_How the powerful Motecusuma inquires of Cortes whether it was
really his intention to march out against Narvaez, though the
latter's troops were double the number of ours._
The monarch, one day discoursing as usual with Cortes, spoke to him as
follows: "Malinche! I have for some time past observed all your officers
and soldiers going up and down in great uneasiness: even you yourself do
not visit me so frequently as you were wont; and the page Orteguilla
informs me that you are about to march against your brothers who have
just arrived, and that you are going to leave Tonatio (so Alvarado was
termed by the Mexicans) behind, to guard my person. Do tell me if there
is any truth in all this? for if, in any way, I can be of service to you
in this matter, it will be a great pleasure to me. I have great fears of
your success, for your teules are too few in numbers in comparison to
those just arrived. They have five times the number of troops you have;
they also, as well as yourself, maintain to be Christians, and subjects
of your emperor; they pay homage to the same image and cross, read the
mass as you do, and everywhere spread the rumour that you have fled away
from Spain from your emperor, and that he has sent them to take you back
again, or put you to death. Really I scarcely know what to think of all
this: one thing, however, I must tell you, to use great circumspection
in what you are about to do."
In reply to this, Cortes told the monarch, with the most cheerful
countenance in the world, that he had studiously avoided mentioning
anything of all this up to the present moment, from his great affection
towards him, to spare him the anxiety he would feel on our account. It
was very true, the newly arrived teules were also subjects of our
emperor, and Christians; but it was a falsehood to assert that we had
fled away from the territory of our emperor. On the contrary, our great
monarch had expressly sent us out to visit him, Motecusuma, and make
those disclosures to him, in his imperial name, which Motecusuma had
heard. With regard to the numbers of those just arrived, we felt quite
unconcerned, however great they might be in comparison to ours, as our
Lord Jesus Christ and his blessed mother would lend us strength, and
clothe us with superior power to those bad men who came with such evil
designs. His emperor, continued Cortes, swayed the sceptre over so many
countries and kingdoms, that the people who inhabited them were of
various kinds, and differed in courage and manly spirit. We were born
in the heart of Spain, which was termed Old Castile, and therefore bore
the additional name of Castilians; those, on the other hand, who were
now quartered at Sempoalla, came from another province called Biscay,
where the inhabitants spoke a perfectly spurious language, in the same
way as the Otomies do in Mexico. He need be in no apprehension about us,
but might depend upon it we should very soon manage those fellows, and
speedily return victorious to his metropolis. At present we merely
begged of him to remain on terms of friendship with Tonatio, who would
remain behind in Mexico with eighty men; and to prevent any insurrection
from breaking out, and not to allow his generals and papas to disturb
the peace; for, in case they did, he should be compelled to put them all
to death on his return. He also desired he would furnish those who
remained behind with the necessary provisions.
After this explanation, Motecusuma and Cortes embraced each other twice
successively, while the sly Dona Marina observed to the monarch that he
ought to show some signs of grief at our departure: upon which he again
commenced speaking, and offered to comply with any wish Cortes might
express, and promised to give him 5000 of his troops to accompany us on
our march. Cortes, who well knew they would not have been forthcoming,
thanked him for his kind offer, and assured him we stood in no need of
his assistance, as we found our true support in the Lord our God: but
begged of him to see that the image of the holy Virgin and the cross
were constantly decorated with green boughs; that the church was kept
clean, and wax-lights burning night and day on the altar; and not to
allow his papas to sacrifice any human beings; and in his compliance
with these things we should best be able to convince ourselves of the
sincerity of his friendship.
After this Cortes told the monarch he must excuse him for breaking off
the discourse now, as he had many things to regulate before commencing
his march; he then once more embraced the monarch, and so they parted
from each other.[77]
Cortes now ordered Alvarado and all those who were to remain behind in
Mexico into his presence. He desired them to observe the utmost
vigilance, and not to give Motecusuma a chance of escaping out of their
hands, and commanded the soldiers to pay the most implicit obedience to
Alvarado, promising, if God were willing, to enrich them all.
Among those who stayed with Alvarado was the priest Juan Diaz, and many
others whom we suspected of ill will towards Cortes, whose names I do
not choose to mention. We nevertheless embraced each other on leaving,
and then marched out without any females or servants, with as little
baggage as possible, and took the road to Cholulla. From this town
Cortes sent to our friends Xicotencatl, Maxixcatzin, and the other
caziques of Tlascalla, desiring them to send us immediately 4000 of
their troops. To which they returned the answer, that if we were going
to war with Indians as they were, they would gladly send us the required
troops and many more; but if we intended fighting against teules, like
unto ourselves, against cannon and horses, we were not to think ill of
them if they refused our request. This answer was accompanied by as many
fowls as twenty men could carry.
Cortes then sent a courier with a letter to Sandoval, desiring the
latter to join him as speedily as possible with all his men; we intended
to march to within forty-eight miles of Sempoalla, in the neighbourhood
of the provinces of Tampanicita[78] and Mitalaguita, which are at
present comprehended in the commendary of Pedro Moreno Mediana, who
resides at Puebla; he particularly cautioned him to keep out of the way
of Narvaez, and carefully to avoid coming to any engagement with any
part of his troops.
We ourselves marched forward with every military precaution, and were
ready for action at a moment's notice. Two of our most trustworthy men
who were remarkably swift of foot and unwearied pedestrians, were
constantly a couple of day's march in advance, and lurked along the
byways, where the cavalry could not penetrate, to gain information of
the Indians respecting Narvaez. Besides these we had always immediately
in advance of us a small detachment of sharp-shooters, to seize any of
the men who strolled from Narvaez's camp, and if possible the latter
himself. It was not long before they came up with a certain Alonso Mata,
who termed himself a royal secretary, and was commissioned, he said, by
Narvaez, to show us the copy of his appointment. This Mata was
accompanied by four others, who were to act as witnesses on this
occasion. When these people had arrived near enough they greeted Cortes
and all of us in the most humble manner possible, and our general
dismounted when he learnt who they were.
Alonso Mata began immediately to read his documents to us, but Cortes
interrupted him, and asked him whether he was a royal secretary, and he
replying in the affirmative, Cortes desired him to produce his
appointment. If this was all regular, he added, he was at liberty to
fulfil his commission, and he should know himself what was due from him
as a servant of the emperor. But, if it was not, it was useless for him
to read his papers; besides which, it was requisite the papers should
contain the original appointment signed by the emperor himself, if he
wished him to acknowledge his authority.
Mata was not a little staggered at being thus addressed, for he himself
was well aware that he was no royal secretary. He was therefore unable
to utter a single word, and those who accompanied him remained equally
mute. Cortes excused their embarrassment, and desired some victuals to
be set before them; and we halted for a few moments, when Cortes
informed them we were marching to the township of Tampanicita, in the
vicinity of Narvaez's head-quarters, where, if the latter had any
further communications to make, he was to be found. During the whole of
this discourse Cortes showed such self-command, that he never so much as
uttered a single reproachful word against Narvaez; he had also a private
discourse with them, and thrust a few pieces of gold into their hands;
so that they left us highly delighted, and on their return to Narvaez
they could scarcely say sufficient in praise of Cortes and of us all.
While these men were still with us, many of our soldiers, for the sake
of ostentation, had decorated themselves with gold chains and jewels,
which spread a vast idea of our splendour. All this produced such a
favorable impression in Narvaez's head-quarters, that many of his chief
officers desired that peace might be brought about between both
generals.
In the meantime we continued our march, and arrived in Tampanicita,
where Sandoval the day following likewise appeared with his small
detachment, consisting of sixty men; the old and infirm of the garrison,
as I have above mentioned, having been previously quartered among our
allies, the Papalote Indians. He likewise brought along with him the
five friends and relatives of Aillon, who had deserted from Narvaez, and
had long desired to pay their respects to Cortes, who gave them the most
friendly reception, and then entered into a private conversation with
Sandoval, who related to him all the particulars respecting the affair
with the furious priest Guevara and his companion Vergara. Sandoval
likewise told him how he had sent two Spanish soldiers into Narvaez's
head-quarters disguised as Indians. They had the exact appearance of
natives, took each a basket of cherries with them, and did as if they
were desirous of selling them. They soon met with a purchaser, in the
person of the braggadocio Salvatierra, who gave them a string of glass
beads for their fruit, and fully believing they were Indians, sent them
to cut some grass for his horse. It was about the hour of Ave-Maria,
when they returned with a load of grass, and carried it to the shed,
where the horse was tied up. They then cowered down, after the fashion
of Indians, near Salvatierra's quarters, and overheard a discourse
between him and several others of Narvaez's officers. Among other things
they heard Salvatierra exclaim, "O! at what a fortunate time we have
arrived in this country, just as the traitor Cortes has collected above
700,000 pesos! We shall all become wealthy; for his officers and
soldiers all together cannot have a much less sum than that in their
pockets."
They listened to many similar fine speeches till a late hour at night,
when they stole off silently to the shed where Salvatierra's horse was
fastened up, which they very quietly saddled and bridled, and so rode
off with it. In the same way they managed to capture a second horse on
their road home, and brought them both safely to Sandoval.
Cortes was very desirous to see those horses, but Sandoval told him he
had left them with the invalid soldiers in Papalote, as he had marched
along a very steep and rugged road over the mountains, where horses
could not pass, which he had done that he might not fall in with
Narvaez's troops.
Cortes was vastly pleased with the trick which had been played off upon
Salvatierra, and the manner in which he had lost his horse, and
exclaimed, "He will now threaten us with more vengeance than ever!" The
following morning, we were told, when he found the two Indians, who sold
him the cherries had decamped with his horse, saddle, and bridle, he
threw out language really laughable, particularly when he discovered
they had been disguised Spaniards belonging to Cortes' troops.
[77] According to Torquemada, Motecusuma, accompanied by a distinguished
suite, conducted the Spaniards as far as Iztapalapan. (p. 303.)
[78] Probably Topaniqueta, which sounds more like an Indian name. (p.
304.)