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 Those in the
shallop cried out, "What the deuce are you about there? why don't you
come on board?" One of our men then answered, "Come on shore for a few
minutes, and see what the place is like!" They found, however, the voice
to be that of a stranger, and put off with the shallop to the vessel
again, notwithstanding all the signals our men were making. We others
were very desirous of sending a few musket-shots after them, but Cortes
would not permit us, saying, we ought to allow them to go off quietly,
and he would communicate with their commander himself. All the prisoners
we made, therefore, were the four above-mentioned, and the two who had
stepped out of the shallop, and we returned to Vera Cruz without having
tasted a morsel of food. Such are the true particulars of the whole
matter, and not as Gomara relates, who even makes Garay himself present
on this occasion, though he did not visit these parts in person until
some time after, having sent the three officers with the vessels before
him. I shall speak more particularly of this in the proper place.

CHAPTER LXI.

 _How we set out on our march to the city of Mexico, and, upon the
 advice of the caziques, take our road over Tlascalla. What took
 place here, and of the battles we fought._

After we had got all in readiness for our march to Mexico, we held a
consultation as to the route we should take. The chiefs of Sempoalla
preferred the road through the province of Tlascalla, as the inhabitants
were friendly with them and deadly enemies of the Mexicans. They had
likewise equipped forty of their best warriors to accompany us, who,
indeed, proved of the greatest utility to us on this journey. They also
gave us 200 porters to convey our cannon; for, at that time, we poor
soldiers had no other baggage than our weapons, with which in hand we
stood, walked, and slept: we had not even any other covering to our
feet than light shoes, but we were always ready for battle. It was about
the middle of the month of August, 1519, that we broke up our quarters
at Sempoalla. During our march we observed the strictest order, while
our sharp-shooters and a great number of our most active men were always
in advance. On the first day we arrived in the township of Xalapa, and
from there to Socochina, which is very strongly situated, the access to
it being very dangerous, and surrounded by numerous trained vine
trees.[20] Doña Marina and Aguilar told the inhabitants a good deal
about our holy religion, and how we were subjects of the emperor Don
Carlos the Fifth, who sent us out to bring them back from kidnapping and
sacrificing human beings. As they were in friendship with the
Sempoallans, and paid no tribute to Motecusuma, we found them very well
inclined towards us, and we received hospitable treatment. We erected a
cross in every township, and explained its signification to the
inhabitants, and what great veneration was due to it. From Socochina we
marched over a high mountain, through a pass, to Texutla: here,
likewise, the inhabitants were friendly to us, because they refused to
pay any further tribute to Motecusuma. It was from this township that we
first arrived into a rugged and wild mountain district; the population
ceased, and, in the very first night, we had excessive cold, with hail
showers; add to which, our provisions were totally gone, and the wind so
keen which blew across the snow mountains, that we shook again with the
frost: indeed, no one can wonder at this, for we had come so suddenly
from the hot climate of Cuba, the town of Vera Cruz, and the
neighbouring coast, into a cold country. Whatever calamity might befall
us, we had only our weapons for protection, and were, moreover, totally
unaccustomed to the cold. From this place we arrived at another mountain
pass, where we found some houses and huge temples for human sacrifices;
near these, heaps of wood were piled up for the use of the idol-worship.
Neither did we here again meet with any food, the weather continuing
bitterly cold.

Our route now lay across the territory of the township Xocotlan. We sent
before us two Indians of Sempoalla to the cazique, to acquaint him of
our approach, and beg of him to give us an hospitable reception. As the
inhabitants of this district were subject to Motecusuma, everything wore
a different aspect, and we marched forward with the utmost precaution
and in close array. For the rest, we were as much pleased with this spot
as with many a Spanish town, on account of the numerous and beautifully
whitewashed balconies, the dwellings of the caziques, and the elevated
temples wholly built of stone and lime. We, therefore, called it
Castilblanco, which name it still retains; for a Portuguese soldier, who
was among our troops, assured us, the place was very like the town of
Casteloblanco in Portugal. The cazique, on receiving information of our
arrival, came out to meet us with the principal inhabitants. His name
was Olintecle, and he led us into his habitation, where he gave us but
little to eat, and that with bad will.

After the repast, Cortes, by means of our interpreters, put all manner
of questions to the cazique respecting the affairs of his monarch.
Motecusuma, and we learnt a good deal about the great armies which were
stationed in the conquered provinces, besides those on the boundaries
themselves, and the provinces which bordered on them. He spoke of the
great and strong city of Mexico, how it lay in the midst of the waters,
and that it was only by means of bridges and canoes that a person could
go from one house to another: every house was provided with a balcony at
the top, and was so completely isolated by means of moats, that they
might separately be considered as so many castles, and, as such, capable
of defence. The town was approached by three roads, each of which was
cut through in four or five several places, to admit the water; across
these sections, wooden bridges were built: it was merely requisite to
break down these bridges, and all access to Mexico was cut off. Lastly,
the cazique also mentioned the great quantity of silver and gold, the
numerous precious stones and great riches of Motecusuma; in fact, there
was no end to the praises he bestowed upon his monarch.

Cortes and all of us were vastly astonished at everything the man
related of Motecusuma's power and greatness. However, instead of being
thereby disheartened, we only the more earnestly desired to try our
fortune against the fortresses and bridges, for such is the very spirit
of a Spanish soldier; while the impossibility of which Olintecle spoke
seemed to us a mere nothing. Mexico was, indeed, strongly fortified, and
even more so than mentioned by the cazique: a person ought to have seen
it himself to form an idea of it,--a description can convey none. For
the rest, added the cazique, Motecusuma is accustomed to obedience from
every one, and he feared Motecusuma's resentment when he should learn
that we had entered the township without his permissio

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