Certaine questions that Cortez demaunded of the Cacike Tauasco.
Many things passed betweene our men & the Indians: for where the Indians vnderstood thē not, their behauiour was much to laugh at. And vsing conuersation with our men, & seeing they receiued no hurte of them, they brought to the towne their wiues and children, which were no smal number. And among many matters that Cortez communed with Tauasco by the mouth of Ieronimo de Aguila his enterpreter:
The first question was: Whether there wer mynes of gold or siluer in that countrey, and from whēce they had that small quantitye that they hadde broughte vnto them?
The secōd question was: Why they denyed him their friendshippe, more than the other captaine that had bin there the yeare before?
The third was: Why they being so many in nūber, fled from them being so fewe?
The fourth was: To giue thē to vnderstād the mightie power of the king of Castill. And last of all to giue them knowledge of the faith of Iesu Christ.
The ansvvere of the Cacike.
As touching Sir (quoth he) the Mynes of gold and siluer in our country, we séeke for none, for we séeke not after treasure and riches, but we procure and desire a quiet life. And that golde which we haue, was founde by chaunce: for we know not what Mynes do mean. Yet notwithstanding further within the lande, whereas the sunne doth hide himselfe, ther the people do finde muche gold and are giuen to séeke the same.