HISTORY OF MEXICO, 



389 



" find I am threatened with the heavieft punifhments of 

 " heaven if I let you remain any longer in my kingdom ; 

 " and fuch difcontent already prevails among my vaffals, 

 " that unlefs 1 quickly remove the caufe, it will bealto- 

 " gether impoffible to pacify them. Wherefore it is 

 " become neceffary for my own, as well as yours, and 

 " the good of all the kingdom, that you prepare your- 

 " felves to return to your native country/' Cortes, al- 

 though extremely mortified and diftreffed, diffembled yet 

 his feelings, and afluming great ferenity of countenance, 

 anfwered, that he was extremely ready to obey him ; 

 but as they wanted veflels to tranfport them, on account 

 of thofe which they had come in from Cuba having be- 

 come ufelefs, they required time, workmen, and materi- 

 als, to make others. Montezuma, full of joy at the rea- 

 dinefs with which he was obeyed, embraced him, and 

 told him, that it was not neceffary to precipitate his de- 

 parture ; that he might build his vefiels ; that he would 

 fupply him with the neceffary timber, and people to cut 

 it, and tranfport it to the harbour. Immediately he gave 

 orders to a number of carpenters to cut the neceffary 

 timber from a grove of pines, which was at a fmall dis- 

 tance from the port of Chiahuitztlan, and Cortes, on 

 his part, fent fome Spaniards there to fuperintend the 

 woodcutters, expecting, in the mean time, that fotne- 

 thing would change the ftate of affairs in Mexico, or 

 that fome new reinforcement of Spaniards would be fent 

 to him from the iflands or from Spain (V). 



Eight 



(/) Almoft all the Spanifh hiftorians fay, that when the king made Cortei 

 -he called to intimate to him the order to depart, he had levied an army to make 

 him be obeyed by force if neceffary ; but there is a great difference of opinion 

 among them, as fome affirm that there were an hundred thoufand men in arms ; 

 Others fay, only half that number ; and others laftly fay only five thoufand. We 

 are perfuaded that fome troops were in readinefs, but not by the order of the 

 king, but of fome of the nobles, who had taken a more aclive part in this mat- 

 ter. 



