portioning their Stm£liires to what Nature requires, than 
thofe who build vaft Palaces where ftill they cannot find 
fufficient Room for their Vanity. They alfo bought home 
Cotton Cloths with which they covered the Officers Bar- 
racs, the better to defend them from the Heat of the Sun. 
In the bell of them Cortes ordered an Altar to be fet 
up, on w'hich, v/hen adorned, he placed the Image of 
the Virgin Mary\ and at the Entrance a great Crofs, in 
order to celebrate Eafter ; for Religion was always his 
chief Care, and in that he was always equally zealous 
with the Priefts. Cortes underftood by thefe Indimis^ 
that General T mtile was attended by a confiderable Body 
of Troops, and that he was eftablifiiing the -Dominion of 
Motezuma^ in fome Places newly conquered of this Pro- 
vince, the Civil Government of which was vefted in 
Pilfatoe. And the great Care they took to fend Pro- 
vifions, and help the Spaniards in building of their Bar- 
racs,' was not without Artifice, fo far as could be 
gathered ; for they were very much terrified with the 
Account of the Succefs at Pabafeo, which had now 
fpread over all the Country ; and confidering that the 
Forces with which they WTre provided were inferior in 
Strength to thofe they had vanquifhed ; they had re- 
courfe to Prefents and Civilities, in order to oblige thofe 
they could not refill. 
6. They paired the followingDay in great Tranquility, 
but not the lefs upon their guard •, tht Indians were conti- 
nually coming to their Qtiarters, fome to work, and 
others veith Provifions, which they trucked. On Eajier- 
day in the Morning P entile and Pilpatoe came with a very 
great Attendance to vifit Cortes he received them in 
equal State, furrounded by his Officers and Soldiers. 
The firfb Compliments being over, he carried them with 
him to the great Barrac, which ferved for a Chapel, it 
being the Hour of Divine Service, ordering Aguilar and 
Donna Marina to tell them, that before he acquainted 
them with the Intention of his Journey, he was to com- 
ply with the Duties of his Religion, and recommend 
to the God of all other Gods, the good Succefs of his 
Propofition. After Service was over, they returned to the 
Governor’s Barrac, who entertained the two Generals 
at Dinner, and he treated them with great Plenty. The 
Banquet being over, Hernan Cortes called his Inter- 
preters, and, with a determined Air, faid. That his 
coming thither was to treat with the Emperor Motezuma 
on the Part of Don Carlos of Aujiria, Monarch of 
the Eafi^ touching Affairs of great Importance, not only 
to hisownPerfon and Eftate, but likewife to the Wel- 
fare of all his Subjedls ; for performing whereof it was 
neceffary for him to appear before his royal Prefence, 
and hoped he lliould be admitted with all the Civility 
and Refpedt that was due to the King who fent 
him. 
The Governors changed Countenance at this Propofal, 
and feemed to hear it with Diffatisfablion ^ but before 
they returned an Anfwer, P entile ordered a Prefent he 
had provided to be brought, and about twenty or thirty 
Indians came in loaded with Provifions, fine Cloths, 
Feathers of feveral Colours, and a great Box in which 
were feveral Pieces of Gold curioufiy wrought : Flaving 
made his Prefent with a good Grace and Civility, and 
finding it was well received and praifed, he turned to 
Cortes^ and, by the Help of the fame Interpreters, 
prayed him to accept that fmall Prefent from two Slaves 
of Motezuma'^^ who had Orders to entertain fuch 
Strangers as came upon his Coaft ; but adding, that he 
muff not immediately think of profecuting his Voyage, 
it being no eafy Matter to fpeak with their Prince. 
Cortes replied with fome Warmth, That Kings never 
refufed to hear the Ambaffadors of other Princes ; That 
v/hat belonged to them in this Cafe was, to acquaint 
Motezuma with his Arrival, for which he would allow 
fome Time ; but that they ffiould likewife let their Em- 
peror know that he came refolved to fee him, and de- 
termined not to leave his Country with Diffionour to the 
King whofe Reprefen tative he was. This bold Refolu- 
tion of Cortes^ g^^ve the Indians fo much Uneafinefs, 
that they durft not reply ; on the contrary, they in- 
treated him not to move from thefe Quarters till the re- 
turn of Motezuma'% Anfwer, offering to fuppiy him 
with all Things that were neceffary for the Support of his 
Soldiers. At this Time, fome Mexican Painters, who 
came in the Train of the two Governors, were very 
bufy about drawing upon Cotton Cloths (which they 
brought ready primed for that Purpofe) the Ships, 
Soldiers, Arms, Artillery, Horfes, and every thing 
elfe that appeared to them remarkable, of which Variety 
of Objedts they formed different Landikips no v/ay con- 
temptible, either for the Colours or the Drawing. 
7. Thefe Pidlures were drawn by the Order of P entile.^ 
the better to inform Motezuma of that extraordinary No- 
velty j and, to make thofe Deferiptions more intelligible, 
they placed feme Charadters here and there, wirii which 
they feemed to explain and give the Signification of the 
Pidlure.. Cortes had notice of v/hat thefe Painters were 
doing, and v/ent out to fee them j and being informed 
that they were painting upon thofe Cloths the Informa- 
tion which P entile was to give Motezuma of v/hat he had 
propofed, and the Forces he had with him to make it 
good, he with his ufual Wit prefently obferved, that 
thefe Images wanted Adlion to exprefs the V alour of his 
Soldiers ; and therefore refolved to exercife his Men be- 
fore them, to give the greater Life and Vigour to the 
Pidlure: To this End, he ordered them to Arms, drew 
up in a Body, commanded the Artillery to be made 
ready ; and telling Peutile and Pilpatoe^ that he would 
entertain them after the manner of his Country, he 
mounted his Horfe with his Captains : The firft ran two 
and two, after the Manner in Spain ; and then the whole 
Troop being divided into two Bodies, they fkirmiffied, 
at which ftrange Sight the Indians flood amazed, and 
like Men befide themfelves ; for obferving the obedient 
Fiercenefs of thofe Beafls, they began to think there was 
fomething more than natural in thofe Men that managed 
them. Immediately, at a Signal made by Cortes, the 
Fire-arms difeharged j and, loon after, the Artillery. 
The Confufion and Aftonifnment of thefe People in- 
creafing, with fuch various Effedls, that fome fell down 
to the Ground, others began to fiy j and thofe who had 
moft Prefence of Mind affedled Admiration, to diffem- 
ble their Fear. 
Then Cortes encouraged them, giving them to under- 
ftand, that, among the Spaniards, thefe were military 
Diverfions. It was prefently obferved, that the Painters 
were inventing new Figures and Charafilers, to fiipply 
what Was wanting on their Cloths ; fome painted the 
Spaniards armed and drawn up in form, others, their 
Horfes in Exercife and Motion. They deferibed the 
Artillery with' Fire and Smoke, and reprefented the very 
Noife with the Similitude of Lightning, without omit- 
ting any of thofe frightful Circumll-ances that moff 
direfilly regarded what their King was felicitous to know. 
In the mean time Cortes returned to his Barrac with the 
two Governors, and after having prefented them with 
fome fmall Spanijh Jewels, he prepared a Prefent of 
fundry forts of Curiofities, to be fent from him to Mo~ 
teznma \ to which Purpofe he made Choice of feveral 
Pieces of the moff folid and brighteft Glafs, to which he 
added a Holland Shirt, a Cap of Crimfon Velvet adorned 
with a Gold Medal reprefenting St. George, and a Ta- 
peffry Chair ; v/hich the Indians feemed fb much to 
admire, that it was thought a fit Prefent for the Em- 
peror. With this fmall Shew of liberality, Hernan 
Cortes took leave of the two Governors, v/ho remained 
as much obliged by his Civilities, as embarraffed by his 
Defigns. 
8. The Indians halted at a fmall Diffance from the 
Spanijh Quarters to confult what Meafures they fhould 
take. New the R.efult of this Stop was, that Pilpatoe re- 
mained there to obferve the Spaniards ; for which Pur- 
pofe a convenient Spot being fixed, a great Number of 
Barracs were raifed f and in a few'' Hours there appear- 
ed a confiderable Village built upon the Plain Pilpatoe 
provided againff the Sufpicion this Novelty might pro- 
duce, fending word to Cortes, that he ffaid there to take 
care of his Entertainment, and the better to fuppiy his 
Troops with Provifions. Peutile proceeded to his own 
Quarters, and difpatched an Account to Motezuma of 
ail 
