MEXICO. 
' The Spaniards then continued their courfe weftward, 
to the harbour of St. Juan de Ullua ; where they were met 
by two Mexican canoes, which carried two ambafl'adors 
from the emperor of that country, and lliowed the greateft 
figns of peace and amity. Their language was unknown 
to Aguilar ; but one of the female prifoners above-men¬ 
tioned underftood it, and tranflated it into the Yucatan 
tongue ; after which Aguilar interpreted the meaning in 
Spanilh. This have was afterwards named Donna Marina, 
and proved very ufeful in their conferences with the 
natives. 
At this time the Mexican empire, according to Dr. Ro- 
bertfon, was arrived at a pitch of grandeur to which no 
fociety had ever attained in fo Ihort a period. Though 
it had fubfifted only for one hundred and thirty years, its 
dominion extended from the north to the fouth fea, over 
territories ltretching about five hundred leagues from eaft 
to weft, and more than two hundred from north to fouth ; 
comprehending provinces not inferior in fertility, popu¬ 
lation, and opulence, to any in the torrid zone. Though 
by nature Montezuma polfefl'ed a good deal of courage 
and relolution 5 yet, from the firft moment that the Spa¬ 
niards appeared on his coaft, he difcovered fymptoms of 
timidity and embarrafl'ment, and all his fubjefts were 
embarraffed as well as himfelf. The general difmay which 
took place on this occafion was partly owing to the ftrange 
figure the Spaniards made, and the prodigious power of 
their arms ; but partly alfo to the following circumftance. 
An opinion prevailed almoft univerfally among the Ame¬ 
ricans, that fome dreadful calamity impended over their 
heads, from a race of formidable invaders who Ihould 
come from regions towards the rifing fun, to overrun and 
defolate their country. 
By means of his two interpreters, Donna Marina and 
Aguilar, Cortes learned that the chiefs of the Mexican 
embafly were deputies from Pilpatoe and Teutile; the 
one governor of a province under the emperor, and the 
other the commander of all his forces in that province : 
the purport of their embafly was to enquire what his in¬ 
tentions were in vifiting their coafts, and to offer him 
what affiftance he might need in order to continue his 
voyage. Cortes, in his turn, alfo profefl'ed the greateft 
friendlhip; and informed the ambaii'adors, that he came 
to propofe matters of the utmoll confequence to the wel¬ 
fare of the prince and his kingdom; which he would 
more fully unfold in perfon to the governor and the ge¬ 
neral. Next morning, without waiting for any anfwer, 
he landed his troops, his horfes, and his artillery; began 
to ereft huts for his men, and to fortify his camp. 
The next day the ambafl'adors had a formal audience; 
at which Cortes acquainted them, that he came from Don 
Carlos of Auftria, king of Caftile, the greateft monarch 
of the eaft, and was intrufted with propofitions of l’uch 
moment, that he would impart them to none but the 
emperor himfelf, and therefore required to be conducted 
immediately to the capital. This demand produced the 
greateft uneafinefs ; and the ambafl'adors did all in their 
power to difluade Cortes from his defign, endeavouring 
to conciliate his good will by the prefents lent him by 
Montezuma. Thefe they introduced with great parade; 
and confifted of fine cotton cloth, of plumes of various 
colours, and of ornaments of gold and filver to a confi- 
derable value, the workmanfhip of which appeared to be 
as curious as the materials were rich. But thefe prefents 
ferved only to excite the avidity of the Spaniards, and 
to increafe their defire for becoming mafters of a country 
which abounded with fo many precious commodities. 
Cortes indeed could fcarcely reftrain himfelf lb far as to 
hear the arguments made ufe of by the ambafl'adors to 
difluade him from going to the capital; and, in a haughty 
determined tone, infilled on his former demand of being 
admitted to a perfonal interview with their fovereign. 
During this interview, fome Mexican painters were em¬ 
ployed in delineating upon white cotton cloths figures of 
the’ flips, the horfes, the artillery, the foldicrs, and what¬ 
283 
ever elfe attrn&ed their notice as Angular. Thefe pic¬ 
tures, as Cortes was informed, were to be lent to Monte¬ 
zuma, in order to give him a better idea of the cbjeCls 
now prefented to their view than any words could do : 
and therefore he rel'olved to make the reprefentation more 
animated and interefting, by exhibiting a 1'peCtacle which 
might give them and their monarch an awful impreflion 
of the extraordinary prowefs of his followers, and the ir- 
refiltible force of their arms. The trumpets were ordered 
to found an alarm; the troops inftantly formed in order 
of battle; the infantry performed fuch martial exercifes 
as were bed failed to dilplay the eft'eCt of their different 
weapons ; the horfe by various evolutions gave a fpecimert 
of their agility and llrength; and the artillery, pointed 
towards the thick wood which furrounded their camp, 
made dreadful havoc among the trees. The Mexicans 
were amazed ; and at the explofion of the cannon many 
fled, and fome fell to the ground; and Cortes found it 
difficult to compofe their minds and preferve their confi¬ 
dence in their own fafety. The painters put their fancy 
on the ftretch in inventing figures and characters for re- 
prelenting the extraordinary things which they had feen. 
Thefe pictures were difpatched to Montezuma; and Cortes 
fent along with them a prefent of fome European cu- 
rioilties, which he believed would be acceptable on ac¬ 
count of their novelty. The Mexican monarch had 
couriers polled at proper ftations along the principal 
roads; and, as thefe were trained to agility by a regular 
education, they conveyed intelligence with furprifing ra¬ 
pidity. Though the city in which Montezuma relided 
was above one hundred and eighty miles from St. Juan 
de Ullua, Cortes’s prefents were carried thither, and an 
anfwer returned to his demands, in a few days. As the 
anfwer was unfavourable, Montezuma had endeavoured 
to mollify the Spanilh general by the richnefs of his pre¬ 
fents. Thefe confifted of the manufactures of the coun¬ 
try ; cotton Huffs fo fine, and of fuch delicate texture, as 
to referable filk; pictures of animals, trees, and other 
natural objeCts, formed with feathers of different colours, 
dil'pOfed and mingled with fuch Ikill and elegance as to 
rival the works of the pencil in truth and beauty of imi¬ 
tation. But what chiefly attracted their attention, were 
two large plates of a circular form ; one of maflive gold 
reprelenting the fun, the other of filver reprefenting the 
moon. Thefe were accompanied with bracelets, collars, 
rings, and other trinkets of gold ; and, that nothing might 
be wanting which could give the Spaniards a complete 
idea of what the country afforded, fome boxes filled with 
pearls, precious Hones, and grains of gold unwrought, as 
they had been found in the mines or rivers, were lent 
along with the reft. Cortes received all with an appear¬ 
ance of the moll profound refpecl for Montezuma; but, 
when the Mexicans, prefuming upon this, informed him, 
that their mailer, though he defired him to accept of 
what he had lent as a token of his regard for the prince 
whom he reprefented, would not give his conlent that 
foreign troops Ihould approach nearer to his capital, or 
even allow them to continue longer in his dominions,; 
Cortes declared, in a manner more refolute and peremp¬ 
tory than formerly, that he mult infill on his firit demand; 
as he could not, without dilhonour, return to his own 
fovereign until he was admitted into the prefence of the. 
prince whom he was appointed to vifit in his name. 
The puiillanimity of the Indian monarch afforded time 
to the Spaniards to take meafures which would have been 
out of their power had they been vigoroully attacked on 
their firft refulal to obey his orders. Cortes uled every 
method for lecuring the affections of the loldiers ; which 
indeed was very necellary, as many of them began to ex¬ 
claim againft the ralhnels of his attempt in leading them 
againll the whole force of the Mexican empire. In a lhort 
time Teutile arrived with another prefent from Monte¬ 
zuma, and together with it delivered the ultimate orders 
of that monarch to depart inftantly out of his dominions; 
and when Cortes, inltead of complying with his demands, 
renewed 
