_How Cortes desired the powerful Motecusuma to order all the
caziques of the empire to bring in the tribute of gold due to our
emperor._
As Diego de Ordas and the other officers whom Cortes had sent out for
the discovery of gold mines had all returned with samples of that metal,
and brought the most satisfactory accounts concerning the wealth of the
country, our general, after long deliberation with his officers and
several of the soldiers, resolved that Motecusuma should now be desired
to send round to all his caziques, and to every township of his empire,
and require them to bring in tribute to our emperor, and that he
himself, as the most wealthy of his vassals, should pay the same from
his own private treasures.
In answer to this request, Motecusuma said that he would forward the
necessary orders for this purpose to every township; but he was
compelled to inform us that many of them would be unable to fulfil those
commands, who could merely contribute some trifling trinkets in gold
which they had inherited from their forefathers.
Motecusuma then sent several of his principal officers to the districts
where there were gold mines, desiring the inhabitants of such places to
forward him the usual weight and number of gold bars they were
accustomed to pay as tribute, and forwarded them two bars as a sample.
He despatched similar orders to the province which stood under his
relative, who behaved so refractory. This prince, however, sent him word
that he would neither send any gold nor pay any attention to
Motecusuma's commands, and that he had as much right to the throne of
Mexico as he who thus dared to demand tribute of him.
The monarch was so incensed at this answer that he instantly despatched
some of his most active officers, with his seal, to seize the rebel and
bring him to Mexico. These officers were more successful than the former
had been, and brought in the rebel prince prisoner. When he was led into
the presence of Motecusuma, he not only evinced no fear, but was
impudent to a degree, and expressed himself so disrespectfully that his
conduct could only be accounted for by madness, as he, it was said, was
subject to fits of insanity. Cortes, who received information that
Motecusuma had given orders for his execution, begged the latter he
might be sent to him, that he might take him into his own custody. The
former complied with this request, and when the prince was brought into
our general's presence, he spoke very kindly to him, and begged of him
not to act the madman with his monarch, and assured him he would obtain
his liberty again. But Motecusuma was of a very different opinion, and
desired he might be heavily chained, as the other princes had been.
After the lapse of twenty days, all the officers whom Motecusuma had
sent out into the provinces to collect the tribute, had returned to
Mexico. He then sent for Cortes, his officers, and several of us who had
been accustomed to stand sentinel in his apartment, and spoke to us as
follows: "Malinche, and you other officers and soldiers, I consider
myself greatly indebted to your emperor for his having thought it worth
his while to send from such distant countries to make inquiries after
me; but what more deeply occupies my thoughts is the tradition of our
ancestors, which has been fully confirmed by the oracles of our gods,
that, namely, the dominion of these countries was destined to devolve
upon him. Receive, therefore, this gold for him; I have no more at
present, as the notice to collect it was too short. With regard to
myself, I have destined the whole of my father's treasure for him as my
share of the tribute, which lies secreted in your quarters. I am well
aware that you have inspected it, but closed up the opening as before.
When, however, you transmit this treasure to your emperor, you must say
in your letter, this is sent you by your faithful vassal Motecusuma. To
this I will also add a few chalchihuis, of such enormous value that I
would not consent to give them to any one save to such a powerful
emperor as yours: each of these stones are worth two loads of gold. I
further think of sending him three crossbows, with the small balls, and
bag which contains them, all richly ornamented with jewels, which will
certainly please him much. I should like to give him all I possess; now
I have very little left, as I have from time to time given you the
greater portion of my gold and jewels."
Cortes and all of us were astonished at this generosity and great
goodness of the monarch, and we took off our caps very respectfully, and
thanked him. Cortes, at the same time, assured him he would send our
majesty an accurate description of all these splendid presents.
Motecusuma did not delay one instant to fulfil his promise, for that
very same hour his house-stewards arrived to hand us over all the
treasures contained in the secret chamber. There was such a vast heap of
it that we were occupied three days in taking all out of the different
corners of this secret room, and in looking them over; we were even
obliged to send for Motecusuma's goldsmiths from Escapuzalco to assist
us. The reader may form some notion of this treasure when I tell him
that, when all the articles were set apart in three heaps and weighed,
the gold alone, not counting the silver and other precious things, was
found to be worth above 600,000 pesos: in this are not included the gold
plates, bars, and the gold dust contributed by the other provinces. All
this treasure we ordered the goldsmiths of Escapuzalco to smelt into
bars measuring three inches square.
Besides all this, Motecusuma brought another present, consisting in gold
and jewels of enormous value. There were also chalchihuis stones of
extreme beauty and size, which were considered of immense value among
the caziques of the country. Further, there were three crossbows, with
their cases set in jewels and pearls, besides a number of pictures made
of feathers and small pearls, all of great value: indeed, it would be no
easy task to describe all these splendid things one by one.
Upon this Cortes ordered an iron stamp to be made, about the size of a
Spanish real, bearing the arms of Spain, with which the royal treasurers
were to mark all the gold, with the exception of that set in jewels,
which we were loth to pull to pieces. As we possessed neither scales nor
weights, we cast the latter in iron, from twenty-five pounds to half a
pound weight, and to four ounces; for we cared very little to weigh to a
nicety of half an ounce or so. When the gold, without including the
silver and jewels, was weighed, we found, as I have before stated, that
it amounted to 600,000 pesos, though many of our men valued it at much
more.
Nothing now remained but to deduct the emperor's fifths therefrom, and
divide the remainder among the officers and soldiers, including those
left behind at Vera Cruz. Cortes, however, was of opinion that the
division should be postponed until our stock should be further
increased, but most of our officers and soldiers desired that it might
take place forthwith, for they asserted that above one third had already
disappeared since the three heaps had been first collected together.
They greatly suspected that Cortes and his principal officers had
secretly taken away the greater part. The weighing of the gold,
consequently, was commenced immediately, that the division might take
place on the following day. In what way this was done, and how most of
it fell into the hands of Cortes and others, I will relate in the
following chapter.