CHAPTER XL.
_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, Cortes
ordered two vessels to sail further on and explore the coast. The
command of these was given to Francisco de Montejo, with orders to
follow the same course taken by Grijalva. He was to sail on for the
space of ten days, and search for a good harbour and convenient spot to
form a settlement; for in the sandy region we were now staying it was
impossible to live, on account of the gnats; the inhabited districts,
moreover, being too far distant. Alaminos and el Manquillo who were
already acquainted with these waters, piloted the vessels. Montejo
departed and arrived in the waters of Rio Grande, near Panuco, as far as
we had gone with Grijalva, but on account of the heavy currents there he
could proceed no further; he, therefore, returned to San Juan de Ulua,
bringing us no other news than that they had seen at a distance of about
thirty-six miles further on a town, which to all appearance was
fortified. This place was called Quiahuitzlan, having a harbour, which,
according to the opinion of Alaminos, was secure from the north wind.
Ten or twelve days were spent by Montejo in this expedition out and
home. Quitlalpitoc, who had remained to furnish us with provisions, soon
ceased to do so altogether, which, of course, created a great scarcity
of food: our cassave-bread had likewise become quite mouldy and swarmed
with worms, so that we had nothing to eat if we did not procure
ourselves shellfish. In the commencement the Indians had certainly
brought us gold and fowls for our goods, but now they no longer came in
such great numbers as at first, and those who did come appeared quite
shy and reserved. We, therefore, anxiously awaited the return of the two
ambassadors from Mexico.
After some days had elapsed Teuthlille indeed returned with a great
number of Indians. They observed the same courteous behaviour as on the
previous occasion, perfuming Cortes and all of us, and then brought
forth their presents, consisting in ten packages of mantles, richly
worked in feathers; further, four _chalchihuitls_, a species of green
stone of uncommon value, which are held in higher estimation with them
than the smaragdus[17] with us; lastly, there were also all kinds of
gold trinkets, which I heard valued at 3000 pesos. The great cazique
Quintalbor had fallen ill on the journey, and consequently remained
behind. Teuthlille and Quitlalpitoc, therefore, alone fulfilled
Motecusuma's commission, and assured us that he had most graciously
accepted of our present. Regarding the four chalchihuitls they observed,
that those were intended as a present to our emperor, as each of them
was worth, more than a load of gold. For the rest it was unnecessary to
send any more messengers to Mexico, neither was there any further
mention to be made of a personal interview between their monarch and
Cortes.
Although, it was very unpleasant to the latter that his visit to
Motecusuma should thus be declined in dry words, yet he thanked them
most kindly; and added to some of us who were present: "Really this
Motecusuma must be a great and rich gentleman; nevertheless, if God be
willing, we shall one day visit him in his palace!" "We only wish,
(returned we soldiers,) that we were once nicely engaged with him."
All this took place just about the hour of Ave Maria; the bell,
therefore, announced that we should assemble ourselves around the cross,
which we had erected on an elevated sand-hill. While we were all on our
knees before it, and repeating the Ave Maria, Teuthlille and
Quitlalpitoc inquired why we thus humbled ourselves so greatly before
that pole.
Cortes immediately turned to Bartolome de Olmedo, and remarked to him:
"This is a good opportunity, father, to give these people some notion of
our holy religion through our interpreters." This father Olmedo
accordingly did in a manner which would have done honour to the greatest
of theologians. He first of all explained that we were Christians, and
then expatiated on the whole substance of our belief; he then proved
that their idols were useless things, evil spirits, which fled away from
the presence of the cross. On such a cross, he continued, the Lord of
heaven and earth suffered death, we believed in him only, and prayed to
him as the only true God, Jesus Christ, who suffered death for the
salvation of the human race; who rose again on the third day, and
ascended into heaven, that he would again appear to hold judgment over
the living and the dead. Upon this followed everything that was
edifying, which the Indians comprehended well, and which they assured us
they would relate to their monarch.
Cortes then explained to them, that among the many reasons which had
induced our great emperor to send us here, one was that they should
abandon for ever the religion of their cursed idols, abolish human
sacrifices, and abstain from kidnapping. He, therefore, must beg of them
to erect crosses like this in their towns and on their temples, and also
the figure of the holy Virgin, with her most excellent Son, then God
would bestow great blessings on them. In short, there were many
expressions replete with excellent feeling, which I am unable wholly to
report, and therefore will rather leave in my pen.
Our men now commenced to barter with the Indians, who had arrived with
Teuthlille for what they had brought, and obtained various kinds of
things, all of inferior gold, which we gave to our sailors for catching
us fish; this was the only means we had of stilling our hunger. Cortes
was well aware of this, and secretly enjoyed the idea; however, the
creatures of Diego Velasquez drew his attention to it, and thought he
ought not to permit such a species of traffic. We shall further see what
happened on this account.
[17] Chalchihuitls; Bernal Diaz calls these Chalchuites. This stone is
of a light green colour, at first held in great estimation by the
Spaniards, but Torquemada, a contemporary of our author, remarks,
(Monarchia, Ind. i, p. 462,) it is a stone on which the Indians set a
high value, but not so the Spaniards. He calls it a kind of smaragdus,
"the polishing of which the Indians say was taught them by the god
Quetzalcohuatl." Bustamente (Historia de la Conquista de Mexico escrita,
por Fr. Bernardino Sahagun, Mexico, 1829,) calls it, "Piedra jaspe, mui
verde, o sea esmeralda ordinaria," i.e. "A jasper of a very green
colour, or a common smaragdus."
This stone represented among the Mexicans everything that was excellent
in its kind, for which reason they put such a stone in the mouth of the
distinguished chiefs who died. (p. 93.)