Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/51

Rh their allies. Moreover, he had learned that we sought gold, and for that we gladly exchanged our goods. All this Information he had from time to time received through figures drawn, as is the custom of the people, on a thick cloth much like linen and made from fibres of the maguey.

Now, when Montezuma knew we were coasting along towards his dominions, he sent orders to his governors that at every place where we landed they should exchange gold for our glass beads, especially for the green beads which so much resemble their valued chalchihuites or jadeite. Further, he ordered them to gain all knowledge they could of us and of our plans. The reason he dwelt most particularly upon the last point was that a legend of their Indian ancestors had foretold how men with beards should, in the future, come from the rising of the sun and gain dominion over them.

For whatever purpose it may have been, the great Montezuma had ordered these sentinels who filled the banks of the river, and every lance hung with a white cotton cloth, which the sentinels waved inviting us to come to them.

For ourselves, we were fairly astonished at so novel a sight, and our captain, with other officers and soldiers, agreed to find out what the whole matter meant. We therefore lowered two of our boats and manned them with twenty of our most daring