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BooK VII. Royal Commentaries.
Countrey of Mexico (who had taught the refi) that could !hoot either upon
Rell:s, or at Arms length, as they pleafed. Moreover, it was certainly believed,
chat Hernandez.. compounded his Powder with a certain fort of Poifon : for the
Chirurgeoos reported, that the wounds made by the Rebels Gun-fhor, though
never fo flight, were incurable, and which was contrary to the nature of fuch
wounds, which are always more eafily cured than thofe which are made by Lance,
or Sword, or Halbert, or fuch like Weapons: but nocwithfianding all rhefe difficul–
ties engage they mufr, which cofi: many a man his life, to the defeat and ruine of
the whole Arrny.
CH AP. XVII.
The Mar/ha! drtfWS up his Men in order of Batte!. Fran–
cifco Hernandez does the lifte in defence of hinzfelf.
The feveral A/faults that were n1ade. The death of n1any
principal perfons.
I T was prefently after mid-day when the Madhal gave the fignal for the 13at–
tel, . and having drawn up the Souldiers in their feveral Companies, he gave
orders to Captain Martin de Roh/es with his Company of Mufquetiers, to march
to the left, and attack the Enemy on that .fide ; the Captains Martin de Olmos and
(ohn Ramon were commanded with their Forces to march to the right, and to make
the on-fee together at the fame time, when they heard the Trumpet found, which
was to be the fignal for the Affaulc: ~he refi of rhe Infantry, with all the Horfe
were commanded to defcend by a very narrow paifage, there being no other way
than that to go down unto the River, which., having pa~d, they were to draw
up in a little Plain, and then in a Body to attack the Enemy with all the fury
poffible. Francifco Hernandez, who from his fiation obferved all this motion of
che Enemy, and that they were difpofed to a1laulc them in three feveral places;
called to his Souldiers, and faid, Now, Gentlemen, we mull either conquer or
die, for the y is coming upon us with all their fury: Hereupon a certain
Souldier of experience in the War, whom Hernandez and his men called Co–
lonel Yillal rceiving that the General and his Souldiers feemed fomewhat
cold and defponding; bid them, as Palentino reports, to be of good courage, for
that the Mar!hal could never maintain his Order, nor was it poffible for him to
pafs the River without being overthrown; and that the place where they were
pofied was fo !hong as could not be taken by ten thoufand men; and that all
of them mufi be cut off and perirh in the affault, with which faying of Villalva
Hernande~ and his men were greatly encouraged, &c. And indeed it proved ac–
cording to the words of the Colonel: For Hern"nde~ having drawn up fome of
his Mufquetiers and all his Pikemen in a n1rrow way, commanded by Piedrahita,
and Sotelo, with orders to fight jointly in a Body or feparately, and to relieve
each other, as occalion fhould require. Another great Body of above an hundred
Mufquetiers he divided into feveral parties, of four and fix together, and lodged
them in the clofe pafiages, and behind Rocks, Bufhes and Thickets which grew
by the River fide; where was no place to draw up men into a Body, but every
one mufr fight by himfelf fingly ; And thence the Rebels could !hoot with a fied–
dy hand, reO:ing their Mufquets on Bullies, or Stumps and Branches of Trees.
Martin de Robles and his Company of Mufquetiers having pa~d the River, e!lee–
med themfelves fo fecure of Victory, confideriog the finall number of the Enemy,
that they preifed hafiily to attack them, intendmg to gain the honour of the
Vietory unto themfelves ; which they did with fo much precipitation, chat they
would not fiay unrill all their men were pafled over, but attempted the Enemy
with the Van or Front onely, whilfi the refi were wading through the River
with water co their middles, or to their Breafis, and Corne, intent on ocher mat-
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