( '07 ) 



While Cortes was converfing u ith tlie ambalTadors of Montezuma, 

 Xicotenga and fifty of his principal warriors, all clothed in uniform 

 habits of white and red, arrived and waited on him with great refped:. 

 Cortes received him with no lefs, and made him fit down at his fide. 

 The chief then told him, that he came in the name of his father, and 

 the reft of the principal perfons of his nation, to folicit our friendfhip, 

 to fubmit to our monarch, and to apologize for having taken up arms 

 againft us, the reafon of which was, the apprehenfion of the wiles of 

 Montezuma. He added, that their country was very poor, producing 

 neither gold, filver, jewels, cotton, nor even fait, which laft article 

 .Montezuma prevented them from obtaining. He faid alfo, that what 

 gold their anceftors had colledled, he had deprived them of, and that 

 if they did not now bring fatisfadiory prefents, their poverty muft 

 plead their excufe. He made many other complaints of Montezuma, 

 and concluded by earneftly foliciting our alliance. This chief was of 

 tall ftature, ftrong^ and well proportioned; his face broad, and fomc- 

 what wrinkled; of a grave afped:, and aged about thirty-five years. 

 Cortes treated him with every mark of friendfhip, and exprefled his 

 fatisfadion at having been the means of inducing fo refpedable a na- 

 tion to become vaffals to our fovereign, and allies to us. The Tlafcalan 

 chief tiien invited him to his city, which Cortes promifed to vifit as 

 foon as he had difpatched his bufinefs with the ambafiadors of Mon- 

 tezuma. At the conclufion of the converfation however, Cortes ad- 

 dreffed a few words to them of a more ferious nature, in refped to the 

 offences which they had committed againft us, warning them to take 

 care of their condud in future. They all promifed the utmoft fidelity, 

 aud this converfation having pafted in the prefence of the ambaffadors 

 of Montezuma, they attempted to ridicule the credit which we gave to 

 the affurances of the Tlafcalans, which they aflerted were fo many de^ 

 ceptions, their intention being to fall on and murder us in their city* 

 Cortes replied, that any fuch attempt would bring with it its own 

 punifliment, and that he was determined to march to Tlafcala, if it 

 were only in order to afcertain the finccrity of the people. The ambaf- 

 fadors of Montezuma then requefted a delay of fix days, to obtain far- 



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