284 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



foon as the ambaffador was come into the prefence of 

 Cortes, he touched the earth with his hand, and then 

 lifted it to his mouth, according to the cuftom of thofe 

 nations, offered (o) incenfe to the general and other of- 

 ficers who were befide him, faluted them refpe&fully, 

 and fitting down upon a feat which Cortes placed for 

 him, pronounced his harangue, which was a congratu- 

 lation to that general, in the name of his king, upon 

 his happy arrival in that country; an intimation of the 

 pleafure he had received in knowing that men fo gallant 

 and brave had landed in his kingdom, and in hearing 

 the news which they had brought from fo great a mo- 

 narch ; and to exprefs how acceptable his gift had been : 

 upon which, in token of his royal pleafure he had fent 

 him that prefent. Having faid this, he made fome fine 

 mats and cotton cloths be fpread upon the ground, upon 

 which were placed in order and form the whole fubftance 

 of the prefent. It confuted of various works of gold 

 and filver, {till more valuable on account of the won- 

 derful workmanfhip than of thofe precious metals, among 

 which fome were gems admirably fet, and others figures 

 of lions, tygers, apes, and other animals ; of thirty 

 loads or bales of the very finefl cotton, of various co- 

 lours, and in part interwoven with the mod beautiful 



feathers; 



between that port and the capital, could not be perfuaded that an ambaffador 

 came at that time; but having faid a little before, that the Mexican pofts were 

 more diligent than the European pofts, it is not wonderful that in one day, or 

 a little more, they mould have carried intelligence of the fleet to the court, and 

 the ambaffador Ihould have come in four or five days after in a litter, borne on 

 the moulders of the fame pofts, as was the cuftom among thofe people. As 

 the facl is not improbable, we ought rather to believe Bernal Diaz, who was 

 an eye-witnefs. 



(o) The offering of incenfe to the Spaniards, although it was merely a piece 

 of civil courtefy, and the name Teteuflin (lords or gentlemen), by whick they 

 are addreffed, being fomewhat fimilar to that of Teteo (gods), made them be- 

 lieve that they were imagined to be gods by the Mexicans. 



