'He travels safest, in the dark, who travels lightest.'" His own veterans took his advice, and contented themselves with picking out a few of the most valuable ornaments; but the soldiers of Narvaez could not bring themselves to leave such treasures behind them, and loaded themselves up with as much gold as they could carry.
Cortez now arranged the order of march.

The van was composed of two hundred Spanish foot, and twenty horsemen, under the orders of Gonzalo de Sandoval.

The rearguard, with the main body of the infantry and the greater portion of the guns, was commanded by Alvarado and Velasquez de Leon.

Cortez himself led the center, which was in charge of the baggage, some of the heavy guns, and the prisoners; among whom were a son and two daughters of Montezuma, Cacama, and the other nobles who had been in prison with him.

The Tlascalans were divided among the three corps.
A portable bridge had been prepared for crossing the canals which intersected the causeway; the intention being that it should be laid across a canal, that the army should pass over it, and that it should then be carried forward to the next gap in the causeway.
This was a most faulty arrangement, necessitating frequent and long delays, and entailing almost certain disaster.