Communications with the Mexican Emperor

Communications With The Mexican Emperor, The Zempoallans And Quiavistlans.

"Thou too dost purge from earth its horrible
And old idolatries; from their proud fanes
Each to his grave their priests go out, till none
Is left to teach their worship!"
Bryant's Hymn to Death.

Before his departure from Tabasco, Cortez and his priest made strenuous efforts to explain the principles of his religion to the chiefs and their people. This, indeed, seems really to have been a purpose uppermost in his heart throughout the whole of his bloody campaign; but, as may well be supposed, the subject was too abstract, too novel, and too little capable of proofs, which appeal to the senses and inclinations, to meet with much favor. "They only complied," says Solis, "as men that were subdued, being more inclined to receive another God than to part with any of their own. They hearkened with pleasure, and seemed desirous to comprehend what they heard; but reason was no sooner admitted by the will than it was rejected by the understanding." They acknowledged that "this must, indeed, be a great God, to whom such valiant men show so much respect."

From the river Tabasco the fleet sailed direct for San Juan de Ulua, where they were no sooner moored than two large piraguas, with a number of Indians on board, came boldly alongside. By the interpretation of Marina, Cortez learned that these came in behalf of Pitalpitoque and Tendile, governor and captain of the district, under Montezuma, to inquire as to his purposes, and to make offers of friendship and assistance. The messengers were handsomely entertained, and dismissed with a few presents, trifling in themselves, but of inestimable value in their un-skilful eyes.

As the troops landed, Tendile sent great numbers of his men to assist in erecting huts for their accommodation; a service, which was rendered with remarkable dexterity and rapidity.

On the morning of Easter day, the two great officers came to the camp with a lordly company of attendants. Not to be outdone in parade, Cortez marshaled his soldiers, and having conducted the chiefs to the rude chapel, Mass was said with due ceremony. He then feasted them, and opened negotiations by telling of his great sovereign, Don Carlos, of Austria, (Charles the Fifth,) and expressing a desire to hold communion in his behalf with the mighty Emperor Montezuma,

This proposition met with little favor. Tendile urged him to accept the presents of plumed cotton mantles, gold, &c., which they had brought to offer him, and depart in peace. Diaz says that the Indian commander expressed haughty astonishment at the Spaniard s presumption. Cortez told them that he was fully resolved not to leave the country without obtaining an audience from the emperor; but, to quiet the apprehension and disturbance of the Indians, he agreed to wait until a message could be sent to the court and an answer returned, before commencing further operations.

Painters, whose skill Diaz enlarges upon, now set to work to depict upon rolls of cloth, the portraits of Cortez and his officers, the aspect of the army, the arms, and other furniture, the smoke poured forth from the cannon, and, above all, the horses, whose "obedient fierceness" struck them with astonishment. These representations were for the benefit of Montezuma, that he might learn more clearly than he could by verbal report, the nature of his novel visitants. By the messengers, Cortez sent, as a royal present, a crimson velvet cap, with a gold medal upon it, some ornaments of cut glass, and a chair of tapestry.

Pitalpitoque now settled himself, with a great company of his people, in a temporary collection of huts, built in the immediate vicinity of the Spanish camp, while Tendile attended to the delivery of the message to his monarch. Diaz says that he went to the royal court, at the city of Mexico, in person, being renowned for his swift ness of foot; but the most probable account is that he availed himself of a regular system of couriers, established over the more important routes throughout the empire. However this may be, an answer was returned in seven days time, the distance between Mexico and San Juan being sixty leagues, by the shortest road.

With the messenger returned a great officer of the court, named Quintalbor, who bore a most striking resemblance to Cortez, and one hundred other Indians, loaded with gifts for the Spaniards. Escorted by Tendilo, the embassy arrived at the camp, and, after performing the usual ceremony of solemn salutations, by burning incense, &c., the Mexican lords caused mats to be spread, and displayed the gorgeous presents they had brought.

These consisted of beautifully woven cotton cloths; ornamental work in feathers, so skillfully executed that the figures represented had all the effect of a painting; a quantity of gold in its rough state; images wrought or cast in gold of various animals; and, above all, two huge plates, one of gold, the other of silver, fancifully chased and embossed to represent the sun and moon. Diaz says that the golden sun was of the size of a carriage wheel, and that the silver plate was still larger.

Proffering these rich tokens of good will, together with numerous minor articles, the chiefs delivered their monarch's mission. Accompanied by every expression of good will, his refusal was declared to allow the strangers to visit his court. Bad roads and hostile tribes were alleged to constitute insuperable difficulties, but it was hinted that more important, though unexplainable reasons existed why the interview could not take place.

Cortez, courteously, but firmly, persisted in his determination, and dismissed the ambassadors with renewed gifts; expressing himself content to await yet another message from Montezuma. He said that he could not, without dishonoring the king, his master, return before having personal communication with the emperor.

He, meantime, sent a detachment farther up the coast, with two vessels, to seek for a more convenient and healthy place of encampment than the burning plain of sand where the army was now quartered.

Montezuma persisted in objections to the advance of the Spaniards, and Cortez being equally immovable in his determination to proceed, the friendly intercourse hither to maintained between the natives and their guests now ceased. Tendile took his leave with some ominous threats, and Pitalpitoque with his people departed from their temporary domiciles.

The soldiers cut off from their former supplies of pro vision, and seeing nothing but danger and privation in store for them, began to rebel, and to talk of returning home. Cortez checked this movement by precisely the same policy that was resorted to by Agamemnon and Ulysses, under somewhat similar circumstances, as will be found at large in the second book of the Iliad, line 110 et seq.

He seemed to assent to the arguments of the spokesman of the malcontents, and proceeded to proclaim his purpose of making sail for Cuba, but, in the meantime, engaged the most trusty of his friends to excite a contrary feeling among the troops. The effort was signally successful: the commander graciously consented to remain, and lead them to further conquests, expressing his great satisfaction in finding them of such bold and determined spirit.

About this time, Bernal Diaz and another sentinel being stationed on the beach, at some distance from the camp, perceived five Indians of a different appearance from any hitherto seen, approaching them upon the level sands. Diaz conducted them to the general, who learned, by Marina s interpretation, that they came in behalf of the cacique of Zempoala, or Cempoal, to proffer the services of their king and his people. This tribe held the Mexicans in great fear and detestation, and rejoiced in the opportunity now presented for attempting some retaliation for former oppressions and injuries.

The exploring expedition had discovered a desirable location, at the town of Quiavistlan, a few leagues north of the encampment, and Cortez concluded to move thither immediately. Before taking further steps, he established himself more firmly in command by resigning his commission under Valasquez, and taking the vote of his followers as to whether he should be their captain. This being settled to his satisfaction, he marched for Quiavistlan, passing the river at the spot where Vera Cruz was afterwards built.

Zempoalla lay in his route, and there the army was met by a deputation from the cacique, he being too corpulent to come in person. Sweet-smelling flowers were offered as tokens of friendship to the Spanish officers. The town was well built, and ornamented with shade trees. The inhabitants collected in innumerable but orderly crowds to witness the entrance of the cavalcade. The "fat cacique" entertained his guests handsomely, making grievous complaints of the oppressions and ex actions suffered by him and his tribes at the hands of Montezuma s officers. He had been subdued by the great emperor, and was now his unwilling tributary.

Quiavistlan was situated upon a rocky eminence, up which the army advanced, prepared to crush any opposition on the part of the inhabitants. These, however, had mostly fled from their homes on the approach of the Spaniards. In the principal square, Cortez was met, and saluted with the usual fumigations of incense, by fifteen of the chief men of the town. They excused the timidity of their people, and promised that they should immediately return, as no injuries were intended by the strangers.

They came accordingly; the chiefs, together with the corpulent cacique of Zempoalla, being borne upon litters. All united in lamentations over the cruel state of degradation and servitude to which they were subjected by the tyrant Montezuma. He plundered them of their treasures, seized and carried away their wives and daughters, and sacrificed no small number of them to his gods.

While they were yet consulting and beseeching assistance from the Spaniards, the whole conclave was stricken with terror by the intelligence of the arrival of five royal emissaries or tax-gatherers. These stately personages, to whom the Quiavistlans hastened to minister with cringing servility, did not even condescend to bestow a look upon the Spanish officers. "They were dressed," says Diaz, "in mantles elegantly wrought, and drawers of the same, their hair shining, and, as it were, tied at the top of the head, and each of them had in his hand a bunch of roses, which he occasionally smelt to. They were attended by servants, who fanned them, and each of whom carried a cord and a hooked stick."

Calling the caciques before them, these dignitaries rebuked them for entertaining foreigners, who disregarded the expressed will of the emperor, and, as a punishment for the contempt, demanded twenty victims for sacrifice. Cortez, being informed of this, advised the seizure and imprisonment of these emissaries until report of their cruelties and insolence could be made to their master. The caciques, accustomed to submission, were at first horror-stricken at the proposal, but Cortez persisting boldly and confidently in his opinion, they went to the other extreme. The five magnates were placed, says Solis, "in a kind of pillories, used in their prisons, and very incommodious; for they held the delinquents by the neck, obliging them continually to do the utmost with their shoulders to ease the weight, for the freedom of breathing." "One of them, also, being refractory, was beaten soundly."

The exultant Quiavistlans would have gone still farther, and made a speedy end of their prisoners, had not Cortez interfered. Not willing to give immediate offence to Montezuma, but desirous of being in condition at any moment to pick a quarrel, or to claim the rewards and consideration due to meritorious services, he contrived to effect the escape of two of these lords, charging them to give him all credit for the act at their master s court. To preserve the other three from destruction, he took them on board one of his vessels, (the fleet having come round by sea) under pretence of safekeeping. He, none the less, pro claimed to the caciques, his allies, that they should there after be free from all oppressions and exactions on the part of the Mexican authorities.

The army was now set to work at the foundation of a permanent fortification and town. By the willing assistance of the natives, the walls of Vera Cruz rose rapidly. To excite a spirit of industry and emulation, Cortez commenced the work of digging and carrying materials with his own hands. Thirty caciques, from the mountainous districts of the Totonaques, led by reports of Spanish valor and virtues, came in to offer their services and alliance. Their followers are numbered by Herrera (an author who speaks too confidently of particulars) at one hundred thou sand men; wild mountaineers, but bold and efficient.

While all hands were at work upon the new town, messengers once again appeared from Montezuma. His anger, greatly excited by the first reports of the seizure of his officers, had been mitigated by the favorable report of those who had been allowed to escape; and he now sent two of his own nephews, accompanied by four old lords, and a splendid retinue. Acknowledgments were made by the embassy for the service rendered by Cortez in setting the two tax-gatherers at liberty; but he was, at the same time, vehemently requested to leave the country, and not hinder, by the respect due to his presence, the just punishment of the rebels with whom he was cohabiting. He was adjured not to dream of making further progress towards the royal court, " for that the impediments and dangers of that journey were very great. On which point they enlarged with a mysterious tediousness; this being the principal point of their instructions."

Cortez replied that danger and difficulties would but give zest to the adventure, for that Spaniards knew no fear, and only sought for glory and renown. He entertained the ministers handsomely, and dismissed them with presents.

The Zempoalans thought that the friendship cemented between them and the foreigners could not be taken ad vantage of better than by engaging them to subdue a neighboring tribe, whose chief town was called Cingapacinga. They therefore induced Cortez, by pretending that a troublesome Mexican garrison was quartered there, to assist them in conquering the country. With four hundred Spaniards, and a great company of Zempoalans, the Spanish leader entered the mountain district where the enemy was to be sought. As the army approached the town, eight old priests, in black and hooded robes, like friars, came out to deprecate his anger. These functionaries presented, as usual, the most disgusting and horrible appearance. Their long hair was tangled and clotted with, human blood, which it was a part of their rules should never be washed off, and their persons were filthy, loath some, and offensive beyond conception.

Cortez discovered that he had been deceived, as no Mexicans were in the vicinity, but he put a good face on the matter, and succeeded in making a peaceable arrangement between the rival tribes.

Returning to Zempoala, renewed evidence was brought before the eyes of this zealous Catholic, of the extent to which the custom of human sacrifice was carried; and especially of the sale and consumption of the bodies of the victims as a "sacred food." He therefore concluded to prostrate the idols, and set up the insignia of the true religion. Long and earnest harangues failed to induce the natives to perform this service themselves: they would be cut to pieces, they said, ere they would be guilty of such sacrilege. The soldiers then broke up and destroyed the images, purged the temples, and, covering the bloody marks of pagan worship with lime and plaster, erected an altar, and celebrated the rites of Catholicism. As no prodigy or signal vengeance from Heaven followed the audacious act, the pliable natives seemed readily to fall in with the proposed change, and, burning the fragments of their idols, they aped the posture and formula of the devout Spaniards. An old and partially disabled soldier, named Torres, agreed to remain as keeper of the newly consecrated temple, on the departure of the troops.

Indian Races of North and South America

This site includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes implied .

Indian Races of North and South America, By Charles De Wolf Brownell, 1865