irect for the
town, within a short distance of which we were met by the caziques,
papas, and numbers of other Indians who had come out to welcome us.
Most of them were clad in a species of cotton cloak, similar in shape to
our marlotas.[33] These cloaks are also worn by the Capotecas Indians.
They all appeared friendly, and well-disposed towards us. The papas
carried along with them earthern censors, with which they perfumed our
officers and those soldiers who stood nearest.

When the papas and other chief Indians saw the Tlascallans who had
accompanied us, they begged of Dona Marina to remind Cortes that it was
not proper for their enemies to enter into the town with weapons in
their hands. Cortes then ordered the officers and the whole of us to
halt, and spoke to us as follows: "I am of opinion, gentlemen, that,
previous to our entering into Cholulla, we should, by kind words, elicit
from these papas and caziques what their real intentions are. They seem
hurt that these our friends the Tlascallans should have accompanied us,
and are, indeed, perfectly right in what they say; wherefore it is my
intention to acquaint them, in a mild manner, with our reasons for
visiting their city. You know already, from the Tlascallans, that these
people are treacherous by nature; it is, therefore, most prudent we
should first desire them to take an oath of allegiance to our
sovereign."

He then desired Dona Marina to call the caziques and papas around him
where he sat on horseback, all of us being close at his side. Three of
the principal caziques and two papas immediately appeared in Cortes'
presence, and addressed him thus: "Malinche, you must not harbour any
suspicion against us for not having come to Tlascalla to pay our
respects to you there, and because we did not send you any provisions.
We were not wanting in good wishes towards you, but Maxixcatzin,
Xicotencatl, and the whole of Tlascalla are at enmity with us. They have
too grossly slandered us and our great monarch, and now they no longer
abide by words, but have the audacity to be upon the point of entering,
all armed, into our city, under your protection. We earnestly beg you
will tell them to return to their own country, or at least command them
to remain outside in the fields, and not to march into our city in such
a manner. The rest of you are at liberty to enter at any time, and are
perfectly welcome."

As soon as our captain was informed of this their reasonable r