s answered, that we should never be able to repay him for
all the kindnesses he had shown us. We indeed came from the rising of
the sun, and were servants and subjects of a powerful monarch, called
Don Carlos, who had numerous distinguished princes among his vassals.
Our monarch had received intelligence of him, Motecusuma, and of his
great power, and had expressly sent us to his country to beg of him and
his subjects to become converts to the Christian faith, for the
salvation of their souls; and that we only adored one true God, as he
had previously, in some degree, explained on the downs to his
ambassadors Teuthlille, Cuitalpitoc, and Quintalbor, all of which,
however, would be more fully explained to him at some future period.
When this discourse was ended, Motecusuma presented to our general
various kinds of valuable gold trinkets, and a smaller portion of the
same kind to each of our officers, with three packages of cotton stuffs,
splendidly interwoven with feathers; and to every soldier two similar
packages. All this he gave with every appearance of delight, and in all
he did he showed his excellent breeding. He likewise inquired, after the
presents had been distributed, whether we were all brothers, and
subjects of our great emperor? To which Cortes replied in the
affirmative, assuring him we were all united in love and friendship
towards each other. In this way a pleasant discourse was kept up between
Motecusuma and Cortes, though it was of short duration, as this was the
monarch's first visit, and he was unwilling to be too troublesome thus
early. He then ordered his house steward to provide us the necessary
provisions, consisting in maise, fowls, and fruits, and also grass for
our horses; to furnish women to grind our corn with stones, and bake the
bread: after which the monarch took leave of us with great courtesy,
Cortes and all of us conducting him to the door.

Our general now issued strict commands that no one should stir from
head-quarters until we had gained some certain knowledge as to how
matters really stood.

[50] Cortes, in his despatches to the emperor, says that the monarch
spoke as follows to him: "We have long known, from the historical books
of our forefathers, that neither I, nor the inhabitants of this country,
originally belonged to it, but that our forefathers came from distant
countries. We also know that the tribe we belong to was brought hither
by a monarch to whom it was subject; but