The despatches of Hernando Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico, addressed to the emperor Charles V.; written during the conquest, and containing a narrative of its events. Now first translated into English from the original Spanish, with an introduction and notes, by G. Folsom

Front matter

Book

THE

DESPATCHES

Preface

This stirring narrative of toil and adventure, addressed by the celebrated conqueror of Mexico to his sovereign, although replete with the most romantic interest, has hitherto escaped an English translator. Written amidst the very scenes described, in a tone of honest sincerity, and with a scrupulous attention to the truth, which none has ever attempted to gainsay, these Letters or Despatches, after being published separately as they were received in Spain, seem to have been overlooked and forgotten when in the lapse of time the original editions had disappeared from the public eye. Even Antonio de Solis, historiographer to his Catholic Majesty, whose classical and popular work on the Conquest of Mexico appeared in 1684, confesses that he was beholden to an Italian translation for his knowledge-of one of them.* Indeed, they seem not to have been republished in Spain until 1749, when they were inserted in Barcia's collection of Historiadores Primilivos, or Early Historians. Afterwards, in 1770, another edition appeared at the city of Mexico, superintended by Archbishop, since Cardinal Lorenzana, who enriched it with copious notes; and this, together with a biographical sketch of Cortes originally written in English by the late R. C. Sands, was re-printed in 1828, at New-York, for the Mexican market. The present translation has been made from the Archbishop's Mexican edition, many of whose notes have been retained, which are marked with the initial of his name.

The First Letter appears not to have been printed ; at least, no trace of it has been found, either in print, or manuscript, in Spain, or in Germany ; and we are therefore compelled to begin with the Second, and to give the previous events in an Introduction.

* Mr. Rich, of London, in his Catalogue of books relating to America, men-' tions a copy of the original edition of the Third Letter of Cortes as being in his possession, the price of which is marked at the high price of 101, 10s. or about ffty-two Spanish dollars, on account of its very great rarity.

IV PEEPACE,

The Second Letter was printed at Seville, in 1522 ; of which a Latin translation appeared at Nuremberg in March, 1524 ; this again was turned into Italian, and published at Venice in August of the same year,*

The Third Letter was printed at Seville, in 1523 ; translated into Latin by the same hand, and published at Nuremberg the following year.f

The Fourth -Letter was printed at Toledo in 1525 ; and together with the two former appeared in the third volume of Ramusio's collection of Voyages and Travels, (in Italian,) at Venice, 1556. This was the edition consulted by Solis, as mentioned above.

A German translation of them was printed at Augsburg, in 1550, and another at Heidelberg, in 1779.

A French translation, by M. Le Vicomte de Flavigny, appeared at Paris in 1776. This was made from the edition of Archbishop Lorenzana, as appears from the preface of the noble translator, in which he says — " I present to the public a precious morceau of literature and history, edited in 1770, with the utmost care, by the present Archbishop of Toledo, formerly Archbishop of Mexico. From the time of Csesar to the sixteenth century, Cortes is the only great captain who has related his own exploits. Although the conqueror of the Gauls had the advantage both in regard to the character of his enemies, and in point of style, Cortes will nevertheless appear worthy of his high reputation. His prudence, his courage, his enlarged views, his resources, and even his prejudices, and those of the age, which he treated with respect, will ever illustrate the period in which he lived, and the astonishing revolution effected by his arms. At the same time, as long as the simple and frank tone of a modest but undoubted hero affords pleasure, so long will these letters be read with delight by posterity, and afford instructive lessons to mankind,"

The translation of Flavigny has no other fault than its freedom, or in other words, its abridgement of the original ; sometimes almost an

* A copy of this Italian edition was presented a few years since to the New- York Historical Society, by Samuel Ward, Esq. ; it purports to have been made from the Latin of " II Dottore Pietro Savorgnano," secretary to the bishop of Vienna ; the name of the Italian translator was Nicolo Libumio.

t A copy of the Latin translation of the second and third Letters by Dr. Savorgnano, printed at Cologne in 1532, belongs to the Philadelphia Library; for the use of which the writer is indebted to the courtesy of the Librarian of that institution.

PRE PACE.

entire page being condensed int® tliree or four lines. This is shown by the following comparison :-'■

Flavigny's Translation.

Re-translation of the French.

Fresh water is conveyed to Mexico by means of two pipes, each two feet in circumference, which extend along one of the causeways leading to the city. This water is carried through the streets in canoes and sold to the people.— Portfoho, vol. iv. p. 289.

The original literally translated : Along one of the causeways that lead into the city are laid two pipes, constructed of masonry, each of which is two paces in width, and about five feet in height. An abundant supply of excellent water, forming a volume equal in bulk to the human body, is conveyed by one of these pipes, and distributed about the city, where it is used by the inhabitants for drinking and other purposes. The other pipe, in the mean time, is kept empty until the former requires to be cleansed, when the water is let into it and continues to be used till the cleansing is finished. As the water is necessarily carried over bridges on account of the salt water crossing its route, reservoirs resemjying canals are constructed on the bridges, through which the firesh water is conveyed. These reservoirs are of the breadth of the body of an ox, and of the same length as the bridges. The whole city is thus served with water, which they carry in canoes through all the streets for sale, taking it firom the aqueduct in the following manner : the canoes pass under the bridges on which the reservoirs are placed, when men stationed above fill them with water, for which service they are paid.

See below, pp. 118-9.

This is a paraphrase rather than a translation, and leaves room for a new French version, which it is understood a distinguished author at Paris will shortly publish.

VI PKEFACE.

In this connexion it is proper that we should notice a translation of the Second Letter, made with great fidelity from the French of Vicomte Flavigny, and published in the Portfolio, (a well known magazine, formerly printed at Philadelphia,) in 1817-18. The editor informs his readers that this paper was found amongst the manuscripts of the late Mr, Alsop, of Middletown, Conn., who seems not to have been in possession of a copy of the original work. This gentleman, besides numerous other contributions to the literature of the day, published an excellent translation of the Abbe Molina's History of Chili, from the Italian.

The Vicomte Flavigny states in his preface, that he had n-ot only taken no pains to acquire new information respecting the conquest of Mexico, but, on the contrary, had endeavored to forget the little knowledge he had on that subject ; " for," he adds, " it was not Solis, Herrera, Diaz, or Gomara, that I designed to translate, nor did I propose to imitate the Abbe Prevost, the Abbe Raynal, or even Robertson." We have ventured, however, to adopt a different course, and although determined to give a faithful version of the conqueror's own language, have at the same time consulted every writer within our reach who throws any light on the events of the conquest. Amongst these should be distinguished as surpassing all others, being contemporary with Cortes, Bernal Diaz del Castillo and Francisco Lopez de Gomara ; the former himself a soldier in the expedition, who resided in his old age at the city of Guatemala, where, nearly fifty years after the conquest, he composed his history, which was discovered in manuscript after his death, and printed for the first time in 1632. This work is tinged with the personal prejudices of the writer, but in the main deserves great credit for its frank and impartial character. Having been early translated into English, it has passed through many editions, both in England and America.*

Gomara, whose Chronicle of New Spain was published a few years after the death of Cortes, had been the chaplain of the conqueror, and enjoyed the best opportunities for collecting the materials of his work. It was well written, and for many years ranked as the ablest and most authentic book on the history of New Spain, But the subsequent appearance of the " True History" of Bernal Diaz, (who

* Gen. Thompson, the present U. S. Minister at Mexico, is understood to have in hand a aew translation of Bernal Diaz, the present one being quite inconaplete.

PREFACE. VU

charged him with neglecting the achievements of the companions of Cortes in order to exalt the merits of their commander,) together with the imputations of Herrera, the royal historiographer, and finallj^ the publication of the popular volumes of Antonio de Solis, threw Gomara into the shade, and caused his labors to be neglected. But whoever consults his pages will find them well stored with facts, carefully arranged and clearly stated. In short, it is an able and substantial work, and possesses as stitjng claims to be deemed impartial in its tone as any other, not excepting Herrera himself.*

It would be unpardonable to omit to mention in this connexion the admirable modern work of Clavigero, a Jesuit father, who on the abolition of his order in the Spanish dominions, after passing more than forty years of his life in Mexico, took refuge in Italy, where he devoted his leisure to literary pursuits. Being familiar with the native language of Mexico, he carefully studied its antiquities and history, and composed the best and most authentic book on these subjects that had appeared. It was written in the Italian language, and has been ably translated into English by Charles CuUen, Esq.

The Despatches of Cortes were written under circumstances the most unfavorable to precision of style, and at a period when the languages of modern Europe were far from being what they now are ; for these reasons it is not to be disguised, that they have presented occasional difficulties in the translation, which, with all our helps, it has required a considerable degree of labor to surmount. This attempt is, therefore, commended to the indulgence of the public, as a well-meant effort to contribute to the amusement and edification of those English and American readers who have not the leisure or inclination to consult the original.

New- Yo7% August 1st, 1843. ^

* There is an imperfect English translation of Gomara under the title of " The Pleasante Historic of the Conquest of the West India" &c., of which two editions were published in black letter, viz. 1578 and 1596. Many entire chapters of the original are, however, omitted, and numerous alterations made ad liUtum by the translator.

Introduction

LETTER IL

CHAPTER I. Commencement of march to Mexico — Muteczuma — conspiracy — stranding of ships — F. de Garay — city of 1^ • %V %fc.,l)^4>^*'£^™P0^^ — populous valley — wall of Tlascala, - 37

CHAPTER n. Bmte with the Tlascallans— continued iSghting— interview between Cortes and the rulers of Tlascala — description of the city of Tlascala— government of this republic — deputation from Muteczuma — city "of Churultecal (Cholula) — narrow escape of the army, - - 51

CHAPTER rV* Treachery of Muteczuma— description of two lofty mountains — the Spaniards descry the city and valley of Mexico — province of Chalco — envoys of Muteczuma — slaves — lakes of Mexico— city of Iztapalapa — gardens — causeway — Cortes is met by large numbers of citi- - zens, followed by Muteczuma — interview between Cortes and Muteczuma — address of the latter — entrance into the city — letters from Vera Cruz — treachery of Qualpopoca — imprisonment of Muteczuma — execution of Qualpopoca and others — exploring parties — lord of * Culhuacan — Cacamacin — inquiries for gold, - - 73

CHAPTER V. Description of the city of Mexico— the lakes — markets — aqueduct — temples — palaces — houses — mode of living — state assumed by Muteczuma, ... no

CHAPTER VI. Expedition of Panfilo de Narvaez against Cortes — proceedings of Diego Velasquez at Cuba — Cortes leaves the city to meet Narvaez — enters Cempoal — battle between the forces of Cortes and Narvaez in that city — defeat of the latter — detachment sent to buUd a town at Guasacalco, ...... 126

^ * The head of the third chapter was accidentally omitted in the printing.

X \ CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII. Return of Cortes to Mexico— news of rebellion in that city — lie enters Mexico — hostilities against the Spaniards^-attacks on their quarters — destruction of parts of the city — death of Muteczuma— assault upon the great temple — Cortes at the head of a detachment — ascends a lofty tower — battle on the terraces of the tower or temple — a parley with the enemy — their resolution and spirit — the Spaniards abandon the city — la noche imte— disastrous retreat — Tacuba — route to Tlascala — battle of Oturaba — the army enters the territory of Tlascala — met by the nobles — kind reception — news from Vera Cruz, - - . . 145 CHAPTER VIII. Hostilities against Tepeaca— settlement of the town of Segura de la Frontera — attack on Mexican garrison atGuacachula — description of that city — capture of the ^k *> *^« tk^^'^ of Izucan — description^f that icity — news from ^ '<• ^\ f IpMexico^mfflalirg'of'ferigan^iires'fdf the lakes of Mexico

— successor of Muteczuma — New Spain — note, - 170 r^^/fzz.

Letter III. /

CHAPTER I, Recapitulation of former letter— F. de Garay— Cortes leaves Segura de la Frontera — arrives at city of Tlascaltecal or Tlascala — death of Magiscacin — review of the army — address of Cortes to the troops — march for Mexico — city of Tesaico (Tezcuco)— deputation from that city — expedition to Iztapalapa — circumstances at Tezcuco — Sandoval sent for the brigantines — Chalco — transportation of the brigantines from Tlascala to Tezcuco, 195

CHAPTER II. Expedition from Tezcuco to Tacuba — engagements with the Mexicans— battle between the people of Chalco and the Mexicans — succors received from Vera Cruz — expedition to the mountainous country — city of Suchimilco — battle with the Mexicans at that city — city of Cuyoacan — Tacuba— return to Tezcuco— plantations at Chinantla — letter from that place — launch of the brigantines — their removal to the great lake, ... 226

CHAPTER III. Review of the army — disposition of the troops for the siege of Mexico — destruction of the aqueduct— positions of the divisions of the array — Cortes embarks inabrigantine — battle between the brigantines and the canoes — commencement of operations against Mexico — Don Fernando, lord of Tezcuco — amval of the Otomites, - 257

CHAPTER IV. "Destruction of the palaces— burning of the houses of the city — continued hostilities — partial defeat of Alvarado's division — attempt to reach the market place — narrow escape of Cortes — defeat of the Spaniards — rejoicings

CON'TENTS. Xl

of the Mexicans — expedition to Marinalco— gallant exploit of a Tlascallan chief, .... 278

CHAPTER V. Sandoval sent to the aid of the Otomites — Alvarado's camp attacked by the Mexicans in the night — obstinacy of the Mexicans— successive attacks on the city — Alvarado penetrates to the market place — the divisions of Cortes and Alvarado meet at the market-place — description of the square and temples — a battering engine— the Mexicans reduced to great extremities — Cortes seeks an interview with Gautimotzin — conferences with the Mexican leaders — great havoc amongst the citizens — their necessitous condition — capture of Guatimotzin — fall of the city — Plan of the city and lakes, - - 330

CHAPTER VI. Cortes removes his quarters to Cuyoacan — deputation from the lord of Mechuacan — expeditions to the South Sea — toOaxaca — rebuilding of Mexico — Tecoantepeque — the river Panuco — arrival of Cristobal de Tapia to supersede Cortes — measures taken in regard to him — his departure — exhibition to Guaxaca — treachery and punishment of Antonio de Villafana — ascent of the volcano Popocatepetl — suggestions in respect to the Indians, - ...... 335

Letter IV

frOe^/^tA

CHAPTER I. Expedition to Guasacalco — to Mechuacan — Zacatula — Co- w liman — revolt of the Panucans — a-rrival of Juan Bono de Quejo from Cuba— an emissary of bishop Fonseca and Velasquez — consequences of his coming, - - 359

CHAPTER n. Confederacy against Cortes, composed of Diego Columbus, &c. — Cortes marches with a force to the Panuco — settles the town of Santistevan del Puerto — expedition to Impilcingo — arrival of Spaniards from Gautemala — Cristobal Dolid sent to Honduras, - - - 371

CHAPTER lU. Arrival of F. de Garay with a large force at the river Panuco— Diego Velasquez concerned with him — Cortes resolves to go and meet him — letters from the king render it unnecessary — Alvarado sent against him — operations on the Panuco — visit of F. de Garay to Cortes — projected intermarriage of their children — another rebellion in Panuco — execution of the principal persons amongst the natives — expedition to Honduras — to Guatemala — the Zaputecas — ships built in South Sea, 383

XU CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V, Rebuilding of Mexico — Mexican nobles employed to superintend it — erection of a fortress — complaints of bishop fonseca — discovery of tin — cannon founded — new town settled near Vera Cruz— improvement of the route to Mexico, ------ 408

CHAPTER VI. Expeditions for the discovery of the strait to the South Sea — commissioners from Spain — loss of presents sent to the emperor — ^a cannon of silver — treachery of Cristobal] Dolid in Hondm-as — plans for the religious institutions of the country — objections to bishops — erec- . tion of churches— the tenths — offensive regulations of tradeinCuba— agriculture— ordinances and laws, - 417

[NTRODUCTION.

The conquest of Mexico by Hernando Cortes, at the head of a few hundred Spaniards, forms one of tho-^e romantic episodes in history that give color to the saying, that "truth is stranger than fiction." Whether we regard the temerity of the undertaking, of which a signal example is afforded in the voluntary destruction of the ships that had conveyed the conquerors to the Mexican coast, for the purpose of cutting off all hope of retreat ; or the chivalric spirit with which they met the perils that surrounded them at every step of their progress, or the brilliant results that finally crowned their exertions, this enterprise in point of strange and wonderful adventure, and we may add of high military achievement, is wholly without a parallel in ancient or modern times. Like all conquests in war, it was doubtless stained by acts of gross injustice and cruelty towards the conquered, for which no substantia] justification can be alleged. Some palliation may be sought, however, in the spirit of the age, which not only excused but commended the summary destruction of the enemies of the Christian faith wherever they might be found. This spirit formed a deep infusion in the character of the Spanish hidalgos who were engaged in the discovery of the Indies, (as the NewAVorld was then styled,) of which Columbus himself was a memorable example ; and the reader of the following despatches from the conqueror of Mexico to his sovereign, will be struck by the religious feeling every where displayed, which gives to his expedition quite as much the air of a crusade against infidel pagans, as of an attempt to enlarge the dominions and increase the wealth of his Catholic Majesty. The sincerity of Cortes in these professions of zeal for the spread of the " true faith," is a INTRODUCTION.

fully attested by the boldness with which he attacked and subverted the idolatrous practices of the Mexicans, often under circumstances of great risk and danger. He never temporized with the superstitions of the natives, and the conquest effected as complete a revolution in the religious as the civil institutions of the country. Every vestige of the ancient idolatry was carefully erased, and the entire population of the country brought, nominally at least, into the Christian fold.* Thus carrying the emblem of the cross in one hand, and the sword in the other, Cortes punished (as he expressed it) with the utmost rigor all who refused to recognize him in the double capacity of propagator of the Catholic faith, and vicegerent of the lawful sovereign of those parts. But it must be admitted that, in general, his treatment of the Indians was mild and conciliatory, as abundantly appears in the following pages, which are uncontradicted by contemporaneous accounts of the highest authority.

The expedition against Mexico was undertaken the year following the election of Charles V. as emperor of Germany, and the third of his reign as king of Spain. It Avas the first auspicious event of any magnitude in the distinguished career of that monarch, who came to the throne under circumstances of much embarrassment and difficulty. Although but seventeen years of age, his vigorous and enterprising qualities were soon developed, and exercised a favorable influence on the spirit of discovery in the new world. Under this influence, says De Solis, the minds of men became disposed to great undertakings ; greater ardor was infused into the breasts of the soldiers, and those preliminary operations took place that led the way to the conquest of New Spain, an event destined by Heaven to shed lustre on the commencement of the reign of that august monarch.f

Great disappointment had followed the discovery of the New World in the preceding reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. The

* Peter of Ghent, writing from Mexico in 1529, states that another priest and himself had baptized in the province of Mexico more than 200,000 persons ; and often eight, and sometimes even ten or fourteen, thousand in a day. Ternaux. Voyages, etc.

pursuit of Avealth, which was the grand stimulus td enterprise in that day as well as the present, had not been attended with the promised success, and instead of countries abounding in the precious metals, and producing the drugs and spices of the east, a few comparatively unimportant islands and a barren coast were all that had yet rewarded the toils of the adventurers. The proceeds of the voyages had been scarcely adequate to meet the expenses of their outfits. The hopes of Columbus, it is well known, were centered in the idea that his discoveries constituted a pait of the Indies, then the fancied seat of unbounded riches, and his last voyage was undertaken for the single purpose of seeking along the coast of the Caribbean sea the strait which he imagined fomted the communication between them. It is a curious fact, that he took with him two or three persons skilled in the Arabic language to serve as interpreters in the Mahometan countries, which he then expected to reach. In the course of this voyage, performed in the years 1502-4, the veteran navigator examined the coast of Central America from the Bay of Honduras to the Spanish Main ; and although on the borders of cotmtries far richer in the precious metals than those he sought, of which several striking indications were presented to him-, all was lost sight of in the vain pursuit of the desii'ed strait.

It was during the early part of this disastrbus voyage, that the first glimpses were obtained of the superior civilization and wealth of Mexico. Leaving the island of St. Domingo for the south-west, Columbus was borne by the currents out of his course, and fell in with a group of islands near Cape Honduras on the upper coast of Guatemala. While examining the largest of these islands, a party from the squadron discovered a canoe of unusual size apparently ari'iving from some distant point, which was immediately captured and taken along side the Admiral's ship. It is described by Fernando Columbus, the Admiral's son, who accompanied the expedition, as " eight feet wide and as long as a galley, though formed of the trunk of a single tree, and shaped like those common in the islands. In the middle of the canoe there was an awning made of palm leaves, not unlike those of the Venitian gondolas, which formed

SO close a coverfng as to protect whatever it contained against the effects of rain and the waves ; under this awning were the women and children, and all the goods and merchandise. The canoe was under the direction of twenty-five men. * * * The Admiral gave thanks to God for having afforded him samples of the commodities of those countries without exposing his men to toil or danger* He ordered such things to be taken as seemed the most valuable, amongst which were cotton coverlets and tunics without sleeves, curiously worked and dyed of various colours ; coverings for the loins of similar material ; large mantles, in which the female Indians wrapped themselves like the Moorish women of Granada ; long wooden swords with channels on each side of the blade, edged with sharp flints that cut the naked body as well as steel ; copper hatchets for cutting wood, similar in form to the stone hatchets of other Indians ; bells of the same metal, and crucibles in which to melt it. For provisions they had such roots and grains as the natives of Hispaniola eat ; a sort of wine made of maize, resembling English beer ; great quantities of almonds, of the kind used by the people of New Spain for money," &c,* The Spaniards were also struck with the personal modesty of these Indians, in which they greatly excelled the natives of the islands. The Admiral restored their canoe, and gave them some European articles in exchange for those he had taken. He then allowed them all to depart except one old man, who seemed to possess greater authority than the rest, and to be the most intelligent person amongst them ; from him Columbus endeavored to obtain some information about the country, and finding that he understood the language spoken by the natives along the coast of Honduras as far as the Cape Gracias 4 Dios, he made use of him in his endeavors to hold intercourse and traffic

* The roots referred to were probably the mandioc, from which the cassava bread is made, and the yam or igname. A beverage composed of maize, water and sugar, is still common amongst the native Mexicans, under the name oiatole. The fruit described under the name of " almonds," was the cacao bean, which closely resembles the almond in size and shape, and was used by the Mexicans for money, as well as for making chocolate.

with them. On arrivmg at that Cape, he dismissed him with presents.

To this account Don Fernando adds, that •' although the Admiral had heard so much from these Indians concerning the great wealth, politeness and ingenuity of the people in the western parts of (what was afterwards called) New Spain, yet considering that, as these countries lay to leewards, he could sail thither whenever he might think fit from Cuba, he determined to leave them for another occasion, and persisted in his design of endeavoring to discover the strait across the continent, by which he might open the navigation of the south sea in order to arrive at the spice countries."* It is well remarked by Mr. Irving, that it would have been fortunate for the venerable navigator had he come to a different deteraiination. " Within a day or two," says that brilliant writer, " he would have arrived at Yucatan ; the discovery of Mexico and the other opulent countries of New Spain, woidd have necessarily followed ; the southern ocean would have been disclosed to him, and a succession of splendid discoveries would have shed fresh glory on his declining age, instead of its sinking amidst gloom, neglect, and disappointment."

Two distinguished navigators endeavored to make amends for this omission of the Admiral, and in 1506, two years after his return from that voyage, undertook to follow in his track as far as Cape Honduras, with the intention of steering from that point to the shores of the rich and unknown countries described by the Indians as lying to the west. These were Juan Diaz de Solis, afterwards the discoverer of the Rio La Plata, and Vicente Yanez de Pinzon, who commanded a ship in the first expedition of Columbus to the new world. They succeeded in reaching Cape Honduras, by the aid of one of the Admiral's men who acted as their pilot ; but on taking a westerly course soon found themselves in the bottom of a great bay, now known as the Bay of Honduras, with no indications of the rich coun-

*We have preferred to take the above account literally from the Spanish edition of Don Fernando's biography of his father, as more satisfactory than the embellished narratives of succeeding writers, who are indebted to that source for the (acts.