Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/107

Rh Also, said Cortes, among the great reasons which had led our emperor to send us here, one was to induce them to give up their idols and the stealing of children and the human sacrifice they practised before their idols. He therefore begged them to set up in their towns and temples a cross like this they saw before them, and an image of Our Lady with her most excellent Son in her arms, and our God would bless them. In short, Cortes spoke with admirable feeling and argument which I am not able to report and must therefore leave in my pen.

With Teuhtlilli came many Indians who wished to barter articles of low grade gold. So we set about trading and in this way got means to pay our sailors for catching fish—otherwise we had not food to stay our hunger. Although he was secretly pleased with our barter, Cortes pretended not to see what we were doing till those among us who were friends of Diego Velasquez asked him why he suffered such a thing, that Diego Valesquez did not send the expedition that the soldiers might put gold in their pockets. Moreover, It ought to be proclaimed that no one but Cortes should, for the future, be permitted to barter for metal, and for all gold already In the soldiers' possession every one should render account that the king's fifth might be taken. A treasurer also should be appointed.

In all this Cortes confessed they were right, but