{ S6 ) 



wait upon him. To this the Mexican nobleman replied, that his 

 monarch would be happy to hold an intercourfe with our emperor, and 

 that the application Ihould be immediately made, and an anfwcr tranf- 

 mitted. 



With this embaffy fome of the ableft painters of Mexico had been 

 fent, who drew reprefentations to the life, of the countenance of Cortes^ 

 the other captains and foldiers. Donna Marina, Aguilar, and even the 

 greyhounds, guns, and balls. Cortes perceiving this> in order to im- 

 prefs the people and their monarch with a formidable idea of our power, 

 caufed the guns to be loaded with a high charge of powder, and mount- 

 ing his horfe, ordered the cavalry down to the wet fands, which were 

 hard, to exercife under the command of P. de Alvarado. He took care 

 to call the attention, as it were by accident, of the ambafladors at the 

 moment that the guns were fired, and as the air was calm, the explo- 

 fion, and noife of the balls through the trees, ftruck the natives with- 

 aftonifhment, and thefe circumflances were immediately reprefented ia, 

 the painted cloths. 



Tendile who was the moft acute of the two in appearance, re- 

 marked at this time a partly gilt helmet with one of our foldiers, and 

 obferved that it refembled one which had belonged to their anceftors, 

 and which was placed on the head of their god Huitzilopochtli ; he there- 

 fore exprelled a wifh to carry it to Montezuma. Cortes immediately 

 prefented it to him, faying at the fame time, that in order to afcertain 

 what refemblance exifted between the gold of the two countries, it 

 would not be amifs to return it filled with grains of that metal, as a fit 

 prefent for our Emperor. Tendile now took his leave, afifuring Cortes 

 that he would fpeedily return v\ ith the anfwer to his requefi:. The in- 

 telligence of what had Jpaffed, together with our prefents, was rapidly 

 conveyed to Montezuma by this officer, who was as eminent for his 

 Iwiftnefs of foot, as for his rank. That Monarch was moft particularly 

 Uruck with the fight of the helmet ; and it impreflfed ftrongly on his 

 mind the idea, that we were the men deftined by heaven to rule thofe 

 countries. 



The 



