As Cortes approached the capital of the Province of Tezcuco, messengers met him with signals of peace and urgently invited him in the name of their cacique to make his night quarters in the city where everything possible would be furnished for the comfort of himself and his men. The invitation was accompanied with the request that Cortes might be pleased to have his Indian auxiliaries camp outside the city. There being some reason to doubt the sincerity of the cacique’s intentions, he decided to avail himself of the invitation at once but at the same time to take every possible precaution and make his entrance immediately, which was accomplished at noon of December 31, 1520. As soon as he had occupied the best and largest area of the city he deposed the cacique who had stood by the Mexicans and been false to the Spaniards. He put in his place the man who was declared by the people to be the most worthy. This man, Ixtlilxochitl, was young and amiable, and of such a noble and distinguished presence that Cortes could not refrain from embracing him and assuring him of his friendship. He also decided to make his headquarters in the city until all his arrangements for the conquest of Mexico were completed. The Mexicans at this time were in a very good state of defence. At the places where the causeways had been cut, strong bulwarks and breastworks were constructed to prevent the enemy from using floating bridges. The new Emperor, Guatemozin, had armed many of his warriors with bows and very long spears with which they could defend themselves at a considerable distance. Besides this they had a countless number of canoes, so that they could attack from every side. Cortes knew that he could not think of capturing this really strong city until he had a flotilla of small craft with which to dispose of these canoes. But how was he to get them? There were only three or four ship-carpenters in his entire army. All the building material would have to be procured in the Tlaxcalan forest, and his whole Spanish force would not be sufficient to convey it from there to Tezcuco. But the greater the difficulties which confronted this extraordinary man, the stronger was his determination to overcome them. A large number of Tlaxcalans were assigned to his carpenters for manual service. While the necessary material was being prepared, Cortes began to make himself master of the whole region surrounding Mexico in order to cut off the unfortunate capital from subsistence. He overpowered some of the towns by force and induced others by mild means to enter into an alliance with him. Guatemozin regarded the defection and loss of his faithful vassals with sorrow and indignation and sought—but in vain—to prevent it. But his great heart did not waver in the manly determination to defend his capital to the last drop of blood.