8 6 l^he Expedition of H 
fame time, that the Difeoveries they had made were of 
fo little Confequence, and the Produce of their Voyage 
fo very inconfidcrable, that he was not like to hear of any 
more Attempts of the like kind from Jamaica^ which 
gave him fingiilar Satisfadion, and encouraged , him to 
refume his Defign. for purfuing, which he found all un- 
der his Command, both Officers and private Men, more 
eager for than ever, which was chiefiy owing to their feeing 
him always fuccefsful in every' thing he took in hand. 
2 . Cortes returned to Zempoallay refolving to lofe no 
Time before he fet out for Mexico, The Men to carry 
Burthens being ready with the Baggage and Artillery, 
with the Auxiliaries of Zempoalla, and thofe of the Moun- 
tain Towns, whom he took along with him as Hoftages, 
leaving a Page of his own, of the Age of twelve Years, 
to learn the Language, he fet forward on the i6th of 
Auguji;^ feveral prime Perfons waiting on him, of whom 
he took Leave at a fmall Diftancefrom the Town. The 
Indians wept, confidering the Danger into which they were 
going, though they relied on the Valour of the Spaniards ^ 
who were four hundred in Number, befides fifteen or 
fixteen Horfemen, and fix fmall Pieces of Cannon, with 
the Ammunition belonging to them. The March be- 
gan in good Order ; they arrived the firft Day at Xalapa^ 
and thence proceeded to another Town, which, being 
Confederate with Zempoalla, gave them good Reception. 
There Cortes told them he was fent by the King of Spain, 
to admonifh them to forbear facrificing of Men, and 
following the other wicked Courfes they were guilty of, 
and to live in Peace and Juftice, and to chaftize Ty- 
rants. 
He erefted a Crofs inmvery Town, ordering them to 
refpeft it ; for, as they fhould be after better informed, 
through that holy Emblem they were to expedt all 
Happinefs in this World and in the next j he proceed- 
to lexutla, where he fpoke to the fame Effeft to the 
Heads of the People, and they entertained him affedli- 
onately. They then came into the defart Country, where 
they met with much Hail and Rain, a ffiarp Wind 
blowing from the fnowy Mountains. The Men en- 
dured much, for there was alfo but few Eatables to be 
met with. They marched thrbugh another Pafs, where 
there were fmall Places of Worfhip, with Idols and 
great Piles of Wood cut for the Service of the Temples. 
The Cold continued, and they were in great want of 
Provifions, which the Men bore with wonderful Pati- 
ence, though the Weather pinched them, becaufe they 
were thin clad, and ufed to the temperate Climate of 
Cuba, Xempoalla, and the Sea-coaft, They next came 
into the Territories of Zocotlan, fubjed to the King of 
Mexico', Cortes fent two Zempoallans before, to defire 
thofe People, in his Name, that they would be pleafed 
to quarter his Forces, and, at the fame Time, held 
them in Readinefs for all Events, becaufe this muft be 
confidered as an Enemy’s Country ; when they came in 
fight of the Town, a Portuguefe Soldier faying that it was 
like Cajlel Branco, in Portugal, they gave it that Name. 
The Lord was called Olintel, whom the Spaniards 
nick-named the Squab, becaufe he was very fat. He 
ordered the Men to have Provifions given them, 
but not a very great Quantity, or with a very good 
Will. Cortes by Means of his Interpreters, who daily 
grew more expert, talked to him as to others, and he 
was pleafed to hear thofe Things which were fo ftrange 
to him. Cortes, obferving with what State he was ferv- 
cd, affied him whether he was a Confederate, or a Sub- 
je6f, to the King of Mexico He anfwered that Qaefti- 
on, by faying, who is not a Slave to Motezuma ? Cories 
replied, that beyond the Sea there was a greater Sove- 
reign, meaning the King of Spain, whom many Princes 
ferved, that himfelf was one of the meaneft Subjedls 
he had, and that the Lord ought to fubmit himfelf, 
and give fome Demonftration that he did fo. He an- 
fwered that he would do nothing but what Motezu- 
ma fliould command him. Cortes did not carry on this 
Difeourfe any farther, looking upon the Lord and his 
People to be Men of Refolution, but defired he would 
tell him fomething oi Motezuma' s Grandeur. This Lord 
faid he was Sovereign over many Kings j -that there' was 
2 
E R N A N C O R T E S, Book I. 
not the like of him in the World ; that many Lords 
ferved him in his Palace foa re-footed, with their Eyes 
fixed on the Ground that there were thirty Princes in his 
Empire, each of whom had one hundred thoufand fighting 
Men in his Dominions, and fome Years Motezuma facYi^CQd. 
as Vi6lims_ fifty thoufand j that he refided in the largeft, 
moft beautiful, and ftrongeft City in the Univerfe, being in 
the Water, and having above fifty thoufand Acales for 
the Service of it •, that his Court was very fpacious, that 
many Princes of the Country round about continually re- 
forte d thither to ferve him ; that his Revenues were in- 
credible, becaufe none, even the greateft, was exempt 
from paying Tribute, nor any fo poor as not to give 
fomething, though it were only Blood from his Arm ; 
that his Expences were prodigious, becaufe, befides thofe 
of his Civil Lift, he had continual Wars, which obliged 
him to maintain great Armies. 
This Account ft ruck fome of the People about Cor- 
tes with great Apprehenfions, from the mighty Strength 
of Motezuma, compared with their own flender Force ; 
but he who had an admirable Faculty of turning every 
Thing to his own Advantage, ufually difeourfed of the 
Greatnefs of the Indian Emperor, with Pleafure ; for, 
faid he, if we feek Wealth and Country from our Con- 
quefts, we ought to rejoice, that thofe, againft whom we 
fight, have great Riches and large Dominions. As for 
this Indian Chief, with v/hom he then lodged, he was 
Lord over twenty thoufand People, had thirty Wives in 
his Houfe, and above one hundred Women to wait on 
them, and two thoufand Servants. The Town was large, 
and contained thirteen Temples, with abundance of Idols 
made of Stone ; they facrificed to them. Men, Women, 
Children, Turtles, and other things, burning many Per- 
fumes, with great Veneration. Motezuma had five thou- 
fand ’Men in Garrifon ih this Town and its Territory, 
and Men were ready two and two, at fmall Diftances, 
all the Way to Mexico, in the Nature of Pofts, to carry 
an Account of all Things that happened. Cortes was 
now thoroughly confirmed in the Notion he had of the 
Grandeur of Motezuma *, and though fome about hirn 
were always giving Hints of the Difficulty of the Un- 
dertaking, and the Danger, he never ffiewed the Jeaft 
Irrefolution, but, on the contrary, with an undauntedi 
Intrepidity, encouraged his People, alluring them of Suc- 
cefs, with as much Firmnefs, as if he had it in his Power, 
as, indeed, he forefaw all Exigencies with wonderful Sa- 
gacity and Diferetion. 
Olintel feemed to grow better affedled, and made 
more plentiful Provifion for the Men, upon the Dif- 
eourfe he had with Cortes though he faid he could not tell 
whether Motezuma would not be difpleafed at his having 
entertained them without his Leave. Cortes, finding him 
more courteous, began to talk of Religion, and would 
have had a Crofs ereded, as had been done in other 
Towns, but F. Olmedo did not think it proper, for fear 
of fome Irreverence. Francis de Lugo, a Man of Note, had 
with him a very large Greyhound that barked very much 
in the Night: The Gentlemen of that Town afked thofe of 
7,empoalla whether that was a Tyger, Lyon, or other Beaft 
to kill Men ? They anfwered, it was a Beaft under good 
Command, and would bite and kill, when, and whoever 
his Mafter pleafed. They told them the great Guns 
killed whom they would, with fome Stones they threw 
into them, and that the Horfes ran like Stags, and 
overtook whom they pleafed, none being able to efcape 
them j that thofe were the Men who conquered the Peo- 
ple at Tabafeo, threw down their Idols, and made them 
Friends wish their Neighbours. That Motezuma had 
fent them Prefen cs, becaufe he looked upon them as 
Gods, and therefore they wondered why Olintel made 
them no Prefents. Moved by what they faid, he im- 
mediately fent Cortes four Head-pieces, three Collars, 
and fome Lizards, all of Gold, a Load of Cotton Cloth, 
and four Women Slaves to make Bread. In this Town 
there was a Charnel containing abundance of Skulls and 
Bones of Men that had been facrificed, and in all other 
Towns in that Country, after the fame Manner as at 
Mexico, which ftiall be deferibed in its Place. 
2 . Cortes ftaid nine Days with Olintel, to refrefti the 
Men, 
c 
