Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/221

 since the war, were scattered in many parts, and, though I still held the ruler of it a prisoner, I charged a captaingeneral of his, whom I knew in the days of Montezuma, to repeople it; and, in order that he might enjoy greater authority, I gave him the same office he had held in the time of his sovereign, which is that of Ciguacoat, meaning "lieutenant of the sovereign," and, at the same time, I appointed other personages whom I knew to the principal offices which they had formerly held. I gave these new officers such lordships of territory and people as were necessary to maintain themselves, though not as much as they had before, or enough to make them dangerous; and I always take care to honour and favour them. They have done very well, so that now the city is peopled with about thirty thousand households, and is just as orderly in the market-places as it formerly was; moreover I have given them such liberties and immunities that they will increase in great numbers; for they live quite as they please and many artisans live by their work among the Spaniards, such as carpenters, masons, stone-cutters, silversmiths, and others. Merchants trade in safety, and others live as fishermen, which is an important business in this city, and others by agriculture, for there are already many who have their plantations sown with all kinds of vegetables which we have obtained from Spain. I assure Your Cæsarian Majesty that, could we but obtain plants and seeds from Spain, and if Your Highness would be pleased to order them sent to us as I besought in my other account, the ability of these natives in cultivating the soil and making plantations would very shortly produce such abundance that great profit would accrue to the Imperial Crown of Your Highness; for even greater revenues can be procured for Your Sacred Majesty in these parts than what Your Highness now enjoys in those you possess in the name of God our Lord. Your Highness may rest assured