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At this time the chiefs of the diftant provinces could not bring 

 themfelves to beheve that Mexico was deftroyed : they therefore fent de- 

 putations to afcertain the truth, and alfo to offer themfelves as vafTals to 

 his Majefty the Emperor. All made great prefents of gold to Cortes, 

 and many came in perfon, and brought their children to fee the flate of 

 that power once fo feared by them, and ufed to exprefs themfelves as 

 we fay, *• here Troy town flood." 



Curious readers will be defirous to know how it happened, that the 

 conquerors of Mexico who had gone through fuch dangers to obtain 

 .poffeffion of that city, fhould now quit it to fearch for new fettlements. 

 To this I reply, that the books which contained the accounts of Mon- 

 tezuma's revenues were examined to find from whence the gold, 

 and other valuable articles of tribute, fuch as cacao, and cotton manu- 

 factures, were fent ; and it was to thefe produdtive diftridls that we 

 wifhed to go. Efpecially, we were led by the example of Sandoval, 

 who being known to be the particular friend of Cortes, it was not to be 

 fuppofed would go upon an unprofitable enterprife. We alfo faw that 

 the vicinity of the city of Mexico had neither mines, plantations, nor 

 manufactures, but was intirely occupied by the cultivation of maize, 

 and of maguey. This we thought did not afford us profpeCts fuffici- 

 ently advantageous, and we went to other places where we were fadly 

 difappointed. I waited upon Cortes to requefl permifTion to attend San- 

 doval J "brother B. Diaz del Caftillo" faid the general to me, "by my con- 

 fcience you will find yourfelf miftaken ; you had better flay with me, 

 " but if you are determined on going with your friend Sandoval, go in 

 •* God's name; I will always do my utmoft to take care of you, but I 

 " tell you that you will repent of it." All the gold remained with the 

 Emperor's officers, the flaves having been purchafed by the foldiers ac- 

 cording to their valuation at a public fale. The detachments were fent 

 out to colonize the provinces at different periods, for two months after 

 the capture of Mexico; however I will not any farther particularize 

 them, not to trefpafs unneceffarily on my reader's time. 



At 



