The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2): Written

CHAP. I. The time of my departure from Castile, and what farther happened to me 1

CHAP. II. Of the discovery of Yucatan, and the battle we fought there with the natives 3

CHAP. III. Discovery of the coast of Campeachy 6

CHAP. IV. How we landed in a bay close to some maise plantations, near the harbour of Potonchan, and of the attack that was made upon us there 9

CHAP. V. We resolve to return to Cuba. The extreme thirst we suffered, and all the fatigues we underwent until our arrival in the port of Havannah 12

CHAP. VI. How twenty of us went on shore in the bay of Florida with the pilot Alaminos in search of water; the hostilities which the natives of this country commenced with us; and of all that further befel us on our passage to the Havannah 13

CHAP. VII. The fatigues I had to undergo until my arrival in the town of Trinidad 17

CHAP. VIII. How Diego Velasquez, governor of Cuba, sent out another armament to the country we had discovered 19

CHAP. IX. How we landed at Champoton 23

CHAP. X. We continued our course and ran into Terminos bay, as we named it 24

CHAP. XI. How we came into the Tabasco river, which we termed the Grijalva, and what happened to us there 25

CHAP. XII. We come in sight of the town of Aguajaluco, and give it the name of La Rambla 28

CHAP. XIII. How we arrive on the Bandera stream and gain 1500 pesos 29

CHAP. XIV. How we come into the harbour of San Juan de Ulua 32

CHAP. XV. Diego Velasquez sends out a small vessel in quest of us 33

CHAP. XVI. What befel us on our coasting voyage along the Tusta and Tuspa mountains 34

CHAP. XVII. Diego Velasquez despatches one of his officials to Spain 38

CHAP. XVIII. Of some errors in the work of Francisco Lopez de Gomara 39

CHAP. XIX. How another armament was fitted out for a voyage to the newly discovered countries; the command of which was given to Hernando Cortes, afterwards Marquis of the Vale of Oaxaca; also of the secret cabals which were formed to deprive him of it 42

CHAP. XX. Of the designs and plans of Hernando Cortes after he had obtained the appointment of captain 45

CHAP. XXI. Cortes' occupations at Trinidad, and of the cavaliers and warriors who there joined our expedition, and other matters 47

CHAP. XXII. How the governor, Diego Velasquez, sends two of his officials in all haste to Trinidad, with full power and authority to deprive Cortes of his appointment of captain, and bring the squadron away, &c. 49

CHAP. XXIII. Cortes embarks with all his cavaliers and soldiers in order to sail along the south side of the island to the Havannah, and sends off one of the vessels to go around the north coast for the same port 51

CHAP. XXIV. Diego Velasquez sends one of his officials, named Gaspar Garnica, with full authority to take Cortes prisoner, whatever might be the consequence; and what further happened 54

CHAP. XXV. Cortes sets sail with the whole squadron for the island of Cozumel, and what further took place 56

CHAP. XXVI. Cortes reviews his troops, and what further happened 57

CHAP. XXVII. Cortes receives information that two Spaniards are in the power of the Indians at the promontory of Cotoche: the steps he took upon this news 58

CHAP. XXVIII. The manner in which Cortes divides the squadron. The officers whom he appointed to the command of the several vessels. His instructions to the pilots; the signals which were to be made with lanterns at night, &c. 62

CHAP. XXIX. How the Spaniard Geronimo de Aguilar, who was in the power of the Indians, came to us when he learnt that we had again returned to the island of Cozumel, and what further happened 63

CHAP. XXX. How we re-embark and sail for the river Grijalva, and what happened to us on our voyage there 66

CHAP. XXXI. How we arrive in the river Grijalva, called in the Indian language the Tabasco; the battle we fought there; and what further took place 68

CHAP. XXXII. How Cortes despatches two of our principal officers, each with one hundred men, to explore the interior of the country, and what further took place 71

CHAP. XXXIII. Cortes issues orders that we should hold ourselves in readiness to march against the Indians on the following day; he also commands the horses to be brought on shore. How the battle terminates we fought with them 73

CHAP. XXXIV. How we are attacked by all the caziques of Tabasco, and the whole armed force of this province, and what further took place 74

CHAP. XXXV. How Cortes assembles all the caziques of this province, and what further happened 77

CHAP. XXXVI. How all the caziques and calachonis of the river Grijalva arrive with presents, and what happened after this 80

CHAP. XXXVII. How Doña Marina herself was a caziquess, and the daughter of distinguished personages; also a ruler over a people and several towns; and how she came to Tabasco 84

CHAP. XXXVIII. How we arrive with our vessels in San Juan de Ulua, and what we did there 86

CHAP. XXXIX. How Teuthlille makes his report to Motecusuma, and gives him our presents; as also what further took place in our camp 90

CHAP. XL. How Cortes goes in search of another harbour and a good spot to found a colony, and what further happened 92

CHAP. XLI. What happened on account of our bartering for gold, and of other things which took place in our camp 94

CHAP. XLII. How we elected Hernando Cortes captain-general and chief justice until we should receive the emperor's commands on this head; and what further happened 97

CHAP. XLIII. How the partisans of Diego Velasquez would not acknowledge the power we had conferred upon Cortes, and what further took place 100

CHAP. XLIV. How Pedro de Alvarado was ordered to make an excursion into the interior of the country, in order to procure maise and other provisions; and what further happened 101

CHAP. XLV. How we marched into Sempoalla, which at that period was a very considerable township, and what we did there 104

CHAP. XLVI. How we march into Quiahuitzlan, which was a town with fortifications, and were most friendly received 106

CHAP. XLVII. How Cortes ordered the five Mexican tax-gatherers to be imprisoned, and no further obedience to be paid Motecusuma, nor tribute to be exacted; and of the rebellion which was now excited against this monarch 109

CHAP. XLVIII. How we resolved to found Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, and construct a fortress on the low meadows, in the neighbourhood of some salt springs and the harbour, where our vessels were anchored; and what further happened 111

CHAP. XLIX. How the fat cazique and other chief men of the country come and complain to Cortes that a garrison of Mexicans had been thrown into the strong fortress of Tzinpantzinco, committing great depredations; and what further took place 114

CHAP. L. How some of Diego Velasquez's adherents refused to take any further part in our proceedings, and declared their determination to return to Cuba, seeing that Cortes was earnestly bent upon founding a colony, and had already commenced to pacify the inhabitants 115

CHAP. LI. What happened to us at Tzinpantzinco, and how, on our return to Sempoalla, we destroyed all the idols; likewise of other matters 117

CHAP. LII. How Cortes erects an altar, and places thereon the image of the blessed Virgin with a cross; after which mass was said, and the eight Indian females were baptized 121

CHAP. LIII. How we arrived in our town of Vera Cruz, and what happened there 123

CHAP. LIV. Concerning the account of our adventures, with the letter, which we sent his majesty the emperor, through Puertocarrero and Montejo, the letter being attested by some officers and soldiers 125

CHAP. LV. How Diego Velasquez is informed by his agents that we had sent messengers with letters and presents to our king, and what further took place 127

CHAP. LVI. How our agents passed through the Bahama channel with the most favorable wind, and arrived in Castile after a short passage; and of our success at court 129

CHAP. LVII. What took place in our camp after the departure of our agents to his majesty with the gold and the letters; and the instance of severity which Cortes was compelled to give 132

CHAP. LVIII. How we came to the resolution of marching to Mexico, and of destroying all our vessels, which was done with the sanction and by the advice of all Cortes' true adherents 133

CHAP. LIX. Of the speech which Cortes made to us after our vessels were destroyed, and how we prepared for our march to Mexico 135

CHAP. LX. How Cortes arrived with us at the spot where the vessel lay at anchor, and captured six soldiers and sailors of the said vessel who had stepped on shore; also what further took place 136

CHAP. LXI. How we set out on our march to the city of Mexico, and, upon the advice of the caziques, take our road over Tlascalla. What took place here, and of the battles we fought 138

CHAP. LXII. How we commenced our march upon Tlascalla, and sent messengers before us, to obtain the sanction of the inhabitants to pass through their country; how they took our messengers prisoners; and what further happened 143

CHAP. LXIII. Of the terrible battles we fought with the Tlascallans, and what further happened 146

CHAP. LXIV. How we quartered ourselves in the township of Tehuacacinco, and what we did there 149

CHAP. LXV. Of the great battle we fought with the Tlascallans, and what further took place 150

CHAP. LXVI. How we sent a message next day to the caziques of Tlascalla to bring about peace between us, and the determination they came to upon this 153

CHAP. LXVII. How we again sent messengers to the caziques of Tlascalla in order to induce them to make peace, and the resolution they came to upon this 157

CHAP. LXVIII. How we came to the determination of marching to a township in the neighbourhood of our camp, and what happened upon this 158

CHAP. LXIX. How we found, on our return to our encampment, that new intrigues had been set on foot; and the answer Cortes gave to certain representations which were made to him 160

CHAP. LXX. How the captain Xicotencatl assembled 20,000 chosen warriors to make an attack upon us in our camp, and what happened upon this 165

CHAP. LXXI. How four chief personages arrived in our camp to negotiate terms of peace with us, and what further happened 167

CHAP. LXXII. How ambassadors arrive in our camp from Motecusuma, and of the presents they brought with them 170

CHAP. LXXIII. How the captain-general Xicotencatl arrives in our camp to negotiate terms of peace; the speech he made, and what further happened 171

CHAP. LXXIV. How the old caziques of Tlascalla arrived in our camp and invited Cortes and all of us to visit their city, and what further happened 175

CHAP. LXXV. How we marched into the city of Tlascalla, and were received by the old caziques; of the present they made us, and how they brought us their daughters and nieces; and what further happened 176

CHAP. LXXVI. How mass was said in the presence of a great number of caziques, and of the present the latter brought us 178

CHAP. LXXVII. How the caziques presented their daughters to Cortes and all of us, and what further happened 180

CHAP. LXXVIII. How Cortes gained some information respecting Mexico from Xicotencatl and Maxixcatzin 183

CHAP. LXXIX. How our captain Hernando Cortes and all our officers and soldiers determine to march to Mexico 187

CHAP. LXXX. How the great Motecusuma despatched four ambassadors to us, all men in high authority, with presents in gold and cotton stuffs, and what they said to our captains 190

CHAP. LXXXI. How the inhabitants of Cholulla despatched four Indians to us, all men of no distinction, to apologise for not having visited us in Tlascalla, and what further happened 192

CHAP. LXXXII. How we arrived in the town of Cholulla, and the brilliant reception we met with 193

CHAP. LXXXIII. How the inhabitants of Cholulla concerted a plan, at the instigation of Motecusuma, to murder us all, and what further happened 195

CHAP. LXXXIV. The negotiations we set on foot with the great Motecusuma, and the ambassadors we sent him 208

CHAP. LXXXV. How the powerful Motecusuma sends a valuable present in gold to us, and the message which accompanied it, and how we all agree to commence our march upon Mexico; and what further happened 210

CHAP. LXXXVI. How we set out on our march to Mexico; what happened to us on our route; and the message Motecusuma sent us 212

CHAP. LXXXVII. How the powerful Motecusuma again sends ambassadors to us with a present of gold and cotton stuffs: that monarch's message to Cortes, and the answer he returns 216

CHAP. LXXXVIII. The magnificent and pompous reception which the powerful Motecusuma gave to Cortes and all of us, on our entrance into the great city of Mexico 220

CHAP. LXXXIX. How Motecusuma, accompanied by several caziques, pays us a visit in our quarters, and of the discourse that passed between him and our general 223

CHAP. XC. How our general, the day following, paid a visit to Motecusuma, and of the discourse that passed between them 225

CHAP. XCI. Of Motecusuma's person, disposition, habits, and of his great power 228

CHAP. XCII. Our general takes a walk through Mexico, and views the Tlatelulco, (the great square,) and the chief temple of Huitzilopochtli 235

CHAP. XCIII. How we erect a chapel and altar in our quarters with a cross on the outside; discover the treasure of Motecusuma's father; and determine to seize the monarch's person and imprison him in our quarters 244

CHAP. XCIV. Of the battle which the Mexican generals fought with Escalante and the Totonaque tribes 247

CHAP. XCV. Of the imprisonment of Motecusuma, and what further happened 249

CHAP. XCVI. How our general appoints Alonso Grado lieutenant of Vera Cruz, and Sandoval alguacil-major of the same place 255

CHAP. XCVII. How we entertained and amused Motecusuma during his confinement, and granted him permission to visit his temple 258

CHAP. XCVIII. How Cortes orders two large brigantines to be built for the navigation of the lake of Mexico; Motecusuma begs permission to visit his temples to offer up his prayers there; and what Cortes said to him when he granted this permission 261

CHAP. XCIX. How our two brigantines are launched, and Motecusuma, expressing a wish to go a hunting, sails in one of these vessels to a river where he usually went for that purpose 263

CHAP. C. How the nephews of Motecusuma assembled the principal personages of the empire, and formed a conspiracy to rescue the monarch from confinement, and beat us out of the city 265

CHAP. CI. How the powerful Motecusuma, with several caziques and chief personages of the country, declare themselves vassals of our emperor; and of other occurrences which happened then 271

CHAP. CII. How Cortes sends out some of our men to explore the gold mines and those rivers which wash down gold; also the harbours from the Panuco to the Tabasco, but particularly the river Guacasualco 273

CHAP. CIII. How the officers whom Cortes had despatched to the gold mines and the river Guacasualco returned to Mexico 274

CHAP. CIV. How Cortes desired the powerful Motecusuma to order all the caziques of the empire to bring in the tribute of gold due to our emperor 277

CHAP. CV. How all the gold presented by Motecusuma, and collected from the different townships, was divided; and what happened to one of our soldiers on the occasion 280

CHAP. CVI. Of the high words which arose between Velasquez de Leon and our treasurer Gonzalo Mexia on account of the gold which was missing from the heap, and how Cortes put an end to that dispute 282

CHAP. CVII. How Motecusuma offers one of his daughters in marriage to Cortes, who accepts her, and pays her the attention due to her high station 284

CHAP. CVIII. How the powerful Motecusuma acquaints Cortes that it is requisite for his safety to quit Mexico, with the whole of his men, as all the caziques and papas were upon the point of rising up in arms to destroy us all, in compliance with the advice given them by their gods: the steps which Cortes took upon this news 286

CHAP. CIX. How the governor of Cuba, Velasquez, in all haste fits out an armament against us, the command of which he gives to Pamfilo de Narvaez, who was accompanied by the licentiate Lucas Vazquez de Aillon, auditor of the royal court of audience at St. Domingo 289

CHAP. CX. How Narvaez arrives with the whole of his flotilla in the harbour of San Juan de Ulua, and what happened upon this 290

CHAP. CXI. How Pamfilo Narvaez despatches five persons to Sandoval, the commandant of Vera Cruz, with summons to surrender up the town to him 293

CHAP. CXII. How Cortes, after he had gained every information respecting the armament, wrote to Narvaez, and several of his acquaintances who had come with him, and particularly to Andreas du Duero, private secretary to Velasquez; and of other events 296

CHAP. CXIII. The high words which arose between the auditor Vazquez de Aillon and Narvaez, who orders him to be seized and sent back prisoner to Spain 298

CHAP. CXIV. Narvaez marches, with the whole of his troops, to Sempoalla; his proceedings there; and how we in Mexico determine to march against him 300

CHAP. CXV. How the powerful Motecusuma inquires of Cortes whether it was really his intention to march out against Narvaez, though the latter's troops were double the number of ours 302

CHAP. CXVI. How we determined once more to despatch father Olmedo to Narvaez's head-quarters, and what we commissioned him to say 306

CHAP. CXVII. How father Olmedo arrived in Narvaez's head-quarters at Sempoalla, and what he did there 308

CHAP. CXVIII. How Cortes reviews the whole of his troops, and we are supplied with two hundred and fifty very long new lances, by the Tchinantecs 310

CHAP. CXIX. How Duero, with the soldier Usagre and two of his Indian servants from Cuba, arrived in our camp; who this Duero was, and the reason of his visit, &c. 311

CHAP. CXX. How Juan Velasquez arrives in Narvaez's head-quarters, and what took place there 314

CHAP. CXXI. What took place in Narvaez's quarters after the return to our camp of the ambassadors we had sent there 318

CHAP. CXXII. The order of our march against Narvaez; the speech Cortes made to us; and our reply to it 320

CHAP. CXXIII. How the 2000 Indians of Chinantla, whom Cortes had demanded of the caziques there, arrived at Sempoalla after Narvaez's defeat 329

CHAP. CXXIV. How Cortes despatches Francisco de Lugo, with two men who had formerly been ship-builders, to the harbour where Narvaez's flotilla lay, to bring all the captains and pilots of the vessels to Sempoalla 329

CHAP. CXXV. How we all, including Narvaez's troops, hasten to Mexico by forced marches 333

CHAP. CXXVI. How the Mexicans made war upon us, and the battles we fought with them 337

CHAP. CXXVII. Cortes determines to announce Motecusuma's death to the Mexican generals and chiefs who are at war with us 345

CHAP. CXXVIII. How we come to the determination of leaving Mexico secretly at night; and what further happened 347

CHAP. CXXIX. How we quartered ourselves in the metropolis of Tlascalla, and what we did there 359

CHAP. CXXX. How we marched into the province of Tepeaca, what we did there, and of other things which happened 365

CHAP. CXXXI. How a vessel, which had been sent by Diego Velasquez from Cuba, arrived at Vera Cruz, commanded by the captain Pedro Barba, and the manner in which Caballero captured her 369

CHAP. CXXXII. How the inhabitants of Quauhquechola called upon Cortes, and begged of him to drive out the Mexican troops from their town, as they were plundered and ill-used by them 370

CHAP. CXXXIII. How one of the vessels which Francisco de Garay had fitted out for the object of forming settlements on the river Panuco, put in at Vera Cruz, and what further happened 373

CHAP. CXXXIV. How Cortes despatches Sandoval with 200 men, among which were twenty horse and twelve crossbow-men, to punish the tribes of Xalatzinco and Zacatemi, for having put some Spaniards to death, and to demand restitution of the gold they had robbed us of; and also further to explore the country 375

CHAP. CXXXV. How all the slaves we had taken in Tepeaca, Quauhquechola, Tecalco, and Castilblanco, were brought together in our head-quarters, and branded with an iron, in his majesty's name 379

CHAP. CXXXVI. How the chief officers and principal personages of Narvaez's troops request leave to return to Cuba, which Cortes grants, and they accordingly leave; also how our general sends ambassadors to Spain, St. Domingo, and Jamaica 381

NOTES 387

ERRATA.

P. 17, l. 3, for Fronseca, read Fonseca. 17, 24, for dubbloons, read doubloons. 20, 18, for Chaopa, read Chiapa. 20, 26, for Mautanzas, read Matanza. 31, 8, for this, read their. 31, 28, for surrounded, read surmounted. 51, 17, for his, read its P. 53, l. 19, read whom the king Quauhtemoctzin took. 126, 2, for which, read whom. 230, 22, for were, read was. 355, 9, for when, read where. 365, 33, for were the townships, read was the township.