Hovv the inhabitants of Zempoallan brake downe their Idolles.

TOC

Nevves for Cortez.

Euery day séemed long to Cortes, with the desire to sée Mutezuma. He nowe began to publishe openly his iourney and departure, and chose out of the body of his host a hūdred and fiftie mē, which he thought sufficient to leaue for safegard of the new towne and fort, which was almost finished, and appoynted Pedro de Hircio their Captaine, leauing with them two Horses, and two small péeces of Ordinance, wyth many Indians to serue them, and fiftie Townes round about them in faithfull friendship and league, out of the which Townes they might alwayes haue at their néede fiftie thousande men of warre: and he departed with the residue of his Spanyardes towarde Zempoallan, whyche mighte be foure leagues from thence, and was scarcely come to the Towne, when newes was broughte hym that foure Shippes of Francisco Garray sayled along hys coast, and were in sight of Vera Crux. With this newes he returned incontinent with a hundred of his men, suspecting euill of those Shippes. At his comming to Vera Crux, his Captaine there enformed him how he had gone himselfe to know what they were, and from whence they came, and what they would, but coulde speake with none of them. Cortes beyng informed how they roade at anker, toke Captaine Hircio and certaine of his company to expect their commyng ashore, suspectyng them muche, bicause they roade so farre off, being by signes and tokens willed to come into the Harbor. Cortes hauing wandered neare thrée miles, mette with thrée Spaniardes whiche came from the shippes, the one of them sayde that he was a Notary, and the other twoo were to serue for witnesses in their affayres, which was, to ascite and notifie certaine wrytings, whiche they shewed not: and also to require Cortes by vertue of the same, to come and make repartitiō of that countrey with captayne Garay their generall, for theyr sayd Captaine pretended that conquest (as first discouerer of the same,) certifying moreouer that hée was determined to inhabite twentie leagues distāt from that place Westwarde neare vnto Nahutlan, whiche nowe is called Armeria. Cortes answered, that they should returne vnto their shippes, and to will theyr Captayne to come to Vera Crux with his nauie, and there they woulde commune togither aboute his comming, and if he stoode in néede of any thing it shoulde be prouided. And if it were (as they reported) that he was comen on the Kings affaires, he woulde gladly fauour his procéedings, considering that he and all his were there in seruice of his highnesse, how muche more beyng all of one nation.

They answered, that in no wise their captaine nor none of his army would come ashore, nor yet come where as Cortes was. With this answere Cortes vnderstood the matter, and layde holde of them, and went and placed himself in ambushe behinde a little hill of sande, whiche stoode right ouer agaynst the shippes, beyng neare sunne sette, & slepte there that night till daye approched, and the mornyng farre spent, hopyng that Garay his Pilote or some of his company woulde come ashore, meanyng likewise to apprehende them for to be certified what course they had made, and what hurte they had done, and findyng them guiltie, to sende them prysoners into Spayne, likewise he desired to knowe whether they had spoken with any vassals of Mutezuma, and seyng they came not a lande his suspition was the greater.

A vvise practise.

Cortes commaunded thrée of his men to chaunge apparell with the thrée messengers that came from Garay, and this done, caused them to goe to the Sea side, wauyng with theyr clokes, and callyng for the shippe boate, nowe those of the shippes thought by theyr apparell that they were their owne menne, and came with a dozen persons in the skiffe with Crossebowes and Handgunnes. Then Cortes his men whiche were clothed in other mens garments hidde themselues among bushes, as who woulde say, they were gone into the shadowe, for to flée from the great heate of the Sunne, being at that time highe noone, and bicause they should not be knowen.

The Mariners of the skiffe set a lande twoo men with Hargabushes, and other two mē with Crossebowes, and and Indian who went straight way to the bushes, thinkyng to finde their fellowes. Then stept forth Cortes and caught them before they coulde gette aborde the skiffe, although they meant to haue defended themselues, so that one of them who was a Pilote, hauing his Hargabushe ready charged, & would haue shot at captaine Hircio, & assuredly if his match and pouder had bene good he had slayne him. When the general aborde the ships perceiued this deceit, would abide no longer, & cōmaunded to make saile, not tarying for his skiffe. By these seuen mē taken at two times Cortes was satisfied, & also certified how captain Garay had sayled along the coast séeking Florida, and arriued in a riuer, the King of that prouince was called Panuco, where they founde little golde, barteryng aborde their shippes, all theyr golde passed not thrée thousande Castelins, but in exchaunge of things of small value, nothing contented Garay on that voyage, bycause the quantitie of golde was small and not fine.

With this newes Cortes returned to Zempoallan with his men which he brought in his company: and there concluded and fully agreed with those Indians to pull downe theyr Idols & sepulchres of their Cassikz, whiche they did reuerence as Gods, perswading them to worship the God of heauen. And after this doctrine their league of friendship was effectually established, and with other townes adioyning against Mutezuma. Those Indians gaue vnto him gagues to be alwayes faithfull of worde & promisse, and offered vnto him as many men fitte for warre & seruice as he would require. Cortes receiued the gagues which were of the principallest persons of the townes, as Mamexi Teuch, and Tamalli, he tooke also a thousand Tamemes, that is to say, men that are carriars, who ordinarily taketh his burden vpon his backe which is halfe a hundred waight, and those fellowes followe the campe with their bagge & bagage: These men serued for horses to draw the ordinance, and to carrie other munition and victuals.