and, letting himself down from the window of the jail, took refuge in
the nearest church, where he claimed that he could not be touched, as
he was under the protection of the priests. Velasquez heard of this,
was very angry, and stationed a guard near the sanctuary, with orders
to seize the youthful Spaniard, should he endeavor to get off. Cortés
was careless, wandered, one day, quite far from the church door, and
was immediately captured.
Velasquez determined to get rid of the young adventurer, this time,
so had him carried on board a ship which was to sail, next day, for
Hispaniola. But Cortés was again too clever for him. By great exertion
he managed to drag his feet through the rings which fettered him, and,
dropping silently over the side of the ship into a little boat, made
off in the darkness.
As he neared the shore, the water became so rough that the boat was
useless, so he dove overboard and swam the rest of the way. He was
tossed up upon the beach in a half-dazed condition; but finally arose,
made his way to the church, and hid himself in the sanctuary. Velasquez
had no idea where he had disappeared to.
Shortly after this the bold adventurer married a lady named Catalina
Xuarez whose family was friendly with the hard-hearted Velasquez. Peace
was therefore made with the Governor, and Cortés received a large
estate near St. Iago, where he lived for some years and even amassed a
considerable sum of money.
Here he was quietly residing when news came of an exploring expedition
which had set out in 1518 to find out what lay farther to the west. It
had been led by Grijalva, a nephew of Velasquez, and he had touched at
various places on the coast of Mexico. This was a land inhabited by
Indians called Aztecs who had named their country after “Mexitili”: war
god of their race.
These Aztecs, it seems, had originally come down from the north, and,
after many wanderings, had halted on the western border of a great lake
which lay in a long valley, situated at a height of about 7,500 feet
above the sea, so that the air was cool even in the hottest weather.
The valley, sixty odd miles in width, was surrounded by towering rocks
which were a protection from invasion.
The Aztecs were few in numbers when they first came to the shores of
the lake, but they increased rapidly in population and in power. Nearby
were other Indian tribes, and, as there was much warfare between them,
the Aztecs united themselves with the King of the Tezcucans in order
to aid him against a tribe called the Tepanics, who had invaded his
territory. The allies won, and, as a result, an agreement was made
between the states of Mexico, Tezcuco, and Tlacopan, that they should
support one another in the wars and divide all the spoils between them.
This alliance remained unbroken for over a hundred years.
Although fond of warfare and cruel in their tortures to prisoners, the
Aztecs had many wise laws and institutions, and were, in some respects,
highly civilized. They were governed by an Emperor, and, when he died,
another one was chosen by four nobles from among his sons or nephews.
The one preferred was obliged to have distinguished himself in war,
and he was not crowned until he had waged a successful campaign, had
captured large numbers of the enemy, and thus provided enough captives
to grace his entry into the capital.
The Aztecs worshiped thirteen principal gods, and more than two hundred
of less importance, whose temples were everywhere to be seen. At the
head of all the gods was the great Huitzilopochtli, whose temples were
in every city of the empire, and whose image was always loaded with
costly ornaments.
They also had a legend that there had once dwelt upon the earth the
great god, Quetzalcoatl, god of the air, under whose sway the Aztec
people had flourished and there had been peace and prosperity among
all men. He was said to have been tall in stature, with a white skin,
long, dark hair, and a flowing beard. He had, in fact, quite resembled
a Spaniard, and this led to the success which Cortés had with the
Mexicans, as you will presently see.
Quetzalcoatl, it was said, had in some way incurred the wrath of the
principal gods, so that he had been forced to leave the country. He had
turned towards the Gulf of Mexico, had stopped at the city of Cholula,
and had then departed in a magic boat, made of serpent’s skins, to the
fabled land of Tlapallan. Tradition had it that as he was leaving, he
had turned to the faithful ones who had followed him saying: “Watch and
wait for me, I shall come again.” For this reason the Aztecs were ever
on the lookout for the great and benevolent god of the white skin and
flowing beard.
As horses were not known, communication was held by means of couriers,
who, trained from childhood to run, traveled with amazing swiftness.
There were relay stations, or post houses, for these couriers, and
they would thus carry on their messages for a hundred to two hundred
miles in a day. In this manner the Emperor of the Aztecs, as he sat in
his palace in the City of Mexico, would feast upon fresh fish, which,
twenty-four hours before, had been caught in the Gulf of Mexico, over
two hundred miles away. Thus the news was transmitted when war was in
progress, and, as the messengers came along the highways, the people
knew whether the tidings were good or bad, by the dress which they
wore. If bad news, the runners were in black. If good, in gay colors.
The one great object of all expeditions made by the Aztecs was to
capture victims to be sacrificed upon their altars. They believed
that the soldier who fell in battle was transported at once to the
blissful regions of the sun, and consequently they fought with an utter
disregard for danger. The dress of the warriors was magnificent. Their
bodies were protected by a belt of quilted cotton, impervious to all
darts or arrows, and over this the chiefs wore mantles of gorgeous
feather-work. Their helmets were made of wood, fashioned so as to
resemble the head of some wild animal, and embellished with bits of
gold and of silver. Their banners were embroidered with gold and with
feather-work.
After the prisoners had been brought from the battle field they were
sacrificed to the gods in a most brutal and horrible manner. The poor
victim was held by five priests upon a huge, round, sacrificial stone;
while a sixth butcher, clothed in a scarlet mantle, plunged a long
knife into the breast of the writhing captive, and, cutting out the
heart, held it up first to the sun, which they worshiped, and then cast
it at the feet of the stone god. The dagger used was as sharp as a
razor and made of “itztli,” a volcanic substance as hard as flint. This
was not all. The body of the captive thus sacrificed was afterwards
given to the warrior who had taken him in battle, who thereupon gave
a great banquet and served him up among choice dishes and delicious
beverages, for the entertainment of his friends.
The Aztecs called their temples, _teocallis_, which means, “Houses of
God,” and there were several hundred of them in each of the principal
cities. They looked like Egyptian pyramids, and were divided into four
or five stories, each one smaller than the one below it. The ascent
was by a flight of steps. At the top was a broad space on which stood
a tower, from forty to fifty feet high, which contained the images of
the gods. Before such a tower was the stone of sacrifice and two lofty
altars on which the sacred fires burned continually. The floor was dyed
crimson from the blood of the helpless victims of the Aztec wars.
These people were unknown to the Spaniards, at this time, since of
them Grijalva sent back to Cuba only a few vague reports. It was said,
however, that the country was full of gold and of treasure.
When this news reached the ears of Cortés he was immediately fired with
a resolve to penetrate into this unknown land and to gain great renown
for himself. The Governor of Cuba, likewise, determined to send out
ships in order to follow up the discoveries of Grijalva. Who should be
put in command? Who was better, indeed, than Hernando Cortés!
The Spanish adventurer, with the utmost energy, at once began to
purchase and to fit out ships. He used all the money that he had saved
and as much as he could persuade his friends to lend him, so that it
was not long before he was in possession of six vessels, while three
hundred recruits had signified their intention of sailing with him.
But now the Spanish nature began to assert itself, for a jealousy and
distrust of Cortés took possession of the mind of Velasquez and he
determined to entrust the fleet to the hands of some one else. This
would have put an end to the aspirations of the youthful leader, had it
not been whispered to him that Velasquez was about to have him removed
from his place. He took care to checkmate the plans of his former
enemy. Summoning his officers secretly, he set sail that very night
with what supplies he was able to put his hands on, although his ships
were neither ready for a voyage, nor properly provisioned.
Morning dawned and Velasquez heard that the fleet was under weigh. He
rose hastily, galloped to the ocean, and found Cortés in a small boat
drifting near the shore. The commander of the expedition rowed back to
within speaking distance.
“This is a courteous way of taking leave of me, truly,” cried the angry
Governor.
“Pardon me,” answered the young mariner. “Time presses and there are
some things which should be done even before they are thought of.
Good-bye, my friend; may you live to see the day when I return a great
man.”
With that he paddled to the fleet and ordered all hands to sail away.
This was November the 18th., 1518.
Shortly after this the vessels anchored off Trinidad, a town on the
southern coast of Cuba. Here Cortés landed, set up his standard, and
invited all, who wished to join the expedition, to come on with him.
He told them that there was great wealth to be gained and attracted
many volunteers to his banner. Finally, in February, he had sufficient
reënforcements assembled, so he set sail. He had eleven vessels, one
hundred and ten sailors, five hundred and fifty-three soldiers, and two
hundred Indians. He likewise had sixteen horses, ten large guns, and
four falconets, or light cannon.
The fleet set out, touched upon the coast in several places, and then
reached the mouth of the Rio de Tabasco. The Spaniards landed and found
that the Indians were hostile and were drawn up in great force against
them. But Cortés had his cannon put ashore, ordered an attack, and soon
had captured both the town of Tabasco and also many of the Indians, who
saw the uselessness of further fighting, and consequently came humbly
to the Spaniards, bringing presents and slaves. Among the latter was a
beautiful Mexican girl called Malinche who had fallen into the hands
of the cacique of Tabasco through some traders, to whom she had been
sold by her mother. The Spaniards always called her Marina, and, as she
quickly learned to speak their language, she was soon of inestimable
assistance to them as an interpreter. Cortés made her his secretary and
always kept her near him in the exciting days which followed.
By means of his interpreter, Cortés found that these Indians were the
subjects of the emperor Montezuma, and were governed by Tenhtlile, one
of the great nobles. He determined to send word to the potentate who
ruled over this country and to let him know that he and his followers
wished to see him.
Upon the day following, Tenhtlile arrived at the Spanish camp,
accompanied by a numerous retinue. The Indian chieftain asked about the
country of the strangers and the object of their visit.
“We are subjects of a powerful monarch beyond the seas,” replied the
leader of the adventurers, “who has heard of the greatness of your
Mexican Emperor and has sent me with a present to be delivered to him
in person, as a token of his good will. I would be glad, therefore, to
go immediately to his capital and trust that you can guide me there.”
This seemed to annoy the Aztec noble, for he replied in a haughty
manner:
“How is it that you have been here only two days, and yet demand to
see my Emperor? I am surprised to learn that there lives another
monarch as powerful as Montezuma, but, if it is true that you are his
representative, I will communicate with my Emperor and will forward to
him the royal present sent by you. Meanwhile, pray receive the gifts
which I have brought for you.”
As he spoke, a number of slaves came forward and deposited ten loads of
gorgeous feather-work, and a wicker basket filled with golden ornaments.
Cortés was greatly pleased with this show of friendliness, and ordered
his own soldiers to bring forth the presents for Montezuma. These were
an armchair richly carved and painted, a crimson cloth cap with a gold
medal, and a quantity of collars, bracelets and other ornaments of cut
glass, which much surprised the Aztecs, as this was a country where
there was no glass, and hence these were more valuable than emeralds or
sapphires.
“I see over there a soldier with a shining thing upon his head,” now
said Tenhtlile. “I should much like to send that to Montezuma, for it
will remind him of the one worn by the god Quetzalcoatl. Can I not have
it?”
“Certainly,” replied Cortes, “and I trust that you will ask the Emperor
to return it filled with the gold dust of the country, so that I may
compare it with that which is in mine own. If you must know it, my kind
friend, we Spaniards are troubled with a disease of the heart for which
gold is the only sure remedy. I trust, therefore, that you will send us
all that you can.”
While he was speaking, Cortés observed that one of the Indians was
busy with a pencil, and, on looking at his work, saw that he had made
a sketch of the Spaniards, their costumes, and weapons. This was the
celebrated picture writing, for which the Aztecs were famous.
“You see,” said Tenhtlile, “the Emperor can thus get an excellent idea
of you and your followers.”
“Bring out the cavalry,” cried Cortes, at this. “We will show you our
wonderful horses.”
The appearance of the snorting steeds filled the natives with
astonishment, and, when the General ordered a cannon to be fired off,
the natives ran away in alarm. The painters, however, were very busy,
and faithfully recorded everything which the Spaniards possessed, even
putting in a picture of the ships as they swung at anchor.
At length the Aztecs departed, with much bowing and scraping. Their
chief, Tenhtlile, seemed to be in a good humor and left orders with his
people to supply the Spanish general with all that he might require
until further instructions from the Emperor Montezuma.
Meanwhile great excitement was taking place in the Mexican capital, for
many seemed to think that the great god, Quetzalcoatl, had returned
to earth and was about to revisit the scenes of his former life.
Montezuma, himself, seemed to be undecided how to act. When the picture
writings, showing the Spanish invaders, reached him, he summoned the
Kings of Tezcuco and Tlacopan in order to consult with them as to how
the strangers should be received. The three differed in their ideas,
but finally Montezuma resolved to send a rich present to Cortés which
would impress him with a high idea of the Emperor’s wealth and his
grandeur. At the same time he determined to forbid him to approach the
capital.
Eight days passed away—eight long days for Cortés and his men, as they
were suffering greatly from the intense heat—and then the embassy,
accompanied by the governor, Tenhtlile, arrived at the camp, and
presented Cortés with the magnificent presents sent by Montezuma.
After the usual salute, the slaves unrolled some delicately woven mats
and displayed the gifts which the Aztec Emperor had sent. There were
shields, helmets, and cuirasses embossed with plates and ornaments of
pure gold; with collars and bracelets of the same precious metal. There
were also sandals, fans, plumes, and crests of variegated feathers,
wrought with gold and silver thread, and sprinkled with pearls and with
precious stones. There were golden birds and animals; curtain coverlets
and robes of cotton. There were more than thirty loads of cotton cloth,
and finally, the helmet which Cortés had sent, loaded to the brim with
grains of pure gold.
This rich treasure fired the zeal and ardor of the Spaniards; yet
they controlled themselves, and expressed admiration only for two
circular plates of gold and of silver as large as carriage wheels. One,
representing the sun, was richly carved with plants and with animals,
and was worth a fabulous sum of money.
When the voyageurs had received the presents, the ambassadors
courteously delivered their message, to the effect that Montezuma had
great pleasure in holding communication with such a powerful monarch
as the King of Spain; but could grant no personal interview to his
soldiers. That the way to the capital was too long and dangerous for
the white men to attempt. Therefore the strangers must return to the
land from which they had come.
Cortés received this message with coldness, and, turning to his
officers, said:
“This is, indeed, a rich and powerful Monarch, and he does well to
speak in this manner; but I am determined to visit him in his capital.”
He then bade good-by to the Aztec ambassadors, who shortly withdrew.
That night every neighboring hut was deserted by the natives, and the
Spaniards were left quite alone in the wilderness. They prepared for an
attack, but none came.
The soldiers now became mutinous, saying that it was about time they
returned with what treasure they had already collected. Cortés had
difficulty in keeping them out of the boats, but now an event occurred
which aided him very materially in his design to march to the City of
Mexico, a design which he had long ago determined upon.
Five Indians entered the camp who wore rings of gold and bright blue
gems in their ears and nostrils. A gold leaf, delicately wrought, was
attached to their under lip. These were not Aztecs and explained that
they came from Cempoalla, the capital of a tribe called the Totonacs,
who had been lately conquered by the Aztecs, and who greatly resented
the oppressions of these bloodthirsty tribesmen. The fame of the
Spaniards, said they, had reached their leader, who had sent them to
request the strangers to visit him, and to aid him in throwing off the
domination of the Aztecs.
It can be easily seen that Cortés was delighted to hear this. He saw
that discontent in the provinces conquered by Montezuma could be turned
to his own advantage, and that, by allying himself to these Totonacs,
he might be able to conquer Montezuma himself. He therefore dismissed
the tribesmen with many presents, promising that he would soon visit
their city.
Not long afterwards, the army set out to march northward, to a place
where it had been decided to build a town. The men crossed a river
in rafts and broken canoes, which they found on the bank, and soon
came to a very different kind of country than that which they had left
behind them. There were wide plains covered with green grass and groves
of palm trees, among which were deer and flocks of pheasants and wild
turkeys. The trees were loaded with fruits and with beautiful clusters
of bowers, while gayly plumaged birds fluttered in the branches. There
were gardens and orchards on either side of the road. As the Spanish
soldiers passed along, they were met by crowds of friendly natives,
who mingled fearlessly with the soldiers, and hung garlands of flowers
around the neck of the General’s horse.
The cacique, or chief of the Totonacs, received Cortés with great
courtesy, and assigned his soldiers to a neighboring temple, where they
were well supplied with provisions. Cortés, himself, was presented with
several vessels of gold and robes of fine cotton.
Upon the following day the General paid the cacique a visit, and, with
the aid of Marina, held a long talk with him. He promised to aid the
Totonacs against Montezuma. This pleased the chief greatly, and he
promised to assist the Spaniards in every way that he could. Cortés
returned to his troops, ordered an advance, and soon reached the town
of Chiahuitztla, which stood upon a crag overlooking the valley.
As the Spaniards were halted in the center of the village, five men
entered the market place where they were standing. Their dark, glossy
hair was tied in a knot upon the top of their heads, and they carried
bunches of sweet-smelling flowers in their hands. Their attendants
bore wands, or fans, to sweep away the flies and insects from their
lordly masters, who, by their disdainful looks, showed that they
considered themselves to be superior to all around them. They brushed
by the Spaniards, scarcely seeming to notice them, and were immediately
joined by the Totonac chiefs, who seemed anxious to gain their favor.
Cortés was much astonished, and, turning to Marina, asked what this
meant.
“These are Aztec nobles,” the girl replied, “and they are empowered to
receive tribute for Montezuma.”
“What are they saying?” asked he.
“They bring word that Montezuma is very angry with the Totonacs for
entertaining you and your men without his permission,” Marina replied.
“And, as a punishment, he has demanded twenty young men and maidens to
be sacrificed to the gods.”
Cortés was much irritated by this and told the Totonacs that they
should not only refuse this demand but should seize the Aztec nobles
and throw them into prison. This was done, but Cortés had the true
Spanish character and now played a part of duplicity which was
characteristic of the men from Seville. He had two of the captured
Aztecs released, brought them before him, and very cunningly led them
to believe that he was sorry to learn that they had been thrown into
jail. He told them that he would help them to escape, and begged them
to tell Montezuma that the great Emperor was held in high regard by
the Spaniards. The two nobles were then hastily dispatched to the
port where lay the Spanish vessels. They were taken on board, landed
secretly upon the coast, and allowed to depart for the court of
Montezuma. The Totonacs were very angry when they found that two of
their prisoners had escaped, and determined to sacrifice the remainder;
but Cortés interfered, had them taken to his vessels, and soon allowed
them to join their companions. In this way he secured the friendship of
Montezuma, while still appearing as the friend of the Totonacs.
Messengers were sent to all the other Totonac cities, telling the
natives of the defiance that had been shown the Emperor, and bidding
them, also, to refuse to pay tribute to Montezuma. The Indians soon
came flocking into the town in order to confer with the powerful
strangers, and thus Cortes managed to embroil them with the Emperor. At
the same time he made them all swear allegiance to the Spanish King.
The Spaniards now busied themselves in building a town, for they had
to have some place to store their belongings and also to retreat to in
case of disaster. The Indians helped them willingly, so they soon had
an excellent little village: the first one in new Spain.
When the Aztec nobles who had been set free reached the city of
Mexico, and told Montezuma of the treatment which they had received,
the Emperor of the Aztecs felt rather kindly disposed towards the
Spaniards, and sent an embassy consisting of two young nephews and
four of his chief nobles. They bore a princely gift of gold, richly
embroidered cotton mantles, and robes of feather work. On coming before
Cortés, the envoys presented Montezuma’s thanks to him for the courtesy
he had shown the captive nobles.
“We believe that you are the long-looked-for strangers who are to
return with the god Quetzalcoatl,” said the ambassadors, “and are
therefore of the same lineage as ourselves. Therefore, out of deference
to you, we will spare the Totonacs; but our day of vengeance against
them will soon come.”
Nothing was said about not being allowed to journey to the capital,
so Cortés gave these Aztecs presents, as usual, and told them that
he intended to soon visit Montezuma in the city of Mexico, when all
misunderstanding between them would be adjusted. The Totonacs were
amazed and awed by the influence which the Spaniards seemed to exert
upon the Aztecs, and felt safe from further incursions by the terrible
Emperor.