The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 2 (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 2 (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
After we had satisfactorily arranged all matters here, Luis Marin
presented the township of Chamula to me as a commendary, for Cortes had
expressly desired him to give me some valuable possession in the
conquered countries. I always stood upon very good terms with Luis
Marin, and he had not forgotten that I was the first man who forced his
way into the town. This place, according to the deeds I received from
Cortes, was given to me in perpetuity, but I only enjoyed the rents
which it produced for little more than eight years, at the end of which
time Ciudad Real was founded, and my commendary became the property of
the inhabitants. When I entered into possession of it, I desired father
Juan to preach to the inhabitants, and to explain our holy religion to
them, with which he willingly complied, and ordered an altar to be
constructed in the town, on which he placed a cross and the image of the
blessed Virgin. Fifteen of the inhabitants allowed themselves to be
baptized, and the father said he hoped to God they might all become good
Catholic Christians. I felt highly delighted with all this; for, as
these people were my own property, I naturally took a more particular
interest in their welfare.
Though Chamula had again submitted to our arms, the townships of
Guegustitlan still obstinately held out, notwithstanding all our kind
messages to the caziques; we had, therefore, no other resource left than
to march against them, and subdue them by force of arms. Each of these
townships (for there were three) was strongly situated, and we therefore
left our allies, with the baggage, in the camp, our captain only taking
the most nimble and active of the Spanish troops with him, besides 300
warriors of Cinacatan. The distance to Guegustitlan was sixteen miles;
but the enemy had everywhere cut down trees and constructed barricades
along the line of our march to obstruct the cavalry; however, with the
assistance of our Indian friends, we soon cleared these obstacles out of
our way, and it was not long before we attacked one of the three
townships. The place was well fortified and filled with warriors fully
equipped for war; we, nevertheless, stormed the town, although it was
even more difficult of access than Chamula. The enemy had not waited to
offer any resistance to our arms, and we found the town quite deserted
by its inhabitants, who had also carried off all their store of
provisions; but it was not long before our Indian friends brought in two
of the inhabitants prisoners, whom our captain immediately liberated,
desiring them to go and call their countrymen. We staid one whole day in
this place, during which time the inhabitants of all three townships
submitted themselves as vassals to our emperor, and presented us with a
small quantity of gold and some quetzal feathers, which are of great
value in this country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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