This
Place Was Surrounded With Wood; The Houses Were Built Of Stone And Lime,
And Roofed With Tiles, And The People Resisted The Assailants Manfully;
But St James Appeared On Horseback To The Assistance Of The Spaniards,
And They Took The Place.
This, as the first town subdued by them on the
continent, they named Vittoria.
From thence they went to a place named St
Juan de Vilhua, said to be 60 or 70 leagues from Mexico, where one
Tendilli was governor for King Mutecuma. Though the Spaniards and he
could not understand each other, yet Tendilli gave them good
entertainment. Cortes had twenty women along with his expedition, one of
whom, named Marine, was born in the country of the Indians, and was the
first native of New Spain who received baptism. She and Anguilar served
as interpreters between Cortes and the natives. Tendilli sent immediate
intelligence to Mutecuma, that there had arrived in his country a bearded
people, for so they called the Castilians. On the reception of this news,
Mutecuma was greatly troubled, for his gods, or devils rather, had
revealed that a people of the description of these Spaniards was to
overthrow his law and dominion, and to become lords of the country;
wherefore Mutecuma sent gifts to the value of twenty thousand ducats to
Cortes, but refused any interview.
As the ships could not ride in safety at St Juan de Vilhua, Cortes sent
Francis de Montejo, and the pilot Antonio Alaminos, in two brigantines,
to look out for a safe anchorage. They went to Panuco, in lat. 23 deg. N.
whence they came back to Culvacan as a safer harbour. But Cortes went by
land westwards to a city named Zempoallan, where he was well received.
From thence he went to Chiavitztlan, with the lord of which town, and of
all the surrounding country, he entered into a league against Mutecuma.
On the arrival of his ships at the appointed haven, he went there and
built a town, which he named _Villa rica de la Vera Cruz_. From thence he
sent a vessel to Spain with presents, and a letter to the Emperor Charles
V. giving an account of his proceedings, and of his determination to
visit Mutecuma, and soliciting a commission as governor of the
country[33].
Before proceeding on his march to Mexico, Cortes destroyed all his ships,
lest his men might mutiny, as they seemed disposed; and leaving 150
Spaniards in Vera Cruz, with as many Indians to serve them, he began his
march. Going first to Zempoallan, he learnt that Francis Garay was on the
coast with four ships, and he contrived to inveigle nine of his men, from
whom he understood that Garay, who had been in Florida, was now at the
river Panuco, where he had got some gold, and meant to remain and build a
town, now called Almeria. Cortes destroyed the idols of Zempoallan, and
overthrew the tombs of their kings, whom the people worshipped as gods,
and exhorted them to worship the true God.
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