must get into his metropolis one way or
other. In future, therefore, we begged their monarch would not send any
more ambassadors with such messages. He, Cortes, was determined to see
and speak to Motecusuma himself personally, to acquaint him with the
object of our mission. All we required of him was merely an audience,
for the moment our stay in his metropolis became irksome to him we would
leave and return to the place whence we had come. With regard to the
alleged scarcity of provisions, we were accustomed to content ourselves
with little. He had better, therefore, make up his mind to receive our
visit, as we could not possibly relinquish our purpose of seeing Mexico.
With this answer Cortes sent the ambassadors back to their monarch, and
we continued our march. As we had been so often warned by the people of
Huexotzinco and Chalco, and we were aware that Motecusuma had been
advised by his idols and papas to allow us to enter the city and then
fall upon us, we became more thoughtful, for we were likewise mortals
and feared death. We were now, therefore, doubly upon our guard, more
particularly as the country was thickly populated; and we made short
days' marches. We arranged the manner in which we were to enter the
city, and commended ourselves to the protection of God, and we felt
confident hopes, that as the Lord Jesus had up to this moment watched
over us in all our perils, he would also shield us against the power of
Mexico.

We took up our night's quarters in Iztapalapan, where we found an
excellent supper awaiting us. This town lay half in the water and half
on the dry land, on the slope of a small hill, where, at present, a
public-house is built.

After Motecusuma had learnt our answer to his message, he despatched his
nephew Cacamatzin, prince of Tezcuco to us, in great pomp, to bid us
welcome. The first intimation of this prince's approach was brought in
by our outposts, who announced to our general that a great number of
Mexicans were advancing, arrayed in their most splendid mantles and
showed signs of peace. It was still early in the day, just as we were
about to break up our quarters, and Cortes consequently ordered us to
halt, until we should learn the purport of this visit.

At this moment four distinguished personages came up to him, and made
signs of the profoundest veneration, and announced to him that
Cacamatzin, prince of Tezcuco, and nephew to Motecusuma, was approaching,
and they begged that