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them, they proceeded to burn and inter the bodies. They alfo informed 

 us that on the next day we fliould receive an embafly to treat conckifively 

 of peace. Accordingly, at the time mentioned, ten chiefs richly dreffed 

 arrived with niuch ceremony, and faluted Cortes and the reft of us ; they 

 brought with them veffels of incenfe which they offered to us, demand- 

 ing pardon for the paft, and declaring their good intentions in future. 

 Cortes affuming a grave countenance told them they deferved death for 

 their negledl of our former ofters of peace ; but that our great Monarch 

 Don Carlos had enjoined us to favour them fo far as they fhould deferve 

 it, and in cafe of their adopting a bad line of condu6l, they fhould again 

 feel the efFe6t of our vengeance. He then caufed a cannon to be fired, 

 the noife of which terrified them, whofe imaginations were under the 

 impreffion of its being a living creature ; and the noife of the ball in the 

 neighbouring woods confirmed them in their way of thinking. One 

 of the mofi: fpirited of the horfes was then brought into the apartment, 

 and it being fo contrived that he fhould fhow himfelf to the greatefl ad- 

 vantage, his apparent fiercenefs, and his ad:ion, flruck the natives with 

 awe. Shortly after this twenty Indians of burthen arrived bearing pro- 

 vifions for our ufe. Cortes converfed a long time with the chiefs, who 

 at length took their leave, highly contented with the refult of their vifit. 



On the enfuing day we were vifited by many chiefs of the neigh- 

 bouring diftridts, who brought with them prefents of gold wrought 

 into various forms, fome refembling the human face, others of animals, 

 birds, and beafls, fuch as lizards, dogs, and ducks. Alfo three dia- 

 dems, and two pieces in form like the fole of a fandal, with fome other 

 a:rticles of little value, nor do I recoiled: the amount of the whole. They 

 alfo brought fome mantles of very large fize, but that part of the prc- 

 fent which we held in the higheft eftimation was twenty women, 

 among whom was the excellent Donna Marina, for fo fhe was called 

 after her baptifm. Cortes thanked the chiefs for their vifit, but caufed 

 it to be intimated to them, that the certain indication of peace was, the 

 return of the inhabitants to their town, which by their authority he 

 expected to fee done within two days, and this was accordingly com- 



H plied 



