POPOCATEPETL AND IXTACCIHUATL—FARRINGTON. 83 
dangers and being deserted by part of his band, driven back when 
not far from the crater, by the blinding, suffocating volumes of smoke 
and cinders which belched forth from it, and was obliged to return, 
bringing as his only trophy some huge icicles, which were naturally 
objects of great curiosity to the natives. So great interest did the 
exploit arouse, however, that the Emperor, Charles the Fifth, learning 
of it, allowed the family of Ordaz to assume a burning mountain on 
their escutcheon, in recognition of Diego’s bravery. 
In opposition to the account of Cortes, Bernal Diaz, generally a 
trustworthy historian of the Conquest, says that the attempt of Ordaz 
was made from Tlascala and was perfectly successful. Certainly, 
enough was learned of the crater, or of sulphur deposits some- 
where, to lead to fitting out the next party which attempted the 
ascent with ropes and leathern sacks for procuring the same. This 
party was sent by Cortes in 1522 under Francisco Montajfo to obtain 
sulphur for the making of gunpowder. If the accounts given by this 
party are to be believed, they reached the crater, and one of them 
being lowered into it, enough sulphur was procured to supply the 
wants of the army, though the expenditure of time and effort was 
such that Cortes reported to the Emperor that it would be more eco- 
nomical to bring powder from Spain. Humboldt* considers it quite 
impossible that either party should have reached the crater, and 
believes that the sulphur was procured from some lateral crevice, or 
possibly from the Pico del Fraile. 
For a further account of the ascents of the mountain I can not 
do better than to translate from the excellent résumé given by Felix 
and Lenk.+ 
‘‘In the same century” (the sixteenth), these authors state, 
‘the learned Franciscan Monk, Bernadino de Sahagun, visited 
Popocatepetl, and Ixtaccihuatl as well. Huis whole description is 
limited to the statement ‘I have been to the top,’ an assertion so 
brief in contrast to the difficulty of the feat that it can hardly be taken 
as satisfactory evidence that he accomplished the ascent. 
‘«'Two centuries passed by without any further attempt, so far as 
known, to ascend the mountain. In 1770, however, Frederick Son- 
neschmidt, an intrepid German miner, who had lived for some time 
in Mexico, essayed the height. He succeeded in reaching only the 
Pico del Fraile, but was the first to make the mountain a subject of 
scientific investigation, and obtained a barometric measurement of 
the height of the latter peak. 

* Of. cit. p. 164. 
+O. cit. pp. 17-20. 
