erely, since they had wished to heap the infamy of their vile
proceedings upon him and his ambassadors. We might (they continued) rest
assured of his friendship, and repair to his metropolis as soon as we
should think proper. Being as we were men of vast courage, and the
ambassadors of so great a monarch, he would receive us with due honours,
and only regretted that, owing to the situation of his metropolis in the
midst of a lake, he should not be able to furnish our table with the
victuals he otherwise could wish. The greatest respect would everywhere
be paid us, and he had also sent orders to the different townships we
should pass through to furnish us with everything we required." Besides
these, there were many other civilities they mentioned in their
monarch's name.

Cortes, to whom our interpreters had explained this message, accepted
the present with every appearance of delight. He embraced the
ambassadors, and presented them with various articles of cut glass.
Every officer and soldier amongst us congratulated himself upon this
favorable turn which affairs had taken, and at the monarch's invitation
to visit Mexico,--for our desire to see that city daily grew upon us,
particularly upon those who had no possessions in Cuba, and had
accompanied the previous expeditions under Cordoba and Grijalva.

Cortes returned the ambassadors a kind answer to all they had said, and
arranged that three of them should remain with us to show us the road,
while the others were despatched to Mexico, to acquaint their monarch
that we had already set out on our march thither.

When the two old caziques of Tlascalla found that Cortes was earnestly
bent on marching to Mexico, they appeared excessively grieved, and
reminded Cortes how frequently they had warned him, and could not do so
too often, to dissuade him from marching into a town of such vast extent
and power, and which possessed various means of carrying on a murderous
war. The Mexicans would certainly, one day or other, fall upon us
unawares, and it would be a wonder if we escaped alive out of their
hands. To convince us how well they were inclined towards us, they
would, however, gladly furnish us with 10,000 of their warriors, under
the command of their most able generals, with a sufficient supply of
provisions.

Cortes thanked them for their kind offers, and explained to them that it
would not be proper to enter Mexico at the head of so large an army,
particularly as the h