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Show JIOOK VIII, ~ H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. upon a feat which Cortes placed for him, yronounccd his h~ran?ue-, which was a congratulation to that general m the name of h1s kmg~ upon his happy arrival in that colmtry, an intimation of the plea(ure he had received in kuowing that men io ga~lant and brave had landed j 11 his kingdom, anJ in hearing the news which they had brought from io great a monarch, and to exprefs how acceptabl!! his gift had been: upon which, in token of his royal pleafure he had fc:nt him that prefcnt. Having faid this, he made Jome fine mats and cotton clothli be fpread upon the ground, upon which were placed in order and form the whole fubil:ance of the prefcnt. It confiil:ed of various works of gold and filver, Jl:ill more valuable on account of the wonderful workm ·an{hip than of thofe precious metals, among which iome were gems admirably fct, and others figures of liOIIS, tygerS1 apes, and Other animals; of thirty loads or bales of the very fineil: cotton, of various colours, and in part interwoven with the moil beautiful feathers ; of feveml excellent works of feathers, embellifhed with many little figures of gold, and a vifor full of gold in dull:, as Cortes defired, valued at fifteen hundred fequins; but the moil: valuable things of the whole were two wheels, the one of gold, the other of filver; that of gold, reprcfenting, as we have faid already, the Mexican century, had the image of the fun engnwed in the middle, round which were different figures in bafs relief. The circumference of it was thirty palms of Toledo, and the value of it ten thoufand fequins (p). The one of filvcr, in which the Mexican year was reprefented, was fl:ill larger, with a moon in the middle, furrounded alio with figures in bafs relief. The Spaniards were not lefs amazed than pleafed with the view o~ f~ch riches. " This prefent," added the ambaffi1dor, addreffing htmldf to Cortes, " my iovereign lends for you and your companions; '' as for your king, he will in a !bort time fend fome jewels of inefii" · mable value. In the mean while, you may remain upon this lhore ." as 1o ng as l.t may b.e agreeable, to repofe after the fatigues of fo long " a voyage, and to provide yourfdvcs with necefiaries to return to " your native country. If you dciire any other thing or' this country . (J) Ther~ is a great difl~rcncc among l\Uthors refpetling t'hc value of the plate. bur we ~I ve m~rc f~'fUih to Hcrn:d Dwr. who knew it well, thun to one who was to have his 1il1arc in t 1c pre,ent rom Montezuma. I cc for H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. " for your fovereign,· it lhall be given you immediately ; but with ref'' peel: to your d.:mand of vifiting our court, I am charged to diffuade you " from fo ditlicult and haurdous a journey, as the way to it lies through " uninhabited defarts~ and the countries of enemies." Cortes received the prcfcllt with the molt particular cxprcffions of gratitude for the royal beneficence, and made the belt returns to it in his power; but without abandoning his req~ell:, he begged of the ambafiador to rcprefent to the king the dangers and diil:rclfcs which they had fuffereci i11 their navigation, and the di!plea{ure which his fovereign would feel when he found his 11opes fruil:rated; that befid"s, neither dangers nor fatigues were fuflicient to divert the Spaniards from their undertakings . The ambafE1dor agreed to make this report to the king, and politely took leave of Cortes along with Teuhtlile; Cuitlalpitoc being left behind with a vail: number of people, in a hamlet which they had formed of fmall huts, at a little dill:ance from the camp of the Spaniards. Cortes, in the midil: of all that profperity which he had hitherto met with, perceived that he could not long remain at that fl:ation; for befides the inconvenience ( r heat and infeCts, which fwarm upon thJ.t !hore, he W'as apprehenfivt of fome damage to his !hips from the north wind, to which that harbour is cxpofed; on which account he difpatched two velfels, under the command of Montejo, to coa1l along the !hore, towards Panuco, and find another more fecure port. They returned in a few days with the intelligence of having found, thirty-fix miles fi·om Ulua, a fufficient harbour, near to a city placed in a firong fi tuation. In the mean time, Teutlhile returned to the camp of the Spaniards, and after taking Cortes afide with the interpreters, he told him, that his lord Montezuma gratefully accepted the new prefent which he had fent him ; and that that which he had fcnt on his part now was deftined for the great king of Spain ; that he wifhed him all fort of happinefs, but that he deiired no more melfages to be fcnt to him, nor to hear any farther propofitions of a vifit to his court. The prefent for the Catholic king confified of various works of gold, which were eil:imated to be worth fifteen hundred fequins, ten bales of moil: curious robes of feathers, and of four gems, fo highly valued by the Mexicans, Vot. II. D that • BOOKVHT. ~ Sscr.VIIJ. Montc.'7.U· mn 'a prcfent to the 'a tho~ lie king. |