Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History

Book

Open Original Text

two other caziques came out in
great pomp to receive us: one was the prince of Cuitlahuac, and the
other of Cojohuacan; both were near relatives of Motecusuma. We now
entered the town of Iztapalapan, where we were indeed quartered in
palaces, of large dimensions, surrounded by spacious courts, and built
of hewn stone, cedar and other sweet-scented wood. All the apartments
were hung round with cotton cloths.

After we had seen all this, we paid a visit to the gardens adjoining
these palaces, which were really astonishing, and I could not gratify my
desire too much by walking about in them and contemplating the numbers
of trees which spread around the most delicious odours; the rose bushes,
the different flower beds, and the fruit trees which stood along the
paths. There was likewise a basin of sweet water, which was connected
with the lake by means of a small canal. It was constructed of stone of
various colours, and decorated with numerous figures, and was wide
enough to hold their largest canoes. In this basin various kinds of
water-fowls were swimming up and down, and everything was so charming
and beautiful that we could find no words to express our astonishment.
Indeed I do not believe a country was ever discovered which was equal in
splendour to this; for Peru was not known at that time. But, at the
present moment, there is not a vestige of all this remaining, and not a
stone of this beautiful town is now standing.[47]

We had not been long here before the caziques of this town, and of
Cojohuacan arrived with a present, worth about 2000 pesos, for which
Cortes returned them many thanks, and showed the caziques every possible
kindness, and explained, by means of our interpreters, many important
things to them relative to our holy religion, and the great power of our
emperor.

Iztapalapan was at that time a town of considerable magnitude, built
half in the water and half on dry land. The spot where it stood is at
present all dry land; and where vessels once sailed up and down, seeds
are sown and harvests gathered. In fact, the whole face of the country
is so completely changed that he who had not seen these parts
previously, would scarcely believe that waves had ever rolled over the
spot where now fertile maise plantations extend themselves to all sides;
so wonderfully has everything changed here in a short space of time!

[43] Clavigero says, that a Mexican load was equal in weight to fifty
Spanish pounds, or eight hundred ounces, and values the gold which
Motecusuma offered to Cortes on this occasion at above three millions of
ducats! (p. 216.)

[44] Torquemada (Monarch. Ind. lib. iv) gives many reasons why
Motecusuma was so undecided as to whether he should allow the Spaniards
to enter his metropolis. (p. 216.)

[45] Other writers say, that several of the Spaniards could not be
persuaded for a length of time that it was not the monarch himself. (p.
218.)

[46] Bernal Diaz says, "Tres piedras que se llaman margaritas."
Margarita is Spanish for a pearl; yet it is evident our old soldier is
not speaking of pearls here, and most likely what he calls stones were
nothing more than coloured Venetian glass, which was formerly held in
great estimation; for in the next chapter he further describes these
stones by "piedras de vidrio," stones of glass. (p. 218.)

[47] Cortes, in his despatches, gives even a more glowing description of
this charming spot; a strong proof that Bernal Diaz has not said too
much of it. (p. 219.)

CHAPTER LXXXVIII.

 _The magnificent and pompous reception which the powerful Motecusuma
 gave to Cortes and all of us, on our entrance into the great city of
 Mexico._

The following morning we left Iztapalapan accompanied by all the
principal caziques above mentioned. The road along which we marched was
eight paces in breadth, and if I still remember ran in a perfectly
straight line to Mexico. Notwithstanding the breadth, it was much too
narrow to hold the vast crowds of people who continually kept arriving
from different parts to gaze upon us, and we could scarcely move along.
Besides this, the tops of all the temples and towers were crowded, while
the lake beneath was completely covered with canoes filled with Indians,
for all were curious to catch a glimpse of us. And who can wonder at
this, as neither men like unto ourselves, nor horses, had ever been seen
here before!

When we gazed upon all this splendour at once, we scarcely knew what to
think, and we doubted whether all that we beheld was real. A series of
large towns stretched themselves along the banks of the lake, out of
which still larger ones rose magnificently above the waters. Innumerable
crowds of canoes were plying everywhere around us; at regular distances
we continually passed over new bridges, and before us lay the great city
of Mexico in all its splendour.

And we who were gazing upon all this, passing through innumerable crowds
of human beings, were a mere handful of men, in all 450, our minds still
full of the warnings which the inhabitants of Huexotzinco, Tlascalla,
and Tlalmanalco, with the caution they had given us not to expose our
lives to the treachery of the Mexicans. I may safely ask the kind reader
to ponder a moment, and say whether he thinks any men in this world ever
ventured so bold a stroke as this?

When we had arrived at a spot where another narrow causeway led towards
Cojohuacan we were met by a number of caziques and distinguished
personages, all attired in their most splendid garments. They had been
despatched by Motecusuma to meet us and bid us welcome in his name; and
in token of peace they touched the ground with their hands and kissed
it. Here we halted for a few minutes, while the princes of Tetzcuco,
Iztapalapan, Tlacupa, and Cojohuacan hastened in advance to meet
Motecusuma, who was slowly approaching us, surrounded by other grandees
of the kingdom, seated in a sedan of uncommon splendour. When we had
arrived at a place not far from the town, where several small towers
rose together, the monarch raised himself in his sedan, and the chief
caziques supported him under the arms, and held over his head a canopy
of exceedingly great value, decorated with green feathers, gold, silver,
chalchihuis stones, and pearls, which hung down from a species of
bordering, altogether curious to look at.

Motecusuma himself, according to his custom, was sumptuously attired,
had on a species of half boot, richly set with jewels, and whose soles
were made of solid gold. The four grandees who supported him were also
richly attired, which they must have put on somewhere on the road, in
order to wait upon Motecusuma; they were not so sumptuously dressed when
they first came out to meet us. Besides these distinguished caziques,
there were many other grandees around the monarch, some of whom held the
canopy over his head, while others again occupied the road before him,
and spread cotton cloths on the ground that his feet might not touch the
bare earth. No one of his suite ever l

Previous Next