Chap. Hi. for tie Reduction 0 / N E w Spain. _ 133 
Mexicans^ with all imaginable Diligence.^ embarking on 
board the Canoes which were in the Bay, upon which 
he approached them flowly, and then the Canoes of the 
Enemy, on board of which were the Nobility and all the 
principal Perfons of the City, began to move, having 
unanimoully refolved to make their laft: Efforts, and at 
all Hazards to maintain the Fight, till their Prince had 
made his Retreat, after which they were to follow him 
by feveral Ways. Accordingly they put this Defign in 
Execution, attacking the Brigantines with Vigour : But, 
at the fame Time that the Mexicans were engaging with 
fuch extraordinary Fury, Sandoval obferved, that from 
the fartheft Part of the Bay fix or feven Piraguas,with the 
utmoft Force of Oars, were making the belt of their way, 
upon which he ordered Capt. Garcias de Holguin to chafe 
them with his Brigantine, and endeavour to take them. 
That Captain, without lofing a Moment’s Time, ufed 
fuch Diligence that he foon overtook them *, when 
turning the Head of his Brigantine, he fell in upon the 
foremoft Piragua, which feemed to command the reft. 
They all at once ceafed rowing, and lay upon their Oars, 
when they found themfelves attacked, and fome of thofe 
who were in the firft Piragua called out to the Brigan- 
tine not to fire, faying, his Mexican Majefty was on 
board that Veftel, which Words were interpreted by 
fome Spanijh Soldiers, who began to have a Smattering 
of the Mexican Language. Upon this the Brigantines 
boarded the Piragua, into which Holguin^ with fome 
Spaniards^ immediately leaped in order to fecure their 
Prize. Guatimozin inftantly advanced, and diftinguifti- 
ing the Captain, by the Refpeft paid him by the reft, 
faid, “ I am your Prifoner, and ready to go whither 
“ you think fit to condudl me : All I have to defire is, 
that fome Regard may be had to the Honour of my 
Confort, and to that of the Women who accom- 
pany her.” 
He then paiTed into the Brigantine, and gave his 
Hand to that Princefs to help her up, and was fo much 
Mafter of himfelf, and fo far from being in any Con- 
fternation, that, perceiving Holguin to be in fome Con- 
cern about the other Piraguas, he with great Seclatenefs 
of Countenance added. You have no Occafion, Sir, to 
give yourfelf any Trouble concerning thofe, for they 
will all come to die at the Feet of their Prince *, and up- 
on the firft Signal he made them, they let their Weapons 
drop out of their Hands, and followed the Brigantine as 
Prifoners. Sandoval was all that time hotly engaged 
with the Canoes, and by the Refiftance he met with, he 
became fenftble of the Quality of thofe who defended 
them, and of the Courage and Fidelity of the Mexican 
Nobility, who, at the Hazard of their Lives, had under- 
taken to fecure their Prince’s Liberty. But they foon 
had Notice of his being taken, and then their loud mili- 
tary Cries were converted into lefs noify Lamentations. 
Holguin came up at the fame Time, having firft dif- 
patched a Canoe with the News to Cortes^ and, without 
bearing down too near upon Sandoval^ Brigantine, he 
gave him as he paffed by a brief Account of what had 
happened, but perceving he was dcfirous of taking care 
of that important Prifoner, he made the beft of his Way, 
left Sandoval fhould fend him an Order to that Purpofe. 
As foon as this News was brought him, Cortes^ lifting 
up his Eyes towards Heaven, as acknowledging the fu- 
preme Author of all his Succefs, ordered two Compa- 
nies of Spaniards to the Landing-place, to guard the 
Royal Prifoner, and then went himfelf to receive him 
not far from the Quarters, which he did with great Re- 
fpe£l. Signs and Geftures ferving inftead of Words, to 
which Guatimozin made a Return in the fame Manner, 
endeavouring to conceal the Agitations of his Breaft by 
a forced Complaifance. 
Guatimozin was about twenty-four or twenty-five 
Years of Age ^ fo brave, that he had, by his Exploits 
and Viftories in the Field, rifen to thofe Honours 
which qualified the Nobles to afcend the Throne. 
Fie was as to his Pcrfon well proportioned, tall, robuft, 
and ftroRg built, and of fo fair a Complexion, that among 
thofe of his own Nation he looked like one of a diffe- 
rent Climate. The Emprefs, who was about the fame 
Age, by the Gracefulnefs of her Carriage attrabted the 
Yol. II. Numjs. 78. 
Eyes of all, but her Beauty was rather majeftic than de- 
licate •, fne was Niece to Motezuma^ or, as fome fayj 
his Daughter ; which when Cortes underftood^ he re- 
newed the Offers of his beft Service, profeffing himfelf 
obliged to pay to the Perfon of that Princefs the Venera- 
tiopHie owed to the Memory of that Monarch. This 
great EFent happened on the 13th of Augufi ^ 1521, and 
therefore we may from thence date the Dominion of the 
Spaniards over this Empire. The Captive Emperor 
fent his Orders to his Subjefts to lay down their ArmSi 
and to fubmit to him who had their Monarch in their 
Power, which they accordingly did, and thereby put an 
End to the War for the prefent. 
The kind Ufage given at firft to the Emperor Guati- 
mozin did not laft long, but the Change made in hid 
Treatment did not properly arife from Cortes YiinACAi 
but from the Soldiers, who, remembering what vaft 
Quantities of Gold they had formerly feen in the Pof- 
feffion di Mot ezuma^ demanded an Account of what 
was become of them ; and when Cortes very truly pro- 
tefted that he knew as little of them as they did, they 
grew fo furious and infolent, as to fuggeft that he had 
fecretly fecured them for his own Ufe. They were fo 
much the bolder in this Matter, becaufe they found 
themfelves fupported therein by the King’s Treafurer 
Julian de Alderete, who had great Authority^ and who, 
as he was Nephew to the Bifhop of Burgos^ hated Cortes 
heartily, and inclined to do him all the Mifchief he 
could. This Man, finding that no Account could be ob- 
tained of thefe Treafures, demanded that the unfortu- 
nate Guatimozin^ and his firft Minifter, fhould be put 
into his Hands in order to be examined about them, 
which in his prefent Circumftances Cortes durft not re- 
fufe. The Method this Gentleman took to make therri 
difeover what he fought was pretty fingular* 
He put them upon the Rack, as fome Writers fay % 
but as others more truly affirm, caufed them to be ex- 
tended upon burning Coals. The Minifter looking up- 
on the Emperor cried out violently, upon which Guati^ 
mozin faid. Bo you think I lie here upon Rofes ? Which 
Reproof ftruck the poor Creature filent, fo that he ex- 
pired without any farther Complaints. But Cortes^ hear- 
ing his firft Cries, broke into the Apartment and re- 
leafed the Emperor, and the Soldiers themfelves ap- 
proved his CondiKa, and blamed the Treafurer’ s Barba- 
rity. This Cruelty had not the defigned Effedt ; for 
there was no Difeovery made of the Treafure for which 
they fought, which made them almoft diftradled. They 
fearched all Parts of the Lake to no Purpofe, ranfacked > 
the Temples without finding much, and tore to Pieces 
the Tombs, in which indeed they found fome little Gold, 
which Cortes^ to pacify them, divided amongft them. 
24. The Provinces of the Mexican Empire that Were 
neareft that Capital immediately fubmitted to the Con- 
queror, and Cortes^ having received Intelligence of the 
Kingdom of Mechoacan^ which lies to the Weftward of 
Mexico^ he firft fent Mo?ttano^ with three other Spa- 
niards as Embaffadors, to vifit the King, who at firft 
received them indifferently, though afterwards he treated 
them magnificently ; and went himfelf to fee Cortes^ who 
foon after difpatched ChriJlopherOlid to take Poffeffion of 
that Country with an Army, which he accordingly did, 
and forced the King, who fhewed himfelf difpleafed with 
his Proceedings, to fly for Shelter into the Mountains. 
This great Flow of Succefs altered the Temper of the 
Spanijh General, who began now to difeover fuch Haugh- 
tinefs and Cruelty in his Difpofition, as nothing could 
juftify. Cortes, having through this Country penetrated 
to the South-Sea, erefted Forts and built Ships there, for 
farther Difeoveries on that Side, and fent alfo GonzAo 
de Sandoval to fubdue the Countries near fahafeo and 
Tecountepec on the North-Sea ; and Pedro de Alverado^ 
another Commander, was detached with a Body of Spa- 
niards and confederate Indians to ta^^ Poffeffion of the 
Countries bordering upon the Vale of Quaxaca to the 
Eaftward of Mexico, who all fubmitted to the Con- 
queror. 
While Cortes was thus employed in reducing this 
Country to his Obedience in the Name of the Emperor 
Charles V. Chrijlopher de fapia arrived at Vera Cruz^ 
Mm with 
