Cortes and his brave little band, crossing, with difficulty, a swollenriver which lay between them and their countrymen, advanced 68 THE CONQUEST OF DEFBAT OF NARVAKZ. Stealthily towards Narvaezs quarters, surprised the sentinels, andshouting the watchword, Espirito Santo! dashed in among thehalf-awakened, half-armed foe. The struggle did not last long ; forSandoval, with a small body of picked men, springing up the stairsof the house where Narvaez was lodged, succeeded, after a hand-to-hand fight with the general and his followers, in making him pri-soner, after he had lost an eye and been otherwise severely learning the fall of their leader, the rest yielded; and whendaylight came, Cortes, seated in an arm-chair, with a mantle ofan orange colour thrown over his shoulders, and surrounded by hisofficers and soldiers, received the salutations and the oaths of alle-giance of all the followers of Narvaez. In h
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