The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne. López de Gómara Francisco
present and ansvvere that Mutezuma sente vnto Cortez
After the message sente, and the answere promised, Teudilli tooke his leaue, and within twoo flight shoote of Cortez his campe, he caused a thousande cotages of boughes to be made, & lefte there twoo principall men as Captaynes ouer two thousande persons men and women, and then departed for Cotosta hys dwellyng place. The twoo Captaynes had charge to prouide the Christians of all things necessarie, and the women serued to grynde their corne and make bread of Maiz, and to dresse theyr fishe and flesh and other victuals, and the men serued to carrie the dressed meate to the Christians cāpe, and wood, water, & grasse for the horses and al other necessaries, and this they passed eight dayes. In this meane season returned the poste with a riche and gentle present, whiche was many couerlets and clothes of cotton, white, and of other colours wrought, many tuffes of feathers very fayre, and some things wrought with golde and fethers, quantitie of Iewels and péeces of golde and siluer, twoo thinne whéeles, the one of siluer whiche wayde .25. markes with the signe of the Moone, and the other whéele of golde which wayed a hundreth markes, made like vnto the Sunne, with many leaues and beasts, a very curious péece of worke: these twoo things they helde for Gods in that countrey, & giueth thē the colours of the metall that is likest thē, euery whéele was two yardes & a half broade, and so proportionally in compasse round aboute, this present was estéemed at 20900. Ducates. This present shold haue bene giuen to Grijalua, if he had not so soone departed as the Indians reported. He also gaue vnto Cortez this answere, that Mutezumas his Lorde was very gladde to know, & to be friend to suche a mighty Prince as the king of Spayne was, and that in his time should arriue in his countrey such new people, & the like neuer séene before, & that he was readie to shew them al pleasure & honour, requesting him to sée what things he stoode in néede of for ye time that he meant to abide there, as well for himselfe as for his ships, army and deceasse, and it should be prouided abundantly: yea & also if he could finde any thing in that countrey to his contentment, to present to the Emperour of Christians, he would willingly prouide it. And as touching the desire that Cortez had to come to visite & to haue cōmunication with him, he thought it vnpossible, bycause that he was sickly and could not come vnto the sea coast, and likewise for Cortez to come where he did abide, it was harde, troublesome and difficill, as well for the many and cragged mountaynes, as also the countrey, wilde, desert & without habitation, and shoulde be constrayned to suffer hunger, thirst, and other necessitie: and moreouer the enhabitaunts of much part of the way that he should passe, were his enimies, both cruell & cursed people, and knowing thē to be his friendes, they should not escape with life.
All these excuses did Mutezuma by the mouth of Teudilli declare vnto Cortez, thinkyng to driue him frō his purpose & pretēded iourney, alleaging the foresayd difficulties and perils, the Indians did also hope that with some cōtrary weather they should be forced to leaue that coast & coūtrey. Notwithstāding this cōtradiction, so much the more desire had Cortez to visite Mutezuma, who was so great a prince in that parties, & throughly to discouer the treasure which he imagined to be there. And hauing receiued ye present, & also ye answer, he gaue vnto Teudilli a garmēt of his owne wearyng, and many other trifles of his Haberdash, to be sente vnto Mutezuma, saying that if it were for no other purpose but onely to sée so mightie and vertuous a Prince, it should be requisite and iuste to trauayle vnto his Court, how much the more, he was of duetie cōstrayned to doe the Embassage which the Emperour of Christians had willed and commaunded him to doe, for otherwyse he shoulde incurre the displeasure of the King his mayster, wherefore he besought Teudilli yet once agayne to aduertise Mutezuma of his constant determination, bycause hée shoulde vnderstande that he would not leaue off hys pretended purpose for any inconuenience that was obiected vnto him. Alleagying moreouer, that he who had cōmen 2000. leagues by sea, mought well goe 70. leagues by lande, and consideryng that he had many at his charge with small prouision, and likewise his shippes in daunger, he required that with all expedition the messengers should be dispatched. Teudilli desired him to recreate himself, & not to take any grief, for as much as he himself did dayly aduertise Mutezuma of his procéedings, euen so with all expedition the full resolution should come from Mexico, although it were somewhat farre off. And as for his victuals, he shoulde take no care, for abundantly he should be prouided. And also desired him for so much as he was not well placed among those sandy bankes, that it might please him to goe with him to certayne townes aboute sixe or seuen leagues frō thence. Cortez refused that offer, wherevpon Teudilli departed, and he abode there ten dayes looking for answere from Mutezuma.
Hovv Cortez knevv of discorde and dissention to be in the Countrey
In this meane season certayne Indians were espied, that went lurkyng a farre of among the sandy hilles. And those came not neare the Indians, that serued the Spaniarde, Cortez demaunded what people they were, & for what cause they went lurkyng so farre off, and came no néerer vnto them.
The twoo Captaynes answered, that they were husbandmen, that went aboute theyr husbandry. Cortez lyked not theyr answere, but suspected that they had tolde hym a lye: for it séemed vnto hym that those people desired to come among the Christians, and that they durste not with feare of the Indians of Teudilli, and so it was in very déede. For all that coaste and mayne lande within, as farre as Mexico, was full of the newes and straunge things that our men had done in Potonchan. Wherefore they all desired to sée them and to talke with them, but they durste not for feare of the Indians of Culhua, who are subiectes vnto Mutezuma, wherevpon Cortez sente fiue Spaniardes to call them with signes and tokens of peace. This company of Indians were in number twentie, and were gladde to beholde those fiue men commyng towardes them, and were desirous to sée suche straunge people and shippes, wherefore they came willingly altogither vnto Cortez his Tente.
These Indians dyd differ muche from all the other Indians yet séene, for they were hygher of person, and had the grystels of theyr noses slitte, hangyng ouer their mouths, and rings of Iette and Amber hanging thereat. They had also theyr neither lippes bored, and in the holes rings of golde and turky stones, whiche wayed so muche, that their lippes hanged downe ouer theyr chinnes, and their téeth remayned bare: The whiche custome although they vsed for a brauery, it séemed a foule and vgly sighte in the Spanyardes eyes, and very lothsome.
The other Indians of Mutezuma, had theyr lippes and eares bored, with rounde stones hangyng at the iagges thereof, yet they had not suche foule slittes in their noses, but they had suche bored holes that a manne myght put any finger of his hande through them, with rings of golde and stone hanging thereat, the euill fauoured sighte of their faces made our men to muse.
Cortez communed with them by hys interpreter Marina, to knowe from whence they were, they answered, that they were dwellers in Zempoallan, a Cittie distant from thence one dayes iourney, situated vpon a riuer side, and bordered vpon the Countrey of Mutezumazin, and that their Cazique or Lorde had sente them, to sée what Goddes were comen in those Teucallis, that is to say, Temple, saying, also that they durste not come sooner, not knowyng what people they were.
Cortez made muche of them and shewed a chéerefull countenaunce vnto them, for they séemed very bestiall, he declared vnto them that he was gladde of theyr commyng, and to knowe the good will that theyr Lorde bare vnto him, and gaue them Haberdashe toyes, and shewed them the Horses and Armour, a straunge sighte for them. And so they wente through the army lookyng and gasing here and there as menne amazed. And in all the tyme they abode there, they vsed no conuersation with the other Indians. Cortez enquired of Maryna the cause thereof, and shée sayde that those menne did not onely speake an other languague, but also did appertayne to another Lorde, who was not vassall to Mutezuma, but by force and extortion.
Cortez was very gladde of that newes, for hée coniectured by the talke of Teudilli that Mutezuma had warres and enimies, wherevppon hée tooke aside thrée of those Indians whiche séemed moste wysest, and demaunded of them by Maryna what Lordes