_How the powerful Motecusuma sends a valuable present in gold to us,
and the message which accompanied it, and how we all agree to
commence our march upon Mexico; and what further happened._
When Motecusuma was made acquainted with what we said concerning our
friendship towards him, and the confident manner in which we had
expressed ourselves, he again felt embarrassed, and was amazed at the
idea that nothing could be concealed from us, and that he might attack
us whenever he liked, within the city walls or in the open field, by day
or by night, it was all the same to us. He thought of our war with the
Tlascallans, of the battles we had fought at Potonchon, Tabasco,
Cingapacinga, and Cholulla, and grew quite perplexed and dispirited. He
several times altered his resolutions, until at last he determined upon
sending us six of his principal courtiers with a present in gold and
trinkets of various workmanship, worth altogether above 2000 pesos,
besides several packages of cotton stuffs most beautifully manufactured.
When these messengers were introduced into Cortes' presence, they
touched the ground with their hands, and kissed it, and thus addressed
our general, with signs of the deepest veneration: "Malinche! our ruler
and monarch, the mighty Motecusuma, sends you this present, and begs you
will accept of it with the same kind feeling he bears you and your
brothers: he at the same time desires us to express his regret for the
late occurrence at Cholulla, and to assure you it would be pleasing to
him if you would castigate that evil-minded and lying people more
severely, since they had wished to heap the infamy of their vile
proceedings upon him and his ambassadors. We might (they continued) rest
assured of his friendship, and repair to his metropolis as soon as we
should think proper. Being as we were men of vast courage, and the
ambassadors of so great a monarch, he would receive us with due honours,
and only regretted that, owing to the situation of his metropolis in the
midst of a lake, he should not be able to furnish our table with the
victuals he otherwise could wish. The greatest respect would everywhere
be paid us, and he had also sent orders to the different townships we
should pass through to furnish us with everything we required." Besides
these, there were many other civilities they mentioned in their
monarch's name.
Cortes, to whom our interpreters had explained this message, accepted
the present with every appearance of delight. He embraced the
ambassadors, and presented them with various articles of cut glass.
Every officer and soldier amongst us congratulated himself upon this
favorable turn which affairs had taken, and at the monarch's invitation
to visit Mexico,--for our desire to see that city daily grew upon us,
particularly upon those who had no possessions in Cuba, and had
accompanied the previous expeditions under Cordoba and Grijalva.
Cortes returned the ambassadors a kind answer to all they had said, and
arranged that three of them should remain with us to show us the road,
while the others were despatched to Mexico, to acquaint their monarch
that we had already set out on our march thither.
When the two old caziques of Tlascalla found that Cortes was earnestly
bent on marching to Mexico, they appeared excessively grieved, and
reminded Cortes how frequently they had warned him, and could not do so
too often, to dissuade him from marching into a town of such vast extent
and power, and which possessed various means of carrying on a murderous
war. The Mexicans would certainly, one day or other, fall upon us
unawares, and it would be a wonder if we escaped alive out of their
hands. To convince us how well they were inclined towards us, they
would, however, gladly furnish us with 10,000 of their warriors, under
the command of their most able generals, with a sufficient supply of
provisions.
Cortes thanked them for their kind offers, and explained to them that it
would not be proper to enter Mexico at the head of so large an army,
particularly as the hatred between themselves and the Mexicans was so
excessive. One thousand men was all he required to transport our cannon
and baggage, and clear the road before us.
These 1000 men were immediately upon the spot, all strong and fine young
fellows, and we were just upon the point of commencing our march when
the caziques and chiefs of Sempoalla, who had remained with us all this
time, and rendered us such valuable services, called upon Cortes and
hoped he would return with them to Sempoalla. They were determined, they
said, not to march over Cholulla to Mexico, as they were quite convinced
it would be ours and their destruction; theirs, because they were the
most distinguished personages of Sempoalla, who had not only been the
chief means of inducing their countrymen to refuse all further obedience
and to pay tribute to Motecusuma, but also of seizing his tax-gatherers.
Cortes, in answer to this, desired them to allay their fears; he was
sure no harm would befall them, for, if they marched along in our
company, who would dare to molest either? He therefore begged of them to
alter their determination, and remain with us, and promised them all
manner of riches. But all his entreaties, added to Marina's friendly
advice, were fruitless, and they refused to accompany us: upon which
Cortes cried out, "God forbid that we should force these people, who
have rendered us such valuable services, to go with us against their
inclination!" He then ordered several packages of the very finest cotton
stuffs to be divided among them, and likewise sent the fat cazique two
packages for himself and his nephew Cuesco, who was also a powerful
cazique. He wrote, at the same time, to his lieutenant Juan de
Escalante, who was alguacil-major of Vera Cruz, mentioning all that had
befallen us, and that we were on our march to Mexico. He particularly
cautioned him to keep a sharp look out upon the inhabitants of the
country, desired him by all means to hasten the completion of the
fortress, and to take the inhabitants there under his protection against
the Mexicans, and also not to suffer our men to molest them in any way.
This letter was given in charge of the Sempoallans, and we then
commenced our march forward with every military precaution.