The vanguard had scarcely got upon the causeway when canoes shot out upon the lake, and soon a storm of stones and arrows burst upon the column.

More and more terrible did it become, as fresh canoes, crowded with the warriors, came up.

Many of these pushed up to the causeway itself; and the natives, landing, fell upon the Spaniards with fury.
The latter made no stay.

Fighting their way through their foes they pressed on until they reached the next opening in the causeway, and there waited for the bridge to come up.

But a column many thousands strong, with baggage and artillery, takes a long time to cross a bridge; and the advanced guard had reached the opening long before the rear had passed the bridge, and there stood helpless, exposed to the terrible storm of missiles, until at last the column were all across the bridge.
Then forty picked men, who had been specially told off for the task, tried to raise it so that it might be carried to the front; but the weight of the baggage wagons and artillery had so wedged it into the earth, that they were unable to move it.