268 HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



country ; for there prevailed among thofe nations, as we 

 have already mentioned, an ancient tradition, that fuch a 

 deity, after having, by his beneficence and innocence of 

 life, acquired the efteem and veneration of the people in 

 Tollan, Cholula, and Onohualco, had difappeared to 

 them, promifmg to return after a certain period, to govern 

 them in peace, and render them happy. The kings of 

 thofe countries confidered themfelves the viceroys of that 

 god, and truftees of the crown, which they were to cede 

 to him whenever he made his appearance. This imme- 

 morial tradition, a variety of marks obferved by them in 

 the Spaniards conforming with thofe which their mytho- 

 logy afcribed to Quetzalcoatl, the furprifing largenefs of 

 the velfels compared with their little ikiffs and canoes, 

 the loud noife and force of the artillery, refembling fo 

 ftrongly that of the clouds, all together awed and infpir- 

 ed them to believe it was the god of air who had arrived 

 upon their coafts, with all the apparatus of thunder, 

 lightning, and divinity. Moved by this perfuafion, 

 Montezuma ordered five perfons of his court to repair 

 immediately to Chalchiuhcuecan, to make congratula- 

 tions, in the name of him and the whole kingdom, to 

 this fuppofed power of the air, on his happy arrival in 

 that land, and to offer him in homage a large prefent ; 

 but, before he difpatched them, he previoufly fent orders 

 to the governors of the coafts, to place centinels on the 

 high mountains of Nauhtlan, Quauhtla, Mictlan, and 

 Tochtlan, that they might obferve the motions of the 

 armament, and fend fpeedy advice of every thing which 

 happened to the court. The Mexican ambafladors were 

 unable, in fpite of their utmoft expedition, to overtake 

 the Spaniards, who, when they had finiflied their com- 

 merce on that coaft, continued their courfe along fliore, 



as 



