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 were passed the fat
cazique handed a present to him which he had brought, consisting in
golden trinkets and cotton stuffs, but of little value. The cazique
constantly repeated: "Lopelucio, Lopelucio, accept this in favorable
kind; if we had more to give we should have brought it."

Cortes desired Doña Marina and Aguilar to acquaint him how grateful he
was for so much kindness, and he had merely to inform him in what way he
in return could be of service to him and his people. We were the vassals
of the great emperor Charles, who had dominion over many kingdoms and
countries, and who had sent us out to redress wrongs wherever we came,
punish the bad, and make known his commands that human sacrifices should
no longer be continued. To all this was added a good deal about our holy
religion.

After the fat cazique heard this he sighed deeply, and complained most
bitterly about Motecusuma and his governors. It was not long ago that he
had been subdued by the former, and robbed of all his golden trinkets.
His sway was so excessively oppressive, that he durst not move without
his orders; yet no one had sufficient courage to oppose him, as he
possessed such vast towns and countries, such numbers of subjects and
extensive armies. Cortes answered that he would relieve him of the
oppression under which he groaned, but for the present moment he could
not occupy himself with such matters. He had first of all to pay a
visit to his _acales_, (so ships are termed in their language,) and
prepare our quarters in Quiahuitzlan, where they would further talk the
matter over. The fat cazique said he was perfectly satisfied with this,
and the next morning we left Sempoalla. Four hundred Indian porters,
who, in this district, are termed tamenes, were sent to accompany us.
Each of these porters is capable of carrying a weight of fifty pounds to
a distance of twenty miles. We were all highly delighted that each of us
had a man a piece to carry our baggage; for previously every one had to
carry his own knapsack, the five or six Cuba Indians we had with us
being of little use. Doña Marina and Aguilar said that according to the
custom of this country the caziques were bound in times of peace to lend
their porters to any one who required them. From this moment we always
demanded them wherever we came. After the first day's march we staid the
night at a small township not far from Quiahuitzlan. It was wholly
uninhabited, and the people of Sempoalla furnished us with food for
supper. Gomara allows Cortes to pass several days at Sempoalla, and then
form the confederacy and rebellion against Motecusuma. This, together
with the account he gives of the number of Cuba Indians we were said to
have brought with us, is wholly false; for, as I have stated, we left
Sempoalla immediately on the following morning after our arrival. Where
and what caused the different tribes to revolt I will afterwards relate.
For the present we shall make our entry into Quiahuitzlan.

CHAPTER XLVI.

 _How we march into Quiahuitzlan, which was a town with
 fortifications, and were most friendly received._

The next morning about ten o'clock we arrived in the principal township
Quiahuitzlan, which is built on the steep declivity of a rock, and would
certainly be difficult to take if defended. We put no trust in the peace
which reigned through the country, and marched in the best order with
the greatest precaution. Our troops were preceded by the cannon, that it
might be ready at hand if required. Here it was that Alonso de Avila, a
severe and haughty man, ran a soldier named Alonso of Villanueva, who
had only one arm, through the empty sleeve of his coat, with the point
of his lance, because he marched out of the ranks. From that moment we
termed the man the one-armed of Villanueva. However, I shall likewise
be accused of marching out of the ranks, if I relate such trifles: I
cannot deny it, and will, therefore, immediately fall in again. We
arrived in the midst of the town without meeting any one, and were not a
little surprised at this circumstance, as the inhabitants had left that
very morning, when they found we were approaching their dwellings. On
the most elevated point of the fortress there was an open space in front
of the cues and large houses of their idols; and here we first met with
fifteen well-dressed Indians, who were carrying perfuming pans. With
these they went up to Cortes, perfumed him and all who were near at the
time, bid us welcome, and most humbly begged forgiveness for not having
come out to meet us, and confessed that fear of ourselves and horses had
prevented them, and that they had first wished to know who we were. We
had now only to make ourselves comfortable, they added, and that very
evening they would see that all the inhabitants returned to their
houses.

Cortes thanked them most kindly for their good reception, and told them
many things about our holy religion and our great monarch, as was
customary with us wherever we came. He also presented them with a few
green glass beads and other trifles we had brought from Spain; they
supplying us with fowls and maise-bread in return.

While the first welcomings were going on it was announced to Cortes that
the fat cazique of Sempoalla was approaching in a sedan, supported by
numbers of distinguished Indians. Immediately upon his arrival he
renewed his complaints against Motecusuma, in which he was joined by the
cazique of this township and the other chief personages. He related so
much of the cruelties and oppression they had to suffer, and thereby
sobbed and sighed so bitterly that we could not help being affected. At
the time when they were subdued, they had already been greatly ill used;
Motecusuma then demanded annually a great number of their sons and
daughters, a portion of whom were sacrificed to the idols, and the rest
were employed in his household and for tilling his grounds. His
tax-gatherers took their wives and daughters without any ceremony if
they were handsome, merely to satisfy their lusts. The Totonaques, whose
territory consisted of upwards of thirty townships, suffered like
violence.

Cortes consoled them as well as he could by means of our interpreters.
He promised and assured them that he would put an end to such oppression
and ill usage. It was particularly for this object that his majesty had
sent us to their country; they should, therefore, keep up their spirits,
and they would soon see what he was about to do for their good. This in
some measure seemed to comfort them; though Cortes was unable wholly to
allay the fear in which they stood of the great Motecusuma.

We soon had proof of this on the very spot; for, during our discourse
with these caziques, some Indians belonging to the district announced
that just then five Mexican tax-gatherers had arrived. At this
information the caziques turned quite pale with fear; they left Cortes
and hastened to receive the unexpected guests, for whom an apartment was
immediately cleared and di

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