CHAPTER XVI.

_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 with the pilots, when it was determined

that we should continue our course along the coast, and push our

discoveries as far as possible. As we sailed along, we first came in

view of the Tusta, and, two days after, of the more elevated mountains

of Tuspa, both of which take their names from two towns lying close to

the foot of these mountains. On the whole, we saw numbers of towns lying

from six to nine miles inland, now the province of Panuco. At last we

arrived at a large stream, to which we gave the name of Canoe river, and

dropped anchor at its mouth.

While our vessels were lying at anchor here, and our men had become less

careful than usual, sixteen large canoes full of Indians, all equipped

for battle, with bows, arrows, and lances, came down the stream and made

straight for our smallest vessel, commanded by Alonso de Avila, which

lay nearest the shore. They greeted our men with a shower of arrows,

wounding two of the soldiers, and then lay hold of the vessel as if they

meant to carry her off, after they had cut one of the cables. We now

hastened to the assistance of Alonso, who was still bravely repelling

his assailants, and had capsized three of their canoes. We were well

armed with crossbows and muskets, and very soon wounded at least above a

third of our enemies, who speedily retreated to where they had come

from, not exactly in the best of spirits. Upon this we weighed anchor

and continued our course along the coast until we arrived at a wide

projecting cape, which, on account of the strong currents, we found so

difficult to double that we considered our further course now impeded.

The chief pilot, Alaminos, here told our commander that it was no longer

advisable to sail on at a venture, for which he gave us many plausible

reasons. This matter being duly considered in council, it was

unanimously agreed that we should return to Cuba.

To this step we were, moreover, induced by the approach of winter,

scarcity of provisions, and the bad condition of one of our vessels

which had become very leaky. To this may also be added the disagreement

between our commanders; for Juan de Grijalva persisted in his opinion

that they should make an attempt to leave a colony behind, while

Francisco de Montejo and Alonso de Avila, on the contrary, maintained

that any such attempt would be fruitless, considering the multitude of

warriors which inhabited these countries: to all this may be added that

our men were heartily sick of the sea. We therefore turned our vessels

about, hoisted all the sails, and arrived in a few days, being greatly

assisted by the currents, in the wide waters of the Guacasualco river.

We could not make any stay here on account of the boisterous state of

the weather, and therefore continued our course along the coast until we

arrived at the mouth of the river Tonala, to which we gave the name of

St. Antonio. We ran up this river and careened the leaky vessel, which

had struck there several times against the rocks.

While we were busily engaged at this work, numbers of Indians came up to

us from the harbour of Tonala, which lay about four miles from this

place, bringing with them maise-bread, fish, and fruits, which they

readily gave us. Our commander was particularly kind to them, and

presented each with white and green glass beads, giving them at the same

time to understand by signs that they should bring us gold in exchange

for our goods. They soon complied with our wishes, but their gold was of

a very inferior quality, for which they received imitation corals. As

soon as the inhabitants of Guacasualco and the neighbouring districts

had learnt that we offered our goods for barter, they brought us all

their golden ornaments, and took in exchange green glass beads, on which

they set a high value. Besides ornaments of gold, every Indian had with

him a copper axe, which was very highly polished, with the handle

curiously carved, as if to serve equally for an ornament as for the

field of battle. At first we thought that these axes were made of an

inferior kind of gold; we therefore commenced taking them in exchange,

and, in the space of two days, had collected more than 600, with which

we were no less rejoiced as long as we were ignorant of their real

value, than the Indians with our glass beads. One of our sailors, who

had by stealth bought seven of these axes and was secretly

congratulating himself on this piece of good fortune, was betrayed to

our commander-in-chief, who, ordering the man in his presence, commanded

him to deliver up his treasure. Still of opinion that these axes were of

gold, the poor fellow, though forced, reluctantly parted with them. This

brings to my mind what befell one of our men, named Bartolome Prado:

this fellow had managed to get inside of a temple, called by the Indians

a cue,[7] which stood upon an elevated spot, and had found in it

numerous idols, and some copal, which is the incense of the Indians;

also knives made of hard flint, with which they cut their meat

offerings, and otherwise make use of in their sacrifices. Besides these

things, he found two small wooden boxes, filled with golden trinkets

which are worn about the head and neck; also small idols, and other

ornaments somewhat resembling our pearls. The idols he brought to his

commander, but took care to keep the gold himself. It seems, however,

that some one had been watching him all the time, who reported what he

had seen to our captain. We all felt concerned at this, and spoke a good

word for him, as he was a kind-hearted being: we begged hard of our

commander that he might be allowed to retain his treasure, minus the

fifth part claimed for the emperor, which being granted, the man had

nigh upon eighty pesos left for himself. In this place I must also

acquaint my readers how I sowed some orange seeds close to one of these

temples. On account of the numbers of muschetoes which swarm along this

river, I had, being tired, laid myself down to rest on the summit of a

high temple: in gratitude for the quiet slumber I enjoyed there, I

sowed, at the foot of this building, eight orange seeds which I had

brought with me from Cuba. These seeds grew very fast, and when grown

to small plants, were most probably watered and preserved from the ants

by the papas, as soon as they perceived the new plant. I have merely

related this in order to acquaint my reader that these were the first

orange seeds that were planted in New Spain. Subsequent to the conquest

of Mexico and friendly subjection of the Indian tribes on the

Guacasualco, this province, being excellently situated, was considered

of greater importance than any other, no less on account of its mines

than for its beautiful harbour. The country, moreover, abounded in gold,

and contained fine pastures for sheep, which was the reason why the most

illustrious of the conquistadores[8] of Mexico settled themselves there;

among which number was myself,--and I did not forget to look for my

orange trees, which, indeed, I transplanted, and they afterwards

flourished uncommonly.

I am well aware that it will be said, such old tales as these are quite

out of character here; I will not, therefore, say another syllable on

the subject, but merely acquaint the reader that the inhabitants of

these districts were all very much pleased with us, and embraced us at

our departure. We set sail for Cuba, and arrived there in the space of

forty days, during which time the weather was sometimes favorable and

sometimes boisterous. We were most friendly received by the governor

Diego Velasquez, who was highly delighted with the additional gold we

brought him. Altogether it was well worth 4000 pesos; so that with the

16,000 brought over by Alvarado, the whole amounted to 20,000 pesos.

Some make this sum greater, some less; but one thing is certain, the

crown officials only took the fifths of the last-mentioned sum. When

they were about to take this also of the Indian axes, which we had

mistaken for gold, they grew excessively angry on finding them to be

merely of a fine species of copper; nor did this circumstance fail to

produce the usual laughter at the expense of our trade of barter. Diego

Velasquez, however, appeared perfectly satisfied, though not so with his

relative Grijalva. This was wrong on his part, for it originated solely

in the misrepresentations of Alonso de Avila, a man of a bad

disposition, who did all he could, backed by Montejo, to lower Grijalva

in his eyes. All this--rumour spread--was done in order to fit out

another armament, and select a new commander.

[7] According to Humboldt, the word cue was imported by the Spanish into

New Spain from Cuba. The great temple of Mexico was called by the

Indians teocalli; a word which Torquemada (Monarchia Indiana) thus

explains: "Que es come decir, templo, u casas de Dios;" i.e. "As much as

to say, a temple, or house of God." (p. 36.)

[8] So those Spaniards, who made the first conquests in New Spain,

termed themselves, by way of preference, which name they ever after

retained as an honorary title. Even to this day in Spain it is

considered very distinguishing to be descended from one of the

Conquistadores, and some of the first families there date all their

greatness from one of these bold adventurers. (p. 37.)