The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo Vol. 2

1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo written by himself, containing a true an…
that Malinche, theconqueror of Mexico, had arrived in person; and they brought at thesame
time a quantity of provisions for him.
As the caziques of the four principal townships happened to stand all together in the
presence of Cortes, he took the opportunity of addressingthem at some length, which was
interpreted to them by DoñaMarina. He first spoke to them about our holy religion, and
then ofour great emperor Don Carlos of Austria, who had dominion over somany countries
and nations; how his majesty had sent us expresslyinto these countries in order to abolish
from among them all idolatry,theft, the sacrificing of human beings, the eating of human
flesh, and other abominations; also to accustom them to live in peace and harmony with
each other. It was therefore their duty, he added, tosubject themselves to a monarch who
was so mercifully inclined, andto lend us every assistance in their power; but, on the other
hand, heshould be compelled to punish those severely who in any way brokethe peace.
After this, father Juan de las Varillas and the two Franciscan monkspreached an edifying
sermon to them, which two Mexicans, who understood the Spanish language, and other
persons, interpreted to thecaziques, who listened with great attention to all that was said,
and readily acknowledged themselves vassals of our emperor, and promised to obey
Malinche in everything. Our general then ordered them to furnish the colony with
provisions, and to send a number of Indians withthe necessary tools to level a rising ground
which lay in the town andobstructed the view of the harbour and of the sea. He also desired
them to repair with their canoes to some townships of the Guanajasislands to request the
inhabitants there to supply him with fish, whichthey had in abundance. The inhabitants of
these islands readily complied,and brought a present consisting in fowls and fish, Cortes, in
return, giving them some of the swine he had taken with him on thisexpedition; for he had
been assured by a Spaniard that these islands were peculiarly adapted for breeding pigs,
provided the animalswere allowed to go at large. This indeed was found to be a fact; for,a
couple of years after, they had so increased that people went thitherregularly to hunt them.
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But all this is rather foreign to my narrative, and I will rather acquaintthe reader that the
caziques sent so large a body of Indians to level thehill, that, in the space of two days, there
was a good prospect of thesea from the town. They likewise constructed fifteen houses, of
which one for Cortes was of larger dimensions. As there were still a great number of
townships which refused obedience, Cortes desired thecaziques of Papayeca, which, at that
time, was a very extensive township,to enumerate the several tribes which had omitted to
sendambassadors. The whole of them, he was informed, dwelt among themountains, and
had equipped themselves for war. Our general then despatched thither Saavedra, with a
strong detachment of troops,among whom were also the eight soldiers of Guacasualco, to
compel these Indians to sue for peace. Most of these townships, on the approach of our
troops, very wisely submitted without offering anyresistance; but there were three which
obstinately refused to do so, and, if I am not mistaken, are called the Acaltecas, against
whichSaavedra immediately marched his men. Cortes' name was so fearedand respected
among all the inhabitants of this country that even the distant tribes of Olancho, where
subsequently so many lucrative mineswere discovered, sent ambassadors to him to declare
themselves vassalsof our emperor. Throughout this country Cortes was known by thename
of the captain Hue, Hue of Marina, which means the old captainwho has Marina with him.
During our general's stay in Truxillo, his cousin Avalos, the two Franciscan monks, the
licentiate Pedro Lopez, the officers of his household,Carranza and Guinea, Juan Tlamena
and several of the men hehad brought with him, besides many of the colonists, were all
sufferingfrom bad health. Cortes, therefore, determined to send the whole ofthem, as soon
as the weather was favorable, either to Cuba or toSt. Domingo. For this purpose he fitted
out a vessel and sent onboard the best provisions that were to be had, and likewise took this
opportunity of forwarding despatches to the Hieronymite brotherhood, in which he gave
them a full account of the hazardous expedition to the coast of the Honduras, and of the
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