The Slave Sculptor — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

O4 THE SLAVE SCULPTOR. : had been launched, manned, armed, and were already masters of the lake; thereby placing the capital in a close state of blockade. During this lapse of time, there was no change in the Aztec mon- archy. Cuitlahua, Set adaaiere ae after a short reign of four months, died with the small-pox.* He was succeeded by Quauh- temotzin, or Guatemozin, he was Called by the Spaniards. This prince was young, yet amply experienced in military matters. He was not long in making himself perfectly acquainted with all the movements of the invaders. He had spies in every section of the country, sought allies of all nations, buried the hatchet of discord and enmity with dis«ffected tribes, and soon gathered around him a legion of warriors, formidable and desperate. He commenced immediate preparations to meet the Spaniards; sent from the capital all useless members of the population, called around him all the potent vassals from the surrounding country, heaped up stores of provisions against the day of need, and sought by every ns to strengthen the defences of thecity. He reviewed the troops daily, excited them to deeds of desperation by wild harangues, encour- aged his people to attack the white man wherever he could be found. and offered a ‘price upon very Spanish head. oman the state of affairs in the capital, when Cortez set his stakes a siege. . CHAPTER XxX. THE GLORY OF THE ** HALLS OF MONTEZUMA’? DEPARTS — THE REVE- LATIONS AFTER THE CONQUEST — CONCLUSION. Cortez had so stationed his army, as to hold full command of all the causeways, while his brigantines cut off communication by the lake. He had, also, dispatched a st Ph the hill of Chapulte- nade destroy the aqueduct which supp the city with water.t dispersed, he commenced active demonstrations by furious as- sults upon the fated capital. | On the first occasion of his first penetration into the suburbs of ©“ This fatal qpcanie ¥90 imported into the country by an slave in. Barvaez's fleet, It first broke out in Cempoallaand swept with tion over the country, smiting down prince and pea sant, and adding another to the long train of woes that followed the march of the white man. + The water in lake Tezcuco, by which the capital was surrounded, was quite salt, and unfit for use. All water for drinking, or domestic wy was brought to the city, through large earthern pipes, from the of Chapultepec, — some two and a half miles distant comcbooks.com