( >f ) 



to them, to have no more intercourfe with the inhabitants, but to retire 

 to the apartment of Cortes. They folemnly declared their ignorance 

 of the tranfadion, and contrary to their inchnation we now put them 

 under a good guard, for the night, during which our whole force re- 

 mained under arms. 



On this night, the wife of a cacique, an old woman, who was 

 acquainted with the plot, came fecretly to Donna Marina whofe ap- 

 pearance had attracted her regard, and invited her to her own houfe, as 

 a place of fecurity from the danger which was ready to overwhelm us, 

 making at the fame time a propofal to her, to accept as a hufband, her 

 fon, the brother of a boy who accompanied her. Donna Marina, with 

 a profufion of thanks, and with her ufual acutenefs and prefence of 

 mind, agreed to all that fhe propofed, but faid that (he wanted fome one 

 with whom to entruft her effe<5ls. She then obtained information of 

 every particular of the buiinefs, all which the old woman informed her 

 fhe had learned from her hufband, who was chief of one of the divifions 

 of the city, and was then with his warriors, giving diredions for their 

 jund:ion with the Mexican forces. She added, that (he had known it 

 three days before, in confequence of prefents which had been fent from 

 Mexico to the different chiefs, her hufband having received at that time 

 a golden drum.* Donna Marina, defiring this woman and her fon to re- 

 main where they were and take care of her effeds, haftened to Cortes, 

 and informed him of all that had palled, and that the perfon from 

 whom fhe had the information was in her apartment ; in confequence of 

 which, Cortes immediately fent for her, and the woman on being 

 brought into his prefence confirmed all that fhe had faid to Dorma Ma- 

 rina, and which exa(5tly agreed with the other information he had 

 received. 



When day broke, the hurry of the chiefs, priefts, and people, and 

 the fatisfad:ion which appeared in their countenances, were as great as 



R if 



• A golden drum was borne by a general in chief. 



