B. XV. growth and nascent polity of one of the principal Ch. 9. Spanish cities in America. And, in the narrative of the Dominican convent at Guatemala, we have a perfect example of a missionary convent. Then Las Casas appears most opportunely on the stage; and the region known by the formidable name of Peaceful the Tierra de Guerra becomes transformed, in "the Land name and in reality, into the Tierra de Paz. No one can have the slightest doubt that this remarkable circumstance would not be forgotat Court. ten by Las Casas in his subsequent interviews conquest of of War," a great argument for Las Casas with the Emperor and the President of the Council for the Indies; and I feel sure it had the greatest effect upon the Spanish legislation for the Indies. In the course of the narrative we have had the cause of Las Casas's going to Spain, where he is again to become a most important personage, and where his career is to culminate. The Conquerors, too, show their nature in Guatemala; and in Alvarado we have a complete specimen of the devout, cruel, forcible, restless Spanish adventurer of those days. The indirect bearings of the events in this history-the episodes, as we may call them,—are pregnant with great history of results, amongst which the most notable is the expedition of Alvarado to Peru, where he left behind him those men who were to be the cause of the deplorable events in that kingdom -events which are distinctly appreciable to this day. Other notable things in the Guatemala. In a word, the history of Guatemala cannot well be passed over by any one who wishes to understand the complicated series of transactions which constitute the early history of that vast B. XV. extent of country which stretches from California Ch. 9. to Chili, and includes eighty degrees of latitude on the earth's surface. NOTE. It is to be regretted that there are not materials for a fuller history of Guatemala during the period of the Spanish Conquest. I had hoped to have obtained copies of some of its early records which Remesal must have seen, but have been disappointed; and, indeed, the troublous state of the Republic necessarily prevents attention being given to the claims of literature. Much work has to be done by the antiquary, the geographer, and the man of science, before an historian will be able to write such an account of this country as should satisfy himself. The geography, for instance, is in such a state that the mapmaker to this work, Mr. Morgan, and myself, after having bestowed much time and great consideration, can only offer with the greatest diffidence, the maps of Guatemala here presented, considering them as mere approximations to the truth. Moreover, we cannot be bound by the statements of the early Conquerors as to the distances they traversed on any particular occasion. Nor can we undertake to correct their statements; for what may appear preposterous to us, with our better knowledge of the country, may still be true, and the distances mentioned by the Conquerors may actually have been the distances traversed by them. Again, the Spanish league, as it was interpreted by these men on occasions when they were suffering from want of guides, from hunger and fatigue, was a very elastic measure, and perhaps corresponded in vagueness with a German stunde. To show how easy it is to be deceived in endeavouring to recal the geography of the past, I will refer to one of the reasons assigned by the historian, Fuentes y Guzmán, for placing the ancient city of the Kachiquels close to the first city built by the Spaniards. "It is contrary to common sense," he argues, "to suppose, with Vasquez, that the first conquerors, after having taken up their quarters in Guatemala, would again quit it for the purpose of encamping in a wilderness; because, if these men, who came to receive the homage and obedience of Sinacam, were peaceably received by that monarch, settled and feasted in his residence, why should they quit all these conveniences, at the hazard of incurring the ill-will of the sovereign, to found a city, and build themselves habitations, when the capital of the kingdom was at their command; to fatigue themselves in search of everything they wanted, when they could enjoy inexhaustible abundance in the city ?"-JUARROS, English translation, p. 402. This reasonable supposition is at once upset, or greatly inva Ch. 9. B. XV. lidated, by a single fact-namely, that when Bernal Diaz came in Alvarado's company to ancient Guatemala, though the Indian buildings were in existence, and were noble edifices, the Spaniards, after sleeping one night in the city, went out and encamped near it for ten days. "Passamos a dormir a la ciudad, y estavan los aposentos y las casas con tan buenos edificios y ricos, en fin como de Caciques que mandavan todas las Provincias comarcanas, desde alli nos salimos a lo llano, y hizimos ranchos y choças, y estuvimos en ellos diez dias."-BERNAL DIAZ, cap. 193. y The truth is, that a city, however well built for one people, seldom suits another. The Spaniards had horses; the Guatemalans had never seen such animals; and, of course, had not provided for them in their towns. I allude to the above controversy about the site of Guatemala, merely to point out the difficulties of reviving ancient geography, and the cautious spirit of criticism with which any such attempt should be received. |