CHAPTER LII.

_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 peace had been restored between us, the caziques, papas, and other

chiefs, Cortes ordered the fragments of the idols we had destroyed to be

carried away and burnt. These orders were executed by six papas who

came forth from a particular house, into which they carried the broken

pieces and burnt them. The dress of these priests consisted in a long

black cloak, white cassock, without sleeves, which hung down to the

feet, and in a species of hood, which some wore greater, some less in

size. Their dress was completely clogged together with blood, with which

they were besmeared from head to foot, and impeded in their walk: they

likewise smelt most offensively of sulphur and putrid flesh. We

subsequently learnt that these papas were sons of distinguished

personages. They were forbidden to marry, but were wholly given to

unnatural offences, and fasted on certain days. Generally speaking, I

never saw them eat anything else than the seeds of the cotton tree; they

may, however, have partaken of other food for all I know.

When the idols were burnt, Cortes said everything that was edifying to

the Indians by means of our interpreters. "Now," he said, "we could look

upon them as our true brothers, and lend them every powerful assistance

against Motecusuma and the Mexicans, he having already acquainted the

former that he was no longer to make war upon them, nor to exact

tribute. Instead of their idols, he would give them our own blessed

Virgin and Sainte, the mother of Jesus Christ, in whom we believed, and

to whom we prayed, that she might intercede and protect them in heaven."

The Indians listened with great good nature to this and many other

things, which Cortes explained to them, concerning our holy religion.

Every mason in the town was now set to work to bring chalk, which was in

great abundance here, to clean away the blood from the walls of the

cues, and plaster them well over. The day following this work was

finished and an altar erected, which was covered with cotton cloth. The

Indians were likewise ordered to bring a quantity of their splendid and

sweet-scented roses with small branches of trees. Of these a garland was

plaited, which was constantly to be renewed, that the place might remain

pure and undefiled. Four papas were selected by Cortes to take charge of

this; but their hair was previously shorn off, which they wore, as I

have before remarked, very long and bristly; their dirty cloaks were

taken off, and white ones put on, which, with the other part of their

dress, they were in future to keep perfectly clean. In order, however,

that they might have some one to look over them in their new occupation,

Cortes nominated Juan de Torres, an old lame invalid of Cordova, to

dwell near the altar, in the capacity of anchorite. The carpenters

likewise made a cross which we erected on an elevated base, well

plastered over with lime.

The next morning early father Olmedo said mass. A regulation was also

made that in future the copal of this country should be used instead of

our usual incense, and the inhabitants were taught to make wax candles

from the wax of the country; of which, up to this moment, they had made

no manner of use: these candles were always to be kept burning on the

altar. The principal caziques of the district and village attended mass.

But the chief ornaments there were the eight Indian females, who in the

meantime had remained with their parents and relatives. These were now

baptized after an edifying discourse had preceded the ceremony. The

niece of the fat cazique, a very ugly woman, was named Dona Catalina,

and presented to Cortes, who accepted her with every appearance of

delight. The daughter of Cuesco, on the other hand, was most beautiful

for an Indian female, and received the name of Dona Francisca, and fell

to the lot of Puertocarrero. The six remaining young women, whose names

I have totally forgotten, were given to some other of our soldiers.

The mass and baptismal ceremony being concluded, the caziques and

principal personages took their leave, and from this moment the best

feeling subsisted between us, for they were highly delighted that Cortes

had accepted their daughter. We, therefore, returned to our new town

Vera Cruz amidst the most joyous professions of friendship, and we shall

soon see what happened there.

The good reader, however, may feel assured that nothing of any

consequence further took place at Sempoalla than what I have related,

and that herein Gomara and the other historians have completely erred.