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[Illustration: _CORTES AND MONTEZUMA_]
_Life Stories for Young People_
HERNANDO CORTES
_Translated from the German of
Joachim Heinrich Campe_
BY
GEORGE P. UPTON
_Translator of “Memories,” “Immensee,” etc._
WITH SIX ILLUSTRATIONS
[Illustration: A. C. McCLURG & CO.]
CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1911
Copyright
A. C. McClurg & Co.
1911
Published September, 1911
THE · PLIMPTON · PRESS
[W · D · O]
NORWOOD · MASS · U · S · A
Translator’s Preface
The story of the career of Hernando Cortes during his conquest of Mexico
is a story of extraordinary courage, undaunted resolution, and hideous
cruelty. It is a story of the subjection of a “little people,” overcome
and enslaved by a superior nation, which, in its lust for gold and
territorial aggrandizement, left no methods of stratagem, cunning,
military science, and barbarous cruelty untried to achieve its purpose.
Granted that the early Emperors of Mexico were tyrannical in their
treatment of the natives and that their religious rites were accompanied
by human sacrifices and cannibalism, Mexican cruelty pales before the
horrible scenes enacted by so-called civilized Spain in this dreadful
Mexican drama. The three principal figures are Hernando Cortes,
Montezuma, and Guatemozin—Cortes, the conqueror; Montezuma, the
weak-spirited Emperor, victim of his own people’s fury; Guatemozin, the
patriot. Cortes was a born adventurer, and in his youth possessed of
skill in all military exercises. He was a man of consummate cunning and
captivating address, of soaring ambition and marked ability as an
administrator and general. Apparently he never knew what it was to fear,
and consequently no danger was great enough to appall him. He was so
skilled in stratagem that no situation was devious enough to prevent its
solution. He had the same greed of gold as all Spaniards of his day had,
and no means of obtaining it were considered dishonorable as long as
they were successful. But courageous, resolute, and ambitious as Cortes
was, he will go down through the ages branded with infamy for his
treatment of Montezuma, for the frightful massacres at Cholula and
Otumba, for his execution of Guatemozin, last of the Aztec Emperors, for
the burning of caciques and chiefs which he ordered, and for the
countless atrocities of his men which he permitted. In his old age, like
Columbus, he suffered from the neglect of an ungrateful Court, but,
while we can sympathize with Columbus in that situation, we can feel no
sympathy for Cortes as we recall the black chapters of his career.
G. P. U.
Chicago, _July, 1911_.
Contents
Chapter Page
I Velasquez in Cuba—Hernandez de Cordova Discovers Yucatan—The
Natives on the Mainland are Hostile—Grijalva Advances
from Yucatan farther Northward—He is the First European
to Step upon Mexican Soil 11
II The Youth of Cortes—His Voyage to San Domingo and Settlement
There—Cortes under Velasquez in Cuba—He Fits Out a Fleet
for the Conquest of Mexico 20
III Cortes is Regarded as an Enemy by the Natives of Tabasco,
and is Forced into a Battle with them—He is Victorious,
and they Submit 30
IV Cortes Reaches San Juan de Ulloa—His Negotiations for an
Understanding with Montezuma, Emperor of Mexico—Disquiet
in the Army 42
V Founding of the City of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz—Disaffected
Caciques Join Cortes—Destruction of a Heathen Temple
because of Human Sacrifices—Introduction of
Christianity—Cortes Sinks his Fleet after Sending a
Vessel to Spain 55
VI Cortes’ March to Tlaxcala—Battle and Defeat of the
Tlaxcalans—Montezuma’s Messengers 71
VII March to the Sacred City of Cholula—The Natives Plot the
Destruction of the Spaniards—Cortes Discovers their
Treachery and Slaughters Several Thousand Indians—March
to Mexico—Montezuma Meets the Strangers and Escorts them
to the Capital 85
VIII Religious Rites of the Mexicans—Human Sacrifices—The
Natives Discover that the Spaniards are not Divine but
Human 96
IX Montezuma is made a Prisoner—Quauhpopoka and His Leaders
Burned—The Mexicans Swear Allegiance to the King of
Spain 104
X Division of the Spoils—Cortes Attempts to Introduce
Christianity—Narvaez is Sent by Velasquez to Depose
Cortes—Cortes Advances against Him 112
XI Cortes Defeats Narvaez—Meanwhile the Mexicans, Outraged by
Alvarado, Rise in Revolt—Cortes Returns 119
XII The Mexicans Rise against the Spaniards and Fight with
Desperate Courage—Montezuma is Killed—Cortes Struggles
Bravely and is in Danger of his Life 127
XIII Cortes, about to Retreat, Finds the Causeways Cut—The
Spaniards Escape with Heavy Loss—The Tlaxcalans Remain
True—Guatemozin is Elected Emperor of Mexico 136
XIV Cortes Builds Vessels for a Land and Water Attack—A
Conspiracy against his Life is Discovered—The Capital is
Attacked 144
XV The Spaniards Lose Heavily in Battle—The Prisoners are
Sacrificed—Some of Cortes’ Allies Desert but soon
Return—The City of Mexico Captured—Guatemozin Attempts
Flight but is taken 153
XVI Tapia, Commissioned to Depose Cortes, is Induced to Return
to Cuba—Cortes is Confirmed as Governor of New Spain—He
Goes to Spain and is Ennobled—A Second Visit to Spain
Discloses the Fickleness of the Court—He Vainly Begs the
Emperor’s Favor—His Death 162
Appendix 168
Illustrations
Page
Cortes and Montezuma _Frontispiece_
The Engagement between the Spaniards and the People of Tabasco 32
Mexican Caciques before Cortes 60
Meeting of Cortes and Montezuma 94
Montezuma the Captive of the Spaniards 106
The Entry of Cortes into Mexico City 158
Hernando Cortes
Chapter I
Velasquez in Cuba—Hernandez de Cordova Discovers Yucatan—The Natives on
the Mainland are Hostile—Grijalva Advances from Yucatan Farther
Northward—He is the First European to Step upon Mexican Soil
In the year 1511 Diego, Columbus’ son, finding that the gold mines of
Hispaniola were nearly exhausted, decided to take possession of the
neighboring island of Cuba, or Fernandina, as it was called, in honor of
the King of Spain. The force which he sent for the capture of the island
was placed under the command of Velasquez,[1] a man described by his
contemporaries as possessing extraordinary experience as a soldier,
having served seventeen years in European campaigns, also of a renowned
family and name, eager for glory and yet ambitious for wealth.
Velasquez speedily subjugated the whole island and at once actively
busied himself with the adoption of measures for its welfare. He
established many settlements, secured farmers by free grants of land and
slaves, devoted special attention to the raising of sugar-cane, such a
valuable article of commerce in later times, and, above all, to the
development of gold mines, which promised better returns than those of
Hispaniola. But the subjugation of Cuba was too small a matter to
satisfy his ambition, as he would remain subject to the higher authority
of Diego Columbus, from which he wished to free himself. The best means
for accomplishing this seemed to him the making of important discoveries
which would secure him an independent sovereignty. With this end in
view, he turned his attention to the westward, in which direction he had
every reason to believe he should find a great mainland region which no
European had ever reached.
Chance favored his plans. Hernandez de Cordova, a Spaniard,[2] undertook
an expedition from Cuba in 1517, with three vessels, to a neighboring
island for the capture of slaves. Storms drove him upon the coast. In
reply to his question as to the name of the country the natives said,
“Tektetan,” meaning in their language, “I do not understand you.” The
Spaniards thought this was the name of the place and distorted it into
“Yucatan.” Thus the peninsula of the mainland, which lies opposite Cuba
and divides the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, came by its
present name. Cordova first landed at the northeastern end of the
peninsula, at Cape Catoche, then sailed along the peninsula, stopping at
various places, and at last came to the region of the Campeche of
to-day, where the sea forms the Bay of Campeche.
The daring Spaniards had many fierce encounters with the natives, whom
they found far more civilized and at the same time more warlike than the
other islanders. They were clad in garments of a woven woollen material.
Their weapons were wooden swords, tipped with flint, spears, bows,
arrows, and shields. Their faces were painted in different colors, and
their heads adorned with tufts of feathers. They were the first
Americans who constructed dwellings of stone and cement.
In their various encounters with these people the Spaniards sometimes
came off losers. In one of them two Indian boys having the Christian
names of Julian and Melchior fell into their hands. They proved of great
advantage, for they served the Spaniards as interpreters in subsequent
communications with the Mexicans. One day, when they had landed to fill
their casks with fresh water, fifty Indians approached and inquired if
they had come from the place where the sun rises. When the Spaniards
answered in the affirmative, they were conducted to a temple,
constructed of stone, in which they beheld various ugly images of
deities sprinkled with fresh blood. Suddenly two men in white mantles,
with long, flowing, black hair, stepped forward, holding small earthen
braziers, into which they threw a kind of resin. They directed the smoke
toward the Spaniards and ordered them upon pain of death to leave the
country. Finding it dangerous to remain there, they obeyed and returned
to their vessels. At another spot, where they had landed, they were
surrounded by so large a multitude of hostile Indians that forty-seven
were killed and many wounded in their efforts to get back to their
vessels. Among the seventy wounded was Cordova himself. After this
disaster they hurried back to Cuba as rapidly as they could, where their
leader died after making a report to Velasquez of all that had happened.
Velasquez was delighted at the discoveries made in his name, and decided
to continue them. Four vessels were fitted out, and Grijalva,[3] a man
of great ability and courage, upon whose uprightness and good judgment
Velasquez believed he could depend, was given command of them. He was
specially instructed to confine himself to making discoveries without
establishing colonies in the new regions. Grijalva left Cuba May 1,
1518, and directed his course toward Yucatan, but the ocean currents
drove him southerly, so that he first made land at Cape Catoche.
Subsequently he discovered the island of Cozumel, off the Yucatan coast.
From there he sailed along the coast to Potonchan, where Hernandez had
been so foully dealt with. The Spaniards were eager to land and avenge
the disaster, and Grijalva consented. The Indians, full of pride and
defiance, and delighted with this fresh opportunity, attacked the
Spaniards courageously, but they were driven back. Two hundred paid the
penalty with their lives for their rashness, and the rest fled
panic-stricken all over the country.
Grijalva resumed cruising along the coast. He was astonished everywhere
at the sight of villages or towns with houses made of stone and cement,
which in passing appeared to the Spaniards finer and better built then
they really were. The resemblance between this region and Spain seemed
so close to them that they gave it the name of New Spain—a name which it
retains to this day. Next they came to the mouth of a river, called by
the natives Tabasco, but the Spaniards named it Grijalva, in honor of
their leader. The whole region roundabout had such a flourishing
appearance and seemed to be populated so densely that Grijalva could not
resist the desire to obtain accurate information about it. So he went
ashore with his entire armed force. There he encountered a multitude of
armed Indians, who with terrible outcries sought to prevent their
further advance. But he paid no attention to their menaces, marched up
to a bowshot’s distance from them, then halted, drew his men up in
battle order, and sent the two Americans, Julian and Melchior, who had
been taken by Hernandez, to inform them that he had not come there to
injure them, but to do them good, and that he was anxious to make a
peaceful agreement with them.
The Indians, who had been gazing in astonishment at the closed ranks,
the costumes, and weapons of the Europeans, were still more astonished
at this declaration. Some of their leaders ventured to advance. Grijalva
cordially welcomed them and told them through the interpreters that he
and his followers were subjects of a great King who was the absolute
ruler of all the countries where the sun rises. This King had sent him
to demand their submission to his authority, and he awaited their
answer. Thereupon a low murmuring ensued among the Indians, which was
stilled by one of their leaders, who replied courageously in the name of
his people that it seemed strange to them that the Spaniards should
speak of peace and at the same time demand submission. It seemed strange
to them also that they should be offered a new ruler without
ascertaining whether they were dissatisfied with their present one. As
far as the question of war or peace was concerned he was not authorized
to give a decisive answer. He must submit that question to his
superiors. With these words he retired, leaving the Spaniards not a
little astonished at this sensible reply. After a short time he returned
and told Grijalva that his superiors did not fear war with the
Spaniards, if it must be, for they had not forgotten what happened at
Potonchan. But they considered peace better than war, and, as a token of
this, he had brought many necessaries of life for gifts.
Shortly after this, the cacique himself appeared, unarmed and with a
small retinue. After friendly greetings on each side he took from a
basket golden articles of various kinds set with jewels, and fabrics
decorated with beautifully colored feathers, and said to Grijalva that
he loved peace and had brought these gifts in confirmation of his words,
but, that there might be no opportunity for misunderstanding, he begged
him to leave the country as soon as possible. The Spanish leader
acknowledged the politeness of the cacique by making gifts in return,
and promised to conform to his wishes as soon as he could get under
sail.
After cruising some distance along the coast, they reached an island
with many stone houses and a temple. In the centre of this temple, which
was open on all sides, they saw various hideous idols placed about an
altar, elevated a few steps. Near to it were six corpses, which,
according to the prevailing horrible custom, seemed to have been offered
up as sacrifices on the preceding night. On account of this dreadful
spectacle the Spaniards named the place Isla de los Sacrificios (“Island
of Sacrifice”). Everywhere they found evidences that the inhuman
practice of sacrificing men to their deities prevailed among these
people. Coming to anchor at another island, which was called Kulva by
the natives, they saw many more corpses of freshly slaughtered men,
which caused even the barbarous Spanish soldiers to shudder at such
cruelty. Grijalva gave his surname, Juan, to this island, from which
eventually came the name, St. Juan de Ulloa, by which it is now known.
Wherever they went gold was found in abundance. This and the sight of
many fruitful spots which they passed aroused a general desire among the
men to effect a settlement, but Grijalva persisted in carrying out the
orders of Velasquez, and everywhere that he landed, took possession of
the country in the name of the King. He continued sailing along the
coast until he reached Pánuco. At the mouth of a river there he was so
furiously assailed by a swarm of Indians that a dreadful massacre became
necessary before they could be driven back. After this, while attempting
to sail still farther along the coast, adverse currents forced him to
return to Cuba. Upon his arrival he met with bitter reproaches from the
unreasonable governor, Velasquez, because he had not availed himself of
the excellent opportunity to establish a colony in that rich region,
although he had been expressly forbidden to do so when he sailed.
Grijalva had sent back one of his principal officers, Pedro de Alvarado,
with a rich collection of jewels, and golden vessels and ornaments,
secured from the natives by exchanging European knick-knacks for them,
and he had told much about the rich country. When Grijalva returned,
after an absence of six months, he met with censure because he had
carried out the instructions of the governor! The modest, unassuming man
bore the undeserved reproaches calmly. To him belongs the honor of being
the first European navigator to set foot on Mexican soil and open up
intercourse with the Aztecs.