Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/280

 I spoke more fully to the principal chief and to all of them together, and I learned from them that the principal one of these two mosques was dedicated to a goddess in whom they had faith and hope, and that they sacrificed only the most beautiful virgins to her, for otherwise she would be angry with them, and therefore they took special care to search for such as would satisfy her; and they reared the most beautiful ones from childhood for this purpose. I spoke of this horrible cruelty in which the devil with his arts had taken them, and I also told them what seemed to be necessary; and they appeared to be satisfied.

The chief of the town showed himself my great friend and held much conversation with me, giving me a full  The Chief Apaspolon account and description of the Spaniards, for whom I was going to search, and the road I should take; and he told me in great secrecy, praying that no one should know that he had informed me, that Apaspolon, lord of all that province, was alive, though he had sent to say that he was dead; the young man who came to see me was his son and had been sent to misdirect me so that I might not see his country and towns. He gave me this information out of friendship, and because of the good treatment he had received from me, 'but prayed me that this should be kept strictly secret, for, if it became known that he had informed me, the lord would kill him and burn his town. I thanked him very much, and rewarded his good will with some small presents, and promised to keep the secret as he asked me to do; I also promised him that as time went on he would be well rewarded by me in Your Majesty's name.

I immediately sent for the son of Apaspolon and told him that I marvelled very much that his father should have refused to come knowing as he did my good disposition towards all of them and my wish to honour them and make them presents, for I had received good