REBUILDING OF THE CAPITAL LETTERS TO THE KING. 81 • 



and finally even its king, to the capital; — and two small detach- 

 ments of Spaniards returned with the new visiters, penetrating 

 their country and passing with them even to the waters of the 

 western ocean itself, on whose shores they planted the cross in ' 

 token of rightful possession. They returned by the northern dis- 

 tricts, and brought with them the first specimens of gold and pearls 

 from the region now known as California. 



It was not long, however, before Cortez resolved to make his 

 conquest available by the re-construction of the capital that he had 

 been forced reluctantly to mutilate and partly level during the 

 siege. The ancient city was nearly in ruins. The massive relics 

 of idolatry, and the huge stones of which the chief palaces had 

 been constructed, were cast into the canals. The desolation was 

 complete on the site of the ancient imperial residence. And the 

 Indians, who had served in the work of dilapidation, were even 

 compelled by their Spanish leader and his task masters to be the 

 principal laborers in the toil of building up a city which should 

 surpass in splendor the ancient pride of Anahuac. 



Meanwhile the sagacious mind of Cortez was not only busy 

 with the present duties and occupations of his men in Mexico, but 

 began to dwell, — now that the intense excitement of active war 

 was over, — upon the condition of his relations with the Spanish 

 Court and the government in the islands. He despatched to 

 Castile, letters, presents, and the " royal fifth," together with an 

 enormous emerald whose base was as broad as the palm of his 

 hand. With the General's missives, went a letter from his army, 

 commending the heroic leader, and beseeching its royal master to 

 confirm Cortez in his authority and to ratify all his proceedings. 

 Quinones and Avila, the two envoys, sailed for home ; but one of 

 them, lucklessly, perished in a brawl at the Azores, whilst Avila, 

 who resumed the voyage to Spain, after the loss of his companion, 

 was taken by a French privateer, who bore the spoils of the 

 Mexicans to the Court of Francis the First. The letters and de- 

 spatches of Cortez and his army, however, were saved, and Avila, 

 privately and safely forwarded them to the Spanish sovereign. 



At the Court of Charles the Fifth there were, of course, numer- 

 ous intrigues against the successful conqueror. The hatred of 

 Velasquez had not been suffered to slumber in the breast of that 

 disappointed governor, and Fonseca, Bishop of Burgos, who was 

 chief of the colonial department, and doubtless adroitly plied and 

 stimulated by Velasquez, managed to obtain from the churchman, 

 11 



