sELEKl THE ANCIENT ZAPOTEC COUNTRY 265 



the Mexicans. The Thiscaltecs first measured tlieir strengtli with 

 Cortes liefore they allied themselves with him, but from that time on 

 they cleared the way for him and fought his l)attles as devoted and 

 faithful allies. The Zapotecs submitted unconditionally from the be- 

 ginning to the Spanish conqueror, turned to him when the ISIixtec 

 prince of Tototepec threatened an attack, and received Cortes with 

 great splendor when he came down as far as Tehuantepec in later 

 years. The Zapotecs, nevertheless, very soon became aware of the 

 poor exchange they had made. It was in the territory of the Zapo- 

 tecs that Cortes selected the best lands, the Valle de Oaxaca and the 

 fruitful, well-watered vegas of Jalapa, in order to form from them 

 his earldom, his family estate. However, " Cortes granted a moder- 

 ate allowance in money (le hizo donacion de alguna ayuda de costa)" 

 to the king of Tehuantepec " with Avhich to support the small family 

 which still remained to him ■"; " and while the king, who was baptized 

 with the name Don Juan Cortes, built monasteries for the monks 

 with great liberality and furnished them with lands, gardens, fish 

 ponds, etc., the monks seized and imprisoned him because he fell away 

 from the true faith and performed diabolical ceremonies. After long 

 and wearisome processes he was sentenced by the highest court in 

 Mexico to lose his dignities and all his remaining possessions. He 

 died, while returning from Mexico, in Nexapa, just as he had once 

 more set foot on the soil of his former kingdom. 



u Burgoa, work cited, chap. 72. 



