klace of imitation pearls, a
scarlet cap, with a medal, on which was represented the holy St. George
on horseback, with lance in hand, killing the dragon. Cortes addressed
Teuthlille, and said, that he presented this chair to his monarch
Motecusuma, that he might sit in it when he should pay him a visit, and
the string of pearls to wind around his head on the same occasion; all
of which were presents from the emperor our master, who had sent these
things to his monarch in token of friendship and as a proof of the
esteem in which he held him: he ought now to inform us where and when he
could personally wait upon him. Teuthlille accepted the presents, and
said, in return, that his master Motecusuma, as he was also a great
monarch, would on his side be equally delighted to learn something about
our great emperor: he would hasten to lay the presents before him, and
return with his answer.

Teuthlille had with him very clever painters, for there were such in
Mexico, and he ordered them to sketch the likeness and whole person of
Cortes, with the dress he wore; also all the other chief officers, the
soldiers, our vessels, horses, Dona Marina, and Aguilar; even our two
dogs, the cannon, the balls; in short, everything they could fix their
eyes on belonging to us: these paintings they took along with them to
show to their monarch. In order, however, to convey to him a still
greater idea of our power, Cortes ordered our cannon to be heavily laden
with powder, so as to produce a very loud report, commanding also
Alvarado and the other cavaliers to mount their horses, to hang bells
around the necks of the latter, and to gallop up in full speed in
presence of Motecusuma's ambassadors. Cortes also mounted his horse, and
said to the others, "It would be capital if we could gallop across these
sand-hills at full speed; but, as we should so easily stick in the sand,
it will be better for us to ride two and two along the sea-shore at low
water." He then gave the command of the horse to Alvarado, whose brown
mare was a spirited animal, and very swift. All this was done in
presence of the Mexican ambassadors; but, that they might likewise see
the cannon fired, Cortes, under the pretence of having something further
to communicate, took them and several other principal personages to a
spot where they might have a good view of it. The weather was perfectly
calm; and when the cannon was fired, the stone balls flew with a
tremendous crash along