The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne. López de Gómara Francisco
of this place call this harbour Chalchicoeca, there the fleete came to Anker. They were not so soone at Roade, but incontinente came two little boates named Acalles, enquiring for the Generall of the Fleete, who when they came to hys presence, dyd humble reuerence vnto him, and sayde vnto hym that Teudilli the Gouernoure of that Prouince sente to knowe what people they were, and what they woulde haue, and whether they meante to stay there or procéede farther. Aguillar dyd not well vnderstande that language. Cortez caused them to come aboorde hys Shyppe, gyuyng them thankes for theyr paynes and visitation. Hée made vnto them a banket of Wyne and Conserua, and sayde vnto them, that the nexte day followyng hee would come alande, and talke with the Gouernoure, whome hée besoughte not to alter him nor hys people wyth hys commyng a shore, for he meant not to molest hym, but rather to pleasure and profyte hym. To that these messengers were rewarded wyth certayne gyftes, they eate and dranke, but yet suspected euill, although they lyked the Wyne well, wherefore they desired to haue thereof, and also of the Conserua, to presente vnto theyr Lorde, whyche was giuen them, and so departed.
The nexte daye béeyng good Friday, Cortez came alande wyth hys Boates full of menne, and broughte hys Horses and artillerie a shore by little and little, wyth all hys menne of warre, and two hundred Indians of Cuba, whyche serued to toyle and laboure. Hée planted hymselfe in the best scituation that hée coulde fynde among the Sandy bankes on the Sea syde, and there pytched hys Campe, and hauyng néere that place manye trées, they builte them Cotages with boughes.
From a little Village that was at hand, came many Indians to gaze at things so straunge, and the like neuer séene vnto them, and brought with thē gold to barter for suche toyes, as the two little Boates had broughte from them before. They brought also bread and meate readie dressed after their vse likewise to sell. Oure men chaunged wyth them beadestones of glasse, looking glasses, sissers, kniues, pinnes, and suche other wares, whereof the Indians were not a little glad, returning home to their houses, shewing their neighbours. The ioy and pleasure that these simple soules tooke with these trifles, was so greate, that the next day they came agayne wyth other Indians ladē with Iewels of gold, Turkie Hennes, bread, meate, and fruite, that suffised for all the Campe, and for the same they receyued nedels, and beadestones of glasse, but the poore soules thought themselues therewith so riche, that they knewe not where they were with ioy and pleasure, yea and they thoughte that they hadde deceyued the Straungers. Nowe Cortez séeyng the greate quantitie of golde broughte and bartered so foolishly for trifles of no valewe, proclaymed throughout all hys host, that no Christian shoulde take any golde vppon greate penaltie, and that they shoulde all shewe, as though they knewe not to what purpose the golde serued, and that they passed not for it, bycause they shoulde not thynke that the desire thereof had broughte them thyther, and so they did dissemble that great demonstration of golde, to sée what was meante thereby, and whether the Indians hadde brought that golde, to proue whether theyr commyng was for that or no. On Easter day in the morning, came Teudilli the Gouernour to the Campe, from Cotosta hys dwellyng place, whyche was eyght leagues from thence. He brought attendyng vpon his person foure thousande men without weapon, and the most part well clothed, some of them with garments of Cotton, riche after their manner. And others naked, laden with victuals in great abundance, whiche was straunge to sée. Teudilli according to their vsance, did his reuerence to the Captaine, burning frankinsence, and little strawes touched in bloud of his owne bodye, he presented vnto him the victuals, and certayne Iewels of golde very riche and well wrought, and other things made of feathers very curious straunge and artificiall. Cortez embraced him in his armes, and receyued hym ioyfully, saluting all hys company. He gaue to Teudilli a coate of silke, a brooche, and a coller of glasse, with many other péeces of Haberdashe wares, whiche was highly estéemed of him.
The talke of Cortez vvith Teudilli
Al the former talke was had without an Interpreter, bycause Ieronimo de Aguillar vnderstoode not thys language, bycause it differed muche from the spéeche of the other Indians, whereas hée hadde bin captiue: for whyche cause Cortez was somewhat carefull, bicause he would largely haue discoursed with Teudilli. It chanced that among those twentie women giuen hym in Potonchan, one of them stoode talking with a seruaunte of Teudilli, bycause she vnderstoode them as menne of hir owne language. Cortez espying this, called hir aside, and promised hir more than libertie, so that she woulde bée a trustie and faithfull interpreter betwixte hym and those Indians, and that hée woulde estéeme hir as his Secretarie. And further demanded of hir of what lignage she was, then she aunswered, that she was naturall of the Countrey that bordered vpō Xalixco, and of a towne called Viluto, daughter vnto riche parentes, and of the kinrede of the Lorde of that lande. And béeyng a little girle, certayne Merchantes dyd steale hir away in tyme of warre, and brought hir to be solde at the fayre of Xicalanco, whyche is a greate Towne néere Coasaqualco, not farre distant from Tauasco: and after this sorte shée came to the power of the Lord of Potonchan. This woman was Christened Marina. She and hir fellowes were the firste Christians baptised in all the newe Spayne, and she onely with Aguilar, were Interpreters betwixt the Indiās and our men.
Nowe Cortez béeyng assured of hys true Interpreters, hée celebrated hys accustomed deuine seruice, and Teudilli wyth hym, and after they hadde dyned in Cortez hys Tente in presence of many Spanyardes and Indians, Cortez enformed Teudilli howe that hée was vassall to the Lord Charles of Austria Emperour of the Christiās, and King of Spayne, and Lorde ouer a greate parte of the worlde, whome great Kings and Princes dyd serue and obey: and that all Princes were glad to bée hys friendes for his Vertue and myghte. And hée hauyng aduertisemente of that Countrey and Lorde thereof, had sente him thyther to visite hym on hys behalfe, and to enforme hym of certayne secrete matters, the effecte whereof he hadde in wrytyng. Sir (quoth Teudilli,) I am very glad to heare the Maiestie and Vertue of the Emperoure youre maister, but you shall vnderstande, that my Lorde the Emperoure Melzuma is as greate and as good a Prince as he. And I doe muche maruell, that there shoulde bée anye so greate a Prince in the whole worlde, but yet according to youre request, I wyll certifye hym, and knowe hys pleasure, for I trust (quoth he) in the clemencie of my Prince, that youre newes and message shall bée acceptable vnto him, and you well recompensed for your paynes. Cortez then commaunded al his men to set themselues in order of battayle with fife and drumme, and to skirmishe before Teudilli. And that the horsemen shoulde runne, and the ordinaunce shotte of, to the entent that Mutezuma shoulde be aduertised thereof. The Indians did much beholde the gesture, apparell and beardes of our men, they wondered to sée the horses runne, they feared the brightnesse of the swordes, and at the noyse of the ordinaunce they fell flatte to the ground, thinking that the heauens did fall. And the shippes, they held opinion was the God of the ayre called Quezalcoualt, whiche came with the temples on his backe, for they dayly looked for him. Teudilli dispatched the poste to Mexico, to Mutezuma, aduising him of all that he had séene, and demaunded golde of him for to giue vnto the Captayne of that newe people. Bicause Cortez had inquired of him, whether Mutezuma had gold or no, he answered (yes) mary quoth Cortez, I and my fellowes haue a certayne disease of the harte, and golde helpeth vs. This message wente from the campe to Mexico in one day and a night, whiche is 210. myle, and the poste caried paynted the horses and horsemen vpon them, the maner of theyr armour, and howe many péeces of ordinaunce they had, & what number of bearded men there were: and as for the shippes he had giuē aduise as soone as they arriued, shewing the greatnesse and quantitie of them. All these things aforesayde, Teudilli caused to be paynted in cloth of Cotten very liuely, that Mutezuma mought sée it. The cause that this message wente so farre in so shorte a space, was, they had certayne places that postes attended, as we may say horsepostes which gaue alwayes from hand to hande the paynted cloth: they doe runne on foote faster in this sorte, than by horsepost, and is more of antiquitie than horsepost: Also Teudilli sent to Mutezuma the garments & many other things whiche Cortez had giuen him, whiche things were after wardes founde in the treasorie