lar and Donna Marina, in the course of which he asked if the Mexican king had any gold, and being answered in the affirmative, he said, "Let him send it me, for I and my companions have a complaint, a disease of the heart, which is cured by gold.'

An answer came back from Montezuma in seven days, and was brought by Teotlili, one of the officers who had before met Cortez. He brought with him magnificent presents from the king, and, among other things, a sun of gold, which he laid before Cortez, informing him that Montezuma sent these things to show how he estimated the friendship of that king (Charles the Fifth), but in the present state of affairs it was "not convenient" to allow Cortez to present himself at the Mexican court. Certainly, from the official style of this reply, we may conjecture that the Mexicans had reached a high state of what is called civilization.

Cortez received the presents with all due deference, but said that it would be impossible for him to desist from his undertaking. The honor of his king forbade it. This he said so angrily that the officers of Montezuma offered to send again to their sovereign for instructions, and they did so. Meanwhile, Cortez dispatched Francisco de Montejo, accompanied by the celebrated pilot Anton Alaminos, to seek a port that might be a better station for them than the present one, which was a barren and desert place vexed by musquitoes. They returned with the intelligence that they had found a port twelve leagues off, close to a fortress named Chiahuitzla.

Montezuma resolved not to receive these strangers, and a more peremptory answer than the last, but accompanied, like it, with presents, was conveyed by Te

otlili to Cortez. It happened to be evening time when the Spanish commander was about to reply to this second message, and the Ave Maria bell was heard from that vessel in the squadron which served as a church. The Spaniards fell on their knees to pray. Teotlili inquired from Marina what this meant, and Cortez thought it a good occasion to commence the work of conversion, which, to do him justice, was always in his mind. For this purpose he brought forward Father Bartolomé de Olmedo, who endeavored to give Teotlili some insight into the mysteries of the Catholic faith, and into the nature of his own idolatry. Then Cortez continued the discourse, intimating that conversion was one of the chief objects of his sovereign; and that, having come so far on such a great affair from so mighty a king, he must persevere in his attempt. The Mexican embassador, in much anger and confusion, broke off the conference.

The next morning there were no Indians to assist the Spaniards and to bring them food. The friends of the Governor Velasquez murmured against Cortez, and Diego de Ordaz told him that the army was averse to proceeding, and that the means at his disposal were not sufficient for the conquest of such an empire as Montezuma's. Cortez replied by dwelling on the success which had hitherto attended the expedition, but admitted that, if the soldiers were so disheartened as Ordaz asserted, it would be madness to attempt such an enterprise, and that they must consider about their return to Cuba. He accordingly published an order for the return of the fleet to that island.

It must not be supposed that Cortez took this important step without having thoroughly prepared for it by sounding his chief partisans as to the course they

were inclined to take, and probably conveying to them his own wishes. The way in which the camp was split into two factions, and the underhand negotiations that went on, can not be better seen and appreciated than by the short account which BERNAL DIAZ gives of what happened to himself. "One night, a little after midnight, came to my hut Alonso Hernandez Puertocarrero, Juan de Escalante, and Francisco de Lugo (Lugo and I were in some sort relations, and from the same country), and they said to me, Señor Bernal Diaz del Castillo, come hither with your arms to go the rounds, for we will accompany Cortez, who is making the rounds.' And when I was at some little distance from the hut, they said to me, 'Look, Señor; keep secret for a little time that which we are going to tell you, for it is of much importance, and your companions in the hut may not hear it, who are of the faction of Diego Velasquez.' And what they said to me was the following: Does it seem good to you, Señor, that Hernando Cortez should have brought us all here under a delusion, and given out proclamations in Cuba that he was coming to make a settlement, and now we have learned that he has no authority for that, but only for trading; and they wish (the change of person may here be noted) that we should return to Santiago with all the gold that has been taken, in which case we should all be ruined men, and Diego Velasquez would take the gold as he did before?" "

They then reminded Bernal Diaz that he had been three times in that land and had gained nothing, and they ended their address to him by suggesting that they should agree to form a settlement in the name of his majesty the emperor, that they should elect Cortez as captain, and inform his majesty of what they had done.

It was not possible that these private dealings could go on unobserved by the opposite faction. A camp is not a cabinet, and secrets leak out even from a cabinet. The followers of Velasquez protested against such underhand proceedings; but their protestations were too late. When the proclamation for return was made known to the soldiers, they became furious with Cortez, and declared that they would not go back to Cuba. It was remembered how ill Grijalva had been received by Velasquez because he had returned without founding any settlement. Uttering such complaints as they were fairly entitled to make, they came into the presence of Cortez. This crafty leader had his followers now exactly in the position in which he must have desired to see them. He affected a difficulty in acceding to their wishes, and the tone which he adopted on the occasion is well described, by one who heard him, in the words of the sly proverb, "You may entreat me to do that which I like to do" (tu me lo ruegas, y yo me lo quiero). A speech has been made for him* which probably does not differ much in substance from that which he really uttered. He tells the clamorous malcontents of his having been informed that it was their desire to go: to please them he had yielded; but he was glad to find them in a disposition more fitting for the service of their king and the duty of good Spaniards; however, as he did not wish to have unwilling soldiers, it must now be understood that whoever desired to return to Cuba could do so, and that he would provide for the embarkation of all those who would not voluntarily follow his fortunes.

Just at this period, or a little before, when Cortez and his companions were feeling somewhat desolate *DE SOLIS, Conquista de la Nueva-España, lib. ii., cap. 6.