t 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



293 



The next day four hundred men of burden prefented 

 themfelves to Cortes, being fent to him by that lord to 

 tranfport his baggage; and it was then he learned from 

 donna Marina the cuftom which prevailed among thofe 

 nations, to furntfh of their own accord, without any 

 motive of interefr., fuch people of burden to every re- 

 fpe&able perfon who paffed through their city. 



From Chempoalla, the Spaniards advanced to Chia- 

 huitztla, a fmall city, fituated upon a fteep and rocky 

 mountain, a little more than twelve miles from Chem- 

 poalla towards the north, and three from the new port. 

 Here Cortes had another conference with the lord of 

 that city, and the lord of Chempoalla, who, for this pur- 

 pofe, made himfelf be tranfported hither. At the fame 

 time that they were deliberating upon the means of re- 

 leafing themfelves from the Mexican yoke, there arriv- 

 ed at that city, with a great retinue, five noble Mexi- 

 cans, the receivers of the royal tributes, who expreffed 

 the utmoft indignation againft the Totonacas, for having 

 dared to receive thefe Grangers without the royal con- 

 fent, and demanded twenty human victims to facriflce to 

 their gods in expiation of their crime. The whole city 

 was difturbed, and particularly the two lords, who con- 

 fidered themfelves the mod guilty. Cortes having learn- 

 ed from donna Marina the caufe of their difquiet* found 

 an extraordinary expedient to relieve them from their 

 embarralfment. He fuggefted to the two lords the bold 

 defign of apprehending the royal receivers and putting 

 them in prifon ; and though at firft they refufed to do 

 fo, from its appearing too rafli and dangerous an at- 

 tempt, they at laft yielded to his entreaties. They ac- 

 cordingly imprifoned thofe five nobles, who had entered 

 their city with fo much pride and with fo much difdain for 



the 



