286 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



made the bed returns to it in his power; but without 

 abandoning his requeft, he begged of the ambaflador 

 to reprefent to the king the dangers and diftrefles which 

 they had fuffered in their navigation, and the difpleafure 

 which his fovereign would feel when he found his hopes 

 fruftrated; that befides, neither, dangers nor fatigues 

 were fufficient to divert the Spaniards from their under- 

 takings. The ambaflador agreed to make this report 

 to the king, and politely took leave of Cortes along 

 with Teuhtlile ; Cuitlalpitoc being left behind with a 

 vaft number of people, in a hamlet which they had 

 formed of fmall huts, at a little diftance from the camp 

 of the Spaniards. 



Cortes, in the midfl of all that profperity which he 

 had hitherto met with, perceived that he could not long 

 remain at that ftation ; for befides the inconvenience of 

 heat and infe&s, which fwarm upon that more, he was 

 apprehenfive of fome damage to his (hips from the north 

 wind, to which that harbour is expofed ; on which ac- 

 count he defpatched two veifels, under the command of 

 Montejo, to coaft along the more, towards Panuco, and 

 find another more fecure port. They returned in a few 

 days with the intelligence of having found, thirty-fix 

 miles from Ulua, a fufficient harbour, near to a city 

 placed in a ilrong fituation. 



In the mean time, Teuhtlile returned to the camp of 

 the Spaniards, and after taking Cortes afide with the in- 

 terpreters, he told him, that his lord Montezuma grate- 

 fully accepted the new prefent which he had fent him ; 

 and that that which he had fent on his part now was 

 deftined for the great king of Spain ; that he wifhed him 

 all fort of happinefs, but that he defired no more meffa- 

 ges to be fent to him, nor to hear any farther propofitions 



of 



