[219] History of America, iii, 224.
[220] Cronica Mexicana, cap. xcvii, Bandelier’s Trans.
[221] Ixtlilxochitl, Hist. Chichimeca, Kingsborough, Mex. Antiq. ix, p. 243.
[222] History of Mexico, ii, 132.
[223] “The title of Teuctli was added in the manner of a surname to the proper name of the person advanced to this dignity, as Chichimeca-Teuctli, Pil-Teuctli, and others. The Teuctli took precedency of all others in the senate, both in the order of sitting and voting, and were permitted to have a servant behind them with a seat, which was esteemed a privilege of the highest honor.”—Clavigero, ii, 137. This is a re-appearance of the sub-sachem of the Iroquois behind his principal.
[224] Historia Chichimeca, ch. xxxii, Kingsborough: Mex. Antiq., ix, 219.
[225] History of Mexico, l. c., ii, 136.
[226] Clavigero, ii, 126.
[227] Historia General, ch. xviii.
[228] In the West India Islands the Spaniards discovered that when they captured the cacique of a tribe and held him a prisoner, the Indians became demoralized and refused to fight. Taking advantage of this knowledge when they reached the main-land they made it a point to entrap the principal chief, by force or fraud, and hold him a prisoner until their object was gained. Cortes simply acted upon this experience when he captured Montezuma and held him a prisoner in his quarters; and Pizaarro did the same when he seized Atahuallpa. Under Indian customs the prisoner was put to death, and if a principal chief, the office reverted to the tribe and was at once filled. But in these cases the prisoner remained alive, and in possession of his office, so that it could not be filled. The action of the people was paralyzed by novel circumstances. Cortes put the Aztecs in this position.