to say what were these jewels so much valued by
the Mexicans. Clavigero, I. 422, enumerates among their precious
stones, "Emeralds, amethysts, cornelians, turquoises, and others not
known in Europe." In another passage, I. 424, he mentions many small
red stones similar to rubies, as among the Mexican curiosities
transmitted to Charles V. by Cortes.--E.

[10] We are duly sensible of the divine super-excellence of Christianity,
and the gross barbarism of idolatry joined with abominable human
sacrifices. Yet, the mere change of two crossed sticks and the images
of Saint Somebody or Saint Nobody, for the idols of the Mexicans,
under pretence of introducing the pure religion of the meek and holy
Jesus, seems in our humble opinion a mere _qui pro quo_; and, when
taken in conjunction with the proposed conversion by military
execution, and the introduction of the bloody tribunal of the
Inquisition, not one iota less idolatrous or less barbarous.--E.

[11] Bernal Diaz neglects to accommodate his readers with the very useful
appendage of dates; it therefore may be proper to remark that the
Spaniards entered the city of Mexico for the first time on the 8th
November 1519; and as Cortes left it in the beginning of May 1520, in
his march against Narvaez, he had now spent about six months in the
capital of a mighty empire, with hardly 450 soldiers.--E.

SECTION IX.

_Expedition of Narvaez to supersede Cortes in the command, and occurrences
till the Defeat of that Officer by Cortes at Chempoalla_.

The Bishop of Burgos, who was president of the council of the Indies, bore
unlimited sway in that department of the Spanish government during the
absence of the emperor in Flanders. Owing to the representations of
Velasquez against Cortes, he sent orders to him to seize and make us all
prisoners at every hazard, as rebellious subjects. Velasquez therefore
fitted out a fleet of nineteen ships from the Island of Cuba, in which he
embarked an army of fourteen hundred soldiers, eighty of whom were cavalry,
eighty musketeers, and eighty crossbow-men, with twenty pieces of cannon,
and all necessary ammunition and appointments, giving the command in chief
to Pamphilo de Narvaez. Such was his animosity against Cortes and us for
having thrown off our dependance upon him, that he made a journey of above
seventy leagues from the Havanna on purpose to expedite the prepara