Cortes gaue great thankes to the Lorde for his curtesie and good entertaynement, muche estéeming the good will of his Lorde Mutezuma, and so departed from thence, and wente to passe ouer a mountayne very high, the passage whereof he named Nombre de dios, bycause it was the first that he had passed, beyng so asperous and highe, that there is none suche in all Spayne, for it conteyned directly vpright thrée leagues, and hath in many places grapes and trées with hony. And discendyng downe on the other side of that hill, they came to a towne called Theuhixuacan, whiche is a forte and friende to Mutezuma, where our army was receyued and entertayned as in the other towne behinde.
Troubles.
And from thence he traueled thrée dayes in a countrey inhabitable, and passed some necessitie of hunger, & much more of thirst, bicause all the water that they founde was saltishe, and many of his men for wante of other dranke thereof, whereof they fell into sickenesse: and sodainely fel a meruaylous Hayle with great colde, whiche increased their griefe, yea and the Indians of their company thought there to ende theyr liues, & some of the Indians of Cuba died there through nakednesse, not being accustomed to so cold a countrey. After the fourth iourney of euill way they ascended vp an other hil, and vpon the toppe therof, (to their iudgement) they founde a thousande carte loade of wood ready cut, neare to a little tower of idolles: they named that place the porte of wood: & hauing passed twoo leagues from the porte of wood, they founde the countrey barren and poore, but soone after the army came to a place whiche they named white Castell, bicause the Lordes house was of stone very white and newe, and the beste that they had séene in all that countrey, and so curiously wrought, that they meruayled thereat: that towne in their language is called Zaclotan, and the valley neare vnto it is name Zacatami, and the Lordes name is Olintlec, who receyued Cortes honorably, and prouided for him and his company abundantly, being so commaunded by Mutezuma, as hée reported afterwarde.
A straunge ioy.
And in token that he had receyued that cōmission from his Lorde, he commaunded fiftie men to be sacrificed for ioy, whose bloud they sawe newe and freshe. The townes men of that towne caried the Spanyardes on their shoulders, on suche beares as we carry dead men to Churche. Cortes enformed them (by his enterpreters) of the cause of his comming into that countrey, as he had vsed in other places, & demaunded whether he the Lorde of this towne were tributary to Mutezuma. This Cazike being amazed at his question, answered, saying: What is he that is not eyther slaue or vassall to the great Mutezuma. Then Cortes certified him, who and what the Emperour king of Spayne was, willing him to be his friend and seruitour, & further enquired if he had any golde to sende him some. This Cazike answered that he would do nothing without the commaundement of his Lorde, nor yet send his king any golde although he had inough. Cortes dissimuled the matter, and helde his peace, yet by and by he desired to knowe the Maiestie and mightie power of Mutezuma, the Cazike answered, that Mutezuma was Lorde of the whole worlde, and that he had thirtie Vassals who were able to make a .100000. men of warre: eche one of them he also certified that he sacrificed .20000. men yerely to his Goddes: And also his dwellyng was in the most beautyfullest and strongest cittie of al that euer was enhabited, likewise (quoth he) his house and courte is moste greate, noble, and replenished with Gentlemen, his riches incredible, and his charges excessiue. And truely therein he sayde the very troth, excepte in the sacrifice wherein he something enlarged, although the slaughter of men for sacrifice in euery temple was very great, yea and some hold opinion, that some yéeres were sacrificed aboue .50000. men. Being in this conuersation, came two Gentilmen of that valley to sée the Spanyardes, and eche of them presented vnto Cortes foure women slaues, & certayne collers of golde of small price. Olintlec although he was vassall to Mutezuma, was a greate Lorde, and had .20000. vassals, and thirtie wiues altogither in his house, beside a hundreth other women that attended vpon them. And had for his garde and houshold .2000. persons, his towne was great, & had .13. temples in it, & eche temple many idolles of stone of diuers fashiōs, before whom they sacrificed men, doues, quayles, & other things wt perfumes & great veneratiō. In this place and territorie, Mutezuma had .5000. souldiers in garrison, and ordinarie postes from thence to Mexico. Vntill this time, Cortez had not so amply vnderstoode the mighte and power of Mutezuma, yea and though many inconueniences, difficulties, feare, and such like, did represent it selfe vnto him in his iourney to Mexico, whiche perhaps would haue amazed some valiāt persons, yet he shewed not one iote of cowardise, hauyng hearde suche a reporte of that mightie Prince, but rather his desire was so much the more to sée hym.
Considering now that he shoulde passe through Taxcallon to goe to Mexico, being Taxcallon a greate & strong Citie, and warlike people, he dispatched four Zeampoallanezes to the Lordes and Captaynes of that Citie, on the behalfe of Zempoallan and his owne, offering vnto them his friendship and fauour, giuing them to vnderstande, that those few Christians woulde come vnto their Citie to serue thē, desiring thē to accept the same, thinking assuredly that those of Taxcallon would haue done with him as the Zempoallanezes had done, which were both good and faithful, who had always vsed trouth with him, euē so he thought that now he moughte credite them, for they had enformed him, that the Tlaxcaltecas were their friendes, and so would be his, considering that they were vtter enimies to Mutezuma, and willingly would goe with him to the siege of Mexico, with desire of libertie, and to reuenge olde iniuries and griefes, whiche they had susteyned many yeares before of the people of Culhua. Cortez refreshed himselfe in Zaclotan fiue dayes, where is a fresh riuer and quiet folke, pulling downe the Idolles, and placed a remembrance of Christ crucifyed, as he hadde done in all the Townes that he had passed.
He toke his leaue of Olintlec, leauing him wel pleased, & went to a town two leagues frō thēce along ye riuer side, whereof was Lorde Iztacmixtlitan, one of the Gentlemen who had giuen him the slaues and collers of golde.
This towne standeth in a playne grounde of two leagues compasse, which is replenished with so many houses as doth séeme to touche one an other, in that way that our army passed—and the towne it selfe doth contayne fiue thousande householdes, standing on a hill, and on the one side thereof is the Lordes house with a strong forte, being the beste yet séene in those parties, walled with good stone with barbucan and déepe ditche. There Cortes rested himselfe thrée dayes, abiding the foure messengers whiche he sent from Zacloton, to knowe the answere that should be brought.