them; that he was himself a prisoner surrounded with guards; and, hearing it was the intention of the invaders to pass on to the kingdom of Quiché and subdue it, he resolved to send notice of the design, in order that Kicab Tanub might be prepared to oppose them. This," adds our historian, “is a strong proof of a good understanding having existed between the two kings; for if Montezuma, watched as he was by his keepers, could contrive to despatch this messenger secretly to Kicab, there is no doubt that frequent intercourse took place between them in the time of peace and tranquillity." But if so, there must have been a road from one kingdom to the other; and the argument that Guatimala could not have been tributary to Mexico, because there was no means of keeping up a communication prior to the Spanish conquest, falls to the ground. Montezuma was the immediate successor of Ahuitzotl, whose ambassadors were sent home with so little ceremony, but who is stated, nevertheless, to have found the means of introducing into the country certain Mexicans in the character of traders, for the purpose of forming a party that might be useful in furthering his attempts at subjugating the kingdom. The good understanding between Ahuitzotl's successor and the King of Quiché remains unaccounted for. Either some amicable overtures must have subsequently been made by the Mexican sovereign with better success, or there must have taken place, transactions of a military nature, not, perhaps, to the honour of the Guatimalan monarchs. Nor is the argument less inconclusive, which Don Domingo founds on the diversity of dialects. The number of languages spoken in Mexico exceeds twenty, and many of them differ from each other far more remarkably than, as we suspect, the Quiché, Kachiquel, Zutugil, and Pipil, will be found to do from the Aztec. Nevertheless, as there is no positive proof that the kingdom of Guati

mala was ever subject to the Mexicans, we are quite willing to take for granted that its independence remained inviolate up to the period of the Spanish conquest.

When the Toltecs arrived in Guatimala, they found the country already inhabited by various tribes, as, in Mexico, they were preceded by the Chichimecs and Ottomites. The remains of these aboriginal tribes, who appear to have been driven southward, are probably still in existence. The Toltec empire founded by Acxopil, afterwards subdivided into the lordships of Quiché, Kachiquel, and Zutugil, is said to have comprised the provinces of Solola, Chimaltenango, Sacatepec, and part of Quezaltenango and Totonicapan. At the time of the Spanish conquest, a civil war was raging between the King of the Kachiquels and the Zutugil monarch, which induced the former to call in the aid of those dangerous allies. "The fame of Cortes's exploits," we are told, "spread rapidly through the country, and soon reached the court of the Kachiquel kings, who, of their own free will, sent an embassy to him, offering to acknowledge themselves vassals of the King of Spain. The chief received the ambassadors with all the kindness and affability so peculiar to him, treated them with every mark of distinction, and gave assurances that himself and all those under his command would govern them with mildness in peace, and defend them against all enemies. Cortes sent Pedro de Alvarado, one of his officers who had been most active in the conquest of New Spain, to take possession of Guatimala, and receive the subjection of the native kings. He quitted the city of Mexico. on the 13th of November, 1523, accompanied by 300 Spaniards and a large body of auxiliaries, Mexicans, Tlascaltecs, and Cholulans. After a short detention in subduing the natives of Tehuantepec, who had revolted, he advanced, completed the conquest of

Soconusco and Tonala, and arrived in the territory of the Quichés on the 24th of February, 1524.”

Kicab Tanub was engaged in a sanguinary war with the Zutugiles and the Mams, when the tidings reached him, that the Spaniards had arrived at the boundaries of Soconusco. On receiving this intelligence, he suspended further hostilities, and despatched messengers to the different kings and chiefs, inviting them to confederate for their common defence. The same spirit of rivalry and bitter animosity, however, which led to the overthrow of the Mexican empire by a handful of Europeans, prevailed, on this occasion, over every patriotic feeling. The Kachiquel monarch openly declared himself a friend to the Teules, or gods, as the Spaniards were called; and the king of the Zutugiles rejected the proposals with haughty contempt. At this crisis, Kicab fell sick and died. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Tecum Umam, who had but little leisure to indulge in sorrow for his father's death, as every hour brought him advice of the enemy's approach. At length, information arrived, that the Spaniards had laid seige to Xelahuh (or Quezaltenango), the most important place in the kingdom, and which was garrisoned at this time by 80,000 Indians. Alarmed at their rapid progress, Tecum Umam quitted his capital at the head of an army of 70,000 men, and by the time he reached Quezaltenango, he was joined by several petty chiefs, so that he was able to marshal on the plain of Tzaccaha 232,000 warriors. Here he fortified his camp with a wall of loose stones, strengthened by a deep fosse, which was lined with rows of poisoned stakes. The Spaniards, having traversed the province of Soconusco, entered the mountains, and captured the stronghold of Xetulul, or Sapotitlan; they then pur sued their march till, on arriving at the banks of the river Zamala, they found themselves vigorously

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attacked by a large body of Indians. The Spanish musketry soon threw the Quichés into confusion; three times they rallied, and renewed the attack with great fury, but at length, their leaders being slain, they fled with precipitation. The invaders now thought themselves secure from the assaults of the barbarians, but, on their beginning to ascend the steep ridge now called the Cerro de Santa Maria de Jesus, they found the summit covered with the enemy, who prepared to dispute the passage of the defile. Between the rivers Zamala and Olintepec, six actions took place, in all of which the Indians were defeated with great slaughter. That which was fought in the defile of the latter river, was the most desperate: its waters were reddened with the carnage, and received from that circumstance the name of Xiquigel, or river of blood. This was one of the severest conflicts in which the Spaniards had yet been engaged. After this victory, they remained for three days without further molestation from the natives, which afforded them time to recover from their great fatigues. On the fourth day, they advanced to Xelahuh, which they found abandoned; and some stragglers who were brought in, reported that all the inhabitants had fled to the mountains. It was soon discovered, however, that all the force of the surrounding country had been collected to make another attack on the Spaniards. The army immediately quitted Xelahuh, and took up a favourable position on the plain. The cavalry, consisting of 135 men, was divided into two troops: Alvarado himself commanded the infantry.

The Indian army was formed into two very strong divisions, one of which was headed by the monarch

in person. "As soon as the contending parties

came within reach of each other, a furious combat ensued. One of the Indian divisions, being attacked by the cavalry, was forced to abandon its position,

which was On the de

and retire for support on the other, resolutely engaged with the infantry. feat of this first division, the cavalry rejoined the main body, where the general had, by several small detachments, been able to resist the force of Tecum Umam. The king personally attacked Alvarado, and wounded his horse so severely, that he was forced to dismount and procure another. Tecum Umam renewed his assault upon the general a second and even a third time, and, in the last encounter, received a wound from a lance by the hand of Alvarado, of which he died almost immediately. The fury of the Indians was increased to madness on seeing their monarch fall: the discharge of pikes, arrows, and stones that followed, was more violent than any thing that had hitherto been witnessed. A critical moment was seized for attacking in close column, and that manœuvre decided the fate of the day. The Indians, unable to make head against this solid body, yielded to despair, and broke away in the most precipitate flight, leaving the Spaniards completely masters of the field.

"Hopeless of being able longer to resist the conquerors by the force of their arms, they had recourse to stratagem and treachery, which was determined upon in a council of war held in Utatlan, by the King Chignauivcelut, son and successor of Tecum Umam To put their design into practice, the king began by sending a solemn embassy to Alvarado with a valuable present of gold, to sue for peace and forgiveness for the past, and to offer submission to the Spanish monarch. The ambassadors entreated the general to visit the capital, where he might conveniently refresh himself after his late severe fatigues, and where the king was anxious to receive and entertain him with whatever his dominions could afford. Alvarado most anxiously desired to establish peace, and this invitation being considered as a favourable opportunity, he