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hirti faying, that they had often fent to him, to requcft pardon for their 

 hoftilities, which they afcribed to the fufpicion they entertained of our 

 being allied to Montezuma. But now we know, faid he, who, and 

 what you are, we would go down to the coaft to invite you from your 

 (hips, and fweep the roads before you; at prefent the utmoft we can 

 do is, to requeft your company in our city, where you (hall be ferved in 

 every manner that is in our power. We at the fame time warn you, not 

 to give credit to the mifreprefentations of thefe Mexicans, who are in- 

 fluenced by the malice which they bear to us. Cortes returning many 

 thanks to them, faid, he would have vifited them before that time, but 

 that he wanted men to draw his cannon j upon which, in lefs than 

 half an hour, above five hundred of the natives were affembled for the 

 purpofe, and early in the morning we fet out upon our march, attended 

 by the Mexican ambafladors, by the requeft of Cortes, who kept them 

 near him, left 'they fhould meet with any infult. Before I proceed, I 

 muft mention, that from this time the natives always addrefled Cortes 

 by the name of Malintzinj the reafon of which was, that Donna Ma- 

 rina being our linguift, and interpreting to Cortes, they gave him the 

 name of Marina's captain, which in their pronunciation was perverted 

 to Malintzin. We entered the territory of TIafcala twenty-four days 

 before our arrival at the chief city, which was on the twenty-third of 

 September 15 19. 



As foon as the chiefs perceived that we were on our march, they 

 went before us to provide our lodgings ,^ and when we approached their 

 city they came out to meet us, bringing their daughters and female re- 

 lations; but each tribe, or divifion of inhabitants, diftind: and feparate; 

 for it feems that of thefe there were four, exclulive of that under the 

 government of Tecapaneca,. lord of Topeyanco. Each of thefe tribes 

 was diftinguiftied by a different uniform, of cloth made of nequen, for 

 cotton was a luxury not within their reach. The priefts came with 

 their incenfe pots, in loofe white garments, with their long hair matted 

 and clotted with blood which flowed from recent cuts in their ears, 

 and the nails upon their fingers were remarkably long. They falutcd 



Cortes 



