They Then Spread A Mat On The Ground,
Which They Covered With A Mantle, On Which They Laid Some Golden
Toys made
in form of birds and lizards, and three strings of gold beads, desiring us
to accept these presents
In a friendly manner, being all the gold they
could collect, which did not exceed the value of 200 crowns. They added
that there was abundance of gold to be had farther west, repeating several
times Mexico and Culua, words which we did not then understand. We
were well satisfied with this proof that the country produced gold; and we
hastened to quit our present anchorage, as a gale from the north was
likely to happen, and might have proved fatal to the expedition.
Two days sail from Tabasco, we arrived opposite to a town called
Aguayaluco, which we named la Rambla, where we observed many of the
inhabitants armed with shields of tortoise-shell, which the soldiers
believed to have been gold, from being polished and shining in the sun. We
came next to the mouth of the river Farole, which we named St Antonio.
Whence we continued our course by the mouth of the great river
Coatzacualco, observing a distant range of high mountains covered with
perpetual snow, and others nearer the sea, which we named the ridge of St
Martin, as being first noticed by a soldier of that name. At this time
Alvarado discovered a river called Papaloapan by the natives, which was
afterwards called the river of Alvarado, into which he entered, and
procured some fish from the inhabitants of a town named Tlacotalpan.
Grijalva was much offended by the conduct of Alvarado on this occasion, as
we had to wait three days for his return; and gave pointed orders that no
ship should separate in future from the squadron without orders, lest any
unforeseen misfortune should happen that could not be remedied by
assistance from the rest. From thence, after the return of Alvarado, we
proceeded to a river which we named Vanderas, because some white banners
were waved by a number of Indians on the shore, as a signal of invitation
for us to land.
It is now universally known that the city of Mexico is as large as Venice,
and is built in like manner in the water, and also that it is the capital
of a large empire, containing many extensive provinces, then ruled over by
a powerful monarch named Montezuma[3], whose thirst for conquest led him
to extend the boundaries of the empire in every direction. Having received
intelligence of our first appearance on this coast under Cordova, and of
the battle at Champoton; that our force was very small, and that our
object was to procure gold in exchange for articles which we had along
with us, all of which circumstances had been faithfully communicated to
him by means of paintings transmitted to his residence by expresses; he
issued orders, on receiving notice of our second arrival on his coast, to
procure our green glass beads in exchange for gold, as they set great
value on these baubles, not knowing they were artificial; and he likewise
directed his officers to make minute inquiries as to our persons and
intentions.
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