ecaution. Our troops were preceded by the cannon, that it
might be ready at hand if required. Here it was that Alonso de Avila, a
severe and haughty man, ran a soldier named Alonso of Villanueva, who
had only one arm, through the empty sleeve of his coat, with the point
of his lance, because he marched out of the ranks. From that moment we
termed the man the one-armed of Villanueva. However, I shall likewise
be accused of marching out of the ranks, if I relate such trifles: I
cannot deny it, and will, therefore, immediately fall in again. We
arrived in the midst of the town without meeting any one, and were not a
little surprised at this circumstance, as the inhabitants had left that
very morning, when they found we were approaching their dwellings. On
the most elevated point of the fortress there was an open space in front
of the cues and large houses of their idols; and here we first met with
fifteen well-dressed Indians, who were carrying perfuming pans. With
these they went up to Cortes, perfumed him and all who were near at the
time, bid us welcome, and most humbly begged forgiveness for not having
come out to meet us, and confessed that fear of ourselves and horses had
prevented them, and that they had first wished to know who we were. We
had now only to make ourselves comfortable, they added, and that very
evening they would see that all the inhabitants returned to their
houses.

Cortes thanked them most kindly for their good reception, and told them
many things about our holy religion and our great monarch, as was
customary with us wherever we came. He also presented them with a few
green glass beads and other trifles we had brought from Spain; they
supplying us with fowls and maise-bread in return.

While the first welcomings were going on it was announced to Cortes that
the fat cazique of Sempoalla was approaching in a sedan, supported by
numbers of distinguished Indians. Immediately upon his arrival he
renewed his complaints against Motecusuma, in which he was joined by the
cazique of this township and the other chief personages. He related so
much of the cruelties and oppression they had to suffer, and thereby
sobbed and sighed so bitterly that we could not help being affected. At
the time when they were subdued, they had already been greatly ill used;
Motecusuma then demanded annually a great number of their sons and
daughters, a portion of whom were sacrificed to the idols, and the rest
were employed in h