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rtes, nevertheless, embraced the
ambassadors most affectionately, and accepted the presents, the value of
which I cannot now remember. I must also remark that Motecusuma never
sent any message to us which was not accompanied by some present in
gold.

On this occasion Cortes again told the ambassadors that he was surprised
how their master, who had styled himself our friend so very many times,
and was so powerful a monarch, could so often change his mind. Desire a
thing one day, to countermand it the next. With respect to his offer of
the gold for our emperor and ourselves, we were thankful for his kind
intentions, as also for the presents they now brought with them, and he
would certainly some day render him valuable services in return. He
would ask them himself if it would be acting right after we had advanced
within such a short distance of his metropolis, to turn back without
fulfilling our monarch's commission? Motecusuma should place himself in
our position and consider, if he had sent ambassadors to a monarch of
his own rank, how he would like it, if they returned home after arriving
almost at his palace, without once seeing that monarch or fulfilling
their commission to him? How would he receive these ambassadors when
they appeared before him? Would he not look upon them as cowards and
spiritless beings? Our emperor, at least, would not look upon us in any
other light, and treat us accordingly if we returned so to his court. We
had now no choice left, and we must get into his metropolis one way or
other. In future, therefore, we begged their monarch would not send any
more ambassadors with such messages. He, Cortes, was determined to see
and speak to Motecusuma himself personally, to acquaint him with the
object of our mission. All we required of him was merely an audience,
for the moment our stay in his metropolis became irksome to him we would
leave and return to the place whence we had come. With regard to the
alleged scarcity of provisions, we were accustomed to content ourselves
with little. He had better, therefore, make up his mind to receive our
visit, as we could not possibly relinquish our purpose of seeing Mexico.
With this answer Cortes sent the ambassadors back to their monarch, and
we continued our march. As we had been so often warned by the people of
Huexotzinco and Chalco, and we were aware that Motecusuma had been
advised by his idols and papas to allow us to enter the city and then
fall upon us, we became more thoughtful, for we were likewise mortals
and feared death. We were now, therefore, doubly upon our guard, more
particularly as the country was thickly populated; and we made short
days' marches. We arranged the manner in which we were to enter the
city, and commended ourselves to the protection of God, and we felt
confident hopes, that as the Lord Jesus had up to this moment watched
over us in all our perils, he would also shield us against the power of
Mexico.

We took up our night's quarters in Iztapalapan, where we found an
excellent supper awaiting us. This town lay half in the water and half
on the dry land, on the slope of a small hill, where, at present, a
public-house is built.

After Motecusuma had learnt our answer to his message, he despatched his
nephew Cacamatzin, prince of Tezcuco to us, in great pomp, to bid us
welcome. The first intimation of this prince's approach was brought in
by our outposts, who announced to our general that a great number of
Mexicans were advancing, arrayed in their most splendid mantles and
showed signs of peace. It was still early in the day, just as we were
about to break up our quarters, and Cortes consequently ordered us to
halt, until we should learn the purport of this visit.

At this moment four distinguished personages came up to him, and made
signs of the profoundest veneration, and announced to him that
Cacamatzin, prince of Tezcuco, and nephew to Motecusuma, was approaching,
and they begged that Cortes would await his arrival, as he would come
almost immediately. It was indeed not long before this prince made his
appearance in such splendour and magnificence as we had not yet seen in
any of the Mexican chiefs. He was seated in a beautiful sedan, which was
decorated with silver, green feathers, and branches made of gold, from
which hung quantities of precious stones. This sedan was supported on
the shoulders of eight distinguished personages, who, we were assured,
were likewise caziques over townships.

When the procession had arrived in front of Cortes' quarters, they
assisted the prince out of the sedan, and swept clean every inch of
ground before him, and then introduced him into the presence of our
commander. After the usual compliments, Cacamatzin addressed Cortes as
follows: "Malinche! I and these chiefs are come here to wait upon you,
and to provide all those things for you and your companions which you
may require, and to conduct you to the quarters we have prepared for you
in our city. All this is done at the command of our monarch, the
powerful Motecusuma."

When we contemplated the splendour and majesty of these caziques, and
particularly of the nephew of Motecusuma, we could not help remarking to
each other, if these appear in so much splendour what must not the power
and majesty of the mighty Motecusuma himself be![45]

When Cacamatzin had done speaking, Cortes embraced him, and said many
fine things to this prince and the great personages around him, and
presented the former with three pieces of polished stone, of a pearly
hue, containing various figures in different colours;[46] and the other
chiefs with blue glass beads. He then again thanked him for the
attentions which Motecusuma had thus far shown him, and inquired what
day he should be able to thank Motecusuma in person?

This conference being ended, we continued our march; we were accompanied
by the caziques who had come out to meet us and their numerous suite,
with all the inhabitants of the surrounding neighbourhood, so that we
could scarcely move along for the vast crowds of people.

The next morning we reached the broad high road of Iztapalapan, whence
we for the first time beheld the numbers of towns and villages built in
the lake, and the still greater number of large townships on the
mainland, with the level causeway which ran in a straight line into
Mexico. Our astonishment was indeed raised to the highest pitch, and we
could not help remarking to each other, that all these buildings
resembled the fairy castles we read of in Amadis de Gaul; so high,
majestic, and splendid did the temples, towers, and houses of the town,
all built of massive stone and lime, rise up out of the midst of the
lake. Indeed, many of our men believed what they saw was a mere dream.
And the reader must not feel surprised at the manner in which I have
expressed myself, for it is impossible to speak coolly of things which
we had never seen nor heard of, nor even could have dreamt of,
beforehand.

When we approached near to Iztapalapan, 

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