_What happened to us at Tzinpantzinco, and how, on our return to
Sempoalla, we destroyed all the idols; likewise of other matters._
The first day we marched twenty miles, and arrived at Sempoalla, where
we passed the night: here 2000 Indian warriors, divided into four
troops, stood ready to join us. The second day, towards nightfall, we
arrived at the plantations in front of Tzinpantzinco, and took the road
leading into that fortress, which wound up between large and steep
rocks. The inhabitants were most likely apprized of our approach; for
immediately eight Indians of distinction and several papas came out to
us, making signs of peace, and asked Cortes, with tears in their eyes,
why we were going to kill them, as they had done nothing against us? We
bore the character of doing good only wherever we might come, and of
putting a stop to the oppression of nations, and for that reason had
even imprisoned the tax-gatherers of Motecusuma: between the warriors of
Sempoalla, who accompanied us, and themselves there existed an inimical
feeling, already of ancient date, respecting a dispute of territory and
boundaries, and these people had no other object in view than to plunder
and destroy them, under our protection: there was, indeed, generally
speaking, a Mexican garrison in their township, which, however, had
returned home, upon the news that we had imprisoned the tax-gatherers;
they, therefore, begged of us not to proceed any further, and to be
merciful towards them.
When these representations were made known to Cortes through our
interpreters, he immediately ordered Alvarado and Christobal de Oli,
with us who were nearest to him, to march off to the Sempoallans and
command them not to advance any further. Though we used the utmost
expedition to fulfil these orders, yet we already found them plundering
the plantations. This made Cortes excessively angry; he ordered the
chiefs of the Sempoallans into his presence, and severely remonstrated
with them for such behaviour: he commanded them, with heavy threats, to
bring him all the plunder, and not to set a foot into the town. They had
trumped up a false story to us, he told them, merely to be enabled,
under our protection, to plunder their neighbours and then to sacrifice
them, whereby they had deserved death. Our emperor had not sent us to
this country to commit such crimes, and they had better mind not again
to fall into such guilt, as none of them would escape alive if it
happened again.
After this earnest reproof, the caziques and chiefs of Sempoalla
brought the prisoners and the turkey-fowls they had captured: the first,
Cortes ordered to be set at liberty, and the latter were restored to
their owners; upon which he commanded the Sempoallans, in a very angry
tone, to return to their camp and there remain for the night.
The caziques and papas of Tzinpantzinco, with other inhabitants of the
surrounding neighbourhood, having witnessed this act of justice, and
seeing altogether how friendly Cortes was disposed, and the good deeds
which he manifested, were the more susceptible of the things he told
them about our holy religion,--respecting the abolishment of their human
sacrifices and kidnapping, the discontinuation of other abominations and
obscenities, with other matters salutary to their well being. They
appeared so well inclined that they assembled the inhabitants of the
surrounding districts, and formally declared themselves vassals of the
emperor, our master. On this occasion, likewise, numerous complaints
were made against Motecusuma, which all terminated with instances of his
oppression similar to what we had heard from the Sempoallans and
Quiahuitzlans.
The next morning very early Cortes sent for the chiefs and caziques of
the Sempoallans. In fear and anxiety had they passed the while, in
consequence of his anger for having attempted to deceive us with a pack
of lies. He brought about a reconciliation and good understanding
between them and the inhabitants of Tzinpantzinco, which was never
afterwards interrupted. Upon this we again put ourselves in motion, and
marched back to Sempoalla, but took a different route over two townships
friendly with the Tzinpantzincans, where we rested ourselves, as we were
greatly fatigued, and the sun was excessively hot. In one of these
townships, a certain Mora, of Ciudad-Rodrigo, took some fowls out of an
Indian hut, which so greatly incensed Cortes that he ordered a rope to
be tied around the fellow's neck, and would have had him hung up if
Alvarado, who was standing next to Cortes, had not cut the rope in two
with his sword, and thus released the poor devil, who had the fear of
death before his eyes.
I have merely mentioned this trait to convince the curious reader how
exemplary Cortes acted, and of the necessity of being strict under
similar circumstances. Mora subsequently lost his life in a battle we
fought on a mountain in the province of Guatimala. After we had left
these two townships in peace, we found the fat cazique with the chiefs
of Sempoalla in some huts which they had constructed for us, where they
were waiting our arrival with various kinds of provisions which they had
brought with them. Although Indians, they readily perceived what a good
and holy thing is justice, and that Cortes' declaration of our having
come into these countries to put an end to all oppression, perfectly
agreed with his conduct on our entry into Tzinpantzinco; they,
therefore, became the more united to us. We passed the night in these
huts, and returned next morning, in company of our Indian friends, to
Sempoalla. Indeed, the only wish of the Sempoallans was now, that we
should never leave their country again, fearing Motecusuma would send an
army about their ears; they, therefore, proposed to Cortes, since such a
close and friendly alliance now subsisted between us, and we could look
upon each other as brothers, that we should choose wives from among
their daughters and relatives, that our posterity might descend from one
and the same stock. In order that this more intimate connexion might be
brought about, they immediately made a good beginning by presenting us
with eight females, all daughters of caziques: one of these, the niece
of the fat cazique, was given to Cortes, and Puertocarrero was presented
with the daughter of another powerful cazique, whom they called Cuesco.
All these young women were finely dressed out after the fashion of the
country: they wore beautiful shifts, had golden chains about their
necks, golden rings in their ears, and had other Indian females to wait
upon them.
When the fat cazique presented these, he said to Cortes, "_Tecle_,
(which signifies sir, in their language,) these seven women are intended
for your chief officers, and this my niece, who herself holds dominion
over a country and a people, I have destined for you." Cortes joyfully
accepted of the young women, and returned thanks to the chiefs,
remarking, at the same time, that he should gladly recognize in these
women, the bonds of brotherly union between us. But now they should
likewise renounce their idols, and no longer bring them human
sacrifices. It grieved him sorely whenever he reflected on the monstrous
heresy in which they lived; henceforth he would neither see nor hear of
these abominations, of human sacrifices and unnatural offences: then
only could a permanent and brotherly union subsist between us. Above all
things the women must be converted to Christianity, before we could
think of taking them. Further, all unnatural crimes must be put a stop
to, and young men must cease to go about in female garments, to make a
livelihood by such cursed lewdness. Indeed, hardly a day passed by that
these people did not sacrifice from three to four, and even five
Indians, tearing the hearts out of their bodies, to present them to the
idols and smear the blood on the walls of the temple. The arms and legs
of these unfortunate beings were then cut off and devoured, just in the
same way we should fetch meat from a butcher's shop and eat it: indeed I
even believe that human flesh is exposed for sale cut up, in their
_tiangues_, or markets.
"All these atrocities," added Cortes, "must cease from this moment; then
only could our union be sincere, and should we be able to make them
lords over additional countries." To this the caziques, the papas, and
all the other personages answered, "That it would be impossible to
abolish their idols and the human sacrifices: for everything that was
good they received from these idols; they made their seeds grow and
granted them all necessaries; but with regard to the unnatural crimes,
they would strive in future to put an end to them."
This unsatisfactory answer made a most disagreeable impression on Cortes
and all of us; for, indeed, we could no longer bear to look upon their
barbarities and the dissolute life which they led. Cortes spoke a long
time to us upon the subject; he brought many holy and useful lessons to
our mind, and observed "That we could do nothing which would be more
beneficial to this people, and more to the glory of God, than to abolish
this idolatry with its human sacrifices. It was certainly to be expected
that the inhabitants would rise up in arms, if we proceeded to destroy
their idols: we should, however, make the attempt, if even it were to
cost us our lives."
Upon this we all arrayed ourselves as if we were preparing for battle,
and Cortes acquainted the caziques that we were now going out to destroy
their idols. When the fat cazique heard this he ordered the other chiefs
to call out the warriors in their defence, and when we were about to
mount up a high temple where the sacrifices were made,--I forget now how
many steps led to the top,--he and the other chiefs became outrageously
furious. They went menacing up to Cortes, and asked him, "Why he was
going to destroy their gods? such an insult they would not suffer; it
would be their and our destruction."
Cortes now also lost patience, and answered, "He had already told them
several times they should not sacrifice to these monsters, who were
nothing more than deceivers and liars. There was now, therefore, no
alternative left him than to lay violent hands on them himself, and hurl
them from their bases. He must look upon them as his worst enemies, and
not as friends, since they would put no faith in his advice. He was well
aware what design their chiefs and armed warriors had in hand; his
forbearance was at last exhausted, and any opposition would cost them
their lives."
These threats were most intelligibly interpreted to the Indians by Dona
Marina, who also put them in mind of Motecusuma's army, which every
moment might fall upon them. They, therefore, turned the question
another way, and declared, "That they were not worthy of laying hands on
their gods. If we durst venture to do so, they supposed we must, for we
could not resist the temptation; but they would never give their
consent."
They had scarcely done speaking when more than fifty of us began to
mount the steps of the temple. We tore down the idols from their
pediments, broke them to pieces, and flung them piecemeal down the
steps. Some of these idols were shaped like furious dragons, and were
about the size of young calves; others with half the human form; some
again were shaped like large dogs, but all were horrible to look at.
When the caziques and papas thus beheld these monsters lying crumbled on
the ground, they set up a miserable howl, covered their faces, and
begged forgiveness of the idols in the Totonaque language, as they were
unable to protect them against the teules, nor durst they attack us for
fear of Motecusuma. It did not, however, end here, for their armed
warriors who had now come up began to fly their arrows at us. Finding
matters had taken such a turn, we seized the fat cazique, six papas, and
several of the chief personages; and Cortes declared to them, that if
the attack was not instantly staid they should all forfeit their lives.
Upon this the fat cazique commanded his men to desist, and when quiet
was somewhat restored they began to negotiate about terms of peace,
which was concluded as shall shortly be related.
In this place I have only further to add, that our march to
Tzinpantzinco was the first expedition Cortes made towards the interior
of New Spain, and that it turned out greatly to our advantage. The
historian Gomara here again tells his fables of the many thousands of
human beings we destroyed at Tzinpantzinco; the curious reader, however,
may sufficiently convince himself from my account what little faith is
to be placed in his history, however beautiful the style may be in which
it is written.