[Sidenote: =Cortés sank his ships=]
[Sidenote: =Spaniards saw signs of riches=]
=13. Cortés Invades Mexico.= Columbus died disappointed because he had
not found the rich cities which everybody believed were somewhere in
India. Foremost among Spanish soldiers was Hernando Cortés, who, in
1519, sailed with twelve ships from Cuba to the coast of what is now
Mexico. His soldiers and sailors were hardly on land before he sank
every one of his ships. His men now had to fight. They wore coats of
iron, were armed with swords and guns, and they had a few cannon and
horses. Every few miles they saw villages and now and then cities. The
Indians wore cotton clothes, and in their ears and around their necks
and their ankles they had gold and silver ornaments. The Spaniards
could hardly keep their hands off these ornaments, they were so eager
for gold. They were now sure that the rich cities were near at hand,
which Columbus had hoped to find, and which every Spaniard fully
believed would be found.
[Sidenote: =Difference in Spanish and Indian ways of fighting=]
[Illustration: THE ARMOR OF CORTÉS
_Now in the museum at Madrid_]
The people of Mexico had neither guns nor swords, but they were brave.
Near the first large city, thousands upon thousands of fiercely painted
warriors wearing leather shields rushed upon the little band of
Spaniards. For two days the fighting went on, but not a single Spaniard
was killed. The arrows of the Indians could not pierce iron coats, but
the sharp Spanish swords could easily cut leather shields. The simple
natives thought they must be fighting against gods instead of men, and
gave up the battle.
[Illustration: HOUSE OF CORTÉS, COYOACAN, MEXICO
_Over the main doorway are graven the arms of the Conqueror, who lived
here while the building of Coyoacan, which is older than the City of
Mexico, went on_]
Day after day Cortés marched on until a beautiful valley broke upon his
view. His men now saw a wonderful sight: cities built over lakes, where
canals took the place of streets and where canoes carried people from
place to place. It all seemed like a dream. But they hastened forward
to the great capital city. It, too, was built over a lake, larger than
any seen before, and it could be reached only along three great roads
of solid mason work.
[Sidenote: =A great Indian City=]
These roads ran to the center of the city where stood, in a great
square, a wonderful temple. The top of this temple could be reached by
one hundred fourteen stone steps running around the outside. The city
contained sixty thousand people, and there were many stone buildings,
on the flat roofs of which the natives had beautiful flower gardens.
[Illustration: GUATEMOTZIN
_The nephew of Montezuma and the last Indian emperor of Mexico. After
the statue by Don Francisco Jimenes_]
[Sidenote: =Cortés makes Montezuma a prisoner=]
Montezuma, the Indian ruler, received Cortés and his men very politely
and gave the officers a house near the great temple. But Cortés was
in danger. What if the Indians should rise against him? To guard
against this danger, Cortés compelled Montezuma to live in the Spanish
quarters. The people did not like to see their beloved ruler a prisoner
in his own city.
[Illustration: AN INDIAN CORN BIN, TLAXCALA
_These are community or public bins, stand in the open roadway, and are
still fashioned as in the days of Cortés_]
[Sidenote: =The Spaniards driven out of the city=]
But no outbreak came until the Spaniards, fearing an attack, fell upon
the Indians, who were holding a religious festival, and killed hundreds
of them. The Indian council immediately chose Montezuma's brother to be
their ruler and the whole city rose in great fury to drive out the now
hated Spaniards. The streets and even the housetops were filled with
angry warriors. Cortés compelled Montezuma to stand upon the roof of
the Spanish fort and command his people to stop fighting.
But he was ruler no longer. He was struck down by his own warriors,
and died in a few days, a broken-hearted man. After several days of
hard fighting, Cortés and his men tried to get out of the city, but
the Indians fell on the little army and killed more than half of the
Spanish soldiers before they could get away.
[Illustration: HERNANDO CORTÉS
_From the portrait painted by Charles Wilson Peale, now in Independence
Hall, Philadelphia_]
[Sidenote: =The great Indian city almost destroyed=]
=14. Cortés Conquers Mexico.= Because of jealousy a Spanish army was
sent to bring Cortés back to Cuba. By capturing this army Cortés
secured more soldiers. Once more he marched against the city. What
could bows and arrows and spears and stones do against the terrible
horsemen and their great swords, or against the Spanish foot soldiers
with their muskets and cannon? At length the great Indian city was
almost destroyed, but thousands of its brave defenders were killed
before the fighting ceased (1521). From this time on, the country
gradually filled with Spanish settlers.
=15. Cortés Visits Spain.= After several years, Cortés longed to see
his native land once more. He set sail, and reached the little port of
Palos from which, many years before, the great Columbus had sailed
in search of the rich cities of the Far East. Here, now, was the very
man who had found the splendid cities and had returned to tell the
wonderful story to his king and countrymen. All along the journey to
the king the people now crowded to see Cortés as they had once crowded
to see Columbus.
[Illustration: CORTÉS BEFORE MONTEZUMA
_After the original painting by the Mexican artist, J. Ortega; now in
the National Gallery of San Carlos, Mexico_]
[Sidenote: =Cortés shares Columbus' fate=]
Cortés afterwards returned to Mexico, where he spent a large part
of his fortune in trying to improve the country. The Spanish king
permitted great wrong to be done to Cortés and, like Columbus the
discoverer, Cortés the conqueror died neglected by the king whom he
had made so rich. For three hundred years the mines of Mexico poured a
constant stream of gold and silver into the lap of Spain.