The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne. López de Gómara Francisco

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СКАЧАТЬ did or coulde doe good or euill vnto them, being dūbe, without life or soule, yea and y^e worke of their owne hands. He certifyed them of one god maker of heauen and earth, and all creatures whom the Christians did worshippe and serue, and that all creatures ought to doe the same. In conclusion with thys doctryne they brake downe their Idols, and receyued the crosse, Cortez hauing first declared vnto them the great miseries that the son of God suffered on y^e Crosse for mankynde. And in the greatest temple of Potonchan, set vp a Crosse in remēbrance of the death of Christ and celebrated the feast vpon their knees, and the multitude of Indians likewise, and departed to their meate. Cortez desired them within two dayes to come agayne to theyr diuine seruice. And that day was Palme sunday. And so they did and brought an infinite number of men women and children of other villages with them whych was straunge to behold. And there generally gaue theyr vassalship to the king of Spaine into the handes of Hernando Cortez, with protestation of perpetuall friendship with the Spanish nation. So that these were the fyrste vassals that the Emperour had in the new Spayne. And this feast and ceremony ended, our men toke shipping with the palme boughes in their handes. In this doyng Cortez deserued no lesse prayse than in his victorie, for he vsed wisedome with manhoode in all his doings: he lefte those Indians with a newe faith, and the towne frée and without hurt, he toke none for slaues, nor yet any spoyle nor exchāged his merchaundice for any thing although he aboade there twentye dayes. The towne is called in the Indian tongue Potonchan, that is to saye, a place that stincketh, and our menne named it, the victorie.

The armor of the Indians

      The Lord (as ye haue heard) was called Tauasco, and therefore the firste Spaniardes that came thyther, named the riuer Tauasco, but Grijalua called it after hys owne name, whose name and remembraunce will not so soone be forgotten. And truely all those that do discouer newe countreys, ought to make perpetuall their owne names. This town doth containe neare fiue and twentye thousand houses (as some say) but as euery house stādeth by himselfe like an Iland, it seemeth much bigger than it is in déede. The houses are great, made of lime stone, & bricke: others there are made of mood wal, and rafters & couered with straw or bordes. Their dwelling is in the vpper part of the house, for the greate moystnesse of the riuers and lakes, and for feare of fier, they haue theyr houses separated the one from the other. Without, the towne they haue more fairer houses than wythin for their recreation and pleasure. They are browne people, and go almost naked, and eat mans flesh sacrificed. Their weapons are bowes and arrowes, slyngs, darts, and lances. The armour wherwith they defend themselues, are Targets and skulles made of woodde or barke of trées, and some of gold very thinne. They haue also a certayne kinde of harneis made of cotten wooll wrapped aboute their stomacke.

      The good entertainement that Cortez had in Saint Iohn de Vlhua

      Captaine Cortez and his company beeyng embarked, sayled weastwards as nye the shoar as thei might. And this coast hauing no harbors, they founde no place where they might Anker safely with their greater vessels, vntil they arriued vpon Mandie thursday at Saint Iohn de Vlhua, whiche séemed a good harbor for them. The Indians of this place call this harbour Chalchicoeca, there the fleete came to Anker. They were not so soone at Roade, but incontinente came two little boates named Acalles, enquiring for the Generall of the Fleete, who when they came to hys presence, dyd humble reuerence vnto him, and sayde vnto hym that Teudilli the Gouernoure of that Prouince sente to knowe what people they were, and what they woulde haue, and whether they meante to stay there or procéede farther. Aguillar dyd not well vnderstande that language. Cortez caused them to come aboorde hys Shyppe, gyuyng them thankes for theyr paynes and visitation. Hée made vnto them a banket of Wyne and Conserua, and sayde vnto them, that the nexte day followyng hee would come alande, and talke with the Gouernoure, whome hée besoughte not to alter him nor hys people wyth hys commyng a shore, for he meant not to molest hym, but rather to pleasure and profyte hym. To that these messengers were rewarded wyth certayne gyftes, they eate and dranke, but yet suspected euill, although they lyked the Wyne well, wherefore they desired to haue thereof, and also of the Conserua, to presente vnto theyr Lorde, whyche was giuen them, and so departed.

      The nexte daye béeyng good Friday, Cortez came alande wyth hys Boates full of menne, and broughte hys Horses and artillerie a shore by little and little, wyth all hys menne of warre, and two hundred Indians of Cuba, whyche serued to toyle and laboure. Hée planted hymselfe in the best scituation that hée coulde fynde among the Sandy bankes on the Sea syde, and there pytched hys Campe, and hauyng néere that place manye trées, they builte them Cotages with boughes.

VVisedomeThe comming of the GouernorA straunge salutation

      From a little Village that was at hand, came many Indians to gaze at things so straunge, and the like neuer séene vnto them, and brought with thē gold to barter for suche toyes, as the two little Boates had broughte from them before. They brought also bread and meate readie dressed after their vse likewise to sell. Oure men chaunged wyth them beadestones of glasse, looking glasses, sissers, kniues, pinnes, and suche other wares, whereof the Indians were not a little glad, returning home to their houses, shewing their neighbours. The ioy and pleasure that these simple soules tooke with these trifles, was so greate, that the next day they came agayne wyth other Indians ladē with Iewels of gold, Turkie Hennes, bread, meate, and fruite, that suffised for all the Campe, and for the same they receyued nedels, and beadestones of glasse, but the poore soules thought themselues therewith so riche, that they knewe not where they were with ioy and pleasure, yea and they thoughte that they hadde deceyued the Straungers. Nowe Cortez séeyng the greate quantitie of golde broughte and bartered so foolishly for trifles of no valewe, proclaymed throughout all hys host, that no Christian shoulde take any golde vppon greate penaltie, and that they shoulde all shewe, as though they knewe not to what purpose the golde serued, and that they passed not for it, bycause they shoulde not thynke that the desire thereof had broughte them thyther, and so they did dissemble that great demonstration of golde, to sée what was meante thereby, and whether the Indians hadde brought that golde, to proue whether theyr commyng was for that or no. On Easter day in the morning, came Teudilli the Gouernour to the Campe, from Cotosta hys dwellyng place, whyche was eyght leagues from thence. He brought attendyng vpon his person foure thousande men without weapon, and the most part well clothed, some of them with garments of Cotton, riche after their manner. And others naked, laden with victuals in great abundance, whiche was straunge to sée. Teudilli according to their vsance, did his reuerence to the Captaine, burning frankinsence, and little strawes touched in bloud of his owne bodye, he presented vnto him the victuals, and certayne Iewels of golde very riche and well wrought, and other things made of feathers very curious straunge and artificiall. Cortez embraced him in his armes, and receyued hym ioyfully, saluting all hys company. He gaue to Teudilli a coate of silke, a brooche, and a coller of glasse, with many other péeces of Haberdashe wares, whiche was highly estéemed of him.

      The talke of Cortez vvith Teudilli

A maruellous happe

      Al the former talke was had without an Interpreter, bycause Ieronimo de Aguillar vnderstoode not thys language, bycause it differed muche from the spéeche of the other Indians, whereas hée hadde bin captiue: for whyche cause Cortez was somewhat carefull, bicause he would largely haue discoursed with Teudilli. It chanced that among those twentie women giuen hym in Potonchan, one of them stoode talking with a seruaunte of Teudilli, bycause she vnderstoode them as menne of hir owne language. Cortez espying this, called hir aside, and promised hir more than libertie, so that she woulde bée a trustie and faithfull interpreter betwixte hym and those Indians, and that hée woulde estéeme hir as his Secretarie. And further demanded of hir of what lignage she was, then she aunswered, that she was naturall of the Countrey that bordered vpō Xalixco, and of a towne called Viluto, daughter vnto riche parentes, and of the kinrede of the Lorde of that lande. And béeyng a little girle, certayne Merchantes dyd steale hir away in tyme of warre, and brought hir to be solde at the fayre of Xicalanco, whyche is a greate Towne néere Coasaqualco, not farre distant from Tauasco: СКАЧАТЬ