The Quality of Leader Desired—Instructions Issued to Hernan Cortés, Commander-in-chief—The Character of Cortés Undergoes a Change—Cost of the Expedition—By whom Borne—Places Established for Enlistment—The Banner—Cortés Puts on the Great Man—More of his Character—The Scene at Santiago Harbor—The Governor’s Jester—Dark Suspicions of Velazquez—Departure from Santiago—Cortés at Trinidad—Fresh Recruits—Verdugo Receives Orders to Depose Cortés—The Fleet Proceeds to San Cristóbal, or the Habana—Review at Guaguanico—Speech of Cortés—Organization into Companies—Departure from Cuba 53 CHAPTER VI. THE VOYAGE. 1519. Something of the Captains of Cortés—Alvarado—Montejo—Ávila—Olid—Sandoval—Leon—Ordaz—Morla—The Passage—The Fleet Struck by a Squall—Arrival at Cozumel—Alvarado Censured—Search for the Captive Christians—Arrival of Aguilar—His Chaste Adventures—They Come to Tabasco River—Battles there—Conquest of the Natives—Peace Made—Twenty Female Slaves among the Presents—The Fleet Proceeds along the Shore—Puertocarrero’s Witticism—Arrival at San Juan de Ulua 73 CHAPTER VII. WHAT MONTEZUMA THOUGHT OF IT. Home of Mexican Civilization—The Border Land of Savagism—Configuration of the Country—The Nahuas and the Mayas—Toltecs, Chichimecs, and Aztecs—The Valley of Mexico—Civil Polity of the Aztecs—King Ahuitzotl—Montezuma Made Emperor—Character of the Man—His Career—The First Appearing of the Spaniards not Unknown to Montezuma—The Quetzalcoatl Myth—Departure of the Fair God—Signs and Omens concerning his Return—The Coming of the Spaniards Mistaken for the Fulfilment of the Prophecy—The Door Opened to the Invader 94 CHAPTER VIII. THE COMBATANTS SALUTE. April-May, 1519. The Embassy from the Shore—The New Interpreter—Marina—Her Appearance and Quality—Her Romantic History—She Cleaves to the Spaniards and to Cortés—And Becomes One of the most Important Characters of the Conquest—The Spaniards Land and Form an Encampment—The Governor Comes with Presents—The Spaniards Astonish the Natives—Who Report all to Montezuma—Cortés Sends the Monarch Presents—Council Called in Mexico—Montezuma Determines not to Receive the Strangers—Reciprocates in Presents a Hundredfold—Cortés Persists—Montezuma Declines more Firmly—Olmedo Attempts Conversion—Teuhtlile, Offended, Withdraws his People from the Camp of the Spaniards 116 CHAPTER IX. THE MIGHTY PROJECT IS CONCEIVED. May, 1519.