Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History

Book

Open Original Text

_

Cortes one day took the caziques aside, and put several questions to
them respecting the situation and affairs of Mexico. Xicotencatl, as the
more intelligent and distinguished personage, answered his queries, and
Maxixcatzin, who was likewise a man of high rank, assisted him from time
to time.

"Motecusuma," said Xicotencatl, "had such a vast army, that when he
intended to conquer any large township, or of falling into any province,
he invariably ordered 100,000 warriors into the field. They, the
Tlascallans, had often experienced this in the many wars which they had
waged with the Mexicans for upwards of 100 years."

When Cortes here interrupted them with the question: "How they had
managed to escape from being in the end subdued by such a vast army?"
They replied, "That they had, indeed, often been worsted by the
Mexicans, and lost many of their men, who were either killed in battle,
or taken prisoners and sacrificed to the idols; but that they likewise
had slain numbers of the enemy and taken many of them prisoners. Neither
did the Mexicans ever approach so unobserved, but that they received
some previous notice of their movements. In these cases they made every
effort that lay in their power; could always depend on the assistance of
the Huexotzincans; and, according to circumstances, either assailed the
enemy or pursued a system of defence. Besides this, another circumstance
was greatly in their favour, namely, that the Mexicans were excessively
hated in all the provinces and among all the tribes which Motecusuma had
subdued and plundered, and that the warriors who were forced to serve in
his army fought with reluctance and with little courage. In this way,
then, they defended their country as well as they could. The greatest
overthrow they ever experienced was from the Cholullans, whose town lay
about a day's march from Tlascalla. The inhabitants there were a most
deceitful set. In that town it was that Motecusuma usually assembled his
troops, whence they generally commenced their march during night-time."

Maxixcatzin here observed, "That Motecusuma had strong garrisons in
every town, besides the warriors who marched out from the metropolis to
the field of battle. Every province was compelled to pay him tribute,
consisting in gold, silver, feathers, precious stones, cotton stuffs, as
well as Indians of both sexes: some of whom he took into his service,
and some were sacrificed. He was altogether such a powerful and wealthy
monarch, that he accomplished and obtained everything he desired. His
palaces were filled with riches and chalchihuis stones, on which he
seized wherever he came. In short, all the wealth of the country was in
his possession."

They then gave such an account of the magnificence and splendour of his
court, that if I here felt inclined to repeat what they told us, I
should never finish; also of the number of his wives; some of whom he
now and then gave in marriage to his relations; the great strength of
his metropolis, how it lay in the midst of a lake, and the great depth
of the latter. Several causeways, they added, led to this city, which
were intersected in various places, over which wooden bridges were
built, under which canoes could pass; but, if they were removed, the
space between every two sections became an island, and all entrance to
the town was completely cut off. Nearly the whole of the houses of the
city were built in the water, and it was only possible to get from one
building to another by means of drawbridges or canoes. Balconies were
attached to each house, which were provided with a kind of breastwork,
so that the inhabitants were able to defend themselves from the tops of
the houses. Yet the whole town was well supplied with sweet water from
the spring of Chapultepec, which lay about two miles from the town,
whence the water was partly conveyed to the houses by means of pipes,
partly in boats through the canals, and then retailed to the
inhabitants.

With respect to the weapons employed by this nation, they consisted in
two-edged lances, which they threw by means of a thong, and would
penetrate through any cuirass. They were likewise excellent shots with
the bow and arrow, and carried pikes with blades made of flint, which
were of very skilful workmanship and as sharp as razors. Besides these,
they carried shields, and wore cotton cuirasses. They likewise employed
a great number of slingers, who were provided with round stones, long
pikes, and sharp swords, which are used with both hands.

To explain all this they brought forth large pieces of nequen, on which
were depicted their battles and their art of warfare. When Cortes and we
others considered we had gained sufficient information of these things,
the discourse turned on subjects of greater importance. Our friends told
us how and whence they came into this country, and how they had settled
themselves there; how it came that, notwithstanding their vicinity to
the Mexicans, they resembled each other so little, and lived in
perpetual warfare with each other. The tradition was also handed down
from their forefathers, that in ancient times there lived here a race of
men and women who were of immense stature with heavy bones, and were a
very bad and evil-disposed people, whom they had for the greater part
exterminated by continual war, and the few that were left gradually died
away.

In order to give us a notion of the huge frame of this people, they
dragged forth a bone, or rather a thigh bone, of one of those giants,
which was very strong, and measured the length of a man of good stature.
This bone was still entire from the knee to the hip joint. I measured it
by my own person, and found it to be of my own length, although I am a
man of considerable height. They showed us many similar pieces of bones,
but they were all worm-eaten and decayed; we, however, did not doubt for
an instant, that this country was once inhabited by giants. Cortes
observed, that we ought to forward these bones to his majesty in Spain
by the very first opportunity.

The caziques also mentioned another tradition which had come down from
their forefathers. A certain god, to whom they paid great honours, had
informed them that there would one time come from the rising of the sun,
out of distant countries, a people who would subject and rule over them.
If we were that people they should feel delighted, for we were
courageous and good-hearted. This old prophecy was also brought up when
we were negotiating terms of peace with them, and they had chiefly
offered us their daughters in order to bring about a relationship
between us and themselves, and to obtain assistance against the
Mexicans; this they had communicated to their idols.

We were all greatly astonished at this account, and inquired of each
other in amazement, whether all they told us could be true. Cortes said
to them, "That we came, indeed, from the rising of the sun. The emperor,
our master, had purposely sent us, that we might become thei

Previous Next