Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/218

196 idols, and around the tower were more than a thousand loads of cut wood, very well piled up, so we named it the Paso de la Leña. On the descent of the said pass, between some very rough mountain chains, there is a very populous valley, the people of which seem to be poor. After having marched about three leagues through the settlement without seeing anything of them, I arrived at a somewhat more level place, where it seemed the chief of that valley lived, and which had the largest and best built houses we had till then seen in this country, for they were of hewn stone, quite new, and had very large and beautiful rooms, and many well-arranged apartments. This valley and its people are called Caltanmi. I was very well received, and lodged by the chief and his people. After having spoken to him on the part of Your Majesty, and told him the cause of my coming to these parts, I asked him if he also was a vassal of Montezuma's, or if he belonged to some other dominion. He, wondering at what I asked him, answered me, "And who is not a vassal of Montezuma's?" as much as to say that he was the sovereign of the world. I then replied, and told him about the vast power and jurisdiction of Your Majesty, and of all the many and greater lords than Montezuma who were vassals of Your Highness, even considering it as no small privilege to be so, as would Montezuma, and all the natives of these parts, likewise have to be; and thus I required him to be because he would then be much honoured and favoured, while on the contrary if he were unwilling to obey he would be punished. In recognition of his vassalage, I asked him to give me some gold to be sent to Your Majesty, when he answered that he had