The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2): Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain.

_The time of my departure from Castile, and what further happened to me._ In the year 1514 I departed from Castile in the suite of Pedro Arias de Avila, who had just then been...

_Of the Discovery of Yucatan, and the battle we fought there with the Natives._ We sailed in the year 1517 from the harbour of Jaruco and left the Havannah. This harbour lies ...

_Discovery of the Coast of Campeachy._ Continuing the course we had previously determined upon, more westward along the coast, we discovered many promontories, bays, reefs, and sh...

_How we landed in a bay close to some maise plantations, near the harbour of Potonchan, and of the attack that was made upon us there._ While we were busy taking in water,...

_We resolve to return to Cuba. The extreme thirst we suffered, and all the fatigues we underwent until our arrival in the port of Havannah._ After we had got into our vess...

_How twenty of us went on shore in the bay of Florida with the pilot Alaminos in search of water; the hostilities which the natives of this country commenced with us; and o...

_The fatigues I had to undergo, until my arrival in the town of Trinidad._ I have already above related that I with some other soldiers who had not quite recovered from our wo...

_How Diego Velasquez, governor of Cuba, sent out another armament to the country we had discovered._ It was in the year of our Lord 1518, after Diego Velasquez had learnt the ...

_How we landed at Champoton._ From this point we sailed in the same direction we had taken under Cordoba, and arrived after eight days' sail off the coast of Champoton, the place ...

_We continued our course and ran into Terminos bay, as we named it._ On our further voyage we came to an opening on the coast, which to us appeared to be the mouth of some broad a...

_How we came into the Tabasco river, which we termed the Grijalva, and what happened to us there._ As we thus by day sailed along the coast of the continent, for at night we l...

_We come in sight of the town of Aguajaluco, and give it the name of La Rambla._ Having again re-embarked we continued our course along the coast, and perceived on the second ...

_How we arrive on the Bandera's Stream, and gain 1500 pesos._ By this time the existence of the great city of Mexico must be known throughout the major part of the Spanish provinc...

_How we came into the harbour of San Juan de Culua._ Having disembarked on a part of the coast where it was very sandy, we were annoyed by such multitudes of muschetoes that we we...

_Diego Velasquez sends out a small vessel in quest of us._ From the very moment in which Juan de Grijalva had quitted Cuba for the wide ocean, Diego Velasquez became downcast and ...

_What befell us on our coasting voyage along the Tusta and Tuspa mountains._ After Pedro de Alvarado had set sail for Cuba, our general and other officers held a consultation ...

_Diego Velasquez despatches one of his officials to Spain._ My readers may perhaps think, that what I am now about to relate does not exactly belong to this history; but in the co...

_Of some errors in the work of Francisco Lopez de Gomara._ While busily engaged writing this narrative, the eloquent History of the Conquest of Mexico and New Spain, by Gomara, fe...

_How another armament was fitted out for a voyage to the newly discovered countries. The command of which was given to Hernando Cortes, afterwards Marquis of the Vale of Oa...

_Of the designs and plans of Hernando Cortes after he had obtained the appointment of captain._ After Hernando Cortes had thus been appointed captain, he immediately set about...

_Cortes's occupations at Trinidad, and of the cavaliers and warriors who there joined our expedition, and other matters._ On the first notice of our arrival at Trinidad, the i...

_How the governor Diego Velasquez sends two of his officials in all haste to Trinidad, with full power and authority to deprive Cortes of his appointment of captain, and br...

_Cortes embarks with all his cavaliers and soldiers in order to sail along the south side of the island to the Havannah, and sends off one of the vessels to go around the n...

_Diego Velasquez sends one of his officials, named Gaspar Garnica, with full authority to take Cortes prisoner, whatever might be the consequence; and what further happened...

_Cortes sets sail with the whole squadron for the island of Cozumel, and what further took place._ Cortes deferred the review of his troops until we should have arrived at the...

_Cortes reviews his troops, and what further happened._ On the third day after our arrival at Cozumel, Cortes reviewed the whole of his troops. Without counting the pilots and mar...

_Cortes receives information that two Spaniards are in the power of the Indians at the promontory of Cotoche: the steps he took upon this news._ As Cortes paid attention t...

_The manner in which Cortes divides the squadron. The officers whom he appointed to the command of the several vessels. His instructions to the pilots; the signals which we...

_How the Spaniard Geronimo de Aguilar, who was in the power of the Indians, came to us when he learnt that we had again returned to the island of Cozumel, and what further ...

_How we re-embark and sail for the river Grijalva, and what happened to us on our voyage there._ On the 4th of March, 1519, the day after we had had the good fortune to obtain...

_How we arrive in the river Grijalva, called in the Indian language the Tabasco; the battle we fought there; and what further took place._ On the 12th of March, 1519, we a...

_How Cortes despatches two of our principal officers, each with one hundred men, to explore the interior of the country, and what further took place._ The next day Cortes ...

_Cortes issues orders that we should hold ourselves in readiness to march against the Indians on the following day; he also commands the horses to be brought on shore. How ...

_How we are attacked by all the caziques of Tabasco, and the whole armed force of this province, and what further took place._ The Indians were already moving forward in searc...

_How Cortes assembles all the caziques of this province, and what further happened._ I have above related that in this battle we took five prisoners, among whom were two chief...

_How all the caziques and calachonis of the river Grijalva arrive with presents, and what happened after this._ On the following morning, it was one of the last days in March,...

_How Dona Marina herself was a caziquess, and the daughter of distinguished personages; also a ruler over a people and several towns, and how she came to Tabasco._ Previou...

_How we arrive with our vessels in San Juan de Ulua, and what we did there._ On Holy Thursday, in the year of our Lord 1519, we arrived with our whole squadron in the harbour ...

_How Teuthlille makes his report to Motecusuma, and gives him our presents; as also what further took place in our camp._ After the departure of Teuthlille with the presents w...

_How Cortes goes in search of another harbour and a good spot to found a colony, and what further happened._ After the Mexican ambassadors had again taken their departure, Cor...

_What happened on account of our bartering for gold, and of other things which took place in our camp._ This bartering for gold being continued with the Indians, the adherents of ...

_How we elected Hernando Cortes captain-general and chief justice until we should receive the emperor's commands on this head; and what further happened._ I have already r...

_How the partisans of Diego Velasquez would not acknowledge the power we had conferred upon Cortes, and what further took place._ The partisans of Diego Velasquez, finding we ...

_How Pedro de Alvarado was ordered to make an excursion into the interior of the country, in order to procure maise and other provisions; and what further happened._ It wa...

_How we marched into Sempoalla, which at that period was a very considerable township, and what we did there._ After we had slept in the village, where the twelve Indians had ...

_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 townshi...

_How Cortes ordered the five Mexican tax-gatherers to be imprisoned, and no further obedience to be paid Motecusuma, nor tribute to be exacted; and of the rebellion which w...

How we resolved to found Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz and construct a fortress on the low meadows, in the neighbourhood of some salt springs and the harbour, where our vessel...

_How the fat cazique and other chief men of the country come and complain to Cortes, that a garrison of Mexicans had been thrown into the strong fortress of Tzinpantzinco, ...

to Cuba, seeing that Cortes was earnestly bent upon founding a colony, and had already commenced to pacify the inhabitants._ Next morning when our petty officers went round to...

_What happened to us at Tzinpantzinco, and how, on our return to Sempoalla, we destroyed all the idols; likewise of other matters._ The first day we marched twenty miles, and ...

_How Cortes erects an altar, and places thereon the image of the blessed Virgin with a cross; after which mass was said, and the eight Indian females baptized._ After peac...

_How we arrived in our town of Vera Cruz, and what happened there._ We arrived at Vera Cruz, in company of the most distinguished personages of Sempoalla, on the same day that a s...

_Concerning the account of our adventures, with the letter, which we sent his majesty the emperor, through Puertocarrero and Montejo, the letter being attested by some offi...

_How Diego Velasquez is informed by his agents that we had sent messengers with letters and presents to our king, and what further took place._ Diego Velasquez received in...

_How our agents passed through the Bahama channel with the most favorable wind, and arrived in Castile after a short passage; and of our success at court._ Our agents had ...

_What took place in our camp after the departure of our agents to his majesty with the gold and the letters; and the instance of severity which Cortes was compelled to give...

_How we came to the resolution of marching to Mexico, and of destroying all our vessels, which was done with the sanction and by the advice of all Cortes' true adherents._ ...

_Of the speech which Cortes made to us after our vessels were destroyed, and how we prepared for our march to Mexico._ After the vessels had been run ashore before our eyes, a...

_How Cortes arrived with us at the spot where the vessel lay at anchor, and captured six soldiers and sailors of the said vessel, who had stepped on shore; also what furthe...

_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._...

_How we commenced our march upon Tlascalla, and sent messengers before us, to obtain the sanction of the inhabitants to pass through their country; how they took our messen...

_Of the terrible battles we fought with the Tlascallans, and what further happened._ The next morning, after we had commended ourselves to God in prayer, we broke up our quart...

_How we quartered ourselves in the township of Tehuacacinco, and what we did there._ As the battles we fought had greatly fatigued us, besides that several of our men and hors...

_Of the great battle we fought with the Tlascallans, and what further took place._ It was the following morning, on the 5th of September, 1519, that we equipped ourselves for ...

_How we sent a message next day to the caziques of Tlascalla to bring about peace between us, and the determination they came to upon this._ In the last battle we had take...

_How we again sent messengers to the caziques of Tlascalla in order to induce them to make peace, and the resolution they came to upon this._ The two chief caziques to who...

_How we came to the determination of marching to a township in the neighbourhood of our camp, and what happened upon this._ After two days had passed by without our doing anyt...

_How we found on our return to our encampment that new intrigues had been set on foot; and the answer Cortes gave to certain representations which were made to him._ On re...

_How the captain Xicotencatl assembled 20,000 chosen warriors to make an attack upon us in our camp, and what happened upon this._ The caziques, Maxixcatzin and the elder Xico...

_How four chief personages arrived in our camp to negotiate terms of peace with us, and what further happened._ We now despaired of concluding the peace we so greatly desired,...

_How ambassadors arrive in our camp from Motecusuma, and of the presents they brought with them._ After the Almighty, in his great mercy, had granted us the victory in the bat...

_How the captain-general Xicotencatl arrives in our camp to negotiate terms of peace; the speech he made, and what further happened._ Cortes was still discoursing with the...

_How the old caziques of Tlascalla arrived in our camp and invited Cortes, and all of us to visit their city, and what further happened._ The old caziques of Tlascalla fin...

_How we marched into the city of Tlascalla, and were received by the old caziques; of the present they made us, and how they brought us their daughters and nieces; and what...

_How mass was said in the presence of a great number of caziques, and of the present the latter brought us._ The next morning early Cortes ordered an altar to be constructed, ...

_How the caziques presented their daughters to Cortes and all of us, and what further happened._ The day following, the old caziques came and brought five young women with the...

_How Cortes gained some information respecting Mexico from Xicotencatl and Maxixcatzin._ Cortes one day took the caziques aside, and put several questions to them respecting t...

_How our captain Hernando Cortes and all our officers and soldiers determine to march to Mexico._ We had now been seventeen days in Tlascalla, and had heard so much during tha...

_How the great Motecusuma despatched four ambassadors to us, all men in high authority, with presents in gold and cotton stuffs, and what they said to our captains._ When ...

_How the inhabitants of Cholulla despatched four Indians to us, all men of no distinction, to apologise for not having visited us in Tlascalla, and what further happened._ ...

_How we arrived in the town of Cholulla, and the brilliant reception we met with._ Early one morning we broke up our quarters, and left for the town of Cholulla. We marched on...

_How the inhabitants of Cholulla concerted a plan, at the instigation of Motecusuma, to murder us all, and what further happened._ The splendid reception we met with at Ch...

_The negotiations we set on foot with the great Motecusuma, and the ambassadors we sent him._ We had now lain a fortnight in Cholulla, and any further stay there would have be...

_How the powerful Motecusuma sends a valuable present in gold to us, and the message which accompanied it, and how we all agree to commence our march upon Mexico; and what ...

_How we set out on our march to Mexico; what happened to us on our route; and the message Motecusuma sent us._ On our march from Cholulla, we adopted our usual precautions. A ...

_How the powerful Motecusuma again sends ambassadors to us with a present of gold and cotton stuffs: that monarch's message to Cortes, and the answer he returns._ As I hav...

_The magnificent and pompous reception which the powerful Motecusuma gave to Cortes and all of us, on our entrance into the great city of Mexico._ The following morning we...

_How Motecusuma, accompanied by several caziques, pays us a visit in our quarters, and of the discourse that passed between him and our general._ After Motecusuma had dine...

_How our general, the day following, paid a visit to Motecusuma, and of the discourse that passed between them._ The next day Cortes determined to visit Motecusuma in his own ...

_Of Motecusuma's person, disposition, habits, and of his great power._ The mighty Motecusuma may have been about this time in the fortieth year of his age. He was tall of stat...

_Our general takes a walk through Mexico, and views the Tlatelulco, (the great square,) and the chief temple of Huitzilopochtli._ We had already been four days in the city of ...

_How we erect a chapel and altar in our quarters with a cross on the outside; discover the treasure of Motecusuma's father; and determine to seize the monarch's person and ...

_Of the battle which the Mexican generals fought with Escalante and the Totonaque tribes._ The reader will remember, some chapters back, how we lay quartered in the township o...

_Of the imprisonment of Motecusuma, and what further happened._ After we had come to the determination of seizing the person of Motecusuma, and had been on our knees the whole nig...

_How our general appoints Alonso Grado lieutenant of Vera Cruz, and Sandoval alguacil-major of the same place._ After the execution of the Mexican generals, and Motecusuma had...

_How we entertained and amused Motecusuma during his confinement, and granted him permission to visit his temple._ Our general was a man who thought of everything, and strove ...

_How Cortes orders two large brigantines to be built for the navigation of the lake of Mexico; Motecusuma begs permission to visit his temples to offer up his prayers there...

_How our two brigantines are launched, and Motecusuma, expressing a wish to go a hunting, sails in one of these vessels to a river where he usually went for that purpose._ ...

_How the nephews of Motecusuma assembled the principal personages of the empire, and formed a conspiracy to rescue the monarch from confinement, and beat us out of the city...

_How the powerful Motecusuma, with several caziques and chief personages of the country, declare themselves vassals of our emperor; and of other occurrences which happened ...

_How Cortes sends out some of our men to explore the gold mines and those rivers which wash down gold; also the harbours from the Panuco to the Tabasco, but particularly th...

_How the officers whom Cortes had despatched to the gold mines and the river Guacasualco[73] returned to Mexico._ The first who returned to Mexico was Gonzalo de Umbria, with ...

_How Cortes desired the powerful Motecusuma to order all the caziques of the empire to bring in the tribute of gold due to our emperor._ As Diego de Ordas and the other of...

_How all the gold presented by Motecusuma, and collected from the different townships, was divided; and what happened to one of our soldiers on the occasion._ First of all...

_Of the high words which arose between Velasquez de Leon and our treasurer Gonzalo Mexia on account of the gold which was missing from the heap, and how Cortes put an end t...

_How Motecusuma offers one of his daughters in marriage to Cortes, who accepts her, and pays her the attentions due to her high station._ I have often related how we strov...

_How the powerful Motecusuma acquaints Cortes that it is requisite for his safety to quit Mexico, with the whole of his men, as all the caziques and papas were upon the poi...

_How the governor of Cuba, Velasquez, in all haste fits out an armament against us, the command of which he gives to Pamfilo de Narvaez, who was accompanied by the licentia...

_How Narvaez arrives with the whole of his flotilla in the harbour of San Juan de Ulua, and what happened upon this._ When Narvaez had arrived with the flotilla off the mounta...

_How Pamfilo Narvaez despatches five persons to Sandoval, the commandant of Vera Cruz, with summons to surrender up the town to him._ After Narvaez had received every info...

_How Cortes, after he had gained every information respecting the armament, wrote to Narvaez, and several of his acquaintances who had come with him, and particularly to An...

_The high words which arose between the auditor Vazquez de Aillon and Narvaez, who orders him to be seized and sent back prisoner to Spain._ The auditor Aillon, as I have ...

_Narvaez marches, with the whole of his troops, to Sempoalla; his proceedings there; and how we in Mexico determine to march against him._ After Narvaez had sent off the a...

_How the powerful Motecusuma inquires of Cortes whether it was really his intention to march out against Narvaez, though the latter's troops were double the number of ours....

_How we determined once more to despatch father Olmedo to Narvaez's head-quarters, and what we commissioned him to say._ As soon as all our troops had arrived at Tampanicita, ...

_How father Olmedo arrived in Narvaez's head-quarters at Sempoalla, and what he did there._ As soon as father Olmedo had arrived at Narvaez's head-quarters, he began to fulfil...

_How Cortes reviews the whole of his troops, and we are supplied with two hundred and fifty very long new lances, by the Tchinantecs._ As soon as Cortes was apprized of Na...

_How Duero, with the soldier Usagre and two of his Indian servants from Cuba arrived in our camp; who this Duero was, and the reason of his visit, &c._ I must now trouble ...

_How Juan Velasquez arrives in Narvaez's head-quarters, and what took place there._ Juan Velasquez travelled so fast that he arrived at Sempoalla towards daybreak. He alighted...

_What took place in Narvaez's quarters after the return to our camp of the ambassadors we had sent there._ The effect of Leon's and father Olmedo's visit to Narvaez's camp soo...

_The order of our march against Narvaez; the speech Cortes made to us; and our reply to it._ After we had arrived at the above-mentioned brook, about four miles from Sempoalla...

_How the 2000 Indians of Chinantla, whom Cortes had demanded of the caziques there, arrived at Sempoalla after Narvaez's defeat._ Late in the evening of the same day on which ...

_How Cortes despatches Francisco de Lugo, with two men who had formerly been ship-builders, to the harbour where Narvaez's flotilla lay, to bring all the captains and pilot...

_How we all, including Narvaez's troops, hasten to Mexico by forced marches._ On receiving the intelligence that Mexico was in rebellion, and Alvarado besieged in his quarters...

_How the Mexicans made war upon us, and the battles we fought with them._ Cortes, on his march to Mexico, had often bragged to his officers of the great authority and power he...

_Cortes determines to announce Motecusuma's death to the Mexican generals and chiefs who are at war with us._ After various deliberations on our present critical position, Cor...

_How we come to the determination of leaving Mexico secretly at night; and what further happened._ In this way our strength daily diminished, while that of the enemy increased...

_How we quartered ourselves in the metropolis of Tlascalla, and what we did there._ I have already mentioned that we rested a day at Gualiopar, where we were visited by the ca...

_How we marched into the province of Tepeaca, what we did there, and of other things which happened._ Cortes had desired the caziques of Tlascalla to furnish him with 5000 men...

_How a vessel, which had been sent by Diego Velasquez from Cuba, arrived at Vera Cruz, commanded by the captain Pedro Barba, and the manner in which Caballero captured her....

_How the inhabitants of Quauhquechola called upon Cortes, and begged of him to drive out the Mexican troops from their town, as they were plundered and ill-used by them._ ...

_How one of the vessels which Francisco de Garay had fitted out for the object of forming settlements on the river Panuco, put in at Vera Cruz, and what further happened._ ...

_How Cortes despatches Sandoval with 200 men, among which were twenty horse and twelve crossbow-men, to punish the tribes of Xalatzinco and Zacatemi, for having put some Sp...

_How all the slaves we had taken in Tepeaca, Quauhquechola, Tecalco, and Castilblanco, were brought together in our head-quarters, and branded with an iron, in his majesty'...

_How the chief officers and principal personages of Narvaez's troops request leave to return to Cuba, which Cortes grants, and they accordingly leave; also how our general ...