ords or gentlemen as applied to all the Spaniards; and that
this word having some resemblance to Teteo, the Mexican term for gods,
made them believe that they were considered as gods by the
Mexicans.--E.

[9] Chiahuitztla, near which Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, the first Spanish
settlement in Mexico was built; but which was afterwards removed to
the dry sands at St Juan de Ulua, where Vera Cruz, the port of Mexico,
now stands.--E.

SECTION V.

_The Spanish Army advances into the Country, and an account of their
Proceedings before commencing the March to Mexico_.

The hardships we now endured for want of provisions required immediate
relief, and Alvarado was detached with a party of an hundred soldiers, to
search the country for maize and other provisions. These now sent were
mostly of the party of Velasquez, as it was thought prudent that the
adherents of Cortes should remain with him in a body. Alvarado marched to
several small villages belonging to the district of _Costitlan_, which he
found deserted by the inhabitants, who had retired on his approach. In the
temples he found several bodies of men and boys recently sacrificed, and
the stone knives yet smoking with which the horrible ceremony had been
performed. The limbs had been severed from the bodies, and taken away to
be eaten, as our people were informed. Our soldiers were exceedingly
shocked at these abominable scenes; but such were seen by us everywhere in
our after-progress through the country. In these villages, abundance of
provisions were procured, which were brought to the camp; but nothing else
was brought away, as Cortes had strictly forbidden them to touch any thing
else. They returned with the provisions and two prisoners to the camp,
where we were all rejoiced in the novelty of good fare. Cortes, by his
address and good management, soon drew over many of the adherents of
Velasquez to his interest, gaining some by the unfailing influence of gold,
and others by promises. By these means, having brought the prisoners from
the ships, in which they had been hitherto confined, he attached most of
them sincerely to his party, and in a few days set them all at liberty. We
now proceeded towards the fortress of Chiahuitztla, and passed, during the
march, a large fish which had been cast ashore. We arrived at a river
where the town of Vera Cruz now stands, and crossed to a village on the
opposite side in the district dependent o