HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



295 



The report foon fpread through all the mountains of 

 the Totonacas, that they were relieved from the tri- 

 bute which they paid to the king of Mexico, and that 

 if there were any other receivers of the tributes there, 

 they fliould let it be known immediately, that they 

 might be feized. At the found of this intelligence, the 

 fweet hope of liberty revived in the whole nation, and 

 feveral other lords came fpeedily to that city to thank 

 their fuppofed deliverer, and deliberate upon meafures 

 to fecure their liberty. Some perfons, who had not 

 yet banifhed from their minds the fear of the Mexicans, 

 propofed that they fliould alk pardon of the king for 

 the outrage committed upon his miniflers; but from the 

 fuggeftions of Cortes, and the lords of Chempoalla and 

 Chiahuitztla, the oppofite fentiment prevailed : it was 

 refolved therefore to free themfelves from the tyrannical 

 dominions of the Mexicans, with the affiftance of thofe 

 brave Grangers, by putting a formidable army under the 

 command of the Spanifli general. 



Cortes, having fufficientiy aflured himfelf of the fin- 

 cerity of the Totonacas, and informed himfelf of their 

 force, feized this favourable moment to bring that nu- 

 merous nation under obedience to the Catholic king. 

 This aft was celebrated in the prefence of the notary of 

 the army, and with every other legal folemnity. 



This affair being happily concluded, Cortes took 

 leave of thofe lords, to put another project in execution, 

 of the greatefi; importance, which he had formed fome 

 time before ; that was, to plant a flrong colony on this 

 coafl, which fliould be a retreat for them in times of 

 difafter, a fortrefs to hold the Totonacas to the fidelity 

 which they had fworn to the Spaniards, a place of de- 

 fcent for the new troops which might arrive there either 



to 



