hole
Mexican nation about their ears. Fortunately at this juncture five
Indians made their appearance in the camp, and were taken to the
general's tent. They were quite different from the Mexicans in dress and
appearance, and wore rings of gold and bright blue gems in their ears
and nostrils, while a gold leaf, delicately wrought, was attached to the
under lip. Marina could not understand their language, but luckily she
found that two of them could speak in the Aztec tongue. They explained
that they came from Cempoalla, the chief town of a tribe called the
Totonacs, and that their country had been lately conquered by the
Aztecs, whose oppressions they greatly resented. They also said that the
fame of the Spaniards had reached their master, who had sent to request
them to visit him in his capital. It is easy to imagine how eagerly
Cortes listened to this communication, and how important it was to him.
Hitherto, as he knew absolutely nothing of the state of affairs in the
interior of the country, he had supposed the empire to be strong and
united. Now he saw that the discontent of the provinces conquered by
Montezuma might be turned to his own advantage, and that by their aid he
might hope to succeed in his cherished scheme of subduing the emperor
himself. He therefore dismissed the Totonacs with many presents,
promising soon to visit their city. Then with his usual energy and
diplomacy he turned upon the immediate difficulties which beset him--the
discontent of the soldiers, the jealousy of some of his officers, and
the fact that he had no warrant for his ambitious plans in the
commission that he had received from Velasquez. By tact and cunning he
managed to settle everything as he wished, and set to work to establish
a colony in the name of the Spanish sovereign, and appointed his chief
friend Puertocarrero to be one of its magistrates, and Montejo, who was
a friend of Velasquez, to be the other. The new town was called Villa
Rica de Vera Cruz, 'The rich town of the True Cross,' and, as you see,
its governors and officials were appointed before a single house was
built. To them Cortes then resigned the commission which he had received
from Velasquez, and the council, which consisted chiefly of his own
friends, immediately reappointed him to be captain-general and chief
justice of the colony, with power to do practically just as he liked. Of
course this caused a great commotion in the opposing party, but Cortes
put the le