Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/267

Rh buildings equal to any in Spain. They told me especially of a house and fort, greater, and stronger, and better built, than the castle of Burgos, and that the people of this province, called Tamazulapa, were better dressed than any others we have seen, and, as it seemed to them, more intelligent. Others went to another province called Malinaltepeque, another seventy leagues from the said great city, and more towards the sea-coast; and they brought me likewise specimens of gold from a great river there.

The others went to a country, called Teniz, farther up this river, belonging to a people of a different language from that of Culua, and the ruler of that country is called Coatelicamat. His country lies in a very high rugged mountain chain, and is not subject to Montezuma; the people of that province are very war-like, fighting with lances, twenty or thirty palms long, and, because they are not vassals of Montezuma, the messengers who accompanied the Spaniards did not dare to enter that country, without first notifying the chief and asking his permission. They told him they had come with the Spaniards to see the gold mines in his country, and besought him, on my part, and that of Montezuma, their lord, to permit it. Coatelicamat answered, that he was very willing the Spaniards should come into his country, and see the mines, and whatever else they wished, but that the Culuans, who were subject to Montezuma, must not come, because they were his enemies. The Spaniards were somewhat perplexed, as to whether they should go alone, or not; those who accompanied them told them not to go, as they would be killed, and that it was in order to kill them that Coatelicamat would not permit the Culuans to accompany them. At last they determined to go alone, and the lord and his people received them very well, and showed them seven or eight mines