The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2): Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain.Díaz del Castillo, Bernal
History
The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2): Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain.
Díaz del Castillo, Bernal
Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540
Aguilar, however, was to make the Indians believe that
he had ordered the horse not to do them any injury.
While all this was going on above thirty Indian porters (whom they term
tamemes) arrived with fowls, baked fish, and various fruits: these
porters, on account of their loads, had perhaps not been able to follow
the caziques fast enough. A lively discourse was now kept up between
Cortes and the caziques, who in the end left us perfectly contented,
with the assurance that the following day they would return with a
present.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
_How all the caziques and calachonis of the river Grijalva arrive
with presents, and what happened after this._
On the following morning, it was one of the last days in March, 1519, a
number of caziques, with the principal personages of the Tabasco
district and surrounding neighbourhood arrived. They paid us profound
reverence, and brought a present, consisting in four diadems, some
lizards, ear-rings, four ducks, figures like dogs, others with Indian
faces, two sandals with golden soles, and various other trifling
trinkets of gold,[12] whose value I have forgotten. There were also
cloaks as the Indians wear them, which are very commodious. The present
altogether was of little value, (most likely the province altogether
possessed few riches,) and was certainly not to be compared to the
twenty females with which they presented us, among whom one was a very
fine woman, who subsequently became a convert to Christianity, and was
named Doña Marina. Cortes was vastly pleased with this present, and
held, by means of Aguilar, a long discourse with the caziques, telling
them among other things, that their present was very acceptable; but he
had something further to beg, namely, that they should again return to
their dwellings with their wives and children. He should not consider
the peace really concluded unless within the space of two days all the
inhabitants had returned to the village. The caziques upon this issued
the necessary orders, and in a couple of days all the families had
returned. They showed the same readiness to comply with Cortes's wishes
when he desired them to do away with their idols and human sacrifices.
He likewise, as well as he could, gave them some idea of our holy
Christian faith, and how we only adored one God. We also showed them a
very pious figure, representing the mother of God holding her blessed
Son in her arms, and explained to them how we paid reverence to this
figure, and by it to the mother of God who was in heaven. Hereupon the
caziques answered, that they were much pleased with this great
_Tecleciguata_, and that they should much like to keep it in their
village. In their language, _Tecleciguata_ means a woman of distinction.
Cortes promised them they should have it, and for this purpose ordered a
pretty altar to be built. In the same way our carpenters, Alonso Yañez
and Alvaro Lopez, were desired to construct a very high cross.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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