( >7i ) 



and endeavoured to make a friend of him, offering him his Hberty, 

 which however Montezuma would not accede to, but defired he (hould 

 be put in chains as the others had been. 



In twenty days from the time of the orders being ifTued, the tribute 

 was colledted. The king then fummoned Cortes, with the captains 

 and foldiers who ufually - formed his guard, and addreffed us faying, 

 •* Know, that I am indebted to your great king, and cfteem him, for 

 " having fent an embaffy to me from fuch a diftance, and alfo becaufe 

 *' I am convinced that according to what we have heard from our an- 

 ceftors, he is to rule usj a prophecy which is confirmed by the de- 

 *' clarations of our gods. Take this gold, which is all that could be 

 " collected on fo fliort a notice, and alfo the treafure which I derive 

 ** from my anceftors, and which I know you have feen; fend it to 

 ** your monarch, and let it be recorded in your annals, that this was 

 ** the tribute of his vaffal Montezuma. I will give you for your 

 *' emperor fome moft vtiluable jewels named calchihuis, each of which 

 *• is worth two loads of gold; I will alfo fend three tubes ufed for 

 *' (hooting darts or pellets, fo richly adorned with jewels that he will 

 ** be pleafed to fee them, and this which I now give is the lafl: of the 

 •* treafure which has remained with me.'* We all took off our helmets, 

 and returned thanks to the great Montezuma for his liberality and mu- 

 nificence, which Cortes promifed that he would reprefent in the 

 ftrongeft terms to his Majefty. 



After fome more converfation, Montezuma commanded his officers 

 to deliver to us the treafure which was in the concealed apartment. 

 This was accordingly done, and we were for the fpace of three days 

 conftantly employed in taking it to pieces, from the various manners in 

 which it was worked up ; in this we were alfo affifted by the royal 

 goldfmiths from Efcapuzalco. When thus feparated, the articles of 

 gold were formed in three heaps, weighing upwards of fix hundred 

 thoufand crowns, exclufive of the various other valuables, the gold in 

 plates and bars, and the metal in its rough ftate from the mines. The 



Z 3 goldfmiths 



