Kate Stephens

“ A small figure standing by its side they said was his page, at any rate it held the idol's short lance and shield decorated with gold and jewels. Round the neck of Huitzilopochtli were figures of human faces made of gold, and hearts of silver set with many precious blue stones. In front of the image stood several incense pans in which the hearts of three Indians, who had that day been sacrificed, were burning with copal as a burnt-offering. The walls of the chapel and the whole floor were so encrusted with human blood that they were black, and the stench of the place was unendurable. ”

“ Consider how already he has declared war of extermination against us, just as if we were a troop of Moors.
"Up to this moment," continued Cortes, "we have fought to defend our lives, but now we have to fight for our lives and our honor, for our enemies have nothing less in mind than to capture us and rob us of all we have gained. If Narvaez and his men conquer us, which God forbid, all the services we have rendered the Almighty and our king will be turned to crimes. ”

“ When we reached the summit we saw a platform set about with large stones, on which they put those doomed for sacrifice, and near by was an image shaped like a dragon, and other abominable figures, and a quantity of fresh blood. Montezuma himself accompanied by two papas came out of a chapel in which his cursed idols were standing and received us with courtesy. "Ascending this great temple of ours, Malinche, must have fatigued you," he said; on which Cortes assured him that nothing ever tired him and his companions. ”

“ For a twelve days' sail we hovered near the coast, but afterwards we doubled Cape San Antonio and made for the open sea, steering toward the setting sun, wholly ignorant of the depth and currents of the water. We knew nothing, moreover, of what winds might prevail, until a terrible storm came down upon us and blew two days and nights. The sea lashed us boisterously, and every moment we expected shipwreck. But finally the wind ceased, and twenty-one days after we had left harbor in Cuba we came in sight of land. Every heart, filled with gratitude towards God, rejoiced greatly. ”

“ The Mexicans had determined on the same action. They came in overwhelming numbers, fresh men every minute to the attack. Neither cannon nor musketry were to the purpose, nor killing from forty to fifty of their troop at a time. They fought on in close ranks, their courage seeming to increase with every loss. At times they would retreat, but that was merely a ruse to draw us from our quarters to where they could surround us, desperately assault us with stones and lances cast from housetops, and assail our ears with drums, trumpets and yells that we were scoundrels and cowards. ”

“ But every day the Mexicans sounded their diabolical shell trumpets and yelled and howled, and every night fires lighted the platform of the great temple as they sacrificed our unfortunate comrades before their accursed idols. For ten successive days these indescribable barbarities went on—until all their prisoners were gone.
One morning many squadrons of warriors fell on us in endeavor to surround us on all sides, and in the midst of their fierce attack they were shouting such insults as these:—" You are a set of lying cowards!" "You are fit neither to build houses nor to plant maize!" ”

“ How quickly the wheel of fortune turns and trouble and sorrow follow joy! Such a moment now came to us. First two Tlaxcalans bearing a letter from Alvarado, and then two other messengers, told that Mexico had risen in arms, that the people were besieging the Spaniards we had left behind to guard Montezuma, that they had set fire to the new fortifications and killed seven of our men and wounded many others. God knows how greatly this news shocked us. We determined, leaving Narvaez and Salvatierra in custody at Vera Cruz, to hasten to Mexico by forced marches. ”

“ The atmosphere at last became so pestiferous that Guatemoc asked Cortes to permit all the inhabitants and the remainder of the Mexican forces to leave the city. Our captain promptly urged them to go, and for three days and nights an unending stream of men, women and children, so emaciated, dirty and death-like that it was pitiful to see them, crowded the causeways. As soon as they had got away Cortes set out to examine the city. We found houses full of dead bodies, and a few poor creatures still having life but too weak to stand. ”

“ If the Almighty had not lent us strength, we must have perished; without God's aid we should never have reached our quarters. Miserable we were, every one of us wounded, and the distress we were in was more terrible from our uncertainty as to what had happened to Cortes' and Sandoval's divisions. The cry of the Mexicans when they threw before us the five heads tied together by the hair and beards still rang in our ears. ”

“ But envoys from the caciques of Cholula met and bade us welcome to their territory, and within a short distance of the town the caciques, papas and a number of Indians came out to meet us. When we made our entry the people crowded the streets and housetops to gaze on us. And who can wonder? Never had they seen men like ourselves, nor any horses. We marched to our quarters, in which we found plenty of room, and to which they at once brought us abundance of good food. The city lay in a plain, a land bearing maize and vegetables and the maguey from which the people ferment a wine. ”

“ After Guatemoc's capture we soldiers turned so deaf we could scarcely hear. We were like those standing in a belfry where many bells are ringing and then all of a sudden cease. I suggest this as comparison, for during the more than eighty days we were besieging the city, both night and day, our ears suffered great confusion of noises. In one quarter some of the Mexicans were yelling and piping war-whoops to muster their squadrons; in another warriors were calling to the canoes to attack the sloops, the bridges, the causeways ”

“ As soon as these lists were given out, Cortes again addressing us said, "I am fully aware that Narvaez has four times as many soldiers as we. But most of them are not used to arms, numbers of them are hostile to their captain, many are ill, and we shall fall on them unawares. God will give us victory. They will not oppose us for they know they will fare better with us than with Narvaez. So, gentlemen, our lives and our honor depend, after God, on your valor and strength of arm. In our hands now lies the estimate all future generations will put upon us. ”

“ Just at this time Cortes came galloping up with the horse. They had been delayed by the bogs. When we, who were in hot pursuit, espied our cavalry, we attacked with renewed energy. The Indians, busily fighting us toward their faces, did not see our horsemen dashing on them from behind, spearing them in their fine and rapid galloping and finally forcing them to face about. They had never seen a horse before, and could not think other than that our good riders and their powerful, fiery animals were one body. ”

“ Here our captain gave orders for the ships to come to anchor, and after we had lowered boats many of us soldiers went aland, for we had seen smoke as we neared the shore. We found two strongly built stone houses, each with steps leading up to an altar, and on these altars idols of horrible shapes. Bodies of five natives still lay where the night before the papas had sacrificed them—their chests cut open, their arms and legs off, while the walls about were besmeared with blood. At all this we stood in utter amazement, and gave the island the name of Isla de Sacrificios. ”

“ Our captain now said to Montezuma, "I can not imagine how such a wise man and powerful monarch as you should not have discovered that these idols of yours are evil spirits. That it may be proved to you, and that your papas may see it clearly, permit me to set a cross here at the top of this temple, and in the place where Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca stand give me space to put up an image of Our Lady. Then you will see by the fear that will seize these idols that they have been deceiving you." ”

“ So the men stood exchanging angry words when the two sloops which Cortes had kept by the causeway came in. They had parried attacks from canoes, and after hard fighting, aided by a strong wind and the energy of their oars, had broken the stakes between which they were jammed, and, every man on board wounded, had returned. In all haste Cortes now despatched Sandoval to Tacuba to see how matters went with our division, sending Lugo with him. "Go, my son," said Cortes. "You see I am wounded and can not. Rescue the three divisions and inspire them with hope. ”

“ This rally of ours greatly rejoiced Cortes and he said that because he had confidence in us he had made the march from Mexico, and not regret but wealth and honor should be the reward of our courage. He once more begged us to remember that in war and battle, prudence and knowledge accomplish more than utmost daring, and he knew so well our great courage, how every man of us strove to be first to dash into the enemy's ranks, that he begged us to be ordered in companies. ”

“ Cortes ordered some of our horsemen to try and capture one without wounding him. When the thirty found our horsemen coming towards them and beckoning to them with their hands, they began to retreat slowly and so to mass themselves that our men could not capture one. They also struck at our horses and wounded them, and by this action so heated the blood of our men that they killed five of the thirty. Upon this a swarm of more than three thousand warriors rushed furiously from ambush, pouring a shower of arrows and fire-hardened darts upon our horsemen. ”

“ If they were to remain in Mexico, we must be killed. This was the last they would say on the matter.
In order that Cortes and all of us should know this momentous decision, Montezuma sent word that he wished to speak with him, and when our captain hastened to the monarch, he said, "How grieved I am at the command our gods have given our papas and me and all my people. For they say we must make war on you, and kill you, or drive you back to the sea. I advise you to leave this city at once, before you are attacked. Do not fail to do this. Remember your lives are at stake." ”

“ The hair of these papas was long and matted with clotted blood. At no great distance from this place of skulls stood other temples to still other gods said to be protectors of marriage. One, where abominable human sacrifices were offered, was for men, and another for women in which women made sacrifices and held festivals in endeavor to induce the gods to give them good husbands.
Cortes and the rest of us at last grew weary of seeing so many idols and the horrible utensils used about them and we returned to our lodgings accompanied by the many caciques Montezuma had sent as our escort. ”

“ The next Sunday, when Diego Velasquez was on his way to church, and in company with the principal persons of the town, he placed Cortes on his right side to do him honor. While they were on the road a jester, nicknamed Fool Cervantes, ran in front of the governor, playing pranks and cracking all sorts of jokes. "Alas! alas! my friend Diego," he cried, "what manner of captain have you chosen? He of Medellin in Estramadura! A captain to try his luck in no little way. Have care that he does not run off with your fleet, for you can see by his face he is terrible when once he begins." ”

“ Next morning, after we had commended ourselves to God in prayer, we set out with each company marching in close order, our horsemen particularly guardful that the foe should not break our ranks and divide our company. And as we marched two armies of warriors, about six thousand men, came up with terrific din of trumpets, drums and yells, flying arrows at us, hurling their darts, and conducting themselves with every show of valor. Cortes now ordered us to halt and he sent forward three prisoners of the day before to say that we came to them as brothers and wished them to stay hostilities. ”

“ Large bodies of Mexicans lay in wait for us further on, stationed there in case the troops on the high hill should need their assistance. Retreating before us, they took up a strong position on another rock. We now suffered terribly from lack of water. Not a single drop passed our parched lips the whole day, and our horses suffered equally. The few springs we came upon our Indian allies crowded into and turned into pools of mud. Half dead with thirst, we encamped for the night under some mulberry trees—where the enemy greeted us with a shower of arrows, lances and rocks. ”

“ Cortes in his ambition and love of power should take this as a lesson"; "Cortes has mastered us in a worse defeat than we mastered Mexico, and we should not call ourselves the conquerors of New Spain, but the conquered of Hernando Cortes"; "A general's share does not satisfy him, but he must have a king's share, not counting the profits"; "How sad is my heart till Cortes gives back the gold he has hidden" ”