When our Captain remembered that we had already been resting in Tlaxcala for seventeen days, and that we had heard so much said about the great wealth of Montezuma and his flourishing city, he arranged to take counsel with all those among our captains and soldiers whom he could depend on as wishing to advance, and it was decided that our departure should take place without delay, but there was a good deal of dissent expressed in camp about this decision, for some soldiers said that it was a very rash thing to go and enter into such a strong city, as we were so few in number, and they spoke of the very great strength of Montezuma. Our Captain Cortés replied that there was now no other course open to us, for we had constantly asserted and proclaimed that we were going to see Montezuma, so that other counsels were useless.

His opponents seeing with what determination Cortés expressed himself, and knowing that many of us soldiers were ready to help him by crying: “Forward and good luck to us,” dropped all further opposition. The men opposed [to Cortés] in this discussion were those who owned property in Cuba. I and other poor soldiers had always dedicated our souls to God who created them, and our bodies to wounds and hardships, and even to death in the service of Our Lord God and of His Majesty.