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r the worship of
Huitzilopochtli and Tetzcatlipuca, being also supplied by pipes
underground from the aqueduct of Chapultepec. There were also other
large buildings in this neighbourhood, after the manner of cloisters, in
which great numbers of the young women of Mexico lived secluded, like
nuns, until they were married. These had also two appropriate idols in
the shape of females, who protected the marriage rights of the women,
and to whom they prayed and sacrificed in order to obtain from them good
husbands.

Although this temple on the Tlatelulco, of which I have given such a
lengthened description, was the largest in Mexico, yet it was by no
means the only one; for there were numbers of other splendid temples in
this city, all of which I am unable to describe. I have to remark,
however, that the chief temple at Cholulla was higher than that of
Mexico, and was ascended by 120 steps: also the idol at Cholulla stood
in greater repute; for pilgrimages were made to it from all parts of New
Spain, to obtain forgiveness of sins. The architecture of this building
was also different, but with respect to the yards and double walls they
were alike. The temple of the town of Tetzcuco was also of considerable
height, being ascended by 117 steps, and had broad and beautiful
courtyards, equal to those of the two last mentioned, but differently
constructed. It seems indeed quite laughable that each province and
every town should have its own peculiar idols, which, however, never
interfered with each other, and the inhabitants severally sacrificed to
them.

Cortes, and the whole of us at last grew tired at the sight of so many
idols and implements used for these sacrifices, and we returned to our
quarters accompanied by a great number of chief personages and caziques,
whom Motecusuma had sent for that purpose.

[58] This slimy substance the Mexicans called tecuitlatl, or excrement
of stone. It was made into various shapes, and dried in the sun. (p.
237.)

[59] According to Torquemada, this word expressed the number 8000 of
anything, whether of cacao beans, troops, or other matters. (p. 237.)

[60] Cacao nuts should be cacao beans; they were used by the Mexicans as
small coin, and even to this day, according to Humboldt, they form the
smallest coin among the inhabitants of New Spain. (p. 237.)

[61] In the large work of Ramusio, entitled 'Raccolta delle Navigazioni
e Viaggi,' there is a very interesting account of the city of Mexico.
There we find that this market was about three times larger than the one
at Salamanca, and surrounded by porticos. Every five days was a great
market day, and from forty to fifty thousand people come to buy and sell
there. (p. 238.)

[62] With regard to Mexican mythology, Bernal Diaz is, perhaps, not
quite so correct in general. The abbé F.S. Clavigero, who wrote a
history of Mexico, in two volumes quarto, is more intelligent in this
respect. (p. 239.)

[63] This note refers to the idol, half hidden from view, of which
Bernal Diaz has forgotten the name; it was probably the goddess
Centeotl, sometimes called Tonacajohua. (p. 240.)

[64] The Spanish is, "Estavan malos de bubas ó humores, les dolieron los
muslas de baxar!" bubas I have everywhere translated by the general term
of swellings in the groin, though it is quite evident, from the 68th
letter of Petrus Martyr ab Angleria, (De Rebus Oceanicis el Novo orbe
decades tres) that this disease was the syphilis, which was then
spreading so dreadfully. (p. 241.)

[65] The best-informed writers agree with Bernal Diaz as to the vast
extent of this temple. It was so extensive, says Torquemada, that an
arrow shot from a crossbow would not reach the length of one of its
sides. A few lines lower he says, that each of these sides was three
hundred and sixty feet long! The wall which surrounded this huge temple
was entirely built of hewn stone. (p. 241.)

[66] Bernal Diaz is here speaking of the Mexican picture writing or
hieroglyphics. (p. 242.)

CHAPTER XCIII.

 _How we erect a chapel and altar in our quarters with a cross on the
 outside; discover the treasure of Motecusuma's father; and determine
 to seize the monarch's person and imprison him in our quarters._

Our general and father Olmedo readily perceived that Motecusuma would
never give his consent to our erecting a cross on his chief temple, nor
that we should build a chapel there. We had, upon our arrival in Mexico,
fitted up some tables as an altar; but we were not satisfied with this,
and therefore begged of Motecusuma's house-steward to order his masons
to build us a church in our quarters, who referred us to the monarch
himself, upon which Cortes sent him with our interpretress and the page
Orteguilla to Motecusuma, who immediately gave his consent and issued
orders accordingly.[67]

In three days our church was finished, and a cross planted in front of
our quarters. Mass was now regularly said every day as long as our wine
lasted, which indeed was very short, as Cortes and father Olmedo, during
their illness in Tlascalla, had used the wine destined for the mass.
Nevertheless we went daily to church and prayed on our knees in front of
the altar and before the holy images; because it was our Christian duty,
and that Motecusuma and his grandees might notice it, and become
accustomed to these holy things, from seeing us kneel down in devotion
before them, particularly when we repeated the Ave Maria.

Wherever we went it was our custom to examine everything about us, and
consequently we searched every corner and nook in our quarters; and so
it happened, as we were looking for a proper spot to erect our altar,
that two of our men, one of whom was Yañez our carpenter, found the
traces of a doorway in the wall of one of the apartments, which had been
carefully walled up and neatly plastered over; and as we all very well
knew that the treasure of Motecusuma's father was secreted somewhere in
our quarters, these two men soon conjectured that this doorway might be
the entrance to the treasury. Yañez communicated his suspicions to the
chief officers, Leon and Lugo, who were relatives of mine; and at last
it got to the ears of Cortes. The consequence was, that the doorway was
in all secrecy broken open, and Cortes, with some of our officers,
entered the hidden apartment.

Their expectations were fully realized; for they found here such a vast
quantity of trinkets, thick and thin plates of gold, chalchihuis, and
other precious things heaped up together, that they were perfectly
astounded and were almost speechless at the sight of such immense
riches. This matter soon became known to all of our men, who now also
paid a visit to this secret treasure. I also followed their example, and
as at that time I was still a young man, and had never before beheld
such vast treasures, I concluded that the whole of the remaining part of
the world, put together, could not produce such a vast collection of
riches. However, all our officers and soldiers unanimously agreed to

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