Transcriber’s Note Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Simple typographical errors have been corrected. In some cases, Bancroft uses both “u” and “v” to spell an author’s name, e.g. Vetancurt and Vetancvrt. Other archaic letter substitutions include “b” for “v”, “i” for “y”, “x for “j”, “i for “j”, “ç” or “c” for “z” and vice versa. These have been left as printed. Accents and other diacritics are inconsistently used. Some possible printer’s errors or inconsistencies include: Barucoa and Baracoa Basan and Bazan Luis Becerra Tanco and Luis Bezerra Tanco casy should be casi Cholula and Chulula Rᵒ de de guaqaqa is a possible double word error overset thinge should possibly be oversetthinge Footnotes, originally at the bottoms of pages, have been sequentially renumbered, collected together, and placed after the last page of each chapter. Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. This volume contains references to the previous volumes of this work. They can be found at: Volume 1: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41070/41070-h/41070-h.htm Volume 2: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42808/42808-h/42808-h.htm Volume 3: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43123/43123-h/43123-h.htm Volume 4: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/44104/44104-h/44104-h.htm Volume 5: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45268/45268-h/45268-h.htm Volume 6: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/58658/58658-h/58658-h.htm Volume 7: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/58669/58669-h/58669-h.htm Volume 8: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/62657/62657-h/62657-h.htm THE WORKS OF HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT. VOLUME IX. HISTORY OF MEXICO. VOL. I. 1516-1521. SAN FRANCISCO: A. L. BANCROFT & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS. 1883. Entered according to Act of Congress in the Year 1883, by HUBERT H. BANCROFT, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. All Rights Reserved. PREFACE. As the third greatest of the world’s republics, wherein society and civilization are displayed under somewhat abnormal aspects, under aspects at least widely different from those present in other than Spanish-speaking communities, configurations and climates, races and race intermixtures, civil and religious polities, and the whole range of mental and physical environment being in so many respects exceptional and individual, Mexico presents a study one of the most interesting and profitable of any among the nations of to-day.