32 CORTEZ ENTERS THE VALLEY GIGANTIC CAUSEWAY. 



studded with towns and hamlets, and, in the midst, — like some 

 Indian empress with her coronal of pearls, — the fair city of Mexico, 

 with her white towers and pyramidal temples reposing, as it were, 

 on the bosom of the waters — the far-famed 'Venice of the Aztecs.' 

 High over all rose the royal hill of Chapultepec, the residence of the 

 Mexican monarchs, belted with the same grove of gigantic cypresses, 

 which at this day fling their broad shadows over the land. In the 

 distance, to the north, beyond the blue waters of the lake, and 

 nearly screened by intervening foliage, was seen a shining speck, 

 the rival capital of Tezcoco; and, still further on, the dark belt of 

 porphyry, girdling the valley around, like a rich setting which 

 Nature had devised for the fairest of her jewels." 



Cortez easily descended with his troops by the mountain road 

 towards the plain of the valley; and as he passed along the levels, 

 or through the numerous villages and hamlets, he endeavored to 

 foster and foment the ill feeling which he found secretly existing 

 against the government of the Mexican Emperor. When he had 

 advanced somewhat into the heart of the valley he was met by an 

 embassy of the chief lords of the Aztec court, sent to him by Mon- 

 tezuma, with gifts of considerable value; but he rejected a proffered 

 bribe of "four loads of gold to the General, and. one to each of his 

 captains, with a yearly tribute to their sovereign," provided the 

 Spanish troops would quit the country. Heedless of all menaced 

 opposition as well as appeals to his avarice, he seems, at this 

 period, to have cast aside the earlier and sordid motives which 

 might then have been easily satisfied had his pursuit been gold 

 alone. The most abundant wealth was cast at his feet ; but the 

 higher qualities of his nature were now allowed the fullest play, 

 and strengthened him in his resolution to risk all in the daring and 

 glorious project of subjecting a splendid empire to his control. 

 Accordingly, he advanced though Amaquemecan, a town of several 

 thousand inhabitants, where he was met by a nephew of the 

 Emperor, the Lord of Tezcoco, who had been despatched by his 

 vacillating uncle, at the head of a large number of influential per- 

 sonages, to welcome the invaders to the capital. The friendly 

 summons was of course not disregarded by Cortez, who forthwith 

 proceeded along the most splendid and massive structure of the 

 New World — a gigantic causeway, five miles in length, con- 

 structed of huge stones, which passed along the narrow strait of 

 sand that separated the waters of Chalco from those of Tezcoco. 

 The lakes were covered with boats filled with natives. Floating 



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