he passed. One of the nobles always preceded him on
these occasions, carrying three slender rods erect, which I suppose was
to give notice of the approach of his person. And when they descended
from the litters, he took one of them in his hands, and held it until
he reached the places where he was going. So many and various were the
ceremonies and customs observed by those in the service of Muteczuma,
that more space than I can spare would be required for the details, as
well as a better memory than I have to recollect them; since no sultan
or other infidel lord, of whom any knowledge now exists, ever had so
much ceremonial in their courts.

VII. The Meeting with Montezuma

It was early in the morning of November the 8th, 1519, when Cortes, at
the head of his little army, rode over one of the long causeways and
into the city to his first meeting with Montezuma. As no one can tell
better than he what happened, I here insert his own account of the
episode:

"The next day after my arrival at this city, I departed on my route,
and having proceeded half a league, I entered upon a causeway that
extends two leagues through the centre of the salt lake, until it
reaches the great city of Temixtitan (Mexico), which is built in the
middle of the lake. . . .

"I pursued my course over the above-mentioned causeway, and having
proceeded half a league before arriving at the body of the city of
Temixtitan, I found {163} at its intersection with another causeway,
which extends from this point to terra firma, a very strong fortress
with two towers, surrounded by a double wall, twelve feet in height,
with an embattled parapet, which commands the two causeways, and has
only two gates, one for the entering and the other for departure.
There came to meet me at this place nearly a thousand of the principal
inhabitants of the great city, all uniformly dressed according to their
custom in very rich costumes; and as soon as they had come within
speaking distance, each one, as he approached me, performed a
salutation in much use among them, by placing his hand upon the ground
and kissing it; and thus I was kept waiting about an hour, until all
had performed the ceremony. Connected with the city is a wooden bridge
ten paces wide, where the causeway is open to allow the water free
ingress and egress, as it rises and falls; and also for the security of
the city, as they can remove the long and wide beams of which the
bridge is formed, an