File:A century of discovery; biographical sketches of the Portuguese and Spanish navigators from Prince Henry to Pizarro; (1877) (14597150759).jpg

Identifier: centuryofdiscove00voge (find matches)
Title: A century of discovery; biographical sketches of the Portuguese and Spanish navigators from Prince Henry to Pizarro;
Year: 1877 (1870s)
Authors: Vogel, Theodore, 1838-
Subjects: Discoveries in geography Explorers
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and Co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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niardslooked upon as well-pleasing to God, so raised their couragethat Cortes determined to make use of the favourable momentand begin the perilous retreat. Knowing that all the bridgeshad been broken down, Cortes caused a portable woodenbridge to be prepared, and determined that^the retreat shouldbe directed in a westerly direction towards the town Tla-copan. He appointed the night of the ist of July for the attempt.The march began in the pre-arranged order about midnight,and the Spaniards succeeded in getting safely through thetown, which was wrapped in sleep, until they came to the be-ginning of the causeway. Here they stumbled upon a bandof Mexicans, who immediately gave the alarm. Soon thereresounded from all sides the shrill noise of the war horns,while the beat of the monstrous drums rapidly brought upfresh bands of warriors. While the rearguard could only withthe greatest loss keep back the raging onset of the Aztecs,hundreds of boats had come up on both sides of the causeway.
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CORTES IN DANGER. Hernando Cortes. 295 and from these was poured an unceasing hail of missiles uponthe army as it strove to advance upon the narrow path. Thenthere was a stoppage. The first breach was reached, and itwas necessary to lay down the pontoon. This delay was fatalto many. At last the onward march was resumed, but soon asecond breach was reached. A still longer and equally de-structive delay ensued, and soon it was known that it hadbeen found impossible to take up the pontoon and bring itfarther. All discipline was then at an end, and the one desireof every one was to save his own life. The rearguard pressedirresistibly upon those in the van, and drove them nearer andnearer to the edge of the abyss. Here the climax of miseryseemed attained. Happy were those who found a waterygrave or met with a speedy death from the Mexicans. Manywere knocked down and stunned, and thus fell alive in thehands of their enemies, who kept them as long-desired victimsfor the bloody altars of thei

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