Chapter I: Front Matter

THE MEMOIRS OF THE CONQUISTADOR BERNAL DIAZ DEL CASTILLO

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF

CONTAINING A TRUE AND FULL ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF MEXICO AND NEW SPAIN

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL SPANISH BY JOHN INGRAM LOCKHART, F.R.A.S. AUTHOR OF "ATTICA AND ATHENS"

IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. II

LONDON J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILLY MDCCCXLIV.

C. AND J. ADLARD, PRINTERS, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE.

CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

PAGE

CHAP. CXXXVII. How the whole of us marched towards Tezcuco, and
what happened to us on our way there 1

CHAP. CXXXVIII. How we marched against Iztapalapan; Cortes taking
along with him Alvarado and Oli; while Sandoval was left behind to
protect Tezcuco 6

CHAP. CXXXIX. How ambassadors arrive in Tezcuco from three
neighbouring townships, to sue for peace, and to beg forgiveness for
the murder of several Spaniards who had fallen into their hands; and
how Sandoval marched to Chalco and Tlalmanalco, to assist the
inhabitants there against the Mexicans 8

CHAP. CXL. How Sandoval marches to Tlascalla in order to fetch the
woodwork for building the brigantines, and what happened to him in a
place which we termed the Moorish town 15

CHAP. CXLI. How Cortes marches against the town of Xaltocan, which
lay in the midst of the lake, about twenty-four miles from Mexico,
and from thence proceeds to other townships 18

CHAP. CXLII. How the captain Sandoval marches to Chalco and
Tlalmanalco, and what he did there 26

CHAP. CXLIII. How we marked our slaves at Tezcuco with a red-hot
iron, and received intelligence that a vessel had run into Vera
Cruz 31

CHAP. CXLIV. How Cortes made a hostile excursion to all the cities
and larger townships which lay round about the lake, and what
happened on that occasion 34

CHAP. CXLV. The terrible thirst we suffered on our further march;
our dangerous position at Xochimilco, and the many battles we fought
there with the Mexicans, until our return to Tezcuco 42

CHAP. CXLVI. How we discover, on our return to Tezcuco, that a
conspiracy had been set on foot by the men of Narvaez's troops to
murder Cortes, and all who were of his party; of the author of this
conspiracy; his punishment; and of other matters 53

CHAP. CXLVII. How Cortes issues orders to the inhabitants of all the
townships in the neighbourhood of Tezcuco which were allied with us,
to furnish us with arrows and copper points for the same, and what
further took place at our head-quarters 55

CHAP. CXLVIII. How Cortes reviews the whole of his troops at
Tezcuco; and of his further dispositions for conducting the siege of
Mexico 57

CHAP. CXLIX. The manner in which Cortes selects the men who were to
row the brigantines; of the commanders who were appointed to each;
and of other matters 58

CHAP. CL. Of Cortes' further dispositions for the siege 60

CHAP. CLI. How Cortes assigns particular stations to the twelve
brigantines, the thirteenth being considered unfit for service 68

CHAP. CLII. How the Mexicans defeated Cortes, and took sixty-two of
his men prisoners, who were sacrificed to their idols; our general
himself being wounded in the leg 81

CHAP. CLIII. The new plan of operation which we adopt in the siege,
and how all our allies return to their several homes 91

CHAP. CLIV. How Cortes offers terms of peace to Quauhtemoctzin 97

CHAP. CLV. How Gonzalo de Sandoval marches against the provinces
which had sent their troops to cooperate with Quauhtemoctzin 100

CHAP. CLVI. How Quauhtemoctzin was taken prisoner 107

CHAP. CLVII. How Cortes orders the aqueduct of Chapultepec to be
restored; and of various other matters 116

CHAP. CLVIII. How a certain Christobal de Tapia arrived in Vera
Cruz, with the appointment of governor of New Spain 122

CHAP. CLIX. How Cortes and the officers of the crown forward to
Spain the wardrobe of Motecusuma, and the emperor's share of the
booty; and what further happened 131

CHAP. CLX. How Sandoval arrives in the town of Tustepec; what he
did there; his march to the river Guacasualco, and what further
happened 137

CHAP. CLXI. How Alvarado marches to the province of Tutepec to build
a town there; and how far he succeeded in subduing the country, and
in founding a colony 145

CHAP. CLXII. How Francisco de Garay arrives with an extensive
armament in the river Panuco; how far he was successful; and of many
other circumstances 148

CHAP. CLXIII. How the licentiate Zuazo set sail for New Spain in a
small vessel, accompanied by two monks of the order of Charity; and
their remarkable adventures on this voyage 163

CHAP. CLXIV. How Cortes despatched Alvarado to subdue the province
of Guatimala, and to found a colony there 165

CHAP. CLXV. How Cortes despatched an armament, under Christobal de
Oli, to the Higueras and Honduras, to subject these provinces; and
what further took place during this expedition 173

CHAP. CLXVI. How we who were left behind in Guacasualco were
constantly occupied in tranquillising the rebellious provinces; how
Luis Marin, by command of Cortes, marches into Chiapa, to subject
that province; myself and father Juan de las Varillas being
particularly desired by Cortes to join him in this campaign 177

CHAP. CLXVII. How our agents in Spain brought certain accusations
against the bishop of Burgos, and what further happened 195

CHAP. CLXVIII. How Narvaez, Christobal de Tapia, the pilot Umbria,
and the soldier Cardenas bring heavy accusations against Cortes, at
the instigation of the bishop of Burgos, and what judgment his
majesty pronounced 198

CHAP. CLXIX. Of Cortes' plans after he had obtained the appointment
of governor of New Spain; the way in which he distributes the
Indians; and of other matters 210

CHAP. CLXX. How Cortes sends a present to his majesty; 80,000 pesos
in gold and silver, besides a magnificent field-piece made of silver
and gold, covered with various beautiful figures; also how he sends
his father Martin Cortes above 5000 pesos 219

CHAP. CLXXI. How twelve monks of the order of St. Francis, with the
vicar-general and father-superior Martin de Valencia, arrive at Vera
Cruz, and how they are received by Cortes 221

CHAP. CLXXII. How Cortes sends his majesty 30,000 pesos worth of
gold, with an account of the conversion of the Indians, the
rebuilding of the city of Mexico, and of the expedition of
Christobal de Oli to the Honduras; also how the vessel which
conveyed this gold at the same time carried secret letters to Spain,
written by the royal accountant Rodrigo de Albornoz, in which Cortes
and the whole of the veteran Conquistadores were calumniated in the
vilest manner 224

CHAP. CLXXIII. How Cortes sent out a captain named Francisco de Las
Casas against Christobal de Oli, on receiving intelligence that this
officer had made common cause with Diego Velasquez, and had
renounced all further obedience to him 228

CHAP. CLXXIV. How Cortes himself marches at the head of his troops
to the Honduras in search of Christobal de Oli; of the officers and
men he selected on this occasion, and of other matters 233

CHAP. CLXXV. How we commence our march from Guacasualco, and the
terrible fatigues and hardship we had to undergo for the space of
two years and three months 238

CHAP. CLXXVI. How Cortes, on our arrival at Ciguatepec, despatches
Francisco de Medina in search of Simon de Cuenca, with orders for
the latter to repair with the two vessels to Triunfo de la Cruz; and
what further happened 245

CHAP. CLXXVII. Cortes' further plans after his arrival among the
Acallan townships; how he orders the powerful cazique of Mexico
Quauhtemoctzin and the king of Tlacupa to be hung; his reasons for
doing this; and of other matters 250

CHAP. CLXXVIII. We continue our march, and what further happened to
us 255

CHAP. CLXXIX. How Cortes entered the town founded by Gil Gonsalez de
Avila; the great joy of the inhabitants at his arrival, and what he
further did there 265

CHAP. CLXXX. How eighty of us, on the second day after our arrival
in Buena Vista, marched out under the command of Luis Marin to
explore the country and to search for provisions 266

CHAP. CLXXXI. How Cortes embarks, with the soldiers who accompanied
him on this expedition, and with all the inhabitants of Buena Vista,
for Puerto de Caballos, where he founds a colony, to which he gives
the name of Natividad 269

CHAP. CLXXXII. Sandoval commences to subdue the province of Naco,
and the opposition he meets with from the natives 272

CHAP. CLXXXIII. How Cortes disembarks in the harbour of Truxillo,
and the inhabitants rejoice at his arrival 273

CHAP. CLXXXIV. How Sandoval, during our stay at Naco, takes forty
Spanish soldiers with their captain prisoners, who, on their march
from the province of Nicaragua, had everywhere plundered and
otherwise ill-used the inhabitants 277

CHAP. CLXXXV. How Cortes receives a letter from the licentiate Zuazo
out of the Havannah, and of its contents 281

CHAP. CLXXXVI. How Pedro Arias de Avila is apprized by two of his
confidants that Francisco Hernandez was in close correspondence with
Cortes, and about to declare his independence of him; the steps
which Arias took upon this 289

CHAP. CLXXXVII. How Cortes, after setting sail, was twice obliged to
put back into the harbour of Truxillo; and what further happened 290

CHAP. CLXXXVIII. How Cortes despatches one of his servants, named
Martin de Orantes, to Mexico, with letters to Francisco de las Casas
and Pedro de Alvarado, in which he empowers them to take upon
themselves the chief government of New Spain; but in case they were
absent he conferred the same power on Estrada and Albornoz 292

CHAP. CLXXXIX. How the treasurer, with several other cavaliers,
requested the Franciscan monks to despatch father Diego de
Altamirano, a relation of Cortes, to Truxillo, to desire our general
to hasten his departure for Mexico 296

CHAP. CXC. Cortes sets sail from the Havannah, and has a favorable
passage to Vera Cruz, where he is received with the greatest
rejoicings 300

CHAP. CXCI. How the licentiate Luis Ponce de Leon, who was
commissioned to make inquiries into Cortes' government of New Spain,
arrives in the harbour of San Juan de Ulua 303

CHAP. CXCII. How the licentiate commences the investigation against
Cortes, and all those persons who had filled judicial offices; and
how he fell ill shortly after, and died 309

CHAP. CXCIII. How, after the death of Ponce de Leon, Marcos de
Aguilar assumes the government; the disputes which arose in
consequence, and of other matters 311

CHAP. CXCIV. Marcos de Aguilar dies, and in his will appoints the
treasurer Alonso de Estrada governor; and of other matters 318

CHAP. CXCV. How Cortes receives letters from the Cardinal de
Siguenza, then president of the council of the Indies, and from
several other cavaliers, advising him to repair to Spain without
delay; the death of his father Martin Cortes; and of other
matters 326

CHAP. CXCVI. How the royal court of audience arrive in Mexico during
Cortes' stay in Spain, and what their first occupations were 336

CHAP. CXCVII. How Nuno de Guzman, on the intelligence that the
emperor had cashiered the royal court of audience, determines to
subdue the province of Xalisco, at present called New Galicia 343

CHAP. CXCVIII. The arrival of the new members of the royal court of
audience in Mexico 344

CHAP. CXCIX. Cortes returns to New Spain as marquis del Valle
Oaxaca, and captain-general of New Spain and of the South Sea,
accompanied by his wife Dona Maria de Zuniga, and father Leguizamo
and other monks 348

CHAP. CC. Of the vast expenses to which the marquis Hernando Cortes
put himself in fitting out the expeditions to the South Sea, and of
their unfortunate termination 349

CHAP. CCI. Of the great festivities which took place in Mexico on
account of the peace which was concluded between our emperor and the
king of France; and of Cortes' second journey to Spain 355

CHAP. CCII. How the viceroy sends out a squadron of three vessels
into the South Sea to the assistance of Francisco Vasquez Coronado,
in the conquest of Cibola 357

CHAP. CCIII. Of a very extensive armament which was fitted out by
Alvarado in the year 1537 ib.

CHAP. CCIV. What befel the marquis del Valle on his second visit to
Spain 363

CHAP. CCV. Of the brave officers and soldiers who sailed from the
island of Cuba with the fortunate and spirited captain Hernando
Cortes, afterwards marquis del Valle 370

CHAP. CCVI. Of the stature and outward person of several brave
officers and soldiers, and of their age when they first joined
Cortes 383

CHAP. CCVII. Of the great merit which is due to us, the true
Conquistadores 387

CHAP. CCVIII. Of the human sacrifices and abominations practised by
the inhabitants of New Spain; how we abolished these, and introduced
the holy Christian faith into the country 388

CHAP. CCIX. How we introduced the Christian religion among the
Indians; of their conversion and baptism; and of the different
trades we taught them 390

CHAP. CCX. Of other advantages which arose from our glorious
conquests 393

CHAP. CCXI. The deliberations which took place at Valladolid in the
year 1550, in the royal council of the Indies, respecting the
distribution of Indians in perpetuity 398

CHAP. CCXII. Of various remarks which were made respecting my
history, which the reader will be pleased to hear 401

CHAP. CCXIII. Of the planets and signs in the heavens which
prognosticated our arrival in New Spain; how these were interpreted
by the Mexicans; and of other matters 406

NOTES 411

[Transcriber's Note: Footnote 54 was missing from the original text and has, therefore, been inserted at the appropriate place.

The following errata have been corrected in the text.]

ERRATA.

P. 141, _l._ 32, _for_ then, _read_ there.
165, 19, _for_ Guanaca, _read_ Guaxaca.
199, 15, _for_ with, _read_ and.
345, 38, _omit_ to be.
354, 22, _for_ forgot, _read_ forget.
366, 6, _for_ enbonpoint, _read_ embonpoint.

CONQUEST

OF

MEXICO AND NEW SPAIN.