Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/310

286 take me at a disadvantage. Thus, fearful, I advanced with the utmost precaution until I reached the city of Tesnacan, which, as I have already recounted to Your Majesty, is on the shore of that great lake. I inquired of some of the natives there about the Spaniards who had remained in the great city, and was told that they were alive. I asked them to bring me a canoe, as I wished to send a Spaniard to obtain information, and said that while he was gone, one of the natives of the said city, who seemed to be a chief, must remain with me, because none of the lords and chiefs whom I knew appeared. The chief sent for the canoe, and dispatched certain Indians with the Spaniards whom I was sending, while he remained with me; but while this Spaniard was embarking to go to the city of Temixtitan, he saw another canoe coming across the lake, and waited in port until it arrived. In it came one of the Spaniards who had remained in the city, from whom I learned that they were all alive, except five or six whom the Indians had killed, and that the others were still besieged, and were not allowed to come out of the fort, nor did the Indians provide them with anything needful except on payment, and at a heavy price. Afterwards, however, when they heard of my coming, they had behaved somewhat better towards them, Montezuma saying that he waited only for my arrival, in order that they might again be free of the city as they used to be. Montezuma also dispatched a messenger to me with the said Spaniard, by whom he sent me word that he believed I already knew what had happened in that city, and that as he thought I might be angry on account of it, and inclined to vengeance, he besought me to put aside my anger because he was as much grieved as I, and that nothing had been done by his wish or consent. He sent me news of many other