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BOOK VI. 8IEGE AND SURRENDER OF MEXICO, CHAPTER I. AMANQEKENTa AT TEZCUCO—SACK OF IZTAPALAPAN— ADVANTAGES OF THE SPANIARDS— WISE POLICY OF CORTES—TRANSPORTATION OF THE BRIGANTINES. 1521. The city of Tezcuco was the best position, probably, which Cortds could have chosen for the head-quarters of the army. It supplied all the accommodation for lodging a numerous body of troops, and all the facilities for subsistence, incident to a large and populous town. It fur nished, moreover, a multitude of artisans and labourers for the uses of the army. Its territories, bordering on the Tlascalan, afforded a ready means of intercourse with the country of his allies, while its vicinity to Mexico enabled the general, without much difficulty, to ascertain the movements in that capital. Its central situation, in short, opened facilities for communication with all parts of the Valley, and made it an excellent point d'appui for his future operations. The first care of Cortfis was to strengthen himself in the palace assigned to him, and to place his quarters in a state of defence, which might secure them against surprise, not only from the Mexicans, hut from the Tezcucans themselves. Since the election of their new ruler, a large part of the population had returned to their homes, assured of protection in person and property. But the Spanish general, notwith standing their show of submission, very much distrusted its sincerity; for he knew that many of them were united too intimately with the Aztecs, hv marriage and other social relations, not to have their sympathies engaged in their behalf. The young monarch, however, seemed wholly in his interest; and, to secure him more effectually, Cort6s placed several Spaniards near his person, whose ostensible province it was to instruct him in their language and religion, but who were in reality to watch over his conduct, and prevent his corre spondence with those who might be unfriendly to the Spanish interests. Tezeuco stood about half a league from the lake. It would bo necessary to open a communication with it, so that its brigantines, when put together in the capital, might he launched upon its waters. It was proposed, therefore, to dig a canal, reaching from the gardens of