Cortez hauyng so good an aunswere of the Ambassadors, he gaue licence to as manye of the Indians hys friendes, as listed to departe home to their houses, and he likewise departed from Chololla with some borderers that would néedes follow him.
Oh vvise Cortes.
He lefte the way that the Mexicans had perswaded him to come, for it was bothe euill and daungerous, as the Spaniarde whiche went to the vulcan had séene, he went another playner way and more nearer. That day he traueled but foure leagues, bicause he meant to lodge in the villages of Huexozinco, where he was friendly receyued, and they presented vnto him slaues, garments, and golde, although but little, for they are poore by reason that Mutezuma hath enuironed them aboute, bicause they were of the parcialitie of Tlaxcallan. The next day in the morning he ascended vp a hill couered with snowe, which was sixe myles of heigth, where if the .30000. Souldiers had wayted for them, they might easily haue taken them, by reason of the great colde: and from the toppe of that hill, they discouered ye land of Mexico, and the great lake with his villages rounde about, whiche is an excéedyng goodly sight. But when Cortes saw that beautifull thing, his ioy was without comparison, and he tooke not so much pleasure, but some of his men feared as muche, and there was a murmuration among them to returne backe againe, yea and like to haue bene a mutinie among them. But Cortes with his wisedome and dissimulation did pacifie the matter, with courage, hope, and gentle wordes, and they seing that their Captayne at all assayes was the first himselfe, they feared the lesse the things that they imagined. And discending downe into the playn, they found a great large house, sufficient for him and all his company, with sixe thousande Indians of Tlaxcallan, Huexozinco, and Chololla. And ye seruants of Mutezuma made cotages of straw for the Tamemez or carriers, who were ladē with the fardage, and victuals: there was a good supper prepared for them, and great fires to warme them, and all things necessary. Thither came many principall persons from Mexico to visite him, among whome was a kinsman of Mutezuma, who presented vnto Cortes the value of thrée thousand Ducates in gold, & besought him to returne backe againe, and to haue consideration of the pouertie, hunger, & euill way, yea and to passe in litle boates in daunger of drowning. And as for tribute to be giuen to the Emperour, a greater summe should be appointed thē though he went personally to Mexico, yea and that it should be payde at what place he would apoint. Cortes welcomed them, as reason did require, and presented vnto them haberdashe toyes, which they estemed in much, & chiefly he did louingly entertayne Mutezuma his kinesman, vnto whome he made this answere, saying, I woulde gladly serue & pleasure such a mightie prince as your soueraigne Mutezuma is, if it lay in my handes without offence of the King my mayster, and concerning my goyng to Mexico, Mutezuma shall receyue both pleasure and honour rather than otherwise, & after I haue talked with him I will soone returne, likewise hunger I feare not, neyther yet doubt that I nor none of mine shall wante, and for my passage on the water, I say it is nothing in comparison of twoo thousande leagues, which I haue sayled onely to come and visit him.
But yet for all this talke, if they had founde him carelesse, they would haue pinched him as some doth say, for he gaue them to vnderstand that he nor his men slept not by night, nor yet vnarmed themselues, yea and also if it chanced thē to find in the night season any that were not of their company, they slew them out of hād, desiring him to aduise his men thereof, least any of them should happen to fall into that daunger, which would much grieue him, and with this talke they went all to take their reste.
The next day in the morning he proceded forward and came to Amaquemecan which is two leagues frō thence, & standeth in the prouince of Chalco, a towne that cōtayneth 20000. householders. The Lorde of that towne presented to Cortes fourtie women slaues, and .3000. Ducats in gold, with meate abūdantly for two dayes, and secretely made complaynt vnto him of Mutezuma. And from thence he went to another towne foure leagues from thēce, the one half therof was builte vpon the lake, and the other halfe vpon the lande at the foote of a ragged hill. There went in his company many subiectes of Mutezuma for purueyors, but yet both they and the townes men would fayne haue layde hand vpon the Spaniardes, and euery night would sende their spies to sée what the Christians did, but the watch slew about twentie of them, whervpon the matter stayed and their pretence tooke no effect: sure it is a thing to laugh at, for at euery fancie they woulde proue to kill them, and yet they were not for the purpose. The nexte day in the mornyng came twelue Lordes from Mexico, among whome was Cacama Neuew to Mutezuma, who was Lorde of Tezcuco a yong man of .xxv. yeares of age, whom the Indians did much honour: he was carried vpon their shoulders, & when they set him downe one went before with a brome to swéep the dust out of his way. These Gentlemen came to accōpany Cortes excusing Mutezuma, saying that he was not well at ease & therfore he came not personally to receiue him. And yet they entreated Cortes to returne backe againe, & not to come vnto Mexico, gyuing him to vnderstand by signes, yt they would there displease him, yea & also defend the passage & entrance, a thing easie to be done, but they were either blinded or else they durst not breake the Calsey. Cortes entertayned thē like noble mē, & gaue vnto thē of his haberdashe, & departed from ye towne wt many graue personages who carried with thē a great trayne, whiche filled vp the way well nigh as they should passe, wōdring at their beardes, harneys, apparell, horses & ordinaunce, saying to themselues, these be Gods. Cortes gaue them warning not to come among the horses, nor among his men, for feare they would kil them. This he made them beléeue bicause he would not haue his way stopped, for yt the number of thē was so great. They then came to a towne buylte vpon the water of two thousand houses, and before they came thither they had gone more than halfe a league vppon a fayre Calsey, whiche was twentie foote brode: the towne had fayre houses and many towers: the Lord of the towne did receyue them worshipfully, and prouided all things plentifully, desiryng him to abide there that night, and secretly made complayntes against Mutezuma, of many wrongs and exactions done by him, and certified him, that from thence the way was very fayre to Mexico, and al the like calsey as he had passed. With this newes Cortes was very glad, for he meant to haue stayed there for to haue buylte barkes and foystes, & yet he feared least they woulde breake the calsey, wherfore he had alwayes a care ouer Cacama, who with the other Lordes desired him not to abide there, but to procéede forward to Iztacpalapan, which was but twoo leagues off, and that the Lorde thereof was another Neuew to Mutezuma. To admit their request he wēt with them to that towne, and from thence to Mexico was but twoo leagues, the which the next day he might goe at pleasure, and come timely into the Citie, & in this order came to Iztacpalapan.
Euery two houres came messengers betwixte Cortes and Mutezuma: then came Cuetlauac Lorde of that towne, with the Lorde Culhuacan his kinsman to receyue him, who presented vnto him, slaues, garments, and feathers, and to the value of foure thousande Ducates in golde. Cuetlauac receyued al the Spaniards into his own house, whiche hath very fayre lodgings all of stone and Carpenters worke excéeding well wrought, with high & lowe roumes, with all kinde of seruice: The chambers were hanged with cloth of Cotten, very rich, after their maner. There were fayre gardēs replenished with many swéete floures, and swéete trées garnished with networke, made of Canes, and couered with roses and other fine hearbes, with sundry pondes of swéete water. There was an other garden very beautifull of all sortes of fruytes and hearbes, with a great ponde walled with lyme and stone, and was foure hundreth paces square, made with fayre steppes to discende vnto the bottome in many places, and was full of diuers kindes of fishes, and many kinde of water birds, which somtimes couered ye pond, as Gulles, Mewes, and such like. Iztacpallapan is a towne of .10000. households, & is plāted in a lake of salt water, the one half of the towne buylt on the water, & the other on the lande.